One thought keeps recurring as I work on my income taxes this
year: the Democrats are determined to abolish the Bush tax cuts.
Next year, the average family (that means married filing jointly,
making $54,000 per year) will pay $3,000 more in federal income
taxes.
One thought keeps recurring as I work on my income taxes this year: the Democrats are determined to abolish the Bush tax cuts. Next year, the average family (that means married filing jointly, making $54,000 per year) will pay $3,000 more in federal income taxes. The rich – that is any family who makes more than $54,000 – will pay even more. Gotta tax those rich.
This thought leads naturally, gloomily, to more thoughts of my tax dollars at work. The city of Gilroy, meanwhile, continues to consider the purchase of Bonfante – pardon me, – Gilroy Gardens. I like trees. But I like intact sidewalks even better.
If the city does go ahead and purchase the park, maintenance will be the biggest issue. A wilderness area does not require weeding. Bonfante – sorry – Gilroy Gardens will require a lot of weeding, paid for by city taxpayers.
If the city does buy Bonfante – excuse me, Gilroy Gardens — I hope they will consider the city of San Jose and Kelly Park when they set entrance fees. Kelly Park is big and can be used free of charge. But it has some smaller included areas that cost nominal fees to enter: the Japanese Tea Garden, Happy Hollow with the kiddie rides and mini-zoo, and the historical park and train. Perhaps Bonfante – whoops – Gilroy Gardens could have a similar division.
State Assemblywoman Sally Lieber has finally gotten around to introducing her anti-spanking bill. She thinks she has changed it enough to make it palatable to the voters. I hope she is wrong.
The bill, AB 755, outlaws spanking with an implement. Now, when my kids were smaller, I spanked them, but only with my hand, so why should I care?
Well, when I was a child, we had some friends, the Austin family. And Mrs. Austin was one of those mothers who only allowed her children to watch Mr. Rogers on television. Her mothering was very calm and controlled: educational toys, hygiene, apples for snacks instead of potato chips and so forth. Her kids were nice in spite of it all.
Anyway, Mrs. Austin comes to mind because she had very firm notions of what constituted proper disciplinary technique. She kept a wooden spoon in the kitchen. She would only spank her children with this wooden spoon. She explained that in this manner, her children would hate the wooden spoon instead of her.
Even at the age of 7, I found her rationale rather absurd. But, my point is that Mrs. Austin’s use of the wooden spoon did not constitute child abuse. Her children were never bruised, broken, bleeding, or indeed, particularly upset by their interviews with the wooden spoon.
I think Mrs. Austin was a perfectly fine mother. Her children have grown up to be perfectly fine adults. She was far more competent to decide on a proper and judicious use of discipline for her three children than is Sally Lieber.
Child abuse is already against the law. AB 755 would create a new “rebuttable presumption” that physical pain or mental suffering inflicted upon a child is unjustifiable if it is caused by any of seven kinds of actions, which are listed in AB 755. The first of the seven actions listed is the use of an implement.
Regardless of any circumstances, the police and district attorney would have to consider Mrs. Austin’s spanking with a wooden spoon to be unjustifiable. Mrs. Austin would have the difficult task of proving (rebutting the charges) that the spanking was justifiable to the satisfaction of the court in a criminal trial in order to avoid being sent to jail for up to one year. Mrs. Austin’s case also could be referred to Child Protective Services and juvenile court, which could result in the possible temporary or permanent loss of custody of her children. Your tax dollars at work.
If you think that the state should stick to preventing real child abuse, and let the Mrs. Austins of the world decide how to spank their own children, call Assembly Member Jose Solorio, Public Safety Chair, before 3pm Monday, April 16, at 916-319-2069.
