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Perspective

By Richard Kuritz
Thursday, October 1, 2009

Writers Note: Writers tend to write from what they know, (or what they think they know). I write the Perspective column from my life experiences and observations and look for universal points and issues that will stimulate thoughtful response. In complete support of the 1st Amendment, these are my opinions, so I expect and respect yours, regardless of how vehement or ungrammatical. Aside from your right to self expression, you may just have a damn good idea. The corollary is that your rights end where the rights of others begin. (You can't yell "fire!" in a packed theater). So if you have an idea or comment, spit it out. If you have a bellyful of personal spew, keep it to yourself, as I prefer neither to trade insults nor engage in a battle of wits with the half-armed.

What's That Smell?

So, we have this treadmill that goes up and down, fast and slow, shows how far we have run/walked/crawled, tells calories burned, and gathers a lot of dust. In the next room Maggie, our rescued lab-hound, has a bed where she was sleeping in a few days ago. The night before she woke me up at about 2 a.m., and I thought she just wanted to play. She was pretty insistent, but I sleepily suggested that she go play sleep-time or go use the treadmill since I was going back to bed.

At 6:00 a.m. that morning Maggie was oddly uninspired as I rousted her to make her outdoor rounds. Around 9:00 a.m. I stepped into the exercise room and was greeted by the odious odor of dog excrement, emanating from a pile deposited hours earlier, on the treadmill. Sometimes, even dogs can follow literal directions, she did use the treadmill!

The task before me was imperative and unpleasant, but it was doable. Lots of paper towels, plastic bags, simple green and good humor and the smelly mess was soon abated. Ever the opportunist for sick humor, I suggested to my better-half that clean-up would have been easier if we had simply turned on the treadmill for about a half revolution.

It was then that the analogy struck me. Most of society's problems are messy and odiferous on some emotional, financial, or political level. It seems that all-to-often some individual, business or political entity sees or creates a mess, and "turns on the treadmill" until the issue is out of sight. If the odor persists, the blame theories are proffered, but the cause remains occluded, and we pay the tab. Eventually, the mess, stuck to the treadmill of life, comes around again, but maybe not until that crew has left the building.

Corrupt conduct is as old as man since man is a creature first of convenience, then of conscience. I remember learning New York State history in junior high and seeing a political cartoon entitled "T'was him" (by Thomas Nash, Harpers Weekly. August, 1871). The drawing depicted Boss Tweed and his cronies standing in a circle, each pointing to the next man. Tweed, born in 1823, became the third largest land owner in NYC, was elected to US Congress in 1852, NYS Senate in 1867 and functionally controlled NYC as Commissioner of Public Works in 1870. Tweed was convicted for stealing as much as $200 million (as much as $8 billion today) largely through kickbacks on overpriced building contracts. (Seems to be a tradition!) Although Tweed was part of the infamous Tammany Hall Democratic Party power machine, they worked hand-in-hand with the Republicans of the time. Sounds a lot like today's big union and big business contracts, only now made legal by legislators, paid by unions and big business.

Oddly enough, Tweed and Tammany Hall provided aid to the sick and unemployed, advocated for tenants and workers and made many improvements to the city. Tweed also fought for the NY State Legislature to donate to private charities of all religious denominations, subsidize Catholic schools, orphanages, and hospitals; and pushed through funding for a teacher's college, salary increases for teachers, and prohibition of corporal punishment in schools.

They say Mussolini made the trains run on time. I say there is no one more generous than a politician spending the public's money.

So, Big Business, CA State Legislature, US Congress and other petty weasels:

- Please stop the finger-pointing.

- End the blame game.

- Clean-up the mess.

Every time you turn on the treadmill we pay the power bill and get to run through your dog excrement.

This article was first published on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 11:53 am. This article has been viewed 520 times.

Rich Kuritz was born in NYC, grew up on Long Island where he met and married his High school steady in 1969. He has been a Californian for over 30 years, has 3 grown children, three grandchildren and a dog named Maggie. About 7 years ago, Rich and his older son discovered Arrowbear, where they rebuilt their adjoining homes. His academic training is in Political Science and Economics, and his business background includes finance, investment, business development and construction.

Rich presently serves as Chairman of the Economic Development Committee of the Running Springs Area Chamber of Commerce, and was recently elected as a Director to the Arrowbear Park Municipal Water District. His present interests include community development, consulting and writing.

The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect those of RIMOFTHEWORLD.net. This column is copyrighted by Richard Kuritz.