Taxes

My niece graduated from college about ayear ago. She got married shortly thereafter. Now she is dealing with a new reality, includinghow taxes steal away our money. but in her case she has some extra reason for concern. here is her story.

Let me preface this by saying, I do not know much about government. Most of the complicated political dialogue that is thrown around goes over my head. But what I do understand is that the federal government is finding more and more ways to insert itself into my private life through the guise of protection, when all they really want is to redistribute my money.

For example, when I moved to Chicago, I brought a car with me. In order to park my car on a public street in front of my building, I had to get new license plates. OK, fine by me. Well, first I had to get an Illinois Driver’s License. Then I had to transfer the title on my car to Illinois (with an accompanying fee). Then I had to pay for the plates and the sticker. All of this seemed normal (annoying, but still commonplace) until they told me I had to pay for a city sticker. Apparently, in order to keep too many people from owning cars, they require that drivers must purchase one of these city stickers. Without one, your car will be fined $50 for each infraction, and after 3 it will be booted and towed. And trust me, they will catch your car every single day. There is no shortage of ticket police in this economy. This magical little sticker costs $150 a year. So, in order for me to even own a car in Chicago costs $400. Our building is on a street that does not require an additional sticker, which many of the streets immediately behind our building require. This additional sticker says that you live on the street you’re parking on to ensure that people who do not live there do not park there. It costs $25, and let me tell you, we used to live on a street that required one of these additional stickers, and they do nothing to create more parking spots. It’s simply an additional way to tax people.

Now, obviously, I elected to own a car. No one forced me. What I am pointing out, though, is how complicated owning a car can be. The government has made the very simple concept of owning a car an incredibly complex one, and attempted to force people to give up the battle and opt for public transportation (which is owned by the city…convenient). When people fail to adhere to their control, they are heavily fined. Either way, the government makes a pretty penny off of people simply living in Chicago. There are cameras on the lights here. If you run a yellow light, automatic $50 ticket. It’s illegal to talk on a cell phone while driving ($200 fine) and it’s also illegal to text while driving. I don’t encourage doing this while driving because it is dangerous, but that’s not why they regulate it; they want OUR MONEY. It even costs $7 in tolls if you want to leave this crappy city.

Knowing how complicated, expensive, and bureaucratic owning a car can be, I cringe to think that people earnestly believe the government will take care of them with healthcare. For myself, I just want the government to leave me alone. I want the freedom to succeed in life without being taxed to oblivion for it, and I want the freedom to utterly fail and dig myself into the ground without interference. Is that too much to ask? Am I being too young and naïve?

What do you think? Are you bothered by the level of control the government has? Or do you prefer the government to regulate the issues daily affecting your life?

So, Whaddya think? Do you feel sorry for her?

BE sure to drop by my other blog

On Role Models

This guest article does not need an introduction

by: Michael Carey

Perched on a hill in a suburban utopia during the Rockwellian age of the Pax Americana, was the nest of my great upbringing. The greatness of it may have been influenced by the fresh air, the gorgeous trees or the lake down the way, but more than anything it was due to the people; the community. You see, in an age of commotion and turnover, my good fortune was to be a part of an unchanging neighborhood where neighbors spoke and parents watched over each other’s kids. In places like this children learn, not just from their own families, but from the many beautiful examples around them.

One such influence on me was an ever diligent and always humorous philosopher of sorts. He occupied the house just to the west of us with his wife two kids and two dogs. The wife and kids became ever more lovely as time went on, like the tree outside the living room door where I once saw a Golden Eagle, but the dogs had no such luck. Fred and Sabbie grew old and weary in the sprawling fenced in gravel pit of a back yard. When they passed, I saw that irksome fence come down and the gravel was replaced with grass. Lesson one was the transformative power of bringing down fences and seeding dead places with life.

With the fence down, our nomadic dog started to soil that beautiful new grass, but that wasn't enough to make the kindly philosopher turn us away. In fact, it seemed almost like an open door policy. Going over there with my brother to hang out with his boys was always a treat, and there was an inevitable soda to be had. I recall addressing him as Mister as we were so stiffly instructed to do, but he quickly corrected me opting for the far more familiar Dave. Lesson two had to do with treating others well, and having an open door of hospitality and amicability.

There was always something fun to be done in a house where inquisitiveness led down endless paths. As ever present neighbors we went to coin shows and collected pennies, bringing them home and shining them up with Taco Bell sauce. Another day took us to a Pepsi bottling plant to see the source of those ever present cans. There was a time when the garage was full of baseball cards and each was meticulously organized and carefully graded. We tied flies into the late hours of a weekend night, and I learned lesson three, which was the joy of an endless curiosity.

Becoming more like part of a tribe, on occasion our hunting party would venture out to Cub Foods on wholesale shopping excursions. It was on these trips that I learned to spot a good deal and take advantage of it, but the real story is in the journey. You see, there I was, in the back of the car, and we were heading west down Quincy with Led Zepplin playing over the radio. Now, maybe you've got a song or two that takes you right back to a specific place and time, but for me it was Stairway to Heaven at high volume that night. Every note was so clear and joyful, my mind was elevated and before that I had probably never really been turned on to music. Maybe that is lesson four.

Buying soda for the neighborhood kids and cleaning up after a well fed German Shepard gets expensive, and like every self made entrepreneur, that good neighbor had to climb the stairway for quite some time. In fact, I recall some dark days in 82 when there was a for sale sign out in front of his blue house. I loved my neighbors and didn't want them going anywhere. Fortunately, my consternation abated and the sign came down as the economy perked up. The outside world was fluctuating, but this neighborly role model diligently persisted until the hope of a new dawn appeared on the horizon. The quintessential lesson lies somewhere along that road of hope and perseverance.

May we all perpetuate the lessons of those role models who have shown us the way.

Michael Carey March, 2010

Thank you MC, I had no idea.

Comments welcomed

Other guest writers are still invited to submit articles.

Don't forget to visit my blog about Family Finances

A real life hero

A real life hero.....The Green Beret
by Jeanine Suazo


"People sleep peacefully in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." George Orwell

The United States Army Special Forces - also known at the Green Berets - are trained for unconventional warfare and special operations. President Kennedy called the Green Beret "a symbol of excellence, a badge of courage, a mark of distinction in the fight for freedom."The U. S. Army's Special Forces work in teams of 12. The Green Beret motto is, "De Oppresso Liber" - to free the oppressed.

It is said that if you want to wear the green beret of the Army Special Forces, you must be able to do hundreds of push-ups, you need to have superior intelligence, have an outstanding record of prior military service and very high motivation.

So with all of that said, I would like to tell you about my personal interaction with a Green Beret - a modern day hero.

On my recent trip to Denver my flight was canceled. I found myself on a different flight, a different airline and even departing a different airport than was planned. That turned out to be the most interesting flight I have ever been on. I had to hold my child since her seat was somewhere else on the plane and I figured her row mates would not be thrilled to take care of a random one year old. Anyway, it was my intention to sit quietly and not "chatter" with the poor souls that got stuck sitting on either side of us. Of course it was 2 men. I apologized in advance to each one as they arrived and took their seats. The man to my left was interesting. It turned out he had gone to the same junior high and the same high school as me! He had graduated 10 years before me however. He was less than enthusiastic to sit next to my child and I. The guy to the right of me is the person I want to write about and remember. He immediately put me at ease, telling me he and his wife just had their first child a month ago. He initiated conversation and we talked for the entire flight, nearly 2 hours. It was nothing short of fascinating. I sat next to a Green Beret. This man had recently returned from a tour in Iraq. The first thing I did was thank him for his service to our country. He was very humble. I went on to admit that I am fairly ignorant about the ranks, etc of our military branches. He was not arrogant in the least and did not treat me like a stupid, blonde female. On the contrary, he was very polite and charming. He went on to explain to me what it is like to be a Green Beret. He told me that there were situations where the regular army guys either could not or would not approach. He explained that the special forces handled some of the most volatile situations. He spoke about his job with pride. I asked lots of questions, as I am a very curious person and not the least bit shy! I asked how he and his friends felt about the war. His response has been on my mind ever since. He told me that it is not his job to have an opinion. That he does what his Commander In Chief (the President) asks him to do and that it is not his place to have an opinion. He also told me that the media mostly shows the people that are opposed to the war. His face lit up when he told me about the thrill of giving a soccer ball or a piece of candy to a child in a war-torn country. He spoke of the appreciation in the eyes of the citizens. He gave me an education on that flight. We talked about many things, too many to even touch on here. When he found out that I had 6 children he asked some rather personal questions, which I answered. It was actually one of those moments that I felt really human. I was conversing with a complete stranger and we could not have been more different. He was a handsome young man, bodybuilder, incredibly intelligent, newly married, struggling with a new baby in the house and busybody in-laws, and a Green Beret. I was older than him, ignorant about some of the ways of the world, still in awe and learning about how different it must be to be a male in this life, married for years with six children, and living the suburban housewife lifestyle. Yet, we talked openly and honestly. No masks. I never asked his name, nor he mine. However, it was one of the most powerful encounters I have had in my adult life. I thank God for the men and women that chose to serve our country. Who ever he was, I keep him in my prayers because he is a hero in my book.

Comments are invited

So are other Guest Articles

My other blog is about Family Finances: Currently discussing the Real Cost of Raising Children

How much of you, your time, your efforts are yours and how much are the world's?

With the exception of one timely diversion for St. Patrick's Day, we have been enjoying guest articles lately. I still have several more to tickle your minds. Justin wrote a provocative piece about punishments. Now he is stretching our minds with some new questions. Be forwarned, sometimes his questions are like fingernails on the chalk board. Tell us what you think!!

How Much of You, Your Time, Your Efforts Are Yours and How Much Are the World's?

by: Justin Thyfault

On the surface the question seems easy to answer. All of me is mine. All of my time is mine. And all of my efforts are mine. But theories and reality seldom ride the same bus for the whole trip.

Part of living in a society is the requirement that every person gives up a certain part of their autonomy. Just because we live in a free country there is no reason to think that everyone is free to do whatever they please. Each person is expected to sacrifice a portion of their free will to make the place better for everyone.

I think most people can agree that to some degree this is necessary.

But what happens when you ask certain people to give up more than you ask other people to give up?

There is currently a huge debate on how to reform our health care and health insurance system. One of the leading (legislatively) proposals is to implement a new tax on people who make more than $250,000 a year to pay for health coverage for, theoretically, everyone not making $250,000 or more. I know these are not the exact numbers and policies, but this is the idea that is being debated.

The argument has some valid points. Rich people have more money so they can sacrifice more. Actually it is not a sacrifice because they will still have more money than any person could ever need. Also, the government helped to create and protect that wealth and value, so it and the populous has a right to a portion of that value. The more money you have, the more that you need a government and a military to provide the comfort and security to maintain and protect your disproportionate wealth, so you should pay more. Likewise, if a few people have to make a sacrifice to provide for and help ten people, a thousand people, one million people, or everyone, the ends justify the means. As a society don't we need to help the greatest number of people as we can?

But is forced altruism really an exercise of justice?

LeBron James as a super-athlete, not a millionaire, is a great example. Do we as the populous have a right to experiment on his super-natural body or harvest his organs to promote the growth of anatomical science and general health? A lot could be learned from the superior performance of his body and organs that would help millions of us live longer and stronger lives. Cells or possibly even stem-cells from his body could be used to create super-organs for countless people on the cusp of death. But should he be forced to sacrifice a part of himself or his time (not his life), to help undetermined people without his consent? Why or why not?

Without getting into the validity of the legality of abortion let's consider another example.

In America fetal abortion is legal though the first trimester. The discussion of the topic could congest the internet for eternity, but in America that is the current precedent of the law. The people, through representative governance, have determined that a woman's right to her body extends to what is in her body up until the end of the first trimester. Whatever is in her body, regardless of how YOU define it, is not a cognitive self-evident human being but a possession of her and her body in the legal sense.

So up until the end of the first trimester the fetus is a possession, not a person; this is the view of women's rights and fetuses in our common laws. In our society possessions (wealth) are subject taxation and other forms of duties and obligations. If the government and populous has the right to impose duties and restrictions on possessions why should a fetus be any different? Isn't it not a human yet, just property of the woman like a wad of cash? Stem cells from fetuses have proven to be uniquely beneficial in organ development and research. For the benefit of the countless masses should women be forced to have a fetal abortion to promote the research for the longevity of the rest of us? Would that not be just another form of taxation, like taxing any other form of wealth and possession? A person in plenty providing for those that lack? Should a woman be forced by societal obligation to get pregnant to provide a fetus for research to help the rest of us?

To some people all of these are a violation of their rights. To others one or two seem wrong, but the others make sense. So as a society, what is just?

Should The Punishment fit the Crime or the Criminal?

Should The Punishment fit the Crime or the Criminal?
by: Justin Thyfault

I was listening to talk radio the other day when a story came up concerning the title question. In the case on the radio they were talking about a German law/potential law that the fine for speeding should be relative to the drivers income. The story went something like this: If two drivers got pulled over for driving over the speed limit an equal amount, the fine for the wealthier of the two should be a lot more than for the poorer driver.

The argument for this fine structure claims that if the fine was $200 for anybody speeding that speed, that poorer people are effected by the punishment more than rich people. To add some numbers to the story we'll say that Driver PoorMan makes $20,000 per year and Driver RichMan make $2,000,000 per year. The speeding ticket of $200 for PoorMan would amount to 1% of his income. If RichMan had to pay $200 it would be only 0.0001% of his income. The $200 fine wouldn't be that much of punishment for RichMan, nor a deterrent for him to speed again. However, if RichMan had to pay 1% of his income, the punishment would have the same impact as $200 for PoorMan. This would mean that RichMan would have to pay $20,000 for the same speeding infraction. So should the punishment fit the crime or the criminal?

We already impose different judgements for unique criminals in other areas of our justice system. The sentences for minors are significantly less than for adults. In most states mentally retarded/insane people are held to different standards than 'normal' people. The fine for speeding in a school zone or roadwork zone are double the fines than in other areas.

Are there areas where we don't currently impose different punishments where we should? Should somebody without a driver's license always be at fault for an auto accident because they were not even supposed to be on the road? Should a preacher be punished harder for molesting a child than a complete stranger would because the preacher used his position of righteousness? Should a legislator be punished more for breaking a law that they passed?

Or should we all be held to the same standards, each of us entitled to 'Due Process'? There are parts of the Fifth, Eighth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the constitution that provide every citizen the right to be treated just as everyone else would be. Afterall, isn't Justice supposed to be blind?

Which brings me back to the title question; Should The Punishment fit the Crime or the Criminal?

Visit my Family Finances blog, currently discussing the cost of raising children

http://ourfamilyfinancesbydavethyfault.blogspot.com/

Who Do You Trust With Your Kids?

Guest bloggers have been traveling the road about children lately. In that spirt I thought it would be interesting to find out what an Au Pair is and why somebody would go that route. Heather has explained it very well. I am certain you will find it interesting.

Au Pair
by: Heather Rhode

Families have so many options when it comes to providing child care for their children. The options include stay at home mom or dad, enlisting the help of another relative or friend willing to watch your children, in-home daycare, center based day care, hiring a nanny, babysitting cooperative, hosting an au pair. I’m sure there are even more options, but those are the major choices parents are faced with when deciding on childcare.

I can’t reasonably speak of any of the options except for hosting an au pair, as my husband and I have hosted an au pair for over four years. I thought it would be helpful to outline some of the common questions my husband and I receive and also a mom’s perspective on what it’s like to host an au pair.

Before I begin, I want to clarify that an au pair can be a young man or a young woman. I will refer to the au pair as “she” throughout the rest of the article as we have never hosted a male au pair and 98% of au pairs are young women.

So what exactly IS an au pair anyway? Isn’t that the French word for nanny?

Many people erroneously confuse an au pair with a nanny. The word "Au Pair" is a French term, which means "on par" or "equal to", denoting living on an equal basis in a reciprocal, caring relationship between the host family and the children. An au pair will typically be a young woman and sometimes a young man from a foreign country who chooses to help look after the children of a host family and provide light housekeeping. The au pair is given room and board and is typically paid a weekly "pocket-money" salary. Au pairs generally stay with their host family for one year. One major difference is that an au pair is a young adult from another country who lives in your home and watches your children for a set number of hours in exchange for a weekly stipend. A nanny typically already lives in the country and works as many hours the family needs. Sometimes the nanny will live with the family, oftentimes not.

Whoa, stop the presses….she lives with you?

Yes, she lives full time with us. We are fortunate that most of our basement is finished and she has her own rooms and her own bathroom, separate from the rest of the family. The only common area is the laundry room and I try to stay out of there at all costs! The au pair agency we work with (as I’m sure is the case with all au pair agencies) requires that the au pair have at the very minimum their own sleeping area. Many host families have finished basement areas where the au pair stays; it allows the host family and the au pair more privacy.
She eats dinner with us most nights but usually when she’s off work she will attend school as per her visa requirements, go out with friends, or relax in her room. As you'd expect from a 20 something young woman, she is not interested in spending THAT much time with us, so most of the time, we hardly know she's around.
Sounds fancy, you must be rich!

Well no. Not hardly. Many host families are quite well off, or so it seems on the surface. We are actually one of the “poorer” host families. But we’ve come to find that as long as we treat our au pair with respect, love, and as a member of our family, the fact that she doesn’t have a two year old luxury SUV to carouse around in or a 52” flat screen TV in her room hardly seems to matter.

The au pair program is pricey. It’s definitely not the most budget friendly option out of the ones I mentioned above. The annual program fee cost is $7,195. The application fee is $350. The au pair’s weekly stipend is $195.75. The flight from Newark (where they first arrive for orientation) to where we live is $430. Also we must pay up to $500 per year for the au pair to complete her educational requirements. So the very minimum cost is $18,654 per year. We give our au pairs some additional perks. Our au pairs have their own car which we maintain and give a $75 per month gas allowance. She also has her own cell phone which costs around $65 per month. If we’re going on a family vacation, we take the au pair along with us and give her the time off and don’t charge it against her two week vacation allowance. This year we are not going on a family vacation, so we are giving our au pair a plane ticket and a couple of days off to fly wherever she wants. Then there’s the extra food, water, heat, electricity that is involved with having another adult live in the home.

That sounds expensive. Why not save some money and just do day care?

We sacrifice a lot to be able to afford this program. We feel that this is the best and only option for our children. They get personalized one on one attention all day, if they have activities or school, the au pair can take them and pick them up. Also we don’t have to rouse the children out of bed at 6:30 and rush through breakfast, get them ready and drop them off at day care, then hope we can get out of work in time to pick them up or else incur outrageous charges.

So you get unlimited child care, you never need to enlist the help of family or hire a babysitter?

Completely untrue. Au pairs are only allowed to work 45 hours per week. You can schedule the au pair’s hours however is amicable for her and your family, but she has to have at least one full weekend off per month.

In our case, since my husband and I both work full time, we use our 45 hours Monday through Friday. If we want to go out after work or on the weekends, we have to find a babysitter or call in favors to friends and family. Lucky for our au pairs, they have every single weekend off to do as they please; a rarity in the au pair world.

Does she clean your house and cook your dinners too you lucky girl?

The au pair is required to do light housekeeping as it pertains to the children and is required to maintain her own living areas. So for example, if the kids do an arts and crafts project, it is her responsibility to pick that up (or better yet, have the kids pick it up and she supervises!). As a member of the household, our au pairs will help clean up common areas, like the kitchen, putting away dishes and occasional vacuuming, but no, she is not a housekeeper or a chef.

As part of the cultural exchange, our au pairs will occasionally cook meals with us that they enjoy in their home country.

How do you pick your au pairs? Do you place an ad in newspapers around the world?

People ask us this all of the time – I can’t make this stuff up – they give us far more credit than we deserve! We actually utilize an agency that does the leg work for us. We pay them $7,195 per year, and in exchange they help us find an au pair, get her paperwork in order, get her here, and provide support along the way. There are dozens of au pair agencies out there; it’s really a growing industry. I suppose one could go out and find an au pair without the support or help of an agency, but that thought kind of scares us. I mean not only is this person living in your home, driving your cars, but more importantly, they are watching your children while you are not home. It is worth the money to us to ensure we are getting a prescreened qualified person. Plus I wouldn’t even begin to know how to get the necessary paperwork processed and filed.

How is it having another woman watch your children while you’re at work?

My husband’s perspective will be far different than mine, but for me, at first it was very very difficult. My daughter was only 2 months old when our first au pair, Camila, arrived from Brazil. How jealous I was to watch this other woman bond with my newborn baby. I cried about the fact that I had to go to work while this other person went to “Mommy and Me” classes with my child and I was inconsolable the first time that my daughter called Camila “mama”. There were many times when my daughter cried and I just would not do. She wanted her au pair.

After a couple of months though, I realized that since I do have to work, it was preferable to have a caregiver that so obviously cares for and loves my daughter, and to see that love and caring reciprocated by my daughter toward the au pair is truly a good situation. I enjoy it now and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Any other advice for someone considering the program?

Do your homework. If possible, talk to other families that either have, or have had au pairs and find out their experience. If you decide the program is for you, take your time interviewing. Ask questions. Ask questions you think aren’t your business or are “too embarrassing”. It matters. This person is going to live in your home for a full year at minimum, and if you aren’t both up front at the beginning, I can promise you at the very least, you’ll have constant problem and its likely things won’t work out and you’ll be without childcare, looking for a replacement au pair. Make sure the expectations are clear from the beginning and if possible, put it in writing so there is no mistake.

Once your au pair arrives, treat her with love and respect. She is NOT AN EMPLOYEE. She is a member of your family. Treat her as such. When she arrives, make a big deal at the airport. Have your children make a sign for her, bring balloons and flowers. Make her feel special. She’s scared and nervous so do everything you can for the first couple of weeks to make her feel at home.

These small gestures of kindness will be reciprocated in spades. I promise. I’ve seen wonderful au pairs treated like dirt by their host families and it’s so sad. There’s really no reason at all for it.

So in conclusion, this program is definitely not for everyone. It’s not even for most people. But the friendships and relationships we’ve formed over the years are priceless. We still keep in regular contact with our former au pairs, and our first au pair that I earlier mentioned, still lives in the U.S. and we see her every couple of months. I truly cannot imagine obtaining any other form of childcare; it’s perfect for us and for our children.

ENOUGH WITH THE DEMANDS OF THESE LITTLE CHILDREN!

Each of the two previous articles discussed young people. In a related discussion there was some thought given to how much should a partent (especially moms) do for the kids vs. teaching them to be responsible for themselves. Kim contributed this article about the topic. See what you think.

ENOUGH WITH THE DEMANDS OF THESE LITTLE CHILDREN!
by: Kimberly Cooper

Gospel Reading today Luke 11:29-32
"How demanding are the people of this day! They ask for a miracle, but none will be given except the miracle of Jonah." Luke 11:29

The first thought that came to my mind when I read the gospel today is how demanding our children are in today's times. What happened to children obeying their parents the first time and being happy with a big red juicy apple as a treat? Now children demand box juices, sponge bob fruit snacks, chips, crackers, movies, more and more toys...and the list goes on. My son, Benjamin, just started his T-Ball practice. I was amazed to hear all of the demands of these little 4 and 5 year olds. Needing a drink of their Gatorade after 10 minutes of practice and asking for a snack after practice. This is absurd if you ask me! Our children are accustomed to being doted on constantly. We are doing nothing but providing them a disservice in today's world. Children need to be happy to use the water fountain at baseball practice and okay with waiting to get home to eat supper on the dinner table that his mother so lovingly prepared. Enough with all of the handouts of needless fruit drinks and snacks at their beck-and-call!

As of late, I have stopped buying snacks. I load up on fresh fruit and vegetables and a source of protein for every meal. No juice....just water or milk at the Cooper household. I was sick and tired of my children going to the pantry to get full of snacks and then not eating their supper. Now they are delighted with a banana or apple slices. Not that I do everything right, I am still learning what works and what doesn't but I do know one thing, I refuse to have demanding, spoiled rotten children.

When, as mothers raising disciples of Christ, do we stop the nonsense? You all know I am a big believer in the old fashion way of doing things. I think if we continue to pick up their toys, give them everything they demand we are only raising children that will demand the life they want, not the life that is best for them...God's Will. We are teaching our children to be weak by giving them all of these excess, needless supplies of food, drink and "stuff". They need to toughen-up if you ask me! Less is more and teaching our children the simple ways of using the water fountain, a pay phone (do they have those anymore), making their bed, cleaning up their messes, setting the table, cleaning off the dinner table, less TV and more floor time of legos and baby dolls, less entertainment in the backyard and more use of their imaginations. Think about the old ways of our loved ones who have gone before us. Somehow, they enjoyed life and were thankful for each and every little thing given to them. More than likely it is because their parents didn't hand them everything they wanted. They either had to work for it or did without. Sure we want our children to have a wonderful childhood, but the less we dote, the more wonderful they will turn out. Enough with the demands of our children and let's demand some respect.

Thank you Kim. You obviously have strong opinions, which make for fascinating reading. So all of this brings us to a few questions. Where do we draw the line regarding performing tasks for the kids? A lot of time it is easier to just do it ourselves, but is that really the best thing? And then there is a certain pleasure in caring for our families and doing little thnigs for them, but at what point are we spoiling them or making them too dependant on us? When did you have to help with the household chores? Did it matter?

I want to thank my friend Pam for introducing me to Kim.

if you would like to visit Kim's blog here it is http://www.archangelmothersministry.blogspot.com/

And don't forget to drop by my other blog http://ourfamilyfinancesbydavethyfault.blogspot.com/

Comments Welcomed

YOUNG ROLE MODELS

My sister, Jeanine, has submitted this article about young people. It seems to tie into Caleb's article about caring and passion for life and causes. Jeanine would have made a great coach. She sees the good in people and tends to inspire them. Since her story is about young people, I thought I would share a picture of her and me in that role. She is the little one in the picture from 1963. I am the stud in the middle. We are joined by two other sisters. Enjoy!

YOUNG ROLE MODELS

by Jeanine Suazo

The young were MY role models today. Although most adults would not want to return to the uncertainty and lack of control of our lives that we experienced when we were young, there are some things the young do that are possibly worth recapturing:

*smile!
*live with passion
*look with fresh eyes
*have faith
*be spontaneous
*trust
*hold hands
*play
*pray
*laugh
*cry
*scream (the joyful way, not the angry way)
*dream
*wish
*create fun
*BE fun
*sing
*whisper
*dance
*dawdle
*share
*be satisfied for this moment
*hope big
*did I mention SMILE?

Two very different events affected my life today.

First of all, my 7 year old received her First Holy Communion! After 5 months of preparation, today was the big day! It was wonderful! She looked beautiful - if I do say so myself - and she was very happy. There were 11 young people stepping out in faith and 11 families bursting with joy!

Secondly, I took 2 of my daughters to the Hannah Montana concert movie. Even with encouragement and permission from the theatre staff, the well behaved attendees were slow to discard proper movie manners, which actually really pleased me. Eventually though, the young (primarily girls) were on their feet dancing and participating as if they were really at the concert.

I love the intensity, enthusiasm, excitement, and innocence of the young. What happens to adults? We do sometimes become so serious that we let our dreams die, or maybe we just get on automatic pilot and forget that we can change the direction of our lives. The responsibilities, pain, and suffering that come our way can rob us of our very lives. This is no dress rehearsal! We must claim our lives back and begin immediately to participate in life! There is a saying that all men (women, too) need 3 things: someone to love, something to do, and something to look forward to. A satisfying life can be had, but we can't just react to what comes our way. Just like when we were young, we must be PROactive and drive our lives! Look at those things that the young can teach us........the list, which is easy for a young person can be intimidating to an adult! How preposterous for me to mention such crazy things! Dream? Trust? Play? Smile? Have fun? DAWDLE???? Maybe we can't give in to every selfish whim, but maybe, just maybe our lives would be richer and the lives we touch would be richer if we remembered to try to seek happiness and joy......

Well done, sister. Today i get to be with your granddaughters. i plan on taking your advice.

Thank you.

Air Supply:

Caleb is a long-time neighbor, who grew up and rasied a fine family of his own. He is an interesting fellow becasue he always has an opinion. I am glad he has agreed to share one of them with us. He says society has a problem. See if you agree.

Air Supply
by Caleb Wilson

In early 1980 an Australian band by the name of Air Supply got their first sappy love song “lost in love” to a man named Clive Davis who put them in a contract with Arista records and skyrocketed them to fame in only a couple of months and after only seven short months they had two top singles. I don’t personally care for Air supply’s particular brand of music but then I was not a fan of much of the music of the 80’s anyway. I heard their name on the radio the other day and it got me thinking. To state that you have a supply of something indicates that there is a limited amount it and at some point, you will run out. In the case of air, that seemed kind of silly to me. I had however been thinking about something else in America that seems to have run out. While I was contemplating our depleting sources in America, Air Supply came on the radio and my brain waves must have crossed signals because the words that formed in my head were “care supply.”

I got to those words because I was wondering, for the 1000th time, what happened to the people of this once great country, I am talking of course about those proud, sophisticated people who called themselves Americans. Then Air Supply rudely interrupted and I got care supply. I was wondering what happened to all the people, possibly even my parents own generation, who believed so strongly, in so much that there was always a “radical” movement. Which lead me to the thought that perhaps there was a “care supply” for this country that got used up by the generations just before mine? You know those Americans I speak of the ones who fought a second world war, the ones who rounded up communists in America, the ones who protested Vietnam and believed in the right to get stoned and “make love not war.” There were several generations before mine who were so active in the community, it had to get a tetanus booster and decided to get a sexual diseases test just to be on the safe side. Apparently after that the community changed its identity and went in to hiding because after about 1975 not much else has happened in it that was positive. Back for the moment to these men and women who had an opinion and felt they could affect change if they worked together to express that opinion. They had an abundant amount of care supply or did they?

Flash forward to today. I look around at a country where it seems the care supply is all used up. I am inevitably reminded of one of my most favorite science fiction inventions ever. You guessed it (more likely you did not) the SEP field, invented by Douglas Adams and introduced in the “Hitchhiker’s guide to the galaxy.” The premise of the SEP field was that, when used properly, it rendered just about anything, no matter how ridiculous, invisible. Best stated, an SEP is something we can't see, or don't see, or our brain doesn't let us see, because we think that it's somebody else's problem. The brain just edits it out; it's like a blind spot. If you look at it directly you won't see it unless you know precisely what it is. Your only hope is to catch it by surprise out of the corner of your eye. The technology required to actually make something invisible is so complex and unreliable that it isn't worth the bother. The "Somebody Else's Problem field" is much simpler and more effective, and "can be run for over a hundred years on a single torch battery." This is because it relies on people's natural predisposition not to see anything they don't want to, weren't expecting, or can't explain. In this case, the Starship Bistromath ("a small upended Italian bistro" with "guidance fins, rocket engines and escape hatches") has been hidden from the crowd watching a Cricket match at Lord's by an SEP field. People may see it, but they take absolutely no notice of it. As I look at the climate in America today and all the myriad problems facing this once great nation, I can’t help but feel someone turned SEP fields on. It just seems to me that people do not care the way they used to. Now more than ever we need a replenished “care supply.” So I challenge you the reader, to ask yourself if your “care supply” is up to date and ready to be used. There are enough problems in this country that something effects you every day, even if it’s only a little nag in the back of your mind, try something new and try to gather like minded friends and affect change. As Oscar Wilde so aptly stated, “Discontent is the first step in the progress of a man or a nation.”

ABC’S…EASY AS ONE BILLION DOLLARS

Greetings, I have been posting articles written by various friends lately. Heather was inspired by an issue regarding the school system, and I think you will feel her passion. So here she is.

ABC’S…EASY AS ONE BILLION DOLLARS
by: Heather Rhode

My husband and I started thinking about kindergarten for our daughter before we even conceived her. Yes we are planners! We thought about it during those early sleepless nights with her. I envisioned how I would drop her off with a hug and a kiss each morning and spend my day wondering about all of the fantastic new things she’s learning.

Now that Abigail is four, and is entering her second full year of pre-school, my husband and I have been looking very seriously into kindergarten and our options. My reaction has been very different from what I had imagined: I am not blissful or happy…I am annoyed.

I’m not perturbed with her or the school we are looking at enrolling her into, but rather the entire system. I had originally planned to enroll her in full-day classes. I feel that those children have all the benefits of extended learning designed to further their young minds both creatively and academically. Also since our particular school system requires that the child be 5 on or before October 1st to qualify for kindergarten in that specific year, Abbie will have to wait until next year to attend school. She will be nearly six years old when she is attending her first kindergarten class. I feel that a six year old should attend school full time. However the full day kindergarten classes in our school system charge a tuition of $300 per month. This is for the public school and charter schools alike.

Initially I thought that we could swing $300 per month. Things would be tight, sure, but we can manage. But then the recession hit and the financial fall-out ensued. Due to some changes in our real estate financing, we are struggling with justifying the extra cost incurred with full-day kindergarten, along with paying for our son’s preschool, along with the au pair that we will still need.



Our situation frustrates me. Why, in what is professed to be the public school system, are we paying for these services? In 2008, Jefferson County, the largest school district in Colorado, collected $670,507,400 in taxes for the schools. There are five other funds which together with the General Fund (property and other taxes) make up the school district’s annual budget of $959,134,000. That is almost one BILLION dollars. Where is this money going I ask you? Why am I paying $2,700 per year for kindergarten? What exactly do I get for my $2,700? I still have to pay for school supplies and snacks for the students in my daughter’s classroom. And don’t remind me of all of the fees we’ll be forced to pay as our children advance in the school system, specifically in high school.

I took a look at the 2009 Jefferson County Public Schools budget proposal and they do have a breakdown of where they spend their money, but it is so vague. They spent half a billion dollars in “direct instruction” in 2008 - little more than half of their annual budget. What exactly is included in “direct instruction?” Is that paying for teacher’s salaries, retirement funds, food for the students, supplies…what? It is certainly unclear to me and I scoured the 2009 budget proposal, but not once in the 100 + page document do they expound upon what is included in “direct instruction.” I feel that as a taxpayer and mother of a future Jefferson County student, I’m entitled to know that information.

Emphasis has been placed on preschool and there are fantastic programs such as the Colorado Preschool Program to supplement families who cannot afford it. There are no such programs for kindergarten in Jefferson County. A failed has left the district with more than $30 million they need to cut over the next three years and kindergarten is one of the casualties. I was actually one of the ones who voted against the mill levy as I feel that the county can and should do a better job with what they have. I know it’s a large school system with 158 schools (including the option, charter and laboratory schools), but one billion dollars is a lot of money to work with. Had the mill levy passed, I guarantee to you that I’d still be writing this blog complaining that I have to pay tuition for kindergarten. I’m certain they would have spent the additional mill levy dollars on something like “direct instruction.”

So, if preschool is important, how much more exponentially imperative is kindergarten? I was surprised to learn kindergarten is not even mandatory in the state of Colorado. My point is there are so many more measures and programs in place for preschool than kindergarten and that just seems backward to me.

Many teachers and parents attest there is a large gap in first grade between those who do full-day kindergarten vs. those who do not. Kindergarten is much different than the carefree days I spent in Mrs. Campbell’s classroom in the early 1980’s. Many children these days have already had two years of preschool. They’re already starting to write and read. They’re ready to learn.

Since we likely cannot afford $300 per month for full day kindergarten, my daughter will receive a mere 2.5 hours in the classroom a day for half day kindergarten, juxtaposed against her peers who will get 6 hours. Add in breaks or a recess and she will be lucky to spend 2 hours in the classroom. Now, I’m not a math wiz but exactly how this constitutes a “half day” is beyond me. This is less than most preschools where half-day ranges from 3 to 4 hours. Across the country, the majority of kindergartens are a minimum of 3 hours.

The Early Childhood Education Department at Jeffco claims the 2.5 hours was dictated by the school’s principal. The principal says it was Jeffco’s directive.

Either way, the result is the same: some children are losing out. Jeffco mom Larkin Harmon eloquently summed up this kindergarten gap by saying, “The sad truth is that it shouldn’t be called, ‘no child left behind,’ it really should be called, ‘no child gets ahead.’”

What is your opinion? Should more or less emphasis be placed on kindergarten? Should it be mandatory (mandatory does not mean requisite full-day) and what would that mean for state funding? Should all children in a school district be enrolled in either full or half day across the board? Do you feel that the school systems nationwide should be held more accountable in their budget practices?

Health Insurance Reality

Matt is my nephew and he has always understood health insurance better than most people. One day I asked him to write an article about it, which he did. He has his own insightful slant on the matter, especially as it pertains to cost, so here it is.

Understanding Health Care by Matt Rhode

A lot has been made lately in the news and politics of our seemingly “broken” healh care system. My opinion: IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE FIXED.

Many people make the common mistake of confusing health care with health insurance. Everyone has access to healthcare, there are no shortages of doctors, hospitals, clinics, or urgent-care centers. Some folks don’t have health insurance, which is a contract between you and a company detailing who will pay for what and in what amounts should you get sick or injured.

What’s the scope of that problem? Those who work for a large company or a government entity have a health insurance plan. Seniors have Medicare, a form of insurance. Workers injured on the job have workman’s compensation. Veterans are covered by the VA. People injured in vehicles or at someone’s house or place of business have auto or homeowner’s coverage. Illegal aliens have emergency rooms, as do all the poor and indigent and those without social security numbers.
Who’s left? CNN did a study that suggested 86.7 million went without health insurance in the last two years, 75% of whom did so for more than 6 months. That figures to 65 million.

What can they do? I looked online and in 5 minutes I found a health insurance policy that would be right for me at a cost of $95 per month with United HealthCare. I call that affordable. So you say it’s not? Then how about we just pick up the tab for those people? 65 million times $100 is 6.5 billion, that’s 0.05% of Gross Domestic Product.

Ok, ok. So you just can’t stand it, you have to CHANGE something right? Well here are my suggestions:

1) Allow people to buy insurance across state-lines, increasing competition and
reducing cost.
2) Allow people to opt-out of coverage they don’t need. Single males don’t need
maternity coverage or pre-natal care, sane folks don’t need mental health
coverage, and tea-totallers won’t need drug rehab.
3) Require doctors/HMO’s/urgent care centers/ER’s to post their prices PRE-
insurance.
4) Outlaw withholdings of health care premiums. People should write a check
for their premiums, then they’ll realize the true cost of healthcare.

Do you have any ideas that would reduce cost, increase access, and not steal money from the wealthy to give to the poor? Or do you want the U.S. to play Robin Hood when it comes to healthcare?

Meet Jeanine

Nearly everybody I meet has something interesting to say, and most of those ideas are blog worthy. With that, I have invited some friends to speak their mind on my blog. We will have about 10 of them. New contributors are welcomed and you are not limited to one article. If you don’t have anything to say right now, the offer remains open, so just submit it in the future when the mood strikes you.

FIRST UP: My sister, Jeanine

Jeanine once kept an active blog of her own, but she got distracted by a busy life so she had to cut back. She has shared some of her blog articles. Here is one about Party Tips!

Jeanine is here to share 10 very important party tips and quotes to keep in mind:

#1 It is said that WHO is invited to a party is more important than what is served -- so with that in mind, make sure you are a good party guest! Socialize, chat, work the room, taste the food and respond when you are approached by others!

#2 It is always nice to bring a gift. Gifts that are always winners - some flowers, a nice bottle of wine, a box of chocolates.

#3 This is a BIGGIE!!!! Always hold your beverage with your left hand. This will allow your right hand to always be free of that wet clammy feeling from a cup, so that you can immediately shake hands when you meet a new person. Remember shaking hands never goes out of style....

#4 For men only: Unless you want the party to end quickly for you, do not kiss women on the lips when you meet them. Women of course, may do this if they wish.

#5 Two trips to the buffet is a compliment to the chef.....Three trips shows bad manners!

#6 Be sure to verbally compliment the chef/host/hostess! Don't be a cad...this is really important!

#7 "You can make more friends in a month by being interested in them, than in ten years by trying to get them interested in you."

#8 "Certain people cause happiness wherever they go and certain other people cause happiness whenever they go."

#9 BE FUN!!!! Here's another favorite quote, "Be a fountain, not a drain."

#10.....and remember to be careful who you attend with, but more importantly, who you leave with, because as Dr. Laura says, "Alcohol loosens up our internal legal system."

Let the parties begin and let those whose eyes have read these tips be the favorite party guests!!!!