October 9th, 2009 09:51am
Linda Grist Cunningham
The RiverHawks, our local, professional baseball team, are good for the community. So is Target, Macy’s and Beef-a-Roo.
So, too, the Park District and the Forest Preserve. Ditto Amcore, Alpine Bank and Anderson Automotive. Same for Hamilton Sundstrand, the police and firefighters, Woodward and, darn it, the Rockford Register Star. And, OK, yeah, government is good for the community, too; well, most of the time anyway.
Do you see a trend here? If not, let me clarify: Businesses and government that create jobs, support quality lifestyles, get work done or save lives are, well, good for the community. It takes a village, so to speak.
We all bring something to the table, so let’s not argue about who is the most important. These days there’s scant food to be shared. Learning to do more, much more, with much less is not a cliche. It’s today’s way of life.
I am annoyed, though not particularly surprised, this week at the attempts by the Winnebago County Board chair and others to extort the Rockford School District: Pay us, said the county, to keep our workers employed so that you (the school district) will get your property tax revenues on time. Then, there was the attempt by the RiverHawks to get its tax bite reduced by warning that if taxing bodies didn’t lighten up on them, there’d be no baseball.
Chair Scott Christiansen, apparently irritated by the lack of support for his plan from the Register Star, tried to tell us that it was just like the city and the school district sharing costs for a truancy reduction program. Lands, Scott, most of the time I respect your creative and smart approaches to problems, but that’s just nutty desperation.
At least Rockford Mayor Morrissey had the good grace to say his own ultimatum City Council was just that: raise the garbage fees $3 a month or layoff more than 30 more city employees. And, when some City Council members went all wiggy about being “threatened,” surely they were just being disingenuous? You have to have to be clueless not to know government finances everywhere are half a step from the bankruptcy cliff.
If it weren’t so serious, if so much were not at stake, it would be fun to watch elected officials and public employees try to increase productivity, improve quality performance, improve customer service, streamline operations and cut expenses — all at the same time. Private businesses have been at that for the past20 years.
So, where do the RiverHawks fit in this? Gotta love ‘em for trying. Private business asking for a government handout. I guess they saw everyone else getting in line and figured they might as well queue up, too.
Welcome, guys, to the “government ought to be run like a business” world. You better get over that learning curve fast.
October 6th, 2009 09:20pm
Linda Grist Cunningham
We’re doing — unintentionally — an experiment here in the News Tower: Does requiring full online registration put the kibosh on comments and what we call “community conversation”?
Nope. If anything, the quality of the comments and the civility of the conversation goes way up. We didn’t set out to experiment; it was an unintended consequence of how we manage the status update posts (aka social networking) on our RockfordWoman.com Web site.
Comments on rrstar.com can be posted anonymously. All you need is an active e-mail account and a screen name. You can call yourself John Smith or “goofer” and post away as long as you stay just this side of overtly offensive.
On RockfordWoman.com, you can’t post a “hello” without fully identifying yourself. You can’t read anything except the original posts without full identification. You can’t post a response. If you want to be part of the RockfordWoman.com site, you’ll share name, addresses, phone numbers, e-mail addresses and assorted other identification — and even after all that, you’ll hear from us directly confirming who you are. If you pass all that, you must post with your real name.
The full registration annoys the heck out of some rrstar.com anonymous posters. They’re irritable because they can’t post comments and we have severely restricted access to the site — unless they register. (I get angry e-mails about how I am censoring their free speech, etc.)
There is no anonymity on RockfordWoman.com. So, did all that Draconian registration scare folks away? Quite the contrary. There are more than 600 registered users of the site and the number grows steadily. The number of anonymous posters who load up the story comments can be counted on a handful of fingers and toes.
RW users post regularly, comment on their lives and share information. The conversation is civil, civic, supportive, smart and frequently important. Coming to RockfordWoman.com is like walking into someone’s welcoming, safe kitchen or office, kicking off your shoes and talking over the news of the day with friends.
Dropping in on story comments at rrstar.com is, well, not like that. So, will I finally make the decision to require full registration at rrstar.com? I don’t have the technology to do it. But, when I do? Yep, full registration. I’m just tired of the anonymous posts.
September 30th, 2009 08:55am
Linda Grist Cunningham
There’s nothing like an old-fashioned political dustup to juice the word wars. The better one’s word skills, the more likely those perfectly crafted words become the ones real people remember — even if they’ve no idea what’s behind them.
Consider these from the national archives: “Evil empire.” “Nattering nabobs of negativism.” “Death panels.” “Ask not what… (surely, you know the rest?).
And, these from the current local archives: “Warrior cops.” “…This mayor is a threat … somebody should start … impeachment proceedings.” OK, so the last one is a bit clunky, but it’s a yet another in a round of salvos between the city and the two unions represeting the firefighters and the police.
There are those who believe this explosive war of words is nothing more than posturing while the city and the unions move apace on contract negotiations behind closed doors. This may well be the case, but the word wars polarize the community and do nothing to reach solution.
I love words. Always have. I make my living with words. The thrill of satisfaction we word folks get from that perfectly crafted phrase is unimaginable to those for whom words are utilitarian tools to order a burger, explain a budget shortfall or cuddle a loved one.
The unions and city spokesmen need to turn down the volume and get back to the table. All this outrageous swaggering does nothing to get uswhere we need to go.
Two things are indisputable: The city’s revenue stream (that’s we taxpayers) has dried up, and the unions are in a to-the-death fight to keep what they’ve got. Bridging that chasm will take every compromising, collaborating, smart-thinking, forward-pushing brain cell.
Let’s not waste precious time nattering. Rein it in, guys. Get back to the table now, please.
September 18th, 2009 10:27am
Linda Grist Cunningham
Let’s start with the obvious: Body language can be a screamer. We watch what others say with their hands, with the way they hold their heads, the way they sit in a chair.
No one misunderstands the difference between a listener who sits up straight, leans forward a bit and makes interested eye contact — and the one who slumps in his seat, arms and legs akimbo with a smirk on his face. First one? Respectful. Second one? Disrespectful.
We had seven guests at our Thursday Editorial Board meeting. Each of the seven had been invited to talk with the board about the proposed “cap-and-trade” legislation in Congress. The format was similar to a simple debate, each side presenting timed information with responses from the two “sides” and then questions from the Editorial Board.
I learned a lot about cap-and-trade, about the contentious issues underlying the legislation. I am grateful to the seven for taking almost two hours to help us wade through the complicated legislation. We will continue to research before we take an editorial position.
That said, there was one lasting and disturbing impression: About halfway through the 90-minute meeting, one of the seven apparently decided it was OK to disrupt other speakers by slumping and wiggling in his chair, huffing and puffing, rolling his eyes and wiggling his hands and feet. This from a 60-ish man in a suit with an important job and a big title and a strong message to make.
His actions were those of a recalcitrant teenager. They were disrespectful, embarrassing and shocking. And they were deliberate. He stopped just short of behavior that would have made me ask him to stop. And, he knew that, too, because he’d do something, then look to see if I were watching.
Childish.
September 16th, 2009 07:48am
Linda Grist Cunningham
Last week we got a so-called “tip” on a news story about another conflict between Faith Center and Legacy, the charter school. The tipster wouldn’t give us the information unless we promised him anonoymity. We said no, and then we filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the information because it was public record.
We eventually got the information we needed — on the record and with no agreement of confidentiality — and we published a story. Our story appeared after the television stations broadcast their versions.
I guess the tipster didn’t like our “no,” so he shopped his tip elsewhere. We don’t use confidential sources as the single source for a news story. I cannot remember a time since 1991 when we have used a single anonymous source as the foundation for publishing.
And, when the demand to be confidential comes, I have to know who the source is. Period. We don’t take the information and we certainly don’t publish it unless I know the source and, in some cases, I will have met with him or her. In the situation last week, I figured out pretty quickly who the source was and said “absolutely not.” We’re not here to be manipulated or have the news manipulated by sources like that one. We’ll do our own reporting — on the record. It’s best to get it right and get it first. But if I must choose between right and first, I’ll take right every time.
It’s your choice whom you believe. But there’s a lot of junk floating out there these days that’s passing itself off as fact. You might want to do as we do — consider the source — before you decide to believe.
Here are a handful of links to other stories this past week or so in which separating fact from fiction from agenda was the order of the day. Why would journalists make up news? How many WEREÂ at the tea party? Was CNN right about the gun shots?
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September 14th, 2009 03:34pm
Linda Grist Cunningham
For any of us cynical enough to believe that the deals among the feds, Bank of America’s corporate folks and the old Merrill Lynch just have that “off” smell, today’s decision by a U.S. District court judge ought to make us applaud.
Someone, it appears, might be looking out for justice. Here’s a quote from the Associated Press story just posted:
“U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff held up his approval of the settlement, however, and ordered the SEC last month to explain why it didn’t pursue charges against specific executives at Bank of America over the accusations.
“Rakoff, in his ruling, found that the settlement “suggests a rather cynical relationship between the parties: the SEC gets to claim that it is exposing wrongdoing on the part of the Bank of America in a high-profile merger, the bank’s management gets to claim that they have been coerced into an onerous settlement by overzealous regulators. And all this is done at the expense, not only of the shareholders, but also of the truth.”
And, so now, it’s off to court. Rakoff did what no one else appears to have been willing to do: Make the “suits” account for what they’ve been doing. Sure, it’ll take forever to wind through the court system, but at least, this time, someone with some power said: Explain yourself.
September 10th, 2009 09:57am
Linda Grist Cunningham
You don’t spit into the wind, and you definitely do not call the president of the United States a liar when he is addressing a joint session of Congress.
Bless his little, pea-picking heart, as we said down South when I was a kid, poor, ol’ Joe Wilson, done dug himself a mighty hole with that outburst during last night’s presidential speech on health care. The South Carolina Republican Congressman’s mouth got the better of him when he yelled “you lie” as President Obama said his health care reform would not cover illegal immigrants.
Wilson, who has made no bones about his opposition to reform plans on the table, apologized for the outburst, but at the moment neither his Republican nor Democratic cohorts want to take him out for a drink and a chat. More like a visit to the woodshed.
Yelling at the president just isn’t the done thing these days. It’s considered disrespectful and, well, low brow. Congress sits respectfully. It registers its approval or disapproval by standing or sitting, applauding or not.
A joint session is not a campaign rally. Men wear suits, ties and hard shoes. Women wear red. A joint session is the last bastion of good manners and tasteful, albeit stuffy and understated dress codes. (History would show that back in the really old days, things were a bit less formal, but that’s a story for another day.)
Wilson’s motor mouth will do him no favors. He will be remembered forever — true or not — as the dumb, disrespectful redneck who couldn’t control himself. He looked rude, crude and socially unacceptable. His loss of control just proved that incivility is condoned by those in power, that yelling beats finding solutions, that confrontation trumps collaboration. That’s sad.
So, was he right? No. Is Obama lying when he says illegal immigrants will not be covered? No. There is no provision in the primary legislation to cover illegal immigrants. None. In fact, it’s explicitly barred.
Language in House Bill 3200 Section 246 “No federal payment for undocumented aliens” says: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
Poor Joe Wilson. Must not have read that far.
September 9th, 2009 08:31am
Linda Grist Cunningham
This is the time for evolution, for close-to-home improvements that make a difference and lay the ground work for sweeping revolution in the next decade. This country needs, not tweaking and a repair job, but a complete replacing of the systems that support finance, infrastructure, education, immigration, health care, environmental security and defense.
The temptation is to upend and replace them all — right now. It is the agenda promised with the election of Barak Obama, and it is the agenda that most Americans want. We know there must be changes — and soon. We want them now. So, if we want them and support them, why in the world are we so divided? Why can’t we get the players to the table and work through the obstacles that will do the most good for the most people?
Because, simply put, we are not ready. Since they were first born right after World War II, the baby boomers have been the centers of their universes. We were taught by our parents that the one was greater than the whole. The mantra of the generation has always been: It’s all about ME. What’s in it for ME? It’s OK if you have to give it up, but not ME.
And thus is framed every argument against those seven crucial reforms. Eventually the mood will shift, somewhere in the next decade. When the Millennials, who are just now entering their power years take over and they will, the discussion will be shaped differently. It will be what’s best for the group, even if the individual must give it up.And, when that happens, we will get reform — reform that looks almost identical to the plans setting today’s tables.
Keep listening. Know what’s in the reform plans and make your plans accordingly. They will happen. Most likely not now, or not well now. But come 2015-2020? Sure. All done. And it will look easy.
September 3rd, 2009 05:41pm
Linda Grist Cunningham
For four weeks, Rockford has been on hyper-alert. We need to stop, take a deep breath, walk around some and get back to work on Tuesday.
Not for a minute am I diminishing the importance of the news of the past weeks. The city is tense and stressed. Every new headline mires itself in accusations and conclusion-drawing.
The ease with which we can all express our opinions — from rrstar.com comments, interviews and letters to the editor, to radio call-ins and television reports — adds to the hyper-alert sense that things are spinning out of control.
As I have written in earlier posts and in last week’s column, we are a scared people. We are scared for a variety of very real reasons and it causes us to lash out. That fear makes us far less likely to seek consensus and solution.
Today, we are tired, too. Too much news. Too much information. Too many opinions. Too much chaos. Too many headlines that we don’t want to read. Too much to ponder and sort through. We will make bad decisions if we act now.
Instead, now is the time to pull back. To put aside for a few days the finger-pointing and the action-taking. No, it’s not going to go away. Yes, we feel like we must do something, anything, right now. No, it is not easy to slow down and think, when running fast and doing stuff feels so much better.
Go downtown to Waterfront. Listen to some music. Eat a pork chop. Hug your kids. Hold hands with your partner. Sit on the porch and watch the neighborhood kids. Say a prayer. Sing a song. Walk along the bike path. Stare at the moon (it’s full; did you know?). Ponder all these things in your heart and head.
We will make better decisions and find better solutions if we do.
September 2nd, 2009 08:36am
Linda Grist Cunningham
The Rev. Jesse Jackson comes back to Rockford today to do five guest appearances, one of which is this afternoon with the Register Star’s Editorial Board. There are ten of us on the Editorial Board. We include journalists, the general manager, the publisher and community members.
We cover the political spectrum from left to right, though most of us are in the middle. We do one-person-one-vote on our positions and the majority opinion is published. I don’t always agree with the board’s position, but you won’t know that because our bylaws state that we do not disagree in public.
Several times a month, guests meet with the board: Politicians in search of support, organizations wanting endorsement or funding, newsmakers who help us understand what’s going on. We are a tough bunch and we make no apologies for the hard, pointed, sometimes confrontational questions we pose. We ask the questions no one else will.
So today these are among the questions we’ll ask Jackson: Why in the world would you do that theatrical reenactment when you don’t know the facts? What will you do to ensure that Rockford’s own leaders can bring the community together? Afterall, when you take the show home, we’re still here. This was the board’s editorial this morning.
The challenge, however, is that Jackson likes the stage. Based on what other editorial boards have encountered, to get a question in, we’re likely to have to be rude. To keep him on point, we’ll have to be even more insistant. We’ll be courteous, but we won’t back down. Rockford deserves his answers not just his inspiring rhetoric.
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