Archive for July, 2009
July 24th, 2009
If ever there were an example of “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know,” then the University of Illinois’ admissions scandal will top the list. Personally, I think the “clout-for-admission” debacle is worse than the litany of governors-and-politicans-without-conscience.
A superficial recap for those not following: For years the University of Illinois has maintained a “clout list” that ensured the offspring and acquaintances of powerful people got admitted to the university even if they were dumber than doors. It appears that the trustees and assorted high-ranking administrators all considered it “the way we do things here.”
The Chicago Tribune has done the shoe-leather reporting that continues to break news in this muck. I love this from a recent editorial: “Applicants on the “Category I” clout list, meanwhile, could count on regular updates relayed through lawmakers, university trustees and other sponsors, who insist they were only checking and absolutely not trying to influence the admissions process. … As a group, the clouted candidates had higher acceptance rates — and lower credentials — than their overall freshman classes. That means applicants with clout were admitted at the expense of more-qualified students.
“But,” as the editorial continues, “it turns out the special privileges didn’t end at orientation. Trustees have used their influence to solve friends’ housing problems or get relatives into oversubscribed classes, jumping over hundreds of others in line. One lobbied to get his niece into an honors program for which she had failed to apply.”
There’s just no way to justify that kind of behavior. Yet, it appears the trustees and assorted high-ranking administrators still don’t get it. Today’s breaking news is the poll taken by the university to determine which of a series of “explanations” would play best with folks out here in the real world.
Seems the trustees et al don’t get it. They don’t need a poll. They’re scum. Smart, educated, gifted, priviledged scum with holes in their souls. They need to resign. All of them. Anyone who ever approved or turned a blind eye to this “admissions-for-clout” process. Resign. Apologize. Ask God for forgiveness. You’re not getting it from me, nor, I suspect, will you get it from the rest of us in great unwashed land.
July 22nd, 2009
Everyone talks about how tough times are these days, but for too many in the public sector that’s all it is. Just talk. If I hear the phrase “shared sacrifice” one more time I’ll consider jumping off the News Tower.
There’ve been a handful of stories on my radar screen that make me wonder if we’re all doomed to generations of what I’d call “dumb disconnect.”
For instance, some leaders of downtown Rockford cultural venues think the only thing that will save them will be a tax increase. A tax increase? Have they lost their minds? Even if I agree that we need to spend more, now is not the time to even whisper tax increase. Cut expenses? Yes.
Then there are the government employee unions who are doing what they get paid to do: protect their members. But, doing so in an environment where that hardline positioning will guarantee one day not too far in the future, every tax dollar will have to go to funding their pensions. Every dolllar. As it is, Rockford’s facing a $10 million deficit — and the county and other towns are in the same boat. A pay increase? No. Nada. Not a chance.
Add in the health care mess in Washington and the mess(es) in Springfield and you’ll see why I want to shout “what were they thinking?” I’m pretty sure they aren’t thinkingl. Most are running around like Henny Penny, praying they can hang on long enough for someone else to figure out what to do.
So, what’s a body to do if one doesn’t want to slit one’s throat? Here’s what I remind myself: God never gives us more than we can handle. (Though as Mother Teresa once is reported to have said: I just wish He didn’t think so highly of me….) Smile. We’ll get through it just fine.
July 17th, 2009
I may be the dumbest chick on the planet when it comes to whether the Obama administration’s health care plan makes sense. I must be, because others seem to be able to explain its pros and cons, spout facts and numbers, and generally appear solidly in the know.
The arguments themselves are just plain dumb because no one, repeat, no one, can actually know enough to understand what’s being shoveled into that legislation, nor understand its unintended consequences. Just the fact that the shoveling is being done in a matter of weeks scares the bejesus out of me.
But what frosts me the most is this: Those who oppose anything-Obama have joined forces with the insurance industry lobby and once again stirred up the Death Specter coming for us Americans if we even hint a national health-medical-wellness approach.
I mean, just look at those Canadians. Every one of them. Ready for the grave. Dying on the operating tables so fast they can’t find enough cemeteries to hold ‘em. Lines stretching around the city perimeters waiting for a flu shot. Ditto in England and everywhere else there’s some sort of national health care.
Excuse me? What’s Medicare if not government health care? Ditto the health care enjoyed by the U.S. Congress? The last time I checked on both, their clients seemed pretty darn satisfied with service, care and cost. Yeah, I know there are challenges with the veterans’ health care system, but that’s more about dumb decisions and priorities leaders than about the system itself.
We all need health-medical-wellness stuff. Why can’t we just do this the simple way? Expand Medicare to cover everybody. We’ll all chip in a sliding scale amount from our paychecks (most of us private company employees are already paying through the nose), plus enough more to cover the unemployed. My rates, high as they are, would probably remain about the same; government employees, like teachers, might have some sticker shock, but we’d be in the same boat.
Seems eminently easy. Except that some whoppers of insurance companies would go belly up. And since they have the biggest, loudest lobby on Capitol Hill, we’ll lose. They’ll win.
July 16th, 2009
Rockford Mayor Larry Morrissey tossed a grenade onto the budget-balancing bargaining table this week when he told Register Star reporter Jeff Kolkey that “No one … should expect to do business the old way. We are in a new environment, in a new world. For us, it doesn’t mean we panic. I’m not panicked. It just means we have different moves we have to make.”
At stake: How will the city pay its bills?
Faced with the dual whammy of an escalating revenue shortfall and escalating expenses driven in great measure by personnel costs including, salaries, benefits and pensions, every responsible governing body is making Solomon’s choices. Every choice hurts; the days of whacking low hanging fruit disappeared in 2008. Today’s decisions are which are least damaging to the community’s quality of life.
Morrissey is nothing if not determined. He has made clear his priorities for the city’s future and he is pro-actively going about business. Nothing he’s doing or saying should come as a surprise. He’s been true to his first- and second-campaign promises, and true to the activist roles he played before elected office. He’d prefer things go smoothly, but he’s neither a stranger to confrontation nor does he back down.
Right now, he’s got two things on the table: Get the next budget squared away with available funds driving his priorities; and, get police and fire contracts done — without financially draining the city’s already empty coffers.
That’s the setting into which he tossed the grenade: Pick between books and firefighters.
OK, sure the argument isn’t that simple, but the message is. If residents want the city to keep paying more than $650,000 a year in library pensions, then some other city expense has got to be reduced. And, that four-man versus three-man firetruck bruhaha is back in the fray.
The mayor (and our editorial board among others) say three can get the job done. The firefighters’ union and supporters warn of dire consequences. The city council refused to go down that path several months ago and the four-man crews stayed.
Make no mistake. This mayor is willing to make tough decisions. He’s willing to challenge aldermen to do the same. But he’s not going to sugarcoat the choices, nor will he pretend things will get better if we just muddle along.
The mayor and I don’t always agree, but on this we are in sync: Get the expenses in line with the revenues and fund those core priorities that will position the city to thrive once we’re past this current economy.
July 10th, 2009
One of the fascinating things about social media is that it puts the strangest folks in the same “room.” Take the exchange below between me (old chick born to the television generation) and Thom Kuss (hip young dude who could probably be my grandson if we stretched the point a bit).
We have a handful of things in common: We work in the News Tower and we are captivated by social media (from e-mail to Twitter.) He’s captivated because it’s his life; I’m captivated because it allows me to do cool things for work and fun.
So, this morning he e-mails me to ask if we can post something on Nikola Tesla’s birthday. I have no idea exactly why we would want to and I cast about for a way to say “are you nuts” nicely. Enjoy the string below; read from the bottom to the top. And, learn something about Tesla.
Gotta love social media. I can’t wait until we can do holograms and virtual reality. And, as Thom would remind me, we’ll do it because of Tesla.
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Kuss writes or copies and pastes: OK … This reads like a history book but what can you do?
Nikola Tesla, a Serbian born immigrant, came to the states in 1884. Known best as an inventor and a mechanical/electrical engineer. He is often considered the father of commercial electricity as well as a magician and topic of lore. Often shadowed by Edison, Tesla’s alternating current or AC current became an usher to the second industrial revolution and with all of Edison’s attempts of discounting Tesla’s AC it was ultimately found to be the better source of electricity. By far one of the most interesting known inventions is the Tesla Coil or lightning generator (YouTube it!) that could send signals through the air without wires. This led him to conceptualize the rise of TV and even the internet by using said technology and transmitting data and images wirelessly. For this and many other “crackpot” theories he was ultimately deemed a mad scientist he died alone and impoverished at the age of 86.
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On 7/10/09 11:50 AM, “Cunningham, Linda Grist” wrote:
That may be a tad nerdy….. Although I DO know who he was (sorta). But, I’ll make you a deal. You send me the appropriate words and I’ll do a fun little blog post about you, me and Tesla!
______________________________________________________________________________
From: Kuss, Thom
Sent: Friday, July 10, 2009 11:45 AM
To: Cunningham, Linda Grist
Subject: Just a thought
Ok, maybe it’s a nerd thought but can we post something about Nikola Tesla’s birthday?
July 10th, 2009
Just when you start to believe yours is the only screwed up family on the planet along comes a story designed to make you want to run home and hug your kids. The ongoing saga that is the Sarah Palin clan just proves the point.
Out just now is a press conference interview with 19-year-old Levi Johnston, the former groom-never-to-be of Bristol (you know the boy; the one who looked like there was a shotgun in his back that was sporting a suit he’d never worn before during last fall’s presidential campaign) and father of Sarah’s grandchild.
Flashing red sign that dysfunctional family is about to surface: A 19-year old — with his lawyer — is having a press conference to discuss his speculations on his never-to-be mother-in-law’s decision to resign as Alaska’s governor.
Dysfunctional sign: A Palin family spokesperson has this to say: “It is interesting to learn Levi is working on a piece of fiction while honing his acting skills.” Those are cat-fighting words back where I come from.
Dysfunctional sign: Levi says Sarah’s just after the money. (Probably why he has a lawyer. To make sure he gets some of it.)
Dysfunctional sign: Teenage Bristol’s doing unpleasant interviews whenever she gets let out of the house. But that’s another story.
Oh, anyway. Go home and hug your kids. At least they’re not calling press conferences to talk about you.
July 8th, 2009
OK, if I were smart, I wouldn’t post this tidbit. It’s the kind of red flag bulls love. But, heck, here goes…. I found this on an Associated Press digest of newspaper industry news:
“The editor of the Weekly Register-Call of Central City, Colo., was dismissed after the newspaper was purchased by a mayor it had criticized. Debra Krause says Black Hawk Mayor David Spellman bought the paper to silence criticism. The newspaper, located 40 miles west of Denver, is the state’s oldest after the closing of the Rocky Mountain News. The newspaper will be merged with the competing Gilpin County News, where Editor Aaron Storms says the mayor won’t have any control over editorial content of the combined newspaper.”
Now, that’s what I call putting your cash where your clout is — or where you want it to be. I can name a couple hundred business, social, cultural and political types who’ve probably day dreamed how wonderful it would be if they never had to face the Register Star Editorial Board again. Or, had to answer a reporter’s question about something they’d just rather not talk about.
There’s been at least one serious petition drive to get me fired for the editorial positions taken by the board back in the 1990s on the Rockford school district desegregation lawsuit. Some folks really, really didn’t like what we reported and our unwavering position that the district did, indeed, discriminate.
A couple hundred folks signed the petition, including Dave Winters, our then- and current- state legislator. Dave and I have mended that fence, well, sort of.
It’s understandable that folks would like to own the newspaper so they could control who got covered, who didn’t and who got special treatment and who didn’t. Owning a newspaper is now, and has always been, a heady, powerful thing. And, while one can use that power to do great good, one can also do great harm.
Former private owners of the Register Star and its “parents” regularly used the newspaper to promote their specific points of view — usually to the exclusion of all others. There was no room for dissenting opinions. Period.
Up until the late 1960s, this newspaper refused to run pictures of or stories about blacks — unless it was crime stuff. A mother whose daughter was getting married didn’t get to publish the wedding announcement if the bride were black.
Those things can happen when one owns the newspaper. That Colorado mayor must have been really, really ticked off, and really, really rich because few can afford to buy a newspaper these days. That’s a lot of anger and a lot of power. I’m pretty sure that’s not a very promising combination.
July 7th, 2009
For my Tuesday morning walk I traded Billy Joel for Elvis Presley. I thought about Michael Jackson, but truth? I don’t think I own a single piece of MJ music. I’m just too old. So, it was The King instead of the King of Pop.
But, equal truth, I am too young for Elvis. Never appreciated him until after he was dead. I’m thinking the same will happen with MJ because when it’s, well, all over, what will really matter is whether the music remains.
I know there are plenty of folks who are appalled or just bewildered at the stunning outpouring of grief over the death of Michael Jackson. How can anyone, they ask, celebrate this suspected child abuser, this gifted child-turned creepy man? It is, I remind them, about the music. The music that he brought to life on stage and in those jaw-dropping, cutting edge videos.
And, it’s about the love his friends, co-workers and family clearly have for the private Michael Jackson, the one none of the public knew. There has never been such a memorial service, which Tuesday combined some of the best musical talents of three generations. I listened and watched it live at rrstar.com, marveling while I wrote this post at the technology that integrates such multitasking.
There will be plenty of time to dissect Michael Jackson’s fortunes or lack thereof, plenty of time to explore the conspiracy theories and the strangeness and horror that were his life.
But above all of that swamp will be the music. The music.
July 2nd, 2009
Been a very busy couple of weeks for news, always a good thing for someone in my business. Started with the train derailment and ethanol fire of June 19 and just kept going. Been good for business here at the News Tower, in print and online.
Twisted around and through the half dozen celebrity deaths, the petulant bickerings of ineffective state legislatures nationwide, the ebb and flow of the stock market and the cranky discussions on “cap and trade” proposals, has been that tasty news morsel known as “South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford.”
First he disappears to find himself along the Appalachian Trail. Then, no one knows where he is. Then, he’s being met by a reporter at an airport as he returns from Argentina. What the heck is a South Carolina governor doing in Argentina, everyone asked. Some sort of spy mission? Trade? Nope. Woman trouble.
I care not a whit for the foibles of Gov. Sanford. He’s just one more in a long, long line of dumb, middle-aged men in high profile, elected positions doing brain-dead stuff — from affairs of the heart and other body parts to wrecking assorted iconic companies.
No, what I want is for Gov. Sanford to do his soul-searching in private. He is neither the first, nor will he be the last, human being to wrestle with such drama. But, this line from an Associated Press story made me want to scream: “Sanford is a man writhing in agony as his emotions battle his sense of duty - to his wife, to their four sons, to his office.”
Crickey, governor. Stop giving interviews. Zip your zipper and your lip. Resign. Go fix your mess, and not on South Carolina’s dime.
