Congressional Black Caucus Foundation Convention. Speech by President Barack Obama
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/26/2009 07:28:00 pm
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Kirk Tanter Blog
Current, Historic, Revealing, Informative...
2009-09-26
2009-09-24
Michael Jackson's "THIS IS IT" movie hits a theater near you......WATCH!
Worldwide Release Dates: http://www.sonypictures.com/movies/michaeljacksonthisisit/international/
http://www.michaeljackson.com/us/home
http://www.fandango.com/michaeljacksonsthisisit_126972/movieoverview
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/24/2009 11:24:00 pm
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2009-09-22
Free Radio Alliance get Congressional support to fight HR 848
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | |
| September 22, 2009 | Kristopher Jones |
OPPOSITION TO RIAA PERFORMANCE TAX TOPS
250 IN HOUSE, REACHES 25 IN SENATE
-- Local Radio Freedom Act supported by 251 House members, 25 Senators--
WASHINGTON, DC -- A bipartisan group of 251 House members and 25 U.S. Senators are now on record in opposition to a performance tax, NAB announced today. The overwhelming Congressional opposition comes as the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) continues to lobby in support of legislation that would require local radio stations to pay an additional fee for every song aired free to listeners.
Meanwhile, Universal Music sent an email this week to local radio stations, thanking them for the free airplay provided for musicians Taylor Swift and Jaysean. "Thank You Radio For Simultaneous #1 Tracks @ Top 40 and Rhythm!" reads the email. The record label's recognition of the unparalleled promotional value of radio airplay contradicts statements made by recording industry representatives in Washington who have characterized radio airplay as "a form of piracy."
"Support in both the House and Senate for free and local radio continues to grow, despite an unprecedented lobbying campaign by RIAA," said NAB Executive Vice President Dennis Wharton. "We're hopeful that Congress ultimately rejects this bill and preserves the ability of local radio to freely expose new artists and new music to 235 million listeners every week."
Sens. Mary Landrieu (LA) and John Thune (SD) and Reps. Dennis Cardoza (CA-18), John Boccieri (OH-16), Brian Baird (WA-3), Joe Sestak (PA-7) and Daniel Lungren (CA-3) are the most recent co-sponsors of The Local Radio Freedom Act (H. Con. Res. 49, S. Con. Res. 14), a bipartisan resolution expressly opposing the record label-led performance tax effort. The Local Radio Freedom Act is now supported by a group of 251 House members and 25 U.S. Senators.
"Congress should not impose any new performance fee, tax, royalty, or other charge relating to the public performance of sound recordings on a local radio station for broadcasting sound recordings over-the-air, or on any business for such public performance of sound recordings," reads The Local Radio Freedom Act, which was unveiled at a February Capitol Hill event hosted by the Free Radio Alliance. The resolution was introduced by Reps. Gene Green (TX-29) and Mike Conaway (TX-11) in the House and by Sens. Blanche Lincoln (AR) and John Barrasso (WY) in the Senate.
The Local Radio Freedom Act's 251 House cosponsors are:
| Robert Aderholt (AL-4) | Bill Foster (IL-14) | Randy Neugebauer (TX-19) |
The Local Radio Freedom Act's 25 Senate cosponsors are:
| John Barrasso (WY) | Michael Enzi (WY) | Blanche Lincoln (AR) |
About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America's broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/22/2009 10:25:00 pm
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Reach Media sues over pulled Joyner show.
story by Inside Radio
Clear Channel’s “V-103” WVAZ, Chicago dropped Joyner’s show last March after 13 years making way for Steve Harvey. In a suit filed in Dallas County District Court, Reach Media says Clear Channel violated its contract by yanking the show two months early and seeks more than $800,000.
Reach’s suit says it should receive $116,644 in affiliation fees for May through the end of this year and $694,416 in lost net advertising revenue the Chicago Tribune reports. That includes $426,144 for the daily show and another $268,272 for Joyner’s weekend highlights program.
In a statement Reach Media says it was “given no notice” of WVAZ’s plans to drop Joyner’s show. Joyner found another way to air in the market where he famously once commuted to each day from Dallas by airplane, earning him the “Fly Jock” nickname. In April, Reach Media struck a brokerage deal buying time on Crawford Broadcasting’s “Soul 106.3” WSRB to clear the show in Chicago.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/22/2009 02:53:00 pm
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President Barack Obama's United Nations speech
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 22, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT UNITED NATIONS
SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON'S
CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
9:46 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much. Good morning. I want to thank the Secretary General for organizing this summit, and all the leaders who are participating. That so many of us are here today is a recognition that the threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it is growing. Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it -- boldly, swiftly, and together -- we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe.
No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change. Rising sea levels threaten every coastline. More powerful storms and floods threaten every continent. More frequent droughts and crop failures breed hunger and conflict in places where hunger and conflict already thrive. On shrinking islands, families are already being forced to flee their homes as climate refugees. The security and stability of each nation and all peoples -- our prosperity, our health, and our safety -- are in jeopardy. And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out.
And yet, we can reverse it. John F. Kennedy once observed that "Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man." It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. It is true of my own country, as well. We recognize that. But this is a new day. It is a new era. And I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history.
We are making our government's largest ever investment in renewable energy -- an investment aimed at doubling the generating capacity from wind and other renewable resources in three years. Across America, entrepreneurs are constructing wind turbines and solar panels and batteries for hybrid cars with the help of loan guarantees and tax credits -- projects that are creating new jobs and new industries. We're investing billions to cut energy waste in our homes, our buildings, and appliances -- helping American families save money on energy bills in the process.
We've proposed the very first national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks -- a standard that will also save consumers money and our nation oil. We're moving forward with our nation's first offshore wind energy projects. We're investing billions to capture carbon pollution so that we can clean up our coal plants. And just this week, we announced that for the first time ever, we'll begin tracking how much greenhouse gas pollution is being emitted throughout the country.
Later this week, I will work with my colleagues at the G20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so that we can better address our climate challenge. And already, we know that the recent drop in overall U.S. emissions is due in part to steps that promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy.
Most importantly, the House of Representatives passed an energy and climate bill in June that would finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy for American businesses and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One committee has already acted on this bill in the Senate and I look forward to engaging with others as we move forward.
Because no one nation can meet this challenge alone, the United States has also engaged more allies and partners in finding a solution than ever before. In April, we convened the first of what have now been six meetings of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate here in the United States. In Trinidad, I proposed an Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas. We've worked through the World Bank to promote renewable energy projects and technologies in the developing world. And we have put climate at the top of our diplomatic agenda when it comes to our relationships with countries as varied as China and Brazil; India and Mexico; from the continent of Africa to the continent of Europe.
Taken together, these steps represent a historic recognition on behalf of the American people and their government. We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations.
But though many of our nations have taken bold action and share in this determination, we did not come here to celebrate progress today. We came because there's so much more progress to be made. We came because there's so much more work to be done.
It is work that will not be easy. As we head towards Copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us. We seek sweeping but necessary change in the midst of a global recession, where every nation's most immediate priority is reviving their economy and putting their people back to work. And so all of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge.
But I'm here today to say that difficulty is no excuse for complacency. Unease is no excuse for inaction. And we must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of progress. Each of us must do what we can when we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet -- and we must all do it together. We must seize the opportunity to make Copenhagen a significant step forward in the global fight against climate change.
We also cannot allow the old divisions that have characterized the climate debate for so many years to block our progress. Yes, the developed nations that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead -- and that includes the United States. And we will continue to do so -- by investing in renewable energy and promoting greater efficiency and slashing our emissions to reach the targets we set for 2020 and our long-term goal for 2050.
But those rapidly growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part, as well. Some of these nations have already made great strides with the development and deployment of clean energy. Still, they need to commit to strong measures at home and agree to stand behind those commitments just as the developed nations must stand behind their own. We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. There's no other way.
We must also energize our efforts to put other developing nations -- especially the poorest and most vulnerable -- on a path to sustained growth. These nations do not have the same resources to combat climate change as countries like the United States or China do, but they have the most immediate stake in a solution. For these are the nations that are already living with the unfolding effects of a warming planet -- famine, drought, disappearing coastal villages, and the conflicts that arise from scarce resources. Their future is no longer a choice between a growing economy and a cleaner planet, because their survival depends on both. It will do little good to alleviate poverty if you can no longer harvest your crops or find drinkable water.
And that is why we have a responsibility to provide the financial and technical assistance needed to help these nations adapt to the impacts of climate change and pursue low-carbon development.
What we are seeking, after all, is not simply an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. We seek an agreement that will allow all nations to grow and raise living standards without endangering the planet. By developing and disseminating clean technology and sharing our know-how, we can help developing nations leap-frog dirty energy technologies and reduce dangerous emissions.
Mr. Secretary, as we meet here today, the good news is that after too many years of inaction and denial, there's finally widespread recognition of the urgency of the challenge before us. We know what needs to be done. We know that our planet's future depends on a global commitment to permanently reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We know that if we put the right rules and incentives in place, we will unleash the creative power of our best scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs to build a better world. And so many nations have already taken the first step on the journey towards that goal.
But the journey is long and the journey is hard. And we don't have much time left to make that journey. It's a journey that will require each of us to persevere through setbacks, and fight for every inch of progress, even when it comes in fits and starts. So let us begin. For if we are flexible and pragmatic, if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort, then we will achieve our common purpose: a world that is safer, cleaner, and healthier than the one we found; and a future that is worthy of our children.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
Office of the Press Secretary
_________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release September 22, 2009
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT
AT UNITED NATIONS
SECRETARY GENERAL BAN KI-MOON'S
CLIMATE CHANGE SUMMIT
United Nations Headquarters
New York, New York
9:46 A.M. EDT
PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you very much. Good morning. I want to thank the Secretary General for organizing this summit, and all the leaders who are participating. That so many of us are here today is a recognition that the threat from climate change is serious, it is urgent, and it is growing. Our generation's response to this challenge will be judged by history, for if we fail to meet it -- boldly, swiftly, and together -- we risk consigning future generations to an irreversible catastrophe.
No nation, however large or small, wealthy or poor, can escape the impact of climate change. Rising sea levels threaten every coastline. More powerful storms and floods threaten every continent. More frequent droughts and crop failures breed hunger and conflict in places where hunger and conflict already thrive. On shrinking islands, families are already being forced to flee their homes as climate refugees. The security and stability of each nation and all peoples -- our prosperity, our health, and our safety -- are in jeopardy. And the time we have to reverse this tide is running out.
And yet, we can reverse it. John F. Kennedy once observed that "Our problems are man-made, therefore they may be solved by man." It is true that for too many years, mankind has been slow to respond or even recognize the magnitude of the climate threat. It is true of my own country, as well. We recognize that. But this is a new day. It is a new era. And I am proud to say that the United States has done more to promote clean energy and reduce carbon pollution in the last eight months than at any other time in our history.
We are making our government's largest ever investment in renewable energy -- an investment aimed at doubling the generating capacity from wind and other renewable resources in three years. Across America, entrepreneurs are constructing wind turbines and solar panels and batteries for hybrid cars with the help of loan guarantees and tax credits -- projects that are creating new jobs and new industries. We're investing billions to cut energy waste in our homes, our buildings, and appliances -- helping American families save money on energy bills in the process.
We've proposed the very first national policy aimed at both increasing fuel economy and reducing greenhouse gas pollution for all new cars and trucks -- a standard that will also save consumers money and our nation oil. We're moving forward with our nation's first offshore wind energy projects. We're investing billions to capture carbon pollution so that we can clean up our coal plants. And just this week, we announced that for the first time ever, we'll begin tracking how much greenhouse gas pollution is being emitted throughout the country.
Later this week, I will work with my colleagues at the G20 to phase out fossil fuel subsidies so that we can better address our climate challenge. And already, we know that the recent drop in overall U.S. emissions is due in part to steps that promote greater efficiency and greater use of renewable energy.
Most importantly, the House of Representatives passed an energy and climate bill in June that would finally make clean energy the profitable kind of energy for American businesses and dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions. One committee has already acted on this bill in the Senate and I look forward to engaging with others as we move forward.
Because no one nation can meet this challenge alone, the United States has also engaged more allies and partners in finding a solution than ever before. In April, we convened the first of what have now been six meetings of the Major Economies Forum on Energy and Climate here in the United States. In Trinidad, I proposed an Energy and Climate Partnership for the Americas. We've worked through the World Bank to promote renewable energy projects and technologies in the developing world. And we have put climate at the top of our diplomatic agenda when it comes to our relationships with countries as varied as China and Brazil; India and Mexico; from the continent of Africa to the continent of Europe.
Taken together, these steps represent a historic recognition on behalf of the American people and their government. We understand the gravity of the climate threat. We are determined to act. And we will meet our responsibility to future generations.
But though many of our nations have taken bold action and share in this determination, we did not come here to celebrate progress today. We came because there's so much more progress to be made. We came because there's so much more work to be done.
It is work that will not be easy. As we head towards Copenhagen, there should be no illusions that the hardest part of our journey is in front of us. We seek sweeping but necessary change in the midst of a global recession, where every nation's most immediate priority is reviving their economy and putting their people back to work. And so all of us will face doubts and difficulties in our own capitals as we try to reach a lasting solution to the climate challenge.
But I'm here today to say that difficulty is no excuse for complacency. Unease is no excuse for inaction. And we must not allow the perfect to become the enemy of progress. Each of us must do what we can when we can to grow our economies without endangering our planet -- and we must all do it together. We must seize the opportunity to make Copenhagen a significant step forward in the global fight against climate change.
We also cannot allow the old divisions that have characterized the climate debate for so many years to block our progress. Yes, the developed nations that caused much of the damage to our climate over the last century still have a responsibility to lead -- and that includes the United States. And we will continue to do so -- by investing in renewable energy and promoting greater efficiency and slashing our emissions to reach the targets we set for 2020 and our long-term goal for 2050.
But those rapidly growing developing nations that will produce nearly all the growth in global carbon emissions in the decades ahead must do their part, as well. Some of these nations have already made great strides with the development and deployment of clean energy. Still, they need to commit to strong measures at home and agree to stand behind those commitments just as the developed nations must stand behind their own. We cannot meet this challenge unless all the largest emitters of greenhouse gas pollution act together. There's no other way.
We must also energize our efforts to put other developing nations -- especially the poorest and most vulnerable -- on a path to sustained growth. These nations do not have the same resources to combat climate change as countries like the United States or China do, but they have the most immediate stake in a solution. For these are the nations that are already living with the unfolding effects of a warming planet -- famine, drought, disappearing coastal villages, and the conflicts that arise from scarce resources. Their future is no longer a choice between a growing economy and a cleaner planet, because their survival depends on both. It will do little good to alleviate poverty if you can no longer harvest your crops or find drinkable water.
And that is why we have a responsibility to provide the financial and technical assistance needed to help these nations adapt to the impacts of climate change and pursue low-carbon development.
What we are seeking, after all, is not simply an agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions. We seek an agreement that will allow all nations to grow and raise living standards without endangering the planet. By developing and disseminating clean technology and sharing our know-how, we can help developing nations leap-frog dirty energy technologies and reduce dangerous emissions.
Mr. Secretary, as we meet here today, the good news is that after too many years of inaction and denial, there's finally widespread recognition of the urgency of the challenge before us. We know what needs to be done. We know that our planet's future depends on a global commitment to permanently reduce greenhouse gas pollution. We know that if we put the right rules and incentives in place, we will unleash the creative power of our best scientists and engineers and entrepreneurs to build a better world. And so many nations have already taken the first step on the journey towards that goal.
But the journey is long and the journey is hard. And we don't have much time left to make that journey. It's a journey that will require each of us to persevere through setbacks, and fight for every inch of progress, even when it comes in fits and starts. So let us begin. For if we are flexible and pragmatic, if we can resolve to work tirelessly in common effort, then we will achieve our common purpose: a world that is safer, cleaner, and healthier than the one we found; and a future that is worthy of our children.
Thank you very much. (Applause.)
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/22/2009 12:01:00 pm
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0 Comments
2009-09-21
World's Tallest Man
World's tallest man stands in at 8 Feet 1 Inch.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/21/2009 04:37:00 pm
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The President's Innovation and Sustainable Growth speech
THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Innovation and Sustainable Growth
Troy, New York
September 21, 2009
Thank you, Jill. Dr. Jill Biden has been a teacher for almost three decades and she’s spent most of that time in community colleges. She understands, as you do, the power of these institutions to prepare students for 21st century jobs, and to prepare America for a 21st century global economy. That’s what’s happening right here at Hudson Valley Community College. This is a place where anyone with the desire to take their career to a new level or start a new career altogether has the opportunity to pursue that dream. This is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds – even in the face of obstacles, even in the face of very difficult personal challenges – can take a chance on a brighter future for themselves and their families.
I know that here in Troy, you want and need that chance after so many years of hard times. Communities like this one were once the heart of America’s manufacturing strength. But over the last few decades, you’ve borne the brunt of a changing economy which has seen many manufacturing plants close in the face of global competition. So while all of America has been gripped by the current economic crisis, folks in Troy and upstate New York have been dealing with what amounts to a permanent recession for years: an economic downturn that has driven more and more young people from their hometowns.
I also know that while many have come here promising better news, that news has been hard to come by, despite the determined efforts of the leaders who are here today and many who are not. Part of the reason is that while the people of this city work hard to meet their responsibilities, some in Washington haven’t always lived up to theirs. For too long, as old divisions and special interests reigned, Washington has shown neither the inclination nor the ability to tackle our toughest challenges. Meanwhile, businesses were saddled with ever-rising health care costs and the economy was weakened by an ever-growing dependence on foreign oil; our investments in cutting-edge research declined and our schools fell short; growth focused on short-term gains and fueled by debt and reckless risk led to cycles of precipitous booms and painful busts.
Now, after so many years of failing to act, there are those who suggest that nothing government can do will make a difference; that what we’ve seen in places like Troy is inevitable; that somehow, the parts of our country that helped us lead in the last century don’t have what it takes to help us lead in this one. I am here today to tell you that this is just flat out wrong. What we have here is a community filled with talented people, entrepreneurial small businesses, and world-class learning institutions. The ingredients are here for growth and success and a better future.
You are proving that in the Hudson Valley. Students here are training full time while working part time at GE Energy in Schenectady, becoming a new generation of American leaders in a new generation of American manufacturing. IBM has partnered with the University at Albany; their partnership in nanotechnology is helping students train in the industries in which America has the potential to lead. Rensselaer is partnering not only with this institution but with businesses throughout the Tech Valley. And early next year, Hudson Valley Community College’s state-of-the-art TEC-SMART training facility is set to open side-by-side with Global Foundry’s coming state-of-the-art semiconductor plant.
So we know that Upstate New York can succeed. And we know that in a global economy – where there is no room for error and there is certainly no room for wasted potential – America needs you to succeed. As we emerge from this economic crisis, our great challenge will be to ensure that we do not simply drift into the future, accepting less for our children and less for America. Instead, we must choose to do what past generations have done: shape a brighter future through hard work and innovation. That’s how we’ll not only recover, but rebuild stronger than before: strong enough to compete in the global economy; strong enough to avoid the cycles of boom and bust that have wreaked so much havoc; strong enough to create and support the jobs of the future in the industries of the future.
Today, my administration is releasing our strategy to foster new jobs, new businesses, and new industries by laying the groundwork and the ground rules to best tap our innovative potential. This work began with the recovery plan, which devoted well over $100 billion to innovation, from high-tech classrooms to health information technology, from more energy-efficient homes to more fuel-efficient cars, from building a smart electricity grid to laying down high-speed rail lines. But it does not end there. For this strategy is about far more than recovery; it is about sustained growth and widely-shared prosperity. And it is rooted in a simple idea, that if government does its modest part, there is no stopping the most powerful and generative economic force the world has ever known: the American people.
Our strategy begins where innovation so often does: in the classroom and in the laboratory – and in the networks that connect them to the broader economy. These are the building blocks of innovation: education, infrastructure, and research.
We know that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow. The ability of new industries to thrive depends on workers with the knowledge and know-how to contribute in those fields. Yet, today, our primary and secondary schools continue to trail many of our competitors, especially in key areas like math and science. Hundreds of thousands of high school graduates who are prepared for college do not go to four-year or two-year schools because of the high cost of doing so. And roughly 40 percent of students who start college don’t complete college. All along that education pipeline, too many slip through the cracks. It’s not only heartbreaking for those students; it’s a loss for our economy and our country.
Now, I know that for a long time politicians have spoken of training as a silver bullet and college as a cure-all. It’s not – and we know that. But we also know that in the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs requiring no college experience. We will not fill those jobs – or keep those jobs on our shores – without graduating more students, including millions more students from community colleges. That’s why I’ve asked Dr. Biden to travel the country promoting the opportunities that these schools offer. That’s why I’m grateful that Senator Chuck Schumer has shown tremendous leadership on this issue.
And that is why I’ve set this ambitious goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. And to reach this goal, we’ve increased Pell Grants and created a simplified $2,500 tax credit for college tuition. We’ve made student aid applications less complicated and ensured that that aid is not based on the income of a job you’ve lost. We’ve passed a new GI Bill of Rights to help soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan begin a new life in a new economy. And the recovery plan has helped close state budget shortfalls – which put enormous pressure on public universities and community colleges – while also making historic investments in elementary and secondary schools. Finally, through the American Graduation Initiative I’ve proposed, we will reform and strengthen community colleges to help an additional five million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade. Because a new generation of innovations depends on a new generation of innovators.
And just last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will go a long way to reform the student loan system so that college is more affordable for more people. Right now, the federal government provides a subsidy to banks to get them to lend students money. The thing is, the federal government guarantees the loan in case the student doesn’t repay. So we subsidize the banks to take on the risk of these loans even though taxpayers just absorb the price of that risk anyway. This costs us more than $80 billion. If we simply cut out the middle-man, and lent directly, the federal government would save that money, and we could use it for what it is actually meant for: helping students afford and succeed in college.
That’s what the bill I proposed does. It takes the $80 billion dollars the banks currently get, and uses it to make Pell Grants larger. It uses those funds to focus on innovative efforts to help students not only go to college but to graduate. And, just as important, these savings will allow us to make the largest investment ever in the most underappreciated asset of our education system: community colleges like Hudson Valley, which are so essential to the future of young people and our economy. And we hope to improve on this bill in the Senate to go even further on behalf of students.
Ending this unwarranted subsidy for the big banks is a no-brainer for folks everywhere. Everywhere except Washington, that is. In fact, we’re already seeing the special interests rallying to save this giveaway. The large banks – many who have benefited from taxpayer bailouts during the financial crisis – are lobbying to keep this easy money flowing. This is exactly the kind of special interest effort that has succeeded before and that we cannot allow to succeed again. This is exactly the kind of waste that leaves people wary of government and leaves our country saddled with a trillion dollar deficit with little to show for it. This is exactly what I came to Washington to change. And I look forward to winning this fight in the Senate, as we just have in the House, and signing this bill into law.
One key to strengthening education, entrepreneurship, and innovation in communities like Troy is to harness the full power of the internet. That means faster and more widely available broadband– as well as rules to ensure that we preserve the fairness and openness that led to the flourishing of the internet in the first place. Today, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is announcing a set of principles to preserve an open internet in which all Americans can participate and benefit. I am pleased that he is taking this step. It is an important reminder that the role of government is to provide investment that spurs innovation and common-sense ground rules to ensure that there is a level playing field for all comers who seek to contribute their innovations.
And we have to think about the networks we need today, but also the networks we’ll want tomorrow. That’s why I’ve proposed grants through the National Science Foundation and through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – which helped develop the internet – to explore the next communications breakthroughs, whatever they may be. And that’s why I’ve appointed the first-ever Chief Technology Officer, charged with looking at ways technology can spur innovations that help government do a better and more efficient job.
We must also strengthen our commitment to research, including basic research, which has been badly neglected for decades. The fact is, basic research may not pay off immediately. It may not pay off for years. And when it does, the rewards are often broadly shared, enjoyed by those who bore its costs but also by those who did not. That’s why the private sector generally under-invests in basic science, and why the public sector must invest in its stead. While the risks may be large, so are the rewards for our economy and our society. It was basic research in the photoelectric effect that would one day lead to solar panels. It was basic research in physics that would eventually produce the CAT scan. The calculations of today’s GPS satellites are based on the equations Einstein put to paper more than a century ago.
When we fail to invest in research, we fail to invest in the future. Yet, since the peak of the Space Race in the 1960s, our national commitment to research and development has steadily fallen as a share of our national income. That is why I have set a goal of putting a full three percent of our Gross Domestic Product – our national income – into research and development, surpassing the commitment we made when President Kennedy challenged this nation to send a man to the moon. Toward this goal, the Recovery Act has helped achieve the largest increase in basic research in history. And this month the National Institutes of Health will award more than a billion dollars in research grants through the Recovery Act focused on what we can learn from the mapping of the human genome in order to treat diseases that affect millions of Americans, from cancer to heart disease. I also want to urge Congress to fully fund the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, which has since its creation been a source of cutting-edge breakthroughs from that early internet to stealth technology.
As we invest in the building blocks of innovation, from the classroom to the laboratory, it is also essential that we have competitive and vibrant markets that promote innovation as well. Education and research help foster new ideas, but it takes fair and free markets to turn those ideas into industries.
My budget finally makes the research and experimentation tax credit permanent. This is a tax credit that helps companies afford the often high costs of developing new ideas, new technologies, and new products – which often mean new jobs. And this tax incentive returns two dollars to the economy for every one dollar we spend. Time and again, I’ve heard from leaders – from Silicon Valley to the Tech Valley – about how important this is. I’ve also proposed reducing to zero the capital gains tax for investments in small or startup businesses. Because small businesses are innovative businesses, producing thirteen times more patents per employee than large companies.
Now, these tax incentives will spur entrepreneurship. But there are other important steps to foster markets that value and promote the risk takers and idea makers who have always been at the center of our success. That is why it is essential that we enforce trade laws and work with our trading partners to open up markets abroad; that we reform and strengthen our intellectual property system; that we sustain our advantage as a place that draws and welcomes the brightest minds from all around the world; and that we unlock sources of credit and capital which have been in short supply as a result of the financial crisis.
There are other fundamental barriers to innovation and economic growth that we must tackle in order to ensure American leadership and prosperity in the 21st century. For as a nation we face enormous challenges, from ending our dependence on oil to finally providing all Americans with quality, affordable health care. We need to focus on innovations that will help us meet these challenges – innovations that will benefit society while creating new jobs in new industries.
Health care costs, for example, leave our small businesses at a disadvantage when competing with our large businesses, and leave our large businesses at a disadvantage when competing around the world. And we will never know the enormity of the cost to our economy of the countless Americans unable to become an entrepreneur, to start a small business, to follow their dreams – because they’re afraid of losing their health insurance. To lead in the global economy, we must pass health insurance reform that brings down costs, provides more security for people who have insurance, and offers affordable options for those who don’t.
And the recovery plan that we passed earlier this year has begun to modernize our health care system, by taking the long-overdue step of computerizing America’s health records. This will reduce the waste and errors that cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives – while protecting patients’ privacy. It’s important to note, too, these records hold the potential of offering patients the chance to be more active participants in the prevention and treatment of illness. And health information technology, if implemented effectively, has the potential to unlock so many unanticipated benefits, as the patterns in data we do not yet collect reveal discoveries we cannot predict.
But in no area will innovation be more important than in the development of new ways to produce, use, and save energy. I firmly believe that the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. That is why we’re doubling our capacity to generate renewable energy and building a stronger and smarter electric grid. We’re investing in technologies to power a new generation of clean-energy vehicles. We’ve helped reach an agreement to raise fuel economy standards. And for the first time in history, we’ve passed a bill to create a system of clean energy incentives which will help make renewable energy the profitable kind of energy in America – while helping to end our dependence on oil and protect our planet for future generations. The bill has passed the House and now we’re working to pass legislation through the Senate.
That is an overview of our strategy. It is a strategy that is essential for our recovery today and our prosperity tomorrow. And it is a strategy rooted in a deep and abiding faith in the ability of this country to rise to any challenge. That is our history. We are a people with a seemingly limitless supply of ingenuity and daring and talent. And at its best, our government has harnessed those qualities without getting in the way. That is what led to the building of the Erie Canal which helped put cities like Troy on the map, that linked east and west and allowed commerce and competition to flow freely between. That is what led an inventor and shrewd businessman named Thomas Edison to come to Schenectady and open what is today a thriving mom-and-pop operation known as General Electric.
A former Senator from New York, Robert Kennedy, once told us, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” It was not an accident that America led the 20th century. It was the result of hard work and discipline and sacrifice, and ambition that served a common purpose. So it must be in the 21st century. Future success is no guarantee. As Americans we must always remember that our leadership is not an inheritance, it is a responsibility.
From biotechnology to nanotechnology, from the development of new forms of energy to research into treatments of ancient diseases, there is so much potential to change our world and improve our lives – while creating countless jobs all across America. The question is if we are ready to embrace that potential, if we are ready to lead the way once more. And I know that we are ready. I’ve seen it all across America. This generation has an unparalleled opportunity that we are called upon to seize. That is what you are doing at Hudson Valley Community College. And that is what we will do as a nation.
Thank you.
Office of the Press Secretary
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Remarks of President Barack Obama
Innovation and Sustainable Growth
Troy, New York
September 21, 2009
Thank you, Jill. Dr. Jill Biden has been a teacher for almost three decades and she’s spent most of that time in community colleges. She understands, as you do, the power of these institutions to prepare students for 21st century jobs, and to prepare America for a 21st century global economy. That’s what’s happening right here at Hudson Valley Community College. This is a place where anyone with the desire to take their career to a new level or start a new career altogether has the opportunity to pursue that dream. This is a place where people of all ages and backgrounds – even in the face of obstacles, even in the face of very difficult personal challenges – can take a chance on a brighter future for themselves and their families.
I know that here in Troy, you want and need that chance after so many years of hard times. Communities like this one were once the heart of America’s manufacturing strength. But over the last few decades, you’ve borne the brunt of a changing economy which has seen many manufacturing plants close in the face of global competition. So while all of America has been gripped by the current economic crisis, folks in Troy and upstate New York have been dealing with what amounts to a permanent recession for years: an economic downturn that has driven more and more young people from their hometowns.
I also know that while many have come here promising better news, that news has been hard to come by, despite the determined efforts of the leaders who are here today and many who are not. Part of the reason is that while the people of this city work hard to meet their responsibilities, some in Washington haven’t always lived up to theirs. For too long, as old divisions and special interests reigned, Washington has shown neither the inclination nor the ability to tackle our toughest challenges. Meanwhile, businesses were saddled with ever-rising health care costs and the economy was weakened by an ever-growing dependence on foreign oil; our investments in cutting-edge research declined and our schools fell short; growth focused on short-term gains and fueled by debt and reckless risk led to cycles of precipitous booms and painful busts.
Now, after so many years of failing to act, there are those who suggest that nothing government can do will make a difference; that what we’ve seen in places like Troy is inevitable; that somehow, the parts of our country that helped us lead in the last century don’t have what it takes to help us lead in this one. I am here today to tell you that this is just flat out wrong. What we have here is a community filled with talented people, entrepreneurial small businesses, and world-class learning institutions. The ingredients are here for growth and success and a better future.
You are proving that in the Hudson Valley. Students here are training full time while working part time at GE Energy in Schenectady, becoming a new generation of American leaders in a new generation of American manufacturing. IBM has partnered with the University at Albany; their partnership in nanotechnology is helping students train in the industries in which America has the potential to lead. Rensselaer is partnering not only with this institution but with businesses throughout the Tech Valley. And early next year, Hudson Valley Community College’s state-of-the-art TEC-SMART training facility is set to open side-by-side with Global Foundry’s coming state-of-the-art semiconductor plant.
So we know that Upstate New York can succeed. And we know that in a global economy – where there is no room for error and there is certainly no room for wasted potential – America needs you to succeed. As we emerge from this economic crisis, our great challenge will be to ensure that we do not simply drift into the future, accepting less for our children and less for America. Instead, we must choose to do what past generations have done: shape a brighter future through hard work and innovation. That’s how we’ll not only recover, but rebuild stronger than before: strong enough to compete in the global economy; strong enough to avoid the cycles of boom and bust that have wreaked so much havoc; strong enough to create and support the jobs of the future in the industries of the future.
Today, my administration is releasing our strategy to foster new jobs, new businesses, and new industries by laying the groundwork and the ground rules to best tap our innovative potential. This work began with the recovery plan, which devoted well over $100 billion to innovation, from high-tech classrooms to health information technology, from more energy-efficient homes to more fuel-efficient cars, from building a smart electricity grid to laying down high-speed rail lines. But it does not end there. For this strategy is about far more than recovery; it is about sustained growth and widely-shared prosperity. And it is rooted in a simple idea, that if government does its modest part, there is no stopping the most powerful and generative economic force the world has ever known: the American people.
Our strategy begins where innovation so often does: in the classroom and in the laboratory – and in the networks that connect them to the broader economy. These are the building blocks of innovation: education, infrastructure, and research.
We know that the nation that out-educates us today will out-compete us tomorrow. The ability of new industries to thrive depends on workers with the knowledge and know-how to contribute in those fields. Yet, today, our primary and secondary schools continue to trail many of our competitors, especially in key areas like math and science. Hundreds of thousands of high school graduates who are prepared for college do not go to four-year or two-year schools because of the high cost of doing so. And roughly 40 percent of students who start college don’t complete college. All along that education pipeline, too many slip through the cracks. It’s not only heartbreaking for those students; it’s a loss for our economy and our country.
Now, I know that for a long time politicians have spoken of training as a silver bullet and college as a cure-all. It’s not – and we know that. But we also know that in the coming years, jobs requiring at least an associate’s degree are projected to grow twice as fast as jobs requiring no college experience. We will not fill those jobs – or keep those jobs on our shores – without graduating more students, including millions more students from community colleges. That’s why I’ve asked Dr. Biden to travel the country promoting the opportunities that these schools offer. That’s why I’m grateful that Senator Chuck Schumer has shown tremendous leadership on this issue.
And that is why I’ve set this ambitious goal: by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. And to reach this goal, we’ve increased Pell Grants and created a simplified $2,500 tax credit for college tuition. We’ve made student aid applications less complicated and ensured that that aid is not based on the income of a job you’ve lost. We’ve passed a new GI Bill of Rights to help soldiers coming home from Iraq and Afghanistan begin a new life in a new economy. And the recovery plan has helped close state budget shortfalls – which put enormous pressure on public universities and community colleges – while also making historic investments in elementary and secondary schools. Finally, through the American Graduation Initiative I’ve proposed, we will reform and strengthen community colleges to help an additional five million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade. Because a new generation of innovations depends on a new generation of innovators.
And just last week, the House of Representatives passed a bill that will go a long way to reform the student loan system so that college is more affordable for more people. Right now, the federal government provides a subsidy to banks to get them to lend students money. The thing is, the federal government guarantees the loan in case the student doesn’t repay. So we subsidize the banks to take on the risk of these loans even though taxpayers just absorb the price of that risk anyway. This costs us more than $80 billion. If we simply cut out the middle-man, and lent directly, the federal government would save that money, and we could use it for what it is actually meant for: helping students afford and succeed in college.
That’s what the bill I proposed does. It takes the $80 billion dollars the banks currently get, and uses it to make Pell Grants larger. It uses those funds to focus on innovative efforts to help students not only go to college but to graduate. And, just as important, these savings will allow us to make the largest investment ever in the most underappreciated asset of our education system: community colleges like Hudson Valley, which are so essential to the future of young people and our economy. And we hope to improve on this bill in the Senate to go even further on behalf of students.
Ending this unwarranted subsidy for the big banks is a no-brainer for folks everywhere. Everywhere except Washington, that is. In fact, we’re already seeing the special interests rallying to save this giveaway. The large banks – many who have benefited from taxpayer bailouts during the financial crisis – are lobbying to keep this easy money flowing. This is exactly the kind of special interest effort that has succeeded before and that we cannot allow to succeed again. This is exactly the kind of waste that leaves people wary of government and leaves our country saddled with a trillion dollar deficit with little to show for it. This is exactly what I came to Washington to change. And I look forward to winning this fight in the Senate, as we just have in the House, and signing this bill into law.
One key to strengthening education, entrepreneurship, and innovation in communities like Troy is to harness the full power of the internet. That means faster and more widely available broadband– as well as rules to ensure that we preserve the fairness and openness that led to the flourishing of the internet in the first place. Today, FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is announcing a set of principles to preserve an open internet in which all Americans can participate and benefit. I am pleased that he is taking this step. It is an important reminder that the role of government is to provide investment that spurs innovation and common-sense ground rules to ensure that there is a level playing field for all comers who seek to contribute their innovations.
And we have to think about the networks we need today, but also the networks we’ll want tomorrow. That’s why I’ve proposed grants through the National Science Foundation and through the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency – which helped develop the internet – to explore the next communications breakthroughs, whatever they may be. And that’s why I’ve appointed the first-ever Chief Technology Officer, charged with looking at ways technology can spur innovations that help government do a better and more efficient job.
We must also strengthen our commitment to research, including basic research, which has been badly neglected for decades. The fact is, basic research may not pay off immediately. It may not pay off for years. And when it does, the rewards are often broadly shared, enjoyed by those who bore its costs but also by those who did not. That’s why the private sector generally under-invests in basic science, and why the public sector must invest in its stead. While the risks may be large, so are the rewards for our economy and our society. It was basic research in the photoelectric effect that would one day lead to solar panels. It was basic research in physics that would eventually produce the CAT scan. The calculations of today’s GPS satellites are based on the equations Einstein put to paper more than a century ago.
When we fail to invest in research, we fail to invest in the future. Yet, since the peak of the Space Race in the 1960s, our national commitment to research and development has steadily fallen as a share of our national income. That is why I have set a goal of putting a full three percent of our Gross Domestic Product – our national income – into research and development, surpassing the commitment we made when President Kennedy challenged this nation to send a man to the moon. Toward this goal, the Recovery Act has helped achieve the largest increase in basic research in history. And this month the National Institutes of Health will award more than a billion dollars in research grants through the Recovery Act focused on what we can learn from the mapping of the human genome in order to treat diseases that affect millions of Americans, from cancer to heart disease. I also want to urge Congress to fully fund the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, DARPA, which has since its creation been a source of cutting-edge breakthroughs from that early internet to stealth technology.
As we invest in the building blocks of innovation, from the classroom to the laboratory, it is also essential that we have competitive and vibrant markets that promote innovation as well. Education and research help foster new ideas, but it takes fair and free markets to turn those ideas into industries.
My budget finally makes the research and experimentation tax credit permanent. This is a tax credit that helps companies afford the often high costs of developing new ideas, new technologies, and new products – which often mean new jobs. And this tax incentive returns two dollars to the economy for every one dollar we spend. Time and again, I’ve heard from leaders – from Silicon Valley to the Tech Valley – about how important this is. I’ve also proposed reducing to zero the capital gains tax for investments in small or startup businesses. Because small businesses are innovative businesses, producing thirteen times more patents per employee than large companies.
Now, these tax incentives will spur entrepreneurship. But there are other important steps to foster markets that value and promote the risk takers and idea makers who have always been at the center of our success. That is why it is essential that we enforce trade laws and work with our trading partners to open up markets abroad; that we reform and strengthen our intellectual property system; that we sustain our advantage as a place that draws and welcomes the brightest minds from all around the world; and that we unlock sources of credit and capital which have been in short supply as a result of the financial crisis.
There are other fundamental barriers to innovation and economic growth that we must tackle in order to ensure American leadership and prosperity in the 21st century. For as a nation we face enormous challenges, from ending our dependence on oil to finally providing all Americans with quality, affordable health care. We need to focus on innovations that will help us meet these challenges – innovations that will benefit society while creating new jobs in new industries.
Health care costs, for example, leave our small businesses at a disadvantage when competing with our large businesses, and leave our large businesses at a disadvantage when competing around the world. And we will never know the enormity of the cost to our economy of the countless Americans unable to become an entrepreneur, to start a small business, to follow their dreams – because they’re afraid of losing their health insurance. To lead in the global economy, we must pass health insurance reform that brings down costs, provides more security for people who have insurance, and offers affordable options for those who don’t.
And the recovery plan that we passed earlier this year has begun to modernize our health care system, by taking the long-overdue step of computerizing America’s health records. This will reduce the waste and errors that cost billions of dollars and thousands of lives – while protecting patients’ privacy. It’s important to note, too, these records hold the potential of offering patients the chance to be more active participants in the prevention and treatment of illness. And health information technology, if implemented effectively, has the potential to unlock so many unanticipated benefits, as the patterns in data we do not yet collect reveal discoveries we cannot predict.
But in no area will innovation be more important than in the development of new ways to produce, use, and save energy. I firmly believe that the nation that leads the clean energy economy will be the nation that leads the global economy. That is why we’re doubling our capacity to generate renewable energy and building a stronger and smarter electric grid. We’re investing in technologies to power a new generation of clean-energy vehicles. We’ve helped reach an agreement to raise fuel economy standards. And for the first time in history, we’ve passed a bill to create a system of clean energy incentives which will help make renewable energy the profitable kind of energy in America – while helping to end our dependence on oil and protect our planet for future generations. The bill has passed the House and now we’re working to pass legislation through the Senate.
That is an overview of our strategy. It is a strategy that is essential for our recovery today and our prosperity tomorrow. And it is a strategy rooted in a deep and abiding faith in the ability of this country to rise to any challenge. That is our history. We are a people with a seemingly limitless supply of ingenuity and daring and talent. And at its best, our government has harnessed those qualities without getting in the way. That is what led to the building of the Erie Canal which helped put cities like Troy on the map, that linked east and west and allowed commerce and competition to flow freely between. That is what led an inventor and shrewd businessman named Thomas Edison to come to Schenectady and open what is today a thriving mom-and-pop operation known as General Electric.
A former Senator from New York, Robert Kennedy, once told us, “The future is not a gift. It is an achievement.” It was not an accident that America led the 20th century. It was the result of hard work and discipline and sacrifice, and ambition that served a common purpose. So it must be in the 21st century. Future success is no guarantee. As Americans we must always remember that our leadership is not an inheritance, it is a responsibility.
From biotechnology to nanotechnology, from the development of new forms of energy to research into treatments of ancient diseases, there is so much potential to change our world and improve our lives – while creating countless jobs all across America. The question is if we are ready to embrace that potential, if we are ready to lead the way once more. And I know that we are ready. I’ve seen it all across America. This generation has an unparalleled opportunity that we are called upon to seize. That is what you are doing at Hudson Valley Community College. And that is what we will do as a nation.
Thank you.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/21/2009 12:25:00 pm
|
0 Comments
2009-09-19
Is Radio what it should be?
The letter from the Executive Director of Minority Media and Telecommunications Council David Honig http://kirktanter.blogspot.com/2009/08/mmtcs-david-honig-letter-to-fcc-re-mini_15.html, who intercepted an email from an Advertising Agency executive representing the British car Mini-Cooper, which stated not to advertise on Black targetted radio stations, unfortunately is not that un-common. The label for not advertising on Black Radio is "Non-Urban Dictate (N.U.D.)."
It never surprises me with the information that a champion, in David Honig, digs out of the ashes. I learned to appreciate the fight in David, whom is a gritty Attorney fighting on behalf of African, Hispanic, and Asian American broadcasters and owners. David frankly keeps hope alive consistently.
In reading the intercepted letter, this inspired me to write about what radio really should be? You may ask what do the two -- N.U.D.'s, and what radio should be -- have to do with each other. "Non-Urban Dictate" is just another of many major distractions that have to be dealt with taking away from focusing on "good radio". Broadcast Financial distractions tilt the focus balance away from on-air radio not being what it should be.
The many, many broadcast distractions since 1990 have prevented above-the-line management targeting African-Ameicans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans from achieving what radio was designed to do because these financial distractions have affected minority broadcasters most. The old saying is when the money is funny then the change is strange. Too much change for minority Broadcast companies have happened during these past two decades.
Some of the major distractions are:
1. Unfair lending practices
2. Telecommunication act of 1996
3. Duopoly 1992
4. N.U.D.
5. HR 848
6. National Advertisers delayed payments
7. Portable People Meter ratings system
...to name a few.
The economic pressure from just one of these distractions have forced minority owners to sell, furlough, lay-off, cut-back, percentage of salaries cut, voice track, syndication, etc... The combination of all of the listed aforementioned distractions have even the strongest surviving broadcast owners treading water. The lack of the most effective "live" local programming is just one widespread financial result from these economic distractions since 1990.
The harsh evidence recovered by Attorney David Honig, where Mini Cooper refused to sell to African-American programmed radio statons, is somewhat heartbreaking 45 years after the Civil Rights Bill was signed. The Mini-Cooper is an ideal low-cost deal for African-American in this economic evironment. Priced less than 20-thousand dollars with highway mileage of 37 miles per gallon is a near slam dunk for most economic un-certain Americans, including Black Americans.
Hard to understand why the African-American market would not be a prime market. Ideally an advertising campaign for the lifestyle of African-Americans by Mini-Cooper would work just fine. KFC and Micky Dees have successfully targetted African-Americans for decades. With 40 miles to a gallon, Mini-Coopers would be on a Christmas-list for thousands of African-Americans.
PPM
While NUD has been on the lips of many broadcast owners for many years, the recent beginning of Arbitron's PPM ratings system is the most recent challenge. PPM ratings have resulted in many of the minority formats having much lower ratings than with the previous diary-based ratings system. If you did not know, the lower the ratings the lower the advertising rates a radio station can charge per commercial. http://www.fcc.gov/ownership/enbanc072908_docs/winston.pdf.
Radio Stationis figuring out an attack plan for Arbitron's PPM system has been a major topic of discussion. And an above-the-line manager answering the question: "Is Radio what it should be?" should be, but is still yet to be top priority due to these major distractions. One financial distraction after another equates to changes in the programming, promotions, marketting, sales and other departments.
HR848
A most recent distraction is the Congressional Bill HR 848. If HR 848 passes, Radio owners will not only have to pay the owner and writer royalties to mass promote their songs, but also the performers they hire to sing their songs. Radio would have to pay three entities while still being the major driving force for millions of people to buy records. Surviving radio stations may be forced not to play music because of HR848. More FM News and Talk stations will result if HR848 passes. Or payola may become legal.
Conclusion
Discussions can go on and on about the unnecessary distractions that radio powers-that-be have to deal with. Broadcasters fight to re-instate the Tax Certificate repeal of 1995; fight to deal with de-regulation; fight lenders demands; and other distractions preventing radio from being what it was designed to be, which is a major community force that tackles whatever is important to its' listerners in the transmitted area and entertains to absolute maximum while mass-promoting every hosts on-air.
On-Air hosts should be absolutely physically and mentally drenched each and everyday due to hours of daily show-prepping, on-air executing, making appearances at least four times a week at clubs, schools, community events, advertisering spots.
Program and Promotion Directors should never sleep regulating, follow-ups, planning, executing, branding in all area codes, hitting the hottest spots, cliff hanger on-air contests, STP (See The People), on top of community issues, hot listenable on-air presentation, feedback, web, social networks, downloads, and on and on and on.
I could go on and on with how to be number one, as I have been a part of many number one rated teams...but I will stop here.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/19/2009 10:24:00 pm
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0 Comments
2009-09-18
Whitney Houston - I Will Always Love You
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/18/2009 10:39:00 pm
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0 Comments
Jobless rate tops 12% in 5 states
story by CNN
information source: Labor Department.
Five states posted jobless rates above 12% in August, according to federal data released Friday.
California, Nevada and Rhode Island each hit record-high rates, the Labor Department said.
Michigan led the nation in unemployment, with a rate of 15.2%, while Nevada was next at 13.2% and Rhode Island was third at 12.8%. California and Oregon were tied for the fourth spot, each with unemployment at 12.2%.
"The losses tend to be heavy in states that have a high concentration of manufacturing jobs or were hit hard by the housing bust," said Mark Vitner, economist at Wachovia.
In August, 27 states and the District of Columbia recorded month-over-month unemployment rate increases, while 16 states posted a decrease in unemployment and seven saw rates hold steady.
The total number of nonfarm jobs fell in 42 states and the District of Columbia, while 8 states saw an increase.
The state-by-state unemployment report for August came after the government reported earlier this month that American employers cut 216,000 jobs in August, sending the nationwide unemployment rate to 9.7% from 9.4% in July.
Lowest rates: North Dakota posted the lowest jobless rate in August, at 4.3%. It was followed by South Dakota, at 4.9%; Nebraska, with 5%; Utah, at 6%, and Virginia, at 6.5%.
"The states with the lowest rates tend to have fewer metropolitan areas," Wachovia's Vitner said. "When you consider how a city like Las Vegas dominates Nevada's economy, you can see how that weakness could devastate a state."
Biggest over-the-year increases: All states and the District of Columbia recorded statistically significant increases in their jobless rates from August 2008.
Michigan reported the largest unemployment rate increase over the year, at 6.6 percentage points.
Three other states saw rates climb more than 5 percentage points: Nevada's unemployment rate has climbed 6.2 points year over year, while Oregon's rate jumped 5.7 points, and Alabama's rate increased 5.2 points. West Virginia saw the fifth-largest annual increase of 4.8 percentage points.
Largest over-the-month increases: Six states posted statistically significant over-the-month unemployment rate increases in August.
New Mexico's was highest, at 0.5 percentage points, followed by New Jersey, New York and Oregon -- all three of which reported a 0.4 point increase.
California and Iowa each posted a 0.3 point increase over the month. The District of Columbia also reported a jump, of 0.5 percentage points.
Biggest over-the-month decreases: Four states reported statistically significant decreases in unemployment over the month.
Indiana's jobless rate dropped by 0.7 percentage point, Colorado's fell 0.5 percentage point, and Kansas and Virginia fell 0.4 point each.
On Wednesday, Congress will consider legislation that would extend unemployment benefits by 13 weeks for people who live in states with jobless rates higher than 8.5%.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/18/2009 01:57:00 pm
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0 Comments
2009-09-17
The Voice In The Wilderness
Commentary by Raynard Jackson - pictured left
In the week since Congressman Joe Wilson’s display of ignorance, the issue of race, once again, has spun out of control. So, I will try to add some sanity to the debate.
But first, let me lay the foundation for my argument. Without question, you can disagree with President Obama without being a racist. But, what does describing Obama as a Nazi have to do with healthcare? What does calling him a liar during a joint session of Congress have to do with healthcare? How does calling him a socialist, fascist, or communist, further the healthcare debate? So, you would think that if this debate was about healthcare, the signs would read, “how will you pay for your plan, how will it be implemented, or what if I don’t want your plan?”
I expect some in white America and most of those in the Republican Party, to ignore the racial nature of the attacks on the president. They suffer from cognitive dissonance, which is simply the inability to see what you don’t believe.
But, I am furious and will not forgive the spineless, politically tone-deaf, weak Black Republicans for their deafening silence on this issue! Or should I say, their refusal to acknowledge the existence of race as part of the issue.
I am very troubled and disappointed in Michael Steele’s characterization of this issue as “a distraction.” Armstrong Williams says of South Carolina Congressman and Majority Whip, Jim Clyburn, “Some days, I just shake my head at Mr. Clyburn, because the things that come out of his mouth are more entertaining than lucid.” Maybe we are seeing two different people. Clyburn rarely talks, but when he does, he is very measured and thoughtful. Remember, Clyburn is the one who told Bill Clinton to “chill” when he tried to inject race into the South Carolina primary last year.
Why do Black Republicans refuse to speak out and denounce the race baiting emanating from the Republican Party? Saying the Democrats do the same thing is no refutation. We are supposed to be a party of principles and just because our opponents engage in certain behavior does not mean we must reciprocate. We are better than that.
It’s not enough to denounce Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton when they play the race card.. Other than Colin Powell and myself, can you name another prominent Black Republican who has consistently taken principled stands on issues of race within our party?
I am embarrassed by the Black Republicans I see on the talking head shows on TV. Can someone explain to me the sign at last week’s poorly attended rally in D.C.: “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy?” To add insult to injury, the signs were paid for by a Catholic, pro-life group. I guess it’s OK to inflict further pain on the Kennedy family as long as it’s in the name of God.
After Joe Wilson’s outburst, how many Blacks did John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence, Mitch McConnell, or Jon Kyle meet with to discuss this issue? I can tell you emphatically, NONE!
The Republican Party is totally tone deaf when it comes to issues of race. The Blacks they would reach out to are so out of touch with our community that they are worthless. They are more concerned with being liked and invited to a meeting rather than making the party uncomfortable with the truth.
How can any Black not be offended and infuriated with the language and signs that refer to our president? When protesters say they want to take their country back, who is “their”? Take “their” country back from whom? That’s the biggest problem with the Republican Party—they want to take our country back. We should be looking forward, but it’s difficult to do that when those in the party want to go back(wards)!
Why won’t Black Republicans admit the obvious? These are the whites who are terrified at the changing demographics of this country. They feel like “they” are losing control of “their” country and want to go back(wards) to the good ole days! This is the real issue.
If the issue is ONLY about healthcare, cap and trade, and the size of government, then why the signs of Obama as a witch doctor, him with a Hitler mustache, or with a bone in his nose?
Black Republicans need to stand up and educate the Republican Party on the way these scenes are internalized within our community specifically and the country in general. Most Black Republicans have little connection with our community, therefore they don’t get the benefit of the doubt. When will Black Republicans speak out about the dearth of Blacks on Congressional staffs, at the NRSC, NRCC, the RNC, on campaign staffs?
I would love to be able to write about other issues, but I can’t remain silent in the midst of such vile behavior by Republicans. The Secret Service is having fits about the security of our president and staffers at the White House are on edge every time the president leaves the building.
Now, I know how the Apostle John felt in John 1:23: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.”
I have been at the table in these private meetings when there were just a few Blacks in attendance. I have seen how a lot of Blacks will allow people to say very offensive things without raising any objections. So, if you, as a Black, condone this behavior towards our president or don’t object to it in these meetings, you may get invited to a reception and be told that you are articulate, and a good conservative; but what do you think they really think about you when you are not at the meeting?
I am just the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm
In the week since Congressman Joe Wilson’s display of ignorance, the issue of race, once again, has spun out of control. So, I will try to add some sanity to the debate.
But first, let me lay the foundation for my argument. Without question, you can disagree with President Obama without being a racist. But, what does describing Obama as a Nazi have to do with healthcare? What does calling him a liar during a joint session of Congress have to do with healthcare? How does calling him a socialist, fascist, or communist, further the healthcare debate? So, you would think that if this debate was about healthcare, the signs would read, “how will you pay for your plan, how will it be implemented, or what if I don’t want your plan?”
I expect some in white America and most of those in the Republican Party, to ignore the racial nature of the attacks on the president. They suffer from cognitive dissonance, which is simply the inability to see what you don’t believe.
But, I am furious and will not forgive the spineless, politically tone-deaf, weak Black Republicans for their deafening silence on this issue! Or should I say, their refusal to acknowledge the existence of race as part of the issue.
I am very troubled and disappointed in Michael Steele’s characterization of this issue as “a distraction.” Armstrong Williams says of South Carolina Congressman and Majority Whip, Jim Clyburn, “Some days, I just shake my head at Mr. Clyburn, because the things that come out of his mouth are more entertaining than lucid.” Maybe we are seeing two different people. Clyburn rarely talks, but when he does, he is very measured and thoughtful. Remember, Clyburn is the one who told Bill Clinton to “chill” when he tried to inject race into the South Carolina primary last year.
Why do Black Republicans refuse to speak out and denounce the race baiting emanating from the Republican Party? Saying the Democrats do the same thing is no refutation. We are supposed to be a party of principles and just because our opponents engage in certain behavior does not mean we must reciprocate. We are better than that.
It’s not enough to denounce Jesse Jackson or Al Sharpton when they play the race card.. Other than Colin Powell and myself, can you name another prominent Black Republican who has consistently taken principled stands on issues of race within our party?
I am embarrassed by the Black Republicans I see on the talking head shows on TV. Can someone explain to me the sign at last week’s poorly attended rally in D.C.: “Bury Obamacare with Kennedy?” To add insult to injury, the signs were paid for by a Catholic, pro-life group. I guess it’s OK to inflict further pain on the Kennedy family as long as it’s in the name of God.
After Joe Wilson’s outburst, how many Blacks did John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Mike Pence, Mitch McConnell, or Jon Kyle meet with to discuss this issue? I can tell you emphatically, NONE!
The Republican Party is totally tone deaf when it comes to issues of race. The Blacks they would reach out to are so out of touch with our community that they are worthless. They are more concerned with being liked and invited to a meeting rather than making the party uncomfortable with the truth.
How can any Black not be offended and infuriated with the language and signs that refer to our president? When protesters say they want to take their country back, who is “their”? Take “their” country back from whom? That’s the biggest problem with the Republican Party—they want to take our country back. We should be looking forward, but it’s difficult to do that when those in the party want to go back(wards)!
Why won’t Black Republicans admit the obvious? These are the whites who are terrified at the changing demographics of this country. They feel like “they” are losing control of “their” country and want to go back(wards) to the good ole days! This is the real issue.
If the issue is ONLY about healthcare, cap and trade, and the size of government, then why the signs of Obama as a witch doctor, him with a Hitler mustache, or with a bone in his nose?
Black Republicans need to stand up and educate the Republican Party on the way these scenes are internalized within our community specifically and the country in general. Most Black Republicans have little connection with our community, therefore they don’t get the benefit of the doubt. When will Black Republicans speak out about the dearth of Blacks on Congressional staffs, at the NRSC, NRCC, the RNC, on campaign staffs?
I would love to be able to write about other issues, but I can’t remain silent in the midst of such vile behavior by Republicans. The Secret Service is having fits about the security of our president and staffers at the White House are on edge every time the president leaves the building.
Now, I know how the Apostle John felt in John 1:23: “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet.”
I have been at the table in these private meetings when there were just a few Blacks in attendance. I have seen how a lot of Blacks will allow people to say very offensive things without raising any objections. So, if you, as a Black, condone this behavior towards our president or don’t object to it in these meetings, you may get invited to a reception and be told that you are articulate, and a good conservative; but what do you think they really think about you when you are not at the meeting?
I am just the voice of one crying in the wilderness.
Raynard Jackson is president & CEO of Raynard Jackson & Associates, LLC., a D.C.-based political consulting/government affairs firm
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/17/2009 11:24:00 am
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2009-09-16
Tribal killings stir dark memories in south Sudan
story by Jonglei State News
written by Skye Wheeler
WERNYOL, Sudan – Daruka Lueth knew it was no ordinary cattle-rustling raid the moment more than 800 armed tribesmen circled her south Sudanese village of Wernyol at dawn and opened fire on its thatch huts.
Sudan's oil-producing south has been plagued by ethnic clashes for as long as anyone can remember, mostly fought over livestock with relatively few casualties.
This year larger and more dangerous forces have been at work, forces that have already killed more than 1,200 people in a wave of violence that has targeted villagers as often as cattle herders and women and children as often as men.
The blood-letting has raised fears for the cohesion of the region's fragile tribal patchwork, just as it is preparing for a referendum on whether to split away from Sudan to become Africa's newest independent state.
The bullets ripped through the huts' walls in Wernyol as the attackers from the Lou Nuer tribe closed in on August 28. They shot through doors and cut down villagers as they fled, killing 38 and injuring 64 by the end of the half-hour raid.
There is a jagged line of graves on the outskirts of the rain-soaked settlement, where Wernyol's residents from the Bor Dinka tribe were buried where they fell.
The ground inside Lueth's hut is still marked with patches of blood, and outside another small mound of earth shows the last resting place of her 17-year-old son, Chol Mabior.
"We were in here hiding. They came and shot my son," she said, talking to Reuters inside her home.
"The violence began like this in 1991," she added, referring to the last time she had to flee Wernyol, during a particularly bloody episode in Sudan's 1983-2005 civil war.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/16/2009 05:31:00 pm
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Belgian farmers dump milk in protest of low farm production wages
story/photo by APBrussels - Belgian farmers sprayed 790,000 gallons of fresh milk onto their fields Wednesday, furious over the low milk prices they say are bankrupting farmers.
Milk farmers' groups said world prices had sunk so much they are having to sell milk at half their production costs, leaving more and more farmers unable to pay their bills.
To highlight their desperation, about 300 tractors dragged milk containers through plowed fields in southern Belgium, dumping a day's worth of milk production in that region.
"It is a scandal to dump this, but we have to realize what the situation is," said Belgian farm leader Erwin Schoepges. "We need a farm revolt."
"It is a scandal to dump this, but we have to realize what the situation is," said Belgian farm leader Erwin Schoepges. "We need a farm revolt."
The crisis has driven many EU farmers into a "milk strike," with thousands refusing to deliver milk to the industrial dairy conglomerates that produce anything from skimmed milk to processed cheese.
Romuald Schaber, the president of the European Milk Board farmers' group, said up to half the milk farmers in some areas were refusing to deliver their milk and predicted the first shortages could hit some supermarkets as early as next week.
"We are looking at a real catastrophe. Nobody can produce milk at these prices," he said.
To raise milk prices from the current 18 to 24 euro cents ($.26 to $.35) a kilo to the 40 cents ($.58) they say it required to cover costs, the farmers are demanding tougher EU production quotas. More government support is essential to stave off bankruptcies, they claim.
To raise milk prices from the current 18 to 24 euro cents ($.26 to $.35) a kilo to the 40 cents ($.58) they say it required to cover costs, the farmers are demanding tougher EU production quotas. More government support is essential to stave off bankruptcies, they claim.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/16/2009 05:13:00 pm
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Former President Jimmy Carter speaks on Right-Wing racism against President Obama
written by NBC's Mark MurrayIn an interview with NBC's Brian Williams, former Democratic President Jimmy Carter attributed much of the conservative opposition that President Obama is receiving to the issue of race.
"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man," Carter said. "I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that share the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African Americans."
Carter continued, "And that racism inclination still exists. And I think it's bubbled up to the surface because of the belief among many white people, not just in the South but around the country, that African-Americans are not qualified to lead this great country. It's an abominable circumstance, and it grieves me and concerns me very deeply."
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/16/2009 04:47:00 pm
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2009-09-15
Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says recession is over
story by AP
WASHINGTON - Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said Tuesday the worst recession since the 1930s is probably over, although he cautioned that pain — especially for the nearly 15 million unemployed Americans — will persist.
Bernanke said the economy likely is growing now, but he warned that won’t be sufficient to prevent the unemployment rate, now at a 26-year high of 9.7 percent, from rising.
“From a technical perspective, the recession is very likely over at this point,” Bernanke said in responding to questions at the Brookings Institution. “It’s still going to feel like a very weak economy for some time because many people will still find that their job security and their employment status is not what they wish it was.”
The recession, which started in December 2007, has claimed a net total of 6.9 million jobs.
With expectations for a lethargic recovery, the Fed predicts that unemployment will top 10 percent this year. The post-World War II high was 10.8 percent at the end of 1982.
Some economists say it will take at least four years for the jobless rate to drop down to a more normal range of 5 percent.
Even if the economy logs “moderate” growth in 2010, unemployment is likely to stay elevated, Bernanke suggested.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/15/2009 10:16:00 pm
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2009-09-14
The President addresses Wall Street
story by APphoto by Reuters
NEW YORK - President Barack Obama sternly warned Wall Street Monday against returning to the sort of reckless and unchecked behavior that threatened the nation with a second Great Depression.
Even as he noted the U.S. economy and financial system were pulling out of a downward spiral, Obama warned financial titans on the first anniversary of the Lehman Brothers collapse that they could not count on any more bailouts.
He credited his administration and the $787 billion stimulus package rammed through Congress in the first days of his taking office for pulling the country back from the brink.
“We can be confident that the storms of the past two years are beginning to break,” he said.
And even as the economy begins a “return to normalcy,” Obama said, “normalcy cannot lead to complacency.”
Nevertheless, Obama said, “Instead of learning the lessons of Lehman and the crisis from which we are still recovering, they are choosing to ignore them.”
His tough message warned the financial community to “hear my words: We will not go back to the days of reckless behavior and unchecked excess at the heart of this crisis, where too many were motivated only by the appetite for quick kills and bloated bonuses.”
Obama spoke at Federal Hall in the heart of Wall Street before an audience that included members of the financial community, lawmakers, and top administration officials. Afterwards, he joined former President Bill Clinton for lunch at a New York restaurant as the White House announced Obama would address the annual meeting of the Clinton Global Initiative Sept. 22 while in New York for the United Nations General Assembly meeting.
In marking his determination to prevent a repeat of the crisis that nearly brought down the global financial system last fall, Obama said he was attacking the problem on several broad fronts, including asking Congress to approve new rules to protect consumers and a new Consumer Financial Protection Agency to enforce those rules. He also called for the closure of regulator loopholes and overlap that “were at the heart of the crisis” because they left key officials without “the authority to take action.”
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/14/2009 05:36:00 pm
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2009-09-13
Serena Williams breaks racket and threatens line judge, penalized match point
story by Sports Illustrated.
written by Richard Deitsch.
photo by Timothy Clary/Getty Images
Oracene Williams shook her head at the television screen. It was 10 minutes after all hell had broken loose at the U.S. Open and the mother of Serena Williams found herself nodding in agreement with Kim Clijsters. "I'm like her," Oracene said, pointing at the Belgian who had just defeated her daughter in the semifinals. "I really don't know what happened."
What happened at 10:52 p.m on Saturday night was one of the most (click here to see video) bizarre conclusions to a match in U.S. Open history.
What happened at 10:52 p.m on Saturday night was one of the most (click here to see video) bizarre conclusions to a match in U.S. Open history.
After Serena had been called for a foot fault on her second serve to go match point down, the No. 2 seed cursed at the lineswoman who had made the call. The lineswoman then walked over to the chair umpire and reported Serena for verbal abuse. Because she had already received an earlier warning for smashing a racket, Serena was handed an automatic point penalty for a second violation. That gave Clijsters a 6-4, 7-5 victory. The unseeded Belgian will play No. 9 seed Caroline Wozniacki on Sunday night for the U.S. Open championship.
Asked what she said to the line judge, Williams said, "Well, I said something that I guess they gave me a point penalty," she said. "Unfortunately it was on match point. What did I say? You didn't hear?"
Looking at a tape of the incident, including one broadcast on ESPN, it appeared Williams said, "I swear to God, I'm [bleep] taking this ball and I'm shoving it down your [bleep] throat."
In a statement handed out after midnight, tournament referee Brian Earley said, "Serena Williams was assessed a code violation warning for racket abuse after losing the first set 6-4.
In a statement handed out after midnight, tournament referee Brian Earley said, "Serena Williams was assessed a code violation warning for racket abuse after losing the first set 6-4.
"At 5-6, 15-30, Serena was called for a foot fault on her second serve, making the score 15-40. She then yelled something at the line umpire, who reported it to the chair umpire. Based on the report, Serena was assessed a code violation point penalty for unsportsmanlike conduct, ending the match."
Serena said she did not threaten the linesperson. "I've never been in a fight in my whole life, so I don't know why she would have felt threatened." Serena said. "I didn't threaten. I didn't say ... I don't remember anymore to be honest. I was in the moment."
Everyone seemed to be in the moment afterward as calm was in short supply in the hallways below Ashe Stadium. Serena's agent, Jill Smoller, yelled at a cameraman who was shooting footage of Serena before the press conference. Smoller later signaled to a USTA official handing the press conference to cut the question-and-answer session short. To its credit, the USTA conducted a normal postmatch press conference.
Curiously, Serena said she thought she foot-faulted. "I'm pretty sure I did," she said. "If she called a foot fault, she must have seen a foot fault. I mean, she was doing her job. I'm not going to knock her for not doing her job."
Serena was particularly gracious to Clijsters, who has embarked on one of the most remarkable second acts in sports. The 26-year-old Belgian, who ended a 27-month retirement in August, is the first mother to reach a Grand Slam final since Evonne Goolagong Cawley won the 1980 Wimbledon title. She is one of six players to have defeated both Williams sisters in the same tournament and the only player to perform that feat twice (she also did it at the 2002 Tour Championships).
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/13/2009 07:49:00 pm
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2009-09-12
Boy, Oh, Boy
By MAUREEN DOWD New York Times Op-Ed
WASHINGTON
The normally nonchalant Barack Obama looked nonplussed, as Nancy Pelosi glowered behind.
Surrounded by middle-aged white guys — a sepia snapshot of the days when such pols ran Washington like their own men’s club — Joe Wilson yelled “You lie!” at a president who didn’t.
But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy!
The outburst was unexpected from a milquetoast Republican backbencher from South Carolina who had attracted little media attention. Now it has made him an overnight right-wing hero, inspiring “You lie!” bumper stickers and T-shirts.
The congressman, we learned, belonged to the Sons of Confederate Veterans, led a 2000 campaign to keep the Confederate flag waving above South Carolina’s state Capitol and denounced as a “smear” the true claim of a black woman that she was the daughter of Strom Thurmond, the ’48 segregationist candidate for president. Wilson clearly did not like being lectured and even rebuked by the brainy black president presiding over the majestic chamber.
I’ve been loath to admit that the shrieking lunacy of the summer — the frantic efforts to paint our first black president as the Other, a foreigner, socialist, fascist, Marxist, racist, Commie, Nazi; a cad who would snuff old people; a snake who would indoctrinate kids — had much to do with race.
I tended to agree with some Obama advisers that Democratic presidents typically have provoked a frothing response from paranoids — from Father Coughlin against F.D.R. to Joe McCarthy against Truman to the John Birchers against J.F.K. and the vast right-wing conspiracy against Bill Clinton.
But Wilson’s shocking disrespect for the office of the president — no Democrat ever shouted “liar” at W. when he was hawking a fake case for war in Iraq — convinced me: Some people just can’t believe a black man is president and will never accept it.
“A lot of these outbursts have to do with delegitimizing him as a president,” said Congressman Jim Clyburn, a senior member of the South Carolina delegation. Clyburn, the man who called out Bill Clinton on his racially tinged attacks on Obama in the primary, pushed Pelosi to pursue a formal resolution chastising Wilson.
“In South Carolina politics, I learned that the olive branch works very seldom,” he said. “You have to come at these things from a position of strength. My father used to say, ‘Son, always remember that silence gives consent.’ ”
Barry Obama of the post-’60s Hawaiian ’hood did not live through the major racial struggles in American history. Maybe he had a problem relating to his white basketball coach or catching a cab in New York, but he never got beaten up for being black.
Now he’s at the center of a period of racial turbulence sparked by his ascension. Even if he and the coterie of white male advisers around him don’t choose to openly acknowledge it, this president is the ultimate civil rights figure — a black man whose legitimacy is constantly challenged by a loco fringe.
For two centuries, the South has feared a takeover by blacks or the feds. In Obama, they have both.
The state that fired the first shot of the Civil War has now given us this: Senator Jim DeMint exhorted conservatives to “break” the president by upending his health care plan. Rusty DePass, a G.O.P. activist, said that a gorilla that escaped from a zoo was “just one of Michelle’s ancestors.” Lovelorn Mark Sanford tried to refuse the president’s stimulus money. And now Joe Wilson.
“A good many people in South Carolina really reject the notion that we’re part of the union,” said Don Fowler, the former Democratic Party chief who teaches politics at the University of South Carolina. He observed that when slavery was destroyed by outside forces and segregation was undone by civil rights leaders and Congress, it bred xenophobia.
“We have a lot of people who really think that the world’s against us,” Fowler said, “so when things don’t happen the way we like them to, we blame outsiders.” He said a state legislator not long ago tried to pass a bill to nullify any federal legislation with which South Carolinians didn’t agree. Shades of John C. Calhoun!
It may be President Obama’s very air of elegance and erudition that raises hackles in some. “My father used to say to me, ‘Boy, don’t get above your raising,’ ” Fowler said. “Some people are prejudiced anyway, and then they look at his education and mannerisms and get more angry at him.”
Clyburn had a warning for Obama advisers who want to forgive Wilson, ignore the ignorant outbursts and move on: “They’re going to have to develop ways in this White House to deal with things and not let them fester out there. Otherwise, they’ll see numbers moving in the wrong direction.”
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/12/2009 11:09:00 pm
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No Way to Treat a President
by Eugene Robinson of the Washington Post
Anyone who watched Wednesday night as President Obama explained his health-care reform proposals to Congress saw a chief executive making what sounded like a genuine appeal for bipartisanship -- and his opponents behaving like a bunch of spoiled first-graders. Obama should ignore them, even if they hold their breath until they turn blue.
House Republicans were particularly ostentatious in showing their disrespect not just for Obama but for the office he holds. The outburst by Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina -- who shouted "You lie!" when Obama said his plan would not cover illegal immigrants -- was only the most egregious display of contempt. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House minority whip, fiddled with his BlackBerry while the commander in chief was speaking. Other Republicans made a show of waving copies of their own alleged reform plan, which isn't really a plan at all.
House Republicans were particularly ostentatious in showing their disrespect not just for Obama but for the office he holds. The outburst by Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina -- who shouted "You lie!" when Obama said his plan would not cover illegal immigrants -- was only the most egregious display of contempt. Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia, the House minority whip, fiddled with his BlackBerry while the commander in chief was speaking. Other Republicans made a show of waving copies of their own alleged reform plan, which isn't really a plan at all.
And Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas waved hand-lettered signs at the president, as if he thought he were attending one of those made-for-television town-hall meetings rather than a solemn gathering of the nation's highest elected officials.
Throughout the speech, there was grumbling, mugging and eye-rolling on the Republican side that was not only undignified but frankly un-American. When I was a correspondent in London, I covered far more raucous sessions of the British House of Commons -- that's how Parliament treats the prime minister, who is the head of government. In the United States, that simply is not how Congress treats the president, who is the head of state.
Congress didn't heckle Lyndon Johnson like that during the Vietnam War or Richard Nixon during the Watergate scandal. Congress didn't even show that kind of bitterness and aggression toward George W. Bush, who did lie -- specifically, about the intelligence that his administration relied on to justify an unnecessary war that has cost 4,300 American lives and enough money to fund Obama's health-care proposals for a decade.
Wilson issued a statement of apology after the speech, saying he had "let my emotions get the best of me" and calling his interjection "inappropriate and regrettable." As apologies go, it sounded insincere -- a variant of the "mistakes were made" dodge. In fact, however, the right-wing Republicans in Congress, especially those in the House, are all too sincere. And that's the problem.
Last November's election so wounded the GOP that the nation is now suffering collateral damage. The Republicans who were punished at the polls for the failures of the Bush years were those in the most evenly contested districts, which meant they tended to be relatively moderate. Those who represent solidly Republican districts were safe, and their greatest fear isn't being defeated by a Democrat next fall but being challenged by a primary opponent who's even more of a right-wing yahoo.
There are quite a few Democratic pragmatists in Congress -- which is why health-care reform is being worked over so thoroughly by the Blue Dogs. In the Republican ranks, especially in the House, pragmatists are few and ideologues are legion. Many of them probably believe the nonsense they spout about creeping socialism and an urgent threat to America As We Know It. But it's still nonsense. The ideologues' sincerity just makes this toxic, rejectionist rhetoric more dangerous.
You will note that I have not yet mentioned race. For the record, I suspect that Obama's race leads some of his critics to feel they have permission to deny him the legitimacy, stature and common courtesy that are any president's due. I can't prove this, however. And if I'm right, what's anybody supposed to do about it? There's no way to compel people to search their souls for traces of conscious or unconscious racial bias. We could have an interesting discussion about the historical image of the black man in American society, but that wouldn't get us any closer to universal health care.
What will get us closer, I believe, is the clear, steely resolve that Obama showed the nation Wednesday. His most important line, I thought, came near the beginning: "I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last."
He told those of us who support a public health insurance option that we might have to settle for something less. He threw Republicans a bone on tort reform. And he drew one bright line in the sand: Throw spitballs all you want, but this will be done.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/12/2009 10:51:00 pm
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Tea Party Express March and Rally draws thousands to Washington DC
Tea Party Express march to the Capitol supportive of South Carolina's Rep. Joe Wilson
Tea Party Express March on the Capitol
Tea Party Express rally at the Capitol riding a popular National Mall monument
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/12/2009 10:32:00 pm
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Send Joe Wilson Home
photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty.written by Mark McKinnon
Former Bush and McCain strategist Mark McKinnon wants the congressman who shouted at Obama out of office and out of his party—and he's donating $1,000 to his opponent. Make Joe Wilson pay.
And by pay, I mean beat his sorry ass at the polls and send him to the private sector. That is the only way to change the political discourse in America today. Because as long as louts like Joe Wilson can spout off and call the president a liar and get rewarded with re-election, then louts will continue to spout off. And we will continue to claw our way to the very bottom of the political swamp.
It’s unclear yet what the reaction is in South Carolina. There is a newspaper poll that suggests broadly South Carolinians think the incident could have a negative impact on the state.
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/09/10/AR2009091003406.html?sub=AR - Eugene Robinson's column link)
On the other hand, anecdotally there appears to be plenty of evidence that many of Wilson’s constituents in the second congressional district actually support his odious behavior.
Wilson’s aides say his office is receiving thousands of calls running three-to-one in favor of his outburst—and he's running an ad on the Drudge Report using his victimhood.
Joe Scarborough had a conversation with Joe Klein on his Morning Joe program Friday during which he asked the question, “How do we stop the cycle of vicious partisanship?”
My answer is we start by getting rid of the partisans like Joe Wilson.
Even pit bull Pat Buchanan—who once called on the citizens of New Hampshire to take up pitch forks—is decrying the poisonous nature of our politics today: “We seem not only to disagree with each other more than ever, but to have come almost to detest one another. Politically, culturally, racially, we seem ever ready to go for each others' throats.”
Whether Wilson was right or wrong in his tempestuous charge, it was wrong to interrupt the president during a speech in the House of Representatives. But, the fact is, he was also wrong in his assertion. Legislation, as currently proposed, does not allow illegal immigrants to get the proposed government health-care subsidies. But, lest there be any ambiguity, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs, said Thursday Obama would go further, barring illegal immigrants from buying private health insurance through a proposed government-regulated marketplace, even if they could afford the coverage on their own.
Of course that hasn’t stopped Wilson supporters like Rush Limbaugh from saying, “You know a lot of people in that room... know [Obama’s] lying through his teeth and wanted to say it. And Joe Wilson finally did.”
Wilson couldn’t even apologize with any class. He made it clear he was saying “sorry” only because he’d been forced to by the Republican House leadership: “Well, I, uh, last night I heard from the leadership that they wanted me to contact the White House and, uh, say that, uh, my statements, uh, were inappropriate. I did."
Apologies should extract some moral or material cost.
I was surprised and moved when Governor Mark Sanford called me recently—the first time we've spoken—to personally apologize because I was one of the few who actually took him at his word when he said he was out hiking the Appalachian Trail and wrote a column defending the idea of elected officials unplugging and getting off the leash occasionally to investigate the real world outside their bubbles. Not something he needed to do, but it was my sense that he just felt it was the right thing to do.
I have tried personally to promote comity in politics, but have occasionally lapsed. I found myself compelled recently to apologize to former Senator Rick Santorum for a column I wrote recently in The Daily Beast in which I lowered myself to a highly inappropriate observation about his family. I let my anger at Santorum overwhelm my judgment, and obscure the fundamental point of my argument. To his credit, Santorum graciously accepted. But, the incident made me realize how easy it is to fall prey to the lowest common denominator today.
Because usually there’s no penalty.
When elected officials and others contribute to a climate and culture that fosters hyper-partisanship, we’ve got to blow the whistle.
Now, proving he has no real remorse or character, Wilson has created a YouTube video and is trying to raise money off of his transgression. And if he does, he may prove the point made by a South Carolina political observer that the state is too small to be its own country and too big to be an insane asylum.
I think South Carolina is better than that and will have a chance to prove as much next year by sending Wilson a pink slip.
I’m a Republican, but I’d rather have a Democrat in Congress who I may disagree with but who has some fundamental character and decency that Wilson clearly lacks. So, today I’m volunteering for Republicans for Rob Miller, Wilson’s opponent, a former Marine and Iraq veteran, and am sending him a $1,000 check. And you can do the same by going here.
There’s only one way to we’re going to change our political climate and ensure we establish some respect in our discourse. And that is to show there is a real price to pay for being a disrespectful partisan idiot.
Send Joe Wilson home.
As vice chairman of Public Strategies and president of Maverick Media, Mark McKinnon has helped meet strategic challenges for candidates, corporations and causes, including George W. Bush, John McCain, Governor Ann Richards, Charlie Wilson, Lance Armstrong, and Bono. McKinnon is co-chair of Arts & Labs, a collaboration between technology and creative communities that have embraced today's rich Internet environment to deliver innovative and creative digital products to consumers.
posted by Kirk Tanter at
9/12/2009 08:32:00 pm
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1 Comments
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About Me
- Name: Kirk Tanter
- Location: Maryland, United States
To be or not to be, that is the question.
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