Points of Disscusion: Vent Your Thoughts Today!

Here are some thoughts that I am sharing so please feel free to respond.  Here is your opportunity to add your own thoughts or discuss something else you would like to vent about. Respond today!

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1> In light of cuts in our University system with increased tuitions,  should colleges rethink the salaries of coaches in college athletics?

  2> Will Congress pass an acceptable health care reform bill this year? Your opinion requested.                                      

  3>  Will a $250 check really compensate seniors for not getting a Social Security cost-of-living adjustment?

4> Should U.S. Representative Alan Grayson be muzzled? Are some of his rants and statements out of line?  

 5>  After receiving trillions of dollars in taxpayer bailouts, the nation’s major banks have spent more than $35 million to fight measures aimed at helping individual consumers. Is this right? Let me know your opinion.

6>  The nation’s banks complain that if they do not pay bonuses to their executives they will leave. Some of these executives were the same people who were part of the financial downfall. The bank’s contention is that if these executives take their talents elsewhere it will leave the banks in a vacuum. Maybe it should. There are many well qualified people who are capable of losing billions like their predecessors. C’mon give them a chance at those juicy jobs. What’s your opinion?

7>  Is the BCS system for college football the best system for every college competing in the NCAA? Weigh in and share your thoughts.

8>  Should the U.S. stay in Afghanistan and fight? Should we spend the lives of thousands of young soldiers and our nations treasure on a government that we cannot trust? What are your thoughts?

9>  What should we do with California? During this rough economic chapter in the state’s history, our nation’s future may depend on it. What can be done now to get California back on track from financial disaster and are other states in danger of doing the same thing?

10> Will pharmaceutical companies be the real decision makers with health care reform? In the first six months of this year, the pharmaceutical industry spent approximately $609,000 a day to influence lawmakers? Weigh in and give your opinion.

11> Has the stimulus package helped you where you live? Share your thoughts of the money spent or not spent and what you think should happen. Weigh in now.

FEEL FREE TO VENT!

 

Life After Breast Cancer

 

  10 Questions for Cindy Papale

 

 

What’s your favorite part of a typical day?

My favorite part of the day is around 5:30 PM when I am finished working and heading off to the gym for a fantastic work out.  As a breast cancer survivor it has been proven clinically that exercise can help prevent the recurrence of breast cancer.

 What part of your day would you gladly give up?

Actually, after having had breast cancer I treasure getting up each day. I enjoy life to its fullest. I really do not have any part of the day I would give up as I cherish each moment of every day.

Tell me about your business, charity, or cause?

I became a Board Member to The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation after having the honor of meeting Kristy’s parents, Tom and Lynn Lasch, through her friend Laura. Kristy Lasch was diagnosed with breast cancer at only 22 and lost her battle at 26. I learned the Foundation was having a fund raising event while I was writing my book, “The Empty Cup Runneth Over,” and decided to have a portion of the proceeds benefit a foundation in need. Kristy’s story touched my heart and I contacted Laura, Kristy’s friend, who in turn introduced me to Kristy’s parents. They told me that Kristy had kept a  journal and if she had lived she would have written a book. I asked if they would give me the honor of putting her journal in my book. They were happy to let me do this and it was then that they asked if I would like to become a Board Member.  The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation helps women under the age of 30 with medical related expenses. As Kristy knew only too well, even with insurance, treatment and medications can be extremely expensive.

What keeps you up at night?

Wow, this is a wonderful question.  My day begins at 4:15 AM Monday through Friday and ends at 11:00 PM some nights because I am constantly on Facebook and Twitter networking. I have met fantastic people who helped me promote my book. I met people who have invited me on their radio and TV shows, and even met journalists who put my story in well known magazines. The exciting thing is I have met other cancer survivors who have great web sites. To date, I am linked to over 45 web sites, which I call The Link of Hope.

What also keeps me awake some nights is lying in bed trying to figure out my next project and who else I can help. I belong to many organizations and foundations, will be writing another book, and in the process of writing a movie screen play. Therefore, arranging my priorities in my head keeps me awake some nights.

 Who gives you the best advice about your business, charity, cause?

I have met thousands of people on Twitter and Facebook and many have offered advice in so many ways. For example, I had four women, all breast cancer survivors, link my website to theirs and in return I have their sites on mine. I have learned a lot from these other breast cancer survivors who I am now very close friends with today.  My IT person, Philip Augustyne from Nexteck Technology, has created a wonderful website for me. Philip and his staff are a huge support to helping make “The Empty Cup Runneth Over”  as educational as possible for other cancer survivors in their fight against breast cancer.  I am blessed to meet wonderful people from all over who have helped me on my journey including many who helped donate to The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation.

What professional accomplishment are you most proud of?

 My best accomplishment is the writing of my book, “The Empty Cup Runneth Over,” which ultimately led to another book and a movie screen play.

I am also proud that I actually had the nerve to be part of a breast cancer fashion show where I literally got up on stage and modeled a bathing suit in front of over 1,000 people. Now I am a member of The Day of Caring that put on the event. I am also proud of all the help I have given back to other breast cancer survivors through my book, and through all the lectures I have given since the birth of my book.

 

 What would you like to see happen with your business, charity, cause?

My ultimate dream is for my movie screenplay to be picked up by a Director/Producer. Also, I would like to see more funding for The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation as Kristy’s parents, Tom and Lynn Lasch, receive many calls from women seeking financial help because their insurance company co-payments are not enough to cover chemotherapy treatments and medications.

Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.

I will begin by saying that surviving breast cancer has taken me on a different path in my life. I now know that breast cancer has no boundaries. About four years ago after being diagnosed with breast cancer, my 20-year marriage came to an end. I was totally devastated. Not knowing what to do or who to talk to made everything harder for me. I felt like “Humpty Dumpty” shattered and thought I could never be put back together again. It took about three years before I could even date, and that was not so great. I find dating a challenge because most men are visual. Me not having real breasts definitely affected my self esteem. However, to date I can happily write that I am doing very well. Staying active and surrounding myself with positive, fun-loving people is truly important. One must never give up hope.

I had one person ask if having had breast cancer is a gift because  I am doing so much by helping others. I feel it is and it is not a gift. The part that is not the gift is that I lost both my breasts to cancer and my 20 years of marriage ended. On the other hand, I consider having breast cancer a gift because I am helping so many others overcome the effects of breast cancer, and to be there for support when and if they need it.

If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?

Okay, make gas prices cheaper, organic foods reasonably priced, and on a serious note, to help get the homeless off the streets.  Every time I see a homeless person, it truly breaks my heart.

However, the first thing I would to is to make health care affordable for cancer patients. The pre-existing clause needs to be changed. Many young and old cannot get insurance after being diagnosed with cancer and ultimately die because they cannot get treatment.

What advice would you give to anyone diagnosed with breast cancer?

I would let people know that being diagnosed with breast cancer is not a death sentence. One should never give up hope.

Losing a breast or even both breasts as I did, can be devastating. I feel it is important to look at the positive in everything.  While difficult after losing both breasts, we must always move forward, surround ourselves with positive, loving people. Get rid of all negativity, and remember that having faith and hope is important.

Cindy Papale is a nine-year survivor of breast cancer and author of “The Empty Cup Runneth Over”.Cindy’s story is  a moving account of how one woman has taken many traumatic  experiences and from it found new meaning in her life.  Cindy has touched the hearts of many through her book, public speaking, and by finding funding for The Kristy Lasch Miracle Foundation. Cindy has been featured in articles in Miami, Coral Gables, South Miami and Kendall newspapers. Cindy also made the cover of The Miami Medicine Magazine, has appeared on channel 6 South Florida Today Show, the 101.5 LITE FM Radio, and was selected for the 2007 Strike Out Cancer Hall of Fame newsletter.

5 Reasons Why the Healthcare Debate Continues to Rage

Despite years of campaigning, months of debate, and sizzling town hall meetings, Congress is no closer to health care reform than they were when they started.

You  know what bothers me about the health care debate? Well, lots of things bother me, but here’s a few of them.

1. Dismissing other people’s concerns

President Obama, some Congressional leaders, media and even some very forward-thinking, community-embracing writers, completely dismiss the valid concerns of those who may have less influence in this particular argument. Instead of trying to find out why there is persistent belief that “death panels” will become a reality, or that government will pay for treatment for illegal immigrants, they seem to take the position that, “Those people won’t matter when this comes to a vote, so we’ll just belittle them in public and hopefully they’ll be too embarrassed to speak out again.”

It is a reality that health care is rationed in other countries based on the length of time a person is expected to live. Why is it so hard to believe that as health care costs rise, at some point our government will also determine what type of care will be provided based on whether a person is likely to live another 5, 10 or 15 years?

And if Obama says that his new plan will not pay for health care for illegal immigrants I believe he is being disingenuous (or naïve – either way, not good for a president). Right now, if an illegal immigrant goes to an emergency room for treatment the hospital will charge the cost to Emergency Medicaid. Obama has not mentioned that, or whether that would change in the future.

Democrats cannot expect to win agreement on their plan when they continually refuse to admit that others have legitimate concerns that deserve to be fully addressed.

2. Lack of details

President Obama gave a 40+ minutes speech and still no details. The White  House website has few details. The paucity of information makes people nervous. People want to know how a new plan will affect their own pocketbook, and without more details no one can figure that out. After all these months it seems someone would have information on the major points, such as whether a public option would be a part of the final plan.

3. Say what you mean               

And speaking of a public option, it used to be a deal-breaker; now, not so much. The plan was supposed to be done before the August break. Then it was okay to go home first and talk to constituents about it. Now, if it takes until December, that’s okay, too. Obama seems to equivocate on other issues as well such as employer insurance mandates, and levying new taxes to pay for plan.

I understand that this outline of specific goals without details for achievement is designed to allow Obama the ability to compromise when it comes time to make a decision. All this waffling does not inspire trust in the decision-making capacity of the person who is supposed to be leading the country. Even lawmakers in Obama’s own party have asked for additional guidance. But you can’t leave the decisions on the most sensitive issues to the end of the game. That will likely cause further disruption, confusion and, yes, even more debate.

It would make more sense for each side (including Blue Dogs and Independents) to designate some representatives to sit down at a table with true, workable ideas and hash out a plan that takes into account everyone’s concerns. Then present identical bills to both the House and the Senate and work out the differences.

4. What’s the rush?   

Presidents have been calling for health care reform for decades. Why do we need to get it done today? What’s so special about 2009?

Isn’t it more important to take the time to make sure it’s done right? To make sure that the solution doesn’t bankrupt the country? That everyone who wants to be included, is included? That we get better health care, not just more health care?

I think these goals are important enough to take the time to breathe deep, consider all the options, ask for more solutions to the really tough problems, and think through the consequences of potential decisions.

Whatever decisions are made – right or wrong — we are likely to be stuck with them for decades. Let’s make reasonably sure that we did everything possible to ensure that the decisions don’t cause more harm than good.

5. Where is our focus? 

It seems that so many leaders in America are so busy trying to solve the problems with health care that everyone’s forgotten that there are other, perhaps more pressing, issues to be concerned with.

Has everyone forgotten that the economy is in the gutter? That people continue to lose jobs at an alarming rate? That banks are still not lending to small businesses at a time when those businesses are trying to stay afloat?

It seems that the most urgent problem, the one that is affecting people on a global scale today, has been set on the back burner to simmer as if it will get done all by itself. Getting business back on its feet and people back to work would reinvigorate a failing economy and that should be the priority for Congress. 

Okay, so that last one doesn’t really have to do with health care, but I wanted to include it anyway. What about you – what do you think? Did I leave something out? Do you have a different opinion about the healthcare debate? Let’s hear it!

What is a Child Worth?

Do you have children? Grandchildren? Niece or nephew? Maybe you’ve bonded with some of the neighborhood kids. Just for a moment, think about a time when you enjoyed a special connection with a child that you’re close to. Maybe it was at a ballgame, or during the holidays, or just playing hopscotch on the sidewalk with the kids on your street. Think about that special time and hold that thought while you read this:

“Most kids are lured into sex slavery because they do not know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. They really think they will be models or waitresses. Their parents buy the lies of traffickers.

“‘Just sign here,’ they tell the parents, who never see their daughters again.

“What if we could warn children and their parents ahead of time? What if we could teach them about the lies traffickers use – and how to stand up against them?

“The rate of trafficking would drop and millions of kids would be saved from ever entering the dark world of trafficking.” Excerpt from “The Born2Fly Project” brochure.

Wow. So now, thinking about that special child in your life, what would you do to make sure they are safe from a fate that enslaves 100,000 children in the U.S. today? A trafficker will pay about $300 for a child. What would you do to keep your child — or any child — out of the hands of traffickers? Read on. You’ll find out that safety is not nearly that difficult or expensive.

10 Questions with Diana Scimone, director of Born2Fly

1. Tell me about your business, charity or cause.

The Born to Fly Project works to stop child trafficking, both globally and locally.  Each year more than a million kids are lured into modern-day slavery where they’re raped for profit 30 or 40 times a night—night after night. Some of them are just 4 years old. Many are right in the U.S.

Most kids are lured into sex slavery because they don’t know the deceptive tactics of traffickers. What if we could warn children and their parents ahead of time? What if we could teach them about the lies traffickers use—and how to stand up against them? The rate of trafficking would drop and millions of kids would never enter the dark world of trafficking.

That’s what the Born to Fly Project is all about: educating kids and their parents about the dangers of trafficking, with the ultimate goal of ending it. The centerpiece is a wordless book that teaches kids to make wise choices—wordless so we don’t have to translate it into hundreds of languages. A companion curriculum will reinforce the important concepts in the book.

Right now the artist Leah Wiedemer is finishing illustrations for the wordless book, and I’m working on the curriculum.  This fall we’ll scan all Leah’s illustrations, and a designer will do the layout. Then we’ll be ready to print…and finally distribute!

2. What keeps you up at night?

Ideas! I’m definitely an idea person, and sometimes it’s hard to shut off the idea machine. I end up doing a lot of middle-of-the-night writing and emailing—just so I can get things out of my brain and onto paper (or someone else’s desk), and then get back to sleep.

3.  Who gives you the best advice about your business, charity or cause?

I read a lot of blogs—Beth Kanter, Chris Brogan, Seth Godin, and John Stanko.  John is on my board.  All of them have different advice and always useful; I may not need it right away, but hopefully it’s filed away somewhere in my brain for when I do need it.

Three books that have really impacted me are Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap… and Others Don’t by Jim Collins, Leaving Microsoft to Change the World: An Entrepreneur’s Odyssey to Educate the World’s Children by John Wood, and Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin.

4. What accomplishment are you most proud of?

Hanging in my office are 16 framed photos of children I’ve met around the world—Sudan, Zimbabwe, Thailand, China, and elsewhere.  I know the names of only a few of them; one is a baby named Han, whom I cared for at an orphanage in China where I volunteered 15 years ago. I’ve been to more than 40 countries as a journalist writing about issues of justice—and I’ve taken an awful lot of pictures, but no matter where I go, when I get home, it’s the photos of kids that jump out at me.

Most of these photos were taken long before Born to Fly was born, but it’s as if these kids were calling out to me way back when saying, “You took our picture—now don’t forget us. You might not be able to help us, but there are others you can help.”  Some of those countries were not easy to travel to or visit, but I knew I was supposed to go and tell the stories of people who live there and endure so much. It was on those trips—particularly to India and Thailand—where I began to learn about child sex trafficking and knew I had to do something.

5.  What would you like to see happen with your business, charity, cause?

I’d like to be out of a job!  Someday I hope we can remove the words “child trafficking” from the dictionary.  Call me crazy (and people have), but I think we can do it.  I wouldn’t do what I do if I didn’t have hope.

6. Share a failure and a triumphant outcome to something you have faced in your life.

How much room do we have? One that jumps out at me is Han—probably because I just told you about her.  The orphanage where she lived was pretty awful, and the staff were doing the best they could under grim conditions, but let’s just say it was not a pleasant place. Han was very sick and the meager medicine she was getting was not really helping her. The day our team left was very difficult.  You can imagine how hard it was for us to leave these kids, knowing we were going back to our nice, clean homes.

About 9 months later the director of the charity called me from China to say that Han had died.  He wanted me to know that someone was holding her and rocking her at the time—that she wasn’t alone like so many other orphans when they die.  That was some small comfort.

At the time I got that call, I’d just finished an article for a major Christian magazine about orphans in China. Han was, of course, a big part of that article. I called the editor and asked if we could add a few lines about her death. We already had a blurb at the end with an address where people could donate to the charity. We squeezed in her photo and a few lines about her death.  That article raised more than $15,000 for the organization I helped with.  It was almost as if Han’s death—a child no one knew on the other side of the world—had a purpose. She wasn’t forgotten. (Han is pictured below.)

7.  If you were in charge of everything in the world for a day, what’s the first change you would make?

I’m pretty big on prayer, so I’d probably have everyone stop, drop, and pray for a day!

8.  What surprises people about you?

That I love sports—not participating but watching.  I love football, love the NFL (go Redskins), and after 25 years of living in the south, I’m finally learning to love college football.  I love soccer, too, and went to one of the World Cup games when it was in the US in the 1990s.  Every four years when the World Cup rolls around, I have my schedule right by the TV and watch as many games as I can. In 2006 I was in Mexico when their national team played in the World Cup, and it was so fun to be there and watch the entire country shut down as everyone huddled around TV screens in malls, streets, and anywhere they could. I was right there with them!

9.  What has surprised you recently?

Being named as one of the Top Ten Women Warriors of Twitter!  That was a surprise (and a nice one) to find myself on the same list as Oprah and Queen Rania of Jordan. I think I’ve finally started breathing again.

10.  What are some hidden talents [or interests?] that people don’t know about you?

I love dance. I studied ballet when I was 3, but a budding career was ended at 5 for unknown reasons.  I picked it back up again in my mid 30s and one day came to the tragic realization that the New York City Ballet simply did not have me on their radar screen.  Today I take Funiq twice a week—a “fun and unique” workout that combines Latin dance, hip hop, kickboxing, cardio, Pilates, and more.  In my dreams, I’m in Swan Lake.

Let’s get back to Born To Fly. Tell us about the 09-09-09 Twitterthon, and how our readers can help.

It’s a 1-day fundraiser for the Born to Fly Project to stop child sex trafficking: 9,000 people each giving $9 on 9/9/09.

The books and curriculum are nearly complete so we’re raising funds to print them and give them to at-risk kids and parents around the world. We’re asking people to:

• Donate: Go to www.born2fly.org and use the Chip-in widget to donate $9. At any of these links look for the Chip-in widget to make a contribution to this valuable cause.
• Email: Tell 9 people about 09-09-09 and send them to www.born2fly.org.
• Blog: Post about 09-09-09. Include the logo & Chip-in widget.
• Facebook: Talk about 09-09-09; include the logo and Chip-in widget.
• Twitter: Tweet about it. Follow @09_09_09. Add a Twibbon after you’ve donated.
• Updates: Check Diana Scimone’s blog for the latest:  www.dianascimone.com
• Add a Twibbon

Diana Scimone is a journalist who has traveled to more then 40 countries including Sudan, Zimbabwe, Thailand, and India. She founded Born to Fly to respond to the critical needs she has seen among the world’s children. Born to Fly has helped AIDS orphans, street kids, and children devastated by earthquakes, hurricanes, and the tsunami. Today our sole focus is working to stop child trafficking in the U.S. and abroad.

SECOND THIS!

Republican criticism has increased lately concerning the $787 billion economic stimulus and it’s ineffectiveness in the U.S. economy. Now talk is turning to a second spending stimulus plan.

Nearly five months after Democrats used their majorities in Congress to push through the stimulus, the two-year package has had little impact. Americans have watched the country’s unemployment rate surge to 9.5 percent, and it is expected to go higher.

Although we have been asked to have patience, when you have no job, no money, no food to feed your family or a home to provide shelter, it is difficult to wait and hope for the best. Continually being asked to wait raises doubts that the first stimulus package was implemented properly and about its ability to stimulate the economy.

The Obama administration expected the U.S. unemployment rate to peak at around 8.0 percent when it pushed through the $787 billion plan. But unemployment could hit 11 percent and the country may need a second stimulus package, according to news reports.

It has been reported that only about $100 billion of the $787 billion has been spent so far, and in the coming months a more rapid pace of funds may be released. It cannot come soon enough!

Warren Buffett, the billionaire founder of Berkshire Hathaway, said in an interview on ABC’s Good Morning America that we have suffered “a shock to the system” from the economic problems in the last quarter of last year but felt we had started to rebound.

“We’re not in a free fall, but we’re not in a recovery either,” he told Good Morning America.

“I think a second one may well be called for. It is not a panacea. A stimulus is the right thing. You hope it doesn’t get watered down,” he said.

“We’re going to come out of this better than ever. The best days of America lie ahead but not next week or next month,” Buffett concluded.

Maybe we need a different approach. Maybe this second stimulus package, if selected, should be given directly to the people: you and me and every other tax-paying American. I’ve shared this before, but perhaps we should consider a simpler approach like the one described in an article in the St. Petersburg Times.

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on “How Would You Fix the Economy?” Here is one of the responses:

Dear Mr. President,
Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan.

There are about 40 million people over the age of 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.

It can’t get any easier than that!

Homelessness… who is listening and who really cares?

It might be difficult to fathom, but an epidemic of homelessness among children has gripped this country like never before. But who is listening and who really cares? Well we should! All of us!

Every day another child has their life turned upside down by this economy. Families displaced by foreclosures and unemployment have created tent cities everywhere. While the problem may be worse in some regions, foreclosures and job losses are taking a very harsh toll on families nationwide, and creating a growing issue with implications for a “damaged” future generation.

The number of homeless people in the U.S. is the subject of much debate and disagreement. But many experts agree we are approaching or have exceeded one million homeless Americans, and more than 40 percent of those are children.

Research has shown us that homelessness often hinders a child’s ability to socialize and learn. Not only do they suffer from hunger, stress, insecurity and exhaustion, but they also have a hard time performing in school and are confronted with traumatic experiences that keep nearly half of homeless children from graduating with their peers.

Because of their environment, many homeless kids tend to have learning difficulties, emotional problems and delays in their development.

With the challenges of transportation, supplies and food, and with the threat of imminent cutbacks, school districts are overburdened and overwhelmed with the need, unable to be truly effective. School districts say they are seeing more students from middle-class, working-class and working-poor families being pushed into homelessness.

Many families that desperately need help are unwilling to acknowledge their living situation and therefore do not receive assistance from schools or communities. Families with children living in emergency shelters, pop-up campers, cars and tents can be charged with neglect by Child Protective Services workers, and are afraid to speak up or reach out for assistance.

So, what can we do? How can you help? If you do have reason to believe that a child is homeless, make sure to look for signs with every child that possibly could be in peril. Donate to shelters and assist wherever possible to ease the pain by giving and donating food, articles of clothing, school supplies and money.

Even though times are difficult … if we all do our part we can get through this crisis together. Let’s all make a difference!

A Solution! Hmmm…

Here is a thought to consider.

This is from an article in the St. Petersburg Times Newspaper.

The Business Section asked readers for ideas on “How Would You Fix the Economy?”

Here is one of the responses:

Dear Mr. President,
Please find below my suggestion for fixing America’s economy. Instead of giving billions of dollars to companies that will squander the money on lavish parties and unearned bonuses, use the following plan. You can call it the Patriotic Retirement Plan:

There are about 40 million people over the age of 50 in the work force. Pay them $1 million each severance for early retirement with the following stipulations:

1) They MUST retire. Forty million job openings – Unemployment fixed.
2) They MUST buy a new American CAR. Forty million cars ordered – Auto Industry fixed.
3) They MUST either buy a house or pay off their mortgage – Housing Crisis fixed.

It can’t get any easier than that!

P.S. If more money is needed, have all members in Congress and their constituents pay their taxes…

Hmmm…

Thoughts to Share!

Here are a few thoughts I would like to share. Please feel free to comment and expound. Yes, you can vent!

1. What are your feelings about the many gun shows with limited or no background checks for individuals to purchase assault weapons? Yes, you have a right to bear arms, but do you feel this is the right way to do it and do you feel safe?

2. There were many “Tea Parties” last week. Did you participate and if you did can you share your experience? What message do you want to send to this Administration and Congress?

3. What can the U.S. do to protect the freighters on open waters against piracy?  Are they doing all they can do? What should be done to the pirates once apprehended?

4. Were we sold a lie when we voted in state lotteries? If they are so great and contribute so much to our school system, why are our schools in such a mess financially?

5. Why do we pay sports figures so much? Wouldn’t it be better if they were paid based on their production and not just because they have a contract? More of an incentive-based pay structure. Baseball, basketball and football players should be paid more like golfers. If golfers don’t play well, they don’t get paid. That’s an incentive!

6. Ever scramble to get to a scheduled doctors appointment and then sit for an hour? Maybe we should receive compensation or a reduction on our bill when you wait more than 15 minutes. What do you think?

7. Why are drivers terrible everywhere?  Are we too busy and distracted to grant courtesy to other drivers? What about just being safe on the roads today?

8. It kind of bugs me that sports figures claim they are not role models. Well, no matter what you say, kids will try to emulate everything you do. So whether you like it or not, you are a role model. But what kind of a role model are you?

9.  Have you ever noticed when watching television that all the commercials are synchronized? It is a conspiracy to stop viewers from channel surfing. I still surf!

10. Why do so many people in Hollywood, especially many women, love the bad boy example of men? What happens to all the good guys?

11. What has happened to customer service? Yes, the economy is bad and unemployment is at record levels, but it seems that common courtesy and customer service would help bolster business especially in this competitive environment.

12. Why is it that in any given sport, the final match is never as good as the playoffs? Makes you wonder how some teams got there in the first place.

13. What has happened to homeowner associations today?  They have got some of the most ridiculous rules. You can hardly be yourself anymore. Oh, OK, now I see why that could be a problem. Just kidding!

 

C’mon, share your thoughts and feel free to vent about these or other thoughts. Talk to me.

AIG – Again! What Is Wrong With This Picture?

Well, here we go again. After an incredible $170 billion dollars has already been given to AIG for their bailout, they add fuel to the fire and a slap in the face to every American with their bonus payout program. To the tune of $165 million dollars! Their reasoning is that they are contractually obligated,  and that they do not want to lose the best and brightest from the industry. Where are these so called bright people going to go? Who will hire them? Are they not the same individuals who participated in creating this mess in the first place? I believe they are.

 

The bonuses will be paid to executives in their Financial Products division. This is the same unit that wrote trillions of dollars’ worth of credit-default swaps that protected investors from defaults on bond backed by subprime mortgages.

Remember, of all financial institutions that have been supported by taxpayer bailout money, AIG has received the most dollars, and honestly it is infuriating as to how the executives are handling this situation. So, what’s next? Who is next and where will it end?

Seriously, at what point do you stop rescuing companies and greedy CEO’s and executives that really care nothing about the average person?

Speak up and out, and let me hear your thoughts. We should all be outraged! Write your Congress person and make your thoughts known to this Administration. It is time to use your voice and influence to get America back on track.

I am just saying….”Just let me vent!”

Is Bailout Truly Transparent?

To confront the serious economic challenges our nation faces, there have been some bold initiatives presented to this country. And of course, Wall Street to Main Street is watching impatiently to see what will work and what will fail.

It has been presented as a new era of responsibility and cooperation. So, do we look beyond the short term political calculations and rhetoric to reinvest back into this country our hard earned cash? And these days it is definitely hard earned. We are promised if we do, our investments will make America stronger and more prosperous moving forward.

Through the Recovery Act, the Stability Plan, and the Housing Plan, we are told that immediate measures are being made to assist families and working people. And we are told there will be transparency in every thing that is done and that we can track all monies given as bailout remedies at www.Recovery.gov

 

We are promised a renewed commitment to transparency in government and after what we have seen thus far with taxpayer money being wasted on greedy CEO’s and banking institutions, I hope we see changes immediately. And if transparency shows that the American people are still getting ripped off, who will hold these institutions accountable? We should all take the opportunity of holding our representatives fully accountable for the decisions they make.

 

So, as I am venting I hope you join with me and really make an effort to be watchful of monies being wasted and make others aware that we are all in this together, and we need to really stay conscious of what is said and presented by both parties and this administration, CEO’s and the banks that hold our money hostage.

 

Please stand up and speak out. Let me know what you think about the bailout plans, the Recovery Act, and other plans. Will they work? Why or why not? Will the process and results really be transparent? Share your thoughts and vent your feelings. If we really want change, let’s create it together.

 

Vent, Baby, vent!

Outrageous CEO Pay – Who is Responsible?

Is it just me, or does it seem that fairness and equality are two terms that are totally foreign when it comes to the American workforce?

 

CEOs of some of the biggest companies in America are getting paid very well to:

1. Run their companies into the ground while

2. Laying off, downsizing or shutting their doors.

 

This has become very apparent over the last few weeks while the entire country has struggled with a massive financial sector bailout. We have yet to see how the $700B “fix” will be implemented and whether some financial institutions will continue to pay exorbitant salaries and offer golden parachutes for their CEOs at the taxpayer’s expense. AIG certainly seems to think spa treatments and golf outings are an acceptable way to use taxpayer dollars.

 

In 1980, the average CEO of a major corporation made 42 times the average hourly worker’s pay. By 2000, the average CEO salary reached an incredible 531 times that of an average hourly worker.

 

Is tying executive compensation to the financial success of the company realistic? Does anyone honestly believe that all or most of the appreciation in the value of a company is directly related to the CEO’s talent?

 

24/7 Wall St has done an analysis of companies whose CEO’s need to see the writing on the filing and get ready to do some job hunting. Regardless of this type of projection of imminent demise, these CEO’s will probably enjoy a separation package that will soften any smack from hitting the pavement.

 

One such CEO was Michael Ovitz who enjoyed a $140 million paycheck for 14 months of work at Walt Disney. Shareholders sued but a Delaware judge ruled that the board did nothing wrong in awarding that huge severance package.

 

But Disney continues to be a solid company. Some boards award large packages to CEOs even as the executives trash their shareholders’ investments. Take, for example, Gary Smith of Ciena whose shareholders lost 93% during a four-year period, 2001-2005. His compensation during that time? $41.2 million.

 

Anderson Cooper has begun reporting on a new list, “10 Most Wanted: Culprits of the Crash,” featuring some of the most outrageous and egregious acts of greed on Wall Street, naming names of CEOs who have taken advantage of their companies, the bailout,  taxpayers and their own employees.

 

These outrageous compensation packages do not seem to have anything to do with the level of responsibility, or with how well a company is run.

 

I know investors can vote with their feet – leave the dog that won’t hunt. And some activist shareholders fight overly generous pay. But another approach is to look for companies that have great performance and reasonably paid leaders. That is a sign that boards and top managers feel a responsibility toward shareholders, says Michael Brush, in an article on MSN Money. Brush includes a list of some of those companies as well.

 

But wouldn’t it just be easier if boards and search committees would hire people based on previous performance and – even more important – compensate more in line with what the company, and shareholders, can afford to pay?

 

Have you ever lost out because your company’s stock dropped, while the CEO was landing softly on a pile of cash? What are your thoughts?

 

 

 

 

Click here: CEOs Are Overpaid

 

http://money.aol.com/investing/ceos-who-have-to-go?icid=200100397×1206422760x1200354294

 

Click here: The 5 most outrageously overpaid CEOs – MSN Money

 

 

 

The Customer Service Experience – Not a very good one!

Whatever happened to customer service?

 

Yesterday, I walked into a restaurant and the hostess took me to a booth to be seated. Noticing that there was water on the seat I asked the hostess for something to wipe it up with.

 

Now, had I been the hostess I would have gotten a cloth and wiped it off for the customer. But the hostess returned with two paper napkins and handing them to me said, “Here ya go.”

 

That’s just a small, but telling, example of the extent of the decline in customer service that exists in the US. Restaurant customers should not have to clean up the table (or seat) from the previous customer. This young hostess probably didn’t even realize that what she was doing was asking the customer to finish busing the table. But in effect she was.

 

Other areas where poor customer service seems to be rampant: long delays in doctors’ waiting rooms even though you have an appointment; auto technicians who fix your car just enough to get it running while ignoring other obvious problems (because they are swamped or it’s not the issue you brought it in for); office workers who continually give priority to the customers on the ringing phone even though you walked up to their desk first. This is not a condemnation of all those employed in these occupations, but only a few examples of common challenges that customers face in getting service every day.

 

Regardless of how often social media sites say they “get it” when it comes to audience engagement and interaction, customer service seems to be a challenge for them as well. Despite the popularization of incidents like Dell Hell, there seems to have been little impact on many companies in the technology realm in terms of paying attention to customer service or making it a priority. Although Dell managed to turn around it’s customer service issues (see IdeaStorm), many sites expect customers who have questions or problems to use FAQs, help forums started and maintained by other customers, or an outside company that may or may not respond to your question (there are no ramifications for them if they don’t respond since it’s not their site that you had a question about).

 

It used to be that companies thought about how to handle customer service before they launched, before they even opened their doors. Now, it’s left up to the customers to either figure it out on their own, or spend hours looking for a company representative to talk to who may have an ulterior motive (sales) for talking to you.

 

All this to say that the status of customer service in the US has declined to an alarming low and there doesn’t seem to be any end to it.

 

In my book, that’s not service.

 

What do you think? What has your experience with customer service been like?

 

Bailout A Double Whammy for the Taxpayer

What a mess! Not only is the economy crumbling around us, but the government bailout that was supposed to help homeowners stay in their homes, has become an unprecedented one-two punch that is taking the wind out of taxpayers.

 

No one wants to see the financial crisis worsen, but the idea behind a bailout was to help the people who were ending up in foreclosure or without a job because businesses couldn’t borrow even enough money to make their payrolls. Now it seems as if the bailout – which was railroaded through Congress – may not be designed to help those in real need at all.

 

Blogger Amey Stone (www.BloggingStocks.com) hit the nail on the head with her list of “Eight ways the Wall Street bailout is adding insult to injury”. According to Stone these are a few of the egregious ways that the companies benefiting from the bailout, keeping taxpayers from benefiting at all (heavily edited – see full text here):

 

·        Not only are Wall Street financial firms getting bailed out but they get to keep their big bonuses too. Estimates anticipate that as much as $70 billion (of the $700 billion bailout money) will get paid out in bonuses to bankers this year.

 

·        After getting an $85 billion bailout, AIG sent salespeople on a lavish retreat at the St. Regis resort in Monarch Beach, Calif. It cost AIG $440,000 but AIG execs should have put a stop to such unnecessary spending, not just because it was a potential public relations nightmare, but because it was the wrong thing to do for a company that could not make ends meet without burdening taxpayers.

 

·        Some Lehman executives got signing bonuses to stay at the banks that acquired their divisions in bankruptcy proceedings. Nomura, which bought Lehman’s European and Asian divisions, gave bankers cash equal to last year’s bonus if they agreed to stay at Nomura for a year, for example. Shouldn’t keeping their jobs have been compensation enough given the massive firings on Wall Street?

 

·        CEOs of failed financial firms still get a golden parachute to soften the blow. Even though their firms’ profits have been essentially wiped out, most will still be making millions at taxpayers’ expense.

 

·        Banks that are sharing in the $700 billion bailout money are supposed to use it to keep the economy humming, right? Nope. It turns out that banks can use the money however they want. Banks that are getting government bailout money are contemplating using it for other things — like buying other banks — not adding it to the lending pool so they can make more loans and end the credit squeeze.

 

So, the question is: What can be done about this entire situation that has become a train wreck for every taxpayer?

 

Where does the greed and corruption stop? Who will be held accountable in government and at every corporation that now has its greedy hands out begging for more so they get their lavish trips, bonuses and golden parachutes?

Enough is enough!

 

As a taxpayer, are you fed up with this? Please, share your thoughts.

 

 

Red Light Running – When Does It Stop?

We’ve all done it – while driving we see someone speeding, weaving through traffic, or tailgating and we think, “Look at that idiot. He’s gonna kill someone.”

 

But according to a new study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, Americans blame other motorists for unsafe driving, even though many admit to doing the same dangerous practices themselves. Take red light running for instance.

 

The Foundation’s 2008 Traffic Safety Culture Index says that more than 70 percent of motorists rated red light running as a serious problem, yet over half of those same individuals admitted to speeding up to get through yellow lights, and 5 percent even admitted to having run a red light on purpose in the past month.

 

Every 13 minutes, someone dies on America’s roads, but Americans seem complacent about this incredible statistic. If someone died every 13 minutes from a disease, that disease would be considered an epidemic.  

 

Some communities are instituting red light cameras that take a picture of vehicles as they run through red lights, and send the vehicle’s owner a ticket. This seems to be working to cut down on violations at traffic lights. For instance in Charlotte, NC, the red light camera program has cut the number of red light runners by 70 percent in one year, and crashes dropped by 10 percent throughout the city.

 

But in other cities, lawmakers and local officials have not installed the cameras because they believe the cameras impinge on drivers’ privacy rights or because critics say the cameras cause more rear-end crashes. In 2005, Virginia Beach cut off its red light camera program and crashes at the four intersections where they had been installed more than doubled in the first six months, according to local police.

 

So if not red light cameras then what? More police at intersection? Stiffer penalties for those who get caught? Or do the cameras invade a driver’s privacy?

 

Please share your thoughts and tell us what’s happening in your area.

 

 

 

 

Click here: The National Campaign to Stop Red Light Running

 

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/346365/off_camera_redlight_running_rises_in_virginia_beach/

 

Click here: Stop Red Light Running Program – FHWA Safety

Bailout – Bah Humbug!

AIG – Bah Humbug!

GM – Ford & Chrysler - Bah Humbug!

Banks – Bah Humbug!

It seems everyone today is in search of a bailout. Everyone is asking, but the people who really need it -people – everyday, hardworking people like you and me are not! Yes, there is something wrong with this picture.

Yes, I agree there are many industries that are hurting, but the bailout money cannot go very far if everyone keeps putting their hands in the cookie jar. Especially when everyone wants to get their piece of the cookie and then not have any regulation or oversight as to what happens with the money once they have it, like AIG. A company that has hidden where the money is really being spent on lavish outings and retreats, all at the taxpayers expense. How far are they willing to go in paying out bonuses this year for high level executives? I sincerely do not believe they are going to come clean and be open about where the money is really going.

It is a shame…..I mean it, a real shame that it has come to this. But, here we are and what we need to do is decide what we are going to do next about the situation. What’s next? Who is next?

The ”Big Three” automobile manuafacturers have all been in Washington with their hands out begging for a bailout, but not one of the companies have a plan to make any changes with their companies to get back on the right track or to get financially stable. It is not that anyone wants the automobile industry to crumble in America, nor do we want to have any ancillary businesses and suppliers to go bankrupt, but at some point, until the automobile industry get’s it, there will be a continual spiral downward. But, if a bailout of any kind is to be given there must be changes. Big changes with oversight on every dollar spent so that the taxpayers do not take another bath without any benefit like we have been doing.

Spend some time contacting your elected official to add some voice to this situation. Yes, many companies are in trouble, but if you want a handout there has to be some oversight and not just a free ride for failing miserably in their responsibility of fiscal financial obligations.

Speak out! Please!

Look for something to be thankful for….

Take some time. Take some real time with family, friends and yourself to focus on the good things in life.

Yes, we are faced with many difficulties, maybe even insurmountable.  Most of these self-inflicted wounds will take some time to find solutions to get back on track. But, until that happens we must all work together and put our faith in a higher power and hopes in one another to take care of each other.

There is hope. There will be another day, despite the darkness this country, your family and business may be going through right now.

Foucus on a positive – any positive – and let that be the inner source that drives you to safety. Do not despair. Life marches on and hope can flourish with your spark of faith.

Let me hear from you on your hopes, your solutions, or even fears and let’s work together for resolutions for 2009. This is a forum for you to vent or maybe even share a comment of hope or good will. Either way, let me hear from you.

Happy Holidays and best wishes for a brighter future for all of us.

2009…Now what?

Well, here we are. 2009 has arrived and just how ready are we to tackle the difficult issues we will be facing this year?

Let’s review 2008 shall we?

1. Financial catastrophe, where trillions in personal wealth have been lost to poor company management and greed.

2. Overpaid CEO’s who cared more about their own personal gain rather than their employees’ welfare or their companies’ performance.

3. Lack of oversight from this Administration and Congress on company and CEO spending abuse.

4. The continuation of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

5. No real answers to health care in this country.

6. Exceedingly high unemployment rates like we have not seen in decades.

So, what are we going to do about it? Where are we going to get the answers we need to address the issues we will be facing in 2009? We cannot wholly depend on the new administration to solve all of these problems. We need some great minds to come together and entrepreneurs to get their ideas formulated to create jobs for this country. And we need it soon!

What do you think — who do you think would be the best person to lead the charge to financial freedom for this country, or to solve any of the other problems listed above? What would you like to see happen?

Let’s hear from you today. Come on, just go ahead and vent!

The Bailout – “A Real Solution”

We will see if this recent stimulus package and second round of the  bailout  money to shore up the banking institutions will have some oversight to make sure that the money will be used as intended.

Post your thoughts and comments.

 

 

I have to say, I’m less than impressed with the way the $700 billion bailout has been handled. Didn’t this whole mess start with a complete failure of the mortgage industry due to its prolific writing of really bad loans to people who they knew couldn’t possibly pay them back? And when those loans (many of them interest only) adjusted, wasn’t it the mortgage industry that insisted they get money from the government (or taxpayers) to pay their own bills, while the homeowners who were defaulting on the badly written loans are just left to fend for themselves? (Nevermind that they are the same taxpayers that the mortgage companies are taking money from.)

 

Well, I have a solution to the issue that I believe is simple, direct and gives everyone what they need. (President Obama, you can take this idea as your own. I don’t mind.)

 

First, loan the banks what they need in increments. Let’s say $100 million to start. But don’t just hand over the money. Instead, make the lender sit down with the borrower and figure out what they need to be whole. For example: Let’s say Joe Citizen bought a home for $200,000, interest-only loan, no money down. Now that home is worth $150,000. Then Joe gets $50,000 of the $100 million to pay down his mortgage, but the money goes from the government to the lender. The lender is then required to write a new mortgage for Joe, at current rates and NOT interest only.

 

Only after the lender can prove in writing that they have spent $100 million assisting individuals with their mortgages, and that new mortgages have been written at current market rates (low), and that the homeowners are capable of repaying, will the lending institution be given any additional funds. And they must prove that ALL of the money went to help homeowners – no bonuses, big raises, or conferences at swanky hotels.

 

If the first $100 million isn’t spent within a year then whatever money is left over goes back into the pool of money earmarked to help homeowners stay in their homes. In other words, if the lending institution wants to hoard the money instead of using it for good, then they get nothing. They will fail, and a bank that is more willing to help Americans stay in their homes will be there to pick up the slack.

 

What’s the result? People have mortgages that they can afford. Banks aren’t left holding the bag for the correction in the housing market. Individuals will have more cash at the end of the month to spend on rebuilding the economy. Banks will have the cash flow they need to feel more secure about lending to businesses again. Businesses will feel more secure and be able to expand and hire more workers. And on and on.

 

Don’t tell me it’s more complicated than that – I know it isn’t. The issue is to get money flowing, and this solution is designed to do just that. It really is that simple.