Archive for the ‘growing an economy’ Category
Midtown Brews June 5th Be There!
I just posted this over at Midtown Brews. I think the topic, the speaker, and the opportunities at this event are so important and timely that I have decided to post this everywhere.
“Give me land lots of land, lots of land under starry skies above. Don’t Fence Me In”, the Cole Porter song sung by Bing Crosby and the Andrews Sisters as well as a host of others. On the other hand, Will Rogers said “buy land, they aren’t making any more of it”.
Our topic for the June 5th Brews is LAND. County Treasurer Jim Rokakis will lead our discussion of the proposed land bank legislation that Ohio will tackle in November. The passage of this legislation is only the beginning of what will be a transformative change in our region and Ohio. How the land bank advisory board, the disposition of properties, and the decision-making process for local communities are shaped provides a huge opportunity to “get it right”.
Civic engagement and the public process will be critical elements of a “land bank” that will be a deciding factor in a new form of economic development. How can the land bank be used to draw new businesses to our region? How will it retain the businesses we now have? How could it be used to draw in a skilled workforce? Which communities will find new ways to use this tool to enhance the attractiveness of the live, work and play potential inherent in that community? What is the potential to use the land bank to strategically plan for shrinking our footprint? How will we balance quantity with quality?
This brews has the potential to give us an opportunity to start the conversation to begin thinking in new ways and bringing together the best practices of Open Source Economic Development.
Midtown Brews Made me Brood
This month’s Brews explored a topic that is fast approaching D-Day- the new AMP Ohio “clean coal” contract that Cleveland City Council will sign or reject on March 1. There will be a public hearing held this Friday, February 22 which will provide the last discussion before a vote is taken.
I grew up in rural Ohio and I am puzzled by the expression “clean coal”. In my book, there is no such thing, but that is the tag line, so I went wanting to know the answer to that question. I also wanted to know how it could economically benefit our city to sign a FIFTY year contract with a private company.
The format of this conversation was different than the usual Midtown Brews Thanks to Stefani Spear of Earthwatch Ohio we had a well-versed panel on the subject. Go here to see the panelists. We also had approximately 100 people in the room who were extremely interested in the subject. A lot of things were different about this Brews-we were in a new place, there was live streaming video, Andy Halko, founder of Insivia, our host monitered an ongoing chat so that people watching could enter in the conversation. Despite all those changes, one thing remained the same. I departed with a different perspective than when I arrived.
My first question in regards to “clean Coal” is coal isn’t clean, but what is different about this coal plant will be the requirement for stringent scrubbing and something called CO2 Carbon Recapture Technology . Those of us who live in Cleveland are well aware of the hows and why and if scrubbing is done. But then, we found out that the reality of Meigs County is this. Meigs County is the ONLY county in Ohio that does not NOW have EPA monitors in place. The Ohio EPA is working feverishly to change this, but the legislation and the paperwork is still not in place. Meigs County presently has more coal plants than any other county in Ohio. I also believe it is very high on the scale nationally. Why does this situation exist?
Councilman Zone then stated that IF Cleveland signs the contract that it will give us a 10% stake (I am paraphrasing here and I may not be stating this exactly, but this would give Cleveland a place at the table where we could then monitor the company and make sure that EPA standards are followed and enhanced) Go to Meet The Bloggers for the whole story. I believe that the three young men at that table believe that it is better to be involved than to simply say NO, and I agree with that philosophy. I also believe that we have three very capable advocates for “green” issues. However, I know firsthand, promises made, and not kept by coal companies.
I grew up on the border of Wayne and Holmes Counties where strip mining in the late sixties and early seventies was ”big business” . Promises that said land would be reclaimed, damage from blasting would be reimbursed, “when we leave you won’t know we were here”. Thirty years later, the forest on the hills has been replaced by what my father always called scrub brush, structures that were once homes remain abandoned and vacant because of blasting damage to foundations or because wells dried up because of a shift in the water table. An area never wealthy in money, but an area rich in tradition, rural pride and beautiful scenery is much poorer today than it was when I was growing up. Promises were made and not kept, and therefore, I believe that these young men who believe that they can make a difference need to proceed with eyes wide open.
We never really talked much about the economic feasibilty of a fifty year contract or why it is in the best interest of our city except to bring in the CPP (Cleveland Public Power) piece which I understand is quite fragile at this point in time because it cannot expand unless there is a place to buy coal reasonably. CPP is often brought up as the reason that our rates here in Cleveland are what they are, but I don’t see the advantage. CPP and CEI rates are comparable. We have some of the highest rates if not the highest rates in Ohio. Bill Callahan often posts on this issue. Here, here, and here are examples of the questions Bill posits. And then there is this post about the issue that includes the independent study paid for by Ohio Citizens For Action that made me really sit up and take notice.
From what I can glean from this study, the place at the table for those municipalities that sign the contract is on a participartory committee with no real authority. The authority remains with the company’s board of directors but what I really found troubling was the ability of the company based on “market rates” to set price. Why would we enter into a deal that does not set some limits to price? Also, there appears to be no back door. What if our need for coal dwindles because of new technologies, new ways of conservation, and who knows why else our need for coal may decrease? If more stringent Federal EPA guidelines are introduced and passed, where will we be holding a contract that ties us to a dying industry for how many more years? How come I keep thinking of the story about Daniel Webster and the Devil?
I am still finding it hard to see the economic benefit for us to sign this fifty year contract. As many of the people said at the meeting, with or without Cleveland the deal goes forward. But then, the really, really hard thing for me to get my head around is how do we in Cleveland justify being part of adding one more coal plant to an area inundated with coal plants?
The accompanying air and water pollution, the health issues of breathing dirty air, the fouling of the Ohio River which is one of the largest sources of fresh water which eventually flows into the Mississippi and the possibility of mountaintop mining changing the skyline in are beautiful state are probably the more troubling issues. How can we here in Northeast Ohio move forward economically knowing that by so doing, we have sentenced our neighbors in Meigs County to a continuation of a quality of life that consists of dirty air and fouled water?
If any group of people should understand the moral issue that is staring us in the face, it should be those of us who have lived in sight of the steel mills for generations. Our economy here took a huge hit when the steel mills began to shrink, but the water quality of the Cuyahoga River bounced back. Although our air quality is still not anything to put in the plus column it certainly is better than when I moved here in the 70′s. And no one, in the discussion that night, mentioned the coal miners who depend on these mining jobs. There will be two coal plants that will close. Will those miners go to the new plant? Will there be as many jobs as now?
Councilman Brian Cummins in one simple statement said it all. “I worked in the Peace Corps for three years during those years, I had no TV, I could do that I am not sure that everyone else would.” So how do we balance the need for electricty with the health of our planet?
Food For Thought
Conversations enhance knowledge, provoke analysis and strenghten beliefs as well as cause discomfort when met with a challenge to tried and true axioms that don’t appear to fit any more. The conversations that I have had lately have underscored many of the things I have read, heard, and believe but many of these conversations have provided a chance to revisit many topics as well as make me see that sometimes my vision has been not quite where it should be.
On Saturday, Tim and I had two friends from North Broadway for dinner. Two tidbits of conversation stuck with me and later, were enhanced by what I read. The first conversation covered the internet and online communities. Our friend says that one of the greatest things about the internet is the ability to communicate with people all over the globe about subjects that intrigue us. The flip side, he says, is very troubling to him because more and more we are becoming isolated from the people next door, down the street, and the day to day community is suffering because we do not see a responsibility to our fellow man. The next day, I picked up this book Time For Truth by Os Guinness.
This quote took me right back to the conversation of the night before;
“The discipline of living in truth is urgent today because modern life reduces community and accountability to its thinnest, thereby tempting us to live in a shadow world of anonymity and nonresponsibility where all cats are gray. In such a world, becoming people of truth is the deepest secret of integrity and the highest form of taking responsibililty for ourselves and our own lives.”
I can’t help but think that community is going to be more important rather than less important in our combined futures. I wonder will we be prepared?
The second tidbit had its roots in education. It is strange that no matter who I have a conversation with here in Cleveland Ohio eventually there is a thread that talks about education-early childhood, the special challenges for middle school learning, high school drop out rates, and/or higher education. The story our friends’ related is hard to imagine but nonetheless I am sure is quite accurate. A few days before, they had attended bible study in their neighborhood. A young man had struggled to read the verses of scripture he had been assigned. He stuck to it, and got through it, but our friend said he was almost certain that this young man’s reading level was probably at third grade. He was a young man in his 20′s and my friend said that the young man had determination and desire but where was he going to find a good paying job with such a dismal ability to read? And then, Ed Morrison posted this, at Brewed Fresh Daily. How do we indeed go forward as a community if we do not see that the education level of our community as a whole defines who we are and what we hold dear.
If we do not strive to educate every child in our community regardless of where or how he or she was born, what does that say about us as a community. And this question came to mind, as we look for ways to attain “brain gain” instead of “brain drain” are we forgetting that gaining brains is directly related to the overall brainpower of the existing community? How comfortable and safe will highly educated people be in a community with a 61% dropout rate? Should we be fostering an educated community rather than looking outside ourselves for new blood? In the seventies, when I taught in the Cleveland Public Schools the beginning of the migration out of Fortune 500 companies began. One of the top reasons for leaving was a sustainable workforce. Almost forty years later, we are still talking about the gap between workforce development and skills training and the needs of the business community. How when we were told so many years before are we still debating whether education is important?
Should we ask the college students in our midst how we should improve education at the elementary and secondary level? How would they have changed their early years so that they would be better prepared for college? When I was a junior at BGSU, one of my classes-reading development, I believe, required that we spend x number of hours tutoring students in reading. Since I was a student in the college of education, I had a lot of interaction with school children from the BG City School System. Imagine my surprise when I arrived at the library at 9 a.m. on a Saturday and the student I was tutoring was a college freshman. This young man struggled mightily trying to read his textbook, and I tried to show him how to try to read for content rather than words, but he just wasn’t there.
As I walked back to my dorm very slowly, I wondered where we were going when we were teaching remedial courses at the University level. Now, forty years later, we still have remedial classes, tutoring, and additional help at the University level. Should we be doing things differently? Should we accept that not everyone needs a fullblown four year college education? Should we be stressing workforce and skills training? Should there be different tracks in high schools? Are traditional schools not what is needed in the 21st century? Educational change has moved ever so slowly at the grade school and high school level. Is it time for change? There are glimmers of hope in spots throughout Northeast Ohio, but how could we work together to make it work better and faster so that our children become part of the new knowledge economy and prosper. How do we make it so being born in Ohio is an advantage?
Conversation Adds Wealth to My World
Recently, I have had the opportunity to participate in some extraordinary conversations with some very talented individuals. I am learning new ways to say things, new ways to think about issues and realities, and gaining new insights by comparing book reviews, listening to questions and answers at Meet The Bloggers interviews, and really enjoying every moment of interaction with others that I encounter. These encounters happened at bus stops, on street corners, in coffeeshops, in the homes of friends, and at area libraries. Here are just a few examples of some things that I wish to share with others.
Cleveland Heights Public Library Conversation-It is always good to think positively. People have a tendency to use negative qualifiers when praising people. For instance, that was a great speech, BUT- but becomes the negative, the word that puts just a little bit of twist to the compliment. Why not stop with the positive . Chances are the person will ask you for input on what and how to improve their skill set. And however, however is just but in a tuxedo.
Gypsy Beans and Baking Company- A Cleveland teacher-What do I see for my students? I see a life of poverty, jail, death, drug addiction for many of them how do I change that? Despair overcame those engaged in the conversation, and then, the life coach spoke. She said I see it as a need for an intervention, a chance not to change but to transform. And hope entered the room.
Brooklyn Centre Garden Club Meeting–I wanted to talk about disconnecting downspouts from the storm sewer system and redirect the water to water lawns, gardens, and flower beds, but decided that I would just talk about joining the National Wildlife Association and how easy it is for us to become wildlife habitats. And then as I sat there, one after another after another began talking about water filtration, the importance of our watershed–our lakes and streams and how some of them already are watering lawns, ponds, and filtering water through their properties. Are we at a tipping point?
And finally, last night’s Meet The Bloggers interview with Councilman Joe Cimperman where 15+ listened to Joe answer questions and then, someone else would ask a followup on the same issue for clarification, and whether we were a supporter of Joe’s campaign became less and less important and the issues facing our country and cities moved to the forefront and the exchange of ideas became the reason to be there instead of a political campaign.
And today, who knows where today’s conversation will lead us when the second Midtown Brews of 2008 kicks off at Insivia, with added dimensions-live chats, video broadcasts, and a hookup with Smaller Indiana in the mix. Go to Midtown Brews, for the details.
a newer New Deal: rebuilding the infrastructure
Again, from the New York TIMES, a commentary from Bob Herbert on the blindness a culture of panders for years to the wealthy–the investment bankers and venture capitalists and big businesses, those who provide the richest emoluments for our elected representatives–and then tries to mitigate the country’s losses by putting a band-aid on the problems of people who work and have no lobby. He concludes:
I’d start with a broad program to rebuild the American infrastructure. This would have the dual benefit of putting large numbers of people to work and answering a crying need. The infrastructure is in sorry shape. New Orleans comes to mind, and the tragic bridge collapse in Minneapolis.
The country that gave us the Marshall Plan to rebuild postwar Europe ought to be able, 60 years later, to reconstitute its own sagging infrastructure.
There are also untold numbers of jobs and myriad societal benefits to be reaped from a sustained, good-faith effort to achieve energy self-sufficiency. Think Manhattan Project.
The possibilities are limitless. We could create an entire generation of new jobs and build a bigger and fairer economy for the 21st century. If only we were serious.
Krugman nails it, making the distinction between sophistication, and sophistry
Required reading, from Paul Krugman. I’ll quote a little bit below, and you can then go to the New York Times and read the rest for yourself.
The global origins of our current mess were actually laid out by none other than Ben Bernanke, in an influential speech he gave early in 2005, before he was named chairman of the Federal Reserve. Mr. Bernanke asked a good question: “Why is the United States, with the world’s largest economy, borrowing heavily on international capital markets — rather than lending, as would seem more natural?”
His answer was that the main explanation lay not here in America, but abroad. In particular, third world economies, which had been investor favorites for much of the 1990s, were shaken by a series of financial crises beginning in 1997. As a result, they abruptly switched from being destinations for capital to sources of capital, as their governments began accumulating huge precautionary hoards of overseas assets.
The result, said Mr. Bernanke, was a “global saving glut”: lots of money, all dressed up with nowhere to go.
In the end, most of that money went to the United States. Why? Because, said Mr. Bernanke, of the “depth and sophistication of the country’s financial markets.”
All of this was right, except for one thing: U.S. financial markets, it turns out, were characterized less by sophistication than by sophistry, which my dictionary defines as “a deliberately invalid argument displaying ingenuity in reasoning in the hope of deceiving someone.” E.g., “Repackaging dubious loans into collateralized debt obligations creates a lot of perfectly safe, AAA assets that will never go bad.”
In other words, the United States was not, in fact, uniquely well-suited to make use of the world’s surplus funds. It was, instead, a place where large sums could be and were invested very badly. Directly or indirectly, capital flowing into America from global investors ended up financing a housing-and-credit bubble that has now burst, with painful consequences.
Days Before Christmas Giant Eagle Appears More Naughty Than Nice
I caught a snippet of the glitch that caused double billing to some Giant Eagle customers if they had the misfortune of shopping for groceries on December 14th last evening on TV, but learned more from the on-line Crain’s Business article today. I experienced this SAME thing years ago, and am rather amazed that it still happens. I guess though in this world of electronic dispatching of funds it is feasible. What I found more disturbing was my encounter with the employee who shrugged her shoulders, said “these things happen, we will credit your account”. No apology, no smile, no thanks for doing business-NOTHING! I VERY seldom shop at Giant Eagle nowadays. I am a firm believer that customer service can make or break a business. I was a bit disappointed to hear that again it was shoppers who had to tell the store they had a problem, and that there was no public apology released by a Giant Eagle Official. I guess some things never change.
Well, like I said I don’t shop at Giant Eagle, but when I heard yesterday that there was a display of Great Lakes Christmas Ale sitting on the floor in an UNREFRIGERATED display I had to see it for myself. Sure enough, there it sits on display with no refrigeration. Do I care? Not at all. My local beverage store was the recepient of additional cases of Christmas Ale because Giant Eagle doesn’t seem able to sell it, and they didn’t want or need any more. So, I have plenty of Christmas Ale for family and friends. I do feel sorry for unsuspecting buyers who do not realize that the ale will not be at its best if not continually chilled. In my mind, just one more reason to BUY LOCAL.
Will Voting “NO” on Issue 14 Get Anyone’s Attention?
I certainly hope so. In this day and age, there is a lot of talk about something called “tough love”. I think it is time that the taxpayers of Cuyahoga County start issuing some “tough love” to the Port Authority and our County Commissioners by voting NO on the renewal of the tax levy for the port–ISSUE 14. As always, this post is the opinion of one woman and is strictly based on my observations over the past year of the shenanigans we witnessed firsthand here in Cuyahoga County. There are three issues that I found very troubling this past year.
- eminent domain– We all know about this one–the celebrated case of Wolstein vs. private owners in the Flats. Supposedly, the Port had nothing to do with the case, but their fingerprints were all over it, albeit one step removed.
- Conflicts of Interest– Thanks to Ed Hauser, this one just wouldn’t go away. John Carney was probably the most celebrated member of the board with conflict of interest hanging over his head, but I bet if an investigative reporter wanted to scratch the surface, many eruptions would surface, just like acne on a teenager’s face.
- Bond Issuance– Issuing bonds to retail and other development throughout the state. Just how and why is this a function of a PORT authority?
And why are these three issues important to the future of the Port? The recent revelation that “the Port must move, and these are the three places” story. Eminent domain, conflicts of interest, and bond issuance will be keys to where, when, and how the Port will be moved. The particulars of “the plan” mirror the detailed planning techniques of the County Commissioners recently. You know, the old “aw shucks, trust us we’re your partners” motif that says nothing and means even less. What? you want plans, demographics, statistics?!? Don’t worry! When we will build it, they will come. Trust us.
Instead of telling us what they have achieved since the last levy, we get the same old tired saw about 20,000 jobs. What are those jobs specifically, what is the industry, where are they located, etc. Reading between the lines, we know that if they don’t get what they want, we the taxpayers will be responsible. More economic downturn, more unemployment. But where have we seen what they ACTUALLY have done to create and retain economic development? Who have they partnered with on a regional or statewide basis to raise the level of prosperity? Where are the details? Where are the statistics?
Oh, and then there is this tidbit–it is not an INCREASE, only a RENEWAL. Well, I ask you this question: How long do we continue to renew without concrete evidence that our taxpayers’ dollars are being used to good advantage? How long are we expected to “trust” before “enough is enough”? Well, I for one have reached that point with the Port Authority. Whiskey Island was the last straw for me. Why Citizen Ed Hauser and others had to go to such lengths to save a treasure on the lake that again will be at risk with the movement of the Port made me mark the block “No” on my absentee ballot.
Please weigh all the options before making your decision on Election Day. Continuing to give this appointed Board our money just can’t be the answer. Couldn’t it truly be time for some tough love?
As The Seasons Change, So Does Denison Avenue
So the phrase is usually Spring Forward, Fall Back but down at the Ugly Broad Tavern things are moving forward. New items have been added to the menu and other upcoming events should mean a trip down Denison to join in the fun.
First of all, Dean has moved from behind the bar into the kitchen. Mussels on Monday and from what I hear there is plenty of garlic for all of you aficionados or if you just want to stock up on garlic for Halloween to keep the vampires away, you ought to try them. If mussels are not your kind of meal, Tuesdays are still reserved for Meatball Subs. And of course, who would mess with the eternally favorite Wednesday Taco nite-no one and no one did. Tim still says that Thursday’s Steak Nite is one of the best deals in the city for a great grilled steak, baked potato and salad. Friday’s Fish Fry has moved over and made room for some Pierogies.
If that isn’t enough, Monday is now Free Pool night and Saturday afternoons from 1-6 are reserved for Biker Discount Deals open to all who come riding in on their bike, on foot or by car. Saturday October 6th is reserved for the Sherry’s famous Clambake. Call 351-9826 to reserve your ticket now. Hurry because they usually sell out early. Prices are reasonable $20 for chicken and $23 for steak. Tim thinks the steaks are good but I LOVE that Clam Chowder.
September’s Karaoke night was such a hit that another one is scheduled for October 20th from 8 p.m. til closing. This is the same night that Sherry will be hosting a fundraiser to help Nick defray his medical costs due to his train accident and his miraculous survival. Great times with great people are always the case at 3908 Denison Avenue.
Union Transformation should begin at their Roots
My next scheduled installment in the Put It On The Ballot series was to be about the concept of leadership and how it has become rather perverse here in Northeast Ohio but then over on Brewed Fresh Daily George posted a letter that Roldo received and the comments it has generated made me think that the time was right for this post.
During the Put It On The Ballot campaign you may or may not know that many of the venues where we circulated the petitions a member of some union would pass out slick printed literature touting the benefits to Cleveland of the Medical Mart and how we needed the Convention Center as well for jobs-union jobs. It amazed me that these union members could not see that a “right to vote” for those jobs for bricks and mortar was something that we should not be willing to give over to three county commissioners who had never really made a case for how this money poured into the general fund would be earmarked for this project. Unions have come a long way but somewhere they have wandered off the path that their founders envisioned.
My dad was a union guy- a stalwart union guy. He wasn’t, at first, but when he came back from the war he went to work with his dad in a foundry in Wooster. It wasn’t a union shop, but some of the older guys wanted to make it so. Dad was on the fence, and then. a big piece of machinery swung the wrong way and it broke his nose. I think Mom said they sent a ham and a fruit basket and told him to “get well soon.” When he went back to work, he was bounced back to the first job he had ever had at the foundry-patternmaker. He made much less money. Then, he worked his way back up to the job that broke his nose. Wouldn’t you know the damn machine swung the wrong way one more time and broke his nose one more time. This time he was told by management that he was “accident-prone” and that he needed to be more careful. Dad said the machinery was faulty and he was suspended for a week. Needless to say, my dad signed on with the union organizers and, within a year, the shop was unionized. My mother’s family and much of my father’s family was very chagrined that my mother and he had become a “union” family. Democrats, no less. I grew up in the heart of a Republican county.
Many years later, when I was in college I finally landed the coveted summer job wanted by all college students in my hometown–the job at Rubbermaid. All I could see were the big bucks in my future. I was going to make enough to pay for school and have a great summer besides with at least two trips to Virginia Beach. Three weeks into that job, we were called in for a special meeting by the management. The United Rubber Workers had threatened a strike and they were asking us college kids to sign on to work throughout the summer to keep the factory running. I don’t remember the details but we would be making more money than we were at that point. The only thing we needed to do was to sign up, to agree to be carted in by bus, and to realize that we might be asked to stay in the factory. Later, I was telling my mom all the details when my dad came home from work. He had left the foundry years before and now belonged to the Laborer’s Union in the construction trades. He no longer felt the need to be on the front lines of the union giving up his days as union steward and organizer, but he still believed strongly in “The Union Way” as he called it. He asked what was the reason for such serious faces. When I told him, I never expected his reaction. My mom was the disciplinarian in our family so very seldom had I ever seen my father the least bit upset with me. In fact, he was my pal. my buddy, the guy that knew what it was like to be a kid. I swear his blue eyes threw sparks at me and his deeply tanned face became a mottled red. Profanity spewed out of his mouth as he told me that no *@&#@ daughter of his was going to be a @%&$@* scab. WOW! Was I floored.
Many hours later when I felt it was safe to approach him, I asked him “What’s the big deal? I will be able to pay for my year at college. I’ll have some extra money. I won’t have to work the cafeteria job unless I want to do it. ” He then told me that “I” ”I” “I” was not the point in the discussion the point was that Union brothers and sisters felt the need to strike and that all unions and union families needed to support them. It is in the numbers where unions make it better for the common good. When unions gain benefits and safe working conditions all workers benefit-unionized or not. If they can split us back into factions and have us thinking only of ourselves, we will lose. It turned out that summer that the Teamsters Union backed the URW and said that they would not cross the picket lines. If Rubbermaid couldn’t move the goods they were producing, it would hurt the bottom line. Everyone went back to the table and the strike was averted.
I think my dad was right, but I think what he talked about standing united and working together is even more necessary today and much more farreaching and relevant than it was when we had that conversation in the early 70′s. Unions are a big part of the reason for our quality of life here in America, but I think that many unions have been overtaken by college graduates that are closer to corporate types than they are to the ordinary people who organized and made those unions great. Somewhere along the way, they have lost their way.
When a newspaper can obscure a grassroots effort from being what it was-putting it on the ballot and giving the public the right to vote and make it about the Medical Mart/Convention Center which it never was because such an issue would have HAD to be put on the ballot and in front of the voters, we are losing. We are losing something very basic to democracy. We are losing because we are being split into factions constantly. As long as we allow ourselves to be pitted one community against another we will not move forward and we will not prosper. I was amazed that union members would not think of their brothers and sisters who would be paying increased taxes it was only about the promise of a job. Not the reality of a job, but the promise of a job. That these union members would not know or did not care that a sales tax is one of the most regressive taxes known and that those least able to afford it would be paying the most is troubling.
Unions have come a long way since the beginning but maybe they need to go back to their roots to begin the transformation that so many people feel they need. I believe this quote from the letter to the NY Times by the former UAW Regional Directors speaks directly to this issue “Our role as a union, in behalf of our members and the community at large, is not to help them escape their responsibility to their past commitments but to help them convert those commitments to the common good.” There is a lot of discussion about what is the common good and who or what decides that definition, but I think that that is just an intellectual cop out. To me, these words of Hubert Humphrey exemplify”common good” -It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. I believe that the noun government in this quote can be changed to many other words-society, individual, union member, business leader, county commissioner and the list could continue. Place your own noun there, and see if it works for you. How do we stack up here in NEO?
These words demand action not intellectual conversation. And it is imperative that Unions look back along the path they came when transforming themselves now so that they remain a part of our future because their role should be oh so much more than it has become.