I can't speak for everyone but I think you did make a difference in the last White House election, and I appreciate the information you provide. I'm just one person, but I hope you take some comfort knowing that. And here's some cheap boomer advice. (I see you rolling your eyes, LOL) Life is all the stuff that happens to you while you're busy planning your life. Find a little something to smile about every day, or you've wasted one.
Two election ago I did vote for Arnold because White House was not being developed so I thought they were doing okay. I watched the debate and there was one other candidate who did not seem qualified at all. It would have been great to have another qualified candidate! The city seemed to operate pretty well, I had trash and sewer through them and always had great service.
I worked for the local home builder at the time that was a larger builder, because Brinkley and a few smaller ones were the only ones building, that seemed to break the seal on targeting new developments. Who knew the town would be in the map for all the builders to flood in. Idk if there is a billboard somewhere or what, but they build because people keep moving here. If the sales drop, so does the amount of spec homes they build. There is a ton is civil engineering required to develop a subdivision, so not sure why everyone is flooding. Drainage issues are always the #1 complaint of new building.
As for people in general, they want all the things until the tax bill is due. People will always want to get from government and not volunteer their time. It really takes alot of time to understand what is going on under the surface. Even going to the monthly meeting only one would likely be lost. The whole government / people relationship is not healthy.
As for what you describing personally it sounds like you’d be better off joining am Amish community. No taxes, everyone works hard, contributes, and raises their own kids. Our culture is far off from what I would want. As a single mom my kids had to do public school and daycare- life isn’t always what you want. I had planned on staying home with them. But I had to work to eat and have a place to live without living if the government!
As for vacation jealously, looking from the outside in always looks great but tons of people are drowning in debt for their lifestyles! Everyone has their own struggles for sure. The good news is you get to choose what you do with your life and it sounds like you are, that is the freedom of the country that we do get to enjoy. Choose if we work or not, where, how many kids we have, if we marry, where we live. Keep your head up!
Nikki - You are a talented writer with an appetite for transparency and accountability. THANK YOU! I am imaging what a city meeting would look like if 25% of your subscribers STEPPED UP and attended one important meetings. What if just 2 subscribers STEPPED UP and started writing monthly blogs? What if a dozen people STEPPPED UP and called their representatives to discuss important issues? So many small "what if" steps could make a difference. Again thank you.
Generally, our empathy for others is really very shallow. The pain of our ingrown toenail is more important to us than the misery of millions of starving children. Hard to motivate anyone who’s own yard has not flooded.
We live in a nation filled with apathetic uniformed voters. It's truly sad when this was the greatest experiment of mankind. This republic was a gift, if we could keep it, and we can't. Not one presidential candidate mentioned the constitution.
You should see what it’s done to our creek bed/200 year old tree root system/bridge we HAVE to have to get off of our property when large sections of cement come tumbling down the creek at 30 mph or more. If that tree goes, it will take out most of the infrastructure of the neighborhood, we won’t be able to get off of our property if the bridge collapses, we will be stuck. When they built Meadowbrook they never imagined this amount of building would put these trees at risk. The last tree we removed was almost $4000. We lose one or more a year, if we can find someone willing to remove them. They’re so large now it’s hard to find someone willing. We had one quote they wanted to use a crane, but I can’t get a crane over the bridge because its stability is in serious question.
You drive the neighborhood after a rain and there is an inch of dirt/sand in the pot holes flowing from new neighborhoods and other building just north and south of us. The road is being washed away ridden with pot holes more than any other neighborhood I drive through. I report them, they great about filling them but the next rain they’re all back again. Someone has to be responsible for the concrete flowing through our creeks, some as large as a TV.
If you’re serious about working, teach! They’re screaming for teachers, many are working as teachers while they fulfill some needed requirements. Coaches get paid and you’ll be home when your children are home. I worked mothers hours for a few years when my kids were in, then I had to stop in order to provide the support my autistic daughter needed, about the time I was ready to go back to work my son became diabetic. Life’s rough sometimes, I’m praying for you to find your path to lead you to an income based position while supporting emotionally (and everything else) to your family. I appreciate you!!
What an absolute mess. I will never step another foot in a classroom. I don't care if I die eating cat food. Read Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto. I'm not looking for a job, we made this choice and I wouldn't have it any other way. The point was simply that other people look to me to pick up the slack because I "don't work."
I get that! I started working when I was 16, had my kids when I was 34, went back to work in between at night out of financial necessity and people still thought it was a vacation. We’d swap kids to the others car in the parking lots. I think people in general are clueless when folks go through to serve their families needs. In between raising a family, my husband traveled (still does) but during that time he was in Pittsburgh on a customer project M-Thursday, flying back in Thursday night or Friday morning. During that time we traveled to the Birmingham area for 7 years to help my dad with my mom who had suffered with Alzheimer’s. Down and back Saturday, home Sunday and back on the road Monday. People thought I was “just” at stay at home mom. Lol. Served 4 years on PTA, then Band Boosters. Was like a full time job, It was crazy, but I have no regrets, there were a lot of folks out there that never appreciated the effort. I never did it for them anyway. I’m thankful to have been able to serve.
I can't speak for everyone but I think you did make a difference in the last White House election, and I appreciate the information you provide. I'm just one person, but I hope you take some comfort knowing that. And here's some cheap boomer advice. (I see you rolling your eyes, LOL) Life is all the stuff that happens to you while you're busy planning your life. Find a little something to smile about every day, or you've wasted one.
LOL. I did the GenX eye roll. Thanks Ken. I've raised some pretty great humans so far. I take solace in that.
Now you have 771 subscribers.
Two election ago I did vote for Arnold because White House was not being developed so I thought they were doing okay. I watched the debate and there was one other candidate who did not seem qualified at all. It would have been great to have another qualified candidate! The city seemed to operate pretty well, I had trash and sewer through them and always had great service.
I worked for the local home builder at the time that was a larger builder, because Brinkley and a few smaller ones were the only ones building, that seemed to break the seal on targeting new developments. Who knew the town would be in the map for all the builders to flood in. Idk if there is a billboard somewhere or what, but they build because people keep moving here. If the sales drop, so does the amount of spec homes they build. There is a ton is civil engineering required to develop a subdivision, so not sure why everyone is flooding. Drainage issues are always the #1 complaint of new building.
As for people in general, they want all the things until the tax bill is due. People will always want to get from government and not volunteer their time. It really takes alot of time to understand what is going on under the surface. Even going to the monthly meeting only one would likely be lost. The whole government / people relationship is not healthy.
As for what you describing personally it sounds like you’d be better off joining am Amish community. No taxes, everyone works hard, contributes, and raises their own kids. Our culture is far off from what I would want. As a single mom my kids had to do public school and daycare- life isn’t always what you want. I had planned on staying home with them. But I had to work to eat and have a place to live without living if the government!
As for vacation jealously, looking from the outside in always looks great but tons of people are drowning in debt for their lifestyles! Everyone has their own struggles for sure. The good news is you get to choose what you do with your life and it sounds like you are, that is the freedom of the country that we do get to enjoy. Choose if we work or not, where, how many kids we have, if we marry, where we live. Keep your head up!
Your write-ups are amazing!
Nikki - You are a talented writer with an appetite for transparency and accountability. THANK YOU! I am imaging what a city meeting would look like if 25% of your subscribers STEPPED UP and attended one important meetings. What if just 2 subscribers STEPPED UP and started writing monthly blogs? What if a dozen people STEPPPED UP and called their representatives to discuss important issues? So many small "what if" steps could make a difference. Again thank you.
Generally, our empathy for others is really very shallow. The pain of our ingrown toenail is more important to us than the misery of millions of starving children. Hard to motivate anyone who’s own yard has not flooded.
We live in a nation filled with apathetic uniformed voters. It's truly sad when this was the greatest experiment of mankind. This republic was a gift, if we could keep it, and we can't. Not one presidential candidate mentioned the constitution.
You should see what it’s done to our creek bed/200 year old tree root system/bridge we HAVE to have to get off of our property when large sections of cement come tumbling down the creek at 30 mph or more. If that tree goes, it will take out most of the infrastructure of the neighborhood, we won’t be able to get off of our property if the bridge collapses, we will be stuck. When they built Meadowbrook they never imagined this amount of building would put these trees at risk. The last tree we removed was almost $4000. We lose one or more a year, if we can find someone willing to remove them. They’re so large now it’s hard to find someone willing. We had one quote they wanted to use a crane, but I can’t get a crane over the bridge because its stability is in serious question.
You drive the neighborhood after a rain and there is an inch of dirt/sand in the pot holes flowing from new neighborhoods and other building just north and south of us. The road is being washed away ridden with pot holes more than any other neighborhood I drive through. I report them, they great about filling them but the next rain they’re all back again. Someone has to be responsible for the concrete flowing through our creeks, some as large as a TV.
If you’re serious about working, teach! They’re screaming for teachers, many are working as teachers while they fulfill some needed requirements. Coaches get paid and you’ll be home when your children are home. I worked mothers hours for a few years when my kids were in, then I had to stop in order to provide the support my autistic daughter needed, about the time I was ready to go back to work my son became diabetic. Life’s rough sometimes, I’m praying for you to find your path to lead you to an income based position while supporting emotionally (and everything else) to your family. I appreciate you!!
What an absolute mess. I will never step another foot in a classroom. I don't care if I die eating cat food. Read Weapons of Mass Instruction by John Taylor Gatto. I'm not looking for a job, we made this choice and I wouldn't have it any other way. The point was simply that other people look to me to pick up the slack because I "don't work."
I get that! I started working when I was 16, had my kids when I was 34, went back to work in between at night out of financial necessity and people still thought it was a vacation. We’d swap kids to the others car in the parking lots. I think people in general are clueless when folks go through to serve their families needs. In between raising a family, my husband traveled (still does) but during that time he was in Pittsburgh on a customer project M-Thursday, flying back in Thursday night or Friday morning. During that time we traveled to the Birmingham area for 7 years to help my dad with my mom who had suffered with Alzheimer’s. Down and back Saturday, home Sunday and back on the road Monday. People thought I was “just” at stay at home mom. Lol. Served 4 years on PTA, then Band Boosters. Was like a full time job, It was crazy, but I have no regrets, there were a lot of folks out there that never appreciated the effort. I never did it for them anyway. I’m thankful to have been able to serve.