TRUTH-TELLING IS NON-PARTISAN,By Louise Annarino,1-4-2013
It was very difficult for the young recent OSU graduates to find jobs. One young man papered the walls of his dorm room with rejection slips. Others gave up the hunt for professional positions and became sales clerks, bar tenders and wait persons. Many returned to graduate school, piling up more debt, as aid to higher education failed to keep pace with increasing costs.
The recession was in full force. A war was ending, soldiers competed for jobs. Too many veterans suffered from PTSD, drug or alcohol addiction, joblessness and homeless. Delayed services by the V.A. and the declining economy complicated their return.
Companies were closing research and development departments, outsourcing jobs and off-shoring manufacturing plants. Some argued the loss of small businesses and replacing local shops with shopping malls was good;t hat economies of scale would keep the price of goods down.Union busting was the new normal. The president himself approved “scabs” to cross picket-lines,for the good of the airline industry.
Small family farms were unable to compete with mega farms;entire farm communities disappeared despite Farm-Aid concerts.Some argued that economies of scale would keep food prices down.
Lower income levels created tension between the age groups. School levies were no longer so easily passed. Small schools were combined to create economies of scale, losing the familial feel which had existed in neighborhood schools where every teacher knew every child in the school.Taxpayers resented the extra student perks such as school bands,art and theatre and music programs,and field trips. And, they resented the teacher perks such as summers off.
De-regulation was the cause celebre’ of business. Environmentalist climbed into the forest canopy and cut fish nets to protect the forests and oceans, and were snidely called “tree-huggers” and radicals. Ecology was not viewed as real science. Civil unrest by young persons protesting racism,sexism,homophobia and class warfare was contained by military-style response.
A few years later a charismatic and popular president was elected and gave people hope that things might change. But by then, many argued that the poor and working poor were really free-loaders looking for government handouts. The president agreed that “government was the problem not the solution” and should be made leaner and meaner,and thus fairer to wealthy job creators whose increased wealth trickled down to the masses.
Meanwhile,politicians reframed the focus of the nation from a community working together for the common good to everyone can make it big. People were encouraged to invest in the stock market,open 401Ks and build a portfolio of wealth. Anyone who failed to make it rich in America just did not work hard enough or smart enough;and was underserving of support by those who did the right thing. We came to view people as big thinkers and doers or small thinkers and doers. Economies of scale were considered good for the social order.
The young graduates,with huge education loans and low-paying jobs were told the right thing was to use 1/3 of one’s income to pay living expenses,put 1/3 into savings/investments, and give 1/3 to charity. Doing this would assure a secure retirement and make social security unnecessary. Doing this would assure the poor would be cared for through private charity and make welfare,food stamps and medicaid unnecessary. Young people were told that social security and medicare were unsustainable and too costly, and would not be available when they retired. Elderly were described as free-loaders who felt entitled to government care, depriving young people of a chance for a strong economy in which they could thrive. They were told it was better to create a private retirement investment portfolio on Wall Street with a much higher return than any FICA tax could provide for them.
Doesn’t this sound like today’s headline stories? This was happening 35 years ago. This is my generation’s story.We were warned we would have no social security when we were ready to retire. We are now retiring, with social security. The fear-mongering was not true 35 years ago. And, it is not true now. And, thanks to President Obama, we do not see the massive savings and loans/bank failures experienced 35 years ago. Thanks to President Obama we see an increase in manufacturing;an entire auto industry saved and made more profitable, not lost like the steel and aluminum industries were lost 35 years ago. And, thanks to President Obama we do not have high inflation rates as we did 35 years ago.
I worry about putting social security on the table while discussing deficit reduction. Social Security has no relevance to the creation or elimination of the deficit. That will be easily explained. But, I expect the old attacks on Social Security will once again be trotted out to misinform and mislead younger voters. It will be framed as a job destroyer, siphoning off money which could be used to create jobs. It will be framed as a scourge on the growth of private retirement portfolios. It will make enemies of young underemployed recent graduates of this generation and those of my generation. My generation will recognize it as a pack of lies,because we have seen the lie exposed over time. But will the young believe us, or those who would lie to get their hands on a big chunk of change. Investment managers will be tempted to take big risks to make big personal gains, which could leave future retirees holding an empty retirement bag. We now-old young people have watched this happen over and over again. We recognize the game.
We are being encouraged to raise this issue with our president,senators and representatives. And, we should do so. We must also discuss this issue with younger people .This is an issue which should cross age barriers, not create new barriers. This is a chance to make our party stronger and more united. We cannot pass up this chance to strengthen our bonds. The republicans certainly will do all they can to weaken them. After all, they are even willing to default on our debts and throw the world’s economy into chaos, just to destroy social security,medicare and medicaid. This is serious business,and has been for decades.
This should not be a partisan issue, but it is. My republican friends will assure me they would never destroy these programs. They will argue that Democrats are no different than Republicans; that even the president says we agree on almost everything, including the need to fix entitlement programs. This is well and good.But we cannot ignore the differences set in stone in each party’s platform. Democrats promise to protect entitlement programs. Republicans promise to eliminate or reduce them. These positions are not the same;they are world’s apart. We must hold Democrats and Republicans equally accountable. Truth-telling is the only way to be non-partisan.
HEALTHY APPETITES FUEL HEALTHY ECONOMIES,By Louise Annarino,January 2,2013
Healthy Appetites Fuel Healthy Economies, By Louise Annarino, January 2, 2013
Feeling bloated? Too many cookies over the holidays? Made a resolution to lose weight; eat less and exercise more? “Five a day!” “Color your plate!” “Work Those Abs!” “Keep Moving!” This is nothing new. We have heard it all before.
Sensible weight loss, we are told, involves not severe calorie restriction, but sensible eating. Add more fresh vegetables and fruit. We are warned that if we cut calories too fast, or eat too little our body will believe it is starving and slow its metabolism even more. It will conserve and eventually shut-down its operation of essential functions leading to illness, even death. Anorexia and bulimia are now a routine part of the American lexicon. Our bodies need calories from food to function,survive, and thrive.Only when well-fueled can we keep our bodies moving, healthy and productive
The body politic has the same needs as the human body. Excessive military spending, waging war without raising taxes to pay the billions of dollars war costs, uncontrolled rising costs of medical care and health insurance premiums increasing medicare costs, and unregulated securities industry nearly which nearly destroyed banking worldwide, have bloated our deficit. The answer,however, is not to become bulimic and purge our government of the taxes needed to fuel government operations. Nor is the answer anorexic refusal to continue funding programs which would sustain our country’s very survival, and the heath and well-being of our fellow citizens.
The answer is to cut out those foods which are high in calories but low in benefit to the body politic. For example, subsidize green energy and manufacturing to build a competitive economic base and increase exports which would improve the GDP and decrease the trade deficit. And, eliminate oil subsidies for companies which are so bloated by profits they no longer need the subsidy. Also, extend medicare for all; don’t cut it or increase its operational costs. Take the boated profit from health insurers and apply the savings to broader preventive care for the entire population which would reduce costs over time.It would free a company to redirect its profits into wages for employees,rather than funding their health care plans. Pass a transportation bill which would reduce our dependency on oil, rebuild and redesign our transportation infrastructure and connect communities large and small.This would create new jobs, expand the tax base and lower the deficit with greater productivity. Conservatives try to “starve the beast”. We should instead be feeding the body politic. They have it exactly backwards.
The role of a representative government is to secure the safety, productivity and civil rights of its citizens, encourage the productivity and health of the nation itself, and propel the country forward into an unknown future. Both individuals and political bodies must eat wisely but well, stay active and involved in the world, and strengthen their ability to rise to the challenges yet to come. An anorexic or bulimic government response is no solution to what ails our economy. Government must continue to feed the economy, but do it “smarter” and better as President Obama often reminds us. We and our government should switch from trans-fats to olive oil, but it can’t and it should not eliminate fat altogether. Without some fat, some essential vitamins cannot be stored or used by muscle we need to keep moving.
Fiscal conservatives must not be allowed to label a healthy and well-balanced spending/taxing formula as destructive. To the contrary, it is that balance which will stimulate individuals and government to greater health and productivity. Those who want to protect their grandchildren’s future would do well to recall what is required to rear healthy and productive children and economies. Want to save your grandchildren? Feed them well, and often. Neither we, nor our government, are beasts.
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