I always say, "If you can't laugh at life, it will drive you crazy!"
Here in my home town, politics are a joke! Though, I guess thats how politics everywhere are though....making a joke of Democracy! I mean really, all the he-said, she-said crap is so reminiscent of high school! And don't get me started on that North/South County divide....the locals have simply never left the sidelines of the Clatsop Clash Football Game! (where the hell is the popcorn?)Anyhow....a good example of our "Democracy in Action" is the Seaside Urban Renewal Agency Budget Committee!
You see, a couple years ago (when I was the whopping age of 22) I applied for a position on the Seaside Budget Committee....and obviously I didn't get it, I was the only applicant without a degree and/or a successful business, and by FAR the youngest (and the only one from the working class.) Instead, however, they gave me a seat on the Urban Renewal Agency Budget Committee...I heard someone call it the consolation prize!
So, I was very excited, and I spent months researching and studying the budget process and learning about tax dollars and government bonds and all of this fun stuff. I get all dressed up for our annual meeting, and had been going over the budget for weeks in advance....when I got there I realized I was over-dressed and probably the most prepared. (still the youngest and least educated)
Then our City Manager, who also acts as City Accountant (seems like a shady concentration of powers to me) said, "alright now lets all sit down and vote yes so we can go home quick!'
He started to go over the Budget and about half-way through, one of the City Councilors turns around and whispers to me..."I know this is all like Greek to you, but we just have to have a certain number of people to get through this, we'll be done soon!'
Did the Councilor just call me stupid?
Well, either way......I explained to the Councilor that I fully understood what was being discussed and simply wished it were taken more seriously.
I mean....we're voting on MILLIONS of tax dollars...and no one had any questions, no concerns, no nothing....just a group of mindless drones saying "Aye" when they are told! and the questions I had were such an annoyance!
Well, for this years meeting I wore jeans!
....I can't even figure out what to do about the joke of a Democracy in my own home county...how will I ever know what to do about the lack of true Democracy in our Country???
Advice from any elders would be much appreciated....as of now, all I can do is laugh.....
if I didn't laugh.....the joke of a Republic that we are supposed to live under would drive me crazy!
