The Fleas And The Church With Education [Exclusive]

Looking outside one can barely tell that we had a winter storm this past weekend. The folks up here tell me that is quite common for Northern Ohio. But I do have to say that today seems more like a December day in Alabama yet it is a wonderful spring day for us transplanted sons of the South.

Yet again my thoughts have focused on that ugly dip of the public servant's hand into my pocketbook so that those fine folks down at City Hall can partake of my labors. You see, everyone in the town is frying like bacon over the idea of giving those yahoos any more of our hard earned labor since they squandered away several million and can’t account for it. I suspect that is the reason the recent cry for a deeper dip by the educational group into our pockets was denied. In fact one fellow in the fair town found some fine print a previous public servant fed to the earlier generation in an effort to sell a previous round in the wallet. It seems this tax from yesteryear was rescindable by a future vote of the town populous. Having hid this from their constituents for thirty years the truth became known and the freeloading got rescinded. That meant the boys down at the Board of Education suddenly had to go on a diet. Now we really hear some belly aching and they are asking for another round in the old voting booth. I hadn’t really seen much change down at the institution yet and back home when you got taken out to the woodshed you usually had to learn a lesson to prevent going again. Looks like these boys are going to get very familiar with the woodshed.

This reminds me of a situation back in the home county from whence I came. It seems that the local education leaders might be able to take a lesson from our friends at the Catholic church. Bet you didn’t see that one coming. It seems that one of the current board members is the parent of the superintendent. Now in this county both the board member and superintendent are usually elected. However, in this case reminiscent of the Gerald Ford days, the superintendent got the job without ever being elected or even a job vacancy posted so others can apply. As Gomer Pyle would say, “Surprise, surprise, surprise.” Well the board member gladly exclaimed they would resign upon the employment of their son. A year later we are still anxiously awaiting that resignation. What’s that I hear? “Surprise, surprise, surprise.” You reckon the fox is watching the hen house or not?

So where does the Catholic church fall into play? (It is very difficult on the surface to combine politics and religion although for some it is closer than you think.) As you probably already know the priests (preachers for those of us raised up Baptist) in the Church are tied to a promise of celibacy (meaning you ain’t married and not interested in the benefits thereof). One could argue that this celibacy clause has led to a lot of other problems, but there are surely rotten apples in every orchard. Now this celibacy promise has not always been the case. Even a pope, Pope Adrian II, was married. Though the reason is not necessarily Biblically based, celibacy corrected the situation of a priest developing a dynasty. (Here we are back to the money thing. Funny how it always seems to creep into our problems.) By not having any other commitment but to the Church and not having any worldly possessions the priest is totally committed to his duties. Now one might argue just who wanted control of those potential riches. Remember folks, most of these ideas came from the Dark Ages. But so do many of our leaders. Getting to the point, maybe our school board members should take a vow of celibacy such that a dynasty is not in the making. I am not sure of the intent in the case cited within, but it sure makes things look amiss. Yet I hear that back home the boys decided to ante up some more from the pocketbook. Must be a lot of folks from up here moving down there because that don’t seem right.

Here’s some advice to my friends back home, put those educational leaders on a diet and hold them accountable for teaching the kids. Our children are not here to sponsor a jobs program. We got welfare if nothing else. If you don’t mend your ways you’ll have more taxes than fleas on your dogs. Come on up here if you don’t believe me. These boys are just now figuring it out and it is sure harder to get them fleas off than it was to take them on.

Now folks, next time you head into that voting booth, remember what your daddy tried to tell you. One trip to the woodshed usually helps you remember to keep your wagon between the ditches.