Sheriff Joe has good ideas

Maricopa County was spending approximately $18 million a year on stray animals. Sheriff Joe Arpaio took over that department and now operates it on a budget of approximately $3 million.
 
He staffed animal shelters with prisoners (who fed and cared for these animals) that were glad to be out of their cells (tents?), are supervised by animal shelter professionals and even offered classes on animal nutrition and behavior.
 
If we believe everything we read and hear about Arpaio, it is easy to conclude that he is not without flaws, but the more I see, the more I like, and I can't help but wonder if Yuma County could incorporate some of his ideas - and maybe save some money.

--
 
Speaking of Arpaio, he bought Newt Gingrich's lecture series on video tape and piped it into the jails. When asked by a reporter why he didn't have a lecture series by a Democrat, he reportedly said that a Democratic series might explain why a lot of the inmates were in his jail in the first place. That sounds a little drastic, but make of it what you will.

--
 
Congress has an approval rating reported to be about 9 percent. Big oil companies have a rating of approximately 12 percent. Interesting, isn't it? Frankly, I'm surprised Congress rated that high.

--

The frustration with government these days is understandable, and there are continuing discussions (arguments) as to where the majority of the responsibility lies - Bush or Congress - but whichever, we must be careful about selecting replacements.
 
One thing we learn (or should) as we grow older and more experienced is to be wary of anyone who engages in excessive hyperbole and shameless braggadocio; it's usually indicative of a smokescreen designed to divert attention from something they would prefer we didn't address. It's a distortion of reality.
 
The old adage about "any port in a storm" should not be adhered to in this election. That promising looking beacon from what might appear to be a lighthouse might very well be a refraction from an undesirable source, and to follow it might very well put us on the rocks.

--
 
Barack Obama's trip to Iraq is now old news, but comments are destined to go on until November. One thing that won't go away is discussion on why the three major TV networks sent their most prominent anchors with Obama while virtually ignoring the trips John McCain took. Looking to these networks for honest, unbiased reporting is like looking to the New York Times for fair and honest journalism.

--
 
I watched Obama as he made his speech in Germany. It was very well orchestrated (he has some good writers) and he was nearly flawless in his delivery. The problem was the content.
 
He was less than complimentary about this country in several of his comments - condescending is a good word - and I'll wager many Americans took offense.
 
A syndicated columnist recently described Obama as narcissistic. Maybe so. Nothing on his resume indicates anything that would qualify him to be our president, yet he comes close to describing himself as the second coming - the answer to all our problems.
 
The majority of Americans are looking for a change in our government, but electing Obama can be likened to the old "from the frying pan into the fire" syndrome. It could also end up like a "pick up" romance; once the passion is over and reality sets in, things don't look as good as they did.

--
 
Problems in our educational system are a matter of continuing concern. According to recently published figures, spending is up 240 percent over the last 20 years while performance has remained relatively stagnant. This same report says only 68 percent of students graduate from high school, and many states require only 8th grade skills in reading and math to graduate.
 
With the exception of a solid moral base, nothing is more important in the pursuit of a productive life than education. It should be a bigger political issue. So why isn't it? I suspect it's because there is no quick fix. To remedy this malady there would be some hard choices to make, and our politicians are avoiding confrontations that would lose them votes. Cowardly.


----
Gene Lemon is a Yuma resident.