Why we're broke -- bonus report

Iowa education bureaucrats are in the midst of their annual back-to-school group whine about needing more tax money. They want a 7 per cent boost to maintain educational "quality" at the three state universities.

Meanwhile, down at Iowa State, quality is also on their minds. Prexy needs new downstairs carpet in his prexial mansion. Not just any carpet  mind you. His feet must touch nothing less than the finest wool from superior sheep. The tab is $90,000 from foundation funds usually thought of as a source of scholarship money.

But it's all okay because image is involved here. We sure as Hell wouldn't want to be throught of as a bunch of trailer trash hicks with plain old nylon rugs.

"(Regent Bruce) Rastetter said, “And I think we all know, and having been to events, that the residence of the presidents of the university are really important in terms of fundraising, in terms of highlighting student scholarship, in terms of dignitaries and people that come here, that’s one of their first images of the university.”


If that doesn't tell you most of what you need to know about the shallow-brain dimwittery involved in running our public schools I'll kiss you arse under the campanile and give you leave to invite the entire membership of the AAUP. 

Why we're broke

Give your favorite U.S. Department of Justce bureaucrat a cookie, but not just any cookie. His taste has become too refined for Kraft and Keebler's.

Nothing less than than a $10 cookie will do. At least as long as you're paying. Muffins are a little higher for Holder's Horrors. They're  about $16. Coffee to wash  it all down comes to about 8 bucks a cup.

All told, Justice spent about $121 million on  posh "conferences" in 08-09. Those were Bush years, but auditors say the guys and gals are still satisfying their sweet teeth at a half-buck or so per empty calorie.

Which brings us to the Obama plan to soak millionaires. If he gets his way we first find 121 dudes earning one million per year and take it all, every penny. That will cover the  top cops' cookies and muffins, so we'll be well on our way to meaningful fiscal reform.

Please cast good thoughts into the air. A young man I love is ill, and the reasons are not clear to doctors. Exploratory surgery is planned.

Security

I finally got around to working up a redundant locking system for the camper. The tail gate  is up as far as it will go, to an angle about 30 degrees short of vertical where it makes opening the door impossible.  It secured there with a chain and padlock contraption.

(Those of you with RV experience know that their factory locks can be defeated with a powerful wish.)

It won't even slow down a pro, but it should discourage your casual miscreant looking for easy wherewithal to acquire pharmaceuticals.

As a bonus, the license plate is visible, robbing Officer Friendly of a reason to stop me because he's bored and wants to practice his consent-search spiel.

"Why, yes, officer, I do mind you just looking through my vehicle ."

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This would have gone much easier if the camper were on inch shorter or the bed one inch longer.