Church cookies

Sent from Phil Millers iPhone

Sysco

Ball State ground beef

Sent from my iPhone

"You have the right do do anything you choose to do,..." (and then comes the Big Lie) "absolutely."

Tuesday's Letter to the Editor on smoking was honest, to the point and I really don't think anyone in the state of Indiana would have any reason to disagree with it... until we get to the Big Lie. I'm not criticizing the writer of this particular letter. The philosophy of government by fad has permeated society in that a majority of citizens can now take away the rights of a minority, purely by an act of bullying.

Proof is offered by the actions of Greenfields City Council several years ago. When discussions were had, the pro smoke side (I am a non smoking member and I was there) offered to declare privately owned businesses as smoke friendly establishments and to put up signs denoting this fact. The business owners were willing to give their customers the liberty of a choice at the door. City Council took that liberty away.

The Big Lie took away the choice of services that local businessmen were allowed to offer. There is a substantial number of people that prefer to have a cigarette or cigar with their meal.

The business owners were willing to forbid children in the establishment, thereby protecting the health of those not of age.

The pro smoke side was willing to have employees sign an agreement, that in order to work there, said they were willing to work in a smoking environment and knew the hazards. Employees were to be given the liberty of a choice, which would have worked out well for those employees that are now relegated to standing outside in the cold Indiana weather and suffering the glares of the empowered non smokers.

The Big Lie was a contributing factor that took money away in tips and in hourly wage from the employees that worked at Zoobies and Annie's until both stores eventually closed. You may argue this point but keep in mind that these were the two restaurants in town that spoke most vocally against the new law. Businessmen usually know what is best for their business.

What it boiled down to was people willing to set fire to the Constitution of the United States to get their wishes, regardless of others rights.

This one was because of You

The assumption is that the Health Care bill will pass tonite and it was inevitble. It was inevitable when You decided that zoning was legal and the court system didn't stand in your way. It was inevitable when YOU let the government decide to nation build around the world. It was inevitable when You decided marijuana was something worth putting people in jail for.

When You decide that something blantantly unconstitutional is a good thing to do and the pandering politicians and the activist judges throw out the book (yes, maybe in Your favor), You also gave the other side permission to get thier way when the pendulam swings.

Many of you will blame the Liberal Democrats for this. Nope... it was also You.

This particular bill was purchased with the promise of earmarks (now or down the road) and that was OK'd by You, too many years ago. Additionally there was the executive order banning funds for abortions. Read the history of how easy it is to write and then walk away from an executive order. You've let them get away with that, too.

I hope you enjoy what You started.

Submitted 9/11/09

Ever since the day after the Hancock County Council agreed to the new food and beverage tax that helped pay for the Marion County CIB salaries, they've continually proclaimed that no new taxes will ever be enacted on their watch. Obviously, they realize that by cutting back dramatically on public safety payments someone will have to pick up the slack. The townships will now have to enact new, or raise current taxes to pay the bill. Pretty good thinking for a bunch of entrenched politicians. They are hoping you don't connect the dots to see that they are willing to cut payments for public safety while still paying the big business tax that supports the Hancock Economic Development Council.

The flip side, of course is that there is no right to free healthcare, regardless of what the current president says. I see lots of ambulances sitting west of town and that private enterprise could just as easily pick up the slack with no taxpayer funds involved.

Letter to the Editor Submission 4/16/09

In response to the Hoot on 4/15/09, “ I wonder what Phil Miller is doing during National Library Week?”. Well actually I was at… the library. I was working at the Volunteer Fair that nite. If I had not been there I would have been at the Tax Day Tea Party in Indy. I do have to admit that I love it when people pay Attention. Now we have to work on the Understanding part of the equation.

There was an article a few weeks ago in the Reporter about how usage was up at the Library because of economic conditions. I followed with a letter to the editor expressing my unhappiness about using taxpayer money for novels, CD’s and DVD’s when, here in Greenfield, we’ve had locally owned bookstores and video rental business’s disappear as the tax payer funded library get’s bigger and more elaborate.

You should know that I’m not a library hater and this isn’t only about only the library. We are talking about all the different ways that big government gets into our pockets for the advantage of others. I don’t hate the schools or the parks or kids going to Japan or even professional sports (well, maybe I do intensely dislike the Colts and their new Big Mac funded stadium). They all do good things. But do you realize that there are good things that aren’t the right thing to do?

Giving money to the poor is a good thing to do. Taking that money from someone that doesn’t want to participate in giving to that person is not the right thing to do. (see the Miriam Webster dictionary - Stealing: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice).

I challenge you to count the number of times that some politician has decided that his pet project is more important than your bank account. I also challenge you to accept the responsibility for it. You may have been heartily in favor of the library or the new colts stadium but when you gave them the right to step outside of the constitution to do that, you also gave them the right to spend your tax money on a complete range of birth control, welfare and giving bonus’s to all those bankers across the country. Your silence, your cheers and your votes were tacit agreement with every decision made.

By the way, are you surprised that I would step inside the library? Come now, would you expect me to invest all of that money into it and not use it at all?

While I have the microphone, I’d like to throw in my less than 2 cents about doings at the County level. Linda Grass and I are about as far apart as two folks can get in terms of politics but I would like to say that she knows the rules and she always did her level best to make sure that we (especially me) followed them. I’m betting that in the end, Linda will be found guilty of nothing more than a series of poor decisions.

A letter to the editor submission on 3/12/09


To paraphrase an old UAW saying, "borrow a book and put a bookseller out of business."

I read most of the warm and touchy-feely article about how wonderful the county library is and how great to be able to get free entertainment in such terrible economic times.

I remember when Greenfield alone had two movie rental business's run by local folks. Both went out of business within a few years of the old, new library opening with expanded video offerings. We now have a bigger and better and more expanded new new library with even more video offerings. Didn't I read just a week or so ago where Blockbuster has filed for bankruptcy? Did Hancock County cause that national chain to head south? No, but even the most diehard tax and spend socialist amongst you has to see a pattern there. I've also been around long enough to remember two bookstores trying to make a run at it and failing (locally owned, by the way). Now there is a third that may be having a tough time.

The overriding argument in celebrating public libraries is the educational opportunities for the kids. Maybe I didn't wade quite far enough into the 2nd page but I saw nothing about education. Only entertainment with my tax dollars.

By the way, did you hear that Borders Bookstores are also looking into bankruptcy?