Image via Wikipedia

With more than 14 million workers unemployed and millions of others under-employed or lacking skills to get ahead the future looks rather grim.  And with manufacturing jobs going overseas, most of them unlikely to return, our once big consuming society is about to turn into a nation of individuals who are just-getting-by.

Government spending has done little to improve the situation.  To the contrary, the United States is deeper in debt than at anytime in the 235 years since our founding.  Our elected representatives can’t or refuse to find common ground on spending issues.  And, the unfunded liabilities at the federal, state and local levels are about to leave these government entities and individual voters broke.

Americans have always rallied to overcome adversity.  The question is will we be able to do it again?  This nation does best when we unite and work together to accomplish the seemingly impossible.  We did this through wars, financial crisis, physical disasters and more.  Yet many wonder if we have strayed so far from the founding principles that selfish interests will take precedence over consideration for the greater good.

The 76 million Baby Boomers were told they were special and acted that way.  Referred to as the “me generation,” they changed the national landscape over the past 50 years.  It was the baby boomers who fought against the war in Vietnam while fighting for civil and women’s rights.  They continued to make an impact throughout all these years. 

Boomers, for better and worst, helped make America what it is today.  Now, they are becoming New Seniors as the oldest of them turn 65 this year.  And, they will continue to do so at the rate of 4 million per year through 2030.  However, it must be remembered, this generation has not been known for making sacrifices.

The folks who are part of Gen X, and Y along with those coming after them are scrambling to provide for their families, as are the younger Boomers.  So, the New Seniors must act like the adults.  We have the experience and desire to make America the land of opportunity for our children, our grandchildren and their children as it was for us.

There’s a lot on our collective plates.  Besides stopping the spending spree, we must address the short and long-term future for both Social Security and Medicare.  At the same time, faith in America has got to be restored.  We have seen this happen before, yet many of those who have not experience great national problems are turning pessimistic and believe that America is on a path of decline.  This defeatist attitude is truly the greatest evil of all.  New Seniors can play an important role in overcoming such thinking.

Image by most uncool via Flickr

Unemployment is over 9%, with 14 million people out of work, and the situation is not likely to show marked improvement in the near future.  On top of this is the unknown numbers who are underemployed or have simply given up looking for a job.  The extended unemployment benefits have or are running out for these folks. 

Many of those who have been hit hard by the recession are uninsured, so this becomes a drain on the nation’s already over-stressed health care system.  Those of us who are insured find our health insurance premiums are on the rise. 

These people, and those who are working but are financially overextended, find themselves having to walk away from their homes or living in them without making mortgage payments.  That means more houses are on the market at lower prices in order for the banks to recoup some of their losses.  At the same time, it is difficult for people to qualify for financing.  For current homeowners, this translates to reduced equity and less likelihood of being able to sell their property even at a bargain price.

Nobody can deny that many people are hurting.  As Americans, we want to help the less fortunate, but there comes a time when trying to save a drowning person will result in our own demise as well.  Why can’t those receiving unemployment benefits earn the money by engaging in state or municipal work?  This would help communities and may encourage folks to worth harder at getting a job.

Consideration ought to be given to the food stamp issue, since more people use them than ever before.  Welfare in general needs to be reformed.  If a recipient has smart phones, video games and a flat screen should they qualify?  And, if someone is going to check on what the money is buying, they might find out what kind of car is in the driveway.  This is not a matter of the government poking its nose into private matters, rather those taking public money must be responsible for what they do with the dollars taxpayers are spending on their behalf.

Reducing waste, fraud and abuse will help if coupled with good stewardship by our elected representatives.  However, the current financial crisis won’t be fixed until people are willing to let the government rework the two major entitlements: Social Security and Medicare.  Until citizens accept the fact that these programs are not sustainable in their present form, the government will fall deeper in debt.  It’s time to put aside party politics and unite to solve common problems that sooner or later will affect every American.  Scaring us won’t fix things but caring will.    

Image via Wikipedia

We are allowing a minority fringe to hijack America by changing our accepted and preferred way of life to fit their agenda.  And, it affects a great deal more than shooting off fireworks one day a year in the local park.  The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the federal government’s arm for setting rules and regulations to keep American clean, safe and beautiful for all its inhabitants, human and otherwise.

Has this agency become more interested in control than it is for the total welfare of the more than 300 million people living here?  Take the three inch long smelt that is endangered by the irrigation system in California’s Central Valley farm area.  Billions of dollars and tens of thousands of jobs have vanished because the government has closed down the canals.  No wonder food prices are going through the roof.

There’s a species of lizard in West Texas that is dwindling in numbers.  If the environmentalist get their way oil drilling there will be put on hold.  Add that to the lack of drilling licenses issued for the Gulf of Mexico after the BP oil spill, along with the administrations refusal to drill offshore in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans or tap into the rich reserves in Alaska and it is understandable why we are being held hostage by those unfriendly countries (Canada excluded) that export oil to us.

The effort to get Americans to switch to other forms of fuel has been spectacularly unsuccessful.  Ethanol costs more to produce and results in corn shortages worldwide.  Without this commodity, many will die.  Electric cars have been proposed, but coal is frowned upon as an energy because it pollutes, even though it is a highly cost-effective energy source and abundantly available within the borders of the continental US. 

However, neither the facts nor the current financial straits we are experiencing seem to stop the government from blindly forging ahead with plans to immediately take America off oil and change the country to renewable energy, sort of like they way it wants us to instantly change our eating habits.  How do they intend to make this happen? Wind and solar power are still a more expense form of energy. Plus, depending on how the energy will be used, power grids and charging stations must be built – a long and expensive process.  And, nuclear energy became taboo after the disaster in Japan.

The energy situation is just one of the areas where the environmental activists, the EPA and the administration appear to be working at cross-purposes with the will and needs of the people.  It’s time we took a stand and said no more regulations until America gets back on its feet.  Maybe the place to start is by being sure we can celebrate the country’s birthday with a rip-roaring, patriotic display of fireworks.

Image via Wikipedia

The forerunner to the company was established in the 1880s when the firm’s founder invented a machine that helped the US Census Bureau complete the tabulating task in two rather than ten years and saved the government millions.  In 1911, this firm combined with three others to form the Computing Tabulating Recording Corporation (CTR).

In 1914, Thomas J. Watson joined the company as general manager and became president a year later.  He was innovative and believed in team work as well the motivation and retention of good employees.  Soon after he arrived, the first disabled employee was hired.  He started training programs.  And it was Watson who coined the famous company slogan: “Think.”   Ten years after his arrival, the company changed its name in order to more accurately reflect the company’s mission and goals to International Business Machines (IBM).

Even during the Great Depression, IBM continued to hire people and was among the first companies to provide group life insurance, survivor benefits and paid vacations.  All the while, Watson saw to it that the firm reinvested in its future through research and development activities.  He strongly believed in “world peace through world trade” and had that statement inscribed on the headquarters building in New York.  But, when WWII broke out, he offered his company’s facilities for the production of military ordnances.  It was during the war that the first woman became an IBM vice president.  Immediately after the war ended, the company hired its first black salesman.

As the post war recovery took place, the company was faced with making the transition from mechanical counter devices and systems to the electronic age.  This effort was interrupted with Watson’s death at age 82.  His son, Tom Watson, JR., took over and completely reorganized the company while keeping his father’s philosophies and policies in place.  After his retirement in 1971, IBM continued to flourish.

The shift to PCs and an influx of new technology in the early 1990s had a devastating effect on IBM.  It had to shed old products and seek new areas of opportunities. The firm lost nearly half its workforce, but continued to practices the proven principles for success.  

Today, less than two decades later, IBM is back up to about the same number of employees and revenues have increased to well above previous levels.  This demonstrates that a commitment to excellence at all levels within a company can payoff for everyone involved, in spite of setbacks.  Other companies could learn from IBM’s performance.  And, the government might learn a thing or two as well, if it were so inclined.    

Image via Wikipedia

More than 6 in 10 women have a negative opinion about how well the children will do compared to half of all the men surveyed for a Rasmussen study conducted in June.  Again, younger adults of both genders have a more positive view of the future than their older counterparts.

Along racial lines, whites were the most pessimistic with 60% saying the years ahead look bleak, while only 48% of blacks agreed and those designated as others (mostly Hispanics and Asians) being the least negative at just 38%.

Asked if it is still possible for anyone in the US to work hard and get rich 28% of respondents answered yes, the lowest rating in the last 2 years.  More than twice the percentage of men said yes versus women.  The 18 to 29 and 65+ age groups were most negative while about a third of those between 30 and 64 were optimistic.

In terms of getting rich through hard work, the most positive group of all were the others in the racial sub-group with 44% saying yes to the children’s future.  This group also believed it was possible for anyone who wants to work to find work with 65% answering affirmatively compared to 44% of all adults.  Could this attitude be attributed to so many of the other group being immigrants or the children of immigrants?

The question of whether it is possible for anyone in the US to work their way out of poverty received a yes answer from 44% of the adults surveyed.  The men were more positive with 57% saying yes versus just 36% of the women.  The 18 to 29 age group was lowest with 25%.  All race groups were in keeping with the percentage of total adults stating a positive belief that in this country people can work themselves out of poverty.

Concern over poverty is mounting with 7 in 10 respondents saying more people are living in it than a decade ago.  And, a plurality (45%) of those surveyed said the current government anti-poverty programs actually increase poverty.  However, the state of poverty in America is not what it is in third world countries where nearly all children are faced with disease, starvation and a lack of education.

So, while people generally don’t think the children will partake in the American dream to the extent they did, a good portion of them believe those who are willing can find jobs and that it is possible to work your way out of poverty.  If that isn’t the American dream what is?  Now, let’s instill this concept into the hearts and minds of each and every one of our children, so they believe they can actually do better than their parents.

Image via Wikipedia

According to the Rasmussen report, 44% of Democrats believe the economy will be stronger next year.  This is in sharp contrast to the 23% of Republicans and 26% of Independents (or those with other political affiliations) expecting the coming year will show a stronger economy. 

There are significant differences by race, as well.  About half of black adults (49%) think the economy will improve next year, which is the highest sub-cell within the study.  And, 43% of the other category (primarily Hispanics and Asians) say the economy will be stronger in 2012, while only 28% of whites were optimistic.

Looking ahead to 5 years out, the sub-groups come closer together and show greater confidence in a stronger economy, with Democrats at 55%, Republicans 43% and Independents 39%.  The racial disparity is even closer, 48% of blacks, 54% of others and 44% of whites expecting a stronger economy.

Two economic barometers were also part of the study.  When asked how long it will take for the stock market to recover, the respondents answered as follows: 1 year 14%, 2 years 16%, 3 years 15%, more than 3 years 27% and not sure 28%.  With 55% of respondents saying more than 3 years or they were not sure, the attitude of most Americans seems to be fear or frustration.

The findings involving the real estate market are even more discouraging.  When asked how long it will take housing prices to recover, the respondents said: 1 year 6%, 2 years 11%, 3 years 14%, more than 3 years 48% and not sure 20%.  That means 68% think it will take more than 3 years or were not sure how long it would take before the housing market is back in the black.

In spite of the continued concerns voiced by all segments of the population in all parts of the country, politicians are either incapable or unwilling to fix the lingering problems that keep the economic recovery from becoming a reality in the lives of most Americans.  Both sides of the aisle are to blame as is the administration along with the various agencies serving it and the activist judges who turn their backs on the law by trying to legislate from the bench.

It is up to us to get better educated about issues and more deeply involved in the political process in order to put elected representatives’ feet to the fire.  If the politicians won’t put party issues to the side and start working on the peoples’ behalf, we’ll elect new ones.

Image by José Goulão via Flickr

As part of the president’s health care plan that was signed into law, we were told that the half-trillion dollars would be realized by eliminating waste, fraud and abuse within the system.  These cuts will include paying less money to doctors and force them, along with hospitals, out of the Medicare system in the future, making it increasingly difficult for older Americans to find health care providers willing to accept Medicare.

The good news is that both the president’s health care law and congressman Ryan’s proposed plan will not affect anyone 55 and over.  The bad news is if something is not done to reduce the growth of health care costs the tax burden will double within the next two decades. 

Under the current plan, reducing the amount of money the government spends for Medicare will eventually result in fewer benefits.  At the same time, taxes will increase to pay for the growing number of people who will qualify for Medicare coverage.  Younger Americans will have to shoulder the rising costs from an already out-of-control system.  And, they will wait longer to receive whatever benefits that can be squeezed from a shrinking budget allotment for each individual.

The only thing left to do is reform the system so it still exists for those now under 55 when the reach the time for Medicare to kick in.  A combination of some form of medical saving account and boosting the age for qualifying will likely produce the best results.  Younger adults will complain.  Do you remember when the Baby Boomers were faced with moving the age for full Social Security benefits?  They may not have liked it, but now it’s simply the way the program works.

Don’t forget, under the president’s law an additional 32 million people will be insured.  They were previously uninsured, so the money has to come from somewhere.  Some will come from the $500 million being cut from the Medicare budget. Higher taxes, yes.  More efficient system operations, doubtful (after all the government is running this).  Fortunately, the folks under 55 will have several years to save for what will certainly be increased health care costs when they reach retirement age.

So, today’s New Seniors have little to worry about, right?  Wrong!  There will be more health care regulations in place, which could adversely affect those 65+.  One major concern is the establishment of a government run Independent Payment Advisory Board.

This panel will have the responsibility to approve when to get health care, where to get it and whether to extend care or not.  That’s why it is incumbent upon all New Seniors to contact their elected representatives and say, “No death panels.”     

Image via Wikipedia

The biggest culprit is the education system.  America spends more money per student and gets the worst return on this vital investment, because education is a political football with special interest groups coming first and teaching our youth is a distant second.  There never seems to be enough money to do the job schools are supposed to do. 

What happened to the school money from the bonds voted on at the state and local levels?  The dollars generated from cigarette taxes?  The portion of sales taxes that was for education?  Or, the educational windfalls that state lotteries were going to provide.  How are these things working out in your state?  In the meantime, charter schools and other school system refinements are blocked by unions and their political lap dogs.

In spite of a noticeable lack of academic improvement, there are lots of additions to the rules and regulations being imposed on schools.  Current curriculums are under attack.  The rewriting of history is an ongoing battle at all grade levels.  Parents are also concerned that younger students are being exposed to sexual orientation education.  In one California school district, gender diversity is now being taught to first graders.

No longer are parents the ones to decide when it is appropriate to discuss sex with their children and how they want to form the conversation.  The schools, with the support of the teachers’ unions, are leading the way to determine what is said and when this kind of information will be instilled in the minds of children. 

Any attempt to stop this kind of indoctrination is quickly met with cries that homophobic groups and ill-informed parents are harming children and causing disharmony in the classroom and bullying outside the school.  Of course, the PC (politically correct) police are on the scene to point fingers at anyone who baulks at this subject matter being taught to kids, even at the elementary school level.  Activist judges and supportive media outlets work in concert to jam these changes into school curriculums now and forever.

Young minds are sponge-like and have yet to develop the ability to discern.  Learning what is right and wrong, what is and is not actable behavior as well as determining moral and other values is the responsibility of the parents. 

Knowledge of social behavior should be imparted by teachers who also demonstrate and monitor the application of these necessary skills within the school community.  However, the schools are usurping the parents’ authority by making unilateral decisions about teaching debatable subjects.  After all, is it not reasonable for parents to be the ones to decide when their children have come of age to lose their innocence?  

Image via Wikipedia

Surveys indicate that Americans in general have an inflated estimate as to how much money this country gives to other nations around the world.  The median estimate is 25% of the federal budget, while 10% is considered appropriate for those polled.  Yet, less than 1% of Washington’s annual budget is earmarked for foreign aid.  That’s about $50 billion.  When discretionary spending is added in, the percentage jumps to 2.6%.

However, the question of late has become who get the money more than how much they should receive.  For instance, Israel receives about $3 billion each year, Egypt gets $1.5 billion and $1 billion goes to Pakistan for counterinsurgency activities. 

With Israel being a democracy, our closest ally and strategically located in the Middle East, it is easy to understand why they receive our aid.  But Egypt has been under the control of a dictator and appears headed for dominance by factions that are unfriendly to us.  The government of Pakistan is less than cooperative with us and the country is home to terrorist groups that are determined to destroy the Western way of life.

There was a time when America thought by propping up government’s run by strong-armed regimes the citizens could be kept under control.  Those days are over.  And the suppressed people of these countries are angry that we supported their oppressors.  The people want to be free but not in the way we understand freedom. 

In Central and South America, the people are likely to choose socialistic or even communistic governments.  Citizens in Islamic countries are more comfortable turning things over to religious leaders or a quasi-secular government backed by religious law, which results in a different kind of oppression such as can be found in Iran.  Africa is too volatile to be included in these considerations at this time.

We can’t buy respect for the United States and we certainly can’t buy friendship.  In fact, we were not able to buy help from Pakistan after pouring more than $8 billion in aid to them during the years that Osama bin Laden was hiding out in a compound within a stone’s throw of that country’s version of West Point.

Isn’t it time to review America’s foreign policy and the dollars being spent?  As a country, we are broke.  We can’t afford to waste money here or abroad.  Maybe cutting back with foreign aid would result in fewer countries taking us for granted.  Maybe the folks in congress will realize that those who take our dollars must do something in return.  And, maybe this kind of thinking will start to be applied for the dollars spent here at home.  Just maybe.     

Image by The Library of Virginia via Flickr

The $2 million study is being conducted by the government agency in five schools in the poorest section of San Antonio, Texas.  According to the research firm in charge of the project kids faces won’t be photographed.  Parents will be provided eating information through a bar code system in hopes that at-home eating habits can be changed.

Unfortunately, the study does not expand its scope of interest to include the other known factor relating to the obesity issue: exercise.  If a camera was aimed at a child’s physical activities during and after school, maybe officials would come to the same conclusion the rest of us reached many years ago.  There is a simple answer to most weight issues, which is to burn more calories through exercise than we take in by eating.

The schools where the four-year study is being conducted has an obesity rate of 33%.  This is about twice the national rate of 16% for both elementary and secondary schools.  Obesity has increased by 50% since 1994 and three to four times the levels of 1970 and before.  Few will argue that there is a problem, but are the choices made by the children or the foods available at the schools the answer?

Back when the obesity level was at 4 and 5%, the fare at school was not particularly good or healthy.  That’s why many kids brown-bagged lunch.  It was also cheaper for mom to make lunch than to have the kids go through the cafeteria line.  Given a choice, young people will usually make the wrong selection when it comes to what they put into their bodies, because kids will be kids.

The food police, individual moms and the government, have made strides by getting vending machines operators to stop offering high-calorie, high-fat foods and drinks in favor of healthier products.  When New Seniors and most Baby Boomers were in school, snacks and soft drinks could not be purchased from vending machines, because there were no vending machines in the schools. 

Those of us who were considered middle-class kids back then ate junk food and candy when we had the money. However, we did not have much extra money, so we did not load up on junk.  Why do today’s impoverished children have money to eat bad food away from home? 

Will knowing that the kids don’t eat well at school cause their parents to change the way they eat at home?  Is this government research program just one more in a long line of poor spending choices?  Or, worst of all, does big brother plan to dictate what we eat be starting with the children and working its way up until we all eat the way it wants?