Just Say'n: A Monthly Column By John E. Clark

As I sat down to write this month’s column, I had 2 issues I was wrestling with: first, my typewriter needed a new red / black ribbon. Went to a Staples store and asked the young whippersnapper if he had a replacement ribbon for my typewriter.

What I got was a deer-in-the-headlights look.  Duh, what’s a typewriter?

Second issue: what was I going to talk about this month?  Then U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters opened her mouth . . .

THE ELECTION IS OVER. TIME TO MOVE ON.

I don’t know about you, but the way some of these Congressmen and women are acting, I feel like walking up to a couple of them and whacking them with a 2 x 4: You ARE an adult. ACT like one.

The election is over. It’s been over for 12 months.

Your candidate did not win. Actually, from what I have read in a number of national publications and online, she was a crappy candidate.

Mr. Trump is our President. Like it or not. In 2020, you get another shot of tossing him out of office or renewing his employment contract. But in the vernacular, Mr. Trump won the election fair and square.

He and the office of the Presidency deserves respect – and a chance.

In 2008 and again in 2012, Barack Obama was elected President. I did not vote for him. But I felt he WAS our President; needed to be shown respect and given a chance. I gave him my respect and a chance.

It’s time for the rest of you to do the same.

THE NATIONAL ANTHEM

Not standing during the playing of our national anthem is showing disrespect to our country; our military and to our Veterans.

NFL players show unmitigated gall to disrespect the national anthem by taking a knee in a country that has afforded them to make multi-million dollar paydays playing football and then claiming that it is due to racism and social injustice in our society.  Neither has anything to do with disrespecting the national anthem.

Military men and women – and Veterans – have died to preserve the freedoms this Country enjoys.

I’d like to see these people do this in Russia, China or even North Korea. They would be shot on site and thrown into a ditch – never to be heard from again.

Last comment to NFL players: Nobody is bending your arm or leg to stay here. Don’t like the USA?  Leave.

I have yet to watch any NFL game this season.

SENATOR JOHN McCAIN

If there was ever a strong argument for having term limits on politicians, this is it.

You served your country well . . . and with honor.

From what I am hearing, he is starting to become mentally unglued. In Senate committee meetings, he starts

going off on a tangent that has nothing to do with the topic at hand.

And you can add California U.S. Senator Diane Feinstein – who just announced she is running for reelection – at age 87.

Do these people honestly believe the government cannot run without them? C’mon. C’mon.

I know of a few really nice nursing homes who would love to accommodate both of these people in their golden years.

THE CONNECTICUT BUDGET MESS

All of the hub-bub people are hearing and reading about that the elected people we chose to go to Hartford to do the State’s business are not concerned about coming up with a balanced budget – but are getting a dose of reality that the public is ready to fire all of these low lives in the next election cycle.

Republicans and Democrats. ( I would personally keep Senators Len Suzio and Paul Doyle. . .the rest: Adios!)

Not a bad thought. And while the public is at it, put in ( as noted above ) TERM LIMITS. Three ( 3 ) terms maximum. Then you go home.

This budget mess brought to light the fact that the State Of Connecticut never properly funded the pension plan for teachers – for the last 40 – 50 years! C’mon. And then tried to do an end run and shove it onto the 169 towns in the state to have them partially fund ( ie. fix ) the mess the state itself created. What a bunch of evil-doers.

Joe Delong, the Executive Director of CCM recently stated that Connecticut needs to take a real hard look at the pension costs of state employees. For years, the state employee unions stacked the deck against the people of Connecticut on how retirement pensions – and what was included – were calculated. The result: may state employees are retiring at equal to - or more than they actually made when there were actively employed by the State Of Connecticut.

Last year, the State Of Alabama ran into the same quagmire. They were looking at actually running out of money paying out exorbitant pensions. What ended up happening ( and this needs to be done here in Connecticut ) is to nullify the existing pension setup. In Alabama, pensions were actually cut 30% to 50%. It was either do that – or nobody was going to get anything.

Yeah, there was some initial screaming – but everything settled down.

A couple of years ago, my wife and I were very seriously thinking about moving to Charleston, South Carolina. So serious, in fact, that we actually had building plans drawn up and a lot picked out to have a new home built in Charleston. One ( 1  ) level; 4 bedrooms; laid out the way we wanted it; on a ½ acre of land.

Price : $ 140,000.00

Taxes : $ 800.00 per year.

That option is back on the table – with a greater than 75% / 25% chance of moving within the next 2 years. And the housing price hasn’t changed that much – and I still have the building plans.

And we will take all of our kids and their families with us this time.

Read the next item. You will know why.

HARTFORD COURANT EDITORIAL - TUESDAY, 10 OCTOBER 2017

The title of the editorial on this date was “ Numbers That Should Scare Your Socks Off “.

The following are facts as written by The Hartford Courant :

Ø  37,328 was the NET LOSS of Connecticut residents ages 1 and older from 2015 to 2016.                               ( My notation: at this rate, we can expect to lose a Congressional seat within the next few years – going from 5 down to 4 representatives in Congress )

Ø  7,818: the NET LOSS of 25 to 39-year-olds from Connecticut last year; 25,000 moved in – but 32,900 moved out.

Ø  3,976: the NET LOSS of top earners earning more than $ 75,000 per year last year. Connecticut lost in every income group – but the biggest drop was amongst the poorest: the Census estimated that 23,566 who earn less than $ 10,000 per year fled Connecticut to other states.

Ø  8,861: the NET LOSS to other states of people with bachelor's; graduate or professional degrees. The “ brain drain “ was worsening with an estimated 26,513 with the highest levels of education moving into Connecticut – but was more than offset by 35,374 who moved out.

Ø  $ 2,893: The DECREASE in median household income in the Hartford metro area for 25 to 44-year-olds last year.

THE SIDEBAR

A Republican – in a wheelchair – entered a restaurant one afternoon and asked the waitress for a cup of coffee. The Republican looked across the restaurant and asked: “ Is that Jesus sitting over there? “The waitress nodded “ yes “ – so the Republican requested that she give Jesus a cup of coffee – on him.

The next patron to come in was a Libertarian – with a hunched back. He shuffled over to a booth, painfully sat down, and asked the waitress for a cup of hot tea. He too glanced across the restaurant and asked: “ Is that Jesus over there? “ The waitress nodded – so the Libertarian asked her to give Jesus a cup of hot tea. “ My treat “

The third patron to enter the restaurant was a Democrat – on crutches. He hobbled over to a booth; sat down and hollered: “ Hey there honey! How ‘bout getting me a cold mug of Miller Lite? “ He too looked across the restaurant asked: “ Is that God’s boy over there? “ The waitress nodded – so the Democrat directed her to give Jesus a cold beer. “ On my bill, “ he said proudly.

As Jesus got up to leave, he passed by the Republican – touched him – and said: “ For your kindness, you are healed! “ The Republican felt the strength come back to his legs, got up, and began to praise the Lord.

Jesus passed by the Libertarian – touched him – and said: “ For your kindness, you are healed! “ The Libertarian felt his back straightening up and he raised his hands – and he too began to praise the Lord.

Then, Jesus walked towards the Democrat – just smiling.

The Democrat jumped up and yelled: “ Don’t touch me . . . I’m on disability."