Thursday, February 26, 2009
Dust Abatement
Next week I will be attending a meeting concerning modifying dirt shoulders to meet dust abatement guidelines. It's a very interesting program; I know in other states they have specific programs on eliminating weeds or other types of pests, but dust is definitely a strange foe to fight, especially when you're in the desert. Either you can pave the dirt, thereby eliminating dust, or you can water the dirt, turning it into mud. Asphalt is expensive, so we can't pave the entire world. Water is scarce in the desert, so we can't turn Maricopa County into a large pool. It's a shame...I had just bought a beach ball...
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Our Attempt to Stimulate
In a meeting with officials at Queen Creek earlier this week, we had a brainstorming meeting, of sorts, in how our municipality can gain capital funds from the recently passed infrastructure stimulus bill. I can't say that I was surprised when one individual stated we were simply wasting our time. Some seem confused, so he handed us a large stack of papers filled with equations and project categories associated with each potential project. Having looked over the equations, those municipalities that would gain funds from the stimulus bill are those who have high minority populations, high rates of poverty, high levels of foreclosures; basically, the Phoenix-area would gain a majority of the funds allocated to Maricopa County.
So did we end the meeting? Nope, though it would make sense to do so. But rather we need to fill out endless forms and waste tax-payer monies on filing for projects in which we will never gain funding. Why? Because we don't want the constituents to ask "why didn't you apply for stimulus money?!" [insert scene of angry people carrying fiery torches, pitchforks, and a person with a goat here]You get the idea.
The question I have is this: when will the citizens realize that they must keep themselves educated on how their tax dollars are utilized? If it were me, I'd be much more angry with my municipal leaders if they were wasting valuable time building a paper-trail to nowhere rather than seeking out ideas/projects that actually have a snowball's chance in Hades of materializing.
So did we end the meeting? Nope, though it would make sense to do so. But rather we need to fill out endless forms and waste tax-payer monies on filing for projects in which we will never gain funding. Why? Because we don't want the constituents to ask "why didn't you apply for stimulus money?!" [insert scene of angry people carrying fiery torches, pitchforks, and a person with a goat here]
The question I have is this: when will the citizens realize that they must keep themselves educated on how their tax dollars are utilized? If it were me, I'd be much more angry with my municipal leaders if they were wasting valuable time building a paper-trail to nowhere rather than seeking out ideas/projects that actually have a snowball's chance in Hades of materializing.
Monday, February 23, 2009
How Stimulating...
Many Americans, just like me, are wondering about this buzz-word circulating around the Nation and the long-term ramifications of it: stimulus. I've taken the liberty to poll the opinions of my classmates within the MPA program and many, if not all, are opposed to the stimulus bill recently passed by Congress and ratified into law by the President.
Maybe opposition is growing because of the vast amount of money it entails (787,000,000,000...that's a lot of zeros, my friend), but the initial amount doesn't even include interest or payback schedules. Others have voiced concern that many Americans and politicians alike are viewing this as a magic wand (which I have seen while in my internship), that people believe money is going to solve the problems of our current peril.
The latter of these statements is what I find most amusing. Lets say that a man has smoked all his life and is dying from lung cancer, to which the doctor prescribes more cigarettes to 'cure' his cancer. Laughable. Our current state of the economy is like the man who has smoked his entire life, except our addiction is with poor personal and public fiscal policy. Most Americans do not know how to handle money, as is evident that a majority of Americans have tens-of-thousands of dollars in credit card debt, on top of mortgages, car payments, student loans, etc. A large chunk of the stimulus bill is being injected into the housing market; quite possibly the hardest-hit sector of the American economy which has some of the most long-lasting implications. I have yet to have someone explain to me in a clear, concise, and logical manner how giving individuals money who mismanaged it in the first place will solve anything. This goes for both citizens and public municipalities.
I've been accused of having 'ideological blockage', but sue me if I raise questions when someone wants to tap more tax-payer resources for people who mismanaged their life and want a ticket out of the trials. Could it be that more and more people are objecting to this plan because it is placing too much weight upon people who have learned fiscal conservation (either through choice or experience) to bailout those who have not? Let us not depend upon a discussion in Congress to address these questions; 12-hours of night-time deliberation is all we get to pass the largest spending bill in U.S. history.
In regards to municipalities, our President has stated that this will give our local governments much-needed resources to complete projects which will create jobs and help stimulate local economies. My oh my...how stimulating. As I read a press release on this very issue, the President was quoted in saying:
Maybe opposition is growing because of the vast amount of money it entails (787,000,000,000...that's a lot of zeros, my friend), but the initial amount doesn't even include interest or payback schedules. Others have voiced concern that many Americans and politicians alike are viewing this as a magic wand (which I have seen while in my internship), that people believe money is going to solve the problems of our current peril.
The latter of these statements is what I find most amusing. Lets say that a man has smoked all his life and is dying from lung cancer, to which the doctor prescribes more cigarettes to 'cure' his cancer. Laughable. Our current state of the economy is like the man who has smoked his entire life, except our addiction is with poor personal and public fiscal policy. Most Americans do not know how to handle money, as is evident that a majority of Americans have tens-of-thousands of dollars in credit card debt, on top of mortgages, car payments, student loans, etc. A large chunk of the stimulus bill is being injected into the housing market; quite possibly the hardest-hit sector of the American economy which has some of the most long-lasting implications. I have yet to have someone explain to me in a clear, concise, and logical manner how giving individuals money who mismanaged it in the first place will solve anything. This goes for both citizens and public municipalities.
I've been accused of having 'ideological blockage', but sue me if I raise questions when someone wants to tap more tax-payer resources for people who mismanaged their life and want a ticket out of the trials. Could it be that more and more people are objecting to this plan because it is placing too much weight upon people who have learned fiscal conservation (either through choice or experience) to bailout those who have not? Let us not depend upon a discussion in Congress to address these questions; 12-hours of night-time deliberation is all we get to pass the largest spending bill in U.S. history.
In regards to municipalities, our President has stated that this will give our local governments much-needed resources to complete projects which will create jobs and help stimulate local economies. My oh my...how stimulating. As I read a press release on this very issue, the President was quoted in saying:
"This is not a blank check...we're going to work with you closely to make sure that this money is spent the way it's supposed to."
Not a blank check? What if (and when) the money dries up and the economy still is not 'stimulated', what then? Will be have Stimulus II? Stimulus III? And so on until the economy is finally 'fixed'? For anyone that has worked within the government, whether it be an hour or years, the simplistic statement of government oversight (which Obama is advocating in this statement) is comical. Maybe the terms and conditions for government oversight, to make sure "this money is spend the way it's suppose to," were stuck somewhere in the pages of the stimulus bill, or maybe they'll just run with the punches. Regardless, vague statements and empty promises will not fix problems, they only create such.
Put another cigarette in the cancer patients mouth and give him a light. More of the same could fix him up, or kill him faster. Want to wager which it will do?
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Lo, in the distance!
The all-familiar sound of weeping, wailing, and gnashing of teeth. The sounds of people being laid-off from their jobs is drawing ever so close to the Town of Queen Creek. The air is definitely thick with tension; nerves are frazzled and patience is being tested. One definite plus of being a slave to experience is that if I'm laid off, then the situation is most certainly dire for the remainder of my colleagues.
However, it is never a laughing matter when men and women in their 30s and 40s with kids at home, mortgages to pay, and livelihood to sustain are literally frightened about how they will make ends meet if they do, indeed, receive the 'pink slip'.
In my opinion, the government can pump trillions of dollars into a struggling economy in hopes of a miraculous turnaround, but if the faith of The People is lost then no amount of money or awe-inspiring speeches can save us. Faith is not bought with money, nor is it built upon the fleeting words of politicians, but it is laid in a solid foundation of knowledge that within The People, and only The People, is the salvation of our Nation. If The People lose faith in themselves, not only have we lost perspective of our own potential then our government has lost its true and only source of power.
However, it is never a laughing matter when men and women in their 30s and 40s with kids at home, mortgages to pay, and livelihood to sustain are literally frightened about how they will make ends meet if they do, indeed, receive the 'pink slip'.
In my opinion, the government can pump trillions of dollars into a struggling economy in hopes of a miraculous turnaround, but if the faith of The People is lost then no amount of money or awe-inspiring speeches can save us. Faith is not bought with money, nor is it built upon the fleeting words of politicians, but it is laid in a solid foundation of knowledge that within The People, and only The People, is the salvation of our Nation. If The People lose faith in themselves, not only have we lost perspective of our own potential then our government has lost its true and only source of power.
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Model Ordiance
I truly believe that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has a sense of humor. Not a bear riding a unicycle kind of humor, but more of a crazy man chasing after you with a butcher knife sense of crazy humor.
The Town of Queen Creek is currently assessing Chapter 16 of their wastewater ordinance for updates. They have conducted a study to assess local limits of everyday contaminants (i.e. copper, BOD5, FOG, etc.) to which they extended me the opportunity to update the new numbers into the local limits. It was actually very informative, though town ordinance is quite a dry read, it was interesting enough to see how the process actually works.
However, you may ask what this has to do with the EPA. Well, my dear little friends, let me tell you the ironic, sick, twisted humor of this organization summed up into two seemingly innocent words: 'Model Ordinance'. Individuals within Public Works asked me to view this 'model ordinance' set forth by the EPA; ideally, the Town of Queen Creek would like me to work on transferring information from our pretreatment plans to the model ordinance set forth by the EPA. So, I began the task of transferring information from the Town ordinance into the body of information set forth in this model ordinance.
Let me be the first to say that the EPA should be awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine, because they have found a cure for insomnia. Within my studies in the MPA program I've learned how confusing, difficult, and frustrating it can be to work within the complex, cold, and inhuman networks of bureaucracies, but nothing can prepare you for 62-pages of absolute drudgery! I have a theory on why Al-Qaeda hates America so much: they were randomly paroosing the Internet and happened to come along the EPA.gov website. They searched around and stumbled upon the 'model pretreatment ordinance' and began to read. About four pages into the document, they then declared jihad against America for composing such a vague, boring, and utterly annoying piece of literature.
I continued on with my task, regardless of wanting to smash my head against a wall numerous times. The overall task of inputting essential information about Queen Creek into this document took far too long, and the task is not even close to completion. Yet, I have done all I can do. Now, I pass on this cursed piece of literature to the Town's legal department where it can inflict upon them the same horrors and nightmares pronounced upon me for the past two weeks.
Behold, if you dare!
http://yosemite.epa.gov/water/owrccatalog.nsf/065ca07e299b464685256ce50075c11a/309cb85244d2d1e585257284005e1f3f!OpenDocument
The Town of Queen Creek is currently assessing Chapter 16 of their wastewater ordinance for updates. They have conducted a study to assess local limits of everyday contaminants (i.e. copper, BOD5, FOG, etc.) to which they extended me the opportunity to update the new numbers into the local limits. It was actually very informative, though town ordinance is quite a dry read, it was interesting enough to see how the process actually works.
However, you may ask what this has to do with the EPA. Well, my dear little friends, let me tell you the ironic, sick, twisted humor of this organization summed up into two seemingly innocent words: 'Model Ordinance'. Individuals within Public Works asked me to view this 'model ordinance' set forth by the EPA; ideally, the Town of Queen Creek would like me to work on transferring information from our pretreatment plans to the model ordinance set forth by the EPA. So, I began the task of transferring information from the Town ordinance into the body of information set forth in this model ordinance.
Let me be the first to say that the EPA should be awarded the Nobel Prize for Medicine, because they have found a cure for insomnia. Within my studies in the MPA program I've learned how confusing, difficult, and frustrating it can be to work within the complex, cold, and inhuman networks of bureaucracies, but nothing can prepare you for 62-pages of absolute drudgery! I have a theory on why Al-Qaeda hates America so much: they were randomly paroosing the Internet and happened to come along the EPA.gov website. They searched around and stumbled upon the 'model pretreatment ordinance' and began to read. About four pages into the document, they then declared jihad against America for composing such a vague, boring, and utterly annoying piece of literature.
I continued on with my task, regardless of wanting to smash my head against a wall numerous times. The overall task of inputting essential information about Queen Creek into this document took far too long, and the task is not even close to completion. Yet, I have done all I can do. Now, I pass on this cursed piece of literature to the Town's legal department where it can inflict upon them the same horrors and nightmares pronounced upon me for the past two weeks.
Behold, if you dare!
http://yosemite.epa.gov/water/owrccatalog.nsf/065ca07e299b464685256ce50075c11a/309cb85244d2d1e585257284005e1f3f!OpenDocument
The Beginning
Welcome one, welcome all. In the grand name of experience, and three coveted hours of credit towards my MPA, I will allow you to enter my life as I work with the Public Works Department in the Town of Queen Creek. If you find hours of tedious research into EPA documents exciting, then I hope you brought your Ritalin.
In all seriousness, I hope these posts will serve some benefit to anyone seeking an MPA. The work is tedious and difficult, at times, but the work we do most certainly serves the greater good. It is not about money, position, or power; we are here to serve those around us. So, due to the fact that every minute of my time has an impact on the citizens of my town, every time I enter my cubicle at Queen Creek I ask myself the selfsame thing: Are you doing all you can do? Lets find out...
In all seriousness, I hope these posts will serve some benefit to anyone seeking an MPA. The work is tedious and difficult, at times, but the work we do most certainly serves the greater good. It is not about money, position, or power; we are here to serve those around us. So, due to the fact that every minute of my time has an impact on the citizens of my town, every time I enter my cubicle at Queen Creek I ask myself the selfsame thing: Are you doing all you can do? Lets find out...
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