Earth Day. Where shall we begin? The list of woes trails round the world 50 times, we would guess. So, we’ll start in our own backyard, which the Bureaucrat Beat staff believes is the only real place we have control. Before the backyard, comes ourselves, which in real truth is the only thing we can actually control. Okay, all right, self-control rules. We get it, you’re saying.

And, therein lies today’s thought. The antidote for the earth run amuck – self-control. Wow! Can you dig it? As we used to say 30 years ago. The Bureaucrat Beat staff were young hippies in those days. You know, Far Out! Give Peace a Chance! Etc.

So, for Earth Day, we put our heads together and came up with this program:

  1. Never vote for a candidate who refuses to look for alternative energy in a major way.
  2. Never vote for a candidate who clearly has no independent mind in favor of the people. Whoops! That eliminates most elections.
  3. Control our selves in terms of what we consume – leaves less waste.
  4. Make our wants small – also leaves less waste.
  5. Protect live things – they make up our world. This includes trees and plants.

Okay. Earth Day. Done.

Next? The American tradition of whistle blowers – alive and well. That’s who brought to light that the FAA had failed to require airlines to perform regular maintenance. Way too cozy!

Think it’s a bit too close for the federal government to spy on us via satellite? That’s what’s up now in Homeland Security. More like Homeland Voyeurism. They’re watching! Homeland Security Chief Michael Chertoff said his department plans to activate a new domestic satellite surveillance office in stages. They’ll start out with an eye on hurricane damage, climate change, etc., with law enforcement purposes later. Chertoff says civil liberties are not in danger. Trouble is – no clear rules on how the satellite eye might turn on citizens. Congress has demanded safeguards.

The Bureaucrat Beat staff went out on the town the other night. Well, Bishop. We saw Playhouse 395’s production of The Music Man. It was, even for old curmudgeons like us, a heart-warming evening – the many talented performers, the truly appreciative audience and the sense of community.

The play program quoted famous acting instructor Stella Adler, saying, “Life beats down and crushes the soul, and art reminds you that you have one.”

We agree and have a new-found simpatico with the arts. Let them rage on! At the end of The Music Man, the cast all came out on stage and Karen Keene let it be known that Playhouse 395 needs community support with a request for a performing arts center in the new Bishop City Park plan. Let us sign their petitions and letters!

In Mammoth Lakes, support for the arts should top the list, too. Let’s face it, we’ve said it all along – the only obvious antidote to rigid bureaucracy remains the creative arts.

Also, we favor support for a sense of humor. What would we do without it. On that note, we saw a bumper sticker the other day that prompted a chuckle. It said, “Bishop, Don’t Feed Our Mules.” In case you don’t get it, this is a take-off on “Mammoth, Don’t Feed Our Bears.”

Finally, the Bureaucrat Beat Staff came up with a great idea – DWP and Caltrans should team up and publicize the need for boat inspections on the Caltrans reader board at the entrance to Bishop. Why not? For those anglers who do not have a heads up about mandatory inspections, this would really help. How about it, guys?

With that, this is Benett Kessler, signing off for Bureaucrat Beat where we await your word on our lives in the Eastern Sierra and beyond.

 

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