A great way to convince listeners you researched lightly for fill material is to begin your presentation with, “Webster’s Dictionary defines . . . .” So, here goes:
This morning, listening to the TV, I belatedly discovered another reason why my poor English fails to communicate. (Actually, I think emotion, body language, and creds go way further than attempts to state self-evident facts.) I have often used a phrase, “erosion at the margins,” to explain how government welfare programs tax more people into needing welfare. Had I been more articulate, I would have used the worn-out phrase “vicious cycle.” Given the sustainability of any program is a question of balance, it remains the case that solutions that rely on more of the cause are, as our leaders say, exciting, but in an irascible sense.
Secondly, I continue to flash back to Tuesday when members of Asheville City Council were “vetting” proposed regulations for Airbnb’s. By my way of thinking, vetting requires more than tossing two arbitrary numbers about to see which one “feels” better. The first time I ever saw this, I think, was when council was developing their steep slopes ordinance.
