Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Labor Day: Where's The Celebration

It's time to Break It Down!

Next Monday is Labor Day.  At its core, According to the U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Day in the United States was designed to commemorate the creation of the labor movement; dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers.  The holiday focuses on contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity and well-being of our country.

First observed in September, 1882, the event has always been observed on the first Monday of the month.  Initiated by the Central Labor Union of New York, the celebration became a federal holiday in 1894.

In addition to its formal structure and purpose, Labor Day has a number of symbolic associations.  It is considered:
  • The unofficial “End of Summer
  • The last 3-Day warm weather weekend for vacationers
  • By High Society, the last day for which it is appropriate for women to wear white
  • The beginning of the College Football Season (the preceding Saturday)
  • The beginning of the NFL Season (the following Thursday)
  • The conventional kick-off of hard core political campaign season
  • Back-to-School shopping
On the formal side, while the Labor Department’s blurb omits any reference to it, Labor Day also validates and recognizes an often controversial mechanism that frequently divides American opinion; the labor union.  Scorned by many who fancy themselves as Free Enterprise Capitalists, unions and their members have not only been actively involved historically, in debates that framed public policy for American workers, they have won or forced hard-earned concessions that in the shimmering glow of reflective perspective, must be considered to have fundamentally altered the playing field (known as the workplace), including:

  • Pensions
  • Health Care Benefits
  • Paid Vacations
  • Equal Pay to women
  • The Development of Child Labor Laws
  • The 5-Day Work Week
  • The 40-Hour Work Week
  • The 8-Hour Work Day
  • Worker’s Compensation benefits
  • Female Flight Attendants permitted to marry
These and many other important cherished and effective employee rights are attributable to the efforts of the American Labor Movement.  But, this is not an ode to Labor Unions.  Unions also have downsides.  They create or contribute to:

  • The potential for strikes
  • Additional costs to all employees (membership dues; whether a member or not)
  • Loss of individuality (ability to represent one’s self in a grievance)
  • Subject to fines & discipline by the Union
  • Disincentives to productivity and competition
  • Lack of promotions
  • Burdensome salary demands (relative to the market)
  • Loss of profits (and/or pay) due to strike
  • Inefficient & ineffective contracts
  • Increased unemployment due to failure to reach agreement w/management
The first Labor Day celebration was led by a Labor Union.  The history of the Day has been linked, inextricably, with Labor organizations, ever since.  But if it is the American Worker the Day was intended to commemorate, Labor Day 2011 is set in an auspicious and trenchant backdrop.

  • The Unemployment Rate in the U.S. was reported to be 9.1% in July
  • The economy added only 117,000 jobs in July (154,000 in the private sector, -37,000 government jobs); better than expected, but still a dismally low number
  • Businesses are stockpiling $2 trillion in cash
President Obama, who announced after the Debt CeilingDeal on August 2nd, that he will present a jobs proposal for Congress to consider, is set to do so after Labor Day (September 8th).  The proposal is expected to include a combination of tax cuts, spending on infrastructure, and measures designed to assist the long-term unemployed, while bolstering certain sectors of the economy.  This potion sounds eerily similar to the ideas Democrats proposed when negotiating the Debt Deal. 

Republicans are lining up to oppose the plan, suggesting instead, among other things, a Balanced Budget Amendment; a balm the GOP/Tea Party also suggested during the Debt Deal negotiation.  In short, there is little expectation for significant movement, or the adoption of sweeping legislation to address the lack of jobs in America.  What we have instead is, déjà vu; all over, again!  Sadly, I am compelled to ask, “Labor Day: Where Is The Celebration?”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.  A new post is published each Wednesday.  For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:














Wednesday, August 24, 2011

A Dream Deferred: The Legacy Lives!

It's time to Break It Down!

(This Post is dedicated to those men who march onward and upward toward the light!)

Before delving into the topic du jour, I am compelled to make a couple of observations, and reflect upon an historical note.  First, allow me to share the Note.  It is with little pomp or fanfare, but a deep sense of humility, and a great deal of personal satisfaction that I mention this post marks the 4th Anniversary of Break It Down! 

There are so many instances in life that remind us how quickly time passes.  The changing of the seasons, high school and/or college graduations, birthdays, retirements; each of these events, in its own way, captures and projects the fleeting nature of our brief occupancy here on Planet Earth.  Break It Down has been around for 16 season changes, 4 graduation seasons and birthdays, and my first Retirement.

In the 208 weeks since Monday August 20, 2007, I have posted 219 times; at least once each week.  That August evening, I entitled my original rendering, “Obama Plays The Experience Card!”  That reference serves to segue into my observations.  President Obama is in the midst of a “10-day vacation” in Martha’s Vineyard.  I made “10-day vacationparenthetical, because, in reality, U.S. Presidents are never really on holiday or vacation.  Wherever they go; and whatever else they may be doing, the job; power, authority, responsibility and all, accompanies them.  The simple truth is it is inescapable.  That is Observation Number 1.

However, not every one believes that.  Some folks just don’t buy it.  They believe, instead, the President is abdicating his responsibility, and he should really be calling Congress back in Session so he can join them as they jointly figure more effective ways to deal with the economy, or the budget, or one of our multiple wars.  I have even read that a certain Fox News correspondent has suggested President Obama has taken more vacation days than George W. Bush did, when he was in Office (during a comparable time period).  That, of course, is untrue…for whatever it’s worth.  According to a CBS News factcheck, President Bush elevated vacation, if you want to call it that, to an art form.  He is far and away the all-time leader in the category; his get-a-ways are legendary, or at least they should be.  During his two terms in Office, President Bush’s “time away” included:

In an admittedly apples to oranges comparison, President Obama took 53 days of R&R during his first year in Office, including:

By contrast, during his first year in Office, President Bush made 25 visits to Camp David for 78 days, or nearly 50% more than the total number of recreational days President Obama took in his first year in Office.  Keep in mind that does not account for any time President Bush spent at Prairie Chapel Ranch, or in Kennebunkport.  

A closer look at the subject shows that President Obama has not only taken less vacation time than W, during comparable time in Office, but also less than Presidents George Herbert Walker Bush, and Reagan did over the same period.  On the other hand, he has taken more days than Presidents Carter and Clinton during comparable time frames.  So if you are checking, recent Republican Presidents have vacationed more than their Democratic counterparts.  That is Observation Number 2.

In short, the point is, all the discourse about President Obama’s vacation is much ado about nothing.  It is, for lack of a better phrase, political noise; intended specifically to distract and confuse.  Let it go!

Moving on to the main subject matter for today, forty-eight years ago this coming Sunday, the iconic March on Washingtonfor Jobs and Freedom took place.  The event was timed to bolster a then rapidly expanding Civil Rights Movement; it also marked the 100th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation.  The purpose of the March depended in part upon the variety of perspectives held by its key organizers, and to some extent, the views of detractors.

The key stakeholders were the group known as "Big Six,” and included the leaders of six key Civil Rights organizations active during the American Civil Rights Movement:

There was a lack of accord about the purpose of the March, even among the Big Six.  The NAACP and the NUL saw it as a means to support the recently proposed Civil Rights legislation released by the Kennedy Administration.  The Sleeping Car Porters and the SCLC viewed the March as a forum to raise awareness on Civil Rights and economic issues on a National level, beyond the Civil Rights legislation.  SNCC and CORE saw the March as a means to challenge and condemn the Kennedy Administration for its inaction and lack of support for civil rights for African Americans.

For his part, Malcolm X, spokesperson for the Nation of Islam (NOI), condemned the March.  He believed the Big Six had sold out by allowing white people to help plan and participate in the March.  In a speech called “Message to the Grass Roots,” he pointedly criticized the March, calling it a “picnic” and a “circus.”

Still, despite the lack of synergy that might have been provided by a unified purpose, the March attracted an estimated 200,000 to 300,000 participants.  Today it is considered one of the most powerful symbols of the Civil Rights Movement. 

If The March is known as one of the high points of the Movement, The Speech is widely considered the epic moment of the March.  You know, the I Have A Dreamspeech, delivered by the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Ultimately historical records suggest the March upped the ante on President Kennedy’s effort to move his proposed Civil Rights legislation.  Moreover, Dr. King’s role in the March, and particularly his 17-minute speech were instrumental in his being named Man of the Year by Time Magazinein 1963; in 1964, he would become the youngest person ever awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

That was then.  Two days ago, the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial was unveiled, and opened for public viewing.  Sunday, 48 years after the Great March on Washington, and the “I Have A Dream” oration, the monument will be Dedicated.  Then, some small, yet significant measure of Dr. King’s vision will be embedded in the annals of history.  Dr. King never envisioned, nor desired a 30-feet tall statue of him be erected on the National Mall.  That one has, epitomizes in so many ways, just how much has changed in America in less than half a century.  To paraphrase Robert Frost, we still have “Miles to go before we sleep;" many things to work on.  But make no mistake, while we may not be what we are going to become, we no longer are what we were…and that’s a good thing.   RIP Dear Martin, “A Dream Deferred: The Legacy Lives!”

As an aside, Hurricane Irene is bearing down on the Eastern seaboard of the United States and may threaten, disrupt, or cause cancellation of the Dedication activities.  Stay tuned to news and weather broadcasts for the area if you are planning to attend.  Remember, the Memorial is here now.  In the event you have to reschedule your visit to the Capital, the Momument will still be there.  Be smart; stay safe.     

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.  A new post is published each Wednesday.  For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:





































Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Compromise: Not If GOP Presidential Candidates Have Their Way!

It's Time to Break It Down!

During the recent Debt Ceiling debate, Congress and President Obama eventually cobbled together a near last-minute deal to avert a major National fiscal crisis.  Had the matter not been resolved by August 2nd, the Country would have faced the prospect of default. 

In practical terms, not only would the Country would have been taking in less money in receipts than it owed (we already do that), we would owe more than Congressionally allowed to spend...hence the Debt Ceiling.  At a minimum, this would have resulted in the need for a kind of financial triage; a situation in which the Treasury Department would have prioritized debts, paid some bills, and left others in the queue.

Almost all analysts agree the debt owed to bond holders would have been on the “pay” side of the ledger, as would active duty pay to soldiers.  Most likely, Social Security and Medicare payments would have been honored as well.  Beyond that, however, a great deal was fuzzy.

In the final analysis, an agreement was reached; the worst did not occur.  Still, one credit rating agency, Standard & Poor’s, downgraded America’s credit worthiness from Triple A to Double A+ in spite of the deal.  The other two major Rating agencies, Moody’s Investor Service, and Fitch Ratings retained their Triple A Rating for the US.  The downgrade fueled a week of wild volatility on Wall Street, which saw the Dow Jones Industrial Average move at least 400 points on 4 consecutive days; the first time ever.  The week ended on a modest uptick, and two consecutive days of increases. 

By the way, just a passing note.  Make no mistake, it was critical to prevent the aforementioned crisis.  Yet, be warned, we are still immeshed in catastrophic circumstances.  The spending imbalance continues, despite the agreement.  Entitlement Reform, a Revised Tax Code, and additional revenue (new taxes) must all be included as part of any real ultimate solution, GOP-T Party intransigence notwithstanding.  

Polling data from 5 independent surveys taken in July showed the people agreed with President Obama’s assessment that Americans supported a combination of spending cuts and tax increases to be a part of any agreement to raise the debt ceiling.  The data broke down this way:

·         An ABC/Washington Post poll, released Tuesday, July 19th, indicated that more than six in ten Americans said any deficit agreement should include a combination of spending cuts and new taxes.  Large majorities of Democrats and Independents supported this approach, but so did nearly half of Republicans.

·         An NBC/Wall Street Journal poll, released Tuesday, July 19th, indicated 58% of Americans supported the President’s proposal which would have reduced the Federal deficit by $4 trillion over the next decade by cutting spending, increasing taxes on corporations and the wealthy, and reducing the level of spending on Medicare.  In comparison, 36% said they supported the Republicans’ proposal which would have reduced the Federal deficit by $2.5 trillion over the next decade by cutting Federal spending, but not raise taxes on corporations or the wealthy.

·         A CBS News poll, released Monday, July 18th, indicated that two-thirds of Americans said any agreement should include spending cuts and tax increases.  Conversely, 28% said a deal should only include spending cuts; 3% said such a deal should consist of only tax increases.  More than 70% of Democrats, over 67% of Independents, 55% of Republicans, and even 53% of self-described and Tea Party supporters agreed with this approach.

·         A Quinnipiac University poll, released the week of July 11th, indicated two-thirds of the public supported a deal that included spending cuts as well as tax increases for wealthy Americans and corporations.  Nearly 90% of Democrats and two-thirds of Independents supported the inclusion of tax increases.  Republicans were split on the issue.

·         A Gallup poll, released Monday, July 18th, indicated two-thirds of Americans believed Congress should agree to a compromise plan to raise the debt ceiling, even if it is a proposal with which they disagree.  Only 27% said they would have liked for their representative to hold out for the basic plan they wanted, even if the debt ceiling was not raised by the deadline.  In this poll, 72% of Independents, 69% of Democrats, and 57% of Republicans said their representative should agree to a compromise.

So in poll after poll, the people spoke.  What they said they wanted, time after time, clearly, distinctly, consistently, and perhaps most importantly, across Party lines was, they believed in the balanced approach to solving the debt and deficit problem.  So much for the marketplace of public opinion, at least as it relates to the never more rigid posture of the 8 Republican candidates for President who met for their most recent debate last Thursday at Iowa StateUniversity in Ames.  There, all 8 Republican candidates struck a blow for the GOP-T Party litmus test.  Those present included:

On that night, each and every candidate present proudly and emphatically raised their hand to affirm that even with a hypothetical proposal to tender $10 in debt reductions to every $1 in new revenue (taxes), that is a 10:1 ratio, they would say no!  No!  Where is the spirit of compromise?  Where is the will of the people?  Clearly, no where to be found!

After last weekend’s Iowa Straw Poll, the Big 3 in the Republican field appear to be shaping up as Mitt Romney, Michele Bachmann, and newly entered Rick Perry.  Presidential campaigns are grand endeavors which frequently result in candidates making controversial statements.  Each of these 3 candidates has put his or her stamp on that trend.  Without examining the questionable statements of all the candidates, or all the statements made by these 3 candidates, here are a few examples of positions these individuals have espoused, one statement made by each candidate within the past week:

  • Mitt Romney – “Corporations are people!”  On the stump in Iowa this week, in response to a question, Governor Romney indicated that corporations are people.  Of course, there is a Supreme Court Opinion and accompanying case law to validate this idea.  Still, a more narrow and truthful response would have been, yes, corporations are people: “it is just that those people are the company’s shareholders and investors; not the people at-large (as his response seemed to imply).  That is definitely a distinction worth making…and understanding.
  • Michele Bachmann – Claimed during the Iowa Debate to have been “The leading voice against raising the debt ceiling.  Representative Bachmann noted with relish that she opposed raising the debt limit.  She, like a number of ultra Conservatives, does not believe the Country was in danger of defaulting, and should, therefore, not have raised the ceiling.  Most observers, fiscal experts, and members of Congress disagreed with the gentlewoman from Minnesota.
  • Rick Perry – in a loaded and broadside attack against Federal Reserve Chairman, Ben Bernanke, on Monday, Governor Perry indicated that “If this guy prints more money between now and the election, I don’t know what y’all would do to him in Iowa, but we would treat him pretty ugly down in Texas,Perry said. “Printing more money to play politics at this particular time in American history is almost . . . treasonous in my opinion.”  It is instructive to note that Mr. Bernanke not only served in the Bush White House, but was appointed as Fed Chief by President George W. Bush.  The idea that Mr. Bernanke will somehow suddenly mutate into a Left-leaning political operative, a tool of Democrats, intent on confounding GOP-T Party interests and candidates is far-fetched…at best...absurd at the far end of the spectrum.  Remember, Governor Perry is the same guy who intimated at a Tea Party Rally some time ago that Texas might secede from the US.  He and odd notions are not strangers.      
The GOP has assembled an interesting array of candidates for President.  It is possible for more to come.  SarahPalin, Rudy Giuliani, and Donald Trump, to name a few, have all hinted at, or at least left the door open to pursuing a bid for Commander-in-Chief.  Any or all of them may choose to get in between now and by the end of September, by which time Palin and Giuliani have said they would decide.  The Donald may be using a different timetable. 

But be that as it may; Romney, Bachmann, and Perry lead the field at the moment.  Taken collectively, the 3 leaders, and the remaining other candidates (Tim Pawlenty dropped out after a disappointing finish in the Iowa Straw Poll), have all demonstrated a sharply defined and resolute commitment to the Norquist Pledge; no taxes, no how.  To that end, on the question of “Compromise: Not If GOP Presidential Candidates Have Their Way!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com.  A new post is published each Wednesday.  For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below: