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- Like we miss Cholera
- The Hill: 'Cracks are beginning to show in Emanuel’s once-impregnable political armor'
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The heads of our auto makers came back with a plan. Part of it was the CEO's taking $1 a year.
Now I call on you elected officials to lead by example:
take $1per year.
give up your pension, just like you ask the auto industry to do.
and that insurance you get for free, give it up.
You are the most inept government that the US has ever seen, and the US of 60 years ago would have put you in prison for life.
Back to business - In Southeast Michigan, I believe the recession is moviing into a depression or maybe it is just the desperation of the approaching Christmas holidays. People seem to be scrambling for jobs and money whereever they can find them. Friends calling friends, neighbors calling neighbors - to see if they have work for family and other friends. People offering to do anything, even outdoor type work you might only do in warm weather. Having the ability to employ some for short periods, we help when and where we can, but they sight of this unraveling society with the resulting crime isn't pretty.
A President who reads and understands history; what a novel concept.
(Sorry, when I noticed your screen name, I couldn't resist.)
http://www.thesmokinggun.com/archive/years/2008...
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2008/12/05/govern...
Hopefully, it will keep them from going belly up until Obama can introduce a comprehesive plan in January, though that's not a sure thing by any means.
(Sounds like Nancy got it done, and Reid was nowhere to be found, per usual.)
As my Aussie friends say, Good on him.
Next: bringing American manufacturing home and weaning us off the service sector malarkey that has destroyed middle class security over the last 15 years. Unfortunately, there will be some realigning. I continue to believe one of the major auto companies will go. But those same very valuable skills could do so much assembling public transit cars and buses. And it's time to use the taxing power to require that all kinds of industrial manufacturing including heavy trucks (road building!) be done in the US, as well as using the governmental contracting power to make sure our soldiers wear uniforms and boots made in the US. Is it protectionism? Maybe. But we can't help the world till we help ourselves. And we are in no shape to help the world right now.
Residents from the Milwaukee neighborhoods of Riverwest and East Side are scheduled to meet Wednesday to discuss printing their own money. The idea is that the local cash could be used at neighborhood stores and businesses, thus encouraging local spending. The result, supporters hope, would be a bustling local economy, even as the rest of the nation deals with a recession.
"You have all these people who have local currency, and they're going to spend it at local stores," said Sura Faraj, a community organizer who is helping spearhead the plan. "They can't spend it at the Wal-Mart or the Home Depot, but they can spend it at their local hardware store or their local grocery store."
Incentives could be used to entice consumers into using the new money. For example, perhaps they could trade $100 U.S. for $110 local, essentially netting them a 10 percent discount at participating stores.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/chi-talk...
Angry Laid-Off Workers Occupy Factory In Chicago
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081206/ap_on_re_us...
If there is one upside to the awful economy, it's that the huge spending to come will be put to good use bringing us into the 21st century
Better late than never.
There need to be more inroads for everyone, and I don't see those inroads here. I remain hopeful, but this isn't going to cut it, really. Most of us don't have the kind of experience required to do infrastructure work.
May I whine now, or would you like to address my question?
Schools can't afford to teach kids. They are struggling to keep the buses running and the underpaid teachers paid and making sure they have money in the bank for crisis. (Oh, that would be NOW.)
The obvious, common-sense solutions that would really change the classrooms don't make it through, tragically. I have substituted in two of the largest districts in Oregon for several years... I think I have been in every school in each district. My husband teaches high school science. Other family members are teachers or administrators. I know what is out there. There are incredible teachers working their asses off, generally with no help. (Would any other professional agree to work without assistants? Dentists? Lawyers? Think about it....
But you see, dentists have to actually fix teeth. If they aren't fixed, people complain. In the teaching profession, uneducated children and even their parents ususally don't complain (a topic that is fascinating in and of itself) when the child isn't "fixed". And what dentist would work on 30 patients at once? ThisIS a good analogy, I believe. Oh, and guess what? Dentists aren't blamed when people don't brush or floss their teeth!!! The public never says "Hey, we pay these dentists to prevent, clean, and fix teeth. But look at all these people with cavities, children who don't brush, parents who don't take their kids to the dentist. Those dentists arent' working hard enough!! " Oh, and I won't go into what dentists get paid compared to teachers!!!
On a positive note, classroom assistants (paid, qualified, trained, full time....) would make an enormous difference!!! The teachers wouldn't have to run around all day fixing all the kids teeth (who all have different problems to address) at the same time.... oh, I mean run around trying to educate all these diverse children's minds.
And a high level of one-on-one tutoring for strugglng students would be a great help for so many kids. I mean consistent, educated, loving , commited folks that are there for the kids throughout the year, at least. Oh yeah, and PAID! The assistants would be busy enough just helping the teachers organize, clean, plan, grade, manage groups of kids. Teachers are ENORMOUSLY overworked and lessening this very basic problem would be a change that really makes a difference.
But the jobs aren't out there. You can get an teaching assistant job, if there is one available. But the available jobs are low. They aren't even close to what it would be if we really truly wanted to help teachers and educate kids. That would require millions of assistants who should be paid a LIVING wage. Yes, then the jobs would be there. Right now, schools are looking for volunteers. I guess plenty of people out of work would have the time to spare.... ack!
I truly hope Obama is thinking along these lines. Helping the teachers in the classroom is where it is at! All the curriculum ideas and tests and fancy programs pale in comparison to one-on-one and small-group teaching. (Of course, many other changes are necessary....this should just be the focus.)
Sorry for the ranting!
Of course, he can't, but everybody seems sick and tired of the Worst. President. In. History.
Mr. APJ Abdul Kallam, Ex- President and ‘Missile Man’ of India also started his tenure with similar goal.
Five main building of the capitol New Delhi were selected including the Rashtrapati Bhavan or the President House, to begin with. The jobs were assigned to major ESCO companies for ‘Survey-identification of the energy improvement opportunities -suggesting measures for improvement-implementing the measures & monitoring the savings.
The results are encouraging and now all giants like Indian Oil, Reliance, Airport Authority etc., regularly monitor the energy consumption by regular audits.
We are associated with many such audits at the Refineries, office buildings, hospitals etc.
We wish the drive all success.