Tag: your tax dollars at work

Chicago Schools ‘Half Empty’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Ain’t even anybody on the slidin’ boards

Hey! How about a $93,000 a year per pupil cost? Go to the nearest public school and learn diddly squad (https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/06/declining-enrollment-leaves-150-chicago-school-buildings-half/).

That’s Chicago, pilgrims. Chicago’s schools are half empty (we mean it literally), the costs are going into the stratosphere, and no one’s doing anything to dial it back.

They’re blaming it on “lower birth rates.” Later on I have a bridge to sell you. Or you can buy it from the American Federation of Teachers, the big bad union on the block. Somehow none of this seems to have upset the teachers’ unions. Like, they’re gonna get their money and their pensions anyhow, come what may–right?

So 150 school buildings in Chicago are now half-empty…and the cost of keeping them in business goes up and up and up.

‘Dollars for Dog-Doo’ (2013)

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Dog Poop Royalty-Free Images, Stock Photos & Pictures ...

Who, me? 

Sheesh! Remember this (https://leeduigon.com/2013/07/)? A condo “community” in York County, Pennsylvania, decided to make all-out war on residents who don’t pick up their dogs’ poops.

They have devised a fool-proof, fantastically expensive, of testing cast-off feces for DNA and then tracing the DNA to the guilty dog. Everybody’s fees will have to go up, to pay for this–even if you don’t have a dog. They’ll come after the neon tetras in your fish tank.

I don’t know how this turned out.

Oy Rodney – Lee Duigon

[Note: If you’re wondering where Oy, Rodney is, I haven’t yet found it today and anyhow I got up really tired today and I need to sit out in the sun for a while. I know, I know–you were all agog to get the latest news from Scurveyshire. Well, we’ll see.]

Trump Stops Aid to 7 Universities

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Kangaroo crossing sign by road in rural Australia Stock ...

Before you get too emotionally involved with the headline, the seven universities in question are all in… Australia! (https://www.skynews.com.au/world-news/united-states/us-cuts-funding-for-seven-australian-universities/video/e1e0ee8ee04bd481ee4a15c6ae6722aa)

Australian academics have pleaded with their government to “prevent any further grant cuts.” Well, how are they expected to do that?

More to the point, what was America doing, funding Australian universities, in the first place? I think President Trump probably couldn’t get a sensible answer to that question. I doubt there is one.

We Took Away Their Condoms???

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Cart Full Money Shopping Stock Illustrations – 1,096 Cart ...

Uganda’s NGOs (non-governmental organizations) are barking and growling at the U.S. for takin’ away their condoms and lubricants, supplied via USAID (https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/02/uganda_upset_at_lack_of_condoms_lubricants_blames_usaid_funding_freeze.html).

“People are going to die!” exclaimed the oracle.

President Trump very recently suspended the funding of USAID, very, very much of which was used for frivolous and sometimes out-and-out anti-American purposes.Well, now it’s his fault if anybody dies!

Has anyone even suggested that these governments provide the necessities for their own people, and not look to our country to foot the bill? Like, what if America couldn’t do it anymore? Then it’s curtains for the world, everybody dies, hasta la vista, baby?

Yeahbut, yeahbut! What about Transgender Care? Who’s going to pay for that all over the world, if not us? What about grants to “progressive news agencies” who proclaim to the world the abominable moral failings of America? Ya mean we don’t have to pay for that? Who knew?

Maybe Uganda ought to write a letter to Santa Claus.

MORE Government Waste!

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

4,800+ Throwing Away Money Stock Illustrations, Royalty-Free ...

Did you think I was kidding with that last post (“Embarrassed for My Country”)? I only wish I was!

Now the Dept. of Government Efficiency, spearheaded by zillionaire Elon Musk, has discovered a scheme to spend $21 million for “Voter Turnout in India” and another $29 million for “Strengthening the Political Landscape in Bangla Desh” (https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/02/elon-musks-doge-team-uncovers-21-million-taxpayer/). Along with plenty of other goodies . Hey. people–Uncle Sam wants to fund your governments!

Indian politicians are a bit cheesed off at what they see as a foreign plot to manipulate public policy in India.

Back up a little and click the link. You will be amazed (!) by the list of frivolous, costly projects aimed at other countries. Was the Biden administration trying to buy the world? Was it up for sale?

More to the point–were we, the United States of America, ever up for sale?

‘Scientists Say the Darnedest Things! (A Job for Dead Astronauts) (2016)

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Animation Astronaut skeleton in a space suit. Color drawing ...

Think we’re getting good value for our tax dollars?

Here’s a government science project that didn’t get off the ground but still had to be paid for.

Scientists Say the Darnedest Things! (A Job for Dead Astronauts)

Is there any possibility that planting a dead astronaut on a planet in a star system light-years away would have any tangible result at all?

Where do they find the people who dream up these things? But maybe sending the dead to distant planets will at least get them out of our elections.

And Now For Something Totally Silly

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Manhole Illustrations | Unique Modern and Vintage Style ...

“It’ll be so much comfier as a Maintenance Hole!”

The city of Berkeley, California, has decided to dispose of certain common words and replace them with Gender-Neutral Language (https://theconversation.com/the-uproar-over-taking-man-out-of-manhole-120821) because… Well, I can’t think of a way to finish that sentence.

But voila! It’s official now! They’ve rewritten their municipal code. So from now on, a manhole will be a “maintenance hole.” Can you gimme hallelujah?

There ought to be an essay contest to see whose life has been made all the better for this change. “Ever since they changed ‘manhole’ to ‘maintenance hole,’ my life has taken off like a rocket–!” (Another kind of “hole” springs to mind, but I won’t mention it.)

Winner gets to sit in on Berkeley City Council meetings for the rest of his or her life. Let the reader decide whether that’s a prize or a punishment.

Our Stupid State Dept.

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

71,119 Fancy Letters Images, Stock Photos & Vectors | Shutterstock

Sheesh, look at all them freakin’ serifs! You could go blind…

Europe’s on fire with war, Red China wants to invade Taiwan, Brazil’s been taken over by a communist… but our State Dept. has its priorities in order!

They’ve just announced they’re going to change the type font on all official State Dept. documents (https://www.entrepreneur.com/business-news/the-us-state-department-is-canceling-times-new-roman-font/443211). No more “Times New Roman”! It’s got serifs in it. Fooey! It ain’t “accessible” to persons with certain disabilities.

So they’re gonna go with Calibri instead, which has no serifs. Those blasted serifs–

Wait! Stop! News Flash! This Just In: 

“The biggest disability of them all is illiteracy,” says former mental patient Sandy Palooka, now a deputy Secretary of State. “So from now on, no official State Dept. documents at all will be printed! There’s an old saying at the FBI, ‘If you don’t write it down, they don’t got a case.’ Well, that’s a very wise saying and we’re taking it to heart–nothing in writing! Hey, whatever font you use, it don’t matter if somebody they can’t read at all. And if there’s just one person who can’t read, that’s one too many!”

 

New CDC Guidelines for, um, ‘Having Sex’

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Happy Puppies Photograph by Warren Photographic | Pixels

Here we go with the happy puppies again. How am I supposed to illustrate this mess?

(Thanks to Susan for the nooze clip–blame her.)

Reacting to the new monkeypox scare, the government’s Center for Disease Control has issued new guidelines for “having sex” (See https://www.cdc.gov/poxvirus/monkeypox/pdf/MPX_Social_Gatherings_Safer_Sex-508.pdf for one of several examples)–and how the dickens do I write about this? I knew I was in trouble when I read a reminder to “wash your hands, fetish gear [“fetish gear”?], and sex toys” after “having sex.”

Yeah, better wash that fetish gear… Like everybody has some.

We’re also counseled to avoid “hugging, massaging, kissing”–but M______ is “always safe.” But just to make sure, preserve “social distancing” when “having sex.” Try not to do it at a distance less than six feet.

I trust this gives you some idea of how hard it is to write satire, these days.

But not to worry! There’s always mail-in voting! That’s how you wind up with SloJo in the White House. You know they’re gonna go for that again!

Biting the Hand That Feeds Him (P.S. You’re Fired)

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Amazon.com: PBS Video: Appstore for Android

Guess what? They hate you!

The Public Broadcasting System this week has fired its head lawyer, Michael Beller, for getting caught on video saying how much he hates and despises the American people who pay his salary (https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2021/01/pbs_fires_its_chief_counsel_for_saying_what_democrats_really_think.html).

Project Veritas caught Mr. Beller. So PBS’s CEO fired him because, let’s face it, PBS is entirely funded by the American people and it’s bad for them to be calling the people names and saying it’d be great if more of the dumb ‘n’ stupid peasants died of COVID, etc. The CEO whined about Veritas’ “deceptive videos” and then fired Beller anyhow. Huh?

Beller also said Republicans’ children should be forcibly taken from them and put in re-education camps. Silly Wabbit. Hasn’t he heard of public schooling?

The author of the piece at The American Thinker, Andrea Widburg, says Beller was fired because the opinions he expressed are practically universal among the Washington D.C. elite. They all despise us.

Why must we be, um, “governed” by people who hate us? Don’t you think there’s something wrong with that.?