My Take: Another shutdown, Really?

The end of September means the end of the US Government's fiscal year (FY). We will be putting FY15 to bed on September 30th and welcoming FY16 on October 1st.

And it could be another unenjoyable new fiscal year for the country.

There is already talk of another, yes another, government shutdown!

Loss of services, loss of prestige, and more importantly loss of jobs that will contribute to an economic slowdown.

According to the referenced Washington Post article, the probability of another government shutdown ranges from well over 50 percent to as high as 70 percent! No one is estimating the probability to be less than 50 percent!!

From my perspective, a government shutdown is a another example of how Congress fails to discharge its Constitutional requirements in a timely manner.

We are one-third of the way through September, time will tell during the next 20 days whether the Congress can get one of their most important jobs done and fund the government so that services can continue to be provided to the people.

Let's hope the government does not shutter its doors.

We will all be embarrassed, again!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

My Take: Personal Beliefs vs. Public Duties

I have been watching with great interest the case of Kim Davis, the country clerk who was jailed for refusing to issue marriage licenses to gay couples.

Many are casting the situation to appear as if she was jailed for her religious beliefs. Some hailed her as a hero. I do not feel that way, however. She failed to perform her duties as a public servant and she was jailed because she defied a lawful order from a judge. Regardless of her motivation, a public servant she does not have the right to impose her individual beliefs above the law.

If she has a problem issuing the licenses, then she should have resigned. In America, there is separation of church and state; therefore, her personal religious beliefs should not have factored into the discharge of her public duties. It is not a religious matter. The state determines who qualifies to be married and the licensing process is a civil, not a religious, matter. In a larger sense it is a Constitutional matter.

She was engaging in civil disobedience similar to the war protesters; however, unlike them she took an oath to uphold the law and the Constitution. We cannot, nor should we, be allowed to determine which laws we want to follow else the fabric of society will tear. 

It does not matter about personal religious beliefs, if someone is a public servant they are sworn to uphold the law whether they agree or disagree. Corruption reigns in countries where local officials believe they can choose to uphold the laws or not. That is something that we do not have to worry about in the United States. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Monday Musings on Tuesday, September 8, 2015

1. It is the first day of my workweek, so that is when Monday Musings happens.

Ethan and Jackson on the Sand Cliffs at Ocean City

2. A weekend at the beach and some frustrating golf, what could be better? Golf that isn't frustrating. As my son said of my score, "I expected more of you." He really meant a lower score.

3. The Orioles lost again yesterday. Late-August and September are being brutal on them. At least any hope of the post-season has been erased.

Seagull Taking Flight

4. Even though the driveway should be fine to drive on, I don't want to mess up the repair which looks great!

5. Thanks to Patrick and Tina who always seem to be staying behind on dog duty. We really appreciate the way you take care of Makayla.

6. Many people are getting excited for the NFL season which officially begins on Thursday evening. I am disturbed by the outcome of the Tom Brady affair and the message it sends to young athletes about integrity--or the lack of integrity in professional sports.

7. The Presidential race is on, but did you know that our Congress is facing a desperate budget situation that could see the government shuttered again? 

8. Labor Day is over and the summer is winding down. I hope the weather stays warm for a few more days. 

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Do you hear the crickets?

I have been here three days now, and this morning was the first that I noticed the crickets. Perhaps it is because the ocean is calmer and the sound of the waves crashing on the beach are much quieter.

More likely? It is because I am calmer and after three mornings of spectacular sunrises and I was finally in a ace to notice the crickets.

There is so much that I tune out to keep control of what I can process. Sitting outside enjoying the ocean and the dawn allows me to get in touch with those things. It is similar to the springtime when I first hear the peepers. I enjoy heir song, but soon it blends into the background noise.

This is a defense mechanism. I live near Interstate 95 and I tune out the noise from the traffic except during the middle of the night when there are no other sounds.

I guess it means than I am in a good place within myself because I can hear the crickets and they are melodious.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Ocean Sunrise

Up before dawn to watch the colors of the new day as it arrives. This is something I love to do, watching the dawn drive out the darkness.

It is good to get away for a bit and have a few quiet moments before the day begins to appreciate the colors and the spectacle that is before me.

A single seagull flies across the sky, lending movement to the otherwise still scene.

Another day is at hand.

Dawn seems to be coming faster now. Just like life, it seems to pick up speed.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Morning in Ocean City

Waking up with the sound of the surf crashing onto the beach is an awesome way to start the day.

The morning is warmer than was originally anticipated and the sun is slowly climbing into the sky.

There are even some Palm trees next door to make me believe that I am farther south than I truly am.

Maryland is a nice place to live in that I can be at work in the morning and on the beach by evening.

Happy Labor Day to you wherever you are.

-- Bob Doan, writing from Ocean City, MD

Construction and More Construction

Potholes in the Driveway

The sewer line repair continue, well actually the environmental clean-up continues in the woods behind the house.

On tap yesterday was major repairs for the three families us who share the driveway. 24 years of hard use had taken its toll and it was time for some repairs before sealing the drive in advance of the winter season.

Men at Work Removing the Old Asphalt

There were big trucks and stone, and rollers, and hot asphalt.  The old parts of the drive were removed and new supporting gravel was emplaced and packed down. It was a process.

It was fun to watch, although it would have been more exciting if the repairs were not being paid for out of my piggy bank.

New Gravel for Stabilization Arrives

It was a well orchestrated plan that successfully saw the completion  in near record time. In a move that almost never happens, the crews arrived almost an hour earlier than they indicated they would. Perhaps it was to beat the heat of the day. 

Spreading the Asphalt

They worked along in three separate areas of the driveway. Fully synchronized. Not working fast, but working steady.

Progress was seen with every passing minute. 

At the end of the process, the rough areas of the driveway were fully restored. In a couple of weeks, the entire driveway, including the new areas will be sealed for added protection!

At the End--It looks Great!

What a day. And all I had to do was watch.

Oh yea, and pay!

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

One in a Row

I stayed up past my bedtime last night watching the Orioles play frustrating and futile baseball.

I stayed until the game ended in the 11th inning.

Why? Because I am a baseball fan and I and also an Orioles fan.

I stayed because the team used some heroics to tie the game in the bottom of the 9th inning.

I was rewarded for my efforts with a game winning walk-off homer  by Chris Davis in the bottom of the 11th inning for the orioles 2nd win in their past 13 games.

The season that began so many months ago is winding down. And I remember the promise that this season began with at Spring Training in Sarasota during February and March. 

There are 28 games remaining on the Orioles schedule and the probability of making the post season this year is almost zero. But they are my team, win or lose.

And that greatest saying in baseball is filled with hope and promise. "We'll get them next year."

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Update: Sewer Line Break

Looking Out my Driveway at the Trucks working the
Sewer Line Break

I was gratified to see the response from Howard County to the sewer line break. They worked to repair and stabilize the line for almost 30 hours--straight. At one point last evening there were ten trucks and assorted pieces of heavy equipment  in the neighborhood.

My neighbors who live right next to the break were not too amused at the sound of heavy machinery during the night, but it was a serious bio hazard. the work is going on right outside their fenced yard. Theirs is the house in the picture below.

Looking Down the Street at the Howard County Response

I am told that the EPA will be out to inspect the work. 

Last evening, the odor in the air was the worst it has been. I guess they were digging up the muck. I would not have wanted to be the workers. We provided them with a couple 12-packs of soda last evening to help mitigate the hot and humid conditions. I'm glad the sewer line is repaired. 

Work Just Beyond my Neighbor's Fence

Today, hopefully, will be devoted to clean up. I have not observed any clean-up of the stream. I worry about the impact on the wild life and the potential for disease. I guess I will have to look into that in the coming days. The workers did say that they would be putting lime into the water as a mitigation strategy. 

I was also told that the worst is yet to come. Apparently, the county will be letting a contract to relocate the sewer line, as I reported yesterday. That will likely cause the loss of many of the trees that I enjoy that border our property and shield us from the warehouses and light industry on Troy Hill.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD

Bio Hazard Discovered and Reported

A foul odor has been wafting across the yard around my house for the past few days. I had thought it might be decaying plant matter from the recent rains because I could not determine an exact location. The odor seemed to move around from place to place. As I tried to locate it, it would disappear.

Sewage Making the Creek White

Last evening, the persistent stench smelled like raw sewage and I took the situation more seriously. I suspected that the light industry up the hill behind my house may have been illegally dumping down the hill causing the odor, and so I went to find the source.

It, sadly, did not take long to discover the true problem and I could not imagine the severity of the situation. As soon as I reached the normally pristine creek behind the house from which the frogs which love to swim in my pool probably come, it was immediately evident that there was a major raw sewage leak. 

Sewage in the creek

The stream was white with the raw sewage and the smell was strong, but not overpowering. I went back to the house, although I did not yet know the source of the sewage in the stream. I called the emergency number for Howard County utilities. I alerted my neighbors to the situation and searched for the source of the contamination.

Broken Sewage Pipe

The cause, it turned out, was a  broken pipe in the stream spewing sewage unabated. The pipe had probable broken during the last storms as the ground under it appeared washed away. I called the county and updated them with the location of the sewage and waited for their imminent arrival.

Why a sewer line was run through the middle of a creek, I will never understand, it just seems like bad planning. The county took immediate action to abate the discharge and I expect that over the next few days that they will be making more permanent repairs. Interestingly, I was told that the sewage line that broke was scheduled to be moved from the creek. 

I guess they didn't get to it soon enough.

-- Bob Doan, Elkridge, MD