Saturday, January 23, 2010

High road on easy street

In his farewell address last night, Tonight Show host Conan O'Brien said he hates cynicism. Said it's the worst trait a person can have. He urged everyone to stay positive and even spoke well of his now-former employer NBC. Of course, it's easy to stay positive about the future and speak well of an employer who prematurely let you go when that employer hands you $45 million to go away.

The downfall of the suburbs

"A new study from the Brookings Institution tells us that the largest and fastest-growing population of poor people in the U.S. is in the suburbs."

How's that for a wake-up call. Read more in Bob Herbert's column: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/23/opinion/23herbert.html

Yes, Herbert's opinion piece is very similar to my Jan. 19 post. But note that his column was written on Jan. 22. Guess a lot of people are beginning to reach the same conclusions based on the same realities we see all around us. We are in serious trouble but the politicians still don't get it. Some people just want to continue to stick their heads in the sand or blame unemployed people for not trying hard enough to find work. Some folks live in such a state of being above it all that until some beggar with a master's degree is camped out on their circular driveway, they refuse to open their eyes to any inconvenient truths.

Not only does the economy have to be the top priority, but age discrimination must be addressed so that people over 50 have a fair shot at getting back to work. I've said this countless times in this blog. Laws are being blatantly broken by employers who now openly advertise jobs for younger people. Discrimination violations aren't even being masked anymore. It reminds me of the way real estate ads were once written to distinguish between white and black communities (right and wrong side of the tracks), yet fooled no one. But with job ads, employers aren't even attempting to speak in code words anymore. They are coming right out and saying they don't want anyone over 30 or 40 to apply or are using phrases like "youthful energy" to describe qualities they want in job candidates. Amazing that there prejudice is so transparent. So much institutional knowledge, experience and know-how being flushed from society.

On this same topic, here's something else we better start thinking about. There is going to be a profound need for affordable or free senior-citizen housing soon. With so many 50 and 60somethings out of work or in jeopardy of losing their jobs, a normal, self-reliant retirement is becoming an impossible dream for millions. If the politicians aren't going to fix the economy, then at least start building the shelters now so that we can warehouse older people who have lost everything in this recession. It won't be pretty, but it's better than living on the streets.

Homelessness is already increasing in the suburbs. Just yesterday, someone I know got a memo at work stating that a homeless person's belongings were found in the stairwell landing near an elevator that goes to a parking lot. Other office building managers have noticed similar signs of folks finding shelter in parking garages or anywhere else that protects them from the bitter cold. These reports are coming from middle-class and high-end areas in Reston and Tysons Corner, Va. This was unheard of just a few short years ago in these types of communities.

What's astonishing is that acts of desperation are happening in an upscale, well-educated area like Northern Virginia where the unemployment rate isn't as bad as it is in the rest of the country. However, I think what is leading to this new homeless class is that Northern Virginia is also very expensive. If you do lose your job here, and can't find one elsewhere, you very well could end up on the streets, as I am becoming intimately aware of as my own predicament worsens.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

Massachusetts speaks loudly

Scott Brown's winning the special election in Massachusetts tonight is stunning in a historic sense but predictable when you consider all that has gone on nationally in the last year. The seat held by the late Democrat, Sen. Ted Kennedy, will go to a Republican for the first time in decades. While the GOP won upset elections in Virginia and New Jersey in November, this victory is a clear indication of how people are incredibly upset with state and national Democratic politicians.

Here's why the Democrats are self destructing:

1. Health insurance reform should not have taken priority over the economy/jobs for the past year. Health insurance reform is a noble and worthwhile cause, but should have been third on the list of political priorities for the White House and Congress.

2. We are spending too much money on bailouts and wars -- money we don't have. A lot of parents are concerned about what kind of future their children and grandchildren will face as the deficit grows. Folks are tired of propping up foreign governments and greedy executives while endangering the financial well-being of our own families and country.

3. Our federal government seems as inept as ever at protecting our borders, preventing terrorists from getting on planes bound for the U.S., and can't even keep party-crashers from entering the White House. While President Obama is a smart guy, his administration has made some seriously bone-headed mistakes. Remember Air Force One flying low over New York for a photo opportunity, which sent the Big Apple running for cover in fear of another 9/11-like attack?

The election in Massachusetts isn't so much about New England going red, it's about calling out the Democrats for running up the deficit, not getting us out of these wars and most importantly, not putting the same amount of focus and energy into the economy as they have into health insurance reform. Yes, it's still the economy...

Democrats have seemed detached from the economic pain and worry the middle class is feeling. They talk a good game but appear to get derailed by what are lesser-issues for many Americans. Political issues. That doesn't necessarily mean the Republicans are better suited to fix all that ails us. If Republicans are smart, they will, however, at least create a perception that they understand it's mostly about the economy now. It probably will remain that way for several years.

Americans want to feel secure in their jobs and homes. They want opportunities for their kids. They don't want China owning half the country or political correctness going so overboard that we can't stop a member of the U.S. armed forces with ties to a known terrorist from shooting people on a homeland military base. We certainly want decent health care, but who is going to pay for it if no one is working and every job is outsourced to another country? We better start taking care of our own soon.

Voters spoke as loudly and smartly as ever in Massachusetts tonight. And that's a good thing for our country. When push comes to shove, democracy does work. People do wake up. Politicians of any party must understand we aren't going to let them set the agenda for us regardless of what party we might be registered with. We have to set the priorities and our New England brothers and sisters stood up today and did just that. They didn't fall into the Kennedy-legacy nonsense or antiquated ideas of red versus blue states. They saw the serious problems of today, didn't buy into the notion of the recession being over, and they said enough.

I am not a Republican or Democrat. My support goes to the politicians who understand what the issues of the day are and address them in a responsible, intelligent manner. I certainly hope Brown will be a solid senator and cast votes that are good for America and not just for his party.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Ryan has the Jets believin'

It's nice to see a Cinderella team still kickin' going into the NFL conference championship games next Sunday.

While the NFC title game will feature the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds (New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikinings), the AFC matchup will pit the top-seeded powerhouse Indianapolis Colts against the fifth-seeded underdog New York Jets.

First-year head coach Rex Ryan proved that leadership matters. He took over a sputtering Jet team that now has one of the best defenses in the league and players who seem to match the confidence that Ryan exudes. This shouldn't be too surprising for those old enough to remember his dad, Buddy Ryan, a long-time NFL defensive guru who knew how to get players to play with passion and intelligence. Buddy is often credited with the fearsome 1985 Chicago Bears defense that led that team to a Super Bowl win after a 15-1 regular season. While he was sometimes hard on his players, the animated Buddy enjoyed the loyalty of his troops like few other coaches in NFL history. Rex has a slightly different approach and a more positive sideline demeanor than his dad did, but seems to have the same level of respect from his players and assistant coaches.

Congratulations to Ryan and the Jets on getting this far and keeping an underdog presence alive in the tournament. I didn't think the Jets could stop the high-powered San Diego Chargers today, but they did and if they can get after Indianapolis quarterback, Peyton Manning, next week, they might actually return to the Super Bowl for the first time since Joe Namath beat the then Baltimore Colts in 1969. That legendary upset was in Miami, site of this year's Super Bowl. So perhaps fate is on the side of the Cinderella J-E-T-S.

Unreliable news: A recipe for collapse

Here's an interesting article about how downsized newsrooms and the outsourcing of reporting/editing can lead to inaccuracies, journalistic ethical problems and credibility issues in the stories we read or watch on television/online: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/18/business/media/18papers.html?hpw

Credibility is worth its weight in gold to most legitimate media companies. It's the lifeblood of newspapers like The New York Times. The public is well served by media that strive to get it right. So if the trend of errors and embarrassing mishaps continues, it could mean another financial setback for mainstream news organizations. An unreliable product is not a recipe for success. Without the professional newsroom gatekeepers, almost anything the public reads or views will be suspect and less attractive to customers.