Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
The Screaming of America
In 1970, Charles A. Reich, a Professor at Yale Law School, authored The Greening of America, appearing on the New York Times Best Seller List, taking a concept through chapters of progressive intuition how modernization would transform society into one that would put corporate success as the perceived champion of family values. Dr. Reich painstakingly took the reader on a journey that emphasized how the corporate state would transform society from the simplistic ‘50a and 60s to years of corporations offering a helping hand for the best of times. Enticements were plentiful.
During the ‘70s consumers were prompted to feed on their desires, betting on upward climbing salaries and accumulated property wealth to afford them the means to continue their materialistic spending. Baby boomers were the first recipients of this ideology.
Keeping up with the Joneses also meant that kids had to have whatever the kid across the street had. ‘I want’ begat ‘give me’. It remains so today. The goal is to have bigger and better (homes and autos), smaller and faster (electronics and autos).
Going back the ‘20s, in-store credit accounts were identified on imprinted metal “cards”, similar to dog tags, and kept by the merchant. It wasn’t until 1950 that Diner’s Club founded the first charge card that required payment in full upon receipt. By 1958, Carte Blanche and American Express helped create a worldwide credit card network.
Bank of America created what would evolve from the BankAmericard (1958) to Visa (1976) and Master Charge (1969) became MasterCard (1979). Sears introduced The Discover Card (1985) and became a part of Dean Witter, then Morgan Stanley, until Discover Financial Services became an independent company (2007). Many stores now offer their own credit cards but accept more widely used cards for consumer convenience. Americans became ensnared in a wonderland of plastic fortunes.
One premise of The Greening of America was to define the influences that corporations would have on family values, how to “spend” leisure time and show how, thanks in large part to labor unions, a person’s wealth would be an accumulation of funds so they could continue spending in retirement.
Over the years, the size and extent of businesses have instilled in people a continuity of society. Restaurants. Grocery stores. Drug stores. Department stores also became mainstays for everyone, everywhere. TV, the I-net, flashy neon lights, mobile communications and even the commerciality in public schools contributed to a very controlled society.
Eventually, corporations overextended their influence over political interests. It had to happen. It’s all a part of the ring around the federal government money tree.
As an analogy, in it’s infancy, creditors extended their palms open wide to consumers with a warm, fuzzy feeling of prosperity. As decades passed, slowly but surely their palms curled into fists, now with too firm a grip, strangling the victim. Today, banks are lending very cautiously because they over-lent these past few years and the odds aren’t currently in their favor; it’s too risky a business.
Now, people aren’t buying because they too spent beyond their means. Banks are hoarding money, as do consumers. In the short term, people won’t likely be fooled again and will be conservative with their money, putting more value on maintaining a roof over their heads, food on the table and savings accounts to take control of their financial destinies. When consumers don’t spend, businesses fail and workers lose jobs, further limiting spending.
People distrust corporations because of exorbitant executive salaries, reduced benefits and flat-line wages. Employers have abandoned America by hiring undocumented workers and sending jobs overseas. This is a “redistribution of wealth” from the American economy to emerging markets.
Credit card companies, all “lenders” inclusive, are telling “lendees” they must pay short-term, unsecured loans in a timely manner or a ruined credit rating will result in higher interest rates.
The Greening of America took the reader through Consciousness Levels I, II and III: the eagerness to comply with new traditions; materialism that plays into the manipulative greed of corporations; the enlightenment of the populous to reject decades of false promises and return to the roots of individually and self-destiny. Americans are, in essence, screaming for an equitable balance of prosperity.
So, you say you want a revolution of consumer awareness? Level III is upon us!
During the ‘70s consumers were prompted to feed on their desires, betting on upward climbing salaries and accumulated property wealth to afford them the means to continue their materialistic spending. Baby boomers were the first recipients of this ideology.
Keeping up with the Joneses also meant that kids had to have whatever the kid across the street had. ‘I want’ begat ‘give me’. It remains so today. The goal is to have bigger and better (homes and autos), smaller and faster (electronics and autos).
Going back the ‘20s, in-store credit accounts were identified on imprinted metal “cards”, similar to dog tags, and kept by the merchant. It wasn’t until 1950 that Diner’s Club founded the first charge card that required payment in full upon receipt. By 1958, Carte Blanche and American Express helped create a worldwide credit card network.
Bank of America created what would evolve from the BankAmericard (1958) to Visa (1976) and Master Charge (1969) became MasterCard (1979). Sears introduced The Discover Card (1985) and became a part of Dean Witter, then Morgan Stanley, until Discover Financial Services became an independent company (2007). Many stores now offer their own credit cards but accept more widely used cards for consumer convenience. Americans became ensnared in a wonderland of plastic fortunes.
One premise of The Greening of America was to define the influences that corporations would have on family values, how to “spend” leisure time and show how, thanks in large part to labor unions, a person’s wealth would be an accumulation of funds so they could continue spending in retirement.
Over the years, the size and extent of businesses have instilled in people a continuity of society. Restaurants. Grocery stores. Drug stores. Department stores also became mainstays for everyone, everywhere. TV, the I-net, flashy neon lights, mobile communications and even the commerciality in public schools contributed to a very controlled society.
Eventually, corporations overextended their influence over political interests. It had to happen. It’s all a part of the ring around the federal government money tree.
As an analogy, in it’s infancy, creditors extended their palms open wide to consumers with a warm, fuzzy feeling of prosperity. As decades passed, slowly but surely their palms curled into fists, now with too firm a grip, strangling the victim. Today, banks are lending very cautiously because they over-lent these past few years and the odds aren’t currently in their favor; it’s too risky a business.
Now, people aren’t buying because they too spent beyond their means. Banks are hoarding money, as do consumers. In the short term, people won’t likely be fooled again and will be conservative with their money, putting more value on maintaining a roof over their heads, food on the table and savings accounts to take control of their financial destinies. When consumers don’t spend, businesses fail and workers lose jobs, further limiting spending.
People distrust corporations because of exorbitant executive salaries, reduced benefits and flat-line wages. Employers have abandoned America by hiring undocumented workers and sending jobs overseas. This is a “redistribution of wealth” from the American economy to emerging markets.
Credit card companies, all “lenders” inclusive, are telling “lendees” they must pay short-term, unsecured loans in a timely manner or a ruined credit rating will result in higher interest rates.
The Greening of America took the reader through Consciousness Levels I, II and III: the eagerness to comply with new traditions; materialism that plays into the manipulative greed of corporations; the enlightenment of the populous to reject decades of false promises and return to the roots of individually and self-destiny. Americans are, in essence, screaming for an equitable balance of prosperity.
So, you say you want a revolution of consumer awareness? Level III is upon us!
Monday, November 24, 2008
USA Yesterday
USA Today has announced that, due to progressively declining readership, it will reduce the frequency of its publication. Every other weekday, hopefully three editions (M-W-F) and not two (T-T), the newspaper will become a periodical, relying on the Inet to reach readers no longer willing to shell out their money for a dying cause.
Yesterday’s news will become the norm, condensing on-line articles from the previous day to save on paper and ink. Not only are there fewer readers but in these economically challenging times when there are too few working men and women, advertisers don’t have the cash or they find that, whatever amount they’ve paid for an ad, the returns in revenue just don’t make a profit.
I can hear the words coming from the voice at a newsstand, Read it! Read it! Read all about it! It’s yesterday’s news but it’s just as bad today!
After 26 years as a staple of providing the latest in worldwide reporting, the paper’s hope of surpassing the circulation of The Times of India with 2.8 readers has come to end. There’s no consolation for being second best with an all time high of only 2.5 million copies distributed in all 50 States, Canada and Guam.
The Nation’s Newspaper will also have fewer full-color pages to catch the eye of people bypassing their vending machines. Published by Gannett Company, USA Tomorrow will become one of over 1,000 non-daily publications. Gannett will still maintain, and more heavily rely on, its 130 Web Sites, reaching nearly 24 million visitors monthly.
For the time being, Gannett will rely on the 20 million households that tune into its 23 television stations. Gannett is promoting the belief that the primary reason for the reduction in printed editions is to go-green by cutting down fewer trees. A stiff upper lip and all else that comes with a bad turn of events indicate otherwise.
Gannett has declined to comment on the future of one of its other publications, USA Weekly, as insiders have suggested it may soon be renamed USA Monthly.
Yesterday’s news will become the norm, condensing on-line articles from the previous day to save on paper and ink. Not only are there fewer readers but in these economically challenging times when there are too few working men and women, advertisers don’t have the cash or they find that, whatever amount they’ve paid for an ad, the returns in revenue just don’t make a profit.
I can hear the words coming from the voice at a newsstand, Read it! Read it! Read all about it! It’s yesterday’s news but it’s just as bad today!
After 26 years as a staple of providing the latest in worldwide reporting, the paper’s hope of surpassing the circulation of The Times of India with 2.8 readers has come to end. There’s no consolation for being second best with an all time high of only 2.5 million copies distributed in all 50 States, Canada and Guam.
The Nation’s Newspaper will also have fewer full-color pages to catch the eye of people bypassing their vending machines. Published by Gannett Company, USA Tomorrow will become one of over 1,000 non-daily publications. Gannett will still maintain, and more heavily rely on, its 130 Web Sites, reaching nearly 24 million visitors monthly.
For the time being, Gannett will rely on the 20 million households that tune into its 23 television stations. Gannett is promoting the belief that the primary reason for the reduction in printed editions is to go-green by cutting down fewer trees. A stiff upper lip and all else that comes with a bad turn of events indicate otherwise.
Gannett has declined to comment on the future of one of its other publications, USA Weekly, as insiders have suggested it may soon be renamed USA Monthly.
We're Black and We're Proud
For the first time, in a long time, I’m proud to be an American. Similar words have been spoken not that long ago.
It wasn’t in desperation that Americans voted en masse for Barak Obama. It wasn’t in retaliation for a failed Republican Party. It wasn’t the poor selection of a running mate of the opposition party. It wasn’t the negative campaign strategy of a Presidential candidate with a lost cause.
It was about a man with a message. It was the stature and the assertion of a man that better times are ahead, no matter how long it takes to right-side eight years of poor leadership. It was about The Man, Senator Barak Obama, and his assurance that change is before us.
Change we can? Change we did!
We set aside the difference of the skin color of our fellow men and women, showed the world that racism is behind us. A minority group is now prominent in America and the tone of bipartisanship rings loud and clear for the next four years. The American people gave our nation the legacy of a new generation where droves of young citizens joined the ranks of voters. Generation Y, oh why?, became Generation Yes.
Colin Powell, a Republican turned Obaman, became the most respected Secretary of State in memory. He refused to cotton up to Bush and Cheney and resigned out of disgust. Condoleezza Rice stood firm against their manipulative ways and gained her own level respect for her guidance in international affairs.
Americans cheered before Election Day and cried with hope as a concession speech was followed with an acceptance speech at the stroke of midnight to announce the dawning of a new day, drowning out the rantings of fear from right-wing media.
Change we can? Change we shall!
Jobs. Cleaner air. Respect for, and the saving of, endangered species and environmentally threatened lands. Respect from nations that had lost faith that the United States of American would remain the world leader of the future. Alternative energy solutions that, given time, will reduce our dependence on foreign interests.
Obama’s words were spoken in plain English so every citizen could understand. We listened to his firm, passionate voice, one that assured us that his strength and youthful spirit will guide our nation to brighter days, bluer skies and greener pastures.
Change we can? Change he will deliver!
Step by step, little by little, the Obama Administration will turn the red of our financial institutions back to black. Black, white, brown, red and yellow men and women will all take part to revitalize the American Dream. He will bring together the brightest minds of this and other nations to promote, not dictate, democracy as an alternative to despotic governments.
Obama will offer solutions to the challenges facing our country by not only reaching across party lines but with the help of another Democrat of change, Senator Hillary Clinton.
Change we can? Change we have!
To paraphrase the lyrics of the Godfather of Soul, a music icon of the ‘60s, James Brown, We’re black and we’re proud of it! And Sam Cooke, A change is gonna come! We have finally delivered on the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., We have a dream come true!
Yes, Michelle, your husband, our next President, will make us all proud to be an American… again.
It wasn’t in desperation that Americans voted en masse for Barak Obama. It wasn’t in retaliation for a failed Republican Party. It wasn’t the poor selection of a running mate of the opposition party. It wasn’t the negative campaign strategy of a Presidential candidate with a lost cause.
It was about a man with a message. It was the stature and the assertion of a man that better times are ahead, no matter how long it takes to right-side eight years of poor leadership. It was about The Man, Senator Barak Obama, and his assurance that change is before us.
Change we can? Change we did!
We set aside the difference of the skin color of our fellow men and women, showed the world that racism is behind us. A minority group is now prominent in America and the tone of bipartisanship rings loud and clear for the next four years. The American people gave our nation the legacy of a new generation where droves of young citizens joined the ranks of voters. Generation Y, oh why?, became Generation Yes.
Colin Powell, a Republican turned Obaman, became the most respected Secretary of State in memory. He refused to cotton up to Bush and Cheney and resigned out of disgust. Condoleezza Rice stood firm against their manipulative ways and gained her own level respect for her guidance in international affairs.
Americans cheered before Election Day and cried with hope as a concession speech was followed with an acceptance speech at the stroke of midnight to announce the dawning of a new day, drowning out the rantings of fear from right-wing media.
Change we can? Change we shall!
Jobs. Cleaner air. Respect for, and the saving of, endangered species and environmentally threatened lands. Respect from nations that had lost faith that the United States of American would remain the world leader of the future. Alternative energy solutions that, given time, will reduce our dependence on foreign interests.
Obama’s words were spoken in plain English so every citizen could understand. We listened to his firm, passionate voice, one that assured us that his strength and youthful spirit will guide our nation to brighter days, bluer skies and greener pastures.
Change we can? Change he will deliver!
Step by step, little by little, the Obama Administration will turn the red of our financial institutions back to black. Black, white, brown, red and yellow men and women will all take part to revitalize the American Dream. He will bring together the brightest minds of this and other nations to promote, not dictate, democracy as an alternative to despotic governments.
Obama will offer solutions to the challenges facing our country by not only reaching across party lines but with the help of another Democrat of change, Senator Hillary Clinton.
Change we can? Change we have!
To paraphrase the lyrics of the Godfather of Soul, a music icon of the ‘60s, James Brown, We’re black and we’re proud of it! And Sam Cooke, A change is gonna come! We have finally delivered on the message of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., We have a dream come true!
Yes, Michelle, your husband, our next President, will make us all proud to be an American… again.
Monday, November 10, 2008
A Bi-Partisan Agenda?
With Barak Obama as our President-elect, there's anticipation that his campaign promise to include bi-partisan appointments to his administration. This in itself would be a monumental achievement in proving to the world, again, that minorities will have a say in the broad reaches within our government, just as Obama is the first African-American to take residency in the White House. Just as Obama took Pennsylvania in the General Election, so he shall occupy the House on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington D.C.
If in fact Barak Obama includes Republicans in his cabinet choices, it may provide an opportunity toward giving the Red Team of politics a means to overcome the damages done by soon-to-be dismissed President George W. Bush.
Take a moment, if you will, to check out a previous blog item originally implanted in a Florida Menagerie '08 entry during the period of time when Charlies Crist held a favorable consideration as V.P. choice on the Republican ticket with presidential hopeful John McCain.
http://ronraeblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/giving-charlie-secretarial-position.html
If in fact Barak Obama includes Republicans in his cabinet choices, it may provide an opportunity toward giving the Red Team of politics a means to overcome the damages done by soon-to-be dismissed President George W. Bush.
Take a moment, if you will, to check out a previous blog item originally implanted in a Florida Menagerie '08 entry during the period of time when Charlies Crist held a favorable consideration as V.P. choice on the Republican ticket with presidential hopeful John McCain.
http://ronraeblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/giving-charlie-secretarial-position.html
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Assuming the Best of the Worst
Finally, the Election Season is over and the Super Droll of Politics is behind us as the magical number of 270 placed Barak Obama as Commander-in-Chief, President of the United States! American citizens chose to bring back en vogue Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness! The election of an African-American proves this is still The Land of Opportunity! Pledge allegiance to the Grand Old Flag!
It’s time to go on with views on other news.
Unemployment, the big bad bear of Wall Street continues to claw and shred the economy with vengeance. There’ll be no hibernation this winter with the frigid chill of reality bringing with it a financial ice age and a snowy landslide of plummeting degrees. The spring back to a positive gain in employment figures may have to wait a number of months before workforces once again grow the economy in green pastures. Without refined regulations of financial institutions the bear may become grizzly.
Awash in debt, private, corporate and government, with job losses over 1.2 million thru October, there’s nary a glimmer of hope that the recession will ebb anytime soon. Some predictions cast doubt that “things”, as in “multiple factors”, will get worse before they get better; in all probability, a distant two years. Was that a whisper suggesting three?
Look forward to the blockbuster thriller, "2010: A Financial Odyssey", coming to your financial worries sooner than you think.
The first decade of The New Millennium has been pretty nasty; an economy that was good just a few years ago has, within a matter of months, brought us, and a super majority of every other country in the world, free market to its knees. It’s not us little guys who created this mess; it’s the Power of Corporate and Political demonizations, each with their own groups of special interests.
Of late, news releases have given us facts and figures damaging to the psyche of low and middle class workers/consumers. Right there, before our very eyes we glare at October numbers telling us that 240,00 non-farm payroll jobs fell by 240,000 which follow the 284,00 jobs in September (revised after initial numbers put it at 175,000) and another 127,00 in August. The past three months' job losses more than doubled the previous seven months' fingures.
Through the first ten months of 2008, 1.2 million jobs have been lost but it doesn’t tell the tale of the real tally that puts the number of unemployed at 10.1 million workers. In the past 12-month period 2.8 million jobs have gone away, some forever, many for a very long time.
Check out the U.S. Department of Labor facts and figures at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm.
I fudge not on what’s the scoop.
And yet, those who control the pocket books of all Americans, namely financial institutions, were given bailouts nearing $1-trillion. Some are hoarding these funds, thanks to the rushing sound of Congress giving in to their real constituents, hastily passing a bill that showed little faith that we, who desperately need our own bailouts, would filter moneys up the financial ladder to the unrepentant money mongers. Please, go figure; I'm too biased since I'm among the unappreciated contributors to the money flow.
At least some of us would just as soon allow the auto industry, in particular, and other business failings. Let them bankrupt, reorganize or become as one, if necessary, but let them not convince the Federal Government to slide billions upon billions of our dollars their way. However long it takes to right the economy, if America is still at the forefront of innovations, the youth of corporate auto executives leave the safety of the herd and bring their own visions of competition face-to-face with the leftovers of the Big Three. The free market is not fair to all. It’s survival of the fittest.
We, the people of lost jobs and dreams, were not at fault for what caused such economic despair and yet we’re left with the hard labor of bailing out this, that and every other failed the others of little foresight. Don’t they understand our buckets have holes in them? The next two generations are faced with paying off the over the top $10 trillion national debt; their unfair shares are over $80,000 per bread earner who, in turn, may have to supplement their diminishing meals with bread and water to sustain their poorer lives. Whole milk and whole wheat bread are healthier but the cost of staples have us stapled to proverbial wooden stakes.
I assume (instead of “ass-u-me”, it really says “ah!-sue-me”) the darker side view of days to come, primarily because it cushions my anticipated falls if worst really is the worst, and springs me back from the doomsday mood if the best is yet to come. Overall, it give me a positive mindset as I reassess my expenses and use common sense to keep me from excesses.
It needs to be everyone’s New Year’s Resolution. Put those written words on every page of the checkbook, always right there facing your determination and commitment. Simple words will work best. “SAVE”. “BILLS ONLY”. “REASSESS”. “ARE YOU SURE?”. “GUILTY?”.
Remember, if you don’t do it yourself, NOBODY WILL! NOBODY CAN!
Remember, too, however fortunate you are right now, others are not as well off; you’re reading this, whereby others may not have electricity.
Hopefully, it’ll be an easy fall with stubbed toes and bruised knees, with a recoil as with the strength and fortitude of a football player catching the touchdown pass and making a goal!
We have a new quarteback, a commander for changes to come. A winning season?
RAH! RAH! RAH! For Home Team America!
Touchdown?
It’s time to go on with views on other news.
Unemployment, the big bad bear of Wall Street continues to claw and shred the economy with vengeance. There’ll be no hibernation this winter with the frigid chill of reality bringing with it a financial ice age and a snowy landslide of plummeting degrees. The spring back to a positive gain in employment figures may have to wait a number of months before workforces once again grow the economy in green pastures. Without refined regulations of financial institutions the bear may become grizzly.
Awash in debt, private, corporate and government, with job losses over 1.2 million thru October, there’s nary a glimmer of hope that the recession will ebb anytime soon. Some predictions cast doubt that “things”, as in “multiple factors”, will get worse before they get better; in all probability, a distant two years. Was that a whisper suggesting three?
Look forward to the blockbuster thriller, "2010: A Financial Odyssey", coming to your financial worries sooner than you think.
The first decade of The New Millennium has been pretty nasty; an economy that was good just a few years ago has, within a matter of months, brought us, and a super majority of every other country in the world, free market to its knees. It’s not us little guys who created this mess; it’s the Power of Corporate and Political demonizations, each with their own groups of special interests.
Of late, news releases have given us facts and figures damaging to the psyche of low and middle class workers/consumers. Right there, before our very eyes we glare at October numbers telling us that 240,00 non-farm payroll jobs fell by 240,000 which follow the 284,00 jobs in September (revised after initial numbers put it at 175,000) and another 127,00 in August. The past three months' job losses more than doubled the previous seven months' fingures.
Through the first ten months of 2008, 1.2 million jobs have been lost but it doesn’t tell the tale of the real tally that puts the number of unemployed at 10.1 million workers. In the past 12-month period 2.8 million jobs have gone away, some forever, many for a very long time.
Check out the U.S. Department of Labor facts and figures at http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm.
I fudge not on what’s the scoop.
And yet, those who control the pocket books of all Americans, namely financial institutions, were given bailouts nearing $1-trillion. Some are hoarding these funds, thanks to the rushing sound of Congress giving in to their real constituents, hastily passing a bill that showed little faith that we, who desperately need our own bailouts, would filter moneys up the financial ladder to the unrepentant money mongers. Please, go figure; I'm too biased since I'm among the unappreciated contributors to the money flow.
At least some of us would just as soon allow the auto industry, in particular, and other business failings. Let them bankrupt, reorganize or become as one, if necessary, but let them not convince the Federal Government to slide billions upon billions of our dollars their way. However long it takes to right the economy, if America is still at the forefront of innovations, the youth of corporate auto executives leave the safety of the herd and bring their own visions of competition face-to-face with the leftovers of the Big Three. The free market is not fair to all. It’s survival of the fittest.
We, the people of lost jobs and dreams, were not at fault for what caused such economic despair and yet we’re left with the hard labor of bailing out this, that and every other failed the others of little foresight. Don’t they understand our buckets have holes in them? The next two generations are faced with paying off the over the top $10 trillion national debt; their unfair shares are over $80,000 per bread earner who, in turn, may have to supplement their diminishing meals with bread and water to sustain their poorer lives. Whole milk and whole wheat bread are healthier but the cost of staples have us stapled to proverbial wooden stakes.
I assume (instead of “ass-u-me”, it really says “ah!-sue-me”) the darker side view of days to come, primarily because it cushions my anticipated falls if worst really is the worst, and springs me back from the doomsday mood if the best is yet to come. Overall, it give me a positive mindset as I reassess my expenses and use common sense to keep me from excesses.
It needs to be everyone’s New Year’s Resolution. Put those written words on every page of the checkbook, always right there facing your determination and commitment. Simple words will work best. “SAVE”. “BILLS ONLY”. “REASSESS”. “ARE YOU SURE?”. “GUILTY?”.
Remember, if you don’t do it yourself, NOBODY WILL! NOBODY CAN!
Remember, too, however fortunate you are right now, others are not as well off; you’re reading this, whereby others may not have electricity.
Hopefully, it’ll be an easy fall with stubbed toes and bruised knees, with a recoil as with the strength and fortitude of a football player catching the touchdown pass and making a goal!
We have a new quarteback, a commander for changes to come. A winning season?
RAH! RAH! RAH! For Home Team America!
Touchdown?
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Trumped Up Voter Holiday
How so generous of Donald Trump to express a ‘demand’ that employees within his many organization get out and vote, offering them an hour to do so.
It’s a corporate mindset that there’s a responsibility for every registered voter to take part in his or her civic duty to participate in choosing the next President of the United States and every other candidate in federal, state and local elections.
I myself have been given that same ‘opportunity’ during my working years in a corporate setting. The offer was made to take an extended lunch period to make the employees’ voices heard by means of the ballot box.
Well, it sounds real good and patriotic but it still puts a burden on the employ to accomplish the duty within the time allowance. In my instance, the challenge was to get to and get back from the designated polling place for the district I was in. It would have taken 20-30 minutes in travel time. Who knew how long it would take to stand in line before I could stand inside the voting booth to cast my votes? There were, and never are, any guarantees.
Trying to make sure the ballot would be filled out and taking time to eat lunch is a challenge. If you haven’t returned to the work desk within two hours, questions would be asked and answered would in turn be questioned, if not verbalized then expressed by the look in the boss’ eyes.
I wasn’t the only one who would take that extra hour with the lunch period but not fulfill the intended directive. And working an 8 to 5 job it was too risky a deal to do it in the morning before the workday started and occasionally too much of a challenge to place the bet after work, with booths closing at 7, especially if you have other priorities, such as picking up kids.
For the Trump-ster, it’s more of a PR job to make the appearance that his generosity might be second in importance only to the vote count of employees. He can smile with determination, but it’s still the corporate attitude above and beyond all else.
Many states give citizens the opportunity to cast votes early but it’s common for many folks to ponder their choices until the General Election is actually upon them. Absentee ballots are another option but a lot of states have requirements that must be met before the request is honored, such as verification that the voter will be out of town or a handicap makes voting an obstacle.
There are free world countries that respect the rights of voters to make a selection of candidates who will directly affect their lives and the world at large. A national ‘holiday’ to give American citizens a respectful right to vote would be of such importance placed on July 4th, Independence Day.
It’s a corporate mindset that there’s a responsibility for every registered voter to take part in his or her civic duty to participate in choosing the next President of the United States and every other candidate in federal, state and local elections.
I myself have been given that same ‘opportunity’ during my working years in a corporate setting. The offer was made to take an extended lunch period to make the employees’ voices heard by means of the ballot box.
Well, it sounds real good and patriotic but it still puts a burden on the employ to accomplish the duty within the time allowance. In my instance, the challenge was to get to and get back from the designated polling place for the district I was in. It would have taken 20-30 minutes in travel time. Who knew how long it would take to stand in line before I could stand inside the voting booth to cast my votes? There were, and never are, any guarantees.
Trying to make sure the ballot would be filled out and taking time to eat lunch is a challenge. If you haven’t returned to the work desk within two hours, questions would be asked and answered would in turn be questioned, if not verbalized then expressed by the look in the boss’ eyes.
I wasn’t the only one who would take that extra hour with the lunch period but not fulfill the intended directive. And working an 8 to 5 job it was too risky a deal to do it in the morning before the workday started and occasionally too much of a challenge to place the bet after work, with booths closing at 7, especially if you have other priorities, such as picking up kids.
For the Trump-ster, it’s more of a PR job to make the appearance that his generosity might be second in importance only to the vote count of employees. He can smile with determination, but it’s still the corporate attitude above and beyond all else.
Many states give citizens the opportunity to cast votes early but it’s common for many folks to ponder their choices until the General Election is actually upon them. Absentee ballots are another option but a lot of states have requirements that must be met before the request is honored, such as verification that the voter will be out of town or a handicap makes voting an obstacle.
There are free world countries that respect the rights of voters to make a selection of candidates who will directly affect their lives and the world at large. A national ‘holiday’ to give American citizens a respectful right to vote would be of such importance placed on July 4th, Independence Day.
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