City Council members last night approved two new occupation taxes to offset the loss of more than 600,000 dollars revenue in sales taxes and state aid confiscated by the state of Nebraska.
The two taxes, a two percent tax on lodging and a one percent tax on restaurants (and other prepared foods like the deli at Safeway and Walmart) and liquor sales is designed to attract up to an additional 250-500k in revenue. This revenue would be designated for street improvements unless City Council adds language that allows them to redirect funds to other purposes. Council did not take up a third tax which would have placed a half percent increase on all grocery items.
Tom Dorwart Sr. addressed the council in direct terms about how they always look for tax increases, but never spending cuts. I generally agreed with his sentiment, but in this case, the outrage from the public probably led to additional pressures to reduce spending and each department was able to bring savings to the table.
Gary Person presented information that indicated the levy increase for the upcoming year was projected at 0.00 percent. The City budget actually is slightly smaller next year by several thousand dollars.
Arguments presented by the tourism board director were made that a 2 percent increase in the occupancy tax may result in the loss of business for the purpose of conventions. He also added that if a reduction in business were seen, it could adversely affect the employment of those businesses.
I told City Council that the amount of money they were going to get wasn't going to offset the decline of the city streets and that the tax would be a permanent fixture. When asked to estimate when the city streets would be repaired from the proceeds Gary Person indicated that the tax would be necessary forever..
While recognizing the issue with the state taking money from us is creating a problem, I also reminded City council to consider placing a moratorium on Capital spending for the next several years so we can absorb all of the increases that have come too us from the Federal Government (EPA on the waste water plant) and state losses though unfair tax collection policies. Those suggestions fell on deaf ears, but the conversation turned heated when I referenced the Fire Truck and its lack of use.
Mike Palmer took exception noting that it was a safety issue and if it saves one life, it is worth it. My issue is not now, nor has it ever been with the Volunteer Fire Department or its members. My point is what was done to validate the need and were alternatives fully considered before outlaying more than a million dollars for a truck that arguably has seen very little use other than a training mission and several parades. Palmer and I spoke at length after the meeting and I believe that we were able to reach the understanding that the mention of the truck purchase led the conversation astray from the idea that the locality needs to watch what it wants to spend because we are often at the mercy of the State and Federal edicts. Palmer understands that I am not begrudging the equipment necessary to provide safety for those who put themselves at risk for all of us, but that the decision to purchase anything should be done so after careful consideration of all the options and cost considerations are properly vetted.
I do not envy the job the Council Members have to do. The balancing act they must maintain in providing the services necessary to maintain and grow a community are now coming into conflict with the stark reality that the State of Nebraska and the Federal government do not care that much about low population centers.
Ken Schilz will have a tough couple of years of dues paying to become a truly effective member of the legislature in Lincoln. The sad truth is that the rural parts of the state are probably going to always get the short end of the stick when it comes to the redistribution of the states tax wealth. It rolls downhill in that Nebraska suffers from a low population and that is most keenly evident in the stimulus amounts to the state. It is a shame that we couldn't have gotten a few shovels ready and marched on Washington to protest the lack of support this country gives middle America...
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Outrage makes President change tone of Back to School Message
The following was sent to the SunTelegraph this morning in response to their editorial on the President's speech to school children on Tuesday.
It is appropriate to take issue with your comment on the President's speech.
The outrage felt by millions had nothing to do with the contents of his speech, which had not been released, but rather the inclusion of a lesson plan that sought to tell (or more properly ask) the children how they could help the President get his message out better.
The issue wasn't speaking to kids, it was the unprecedented lesson plan that was accompanying from the Department of Education. That was what the controversy was all about.
The speech the President gave was pretty innocuous. It is my opinion that the public outcry over the lesson plan made the Whitehouse tone the message down. The American public spoke and the President listened. That's what it's all about.
It is appropriate to take issue with your comment on the President's speech.
The outrage felt by millions had nothing to do with the contents of his speech, which had not been released, but rather the inclusion of a lesson plan that sought to tell (or more properly ask) the children how they could help the President get his message out better.
The issue wasn't speaking to kids, it was the unprecedented lesson plan that was accompanying from the Department of Education. That was what the controversy was all about.
The speech the President gave was pretty innocuous. It is my opinion that the public outcry over the lesson plan made the Whitehouse tone the message down. The American public spoke and the President listened. That's what it's all about.
12 month term just a slap on the wrist
I don't think I can speak for everyone, but given the fervor of this town and how much anger was rightly generated over Richie Thompson's conviction on charges of sexual misconduct with a 12 year old, I find it personally appalling that the admited fully sexual acts performed on a 15 year old boy by Todd Nienhueser led to a MISDEMEANOR conviction on two counts and not the felonies they should have been.
The laws we have are meant to protect the innocent. Nienhueser's assertion that the boy claimed to be 19 seem easy enough to disprove on the face of it. A teacher by training with years of experience, he should have understood both the appearance and demeanor of his victim would at least make him want to see a driver's license before... dinner.
If Nienhueser met the boy over the internet, When was the issue of sex first discussed, how did age come into the coversation. Was the victim coached or otherwise led by his pursuer to say he was 19 because that would somehow make it.. ok.
The police and prosecutors have all kinds of tools at their disposal. Every message exchanged between the two should have been analyzed to see if their was a pattern to direct or otherwise control the victim. According to reports, Nienhueser said the boy told him he was 19 and that was good enough for him.
The lack of sufficient jail time for sexually related crimes is disturbing in this locality. One has to wonder also at the outrage over Richie Thompson who was poor and could not really provide for his own defense and contrast that to Nienhueser, whose family name and connections might have swayed justice to a better outcome.
One also now wonder how a person who had sex with a minor will not have to register as a sex offender. Regardless of where Nienhueser goes, the people in that town will not ever know that he took advantage of someone's son, brother or grandson. He could explain it away as... I made a foolish mistake and bought a kid some beer.
It is also now a question of what happens to Nienhueser once his sentence ends. Will he be able to move to Colorado or another state and get another teaching job? Do you really want a person of Nienhueser's character anywhere near your children? The sad truth is he will be able to work around children again. Maybe you can rest easy here in town because it won't happen you your own, but it will probably happen again.
I hope that whatever higher power each of us believes in will find the correct justice for Mr. Nienhueser in his next life. I also hope that somehow the nature of his crime follows him in a way I know will never happen.
The sad tragedy is that some people can buy the outcome of justice that serves themselves. In this case, Nienhueser was able to circumvent justice with a slap on the wrist.
The laws we have are meant to protect the innocent. Nienhueser's assertion that the boy claimed to be 19 seem easy enough to disprove on the face of it. A teacher by training with years of experience, he should have understood both the appearance and demeanor of his victim would at least make him want to see a driver's license before... dinner.
If Nienhueser met the boy over the internet, When was the issue of sex first discussed, how did age come into the coversation. Was the victim coached or otherwise led by his pursuer to say he was 19 because that would somehow make it.. ok.
The police and prosecutors have all kinds of tools at their disposal. Every message exchanged between the two should have been analyzed to see if their was a pattern to direct or otherwise control the victim. According to reports, Nienhueser said the boy told him he was 19 and that was good enough for him.
The lack of sufficient jail time for sexually related crimes is disturbing in this locality. One has to wonder also at the outrage over Richie Thompson who was poor and could not really provide for his own defense and contrast that to Nienhueser, whose family name and connections might have swayed justice to a better outcome.
One also now wonder how a person who had sex with a minor will not have to register as a sex offender. Regardless of where Nienhueser goes, the people in that town will not ever know that he took advantage of someone's son, brother or grandson. He could explain it away as... I made a foolish mistake and bought a kid some beer.
It is also now a question of what happens to Nienhueser once his sentence ends. Will he be able to move to Colorado or another state and get another teaching job? Do you really want a person of Nienhueser's character anywhere near your children? The sad truth is he will be able to work around children again. Maybe you can rest easy here in town because it won't happen you your own, but it will probably happen again.
I hope that whatever higher power each of us believes in will find the correct justice for Mr. Nienhueser in his next life. I also hope that somehow the nature of his crime follows him in a way I know will never happen.
The sad tragedy is that some people can buy the outcome of justice that serves themselves. In this case, Nienhueser was able to circumvent justice with a slap on the wrist.
Monday, September 7, 2009
The President's Message to kids
The following are prepared remarks from President Obama's Back to School Event scheduled for Tuesday in Arlington, Virginia:
The President: Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday - at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility. I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer - maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine - but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that - if you quit on school - you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.
So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer - hundreds of extra hours - to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.
And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education - and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book.
Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.
And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you - you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust - a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor - and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you - don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too.
So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down - don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
The President: Hello everyone - how's everybody doing today? I'm here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia. And we've got students tuning in from all across America, kindergarten through twelfth grade. I'm glad you all could join us today.
I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school. And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous. I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now, with just one more year to go. And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer, and you could've stayed in bed just a little longer this morning.
I know that feeling. When I was young, my family lived in Indonesia for a few years, and my mother didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school. So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday - at 4:30 in the morning. Now I wasn't too happy about getting up that early. A lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table. But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and say, "This is no picnic for me either, buster."
So I know some of you are still adjusting to being back at school. But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you. I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.
Now I've given a lot of speeches about education. And I've talked a lot about responsibility. I've talked about your teachers' responsibility for inspiring you, and pushing you to learn. I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with that Xbox.
I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working where students aren't getting the opportunities they deserve.
But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, and the best schools in the world - and none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities. Unless you show up to those schools; pay attention to those teachers; listen to your parents, grandparents and other adults; and put in the hard work it takes to succeed. And that's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education. I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.
Every single one of you has something you're good at. Every single one of you has something to offer. And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is. That's the opportunity an education can provide.
Maybe you could be a good writer - maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper - but you might not know it until you write a paper for your English class. Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor - maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or a new medicine or vaccine - but you might not know it until you do a project for your science class. Maybe you could be a mayor or a Senator or a Supreme Court Justice, but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.
And no matter what you want to do with your life - I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it. You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers. You can't drop out of school and just drop into a good job. You've got to work for it and train for it and learn for it.
And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future. What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country. What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.
You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment. You'll need the insights and critical thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free. You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.
We need every single one of you to develop your talents, skills and intellect so you can help solve our most difficult problems. If you don't do that - if you quit on school - you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.
Now I know it's not always easy to do well in school. I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.
I get it. I know what that's like. My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mother who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us things the other kids had. There were times when I missed having a father in my life. There were times when I was lonely and felt like I didn't fit in.
So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been. I did some things I'm not proud of, and got in more trouble than I should have. And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.
But I was fortunate. I got a lot of second chances and had the opportunity to go to college, and law school, and follow my dreams. My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, has a similar story. Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have much. But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.
Some of you might not have those advantages. Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need. Maybe someone in your family has lost their job, and there's not enough money to go around. Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.
But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life - what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home - that's no excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude. That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school. That's no excuse for not trying.
Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up. No one's written your destiny for you. Here in America, you write your own destiny. You make your own future. That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.
Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas. Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school. Hardly anyone in her hometown went to college, and neither of her parents had gone either. But she worked hard, earned good grades, got a scholarship to Brown University, and is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to being Dr. Jazmin Perez.
I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three. He's endured all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer - hundreds of extra hours - to do his schoolwork. But he never fell behind, and he's headed to college this fall.
And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois. Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods, she managed to get a job at a local health center; start a program to keep young people out of gangs; and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.
Jazmin, Andoni and Shantell aren't any different from any of you. They faced challenges in their lives just like you do. But they refused to give up. They chose to take responsibility for their education and set goals for themselves. And I expect all of you to do the same.
That's why today, I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education - and to do everything you can to meet them. Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending time each day reading a book.
Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community. Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all kids deserve a safe environment to study and learn. Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.
And along those lines, I hope you'll all wash your hands a lot, and stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.
Whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it. I want you to really work at it. I know that sometimes, you get the sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work -- that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star, when chances are, you're not going to be any of those things.
But the truth is, being successful is hard. You won't love every subject you study. You won't click with every teacher. Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right this minute. And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.
That's OK. Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures. JK Rowling's first Harry Potter book was rejected twelve times before it was finally published. Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and he lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career. But he once said, "I have failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed."
These people succeeded because they understand that you can't let your failures define you - you have to let them teach you. You have to let them show you what to do differently next time. If you get in trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to behave. If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.
No one's born being good at things, you become good at things through hard work. You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport. You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song. You've got to practice. It's the same with your schoolwork. You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right, or read something a few times before you understand it, or do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it. I do that every day. Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength. It shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and to learn something new. So find an adult you trust - a parent, grandparent or teacher; a coach or counselor - and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.
And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you - don't ever give up on yourself. Because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.
The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough. It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.
It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and found this nation. Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war; who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon. Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google, Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.
So today, I want to ask you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a president who comes here in twenty or fifty or one hundred years say about what all of you did for this country? Your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions. I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books, equipment and computers you need to learn. But you've got to do your part too.
So I expect you to get serious this year. I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do. I expect great things from each of you. So don't let us down - don't let your family or your country or yourself down. Make us all proud. I know you can do it.
Thank you, God bless you, and God bless America.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Some Contact Info
This information was originally published a while back. Feel free to use it to keep the pressure on your state and national officials.
Omaha World Herald --- pulse@owh.com
USA Today editorial edition --- http://feedbackforms.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=18
Wall Street Journal Editorial Page --- edit.features@wsj.com
New York Times Editorial Page --- letters@nytimes.com
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Page ---letters@sfchronicle.com
Los Angeles Times Editorial Page submission form --- http://www.latimes.com/services/site/la-comment-oped-cf,0,86410.customform
The Office of the President of the United States or America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Office of the Public Liaison
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/
Congress
Honorable Nancy Pelosi - Speaker of the House
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
John Boehner, House Minority Leader
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6205
(202) 225-0704 fax
http://republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/
The Republican National Committee
Office of the Chairman
Phone: 202-863-8700
Fax: 202-863-8820
Email: Chairman@gop.com
The Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contactissues
Omaha World Herald --- pulse@owh.com
USA Today editorial edition --- http://feedbackforms.usatoday.com/marketing/feedback/feedback-online.aspx?type=18
Wall Street Journal Editorial Page --- edit.features@wsj.com
New York Times Editorial Page --- letters@nytimes.com
San Francisco Chronicle Editorial Page ---letters@sfchronicle.com
Los Angeles Times Editorial Page submission form --- http://www.latimes.com/services/site/la-comment-oped-cf,0,86410.customform
The Office of the President of the United States or America
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500
Switchboard: 202-456-1414
FAX: 202-456-2461
Office of the Public Liaison
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/opl/
Congress
Honorable Nancy Pelosi - Speaker of the House
Office of the Speaker
H-232, US Capitol
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-0100
http://speaker.house.gov/contact/
John Boehner, House Minority Leader
1011 Longworth H.O.B.
Washington, DC 20515
(202) 225-6205
(202) 225-0704 fax
http://republicanleader.house.gov/Contact/
The Republican National Committee
Office of the Chairman
Phone: 202-863-8700
Fax: 202-863-8820
Email: Chairman@gop.com
The Democratic National Committee
Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington, DC 20003
http://www.democrats.org/page/s/contactissues
Green Csar Clearly an A-Hole
It seems that Van Jones’ worst enemy may in fact be Van Jones.
The former self-avowed, but now clearly a raging capitalist, senior advisor to the President for Green Jobs cannot seem to extricate his radical views on toppling the government from within for what he calls social justice.
Fox News and other agencies have reported that video footage from earlier this year shows Jones responding to a question as to why a Democratic majority in the Senate is having more difficulty moving legislation than Republicans did with a smaller majority.
Jones answered rather flippantly, “they’re assholes. That’s a technical, political science term.” He later also added that “Some of us who are not Barak Hussein Obama are gonna have to start getting uppity.” This reference was clearly meant to say that he was content to let the President stay above the fray and he and others like him would be willing to do whatever dirty work needed to be done.
According to the White House, Jones had a transformational experience while in prison and he has put aside his radical ways in the effort to create a better society based on green jobs and a green economy.
His statement on the republicans belies the truth that while little to no republican support has been garnered for the currently proposed legislation, it is the moderate and conservative democrats who are blocking the progress. With significant majorities in both houses and an Oval Office more that willing to spend our way into obscurity, the Democratic Party is now clearly in disarray.
The threat of a budget reconciliation process as a tool to force a less than 60 vote majority on a non budget bill is unprecedented and will most certainly come at the peril of the current majorities. With friends like Van Jones in the President’s inner circle, one wonders how the President’s advisors will ever achieve political reconciliation.
Van Jones is a cancer and should be removed from the President’s staff. The impunity with which he speaks undermines the President’s campaign position on seeking to unite the country.
The last three elections have been harrowingly close. Jone’s rhetoric and the President’s complacency regarding it shows the disdain Democrats have for their counterparts and we are all caught in the cross-fire.
The former self-avowed, but now clearly a raging capitalist, senior advisor to the President for Green Jobs cannot seem to extricate his radical views on toppling the government from within for what he calls social justice.
Fox News and other agencies have reported that video footage from earlier this year shows Jones responding to a question as to why a Democratic majority in the Senate is having more difficulty moving legislation than Republicans did with a smaller majority.
Jones answered rather flippantly, “they’re assholes. That’s a technical, political science term.” He later also added that “Some of us who are not Barak Hussein Obama are gonna have to start getting uppity.” This reference was clearly meant to say that he was content to let the President stay above the fray and he and others like him would be willing to do whatever dirty work needed to be done.
According to the White House, Jones had a transformational experience while in prison and he has put aside his radical ways in the effort to create a better society based on green jobs and a green economy.
His statement on the republicans belies the truth that while little to no republican support has been garnered for the currently proposed legislation, it is the moderate and conservative democrats who are blocking the progress. With significant majorities in both houses and an Oval Office more that willing to spend our way into obscurity, the Democratic Party is now clearly in disarray.
The threat of a budget reconciliation process as a tool to force a less than 60 vote majority on a non budget bill is unprecedented and will most certainly come at the peril of the current majorities. With friends like Van Jones in the President’s inner circle, one wonders how the President’s advisors will ever achieve political reconciliation.
Van Jones is a cancer and should be removed from the President’s staff. The impunity with which he speaks undermines the President’s campaign position on seeking to unite the country.
The last three elections have been harrowingly close. Jone’s rhetoric and the President’s complacency regarding it shows the disdain Democrats have for their counterparts and we are all caught in the cross-fire.
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Exuding Control in the I-Space
Reports have crept up that a bill in the US Senate has been drafted that would allow the President the ability to exert control over the Internet in the event of a Cyber Emergency.
Currently in draft form Bill SB 773 or the Cyber Security Act of 2009, the bill actually has three co-sponsors, including Olympia Snow from from Maine.
Section 2 of the bill includes language from a speech the Obama made last year in which he noted that China has long been aware of the threats posed by cyber attack. The only problem is that China considers free speech a cyber attack and has banned companies from using unrestricted access to internet sites.
The big issue with this bill is that it gives an appointed czar the ability to lead and establish standards for cyber security and it could control who can become certified for such endeavors. Currently these mechanisms are controlled by certification boards and background checks conducted in the private sector. There has been robust scientific and academic research on maintaining a cyber security presence in the private sector and it has been working.
Perhaps we need to encourage active participation in cyber security education as a means of extending what is currently working and to promote better security procedures and protocols in the finance and governmental sectors. Giving the President the ability to shut down a given website unilaterally represents a potential violation of the takings clause in that such a shutdown could cause irreparable economic harm, and therefore be required to provide due process prior to such a shutdown.
My concern is chiefly that the chance is there for the Government or its assignee to misuse the power contained in the bill in order to chill the very nature of the first amendment. Write your congressman and complain that the bill as presently written is unacceptable to you and your family and that you strongly urge the rejection of such controls without adequate oversight and redress capabilities.
Currently in draft form Bill SB 773 or the Cyber Security Act of 2009, the bill actually has three co-sponsors, including Olympia Snow from from Maine.
Section 2 of the bill includes language from a speech the Obama made last year in which he noted that China has long been aware of the threats posed by cyber attack. The only problem is that China considers free speech a cyber attack and has banned companies from using unrestricted access to internet sites.
The big issue with this bill is that it gives an appointed czar the ability to lead and establish standards for cyber security and it could control who can become certified for such endeavors. Currently these mechanisms are controlled by certification boards and background checks conducted in the private sector. There has been robust scientific and academic research on maintaining a cyber security presence in the private sector and it has been working.
Perhaps we need to encourage active participation in cyber security education as a means of extending what is currently working and to promote better security procedures and protocols in the finance and governmental sectors. Giving the President the ability to shut down a given website unilaterally represents a potential violation of the takings clause in that such a shutdown could cause irreparable economic harm, and therefore be required to provide due process prior to such a shutdown.
My concern is chiefly that the chance is there for the Government or its assignee to misuse the power contained in the bill in order to chill the very nature of the first amendment. Write your congressman and complain that the bill as presently written is unacceptable to you and your family and that you strongly urge the rejection of such controls without adequate oversight and redress capabilities.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Election Choice
To the people of Sidney and Cheyenne County:
Far be it from me to actually have my own thoughts on local government, but I really must stand up and give a strong opinion on two issues. The first item is to praise Mr. Bowers' letter on the progression of societies. Though the original author of the piece live more than 200 years ago, his thoughts ring true today. Liberal Democrats, determined to grant largess to any self-absorbed entity who will vote for them, resort to registering dead people, cats, novel characters and others in order to get what they want. So desperate for power they have become, that they have promised the financial ruin of America in order to extend the worst possible mistake in the history of this country. Johnson did this in the 60's with his "Great Society," and created the largest single growing entitlement in the history of the world.
The issue of the wheel tax (or vehicle tax) or whatever city council wants to call it, is a patent example of how the government spends your money like a child looking for another cookie in a never emptying jar. The premise of the vote is absurd. Normally a specific tax is placed on the ballot and that issue is voted on. They are asking you to allow them to consider the tax and how much. Your vote gives them too much power if the measure is approved and that is how they want it. Once approved, all they need to do to increase the amount is to simply amend the ordinance (section 4, items a-c). The lack of fiscal restraint in this town/county has placed the citizenry on the brink of long term financial ruin. The city points the finger at the county, which is certainly culpable enough. The county does the same in reverse. Taxes and fees abound in every possible jurisdictional authority and people are refusing to live here because of it. The marginal tax rate is increasing every year since 2003 and except for that year, every year since 1996. We have declining growth which makes me wonder why people love our touted economic growth. The next census in a little more than a year will show that the population is flat or slightly less than the last census. The only economic growth we have accomplished is to expand budgets, now done in the face of incredible economic pressures calculated to last 12 more months. All of this and yet we continue to spend like the supply will never end.
My other issue is Kristine Cecava. We should all be on the "Kick Kristine to the Kurb if You Kare about Kids!" bandwagon. When criminals such as Richie Thompson are granted a slap on the wrist and the presiding Judge is given a failing grade by her peers in the Nebraska Bar, I find it hard to believe how anyone with children, or who loves children could vote to retain such a Judge. Where was Judge Cecava's compassion for the twice molested little girl? As the Nebraska Bar indicated, Cecava has a storied history of interpreting the law to suit her own purposes and it isn't just in Sidney. In one criminal case, scheduled for appeal in November, she is cited with of 23 different flaws in her judgement, including failing to suppress faulty evidence, recusal and sentencing the appellant to an overly harsh sentence. In that case, she didn't even allow the defense to examine evidence to a defense handwriting expert which could have been exculpatory. There appear to be so many constitutional errors in her judgment that even if the guy were guilty as sin, he should not have been convicted under the law.
My friends and fellow residents: Think carefully when you cast your votes on Tuesday. I urge you all to resist all attempts to pass a wheel/vehicle tax/fee and to vote Dr. Dave and Bob VanVleet. onto the council. Both of these men have shown themselves to be even tempered and have sacrificed of their time for the benefit of this town. Each has been mayor of Sidney and they are honorable men. I further urge you to not vote to retain Christine Cecava and thus promote her to citizen as well. We need to have a judiciary that understands that people who cause violent crime, especially on children, need to face real penalties, not mere slaps on the wrist. We need stability and fiscal restraint and a hold on new spending, along with a top to bottom examination of our budget and cost needs. Until we get a handle on what we are doing, we should hold off on any new fire trucks for non-existent 5 story buildings.
Nearly two years ago, I spoke at council meetings and wrote in the paper about the fiscal irresponsibility Sidney was getting into. I warned of faulty financing on the front range and how people who could not afford houses were being lured into bad loans and how the subsequent foreclosure rate was climbing. Jordan Ball said at Council meeting, "Sidney is not like the front range." I also questioned the need for a 17 million dollar school for 425 children. I didn't question the need for a new school, but why we needed to spend so much money when we didn't even have the plans, nor a bill of materials to justify building a cardboard box (based on the drawings on the school website). My former position required me to look at the strategic implications of the choices I had to make. My education is specific to economic issues and how things in the larger picture affect things in the smaller one. I have been correct for each thing I have taken a position on. I urge you consider the facts for yourselves and not just take my word for it. Challenge the conventions that your leaders are putting in front of you. Do not blindly trust that City Council or the County Commissioners have your best interests at heart. They may be decent folk, who have businesses and farms and property here, but it is nearly impossible for someone to act against their own self interest. It is up to each of us to ensure that the plans they want to make are in OUR interest. The unrestrained government is the one which ultimately becomes self-serving and tyrannical in nature.
Sidney has the potential to do so much, but we have tried to please a very few at the expense of the many. Housing values are down, people are losing their jobs and we can ill-afford new costs or elected officials who cannot be sensitive to the very real problems we face as a community. We either stand and fight for each other, or we will suffer the same fate as happened when the depot closed up so many years ago. Imagine this town with hundreds (or more) of homes for sale. Mr. Bowers' history lesson was timely and stark. Complacency and a desire to grab whatever a politico panders to us are the seeds of our own destruction as a society. We must hold our government accountable and promote them to customer if they keep spending as though tomorrow doesn't matter. We have a chance to take back our town on Tuesday. I urge you to do so or risk losing it forever.
Far be it from me to actually have my own thoughts on local government, but I really must stand up and give a strong opinion on two issues. The first item is to praise Mr. Bowers' letter on the progression of societies. Though the original author of the piece live more than 200 years ago, his thoughts ring true today. Liberal Democrats, determined to grant largess to any self-absorbed entity who will vote for them, resort to registering dead people, cats, novel characters and others in order to get what they want. So desperate for power they have become, that they have promised the financial ruin of America in order to extend the worst possible mistake in the history of this country. Johnson did this in the 60's with his "Great Society," and created the largest single growing entitlement in the history of the world.
The issue of the wheel tax (or vehicle tax) or whatever city council wants to call it, is a patent example of how the government spends your money like a child looking for another cookie in a never emptying jar. The premise of the vote is absurd. Normally a specific tax is placed on the ballot and that issue is voted on. They are asking you to allow them to consider the tax and how much. Your vote gives them too much power if the measure is approved and that is how they want it. Once approved, all they need to do to increase the amount is to simply amend the ordinance (section 4, items a-c). The lack of fiscal restraint in this town/county has placed the citizenry on the brink of long term financial ruin. The city points the finger at the county, which is certainly culpable enough. The county does the same in reverse. Taxes and fees abound in every possible jurisdictional authority and people are refusing to live here because of it. The marginal tax rate is increasing every year since 2003 and except for that year, every year since 1996. We have declining growth which makes me wonder why people love our touted economic growth. The next census in a little more than a year will show that the population is flat or slightly less than the last census. The only economic growth we have accomplished is to expand budgets, now done in the face of incredible economic pressures calculated to last 12 more months. All of this and yet we continue to spend like the supply will never end.
My other issue is Kristine Cecava. We should all be on the "Kick Kristine to the Kurb if You Kare about Kids!" bandwagon. When criminals such as Richie Thompson are granted a slap on the wrist and the presiding Judge is given a failing grade by her peers in the Nebraska Bar, I find it hard to believe how anyone with children, or who loves children could vote to retain such a Judge. Where was Judge Cecava's compassion for the twice molested little girl? As the Nebraska Bar indicated, Cecava has a storied history of interpreting the law to suit her own purposes and it isn't just in Sidney. In one criminal case, scheduled for appeal in November, she is cited with of 23 different flaws in her judgement, including failing to suppress faulty evidence, recusal and sentencing the appellant to an overly harsh sentence. In that case, she didn't even allow the defense to examine evidence to a defense handwriting expert which could have been exculpatory. There appear to be so many constitutional errors in her judgment that even if the guy were guilty as sin, he should not have been convicted under the law.
My friends and fellow residents: Think carefully when you cast your votes on Tuesday. I urge you all to resist all attempts to pass a wheel/vehicle tax/fee and to vote Dr. Dave and Bob VanVleet. onto the council. Both of these men have shown themselves to be even tempered and have sacrificed of their time for the benefit of this town. Each has been mayor of Sidney and they are honorable men. I further urge you to not vote to retain Christine Cecava and thus promote her to citizen as well. We need to have a judiciary that understands that people who cause violent crime, especially on children, need to face real penalties, not mere slaps on the wrist. We need stability and fiscal restraint and a hold on new spending, along with a top to bottom examination of our budget and cost needs. Until we get a handle on what we are doing, we should hold off on any new fire trucks for non-existent 5 story buildings.
Nearly two years ago, I spoke at council meetings and wrote in the paper about the fiscal irresponsibility Sidney was getting into. I warned of faulty financing on the front range and how people who could not afford houses were being lured into bad loans and how the subsequent foreclosure rate was climbing. Jordan Ball said at Council meeting, "Sidney is not like the front range." I also questioned the need for a 17 million dollar school for 425 children. I didn't question the need for a new school, but why we needed to spend so much money when we didn't even have the plans, nor a bill of materials to justify building a cardboard box (based on the drawings on the school website). My former position required me to look at the strategic implications of the choices I had to make. My education is specific to economic issues and how things in the larger picture affect things in the smaller one. I have been correct for each thing I have taken a position on. I urge you consider the facts for yourselves and not just take my word for it. Challenge the conventions that your leaders are putting in front of you. Do not blindly trust that City Council or the County Commissioners have your best interests at heart. They may be decent folk, who have businesses and farms and property here, but it is nearly impossible for someone to act against their own self interest. It is up to each of us to ensure that the plans they want to make are in OUR interest. The unrestrained government is the one which ultimately becomes self-serving and tyrannical in nature.
Sidney has the potential to do so much, but we have tried to please a very few at the expense of the many. Housing values are down, people are losing their jobs and we can ill-afford new costs or elected officials who cannot be sensitive to the very real problems we face as a community. We either stand and fight for each other, or we will suffer the same fate as happened when the depot closed up so many years ago. Imagine this town with hundreds (or more) of homes for sale. Mr. Bowers' history lesson was timely and stark. Complacency and a desire to grab whatever a politico panders to us are the seeds of our own destruction as a society. We must hold our government accountable and promote them to customer if they keep spending as though tomorrow doesn't matter. We have a chance to take back our town on Tuesday. I urge you to do so or risk losing it forever.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Never Ending Spending
For the life of me, I cannot understand why we persist as a community in driving ourselves financially into the ground. For years I have complained very vocally in writing and in public about the amount of money we are taxed to pay for the "good life" in this town. Property taxes are now proposed to go up 27% AGAIN. Gary Person's awesome flippin job of economic development coupled with the incessant need to economically develop the state further on the east end, is coming on the backs of the lower population centers. It is ironic that we are being raped financially to make it easier for places with more jobs and cultural events better standards of care to "progress." How many people will be forced to sell their houses or will lose their jobs because the taxes are rising? This isn't growth, its economic starvation.
Maybe its time for a new city government, a new city manager and a new state constitution that protects the rights of citizens... all the citizens.
Bloggers Note.. I am including my previous post on spending issues since it is relevant to the discussion today.
Maybe its time for a new city government, a new city manager and a new state constitution that protects the rights of citizens... all the citizens.
Bloggers Note.. I am including my previous post on spending issues since it is relevant to the discussion today.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Healthcare Control
The string of sound-bites and YouTube clips in the media and internet are making it clear: Americans want some kind of health care reform, but it ain't the ones coming out of Congress. The democratic party speaks about "Once in a lifetime opportunities," the likes of which haven't been seen in 45 years. The President's town hall meeting in New Hampshire gives the indication that everyone is for his vision. His skill in the use of rhetoric is unquestioned, but he never speaks any words of substance.
While decrying the very tactics his party uses to coerce compliance from banks and businesses, the President lies to you with a smile and his.."aw, this is what they always do" style of TelePrompTer reading. The reality is this... If any combination of the current three house bills and two senate bills is passed in compromise, it will mean reduced choice, reduced employment, and most definitely higher taxes. It leaves one with the question of what happens when the prescription for the problem kills the patient. Keep reading and studying what these members of Congress do... they are not there for you, they are there for themselves.
While decrying the very tactics his party uses to coerce compliance from banks and businesses, the President lies to you with a smile and his.."aw, this is what they always do" style of TelePrompTer reading. The reality is this... If any combination of the current three house bills and two senate bills is passed in compromise, it will mean reduced choice, reduced employment, and most definitely higher taxes. It leaves one with the question of what happens when the prescription for the problem kills the patient. Keep reading and studying what these members of Congress do... they are not there for you, they are there for themselves.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)