Drop That Foolish Delusion??? -- Part II -- Slugs

II.  Many Bloodsuckers

On the last Wednesday of September this year, this writer was blessed to attend Bible Study with the family of God known as South Main Baptist Church.  Pastor Steve rendered a wonderfully inspiring and thought-provoking introduction of the Gospel of Mark.  At some point during the Bible Study we were reminded of an upcoming election, and that candidates  would be out in full force, making promises that none could keep.  When asked which party might that be -- Republicans or Democrats, there rang throughout the Fellowship Hall a one-word, unanimous answer:  Both!  That is true.   So, after toiling over which Slug (sorry-butt sluggard) or CTI (critically thinking idealist) to highlight first, I want to thank Pastor Steve for inspiration.

Before we delve into this writing -- THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS TO THE SLUGS MOST CALL POLITICIANS AND I CALL MANY BLOODSUCKERS.  The problem is that the CTIs who happen to have been elected to their positions of responsibility and authority, are few and far between -- like -- a needle in a haystack -- a cool drink of water on a hot summer's day -- just plain rare!

So, why does this writer label most politicians slugs?

A.  They develop amnesia quickly, so we ask: Now, why did you say you were seeking to be elected to this particular office?

B.  They are redundant, regurgitating and rechewing the same drivel, and we ask: Wasn’t it the last election, and the one before that, and the one before that, that you said you were going to strengthen our border security – or was it the one before that??  Wasn’t it the last election, and the one before that, and the one before that, that you said you were going to reduce crime – or was it the one before that??  Wasn’t it the last election, and the one before that, and the one before that, that you said you were going to strength our educational system – or was it the one before that??

C.  They steal.  Okay, that’s a bit much for some; let’s try this: they reallocate funds that were supposedly intended for a particular purpose, to some other concern for which they were really intended in the first place.  Otherwise, they see to the allocation of funds to sometimes frivolous, nonviable purposes that serve an elite group, or to some worthwhile project that benefits the many after the elite group has made their profit from the project.

D.  They are lousy lovers: they tell us what we want to hear, then do what they want to do, oftentimes to our utter detriment.

E.  Many have outlived their usefulness, and now appear to be resting on their laurels.  The problem with that is there are no laurels upon which to rest.

F.  They simply don’t do their jobs.  Some assume the offices to which they were elected but the duties of which they are incompetent to properly execute.  Others are busy padding their pockets and investing in their own futures.  Some just spend as much time on the golf course as possible.  And, in Houston, that’s pretty darn near a year-round activity.

Before any reader starts speculating about the identities of the folks of whom I write, consider that at the age of 56, I’ve seen a lot of ballots and a slew of politicians, and have read of as many who preceded my voting age.  Just know that there is no political party within which slugs nest exclusively.  They are as diverse as this country of ours.

So, why devote the time and energy to write about these many blood-sucking slugs?  That’s simple.   This is not for them; it is for you, the reader, the electorate.  Unfortunately there is a much larger populace than that of slugs.  We are they: the apathetic, the complacent, the folks who keep returning washed up, dried out, used up, weren’t-worth-a-plugged-nickel-from-the-beginning, lazy, incompetent folks to office.  And then we complain.  How dare we!!!???

And finally, a word to politicians: Just like all Cognac is brandy, but not all brandy is Cognac, slugs are politicians, but all politicians are not slugs.  Then again, if you are a politician and can be identified by one or more of paragraphs A, B, C, D, E and F above, perhaps you are indeed a slug.

Grace & peace,

Andrea Hoxie

Loren Jackson -- Harris County District Clerk

The general election of 2008 brought waves of change to not only government on the national level, but on local levels as well.  Here in Harris County, Texas we lost lots of judges.  Peculiarly, one in particular who should have gone the way of other exiting jurists managed to hold on.  I find that peculiar because the numbers from the election results show that feat to be impossible by any reasonable, ethical, legal or moral standard.  See Merriam Webster's word of the day - peculation - which with some poetic license I believe is appropriate to apply here.  Talk about digressing:  this is a first for me -- to digress in the introductory paragraph AND speak in first person -- but I shall leave it as is.

One really great bright spot emerging in victory from the November 2008 election is Loren Jackson, our District Clerk.  In two years, Mr. Jackson has done more to improve the operations of that office than I have seen in the previous 26 years of exposure to it.   True, technology is on his side.  Also true, however, is that the technology existed before he assumed the office.  The difference is that unlike his predecessor, he embraced available technology, bringing the function of the Clerk for 74 Courts in Harris county, among other dues, into the 21st century.  

Whether Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green, Tea Party, Independent, or none of the above, I pray that all will vote, and that regardless of party affiliation, they will vote for Loren Jackson so that he can continue the substantial work he has done to further the efficiency of the Harris County Courts.

Now, if we can just elect some real judges -- you know -- ones who will actually do the work they were elected to do -- based on sound law (alright, this to some is an oxymoron) and not some flimsy whim.

And the final word is this:  Please vote for Loren Jackson, Harris County District Clerk.