Tuesday, October 30, 2007

The View From Georgetown

My last post was the day before I wandered off to our nation's capital and the joys of working off a public PC. Especially one that has been loaded with emulation software that prevents basic copy/paste functions. Don't ask..I haven't a clue. Yeah, I know, Kinko's is an option, but it isn't nearby and you haven't been working my schedule so let's not go there.

I have done my level best to stay on top of current events, with some success.

What I have noticed:

Carol Ronen gave the world notice that she is not running for re-election. Unfortunately, her public email announcement didn't show up until 10/23/07 and the filing date is 11/5/07 for anyone interested in running. Fourteen calendar days or ten business days for would be candidates to gather the necessary signatures and file petitions to run. I am told Ms. Ronen is a very politically savvy individual and well respected. Incumbents generally have the edge to begin with and I have to wonder why Ms. Ronen waited to nearly the last minute to announce her intentions. Ms. Ronen can announce her decision anytime she likes, but timing is everything, and in this case the timing leaves the appearance that the average voter need not apply for this elected political office, as that is the purview of 'others' with a vested interest in the outcome.

Toni Duncan posted Peraica's letter regarding the latest budget shenanigans at the County level. No doubt Fagus and Moore will continue to be good soldiers, suck it up, and support the Toddler. I could be wrong of course, but I don't see Moore blasting emails touting his opposition to Toddy's budget and tax proposals. He has certainly made it clear that he opposes the Mayor's budget, why not Toddy's? Frankly, it's enough to make me consider returning to Ohio. My money will go a hell of a lot farther there than here.

By the way, I am not registered to any party, but I voted Peraica because I believed that Toddy was the wrong person for the job. This is one of the times I hate to be proved right. Toddy's incompetence is beyond flagrant. My agency manages to make do with less, and we don't go begging for new taxes to make up the difference. My division is taking a 200 FTE cut for this FY and an additional 200 FTE cut in FY09. That means no hiring new faces and no backfilling as people leave. And we'll do it too, even though our workload isn't being reduced. We won't like it, but we'll find the efficiencies. Of course we don't do patronage hiring either. Maybe the County should try doing without a patronage army. They might actually balance the budget! Or at least reduce the deficit.

Peak Oil is still on the radar. Oil is hitting new highs due to Mexico's shutting down production due to storms and an accident in the Gulf. Production will likely resume later this week or early next. In the meantime, I have read that the MegaProjects database, which tracks oil projects around the world, is not showing any new production coming on line after 2010. 2010 is the last year in the database that any projects are expected to come on line. Trust me when I say that the keepers of the database troll for announcements and aren't finding anything. Oil companies do not keep projects a secret. Those projects directly contribute to the corporate bottom line. Keep in mind that it takes about 5-6 years for new projects to actually produce oil after they are announced. Message here: no announcements=no new oil. The last announced projects likely showed up in 2004 or 2005. Nothing since. Remember this the next time some pundit opines about all the oil that is out there for the taking so Don't Worry, Be Happy.

I survived the Marine Corps Marathon last weekend, an exercise for the non-runner in surviving the lemming-like crush of people on the Metro, and the sea of runners that dominated local streets for about 4 hours. I watched one family attempt the Metro version of hari-kiri by forcing their way onto a crowded train as the operator was trying to close the doors and go. The doors lost, fortunately for the guy who was fighting with them.

I was also reminded how rude folks can be and that members of my generation and their offspring seem to think it is all about them. The hotel lobby became an impromptu bar and party site, complete with bored children literally bouncing off the furniture and camped at the one hotel PC. I finally got on the PC on 2 separate occasions and shortly after I was asked when I was going to get off the computer. Both times the questioner displayed body language and non-verbal vocalizing (heavy sighs) to convey their desire for me to leave, prior to asking. The hotel recommends 30 minutes when people are waiting, and I am usually pretty sensitive to that. So having spent maybe 15-20 minutes clearing email and trying to catch up on some posting I needed to do I wasn't in a real receptive mood, especially the second time it happened (same day too).

And lest you think I am not enjoying the autumn here, I most definitely have on the weekends, although my workdays begin in pre-dawn darkness and end in post-sunset darkness with most of the day spent in windowless rooms. So the weekends have been most welcome.

I get to come home on Friday for a whole month and then do it all over again.

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