“Do not boast about tomorrow, for you do not know what a day may bring forth” (Proverbs 27:1) As the chief executive officer of a county government with 1,900 employees and a $700 million budget, I have been swamped by the local impact of our national financial crisis. We have seen our investment earnings, sales tax revenue, and property tax income plummet. Like every other state and local government across the country, these reductions in income have forced us to examine every service we provide and how efficiently […]

“Hear my prayer, O God; listen to the words of my mouth.” (Psalms 54:2) My son left for Miami this week to go on a Caribbean cruise. I drove him to the airport in a heavy snowstorm and knew he was in for a bumpy flight. He called when he arrived in Miami and let me know his flight had landed. “How was the flight,” I asked. “Sort of rough,” he said. His response reminded me that air travel is one of the best ways to improve your […]

“Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.” (Proverbs 22:15) System-wide test scores recently released by local school districts reminded me of a survey I saw several years ago by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM). NAM reported that half of the employees in U.S. manufacturing plants lacked the basic reading, writing and math skills. Of the 4,500 manufacturers surveyed, 60% said their current workers lack basic math skills, and 55% said their workers have “serious […]

“A wholesome tongue is a tree of life, but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.” (Proverbs 15:4) Friendly fire – it’s a term we often hear during wartime. Simply stated, it refers to the discharge of a military weapon that results in the death of an ally or fellow soldier. In fact, we heard it several years ago when it was used to explain the death of former Arizona Cardinal’s football player, Pat Tilman, who gave up his lucrative professional football career to serve his country in the […]