By Irving Leemon, Contributing Columnist

Why aren’t all of the government agencies at all levels (local, state and federal) required to put at least a small percentage of their budgets aside for times like these? Any smart household puts some money aside for emergencies and if income decreases. The governmental agencies at all levels act as if they have to spend or commit every penny that they raise through taxes, fees, and are budgeted for, during the same fiscal year that they are received. The fact is that many agencies do loose all monies that they don’t spend or commit during that year to a general fund.

They should be required to place any received and budgeted monies not spent or committed during good income years into that agencies’ general emergency fund. In addition, a small amount, say 3% of the current budget, should also be placed in that fund. That money can then be accessed only during disastrous emergencies and low- income years to prevent, or slow, a lowering of services to the taxpayer. Many years ago, a procedure was actually started in a small accounting division that had all encumbered (earmarked to be spent only on a specific project) monies examined at the end of each fiscal year. The purpose was to identify any monies encumbered, but not spent, and not needed to complete that project to be unencumbered, and transferred to that superior agency’s general fund. For example, if money is encumbered but not needed to complete a specific street treetrimming project, that money currently reverts from the street tree division to the City’s general fund.

I propose that instead, the monies be placed into a special emergency fund in the street tree division to be spent only as described above and under strict supervision from a citywide agency. Current government accounting practices should be amended to reflect and enforce this practice. The “Conservative Republican Party” no longer exists. The “Republican” Party has become the REACTIONARY PARTY and is trying to change the United States of America in ways that will destroy individual freedoms. They use subterfuge, such as the manufactured nonsense about President Obama’s citizenship. Some rich and powerful people who only want to increase their wealth and power used this to cover up a deep-seated prejudice and the take over of the “Republican” Party. The Reactionary Party is pushing towards outlawing contraceptives and abortions.

They‘re also pushing hard to keep same sex (gay) marriages illegal and gay living arrangements illegal. While at the same time, they’re saying that government should stay out of the bedroom. They want to push the Catholic agenda and appease the reactionaries who say less government. That includes reducing, and thus restricting, the food and drug administration’s ability to protect our food and drug supply, amongst other things. The “Republican” Party is supporting valid STATE PHOTO IDENTIFICATIONS to be shown before one can vote in many states. Weren’t those laws declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in the 1960’s? Oh yes, the recent Supreme Court has said that states have the right to impose that restriction on voters.

These ID laws will keep those who have never driven, those who cannot afford to pay for the documents, or have lost their driving licenses due to age, and the least educated and informed from voting (who are often the poorest). Whether you want some of them to vote or not, they should have the rights they were granted in the constitution and won in the sixties and before. What’s next, revoking women and minority’s rights to vote? What happened to one citizen (natural born or naturalized) one vote? Attacking a woman in the broadcast media in a vile way because she doesn’t agree with your ideas is un- American and shows how far the Reactionary Party will go to stifle free speech and the American people’s right to disagree. Agree? Disagree? Email me: ileemon@socal.rr.com

By Iving Lemon

Contributing Columnist

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