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"QUALITY of Life"... in Alabama Selected from the on-going INTERNET BOOK, "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets" ( http://www.terrific-tabs.com ) by John N. Todd III, M. D. (link)
Posted here 9/12/04; "doctored" 9/13/04; 9/15/04; 10/4/04; 11/21/04; 2/05; 6/05; 12/05; 2/27/07 See related titles, from this website, linked below: SEE: SANTA CLAUS and ROBIN HOOD; what would they do about TAXES? (link) AND: POVERTY -- WHY are "the poor" POOR? (link) AND: TAJ MAJAL Public Schools (link) AND: MORE Local TAX from productive citizens (link) CLICK HERE to go to the "FRONT PAGE" of "The Doctor's Terrific Tablets" CLICK HERE for ALPHABETICAL INDEX of this entire WEBSITE CLICK HERE to EMAIL your thoughts to the author The following opinion-piece, by Phyllis J. Todd, the wife of Dr. John Todd (the originator and editor of this website), was published in the Tuscaloosa (Alabama) News on 9/12/04. The Tuscaloosa News made several unnecessary "editorial" modifications -- in wording, spelling, punctuation, sentence-structure. paragraph-structure; and in formatting -- to the essay that Mrs. Todd transmitted (by email and by fax) to The Tuscaloosa News. In addition, there were several "editorial" omissions from the original document. Following, below, is the original version, in toto, that was submitted to the Tuscaloosa News. A few minor changes have been made -- all shown in italics -- for this Internet presentation. This is my response to Ms. S. P. Hamill's lengthy opinion-piece in the Tuscaloosa News of 9/5/04. I disagree with almost everything Ms. Hamill said about Alabama.... our marvelously beautiful and blessed and comfortable home-state. I am particularly annoyed by her denigrating remark, "Is there any hope that (Alabama) will ever get off the bottom in virtually all areas measuring quality of life". As for me, I do not believe that there is any other state in America that has more to offer in the demonstration of "quality of life". Certainly, there is no state that has more God-given natural attributes than Alabama.... the people, ideal weather, plenty of water, beautiful beaches, mountains, arable land.... and Southern hospitality. I have never met Ms. Hamill. I don't know where she comes from, or where she has been. I don't know what criteria she uses in her condemnation of Alabama. I wonder which States she uses for comparison with Alabama. Perhaps she has been living in a "paradisical" State, like New York, or New Jersey, or North Dakota. Maybe she has taught school in Los Angeles, or in Chicago.... and now longs for conditions in Alabama to become more like those "utopian" places. Maybe she dreams that our public schools, with a great infusion of taxpayer "funding", could match the glorious achievements of the public schools in Washington, D.C., or Detroit, or Cincinnati. Ms. Hamill may indeed prefer the taxation-system in Cleveland, or in Buffalo. Just think, if Alabama increased its property-taxes, and state income tax.... our citizens could conceivably achieve the "quality of life" that is enjoyed in those cheerful urban areas. I wonder how Hamill measures the "quality of life". Perhaps her idea of "quality of life" is determined by the dollar-amount of free government benefits that are lavished upon those who claim to be poor, and helpless.... or those who are unwilling to keep a job, or those who refuse to stay in school.... or those who are unwilling to attempt to improve themselves. Just what is Ms. Hamill's proposition? What does she want for Alabama? She "harps" on our state constitution, which, she says, inflicts "terrible injustice" on "poor and middle-class Alabamians".... meaning, euphemistically, that in her opinion, our state and local taxes are not high enough. She seems to imply that if those who pay little-or-no tax, would simply vote to increase the tax-burden on the "religious rich".... then the quality of life would improve, in Alabama. She apparently does not realize that average incomes in Alabama are lower than in some parts of the United States. She may have forgotten that Alabama has a lot of non-productive "dead-weight" in our population.... dead-weight that drags down our economy, and our available financial resources. Perhaps Hamill perceives that if more tax-money could be extracted from Alabama's many talented and educated and ambitious, and industrious, and productive citizens -- and that if this additional tax-money could then be redistributed to "the poor", and to the slothful, and to the uneducated, and to "single-moms" -- then all would be well with the "quality-of-life", in Alabama. Ms. Hamill, a teacher in a local college, should be able to understand that those individuals who have worked for a lifetime.... those who continue their education; those who actively protect their health; those who stay out of trouble with "the law"; those who avoid drugs-and-drink; those who have saved and invested; those who have delayed their personal "gratification", and have patiently waited for a phase in their lives when they could enjoy the "fruits" of their lifelong labor.... these successful individuals will continue to resist having more and more of their assets sucked-away in taxes, in order to finance a "relaxed" existence for some who choose the benefits-bonanza of a life of dependency on "the government". (Parenthetically, I must smilingly mention the following: Hamill's article referred four times to the "terrible injustice" of Alabama's tax-structure. She bemoans "the sins of our past"; and then she preaches to us about "the sins of our present"; and she counsels us that we should "free ourselves from the chains of the past"; and she goes on to accuse us Alabamians of "oppressing the poor". Gee whiz, I didn't realize how hateful and bad we are. I just wish that Hamill would give us her list of states.... states where there are no flaws, and no "sins" of the past, and no misdeeds of the present.... states where she might prefer to live.) Let me add here that I, like all cognizant and honorable citizens, care very much that all truly needy and disabled and genuinely helpless individuals be assisted by our organized charities, and by appropriate governmental subsidies. However, I vehemently oppose the flippant granting of free and undeserved benefits to some individuals and groups.... those who have been instructed for several generations in how to "navigate" the welfare system (or should we say, "beat the welfare system", or "cheat the welfare system" ). I would like for Ms. Hamill to become aware of a basic truth, that "the more we give away -- the more we take away". Perhaps the Tuscaloosa News will explain that fundamental truth to her.... and help her to understand not only the "quality of life" in Alabama, but also the "facts-of-life" in Alabama.... and in the rest of this world. END 2/27/07 |