Not everyone gets what they want for Christmas

      This time of year can be hard on grown-ups; putting up with the whining and tantrums of children who want what they want and can't believe they can't have it.
     These thoughts came to me while witnessing the dialog -- nice term for it -- among our local county officials about whether to keep a pet.
     This was about renewing the contract of the professional promoter that Richard Rothschild showed up with at the county offices. He said Jim Simpson followed him home, and could he keep him? Please, please please!
     Robin Frazier, too, had become attached to the bark of this conservative blogger/radio host/talker/writer, or whatever. He had a nice sound, and she supported Rothschild's efforts to fork over something approaching $100,000 in taxpayers' dollars to keep him on the porch, yarking at passing socialists and liberals.
     I suppose it makes sense to folks like Rothschild and Frazier to espouse frugality in government programs that serve the needs of widows and children, while donating Other People's Money generously to people who hate spending on social issues.
     "He gets our story out," I believe is the quote of the week, attributed first to Rothschild, but echoed by Frazier. She echoes well, as is often the case in hollow spaces.
     But wait a minute, said the grownups, led by Haven Shoemaker. The whole story of the hiring and compensation, a month at a time to avoid proper bidding and vetting processes, has been bad news for this board of commissioners. A public relations disaster, I think he called it.
     That's the old Haven Shoemaker talking. Nice to have him back. Doug Howard seemed to finally understand, too, that getting Rothschild speaking engagements in the the distant backwaters of Redneck Country and interviews on Right Wing, conspiracy theory radio talk shows was doing little to inform local residents. We have been paying for entertainment we do not get.
     So the whining went on, Rothschild and Frazier obviously frustrated.
     But grownups prevailed, this time. About time.