Memories of the Fourth

The Fourth of July brings back fond memories of my childhood growing up on a farm in southeastern Ohio.  On the Fourth of July my family would go to our neighbors’ in the afternoon to celebrate the Fourth.  The Battins, our neighbors lived a half a mile away from us on a hog farm.  We would meet at their house and then travel another half mile to the farm.  For the next couple of hours we fed the hogs and mucked the stalls.  Allen, my neighbor told me that the pigs bite making me afraid of animals.  After we finished, we headed back to their house where we sat on the screen porch.  We drank sweet lemon iced tea with hot dogs, hamburgers, potato salad, and baked beans.  After supper, we played croquet until dusk.  Daniel always won.  He is a genius!  Allen shot off roman candles in a field before we had Fran’s homemade delicious ice cream.  The ice cream was the best part of the Fourth of July.  Everyone enjoyed the ice cream gobbling it in a matter of minutes.

June jam

A reader of my article implied that the disabled are useless since we can’t or will not work.  Why should he have to pay more in taxes to care for “cripples” who shouldn’t have been brought into the world?  Well, let me see … while the Governor is in Canada “playing” a Republican candidate the Republican legislature “plays” hot potato with the budget.  Essentially nothing will get done meaning that if the new budget isn’t passed by July the current budget will stand.  Our lawmakers are too busy making names for themselves and promoting their books on CNN … books they didn’t write on their own.  Meanwhile last week I did publicity, “hired” a new care attendant from Craigslist if he applies and my care agency doesn’t reject him, emailed, and started writing a new book.  I don’t work, right?  Ha!  All I do is work.  That’s my life.  My mother makes strawberry jam and I pursue my career. 

It’s the third week of June.  Mom will go to the farmers’ market at Sherman Plaza, which she does each Sunday before I get up. May through Halloween she goes to the small farmers’ market buying vegetables and fruit for us to eat.  This farmers’ market is Mom’s “home” like the writing conference is for me.  She doesn’t miss a Sunday always buying too much food.  I enjoy eating the home grown food, but much of it will go to waste.  She will buy several boxes of strawberries to make strawberry jam.  We will have strawberry shortcake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.  I eat well!  Homemade food is nice, but I need and want more out of life. 

Thanks Guv

Governor Walker rides his motorcycle in Iowa while the CP author writes an article for a Milwaukee newspaper attacking the Governor’s new long-term care plan.  Thank you Governor for the paid writing assignment and the free publicity.  Go run for President!  The author is watching.  The article comes out Wednesday in the Milwaukee area with the byline: Steven Salmon and Lisa Kaiser.

Dear Guv,

Dear State of Wisconsin and Governor Walker,

My name is Steven Salmon.  You know me.  I’m the CP author, aka the thorn in your side.  Governor, or should I say Republican forerunner candidate for President and author?  I can’t keep up with you.  Going to Israel, speaking engagements, being an author, and being the governor of the Wisconsin.  How do you it?  I’m just a number in the system with a college degree.  You’re right, Governor that the long-term care system doesn’t work.  You know since you are a parent of a disabled child.  Care attendants come and go like the wind.  Did you know that school teachers are paid twenty dollars an hour, zookeepers make twenty three dollars an hour, but care attendants earn eleven dollars an hour?  Is this how Wisconsin treats the disabled?  Sadly yes.  Imagine having to urinate and lying in bed waiting for your attendant to show up.  I have good attendants because I asked for good people as I pursue my career.  You want to solve this problem.  Here’s how you do it.  Attendants should make fifteen dollars an hour, and receive a two week paid vacation with five sick days a year.  College educated clients should be able to give their attendants raises base on good performance through a course of a year.  The longer an attendant stays with a client the more money an attendant earns.  Silly rules mandated by the State like initialing time sheets and Strand Precaution Training should be eliminated for experienced attendants.  These meaningless rules make good attendants want to quit their jobs.  Why don’t you go run for President?  When you fail, I will hire you to be my nighttime attendant to clean me up at midnight.  You will need a job by April.  You’re hired. Www.stevenbsalmon.com.