Mark’s Musings – September 4, 2013
Mark Fortune
Well, Ollie, it looks like we are headed for another fine mess over there in the Middle East. This time it’s Syria. Can the United States continue to be the traffic cop for the world? Rather, can the United States afford to be the world’s police force? Or, in the case of Syria, can we afford not to be?
The powder-keg that is the Middle East continues to sizzle without the flavor, taste and smell of a quality steak. The geographic location of Syria is almost a nightmare in and of itself – south of Turkey, west of Iraq, adjacent to Lebanon and Jordan. And of course, Israel is right there as well. There is likely not a positive outcome scenario in this case. And letting another country get involved (besides the UN of course) would just create more problems than resolutions. We could be on our own in this one as the British are declining to join forces as of this writing. It is possible that by the time you receive this issue of The Beacon on Wednesday we could already be involved.
If I could write this column as I typically do each Monday (this is Friday) I could have predicted the exact outcome of the Buckeyes versus Buffalo game – let’s go with this – a lot versus a little.
Locally, a lot is going on and a lot is coming up. The 2013 Air Show is slated for Saturday, Sept. 21 with a rain (won’t be needed) date of Sunday, Sept. 22. Watch The Beacon for more details as the date flies closer to launch. The airport amphitheater had a terrific program last Saturday evening with Joe Hiland, The Kentucky Headhunters and Marty Stuart. These guys were fantastic and a large audience showed their appreciation. The folks that volunteer their time to coordinate and organize these events for our community deserve a thank you. These folks operate behind the scenes and oftentimes not appreciated in our community. They need to be. Our community is fortunate to have people that are willing to volunteer their time, talent and energy. In many communities these are paid positions thus driving up the cost of attending an event. Not here.
Speaking of energy, with Labor Day just past us on the calendar, it is never too late in the day to thank those that labor (even on Labor Day, Christmas, Thanksgiving and other holiday’s) to provide us with transportation, utilities, health care, emergency services, restaurants to dine in, movie theaters to enjoy a flick, food to grill, sports to keep us entertained and a host of other services we enjoy.
State income tax is decreasing – state sales tax is increasing. Your state income tax will decrease by 9% effective September 1, and reach a 10% cut next year. The state sales income tax will increase a quarter of a percent and affect 35% of your typical purchases. Many items are excluded. Good stuff. All meant to drive the state economy forward.
Category: Mark's Musings
