Woe is me

Now I’ve done it. I just spotted the torn tag on the floor beside my chair. “WARNING – Do not remove this tag”. What a terrible way to start the morning. I better go back to the kitchen for another cup of coffee and to hide the tag.

A quick look at the news and I can see that the world is in much the same condition as it was when I went to bed last night. There is this though…

The Wrong Answer in Connecticut
”A “three strikes and you’re out” law to force judges to impose lengthy sentences on criminals convicted of three felonies is the wrong solution for Connecticut or any state.”

As a Californian, where ‘three strikes’ still rules, I can attest to that. It is definitely the wrong solution. Justice is blind enough without adding another blindfold. You would think that someone in Connecticut would look at the statistics that California has generated before thinking about such a move. Unless the people of that state enjoy spending their tax dollars for an out of control prison system? The prisons will soon be understaffed, overcrowded, and a danger to both prisoners and officers. Any chance of working rehabilitation programs will be gone as the money will be spent on overtime pay and the construction of new prisons.

Speaking of tax dollars, the Economist had a great article about the success of a Venezuelan music program, created 32 years ago by Jose Antonio Abreu. This program has nothing to with the notorious Mr. Chavez, though I’m sure he has thought about adding it to his portfolio.

What about our own music programs? Locally, the music programs in Durham and Orland are the only ones to brag about. And not because of well spent tax dollars; it’s only because of dedicated instructors and volunteers that these programs work at all.

Sad, but when it comes to the arts… music being just one of the arts, tax money seems to disappear before it can be used for their development. ‘Intellectual growth’ rarely has supporters among the budget makers.