Tuesday, October 07, 2008
By MARY KATE MALONE Staff Writer In her 96 years, Wilma Borkosky had never once voted for president. That changed Monday night, when the longtime Arlington resident, cane in hand, voted for Sen. Barack Obama at the Hancock County Board of Elections. She was one of 57 people who registered and voted during one visit to the elections board. Borkosky was urged to vote by her grandson-in-law, Scott Grenerth, who accompanied her Monday. Monday also was the last day to register to vote in the Nov. 4 general election. The elections board had a line out the door as Borkosky was leaving. Many parents came to register in work clothes, children in tow. Crystal Bejarano was nudged to the polls by the Obama campaign, she said, which called three times, urging her to vote early. "That was my motivation," she said while standing in line at the elections board. Bejarano moved to Findlay with her husband and two young sons last August from Texas. She said she had not voted in at least 10 years. The Obama campaign has been pushing Democratic-leaning groups such as college students and low-income voters to the polls, according to the Associated Press. At the University of Findlay, Obama volunteers were providing rides to the elections board. By 7:45 p.m., they had shuttled about 30 students to the polls, they said. Obama campaign members stopped by four times to drop off piles of voter registration applications, O'Brien said. http://www.thecourier.com/Issues/2008/Oct/07/ar_news_100708_story1.asp?d=100708_story1,2008,Oct,07&c=n
In 2004, John Kerry lost by 118,601 votes - an average of 9 votes per precinct.
By taking Ohio, George W Bush won enough electoral votes to secure a second term.
Please, drop everything and come to Ohio!
http://my.barackobama.com/page/-/Video_states/OH/ComeToOhio.mov
Less than two weeks remain before the Organizing Fellows training and getting absorbed into the campaign for six weeks. I’m making mental lists (and I better start writing them down) of things I’d like to get done beforehand. In no particular order...
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/6/1/145311/4936/0/526800
The extended forecast looks promising for the last spring ephemeral walk of the season this Thursday, May 22, at Irwin Prairie.
Get to know your wild neighbors with guided nature observations around Northwestern Ohio. Photography is welcomed. No fee. Enjoy Obama fellowship and our environment.FOR MORE INFORMATION / LOCATIONS / MAPS, email: voteonpaper@gmail.com http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/4ph5
Irwin PrairieMore than 26 state-listed species of plants occur here including red baneberry, Sartwell's sedge, fringed gentian, Kalm's St. John's-wort, Riddell's goldenrod and grass-leaf arrowhead.
Rare animals sighted at Irwin Prairie include sedge wrens, Bell's vireo, least bittern, golden-winged warbler, spotted and blandings turtles and the purplish copper butterfly.
The preserve has a handicapped accessible boardwalk which provides access through Irwin Prairie. The boardwalk is a 1 1/4 mile loop trail beginning at the parking lot. This boardwalk does not have kick rails for wheelchairs. We suggest that wheelchair users have assistance when using this trail system.
Located in Lucas County about 10 miles west of Toledo. From I-475/U.S. Route 23, follow U.S. Route 20 west approximately 3 miles to Centennial Road; south about 1 mile to Bancroft Street; and then west on Bancroft street to the preserve entrance. Parking lot, restrooms and trail system present.
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/dnap/location/irwin_prairie/tabid/946/Default.aspx
NW Ohio:A carpool will be leaving Hancock County at 8:00 am on Thursday, May 22, from Van Buren State Park in the parking lot by the dam. Wood County residents should email to make carpool arrangements. Lucas County residents can join at the Irwin Prairie trail head at 10:00 am located on Bancroft Street.
Hope to see you there!
I didn’t procrastinate. I got my application in five days before the deadline. Then it was announced that the application period had been extended for the Obama Organizing Fellows. I quickly got over it but looked forward to some news on May 16. Today is May 16.
The temperatures have been hovering in the sixties this week. It’s been damp and rainy and side roads have been wormy. Today, though, the clouds have made way for some of that mid-spring sun to reach my spot in the Midwest. It felt really good being outside today. The sun was warm. A turkey vulture had dropped a feather next to the raspberry shrubs for me to find, a particularly rare gift.
My mobile rang. I didn’t know the number, but heard a familiar phrase when I answered, “This is Spencer with the Barack Obama Campaign. You applied for the Obama Organizing Fellows? If you have time right now, I’d like to conduct a preliminary interview.”
In addition to asking the questions that were on the application, I was asked if I would be able to commit to 30 hours or more for six weeks this summer through the end of July. We discussed a few finer points including would I be able to take direction from someone who is, on average, 24 years old? Hmm… Our conversation concluded with the suggestion that I should be hearing from the Campaign within the next week.
If accepted, training will take place in Columbus on June 14 and 15. It would seem as if I passed the second step, so the reference calls may start soon.
Senator McCain's proposal to refrain from collecting gas tax this summer has at its core an aim to offer relief for families and individuals who need it most. HOWEVER, when administrative costs to collect or in this case NOT collect fuel tax are so small, Senator McCain’s plan appears to be little more than a band-aid for a much larger problem. Our government is actually extremely efficient at collecting fuel taxes: less than 0.2 percent of the tax goes to administrative costs. The fuel tax has remained unchanged since 1993. Surely there is a better way to offer relief to American consumers.
The answer is NOT government regulation of oil prices but rather alter how oil is traded on the market. When someone artificially inflates oil prices just so that he or she can be the first person to buy oil at a cost of over $100 a barrel, it is the working families and individuals who actually PAY for that person's unique privilege.
In 2005, Representative Slaughter (NY), introduced a bill that would permit filling stations to purchase fuel outside of their "pricing zone" allowing retail gas distributors to buy at a lower wholesale price. House Republicans blocked this bill. American families deserve to know why Republicans didn't act on this critical opportunity.
Representative John Larson (CT), is proposing legislation that changes how oil is traded on the market to prevent artificially inflated pricing.
Instead of putting a band-aid on the problem of high fuel prices as Senator McCain proposes, we should seek to end the practice of artificial price inflation for long-term relief for Americans.
Get to know your wild neighbors with guided nature observations around Northwestern Ohio. Photography is welcomed. No fee. Enjoy fellowship and our environment.
FOR MORE INFORMATION / LOCATIONS / MAPS, email: voteonpaper@gmail.com
April 17Seneca County Excursion8:30am. Please allow the full morning for this trip. Carpool from the Patriot Shopping parking lot (in front of Stevie B’s Pizza), in Findlay, or meet at the Franciscan Earth Literacy Center, Tiffin, Ohio at 9:15am.
April 24Goll Woods8:00 am. Please allow the morning and early afternoon for this trip.Carpool from Van Buren State Park, west parking lot near dam at 8:00 am.Meet Ryan Schroeder, NW District Manager @ 10am.
May 1Mohican Area Excursion8:00 am.Please allow a full day for this trip. Carpool from Riverbend Recreation Area Big Oaks parking lot at 8:00 am. Lunch at Broken Rocks Café in Loudenville.
May 8Van Buren State Park9:30am – 11:00am.Meet at the Nature Center. Join Naturalist Natalie Miller for a guided walk at Van Buren.
May 15Howard Collier 8:30am.Please allow the full morning for this trip. Carpool from Riverbend Recreation Area Big Oaks parking lot. Optional lunch at Moreno’s in Carey, 109 West Findlay Street.
May 22Irwin Prairie8:00 am.Please allow the morning and early afternoon for this trip.Carpool from Van Buren State Park, west parking lot near dam at 8:00 am. Meet Ryan Schroeder, NW District Manager @ 10am.
What to bring:A bottle of water and a mid-morning snack are recommended. An extra pair of shoes, gloves, hat, scarf, binoculars, hand lens, field guides, notebook, pencil…
What to leave at home:Perfume, cologne, and other strongly scented accoutrements.
WEATHER POLICY:Excessive rain and high winds can make trail conditions hazardous. Consider the weather before heading out and dress appropriately. Sustained winds over 40 mph or lightning CANCELS an event.
If you enjoy visiting natural areas and preserves, please contact the managing agencies with a letter or telephone call. Feedback can mean the difference between keeping or cutting access to sites and services. Thank you!
Participation in any and all events is voluntary. All agencies, site managers, employees, leaders, guides, organizers, and volunteers want you to have a safe excursion but cannot be held liable for any mishap, injury, or loss of equipment
Talking Taxes
I finally sat down last night with the mound of W-2s and other information we received in the mail at the beginning of the year. We had quite a few changes last year, and I have great worries that we’re going to owe a serious chunk of bread. Last year, trying to file online was a nightmare. I think it took four tries to find software that would apply to our situation (even using the IRS narrow it down feature).
Barack Obama’s Plan
· Eliminate Income Taxes for Seniors Making Less than $50,000
This proposal will eliminate income taxes for 7 million seniors, and provide these seniors with an average savings of $1,400 each year. Under the Obama plan, 27 million American seniors will also not need to file an income tax return. For many seniors, this will eliminate the need to hire a tax preparer, resulting in even larger savings.
This is true for my 96 year old grandmother. Her income was about $36,000, and she owed $2,100 this year plus $60 in tax preparation, and paying for the trip across the county to drop off the paperwork, then another trip to go get it. (I would have loved for that $2100 go to new hearing aids!)
· Simplify Tax Filings for Middle Class Americans
Obama will dramatically simplify tax filings so that millions of Americans will be able to do their taxes in less than five minutes. Obama will ensure that the IRS uses the information it already gets from banks and employers to give taxpayers the OPTION (my emphasis) of pre-filled tax forms to verify, sign, and return. Experts estimate that the Obama proposal will save Americans up to 200 million total hours of work and aggravation and up to $2 billion in tax preparer fees. (Not to mention paper!)
I would really like to know Obama supporters and guests to the Obama blog think about the “Simplify Tax Filings” idea.
Personally, I would like taxes to be SIMPLE and FAIR. I also like any proposal that would tax the consumption of new thing over used things to encourage getting the most out of items and getting us away from our disposable mentality.
Any tax preparers out there, I’d like for you to weigh in, too.
I may post this a couple of more times. I’m not trying to spam, just trying to get different opinions.
My thanks in advance,
Bobbie Sue “ ‘Cause I’m the Tax Man, Yeah, I’m the Tax Man, and you’re working for no one but me!” Greenearth
A New Victory Garden
Throughout our extended weekend and stay with a gracious Obama volunteer in Pittsburgh, I must admit I wondered if someone had matched us, a white, Mennonite-by-choice, vegan couple with a 70 year-young, black, Reconciliation-by-choice, health-conscious grandmother. We had so much in common, but our differences made for deep and purposeful conversations. It was as if we had filled out a matchmaker form in great detail and were placed intentionally with Dolly.
We made the drive from Northwestern Ohio in order to register and speak with voters in Pennsylvania. Admittedly, there were trying moments from a few hecklers, but as Barack Obama pointed out in The Audacity of Hope, “When people ask me … how I can possibly operate in the current political environment, with all the negative campaigning and personal attacks, I may mention Nelson Mandela, Alseksandr Solzhenitsyn, or some guy in a Chinese or Egyptian prison somewhere. In truth, being called names is not such a bad deal.” Indeed, it’s not such a bad deal.
Dolly opened up her senior living apartment to us. We talked. We shared stories. We asked if we could attend worship services with her. Dolly explained that her church is a UCC ministry of Reconciliation. Years ago, three congregations joined as one as an answer to Dr. King’s truism about the Sunday hour being the most segregated of all. The congregation is vibrant, dynamic, and diverse. Dolly’s daughter is the pastor. We came away with our souls nurtured and fed.
On our last day, we made breakfast for Dolly. Sharing a meal can be a very personal event. Food, itself can be very controversial. Food should never be used as a weapon. Food should not be obtained by violent means. Food should nourish and sustain. Food is connected to many of the problems our country faces today. Better food choices are directly related to better health. Choosing local foods supports the local economy and saves resources. Learning about how our food is grown and manufactured connects us with our health, the economy, and the environment.
Dolly told us that she had heard people say they just don’t have time to fix healthy meals, but she couldn’t understand the logic. “I make a big batch of soup and put some of it in the freezer. When I’m busy, I don’t have to settle for an unhealthy snack.” We concurred. “Yeah, we can pay a little more now for healthy food as an investment for a healthier body in the future.”
It is an investment, isn’t it? It’s also a matter of education. We believe that the best place to start is with young people. Many start-up programs on the local level address putting children on a path to growing their own food. When children make the connection to their food, they are automatically connected to the care of their neighbors, water resources, how much sun is filtered through the clouds, soil health, wildlife that shares a garden space, garden science, the economy of seeds and supplies, commitment to pulling weeds, responsibility throughout the growing season, harvesting, transportation, marketing, local codes about selling, the satisfaction of meeting a customer face to face, and even profit. When young people appreciate the story that is food, they have the ability to make changes in how their family’s food dollar is spent. They learn that each penny spent is a vote.
Our lives would have been so much poorer if we had never met Dolly. Senator Obama brought us together. We believe that garden mentors and volunteers might have a similar influence on generations of children raised on highly processed, empty foods. If we reinvest ourselves in a commitment to our government, we will have a stronger republic. If we invest our children in a commitment to real food, many connections will fall into place. It’s a new purpose for a Victory Garden.
Dear Obama Family,
We traveled a bit over 200 miles to register and talk with voters in Pittsburgh, PA, this past weekend. (So many others have traveled so much further than we have!) Thirteen of you donated $1 per mile directly to the Obama campaign for each mile we are driving to Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Louisville. THANK YOU!
Now, to get home, instead of money (although money is needed, too,) we would like to have Obama supporters pledge to stay involved AFTER January 20, 2009. Between now and 2pm today if we could get 217 pledges of support that would mean 1 person = 1 mile. http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/4rw48
How to stay involved AFTER January 20, 2009:
1) Can you read or watch the news?2) Can you find a topic in the news you care about?3) Can you find out more about a subject that interests or concerns you? 4) Are you willing to learn more about different sides of the issue other than your own? 5) Do you know who represents you on the local, state, and federal level? 6) Are you willing to find out if there is a bill before the House of Representatives: http://www.house.gov/ or the Sentate: http://www.senate.gov/ regarding the issue you care about? 7) Are you willing to find out which committee in the House or Senate deals with the issue you care about? 8) Are you willing to make telephone calls, send faxes, dispatch emails, or write letters regarding the issue you care about? 9) Are you willing to speak with your neighbors about what they can do to help? 10) If you can do these things, are you willing to continue to stay involved AFTER January 20, 2009, because President Barack Obama cannot do the job alone. He needs us! Will you pledge to stay involved AFTER January 20, 2009? http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/communityservice/4rw48 Thank you! Scott & Bobbie Sue
When Avera Ella Freeman was born in 1959, her mother saw to it that she would know love, discipline, and responsibility. Avera credits her mother first when thinking back on the choices she made. "When I was very young, I was permitted the freedom to lie in the back yard beside the huge hydrangea. I pretended the clouds fell from the sky and landed on the shrub. I picked some of those clouds and put them in a basket. Mama walked with me down the sidewalk as I knocked on neighbors’ doors asking if they wanted to buy a cloud. Sometimes I would get a penny for the flowers. Mama never let me out of her sight. Even though I wanted to buy candy with the pennies, Mama showed me how it was a better choice to give the money to the Neighbor’s Care Fund at church. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t have all the candy I probably would have gotten otherwise."
Her name might not be familiar to you, but Dr. Freeman has been on the cutting edge of AIDS research since 1987. "As you know, any one can contract HIV / AIDS. Though our blood supply becomes more reliable with each passing day, there have been cases in the past when children requiring a transfusion have become infected with HIV due to contaminated blood product. My team has been working diligently to make the lives of everyone affected by HIV as normal as possible."
More than just prescribing a series of medications for the patient, Dr. Freeman counsels loved ones to participate in a special therapeutic regimen that nurtures problem solving in a wholesome way. "Patients and their families will run into difficulties in a variety of areas as treatment progresses. Energy levels, the why-me outlook, and sometimes financial problems can occur. We want people to know what to expect and make sure they have the tools they need before they need them."
Freeman’s methods may sound warm and fuzzy, but the results speak for themselves. Patients under Dr. Freeman’s care are 82% more likely to continue treatment indefinitely with better outcomes compared to those who receive standard counseling. "They have higher energy levels and are better able to problem solve in their daily lives even if the problems have nothing to do with their illness," reports Dr. Freeman.
Governor Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania is pleased that the achievements made by Dr. Freeman have occurred in his state. "I’m proud of Avera. She’s really made a name for herself in our state. I point to her when constituents tell me they won’t vote for someone of color. I look them right in the eye and say to them, ‘I know that when it comes right down to it, you’d pick the best doctor for your child no matter what her skin color. We have the best right here in Pennsylvania! You don’t have to go far! It’s the same when you vote. Choose the best person for the job no matter what shade of skin the candidate comes in.’"
Inspired by Avera Freeman, Former Congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro started a foundation with two missions. The first is to train other practitioners in the methods formulated by Dr. Freeman. The second is to make sure that children whose parents make under $50,000 a year can participate in the family treatment program. "Alvera’s mother has given the world an amazing gift in her daughter. When children are given the free time as a child to solve problems on their own, they become creative problem-solving adults. When children have a role model that puts value in community, they become adults who see to it that neighbors are cared for in a moment of need." Ms. Ferraro neglected to point out that Dr. Freeman is black.
Dr. Freeman is slated to receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom at the end of the week in a ceremony at the White House. Ten other individuals have been named to receive the honor from President Obama this year. Dr. Freeman practices in Commonwealth State University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The morning began with the primary election in the state of Mississippi and my anxious concern over maintaining the transparency of the vote not just in the South, but in the Midwest. Pennsylvania waits. Here in Ohio, the previous Secretary of State, Kenneth Blackwell, strong-armed county Board of Election offices into purchasing expensive and dated EVS (Electronic Voting Systems) machines which are as flawed as the humans who program them. Indeed, in Toledo, voters in at least one township were not offered the entire ballot. Our new SoS, Jennifer Brunner, recommended that some areas stop using the EVS machines and instead vote on optic scan ballots with pencil, which I find curious because in our township house we’ve always been offered permanent ink. Pencil can be erased. Voters in our county have been told that EVS machines are NOT computers but something analogous to a microwave oven. We’ve been assured that our votes are completely safe. In Chicago this February, voters on the North side questioned pens that wouldn’t make a mark. They were told that the pens contained “invisible ink”, and their votes would count. Unfortunately, optic scan machines cannot read “invisible ink”.
The problem, I concluded, was that for all the time spent registering voters, stumping, canvassing, and driving them to their polling places, once inside the precinct, the voters are on their own. This March in Ohio, Jennifer Brunner rejected polling place observers even though they carried letters of notification. Transparency, apparently, is no longer permitted in the voting booth in the United States of America, or at least in Ohio. First-time voters must be educated and regular voters must be reminded of their rights and options. If I can be sure that the electorate knows how to manage their experience while casting their ballots, then I can be fairly certain that the election results are trustworthy. I am ready to get to work in Pennsylvania.
Determination is sloshing from my cup.
Despite the release of a thorough and factual memo by former director of the U.S. State Department Policy Planning Office, Greg Craig, debunking Senator Hillary Clinton’s assertions that she has ample foreign policy experience, the afternoon would take a frustrating turn. A once public figure is the ideal surrogate to cry foul based on sexism and “reverse” racism. Geraldine Ferraro had nothing to lose by losing her cool. What client wouldn’t want to hire that fierce and unrelenting warrior for consultation? Former U.S. Representative Ferraro asserts that the only reason U.S. Senator Obama has achieved his success is due to his skin color and gender. Apparently, no other person of color has run for President of the United States except for Victoria Claflin in 1872, Shirley Chisholm, the first African-American woman to be elected to Congress in 1968 and presidential candidate in 1972, Jesse Jackson who ran in 1984 and 1988 (whom Ferraro also blasted for receiving biased attention), Dr. Lenora Fulani, the first African American to get on the ballot in all 50 states in 1988 and 1992, Alan Keyes in 1996 and 2000, the Reverend Al Sharpton, Jr., in 2004, the same year that Carol Moseley Braun became a candidate for president.
For many years, African Americans have had a better chance running for President of the United States than they have becoming a quarterback in the NFL. In 1953, Willie Thrower became the first black quarterback. It took almost fifty years after the Chicago Bears brought that differently-colored person in before black quarterbacks would become customary in the NFL. Prior to the 1980’s, only four black quarterbacks had seasons in which they attempted 100 or more passes. Of course, black quarterbacks are only hired because of their skin color, while no regard is made for their ability to make wise judgments of when to throw the ball and when to rush with it.
Ms. Ferraro has done her job well. I’m distracted. The media is distracted. People are distracted. There are, however, some Americans who desperately long for a distraction because they have no means to secure healthcare insurance for their families. There are some families who would like to go to sleep tonight and wake up knowing that their home will not be foreclosed upon, but a second notice sits on the kitchen table. There are kitchen tables in America that have not seen the full bounty of our nation’s farmland for far too long. It’s hard to get ahead when you’re hungry. Without vast quantities of money to throw into a research grant, I’m going to have to assume that these families really don’t care if Senator Barack Obama got where he is today because of his skin color if he is able to motivate millions of people to care about the well-being of their neighbors.
My cup is tainted with bitterness.
The election results came in extremely quickly from Mississippi with a win for Senator Barack Obama followed by an email shortly thereafter from the candidate himself. My husband read the text aloud, “They're not just attacking me; they're attacking you. Over the weekend, an aide to Senator Clinton attempted to diminish the overwhelming number of contests we've won by referring to places we've prevailed as ‘boutique’ states and our supporters as the ‘latte-sipping’ crowd. I know that our victories in all of these states demonstrate a rejection of this kind of petty, divisive campaigning.”
After the losses in Ohio, Rhode Island, and the state-of-confusion results in Texas, many of the Obama-bloggers began to “flake out”. I became familiar with “flake out” at the end of February when my husband and I volunteered at an Obama rally at the University of Toledo. Duncan, the volunteer coordinator from Kentucky, explained the rules the evening before that would enable the rally to run smoothly.
Be nice.
Don’t run.
Know the answers.
Trust your captain.
Our answer for anything time related was to be “shortly”. We were told not to pester the Secret Service and not to speak with the press. Most importantly, he said, “Don’t flake out.” As volunteers queued for metal detection and bag searches outside Savage Hall, three people began to make absurd and unreasonable statements. One person not dressed for working four hours outdoors during an Ohio winter said, “I’m so cold! They better let us in!” Another person said, “This isn’t right. We’ve been out here working all day, and they’re not going to let us in!” A third person said, “We got shafted! All of us who have been working outside got shafted. We should have worked inside. We got shafted!” The complete and unabridged definition of “flake out” was demonstrated flawlessly before me.
A person standing next to me repeated Duncan’s words from the night before, “We’re here for the Senator. “
Some of the Obama-bloggers were just as flaky venting their frustrations after the election returns on March 4. At the time when I needed my Obama community most, they were aggressive and draining. Up until then, we had been very effective using self-policing measures. Many of us reminded the group that, “We’re here for the Senator.” I would add that we’re also blogging for the undecided voters.
Apologies began to trickle in now and then proclaiming a deeper understanding of our purpose. I turned to timelines of suffrage and civil rights as well as Senator Obama explaining, “If it was easy, I could simply mandate change.” If ending slavery, gaining the right to vote, breaking the glass ceiling, organizing farm workers, obtaining gay rights, amongst other things were easy; one person could have simply made them so. However, it takes convincing; it takes a true challenge to create real and lasting change. Could it be accurate that some Obama-bloggers were merely fair-weather-friends?
After a win in Wyoming and some much deserved rest with his family, Senator Obama fired up Mississippi and his bloggers. A couple of people watched his town hall and rally and cried, “He’s back!” An astute blogger made it clear that our candidate never left. It was the bloggers who had split. “Look at the top of this page. It says that the Senator is not asking us to believe in him, he’s asking us to believe in OUR ability to create change.” Perhaps, now we could get back to work, I hoped.
In a quiet moment after receiving Senator Obama’s post-Mississippi email, it dawned on me quite suddenly that the test and challenges of March 4, weren’t for the bloggers I had been scolding. Instead, it was MY belief that required testing. You see, I have absolutely every confidence in our candidate. His word is his oath. Where I fell quite short was my belief in my fellow Obama supporters. I didn’t have enough confidence in the bloggers to see beyond a temporary setback. I am utterly ashamed of myself. I apologize to my community. I denounce my doubt.
At the end of the day, Geraldine Ferraro and others like her who espouse divisiveness and baseless claims of unfair treatment have no power over me. It’s my choice; I won’t let them.
My cup is replenished. Barack Obama didn’t fill it for me. He encouraged me to do it myself.
I have some extra to share.
Junior bulls and bears: School promotes financial literacy, gives kids money to investBy DAVE CARPENTER , Associated PressLast update: March 9, 2008 - 1:09 PMhttp://www.startribune.com/business/16431301.htmlCHICAGO - Like their peers elsewhere, the students at a one-of-a-kind public elementary school on the South Side of Chicago are dazzled by pop-culture stars — Beyonce and Common, Kanye West and Lil' Wayne, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.Listen closely to the hallway chatter at Ariel Community Academy, though, and you may hear unexpected references to uncool dudes like Warren Buffett and Bill Gates. After all, these kids have their portfolios to worry about.The Ariel school is an experiment in financial literacy with real-life oomph: Each incoming first-grade class gets $20,000 that the children ultimately get to pick stocks for and manage. The goal is to add an I — investing — to the three R's, according John Rogers Jr., chairman and chief executive of Ariel Capital Management, the Chicago-based money management firm that established the school in 1996.At a time when pensions are being phased out and people must rely more on their own investment smarts, Rogers thinks saving and investment should be an integral part of the curriculum at schools across the country."It's important to have all the reading and writing and arithmetic skill sets, but we can't think of anything else more important than to be able to be financially viable and competent as you start to build your working career," he said.Experts say easy credit, aggressive marketing and the dizzying array of financial products and cashless spending options have led many American consumers astray, making it more essential than ever for kids to learn about money.Iowa State University professor Tahira Hira, a member of the newly formed President's Advisory Council on Financial Literacy, is among those advocating that personal finance be required teaching at every elementary school."People who were brought up with some lesson in saving or borrowing act differently than those who weren't," Hira said. Opening bank accounts for children, buying them stock in a fast-food company or the company that makes their favorite toy, teaching them to spend some, save some and give some away when they receive cash as a gift — "our research shows that all those things do matter," she said.The Ariel school's success can't be fully judged until its first graduates, now juniors in high school, make their own mark. But high math test scores give it a blue chip reputation and some cachet for its students in a mostly black, high-poverty area.When eighth grader Victoria Bills talks about investments with her friends, for example, "They're like, 'Oh Victoria, that's like so cool!'" she said. "They're like, 'I want to go to that school.'"That's music to the ears of the 49-year-old Rogers, who has long put a special emphasis on trying to encourage other African-Americans to save and invest more.A South Side native, Rogers first got enthused about investing at age 12 when his father began buying him different stocks every birthday and Christmas.After graduating from Princeton, where he was captain of the basketball team, he started Ariel when he was 24 with his own savings and investments begged from friends and family. Today, it has more than $13 billion under management in three mutual funds and separate accounts for 89 institutional clients. Rogers is also a close adviser to Sen. Barack Obama, who lives just five blocks down the street from the school in the Kenwood neighborhood.Inspired by a symposium he attended on financial literacy in the mid-1990s, Rogers had Ariel team with fellow Chicago investment firm John Nuveen & Co. to fund the innovative school program.The concept is simple: Ariel's experts manage a $20,000 portfolio for each class until sixth grade, briefing them regularly along the way, and then begin turning over the decisions to the children. Upon graduation from eighth grade, each class returns the initial investment amount to the school for another first-grade class and donates, invests or pockets the profits.After giving half the gains to community charity programs or school initiatives, each student can then take the rest in cash or invest it in a Section 529 college savings plan, in which case they are given an additional $1,000. Last year, 80 percent of graduates invested their $150 shares in a 529.The financial focus extends well beyond the portfolio at a school where hallways are named after Wall Street and other marketplaces, and students announce the latest business news twice daily over the PA system.Financial concepts are woven into the curriculum, with first graders learning about core economic principles, for example, while eighth graders put together their own business plans. All 440 students are offered free tutoring from Ariel's professionals on Saturdays, and the older kids have the chance to hear analyst presentations and attend meetings at McDonald's Corp., where Rogers sits on the board of directors.There's nothing dry about such schooling to these kids, according to Connie Moran, the school's director of financial education."When I say we're going to talk about money today, they don't go 'Eeeeewww' like some kids might," said Moran, a former bond analyst. "It's like saying we're going to recess — that's never a problem."Moran said her students soak up financial information like sponges. Besides, she noted, "We don't wait until our students are 16 to teach them how to read. Why wait until they're 16 to teach them how to manage a bank account?"Twice a week or so, junior boards of directors elected by the seventh and eighth grades gather around a table under a giant mural depicting a bull and bear to discuss their class holdings.With the whack of a gavel one recent day, they were off and running. The lively discussion touched on everything from the merits of the maker of Ugg boots to their tendency to load up on tech stocks to whether they should profit from companies that make weapons used in the war in Iraq.Student Jordan Lillybridge likes sitting in the boardroom."It gives me an opportunity to express my opinion on which stock we should pick — especially me and Sony, because I am a big fan of Sony," said Lillybridge, who is 12. "Also Panera Bread."Bills, too, revels in the whole experience, keeping tabs on financial news and monitoring her class' stocks at home."When I go to this school I actually feel special, because I'm learning things that most kids probably wouldn't even learn," she said, adding that she hopes to make enough in the market to help her mom.Rogers, whose company spends nearly $1 million a year on the school, would love to see it churn out future portfolio managers, accountants and investment bankers. But for now he finds it "absolutely thrilling" just to sit in on the children's discussions about stocks.Nurturing their education and watching them grow up and have fun with the stock market, he said, is "one of the greatest feelings in the world."___On the Net:Ariel Community Academy: http://www.arielmutualfunds.com/content/view/107/1067/
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http://www.coopamerica.org/
Good morning, OBAMA Nation!
MSNBC is asking for pictures and videos of your March 4 voting experience. We're sure many of you documented your historical vote. Let's show the MSM our Obama votes for truth and transparency!
Here's the link: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18616878/
THANK YOU!
Blessings,
Bobbie Sue & Scott Hussein-Greenearth
"Ready to denounce the politics of fear, bigotry, and hatred here in Ohio or where ever it may live."
It seemed as if every single one of my classmates was pulling one of those bejeweled cubes from their book bags and, by golly, I desperately wanted one, too. According to wiki, Rubik’s Cube arrived on Western shores in 1980. I was 11. My parents chose not to indulge any of my whining or pleading for the toy, but I couldn’t help but believe my life would be better, richer, and more complete if I had my own cube. One morning that year, I awoke from a dream that had weaved the tale of my eventual ownership and indeed, life was grand. The dream was so vivid that for a moment upon waking, I was sure I would be able to reach over and hold the cube in my hand. I also knew that having had an unconscious dream meant that my desire for that particular thing had become a true passion.
Seven years earlier, I had dreamt that I was outside on the sidewalk in front of my home and was gently lifted into the air by an autumn wind enabling me to fly, rather much like the Flying Nun. I was genuinely convinced of my ability to fly. The dream was so real: the desire to fly had become a passion.
When I fell asleep on Sunday evening, March 2nd, 2008, in my home state of Ohio, the entire night was overcome with intense images that included canvassing for Barack Obama, organizing phone bank lists for Barack Obama, and helping with a meet-and-greet for Barack Obama. Whilst I was sleeping, I kept asking myself, “Am I still dreaming? Yes, I’m still dreaming. Is the election over yet? No, it’s not over yet. Is Barack Obama President of the United States, yet? No, not yet. So, it’s all just a dream?” It seemed as if I had hardly realized any benefit from shutting my eyes save one, the necessity for Barack Obama to lead our country from the White House has become a true passion. I truly believe that having Barack Obama as our President will result in our lives being better, richer, and more complete. No amount of whining or pleading on my part will make it so. I must participate in order to make my dream come true.
Participating is the whole point. Those of us who have made phone calls, knocked on doors, made T-shirts and buttons, donated money, and walked with clipboards and GOTV volunteer sheets the winding queue of thousands of people have participated. We’ve offered our skill set to the cause and gained more experience along the way. We are the sort of people who will continue to participate after January 20th, 2009. We must participate if we want our government of the people, by the people, and for the people to succeed. The result will be a more satisfying, longer-lasting, farther-reaching democracy for everyone.
I never did own a genuine Rubik’s Cube, the one with the bright, solid colors. You know the one I am referring to, the toy with the well-known brand name that demands to be in every household. Instead, I collected cereal boxtops and sent for a grassroots cube instead. I didn’t simply save up a few bucks, rather I had to be patient, eat my cereal, cut out the boxtops, and mail in my request. Then, I had to allow six to eight weeks for it to arrive!
It is Tuesday morning, March 4th, 2008. I have awakened from another set of intense campaigning dreams in time to hear the freezing rain that was forecast has arrived. There is still much more work to be done today. Twenty-four hours from now, we may still not know the results of the primary. It would seem as if the one thing this process asks of its participants is patience. It probably won’t take six to eight weeks, but it will take time. According to Jill Kelly, Director of the Lucas County Board of Elections in Ohio, four to five hours are required to run 10,000 ballots. If done openly and transparently, the time it takes to tabulate the results is secondary. Have a bowl of cereal and dust off the Rubik’s. It may be awhile.
From the AP:
Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner and Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann, both Democrats, said both their offices have made extensive preparations to ensure the election goes smoothly. Dann, whose office helps enforce election law, predicted better primary and general elections this year "than the voters of Ohio have seen in at least half a generation." He said he will have 25 lawyers on standby across the state to take legal action, or to otherwise resolve conflicts, who can react immediately to voter concerns or attempts at illegal activity. Brunner said one lingering concern is that poll workers in some counties will be taking voting machines home this weekend, as they have as a convenience for years - on so-called "sleepovers" in advance of election day. She said she will seek to end the practice in time for the November general election, but decided it would be too disruptive to act before the primary. To address any security worries, Brunner said she is keeping detailed records of who has custody of the machines at all times. And Dann's office will be paying close attention.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/O/OH_ELECTION_PREPARATIONS_OHOL-?SITE=OHFIN&SECTION=STATE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT
