Taxes

There is an old saying, "The only certainties are death and taxes." Well, our taxes will go up again, but so long as we expect services from the city, we must pay for them. Our garbage is not collected by little elves but by men who expect a fair day's pay for their work. We, as Trentonians, must decide what we want, what we must have (a fire department for example), and what we are willing to pay for. If Trenton is ever to climb out this financial hole, we must face the fact that it will hurt and hurt bad. We are going to have to live on bread and water for a long time, and the bread will probably be stale and moldy. In closing, the sooner we start the austerity, the sooner we will be back on a sound financial footing.

Parenting East & West

Amy Chua, the author of a memoir entitled BATTLE HYMN OF THE MOTHER TIGER, describes how she raised her three daughters in the, "Chinese," fashion. I have not read the whole book; I have read exerpts and have the feeling the lady is a sadistic control freak. I wonder where her husband was; did he ever try to pull her back? I also wonder if she would have behaved differently if her children had been boys rather than girls. I have no problem with expecting the best of one's children or setting standards. My son was not allowed to have a phone or a TV in his room while he was a teenager. But he was allowed to go to parties as long as an adult was present, and I checked. No adult, no party. There must be something in the middle between East and West. Americans are too easy with their kids, but Ms. Chua goes too far in the other direction.

Funny Trenton

Having checked out Robert Chilison's blog, I had to wade in. There was much about the last council meeting that made one think of a new TV reality show - "Thursday Nite Live." At some later date, I will explain my feelings re power point presentations and anything that takes longer than ten minutes to explain. But the best part of the council meeting was the Trentonian who claims to be a separate nation within a nation and does not want his birth certificate available to anyone including him. This man has been before council in the past; each time he rambles on, I wonder if he truly appreciates what a birth certificate is. First, it is proof you were born; second, that you were born an American citizen; and third, it is proof positive who your parents (especially father) were. Then there was the lady who is a psychic - I lost the thread of her comments - but it put in mind of West State Street by the State House. Has anyone ever noticed that directly across the street is a Tarot card reader? Do you think our elected officials flit over there to ask Madam Zarkov for adivice? Just wondering.

Positive Trenton

For quite awhile we've been hearing about the change to Chambersburg; the Italians are gone along with most of the popular Italian restaurants. This is true, but I believe it is a positive thing. Why? Because the fact the Italian population is gone means that they no longer have to live in Chambersburg; they can afford houses in Hiltonia, Lawrence, Princeton, wherever. They've moved from immigrant to middle/upper middle class America. Hispanics have moved in - the new immigrants. I'm sure they will be also be gone in fifty years or so (maybe sooner). The super Italian restaurants are being replaced by super Hispanic restaurants. I've eaten in six so far and found the food to be great in all six. I did have a problem with one place; the wait staff did not speak English so I pointed to what I wanted. This is something else to like about Trenton - good Hispanic food.

Accenuate the Positive?

Sorry, I hit the wrong button a few seconds ago. For a long time, I heard what is wrong with Trenton (and God knows it is a long, long list), but I started to think about why I am still in Trenton. When my husband died, and I called my mother to tell her, she asked, "you'll be coming home, won't you?" I told her I would stay here in Trenton. At that moment, my main reason was that my mother, who was a wonderful, generous, thoughtful lady, was too concerned about the comings and goings of her daughters. Here in Trenton I was free of her questions. BUT, as time passed I realized why I liked, even loved, Trenton. First, the people. Trentonians are basically warm, friendly types. Then there was my neighborhood; I liked it, I still do. Trenton is full of great neighborhoods with great architecture. I still enjoy driving down different streets to admire the housing stock. Of course there is the history; Trenton crawls with history. Not that Long Island doesn't have history, it does but not as concentrated as here in Trenton. But my favorite thing about Trenton is that is so easy to become involved. It is easy to reach out to elected officials and speak with them. More Trentonians should take advantage of this ease. I've met such interesting people. The strength of Trenton is Trentonians!! More musings to follow. Happy New Year!

Accentuate the Positive?