A Paradox

Did you ever hear of the word "paradox"? In a general sort of way, it means something that is contradictory or contrary to common experience. It also can refer to an absurdity, which exists in actuality, but yet is true.

Lancastrians are witness to many 'paradoxes', every time they chose to see them. For example, only 1.5% of Lancastrians are unemployed, but yet 9-13% of the County citizens have no health insurance, and/or have no regular doctor. Somewhat similarly, Lancastrians were hospitalized for mental health problems 25% more than Nebraskans, overall, but yet would find it next to impossible to be admitted to the Lincoln Regional Center, were personal circumstances to leave the citizen with only that treatment option. Lastly, with all this good Nebraska life surrounding us, Lancastrians yet have had a higher arrest rate, for both adults and kids, than the rest of the State.

I suppose in some fashion I could absorb and and understand many of these paradoxes, by merely dismissing them. That's the way it is, No? Wrong!

A recent paradox has been even harder for me to digest. In fact, I cannot even seem to get a good grasp of it. That absurdity is Congressman Bereuter voting himself a pay raise, to the tune of $145,000. Now how many Lancastrians do you know, who earn that kind of money. Not many, I would venture to say.

The 1993 median household income for Lancaster County was estimated in 1993 to be $34,560. On July 4th of this year, the Journal Star, front page, stated that the 'liveable wage' in our State, including Lancaster County, ranged from $16,000 to $47,000. None of these numbers are anywhere near what Representative Bereuter now is going to get, absent protest by him, about the raise.

Well, I think I can help the Congressman with some notions of economy, so that he does not need all that money, and thereby can save us some tax dollars. For starters, let's outsource some of that day-to-day, Washington grind for the Doug. What with all of these current communication devices, we can hire Nebraska prisoners to do the more mundane, repetitive types of work. The Representative then could feel free to think on all of those bigger tasks, which require so much creative concentration, like County ag businesses going broke.

In addition, those DC-jobs which are more labor intensive could be farmed out to places like Rio De Janerio or Calcutta, cities where they have zillions of kids, who work for pennies per day. By doing so, the Congressman could spend more time with those 'soft money' donors, in order to find out what really is best, for our County. And he would not be forced to travel so much, either.

I doubt if we can get the Congressman to give back his pay raise. However, we can take away his opportunity to enjoy it, by voting Democrat this November. The citizen still would have this particular pay raise 'paradox' to contend with, but at least the newly elected Democratic Representative would not have helped to create it.