by Tom Blair
Columnist

Is it possible for something to be both? Let’s look at a couple examples and keep in mind this is not about political parties, just common sense. On one hand we know we need more jobs for people who really want to work and we need security for our school kids.

I keep trying to think of all the wonderful things our leaders have done recently to make America a better, safer and a more secure place to live. I just keep wondering and wondering but can’t think of much at all. What has been done to make our economy more booming and secure? I don’t see it yet.

Our political leaders are always adding a bunch of crap (or pork) to a bill or legislation to get the thing passed, like getting the fiscal cliff problem temporarily solved. They put in some other things to sway (or buy) votes of other politicians to get this kind of stuff passed.

To get that one through and make us think the fiscal cliff problem no longer is a problem they pass legislation that also approves 222 million dollars for the rum industry, 78 million dollars to NASCAR, 430 million for the movie industry and 59 million dollars for the algae growers. That’s almost 800 MILLION DOLLARS!

Why not solve two problems at one time by simply taking that 800 million dollars and use it to hire former military people and police officers to do security at public schools?

Solving the fiscal cliff problem by spending 222 million bucks on helping the rum industry is plain stupid. People who like rum have no problem finding it and the rum industry is doing well, I assure you.

A couple months down the road, we are facing borrowing more money, raising the nation debt, trying to solve more economical problems, and still no one is talking about our drug problem but will be sidetracked debating and arguing gun control.

I heard a politician on TV the other night saying that we need to make more laws and stiffer penalties on carrying a gun near schools. Then, he proceeded to talk about registration of all “Assault” weapons to protect American citizens.

Wanting to protect people is certainly reasonable, but the way he talked about solving the problem is again, stupid. NONE of the above things would have stopped that horrible school massacre. Does anyone think that having stiffer penalties on anything would have stopped him? Negative!

While pro-gunners, anti-gunners, Democrats and Republicans argue for the next year over a solution our kids are still open season for nut cases.

Let’s start by getting something in place, even if it involves volunteer people walking patrol around the school grounds reporting suspicious people by cell phone to police, hiring some police officers or maybe taking a few officers off of traffic patrol, placing a few dummy squad cars around the schools. I don’t have all the answers, but let’s “giter done” whatever it is.

Tom “Road” Blair

Website: www.tomroadblair.com