Anger: The Easiest Emotion

I was just looking at comments from an older Journal Sentinel article on the good work Sue Black is doing for the County parks. One particular rant gave me an unexpectedly jovial chuckle, "More union thuggery in Milwaukee. I am so sick and tired of people crying and moaning about how the parks need more money and they are crumbling. What a crock! First of all, do we really need to have 30+ swimming pools in the county that the taxpayer has to foot the bill for. Second, why do I have to subsidize the golf courses in the county? Finally, have any of you ever known an employee of the parks system? Is there an easier job in the world that has such lavish benefits? The whole system should be privatized."

First, the population of Milwaukee County is 959,921. Having 30 pools to service this population means having 1 pool for every 31,997 people in the County. Hardly an overabundance of water parks.

Second, the golf courses (roughly $6 million annual revenue) bring in a comparatively large portion of the Park system revenue. The golf courses essentially, partially subsidize the rest of the system.

Thirdly, the Park system has many jobs. The Park system is vast and contains golf courses, picnic areas, parking garages, tennis courts, historic buildings, pavilions, gardens, sports facilities, trails, community centers, beaches, and animal care. To claim Park employment is one job and is the easiest job is really just erroneous slander.

Finally, proponents of privatization, please tell me one example of the various sectors of our economy, over the past 40 years, which has been privatized and is better off. Airlines, health care, 401Ks...none have shown any improvement to the cost and quality of our lives. In fact, for the majority, privatization has made things worse. It has caused an upward redistribution of the gains from productivity.

Yet, I still support the right of the unhinged, uninformed, and those generally too enraged to pause and think about about what they are saying before making blanket statements and viciously attacking others, to speak their mind.