Friday's Odds and Ends

Thousands of companies that received money via the economic stimulus efforts, are apparently not taking care of their tax payments. According to a report by the Government Accountability Office, almost 4,000 companies that received contracts or government grants under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 are delinquent on $750 million-plus in unpaid corporate taxes and excise and unemployment taxes.

Thank you so much for your part in keeping the national debt so high.

Book banning is alive and well in Dallas where Slaughterhouse Five has just been banned by the School Board because of offensive language and graphic violence. Apparently a parent wrote to the school board to complain about the offensive content and the board agreed to pull the book from high school libraries. Commenting on this decision, Dallas Morning News columnist, Jacquielynn Floyd wrote, "they're making the anti-literate statement that staying ignorant is preferable to exposure to ideas and that a single word that offends one person must be withheld from all."

Offering a counterpoint, Mark Davis, another DMN columnist, wrote that, "It is the role of school trustees to restrict works to reflect a town's prevailing views."

Silly me. I thought books were chosen on the basis of the literary merit, not the personal tastes of a board of trustees that is comprised of business people and community leaders. Shouldn't the teachers be choosing what books will enhance a student's learning?

In keeping with my wish to always end with something positive. I was positively delighted to read a recent news story about a California school superintendent who gave up his $288,000 annual salary for three-and a half years to save educational programs in Fresno County.Kudo's to Larry Powell for that act of generosity and integrity

See, all you well-heeled administrators, CEOs, and members of Congress. It can be done.

Friday's Odds and Ends

Before we get to the regularly scheduled program, I have a guest piece on Elizabeth Spann Craig's Mystery Writing is Murder blog. We are talking about jigsaw puzzles and writing and what they have in common. Stop on by if you have a minute.

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Dennis Montgomery, who owns a California computer company, sold fake technology that was supposed to assist in tracking terrorists to the military. It took two years for the Air Force to cancel the contract after the fraud was brought to light. The extent of the fraud may never be known because the Justice Department believes that releasing the details would be a threat to national security. More details HERE

What is wrong with that picture? Is the bureaucracy of the military so over loaded that someone could not have pulled the plug in, say, a week and saved millions?  Do we have a right to know the details of this fraud?

Obama's 2012 budget cuts calls for reduction of the charitable donation tax deduction. Rick Dunham, CEO of a company that assists non-profits wrote and op-ed piece in which he stated, "Our charitable deduction ensures that the wealthy have an incentive to share their financial blessings with the less fortunate."

While I agree that the deduction should stay in place, the idealist in me wishes the wealthy could donate because it is a good thing to do. Why does everything have to include a personal benefit? Have we totally succumbed to the the "What's in it for me?" mentality?

The latest trend in gardening for the busy family. There are now expert gardeners, who, for a fee, will come to your home and create a garden. They bring tools, compost, mulch, hoses, seeds and starter plants and will build raised beds, then plant your garden. If you are too busy to tend to the garden, they will come out regularly to pull weeds and take care of any other gardening chores. They'll even come out and harvest. According to an article in The Dallas Morning News, this approach to gardening has become popular in Dallas, Austin, and Seattle, but I wouldn't be surprised if it is not springing up in other places.

I'll admit that I have been tempted in recent years to hire someone to dig my garden, I don't think I would go so far as to hire a company to do it all. Some of the physiological benefits of gardening are lost if you are not putting your own hands in the dirt to plant the seeds and nurturing the plants until you are ready to pick that first juicy tomato.

What about you? Would you hire folks to do a garden?