Guest column

Hello and welcome to a new guest columnist on This is Smynra. Mike Sparks is the 11th District county commissioner for Rutherford county. He has agreed to do some semi-regular columns for us on subjects that effect Smyrna and the local area. So give him and his introductory column a big welcome.

"Where California goes, so goes the Nation”

The old adage of “Where California goes so goes the Nation” certainly seems to be a reality these days. The state has had little leadership at the wheel, steering around illegal immigration, increasing bureaucracy, increased taxation and more frivolous wasteful spending. Many programs that have been put it not place have not even made a positive difference. All the while, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger can still find time to take a vacation at the cost to taxpayers. California, once the pride and hope of America boasting the world’s 6th largest economy is financially bankrupt and bankrupt of ideas on how to solve their problems. Their failed policies should give other states, cities and counties “clues” on what “not to do”.

California, land of energy, agriculture and a wealth of human capital, has been broken under the weight of a staggering $42 billion deficit. With its “socialist” policies of high income and sales tax, 3 million undocumented residents and the states excesses in spending and government regulation have lead to the state’s demise. California has lead the nation in spending on public employee benefits under the protection of big unions, where prison guards make upwards of $100,000, even one school superintendent received a $28,000 pay raise while the system faced a $16 million budget shortfall, cut support staff, management positions and eliminated bus routes (Why am I reminded of Marie Antoinette’s infamous phrase “Let them eat cake”?).

Mayors, City managers, County Commissioners, School Board members, Alderman, Planning Committee members and even newspaper Editors and Editorial boards as well as many others need to watch California closely and see the mistakes they have made. “A Chicken in every Pot” only leads to an overburdened society heavily weighted down with the burden of taxation, increased regulations on businesses which create jobs (no wonder businesses and taxpayers are fleeing California), increased spending, welfare and promising every citizen everything from health care to college has ultimately lead to California’s demise. Thomas Jefferson once stated “I think myself that we have more machinery of government than is necessary, too many parasites living on the labor of the industrious”.

Winston Churchill stated “Criticism may not be agreeable, but it is necessary. It fulfills the same function as pain in the human body. It calls attention to an unhealthy state of things” I realize I can be a critic, even in Sunday School class when I point out the “hypocrisy” that we see daily and fail to do something about it. Republicans, Democrats, Liberals and Conservatives, white collar & blue collar, black & white, rich & poor need to come together and find ways to solve our problems. These problems are all of our problems aren’t they? I say get involved in your community, mentor a child, donate to the food bank, write a letter to the editor, reward someone anonymously for doing something good, offer encouragement to those that are having a tough time, plant a positive seed that will take root and “pay it forward” to others.

I often think of past leaders with wisdom like Abraham Lincoln, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, Winston Churchill and even Christ himself and wonder what they would do to solve our problems. Would they “turn over the money changers tables” when they saw hypocrisy? When $10,000 and $25,000 “Fat Raises” are handed out to the highest paid employee yet the low man who is struggling daily to put food on the table and is told “its not in the budget”. Think about it. Would it not be smarter and wiser to help those at the bottom who will in turn spend that small raise back into the community, have less attrition, thus less expense on retraining. While I will argue the “man at the top” isn’t going anywhere, after all he has the best job he will ever “be given”. What will he/she do with that $10,000 or $25,000 raise? Take another vacation? Buy more stocks and bonds? Yes I know I’m ranting, but we have got to get “common sense” government of the people and by the people. In Proverbs 29:18 states “Where there is no vision, the people are perish“. In the next few weeks and months you will increasing see and heard more of California’s ailing problems, let us pray that our Country, State and County doesn’t follow their lead.

I have extended invitations out to a few of our readers who have subjects or interests that you might want to hear about, and to some local politicians. I hope to receive more guest columns on Smyrna subjects or local interests in the near future to give "This is Smyrna, TN." a more rounder feel.