Hello to my covey of loyal readers.  This has been an eventful week.  Our dental class had a twenty-year reunion at the Galt House Rivue. What a sight at the top viewing the whole city and especially the river from a revolving restaurant.  Good food and great conversation was enjoyed by all.  Pictures can be viewed on Facebook.  It was also a chance to visit with my good friend, Dr. Drew Wilson, from New Hampshire who will become president of the New Hampshire Dental Assn. this summer.  Congrats!  The only drawback to the weekend was my suffering waistline.

The Masters was very exciting with the lead changing hands several times.  The young guns are taking over!  I did feel sorry for Rory McIlroy and his total collapse on Sunday, but he handled it with grace and dignity and, at 21, will hopefully have many more chances.

I see our Congress is still playing around without making any meaningful budget proposals.  Most of them are just too scared to quit playing Santa Claus and cut off worthless programs that have outlived their usefulness.  Plus, the media cries foul at every little cut.  They treat it like the world is coming to an end.  Several money outlays need to be eliminated starting with donations to other countries.  Most of them hate us and most do nothing to help themselves.  We could give from now to eternity and nothing will ever change.  Once again the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing expecting different results.

Speaking of insanity, the hits just keep on coming about the unethical actions of our local officials.  This week The Courier-Journal reported that in addition to the $175,000 each council gets to play Santa Claus, the group gets an additional 3.7 million to give away besides.  That’s 8.2 million dollars of OUR tax money that the council can donate to anyone they please!  It was reported that most city’s councils get no money of this type and, at most, $10,000.  This is a ridiculous practice that must cease.  It explains why we have such high city taxes.  Why should our council get to decide who is worthy of our dollars?  If they believe in a cause or charity, let them give their own money!  If this setup isn’t ripe for quid pro quo and bribes, I don’t know what could be better.  It might explain why the same council members keep getting elected time after time.  They, like their counterparts in Washington D.C., are bought and paid for.  My only question is why The Courier is revealing all of this now.  Is the new mayor behind it or was the paper protecting our last mayor.  Food for thought.

Until next week,  Doc.