We now know why they say “time is an illusion.” The Bureaucrat Beat staff suffered group whip lash when a Mammoth Town Council candidate talked about the need to do visitor packaging. Yikes! They were talking about that pressing need at least 15 years ago.

Our staff knows that Mammoth has sincere, fairly intelligent people willing to take office, but how about whoever wins wears a tee shirt to declare what’s up. We found one on the internet that will do and two that will absolutely not do.

We do not want new Town Councilmembers wearing the shirt that says, “I lack focus.” Nor, do we want them to wear the shirt that boasts, “Dream and believe.” The one we do want says, “Just do it.” Right on! That’s what we want. It shouldn’t take 15 years for a resort town to successfully package trips and other amenities. That’s just a small example.

Another pertinent phrase we picked up on so far this week, war is determined before it is waged. In the famous Chinese treatise, The Art of War, Sun Tzu describes the conditions required for a successful outcome. They include things like the people and their rulers living in complete accord, consideration of the times and seasons, security, wisdom and benevolence – just to name a few. With a strong leadership-public relationship, anything can be accomplished. Big hint for newly elected in both of our counties.

Back when Inyo officials tried to force the long-term water agreement onto the public, the conditions for a successful outcome were not followed and, oh, gosh, gee whiz, golly, the outcome stinks! One of our listeners called to point out once again – Why should Inyo County pay half the cost of the Lower Owens River Project, when it’s a mitigation for all of DWP’s groundwater pumping over 4 decades? Because Inyo’s negotiators let it happen.

Instead of listening to their people, Inyo officials looked for ways to spew out propaganda to disprove the people. Bad mistake. Big troubles with the water agreement will linger like a nasty virus, and some of those responsible are still on the County payroll!

Another listener called to underscore the terrible truth about the USA – mega corporations run the country. They pay Congressional candidates for their campaigns and then set the agenda for the whole nation. No, it’s not right, but it’s a fact.

The caller expressed deep regret at this trend and noted that even locally, this kind of government has hurt us. The caller said there are local people who have jobs but because of the crazy economy don’t have enough food to eat.

How about the government calls on the biggest brains and hearts we have to analyze our system? They will likely find out that we have spent too much money in the wrong places which has led to huge oil prices, gas prices and food and retail goods prices. Come on, guys in Washington, remember the disastrous outcome for works that come from bad motives – greed, included.

To those whining about the compromise Wilderness Bill hammered out by our Congressman Buck McKeon and California Senator Barbara Boxer, stop the whining, already. Democracy is about compromise. None of us can have his own way entirely. Sometimes it’s better to look at the big picture, assess what you can accomplish and do it. Of course, sometimes it’s best to hang in and fight like hell.

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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