Idiots

I have long believed that America is suffering from a plague of stupidity, and last week proved it to me. Although whether it's a plague of stupidity or self centeredness is hard to determine. First let's start close to home. Kentucky, my beloved yet perplexing state, is in the throws of a major budget crisis, not unlike many states right now. If state government is having a budget shortfall, it stands to reason that citizens of that state are also feeling the pinch, right? Kentucky also has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the country. Not surprisingly, we also have one of the highest rates of smoking. I don't think it takes a genius to take a passing glance at this situation and say, "Ah-hah! Let's raise the cigarette tax to offset the budget shortfall." I mean, the absolute worst thing that could happen is that people would quit smoking. Oh, what a shame. I realize that if you increase the cigarette tax to such a degree that people can't afford to smoke, then your revenue will suffer, but the cost savings in terms of public health would make up any loss. That's assuming that people actually would stop smoking if the cost of cigarettes got too high, something I'm not entirely convinced of. I have an aunt who has asthma and no health insurance, and she smokes two packs a day. Here's an idea: Stop smoking and you could breathe AND afford health insurance!
Let me say again that Kentucky has one of the lowest cigarette taxes in the country. If I were a legislator in Frankfort, I think the way to proceed in these lean budget times would be a no brainer. But enter the tobacco lobby. Legislators in Kentucky did not choose to increase revenue in the form of a cigarette tax, noooo. They opted to doll out severe funding cuts to education and health and human services. Now there's some fine long-term thinking for ya. Let's make it harder for people to get an education, thereby increasing their earning potential, and let's take away their much needed services at a time when they are most likely to be down on their luck and need them. Frankfort legislators, you're bringing down the curve for the rest of us.
In other idiocy news, Chelsea Clinton was giving a speech on behalf of her mother's candidacy in North Carolina when a student asked a question about her father's affair with Monica Lewinsky. It always irritates me to see college-age students acting like children, probably because I have such faith in their potential. I was once a politically active student, so I know the energy that group has and can create and the force for change they can be. I remember cringing when during Bill Clinton's run for President, someone on MTV asked him the critical question, "Boxers or briefs?" Come on people! You can't spit right now without hitting an issue of critical national or international importance, and this is what are youth choose to ask about? Sex and underwear? Really, I thought better of you. This student in North Carolina, he had to be, what, 10 years old, maybe 12 when the Monica scandal broke? I hardly think it's an issue that has been keeping him up nights. He simply wanted to show off and get attention, which he did. Our national media does love it when people behave badly or in poor taste. The national media, now there's some idiocy for you. I think the student who asked that question of Chelsea needs to go back to high school until he gets this juvenile behavior out of his system. Go put gum in the teacher's seat or a kick me sign on her back if you want that kind of attention.
The last item on Kimberly's Idiot Report is our U.S. Congress, which once again called oil executives on the carpet to account for their obscene profits during this time of skyrocketing fuel prices for average Americans. In theory, this is a good idea, but we all see it for the dog and pony show it is, just a way to prove to the American people that they are aware and are doing something about the problem while really doing nothing and probably passing notes scheduling appointments between Congressional campaign fund raisers and the big oil lobbyists. I would very much like to come back in a few weeks or months and apologize for slamming our Congress in light of them actually doing something about this instance of corporate gluttony, but the thought of being wrong on this isn't something that's got me worried.
so, you handful of faithful readers of my blog, go forth and feel smugly superior in your intellect today, secure in the knowledge that you are far smarter than many, especially those in power.