Tuesday Musing

I know that I have come to the party late, but I just recently discovered The West Wing. I caught an episode from season 1 tonight and love how the following highlights what is wrong with those in government who can't get enough.
It plays out in 3 different scenes interposed throughout the show.

DONNA
Hi.

JOSH
Hi. [starts walking, Donna following]

DONNA
Can I ask you a question?

JOSH
About what?

DONNA
The budget surplus.

JOSH
Go ahead.

DONNA
There’s a 30 billion dollar budget surplus.

JOSH
It’ll actually shake out to about 32 billion.

DONNA
Whatever.

JOSH
Well, you know what they say?

DONNA
What do they say?

JOSH
A billion dollars here, a billion dollars there. Sooner or later it starts to add
up to real money.

DONNA
That’s a nifty saying Josh.

JOSH
I didn’t coin it or anything.

DONNA
We have a 32 billion dollar surplus for the first time in three decades.

JOSH
Yes.

DONNA
Republicans in Congress want to use this money for tax relief right?

JOSH
Yes.

DONNA
Essentially what they’re saying is, they wanna give back the money.

JOSH
Yes.

DONNA
Why don’t we wanna give back the money?

JOSH
‘Cause we’re Democrats.

DONNA
But it’s not the government’s money!

JOSH
Sure it is. It’s right there in our bank account.

DONNA
That’s only because we collected more money than we ended up needing.

JOSH
Isn’t it great?

DONNA
I want my money back.

JOSH
Sorry.

DONNA
We’re not done with this.

JOSH
I didn’t think so.

---

Then later when Donna pulls Josh from a meeting to see the President...

---

JOSH
Did he say what it was about?

DONNA
No. What’s wrong with me getting my money back?

JOSH
You won’t spend it right.

DONNA
What do you mean?

JOSH
Let’s say your cut of the surplus is $700. I want to take your money, combine it
with everyone else’s money and use it to pay down the debt and further endow social
security. What do you want to do with it?

DONNA
Buy a DVD player.

JOSH
See?

DONNA
But my $700 is helping to employ the people who manufacture and sell DVD players,
not to mention the people who manufacture and sell DVDs. It’s the natural evolution
of the market economy.

JOSH
The problem is, the DVD player you buy might be made in Japan.

DONNA
I’ll buy an American one.

JOSH
We don’t trust you.

DONNA
Why not?

JOSH
We’re Democrats.

DONNA
I want my money back!

JOSH
You shouldn’t have voted for us.

---

And finally.

---

DONNA
[enters with a box] Sandwiches.

JOSH
Thank you, Donna. Defending virtue is hungry work.

DONNA
I’ll be at my desk.

JOSH
Ah, Donna?

DONNA
Yes?

JOSH
How much were the sandwiches?

DONNA
$12.95.

JOSH
I gave you a twenty!

DONNA
Yes. As it turns out you actually gave me more money than I needed to buy what
you asked for. However, knowing you as I do, I’m afraid I can’t trust you to spend
the change wisely. I’ve decided to invest it for you.

JOSH
That was nice. That was a little parable.

DONNA
I want my money back. [leaves]

Now, some of you are thinking, "Yeah, the surplus can be used to do more good by the government than if it is given back to the people." I disagree, I want my money back and it irks me that the government wants to keep it just because I can't be trusted. I believe there are those in government who really think they should take as much as possible and then try for a little more. I heard a congressman on Progressive Talk Radio the other day say that the solution to high gas prices was to implement a "Windfall Tax". Huh? Prices are high so the government should get a big chunk?

In other news, I've finished prepping the roof of my treehouse for shingles and they are waiting on the deck to be installed. I now know why everyone suggests that you build as much as you can on the ground. Hauling everything up there a little at a time is a chore. Here are a couple of pics of a cool basket Josh and I used to get them up there.