Disqus - Friends of funkymonkey

Re: Beware of scooters on the roads

Doug Hill — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 16:25:01 -0000

Get YourHand, I'm in.

I like this edit feature.

Re: Manny being Manny is the Dodgers' problem

Doug Hill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:41:05 -0000

Unfortunately, it got to the point where Manny really left them no choice, I guess. I remember the tussle between Manny and Yuke in the dugout -- who knows how bad the friction might have been in the club house. That said, I will really miss Manny; not only his bat, but the humorous side to his antics as well.

Re: Committee plans at least three forums on teen pregnancy Conversations to be closed to the press

Doug Hill — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 15:56:20 -0000

These "listening posts" have been changed, first to "conversations," and now to closed-door conversations, because they are superfluous. The mayor, school committee and school administrators have already made up their minds concerning the policy to be put in place. Why complicate matters with a lot of messy input from the community you ostensibly serve, especially when outside activists know better?

Remember that when these individuals come up for re-election.

Re: Limiting access to 'conversations' makes mockery of system

Doug Hill — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 13:44:16 -0000

School systems are notorious bastions of political correctness and values-neutral, "progressive" thought, where such dogma is self-propagating. Do not expect the institution to give credence to the inferior culture of the community that it seeks to supplant with its own culture. HOLLERING INTO A HEAD WIND! It's already too late.

Re: Limiting access to 'conversations' makes mockery of system

Doug Hill — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 14:04:20 -0000

Exactly! If they will not open these meetings to any interested party, and especially the press, then the meetings should be boycotted and shown for the sham that they are, removing any pretense that their "solution" is a community consensus. Take away their cover.

Re: Distributing contraceptives no answer to complex problem

Doug Hill — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:16:47 -0000

Jim, you have very neatly articulated the problem, and summarized the difficulty: there are no easy answers. Complex issues such as these defy the politicians' desire for a quick and easy solution. These pregnancies, however, are a symptom only of an underlying cultural pathology that you alluded to.

Re: Committee plans at least three forums on teen pregnancy Conversations to be closed to the press

Doug Hill — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 15:27:49 -0000

When I was in high school (just before the outbreak of the civil war) we had a class called "Family Living and Personal Psychology" in which were discussed many topics revolving around parenthood and self esteem.

Re: Thinking for ourselves

Doug Hill — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:19:14 -0000

Turn off the TV.

Re: Gloucester High Principal Sullivan resigns

Doug Hill — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 15:04:40 -0000

It is my understanding that Sullivan opposed the confidential distribution of contraceptives, as he felt it would break trust with the parents.

Re: Gloucester's soul at stake in this storm

Doug Hill — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:10:58 -0000

GetYourHand -- Jonah Goldberg just wrote a very fascinating book called "Liberal Fascism," which is available at Amazon.com for about $18. It is an excellent read. I think you would enjoy it.

Re: Gloucester's soul at stake in this storm

Doug Hill — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:34:34 -0000

GetYourHands -- Actually, the book is rather scholarly in tone. Not funny, but very good. It is not light reading; nor is it overly pedantic.

Re: Gloucester's soul at stake in this storm

Doug Hill — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 15:05:42 -0000

Actually, John Dewey, Charles Peirce, William James, et. al. -- the pragmatists -- were from the progressive school.

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 11:44:48 -0000

The problem is having a class of politicians. Professional politicians -- those seeking to remain in politics -- must appease special interest groups in order to be re-elected. Single-term elected officials, with no aspirations for continued elected office, who serve one term only out of a sense of civic duty, are free to make the tough decisions, and do the right thing. We need to stop electing professional politicians.

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:04:20 -0000

It's the only way to put the brakes on the mushrooming bureaurcracy, and to bring some sense to policy decisions.

Re: An ex-Gloucester mayor's perspective — Gloucester, England

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:25:58 -0000

LOL!!

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:04:34 -0000

Nonsense, Most people would have little difficulty serving a single term of office. Today, a person is likely to change his job several times, and even change his career more than once. Moreover, a stint in elected office would not detract from one's resume. Trust fund pols? You mean like John Kerry or Ted Kennedy for example?

In fact, in the absence of the constant pandering and dealing of professional politicians, the title of politician might come to enjoy a more respectable status among the public, as you would seem to wish.

Public policy should be argued in the interests of the public -- not in the interests of professional politicians pandering for votes and a path to power.

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:52:08 -0000

Mulder and Sybil at work, I'm not suggesting that everyone would be obligated to serve a term -- and, for many people, certain periods of time in their lives would be impossible for them to serve. But there are periods in many peoples lives when it would not be inconvenient for them to serve. Moreover, there would be no need for "campaigning." A number of people put themselves forward as available to serve. Several debates are held during which candidates clarify their thinking on the major issues of concern to the electorate, the media does its usual job of background checking and vetting, and the electorate chooses a representative from among the candidates -- to serve for a single term only.

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:04:58 -0000

I am talking about a single term -- not a single year. In the case of mayor, the term would be two years; congressman, four years; senator, six years, etc. Of course, length of term could also be changed by vote of the electorate.

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:22:29 -0000

Nonsense, Until we have individuals from the community willing to serve a term of office, out of a sense of civic duty, we will continue to have the corrupt, incompetent, self-serving government that we a now burdened with -- and it will only get worse as career politicians seek increasing power over our lives.

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:38:55 -0000

Sybil at Work,
WFB once observed that he'd rather be governed by the first five hundred names in the phone book than by the entire faculty of Harvard . . . ;-)

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 15:41:09 -0000

. . . On the other hand, Orwell once observed that some things are so stupid only intellectuals can believe them . . .

Re: Editorial: Mayor's civil service veto a reform step backward

Doug Hill — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 09:49:12 -0000

The reason for the single term is to avoid a re-election campaign, and "first term" catering to special interests for the sake of a re-election bid.

Nonsense, do you really think it would be difficult for the City of Gloucester to find one competent person to stand for the office of mayor once every two years; for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts to find one competent person every six years to serve a term as U.S. Senator; for Essex County to find one competent person to stand for the office of U.S. Representative once every four years?

Re: Verga embellishing record in campaign to retain state seat

Doug Hill — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:53:29 -0000

As Attila says, why send out money to Beacon Hill just to try to get some of it back; don't send it out at all. We have better use for our money right here. (Road repair, sports funding at the schools, etc, etc.)

Vote to repeal the state income tax.

Re: Court should toss out bogus claims vs. Rockport project

Doug Hill — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:13:32 -0000

"Really Steve, Communists? You must have forgotten what era of time you live in."

Precisely, Dan -- now they're just called liberals.

Re: Verga embellishing record in campaign to retain state seat

Doug Hill — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 12:24:03 -0000

I believe it is supposed to take two years to become fully effective -- part reduction the first year, remainder in the second year. That would give municipalities a chance to make adjustments to the property taxes.