October 29, 2017

Rosemary O’Hara – Editorial Page Editor

The Sun Sentinel 

500 E. Broward Blvd.

Ft. Lauderdale, FL 33394

RE: “Hurricanes bring out the worst in people” – a comment or two about your editorial surprise that local governments acted like the Post Office or the DMV during the recent “weather anomalies” that got everybody’s knickers knotted.

Ms. O’Hara,

First, I paraphrased the hurricane line from “Earthquake”. The original line was “Earthquakes bring out the worst in people”. It was said by Academy Award winner George Kennedy just after he shot a wing-nut sexual predator. A marvelous line, bordering on high camp.

Second, I have a checkered business background. In my quest for Mammon and in my pursuit of clean lucre. I learned the hard way that Orwell was right when he said that “the obvious and true have to be defended”. Here are two of them:

#1 – “If no profit is possible the risk is obvious.”

#2 – “If eggs go to $5 a dozen the rooster will lay.”

You cite 2 Mayors in your editorial:

A – “The governor should establish a pre-storm rate for debris removal 

to eliminate the cannibalization among cities of debris removal resources to 

the highest bidder.” Delray Beach Mayor Glickman

God, but that sounds really dumb because it is.

But wait. There’s more and it’s dumber.

B – “If there were better intergovernmental cooperation, the debris…

would have been picked up much faster.” LbtS Mayor Sasser

Why not have the Governor set a “fair” rate for everything? It worked well for Diocletian17 centuries ago, right? Nixon tried it 47 years ago and it led to a kidney stone of a decade. The “fatal conceit” of central planners determining what is “fair” is moronic. The next time it works will be the first time it works. 

“Cooperation” on debris removal consists of one thing and one thing only. Who gets the crap picked up first is all that counts. Everything else is like having a bowl of meringue for dinner. If no one will pick up the debris for $20 try $30, try $40. You, as an employee of a company that spent several years in Chapter X1 bankruptcy, should be aware of this. 

“Rocks are hard; water is wet.” Appeals to “fairness” are like trying to reach the horizon. Everybody knows where it is but nobody can quite reach it. Barack the Beneficent and Wide-Bottomed Hillary could have used 7 League boots and still not gotten there.

In the ether world where modern American Liberals are constantly tinkering with their anti-gravity machines, results don’t count. All that counts are expectations. The Kumbaya banner has never been fully unfurled. Maybe it is time for Bernie.

A good city budget carries reserves for such emergencies. They are a combination of cash and standby credit lines. Why should a prudent city be penalized by its imprudent neighbor in the name of “fairness”? Isn’t its first obligation to its citizens?

The next truism is “Never appeal to someone’s better nature. He may not have one. Appeal to his self-interest.” It’s quicker. And it is the best way to get the crap picked up.

I saw a sign on the Michael Putney show today that said “Haiti Isn’t Ready”. Who needs a passport, some vaccines, and free stuff to give to the abos? Stay home and beat the TSA pat down. Is there any truth that Harvey Weinstein will be doing work release chores for them?

Send up a flare when it snows at a Dolphins’ game. That will really be Climate Change

Kevin Smith