Sharing with strangers

Look at us!

Family security experts are concerned about the amount of private information we share with strangers each day.  Facebook’s security, credit cards data theft and the Census collecting information dominated the news for months.  Credit card companies spend millions to protect information and Facebook continues to protect precious photos of Snowball the cat.  Claims that the Census workers would use private information for nefarious purposes are unfounded.

We worry about our private information falling into the hands of criminals and predators yet we advertise the very information we wish to keep secret.  If we spoke to a security expert, he would advise us to look at our cars and see how much information we share with others.

We have a daughter

The average SUV or minivan tells more about a family than most people realize.  On the rear window is a family sticker showing how many people live in the house.  The sticker on the back of a vehicle represents a dad, mom, two boys, a little girl and a dog.  A stranger learns five people and a dog live in the house.

On the rear of the vehicle is a logo magnet from the elementary school.  Two baseball magnets with the child’s name, number and team are next to the school magnet.  A youth league cheerleading megaphone has the little girl’s name on it. In seconds a stranger knows the names of the children, the school they attend and where they play sports. A Bridgemill Golf and Tennis license plate provides the location of the home.

Are we providing strangers with too much personal information?  I do not think we go far enough. This is the age of Facebook and Twitter.  People do not mind sharing photos with strangers or tweeting about monotonous details of life.  Why stop with small bits of family information?

School logo magnets are great but why not show real school pride by listing the child’s teacher?  The Liberty Elementary logo magnet with Ms. Smith’s class in bright red shows school spirit and a real commitment to the PTA.

A family sticker with names under each character is a more appropriate way to advertise the family.  Upgrading to actual photos of the family will soon be the “it” accessory in suburbia.  Including the ages, birthdays and last four digits of social security to the sticker really makes the sticker unique.

I never used a magnetic box to hide a key under my fender, yet some people swear by them despite the risk.  With four wheels to choose from forgetting which fender was used is frustrating.  A “key is here” magnet with an arrow pointing to the location saves valuable time and aggravation in the event of a lost key.

Male drivers put themselves at risk while attempting to gain a better look at attractive females.  The safety risk is unnecessary if the cell phone number of your wife or daughter were visible on the rear window. Providing contact information is helpful because creepy guy has limited stalking time.

Some drivers believe the car they drive defines their persona.  In reality, the car alone does not go far enough.  BMW drivers could proudly display their salary with a tasteful car magnet.  Suburban and Hummer drivers can display Eco pride with a miles per gallon sticker.   Married men driving minivans… there really is not much left to say.

It is impossible to reveal too much information.  In our “all about me” society advertising all our information on the family car is the next logical step.

The AJC

The AJC published my letter about the Cherokee County School system.  My original letter was 348 words the one in the paper – 164.  They edited most of the populist comments and kept the letter factual.  I am amazed what an editor can do.  I will update a link when it is available.

From AJC 6/14/10

The Superintendent of Cherokee County Schools, Dr. Petruzielo, claims cutting school staff and increasing the millage rate are required to offset the budget shortfall.  A review shows the superintendent and school board have not examined all possible cost cutting.

The school board is unlikely to change the exemption for homeowners over 62.  Temporarily amending the exemption brings in millions of badly needed revenue. Quality schools benefit all residents regardless of age.

According to 2009 state records Dr. Petruzielo and his nine person cabinet made over 1.2 million. The 11 directors made over a million dollars and 18 supervisors earned a combined 1.7 million dollars.

Four human resource executives earned half of a million. More than $4 million went to executives in the administration offices.  The board and superintendent are intent on cutting positions at the student level while protecting upper management.

The time is now for real leadership in Cherokee.  It is unacceptable to trim staff working with students while protecting upper level executives.

More of the Same

Teachers hired after the start of the 2009-2010 year were the first teachers dismissed.  A form letter informed these dedicated teachers they would not have a position in 2010-2011. Some of the vacated positions did not remain empty for long.  On May 20, the board hired an inexperienced teacher and experienced teachers from other counties.  Cherokee County teachers were unable to apply for most of the open positions because Human Resources did not make the jobs available.

The Superintendent of Cherokee County Schools, Dr. Petruzielo, claims cutting school staff and increasing the millage rate are required to offset the budget shortfall.  A closer look at recent actions show the superintendent and school board have not examined all possible cost cutting measures.

The school board is unlikely to change the exemption for homeowners over 62.  Temporarily amending the exemption brings in millions of badly needed revenue.  Most working families also live on fixed incomes. Quality schools benefit all residents regardless of age.

The superintendent and school board plan to reduce staff and salary of employees working directly with Cherokee County students.  The superintendent has not proposed reducing salaries of upper level administrators.  According to 2009 state records Dr. Petruzielo and his nine person cabinet made over 1.2 million dollars in taxpayer-funded salary. The 11 directors made over a million dollars and 18 supervisors earned a combined 1.7 million dollars.  Four executives in the Human Resources department earned half of a million dollars. Over 4 million dollars in salary went to executives in the administration offices.  The board and superintendent are intent on cutting positions at the student level while protecting upper management.

The time is now for real leadership in Cherokee County Schools.  It is unacceptable to continue cutting staff working with students while protecting upper level executives. The superintendent tells educational staff to “put children first”.  It is time for the board and superintendent to do the same.  Property values and quality of schools are connected.  We cannot afford the political pandering and business as usual antics of the board and superintendent.  The taxpayers and students deserve better.

We all benefit

The school system needs money and they are looking at ending the No School Tax for retirees.  Some retirees feel they have done enough and should not have to support education.  People without children are also claiming they should not have to pay for schools because they do not use them.  The idea of parents paying a fee for education keeps popping up.  Below are my thoughts on the issue.

If I do not use the local police or fire departments, I should not have to pay for them. Instead, charge a fee to the people utilizing the services. A sliding scale can determine the fee based on crime, property damage or severity of injuries. Charge a higher fee for a robber than a speeder. Charge the heart attack victim more than the owner of a cat stuck in a tree. The criminal is charged more than the victim is, but all still have to pay.

This idea is absurd because the entire community benefits from quality law enforcement and fire protection. A lack of safety services would negatively affect home values and the expansion of business in Cherokee County.

It is impractical to argue that those without children in public schools should be exempt from school taxes. Public schools provide the education and training for our doctors, police, firefighters, military personnel, and other skilled or professional jobs

In place of taxes, some advocate charging a fee to those that use the public school system. The usage fee is not applicable because education in the United States is compulsory. In 1918, all states passed laws making Thomas Jefferson’s vision of public education a reality. A fee based education system harkens back to days of social class order, where only the wealthy received an education.

Without adequately funded public schools, families and those planning on families will find Cherokee County an undesirable place to live. Any real estate agent will tell you that one of the first questions asked by homebuyers is about the schools. Areas with quality public schools have higher home values and less crime, the opposite is true with lower quality schools.

Public schools reflect the community’s values and priorities. For Cherokee County to prosper it must continue to have one of the top school systems in Georgia. We are all responsible for funding public schools.

Tiger

Borrowing from Sir Charles Barkley:  Tiger, you owe us nothing.  You are not a role model; you are not paid to be a role model.  You are paid to hit a golf ball.

The talking heads and fish wrap pen pushers are weighing in heavily on the Tiger Woods Apology. The Apology was the biggest non-event of this young century and a harbinger of things to come. Tiger’s press conference was a lame attempt by a control freak to control an uncontrollable situation.  If he did not want the press making allegations and following his wife, he should have refrained from cheating on his wife and family.

Many media and sports experts believed the Apology would help rebuild Tiger’s image as a role model.  I began to wonder why people thought he was a role model.  Is it because he is good at a sport?  Is he a role model because he makes a lot of money?  Is he a role model because of his charity work?

We do not know Tiger any better than we know other strangers.  We see a public imagine of Tiger that his corporate sponsors want us to see.  The Tiger marketing image and Tiger the golfer are not the same.  Golfers know you can learn a lot about a person by golfing with them.  Golf brings out the best and the worst in people.  What I saw in the golfer revealed he was not a role model.

Tiger has a history of tossing clubs and dropping more F bombs than the Sopranos.  He uses his caddy as an enforcer to take candy from babies that cry too loud.  Are these the actions of a role model?  Tiger does not know how to be a role model because he was raised to be the best golfer in the world.  Unfortunately being the best golfer does not make him the best husband or father.

For those that feel Tiger let you down I am sorry…for you.  You put your faith in a man you do not know.  If your kid needs a role model, it should be you.  Tiger owes us nothing except to be the best golfer he can be, and he has fulfilled his obligation.

With an S like the poet

When Robert B. Parker died at his writing desk, Spenser died too.  Parker created a fictional P.I. named Spenser.  He was tough, sarcastic and smart.  In many ways, Spenser was a role model for me.

At 17, I was floundering in life.  I did not know what I wanted to do and I did not know where I was going.  I joined the Navy to get away from my troubles and find a purpose. The day I left Tampa and headed to Orlando I knew I made a mistake.

In 1986, six weeks after graduation I was at Navy Training Center Orlando.  I was having difficulty during basic training.  The physical training, the mundane tasks were not the problem.  Part of basic training is to break down the recruit and build him into part of the team.  It was not working and I kept getting into trouble.

Because of an incident, I transferred out of Company 151 to a holding company.  There were three types of recruits in this company: those that wanted to quit and ones that needed some extra training, and medical issues.  I fit into all three categories.

Because I was not quitting, I had extra privileges.  One of those privileges was access to a library. I found The Catskill Eagle, a Spenser novel by Robert b. Parker.  The book triggered a change in me that would take years to develop.

Spenser and I had similar qualities: sarcasm, ability to cook and intelligence.  Spenser read all the time and used his intelligence to solve problems.  I never read and used my intelligence to do as little as possible.  Since leaving Orlando, I read two novels a month.

The book flipped a switch inside of me.  For most of my life, I did my thing but rarely challenged authority.  Spenser always challenged illogical authority.  Having to fold my underwear a specific way and make my bed seemed illogical to me.  I began challenging authority in the Navy.  The attempts to break me down psychologically made me stronger and more resolute in my defiance.

I determined the Navy was not the best place for me.  I found a loophole to get out and the Navy graciously let me go.  While waiting for discharge papers, my first Company Commander, Chief Petty Officer Waters saw me outside.  We discussed my release from the Navy and my future.

“You would have made a hell of a sailor,” he told me.

“Thank you sir” I responded.

“Good luck son” he said before walking away.

CPO Waters saw something in me that I did not see.  Being in the Armed Forces is more than following directions, but I lacked the maturity to understand.

When I arrived home, I still did not know what I was going to do.  I was angry and depressed.  My parents were concerned but supportive.  I had little interest in college and faced an uncertain future. I kept reading the Spenser books.  Eventually the Spenser lesson set in.  I was in my early twenties when I understood what made Spenser.  It was not being sarcastic, tough or fighting authority.  It was the code.

The code is an honor code.  Spenser always did what was right.  Legality did not matter.  If it was right in the Spenser code than it was right.  The philosophy meshed perfectly with lessons my dad had taught me over the years.  Honesty and keeping a promise were very important to my dad and to me.  I began to develop my set of principles of right and wrong.  Over the years, I have made mistakes and learned from them but I always try to work within the confines of my principles.  I have always been true to my values, my code.

The author of a fictional character died and I feel like I lost a long time friend.  Spenser was more than a fictional character he inspired me to become the man I am.