Saturday

Lotto Christmas


Lotto Christmas

Originally published December 24, 2010
The Frederick News-Post
By Steven R. Berryman

Holiday riches come in many shapes, sizes and forms. Managing the expectations is an important aspect, but it being Christmas Eve 2010 today, you already know that.

We learn and are taught that money isn't everything, but somehow this time of year that concept can stand out a bit. It "can't buy you love" and won't solve all of your problems, but when you don't have enough of it, the expectations can suffer.

At our house, we've always stretched cash, and burned the financial candle at both ends; not so much incurring debt, just spending what we made pretty thoroughly. A little "house-poor," but that's what we wanted and bought big, as we also had a big family.

Now we have two in college at once, away at Towson and Salisbury, and one in Walkersville High. Of course the grinding economy has caused all of these fine institutions to "nickel and dime" us to death; the cumulative expense typically means that if we go out to dinner, we do choose frequency as well as destination pretty carefully.

Which is why it was a Lotto fun to pick up a random scratch-off card Saturday on the way back from the dry cleaner:

It won.

To my surprise, I was told by the first prize redemption clerk that "this amount is too large to cash here, sorry" with kind of a sour face. I was then directed to the official redemption station at Brown's Liquors, where they happily produced an I-1099 Tax form to report me to the IRS.

I could live with that! It wasn't a king's ransom, but it was 100 times my investment. Well ... technically 50 times if you figure I'd bought two cards.

When scratching off my happy matches, there were terrible moments of disbelief for me, as I had been thoroughly duped by the fake cards from Spencer Gifts before. This was made worse as I'd been pretty excited, and only figured the ruse set upon me by reading the back for redemption instructions: For amounts over $500, please go to "yo mamma's house!"

But I had official State of Maryland Lottery printed on mine this time!
Thinking back to earlier money postures, I was reminded by my prior experience of the season that:

When you have a little extra cash, that doesn't always mean something; however, when you don't have enough cash, that always means something! Choices you don't want to make, and painful decisions, etc.

So this year will be easier; but why?

And then it hit me: For the last four or more years running, ever since putting my personal Christmas allocated funds into the local charity Christmas Cash for Kids instead of accepting family gifts ... similar strokes of luck had befallen me.

In some cases a promotion, or a newly awarded project, or phantom unexpected financial gift.

Our mantra on the above-mentioned radiothon for needy children of Frederick County had always been: No matter your means or your condition, just give till it hurts, because "it always comes back to you."

Years ago, I'd felt teased and goaded by Blaine Young and Bob Miller of WFMD by this slogan. That is, until I tried it, fully investing in the experience, expecting nothing in return but the warm fuzzy of having helped others come Christmas morning.

My Christmas wish is for you and yours to learn from my experience, donate as appropriate to your favorite charities, and earn your good luck!
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posted by Steve Berryman at 12/25/2010 | 0 comments links to this post

Mistaking a mandate?


Mistaking a mandate?
Steven R. Berryman

Originally published December 17, 2010
The Frederick News-Post

Does deciding an election result automatically confer to the duly elected official the authority to re-create the world in his or her own image, or were checks and balances added into systems to keep the lid on unbridled egos?

How are election mandates restricted after the ballots are cast?

Our governing systems were originally designed by wise men who knew better, and made government "necessarily cumbersome" for just this reason.

King George and the crown of England would not be allowed into the New World!
President Barack Obama has learned one lesson via trial and error; our local Frederick County election winners are learning it now from scratch.

While maturity is causing our chief executive to moderate, we are but at the leading edge of experience locally.

A rush to fulfill campaign promises or vendettas can be equally construed as disrespect for process, no matter how noble or correct in conception. However, hearings and sessions for public commentary must be retained, and be in time to allow efforts to collect thoughtful responses.

Thinking back to root causes of aggressive and unrestricted government, one surely has been to use business as a model for the re-creation of government. Corporations are productive and efficient at their best, but can be needfully greedy simply to compete, and seek to grow just to return shareholder value.

Well, we have seen the over-growth in government, but the problem is that the intended restrictive nature of Congress has failed, as members have become consumed with re-election -- doling out goodies and perks -- as opposed to fulfilling the will of the people.

Worse, the people have allowed themselves to be guided in thinking by big media; this has numbed much rational indignation.

Back to the meaning of mandates, The Washington Post's Steven Pearlstein recently observed, "Rarely, however, do the election results add up to a mandate. More often it's nothing more than a temporary license to govern."

Relative to Washington politics, Pearlstein continues further, "The dirty little secret is that most Americans don't really know what they think about the issues that so animate the political conversation in Washington, and what they think they know about them is often wrong."

This is where local politics can trump national: The sophistication of our county has afforded especially our new Board of County Commissioners and new Board of Education leaders ample opportunity to get on the record, and thus to be held accountable in the course of election.

Thank this paper and WFMD radio for print and talk opportunities, plus debate forums such as at our Frederick Community College.

We have elected "known quantities" as our statesmen. As indicated in a recent News-Post editorial, they have assumed their mandate and hit the ground running:

The new Board of Ed will reconsider charter schools, TERC math, and alcohol policy quickly.

The county commissioners will examine issues from zoning and planning ethics laws, to the negative fiscal consequences of illegal immigration upon us, to zero-based budgeting.

And why have we not been justifying the cumulative expenses by line item? Was spending unintended funds in return for equal matching funds worth the spend if unneeded?

But slow down, Roy Rogers says whoa!

Let's continue to involve public input as appropriate, if for no other reason than to keep our own checks and balances in place.

Mandates will remain fair for as long as our good citizens continue to participate, and to remember.

Make no mistake.

srbmgr@comcast.net

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Copyright 1997-10 Randall Family, LLC. All rights reserved. Do not duplicate or redistribute in any form.The Frederick News-Post Privacy Policy. Use of this site indicates your agreement to our Terms of Service.

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posted by Steve Berryman at 12/18/2010 | 0 comments links to this post

Hallmarking the days


Hallmarking the days

Steven R. Berryman

Originally published December 10, 2010
The Frederick News-Post

'Tis this the season for egregious gift giving, or is this a true "Thanksgiving" time of year to reflect upon in December?

Gifts not from the heart are readily discerned; some messages are lost in holiday translation.

Don't really care about your persuasion or affiliation of religion; it is the thought that counts, not merely money spent. The only exception that I know of recently has been WFMD radio's Christmas Cash For Kids fundraiser 2010, raising $150,633 for needy children in
Frederick County this year.

The "anonymous family" was the station's way to count and report on donors choosing not to take on-air credit that was due; your emotional paybacks will come on Christmas morning, should you choose to reflect.

A gift can also be an acknowledgement of happenings from throughout the year, just in a card, and not monetarily; expressing something unexpected as a fond remembrance, for instance.

Marking our days with an expensive gift is but a physical thing, when many times it is acknowledgement that is most missed; expressiveness, best not in a "text message," is most appropriate!

Just who has made a difference in your life; who may have been left out due to "expectations" previously set up over the course of time? It can be the things that are left unsaid that can leave lasting consequences.

Me, I'm as guilty as the rest of my readers, and most likely worse! Been everything from Tiny Tim to Scrooge in my short lifetime, and seen it from all sides. My payback to society is to shine a light on things that I deem appropriate; The
Frederick News-Post needs a Hallmark from me.

The people who employ me need their own Hallmark; to take on somebody new is a business risk truly requiring my thanX.

'Tis the season for arguments about whether a "Santa Claus" should be allowed on public property, and whether homeowners associations will allow "that many lights !"

Do your rights really end where my nose begins? What would Santa say? Folks need to stand tall!

Several years ago, Kensington moved against Santa Claus; they still remember that one!

But, alas, beauty is in the eye of the celebrant, and there are those "State of Maryland Doctrines and Covenants" to conform to. Well, maybe that's part of the exodus from Montgomery County!

Now I feel like sending a letter to the "S. Claus Department of Political Correctness," or maybe a Hallmark greeting card: Dear Sir, or Madam, or whatever persuasion meets your political filters:

*Please allow a few of my foibles to exist without too much expense.
Eccentricities I have many; but with reason, should you know me.

*Allow my family and favorite causes the benefit of your visit, as they are truly deserving.

*Please ignore some of my columns where impetuousness may have overcome wisdom!

*May the stack of wrapped boxes under our tree be bountiful, but as needed, and the cards be even better ...

And let us do it all again next year! But ...

This time of year, don't mark your days with things left unsaid, as the spirit really does involve expressiveness - the best bet - on your part.

There are not gifts proper enough for the personal indebtedness that I have incurred over the past year.

Maybe I'll just send them cards.

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posted by Steve Berryman at 12/11/2010 | 0 comments links to this post

Accountable slate


Accountable slate

Originally published December 03, 2010
The Frederick News-Post

At Wednesday morning's swearing-in ceremony at the Null Building of the Frederick Fairgrounds, a willing slate of four, led by Blaine Young, began their reign as our new Board of County Commissioners.

Among those choosing not to affiliate, only David Gray remained to make five.

This minority voice -- although Republican otherwise -- can be one of good conscience, but was he odd-man-out on this one. On a positive note, the incumbent pledged to hold open town-hall-type meetings on any subject requested, and this at floating locations.

Even with the potential for Gray to be a consistent holdout to our winning slate, there will be no true counterbalancing, being four to one.

What we must hold onto is a hope for the advertised "accountability" remains in force, repeated oft during campaign rhetoric.

Accountability was Charles Stanley's topic on Sunday religious television viewing last weekend on his show "In Touch." He covered accountability to a higher power, of course, but also touched upon accountability by government to the people.

Taking in the faces and families of our new "crop" of commissioners, as Pastor Paul Mundey aptly put it during his spirited invocation, I have no doubt.

Knowing slate-members personally allows me to make some predictions. One prediction is that the opportunity for posturing and pontificating to hear one's own words in an obtuse way will now be diminished; less "enjoying the process" should be clear.

Along those lines, the gag gift offered to outgoing Commissioner Kai Hagen by Young, the new commissioners president, was the board game Clue. Many got the joke. As in "now he has one."

Young also received much applause using the stage pulpit to give outgoing Commish John L. "Lenny" Thompson Jr. a construction- and development-oriented video game called "Sim City -- Erector" in an ironic twist of seasonal giving.

Commissioner Gray cheerfully accepted fun gifts in good spirits, too -- as diverse as dark socks (he's famous for too much white) as well as Tums and Advil. What were they trying to tell him?

A favorite gift exchange of the event included President Jan Gardner offering her replacement, Young, needed tools of the trade: a used gavel, plus a large roll of duct tape. Not to be outdone in the "love," Young produced a set of framed pictures of himself and presented them to Jan.

Now there was some strange token affection!

All of this collegial spirit made me quite hopeful for our new board. The future's so bright I had to wear shades.

Of course, outgoing members are not as encouraged by the prospects as I am. Gardner will not hold sway over her legacy so well, and may have her precious "comp plan" revised. Annexations may have new outcomes.

Surely new Vice President C. Paul Smith will be looking to build a bypass highway east of the City of Frederick, and said so. I believe that pro "smart development" commissioners Billy Shreve and Kirby Delauter just might agree.

Hagen has said in print that he is quite worried about the new state of the county without him. I'm paraphrasing, of course.

Methinks we shall survive, on any account.

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On a separate note, but again involving Young, today is the grand finale and final day of WFMD's radiothon "Christmas Cash for Kids," and I hope you are able to call 301-694-9363 with a donation from the heart.

Local Santa Bob Miller would really appreciate that.

[[postscript: We raised $150,633.00 for ~2,300 children of Frederick County; new record by 18% during a year when we had 10% more needy kids.]]

srbmgr@comcast.net

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posted by Steve Berryman at 12/04/2010 | 0 comments links to this post

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