Disappeared News

by Larry Geller

I love your cats, and thanks to your Friday Felines photos, I can even identify most of them by name. I wish I still had cats. For one thing, this blog would be far more popular.

So I regret to inform you that, as a state worker, you certainly must understand that Governor Lingle intends for everyone to share the economic burden equally. And although she exempted the legislature, where you have worked part of the year, it’s not clear that the exemption extends to your cats. I did not see any specific exemption for cats.

This implies that for three Feline Fridays of the month, your cats will not be compensated for their, um, work.

I know this sounds cruel, but you wrote about the furloughs this morning on your blog, You seem to understand where the governor is coming from perfectly. Far-right politicos do not view their policies as cruelty, they call it “compassionate conservatism.” Starvation is for their own good.

Look, she didn’t care about starving senior citizens by withholding $500,000 each of two years that the legislature apportioned for Kupuna Care. And the first $500,000 was withheld while the state still had a surplus. So don’t think your cats are entitled to get away with anything. If seniors can starve, so can they. Many state workers’ salaries support multi-generational and multi-pet families. Starvation, you’ll remember, is for their own good.

I did like your article this morning, and for the sake of your cats (and those of state workers everywhere), I hope that there is a public reaction, at least a few twitters, that will reset the governor onto a more humane path. I hope, when hearing their pets crying pitifully for their furloughed Friday meals, citizens will be moved to action.

Delaying social security claims by over two years, which you cited as a possible result of Lingle’s furloughs, would affect large numbers of cat-owning families. Will that spur citizens to action?

When the feds cut off Hawaii’s funds, which you mentioned as a possibility, will that, maybe, spur citizens to action?

In the meantime, the image below was popular during the Superferry protests. Maybe it’s time to revive it.

(click for printable bumper sticker)

Permalink posted by Larry @ 6/19/2009 10:52:00 AM