Well, "no budget cuts" aren't even an option as the Economic Grim Reaper is having a field day, a hay day, anyway you cut it. Most of us are getting mowed down. No one is immune, but I do have a thought that runs through my mind as a really really bad idea.

When times get tough, it seems to bring out more of the criminal element looking for easy picks like stealing purses and breaking into cars, etc. Reducing police forces is one of those bad, bad ideas...especially at a time when we need them more than ever. Cut back on administrative costs, give furloughs for 1-2 days per month to save money, but simply cutting off entire police duty jobs is bad business. In like manner, reducing the firefighter force is also a bad idea. It's not as if most of us aren't hanging on to dwindling precious resources...and to think there are less responders for fires and emergencies is another of those bad ideas.

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) announced that over 450 teachers and over 85 assistant principal's positions will be cut next year. Baaaaaad idea, given that classrooms are already crowded enough. We're talking the very future of our country, the generations to follow...we can ill afford to scrimp on the front line teaching force and do an even bigger disservice to our children. CMS in particular is extremely top-heavy administratively, and has not done enough to reduce that portion of the beast. There is on-going talk that CMS is too big to effectively coordinate such an enormous school system from just one organization and should be split into 3 or 4 entities, which would actually lower costs.

For example, there is a new first grade curriculum that 'administration' has said has to be put in place. All new books. All new workbooks. All new supplies. The items currently being used are perfectly fine, and while 'new' sounds fancy, it is irresponsible to direct the excessive sums of money for an unnecessary program (over a million, I've heard) in this climate. Consider the number of teaching positions that would save. Have administrative pay rollbacks and see how many more positions can be saved. Cutting the teacher work force is another of those bad ideas.

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Speaking of cuts, The Black Yak is now back to being Mercy, who did NOT want her picture taken at any point yesterday. These pics were the best I could do, and don't really show the real transformation. Maybe I'll get a better picture today, because she really does look cute, now.


The flute dust is still flying and today comes the oil and first finish coats for a pretty good sized group of flutes. I have had to tend to a car issue that I'll try to get pics of and blog about tomorrow...it will show you how I'm having to be highly resourceful for a very strange and unexpected problem that developed in the heavy rain before the snow 9 days ago....