Steve Jobs died last week and along with him may have passed some of America's hopes, dreams and potential for future jobs. Bur, this need not be the case, if we can learn the key lessons that Mr. Jobs, this quintessential American, provided through his life, leadership and continuous and incredible ability to reinvent himself and his businesses. President Obama described Jobs as "among the greatest of American innovators." Many other articles and tributes characterized Jobs as a … [Read more...]
A Winning Game Plan
Howard Schultz, founder, Chairman and CEO of Starbucks, has recently called upon executives not to make any political donations until there is a "courageous, long-term bipartisan debt and financial security plan that addresses both entitlements and revenue." This request for abstinence from Mr. Schultz reminds us of a different Schulz. That is Charles Schulz of Peanuts cartoon fame. A favorite Charles Schulz cartoon of ours is one in which Lucy is holding a football for Charlie Brown to kick. … [Read more...]
It’s Time To Play in the 3-I League
On Friday, August 26, as Hurricane Irene began to move up the East Coast to give Washington, DC a physical lashing, Federal Reserve Bank Chair Ben Bernanke spoke out, from across the country in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to give our elected officials in the nation's capitol a tongue lashing. Chair Bernanke asserted, "...the country would be well served by a better process for making fiscal decisions. The negotiations that took place over the summer disrupted financial markets and probably the … [Read more...]
The Need for Austerity and Audacity
When Barack Obama was sworn in as president on Jan. 20, 2009, hope was in the air and audacity was abounding. Today, 32 months later (and two-thirds of the way through the Obama presidency), Hope is just a city in Arkansas, and austerity pervades. We are in the midst of a jobless economic recovery that is so exceedingly fragile that to even label it as such seems a misnomer. The sad and sorry spectacle that was the debt ceiling debate in Washington, D.C. sent chills through the public and the … [Read more...]
Interdependence Day: Celebrating the “Us” in USA
The country is currently awash in controversy over two topics. One is the appropriateness of locating a mosque near ground zero in New York City. The other is the discussion about revising the 14th amendment to address the citizenship status of the children of "illegal immigrants" born in the United States. These issues are the tip of the iceberg and symptoms of an underlying problem. That problem is the fragile status of the American community and our relations to each other as Americans. … [Read more...]
On July 22, after a long and grueling contest of wills and words, the Senate approved the extension of unemployment benefits. As happens too frequently on Capitol Hill, this was a case of time, energy, and talent substantially misspent. While the good senators were debating the pros and cons of extension, they continued to dodge and avoid the real issue which is addressing the jobs and economic crisis consuming this country. What we got was the extension of an unemployment bill that … [Read more...]
Take America Forward: A Citizen’s Call to Arms
Take back America! That's the battle cry of the Tea Party movement whose members want to accomplish this by taking the country back to its roots and the halcyon days of yesteryear. Their agenda centers primarily on limiting the role of government and elevating individual rights that were initially established by our founders for the few. The Tea Partiers unfortunately are twentieth century citizens locked in an eighteenth century mindset. On one hand, the Tea Partiers should be commended for … [Read more...]
Take America Forward: A Citizen’s Call to Arms
Take back America! That's the battle cry of the Tea Party movement whose members want to accomplish this by taking the country back to its roots and the halcyon days of yesteryear. Their agenda centers primarily on limiting the role of government and elevating individual rights that were initially established by our founders for the few. The Tea Partiers unfortunately are twentieth century citizens locked in an eighteenth century mindset. On one hand, the Tea Partiers should be commended for … [Read more...]