In the Apocalypse the Four Horsemen of war, famine, death and pestilence are unleashed upon mankind. In Orange County, like many counties struggling with unfunded public pension fund liab and high salaries and sinking tax revenues, the news today (9/14/2010) is troubling--three of our esteemed public officials reneged on their promise to take a 5% pay cut. Instead of Four Horsemen we should count our blessings to be set upon by only Three--War, Famine, and Pestilence. Death is not yet here and as long as more of us start drinking tea many never be unsealed. The following captures some of the outrage in reading the news.
The Three Horsemen
It is not as upsetting as the City Manager for Bell,
But the latest news should make our outrage swell.
We live in budgets awash in dripping red.
New jobless figures we await with fearful dread.
Our public pensions are like a bloated leech,
Sucking out any taxpayers' blood within their reach,
But no matter how deep into our pockets we may try to dig,
We may never, ever escape the chains of this fiscal brig.
Orange County has Three Horsemen we now must unseat--
Sunstrom, Guillory and the tax collector Street.
All county heads tightened their belts and took a 5 percent cut--
Not these three, they selfishly kept their wallets shut.
If these public "servants" were struggling at making ends meet,
Or like the rest of us staring financial ruin lapping upon our feet,
The outrage would be muted, for we are a forgiving kind,
But at six figures, their refusal only blows one's mind.
Our clock is ticking--the sands have almost left,
We taxpayers must rise up to end this sugared coated theft.
A public pension and higher immune salary is not a holy grail!
We are in this leaking boat together—time for Three Horsemen to help us bail!!!
Michael P. Ridley
© September 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Saturday, September 11, 2010
911 9th Anniversary
On this day 9 years ago the citizens of this nation and 76 others were subjected to suicide attacks that killed more people than we lost at Pearl Harbor or Omaha Beach. What follows is a poem I wrote this morning. Preserving safety and preserving tolerance and first amendment freedoms is a tightrope balance maybe not even the Wallendas would wish to cross, but somehow this poet is convinced we are up to the task and the forces of evil will be relegated to the sewers of hell where they belong.
911 Images
The song "We are the world" comes to mind on this solemn day
As we come together not to pretend, but to really pray
In less than an hour the forces of evil sought to slay
Not just the GI's but any citizen that stood in their way
The ashes of fallen towers turned the horizon into a deadly gray
On their side, discourse and reason in total decay
To carry a briefcase or laptop should not make a worker a prey
Or to catch a plane to go home should not be a final price to pay
Citizens of 77 countries against their will thrown into the fray
New burdens accepted on our shoulder weigh
We mark a war of no boundaries, no quarter, but resolve may not stray.
It will never be easy, no piece of cake, no catch the bouquet
We must always hold the external forces of evil at bay
While our freedoms we can never betray
A clear message to those misguided seeking relief only 77 virgins can allay
You are pirates, parasites on humanity to be killed on this and every other day.
Michael P. Ridley
© 9/11/2010
911 Images
The song "We are the world" comes to mind on this solemn day
As we come together not to pretend, but to really pray
In less than an hour the forces of evil sought to slay
Not just the GI's but any citizen that stood in their way
The ashes of fallen towers turned the horizon into a deadly gray
On their side, discourse and reason in total decay
To carry a briefcase or laptop should not make a worker a prey
Or to catch a plane to go home should not be a final price to pay
Citizens of 77 countries against their will thrown into the fray
New burdens accepted on our shoulder weigh
We mark a war of no boundaries, no quarter, but resolve may not stray.
It will never be easy, no piece of cake, no catch the bouquet
We must always hold the external forces of evil at bay
While our freedoms we can never betray
A clear message to those misguided seeking relief only 77 virgins can allay
You are pirates, parasites on humanity to be killed on this and every other day.
Michael P. Ridley
© 9/11/2010
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Labor Day
The Alaskan Poet has been way too busy completing North to Alaska--Islands of Stability in Seas of Change and tweeting at Alaskanpoet.com. Labor Day Weekend years ago was a time of great enjoyment--jobs were there and if not the loss was only temporary. Today may be different. this poet has no answers other than the chasm between Blue and Red has to end. Poem follows:
Labor Day 2010
It is the end of summer, the time for to gather and put the last burgers on the grill.
A day to honor labor and mark the faint beginnings of the autumn chills,
The next generation gathered around the barbecue
School to start, soon time to get what will be due
It is the kick off of the elections if we are so cursed
Of election years --I will do better my opponent worse
Always to honor what the American worker can achieve
And with the flags, barbecue and family what a nation we can weave
This year it may be different as too many of us are without jobs
The winds of misfortune our well being and future has robbed
The private sector numbers are a stream of jobs lost,
While our public sector grows no matter the cost.
After the last burger, the last beer,
The last end of summer cheer,
Maybe, just maybe, it is now time as we near the brink
To pick up another self reliant drink,
Tea may be the choice of our English friends
But here, maybe the greed of incumbents we can end.
Time for Red and Blue to merge
Term politicians we now will purge
Cut the public sector’s greedy take in our till,
Then maybe then today we can enjoy our last summer grill.
Michael P. Ridley © 2010
Labor Day 2010
It is the end of summer, the time for to gather and put the last burgers on the grill.
A day to honor labor and mark the faint beginnings of the autumn chills,
The next generation gathered around the barbecue
School to start, soon time to get what will be due
It is the kick off of the elections if we are so cursed
Of election years --I will do better my opponent worse
Always to honor what the American worker can achieve
And with the flags, barbecue and family what a nation we can weave
This year it may be different as too many of us are without jobs
The winds of misfortune our well being and future has robbed
The private sector numbers are a stream of jobs lost,
While our public sector grows no matter the cost.
After the last burger, the last beer,
The last end of summer cheer,
Maybe, just maybe, it is now time as we near the brink
To pick up another self reliant drink,
Tea may be the choice of our English friends
But here, maybe the greed of incumbents we can end.
Time for Red and Blue to merge
Term politicians we now will purge
Cut the public sector’s greedy take in our till,
Then maybe then today we can enjoy our last summer grill.
Michael P. Ridley © 2010
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