Page 4 - Dinuba Sentinel 5-30-19 E-edition

Opinion
A4 | Thursday, May 30,, 2019
In My Opinion
Let's get back to simple
business
Fred Hall - Publisher Rick Curiel - Editor
AWparty where you come as you are
Try to imagine, if you will, what it would feel like to run a business where you had a
virtually unlimited access to capital and restrictions and regulations
had been carefully scripted so they did not apply to you. If you were to make really egregious mistakes, there would never be any fear of retribution because, effectively through the years you had carefully stacked and bribed a board of directors who were friendly toanypositionyouchose. Your “customers” really had no choice but you.
What we have essentially identified above are many of the various political bureaucracies—as well as their attitudes--who seem to oversee every aspect of our daily activities throughout this country. That bribed board to which I refer would be those voters who have been endowed—by our educational system with socialistic tendencies—and have become so enamored with the “free” stuff you provide they continue to return politicians to office.
Ballot harvesting and other forms
of election scamming provide a solid basis for maintaining the “hands-out” crowd to whom the politicians provide all sorts of manna. Ballot harvesting is problematic at its best and is banned in most states. The chain of control for that ballot should not be allowed to pass through a third party.
A reasonable place to start would be right here in California where the state has sued the Trump administration almost 50 times over inane issues. The latest episode involves about $1 million California needs to “finish” the High
SpeedRail. Weweretoldrecently that there is no way to finish that project. Our Governor says that, when finished, the HSR will go from Merced to Bakersfield but will be a tremendous boost to the Valley’s economy. Sure! We would suggest a feasibility study to see if that really does “pencil out.”
What we need is full and complete audit and accounting of where and exactly how all this taxpayer money has been spent. Consultants, cost overruns and absolute waste would surely be identified as the same old government incompetence we’ve all come to expect. What makes the Governor and his Attorney General think any investor should be expected to do? Pour money into any project which has been so poorly run from the get-go?
At least this Trump administration is attempting to place some safeguards on whether our money continues to
be wasted or properly overseen! Why on earth does Gavin Newsom feel
that he is divinely entitled to continue to pour money down a rat hole.
This is one of the best examples of government incompetence and lack of accountability in our recollection.
When one takes into consideration the huge fraud being perpetrated
on the taxpayers of California with the High Speed Rail boondoggle, understand that the Democrats in
Fred Hall
Sacramento are not through with us. They want to provide free health care to everyone. Illegals from anywhere in the world are welcome
to treatment of your choice by the rest
of us who will pay the bill. Add to that mess the fact that
there are illegals being housed in our public housing units while American citizens are on an abstract waiting
list. The state of California is currently spending roughly $26 billion annually on illegal aliens, arguably showing a preference for illegals over citizens.
Given the propensity for voter fraud throughout California perhaps we already have our answer why the scale is being tipped.
How does the state continue to excel in-depth dumbness? How about the recent decision by lawmakers to begin the establishment of special banks to provide services to marijuana growers? Just forget that regular federally chartered banks are forbidden by the law. California officials apparently believe they can pick and choose which laws they are willing to obey. Surely their current position on illegal immigration vis-a-vis Federal law indicates that such would be their preferred position.
If Sacramento’s actions are, if nothing else predictable, one can expect that preference will be given for those charters for banks to previously convicted felons. At least that was
the directive in awarding licenses to operate pot shops. I suppose those are the people most skilled at supplying our young people with a drug that leaves them in a stupor and devoid of any ambition.
That is a somewhat truncated
view of how our legislators and officials operate a multi-billion dollar business without those constraints with which all the rest of us face
on a daily business. Need money?
No problem—just raise taxes on something or someone. Restrictions and regulations? No problem—they exempted themselves. Doesn’t make sense? No problem—what are they going to do with when the grand idea is an abject failure. Maybe it’s the fact that being governed by this kind of stupidity that is causing taxpayers to flee the state by the tens of thousands.
My point in writing this was that government should subscribe to basic business principals. Spend wisely and spend less. They should spend less than they take in. The result would be better government and a contingency fund for emergencies instead of a monstrous debt. That board of which I spoke is us, the taxpayers, and we should demand better.
But, as always, that’s only one man’s opinion.
Fred Hall is publisher of the Dinuba Sentinel.
Pastor's Corner
hen I was in fourth grade, I was invited to a themes. The first addressed the “Come As You Are Party.” The idea is that rejection of the Jewish religious system you show up at your attendee’s home at some of him as Messiah and the resultant
God-awful hour to take them by surprise and scoop them up in their pj’s to come to your party. So my friend’s mom showed up at our door at the crack of dawn to scoop me up and whisk me away to the birthday party. The only problem was that I didn’t sleep in pajamas or a nightie. I didn’t even own the proper sleep attire.
Money was tight for us and my clothing allowance was spent on school clothes. Why would anyone waste their money on pajamas when an old, raggedy t-shirt served
just as well and frankly, was more comfy. Anyway, my mom hurriedly helped me get into some street clothes and scooted me out the door for a fun day with friends. Happily, I wasn’t the only girl out of dress code and it was a fun
day (although I found myself wishing I had a pair of cute pajamas).
In the Bible, Jesus shares a story of a man who was having a party. The guests he originally invited decided
not to come. Their rejection of his invitation caused him to open the party to anyone who would like to attend. So he sent his servants to invite strangers to come as they were. The man provided the appropriate party clothes - all that was needed was to put them on. As the host, he bore the cost of it all. Yet, in the story, we find someone who has not bothered dressing in the clothes provided and he is cast out. He is treated as those who originally rejected the invitation - put on the outside. There is no halfway in God’s kingdom. You’re either all in or you’re out. As my friend puts it - you’re either pregnant or you’re not.
I keep thinking of that party and how unprepared I was for it. I still sleep in a t-shirt (although I keep a pair of lounge pants next to the bed just in case). Come as you
are. That’s the invitation of the gospel. Come as you are. Don’t try to get cleaned up first. Don’t wait until you are properly dressed. Just come and everything you need will be provided for you. However, once you’ve been given what you need, you are expected to take it up and put it on. I’m not talking about performance as much as commitment. Am I committed enough to leave my old stuff behind and put on what’s been furnished?
When Jesus told this story, he was addressing three
Nancy Boyd
exclusion from the kingdom (the celebration). The second addressed the subsequent invitation being extended of the rest of the world and his provision for their lack. Finally, he highlights the peril of “spectator faith.” Faith that says “yes” but doesn’t live “yes.”
In his letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul emphasized that faith must result in a transformation of sorts. Faith looks like something. He gave literal examples of what our core values look like when we “put on” Christ. Truth abounds (I don’t mean brutal honesty); peace prevails within us; contribution replaces consumerism and entitlement; our words reflect value for others; kindness, compassion and forgiveness become a way of life; and our spiritual sensitivity to what is unholy or offensive to the Holy Spirit is increased. These are the wedding clothes supplied by the host.
For me, putting on Christ has been a process. I find that it takes intentionality on my part. I don’t mean trying to be more kind or truthful. I’m being intentional about being aware of his Spirit. As I focus more on him, the easier it is to see these core values manifest in my life.
You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24 (NIV)
In the fourth grade, I think I would have been thrilled to have been supplied with a new set of pj’s for that party. I wouldn’t have hesitated to put them on. Now we are invited to a better “come as you are” party. An eternal celebration. And everything we need has been furnished! That’s just good news.
Nancy Boyd is the Senior Leader of Grace of God of Dinuba. She is also an author and popular speaker. You can read more of her articles at her blog: nancyboydblog. com
Food for Thought
Let's pray for an end to all Iwars, foreign and domestic
first would like to thank every but it also nearly man and woman who has matches the either served, is serving or will amount of lives
serve in this great nation’s armed forces to help protect a freedom we often take for granted.
After attending Monday’s Memorial Day Ceremony at Smith Mountain Cemetery, I can truly say I have gained an even deeper appreciation for those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. I was especially moved by the speakers who graced those in attendance with reminders of why we must never forget those who have fought for us.
One of the things that struck me the most was hearing how many lives have been lost in the brief history of the United States during the course of its wars – over 1.1 million lives.
That number just seems to boggle the mind. However, one number jumped out at me when I researched the numbers. And no, it wasn’t the over 400,000 lives lost in World War II. It was the 620,000 lives lost in our own Civil War.
Not only did I discover that the number represented the largest number of lives lost in any war the United States has been involved in,
Rick Curiel
lost in all other US wars put together.
That is beyond mind-boggling.
It means that we lost more lives fighting with each other than we
did any other war against any other nation, or nations for that matter.
In a time where the country continues to grow more politically divided, this should be a stern warning to all that the war within our selves and the war within this nation is too costly a path to consider.
Now, more than ever, we must come to a place where we can put our differences aside and extend an olive branch to our very own neighbors.
Like two of the speakers said on Monday morning, let us pray for peace on earth and in this great nation we are so blessed to call our own.
Rick Curiel is editor of the Dinuba Sentinel.
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