A NOBLE TO THE CHIEF: Humility at it’s best!

For full-disclosure purposes, everyone who know me can attest to my unflinching loyalty to the success of Obama’s Presidency. Next to my marriage and children, my dedication to the Presidency of Obama is probably the only other thing that has taken the better part of my life since January 8, 2009. It is not just a question of voting for him last November, it is even more of a ritual of all the wrongs that I have heard all my life about black men not amounting to nothing. For me, Obama is a gem of a man and President. I intend to call him out if he is wrong, but I am as loyal to him as one can get to another human being. He is not only our President, he is that type of leader that I believe this country deserves and any well meaning and reflective leader will appreciate.

Today, the Noble Peace Prize Committee saw the same qualities in this Black man and awarded him the 2009 Noble Peace Prize. The committee not only appreciated this man, they saw the hope and aspiration that his Presidency generates and say: This is a man worthy of appreciation. To them I say thank you. To Barack Obama, I say: Bro’ its all for good!

To those guys who sent the body of the following email to me on-behalf of the President, I say hail to the chief! The humility in the content of the email is appreciated.

A call to action
Friday, October 9, 2009 2:22 PM
From:
"President Barack Obama"
Add sender to Contacts
To:
"Christopher Adekoya"

Christopher --

This morning, Michelle and I awoke to some surprising and humbling news. At 6 a.m., we received word that I'd been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2009.

To be honest, I do not feel that I deserve to be in the company of so many of the transformative figures who've been honored by this prize -- men and women who've inspired me and inspired the entire world through their courageous pursuit of peace.

But I also know that throughout history the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes.

That is why I've said that I will accept this award as a call to action, a call for all nations and all peoples to confront the common challenges of the 21st century. These challenges won't all be met during my presidency, or even my lifetime. But I know these challenges can be met so long as it's recognized that they will not be met by one person or one nation alone.

This award -- and the call to action that comes with it -- does not belong simply to me or my administration; it belongs to all people around the world who have fought for justice and for peace. And most of all, it belongs to you, the men and women of America, who have dared to hope and have worked so hard to make our world a little better.

So today we humbly recommit to the important work that we've begun together. I'm grateful that you've stood with me thus far, and I'm honored to continue our vital work in the years to come.

Thank you,

President Barack Obama

Now, Mr. President, it is time we work harder to make sure that we can get this health care reform bill through Congress. It is perhaps time we call the Democratic Party members together and remind them of what is at stake. It is not a question of a needed reform, it is a matter of commitment to what will eradicate health care poverty in America. We cannot allow this opportunity to pass us by again.

Hysteria over the Clean Energy Jobs and American Power Act

We live in a winner-take-all society, where the object of aspiration of everyone, is how to make extra money, grab more power and prestige, and stay close to an exit strategy with a golden parachute if the bottom falls out of the cash cows. The news that companies as Nike, Pacific Gas and Electric and others are resigning from the US Chamber of Commerce because of their opposition to the Clean Energy Jobs and America Power Act, introduced by Senator Kerry and Boxer today, should not come as a surprise to anyone. These companies depend on the burning of coal and carbon to oil the engine of their money maker.To introduce a bill in Congress that will restrict this opportunity, in any form or shape, or curtail the ability of these companies to continue to reap the benefit of burning more carbon, is obviously an affront. These companies will not sit back and watch their cash cows brutalized by mere men in Congress. They have taken their stand, with respect to the burning of carbon, whether the world likes it of not: They do not want to cut down on the green-house effect of carbon burning, and one of the ways to loose in the cut-throat competitive business market, is to adopt new business models or strategies that can cut into their profit. The companies believe, adopting new strategies to cut down on carbon burning , can only lead to them loosing money. If they loose money, they loose power and prestige, and if they loose these basic accolades of a winner-take-all society, they become relatively irrelevant. Knowing this fact is very discomforting to the Chief Executives at many of these Fortune 500 American Companies. They will pick their marbles and go home rather than share any of their profit in any shape or form with the public, even if it has to do with taking the initiative to reduce carbon emission in their vast industries spread over the globe.

To the multinational Corporations, the issue is not curbing the green-house effects of their operations or practices; rather, the issue is the requirement of being made responsible for the status of the environment, when similar corporations in nations as China and India are least required of this obligation. Corporations in the developing countries that flaunt the rules regarding green-house gas emission limits probably do not suffer financially as much as the American Multinationals. No amount of education or persuasion in the works in Copenhagen or Washington DC would encourage these die-hard corporations to buy into the clean energy job and power act. Adopting practices that will cut green-house emissions or create greener jobs, would not only greatly increase overhead cost of operations, it would probably not lead to a competitive edge in the process of manufacturing and delivering goods and services at a reasonable profit for these corporations. And, to the American Corporations’ Chief Executives in time of recession like ours, who wants to listen to the epistle of the green-house nuts? The endorsement by Congress of policies to encourage reduction in green house gas emission through the introduction of the Clean Energy Jobs and America Power Act is not looked upon very favorably. If you ask some of the multinational Corporations’ Chief Executives, their response probably will be: “Just not right now!”

So what exactly are these corporations disagreeable with? Senators Kerry and Boxer introduced the bill with a caveat that, the legislation will create clean energy jobs, reduce pollution and protect America security by enhancing domestic energy production and combating global climate change. They justify the essence of the bill with the following quotations:
• "This is a security bill that puts Americans back in charge of our energy future and makes it clear that we will combat global climate change with American ingenuity. It is our country's defense against the harms of pollution and the security risks of global climate change" - Senator Kerry
• "Our health, our security, our economy, our environment, all demands we reinvent the way America uses energy. Our addiction to foreign oil hurts our economy, helps our enemies and risks our security. By taking decisive action, we can and will stop climate change from becoming a ‘threat multiplier' that makes an already dangerous world staggeringly more so.” - Senator Kerry.
• "We know clean energy is the ticket to strong, stable economic growth -- it's right here in front of us, in the ingenuity of our workers and the vision of our entrepreneurs. We must seize this opportunity, or others will move ahead. This is our time. Global warming is our challenge. Economic recovery is our challenge. American leadership is our challenge. Let's step up right now. Let's not quit until we have fulfilled our responsibility to our children and our grandchildren.” – Senator Boxer

Here are the major highlights of the Clean Energy Jobs and America Power Act:
• Reduction in emission limits: reduction in greenhouse pollution limit is jerked up by 20% below the 2005 limits advanced previously in Waxman-Markey’s bill before congress;
• Green Transportation: push for green transportation, devoting a guaranteed share of revenues from carbon regulation to transit, bike paths, and other green modes of transport;
• Coal Plant Greenhouse Gas Regulation: environmental protection agency must be given the authority to regulate coal plants under the Clean Air Act.
• Ensuring National Security: there is need to redirect our oil expenditures, as much of our expenditures on gas goes to countries that do not like us. We also need to consider that carbon pollution threatens our children’s health and radically and irreversibly alter our climate for the worse.

Probably like other Multinational American Corporations who may not want to be identified yet, Nike believes US businesses must advocate for aggressive climate change legislation and that the United States needs to move rapidly into a sustainable economy to remain competitive and ensure continued economic growth. Be that as it may, these corporations are not ready to buy into the currency that climate change is an issue that needs urgent actions, in light of the economic condition we now have. Whether this is true or not, we shall explore this angle of argument this month in our succeeding blogs, barring any new development with the American Health Care Reform Bill.

TED KENNEDY REMEMBERED IN A POEM

Ted lived and enjoyed earthly happiness;
Ted loved so much to be our Senator from Massachusetts.

Ted Lived and loved;
Ted woke and slept;
Ted sung and danced;
Ted smiled, roared in the senate and wept;
Ted had lived, run the course fortune allotted him.

Ted was prayed for today;
Ted was eulogized by the President today;
Ted was blessed by the Catholic Church and his final service was gracious;
May for him, damned to poesy.

Ted says the work must go on, we believe;
Ted says the course must endure, we believe;
Ted says the hope still lives, we believe.
Ted says the dream shall never die, we believe.

To those saints that live in the hearts of many;
May our gracious God forgive them their sins and accept them to eternal glory.

Amen

The Mountain that was God: - Romanticizing about the Clean Air Act (Waxman-Markey)

The Mountain that was God, that is how the Indians describe the majesty of the Rainier Mountain in Washington State. The awesomeness of the glacier part of the mountain during the summer months of July through October makes you marvel about the beauty of nature; and, challenges you to ask everyone: why we don’t want to preserve our environment the way nature has offered it to us? Walking through the glacier view trail of the mountain gives you a feeling of grace and beauty. My children refer the feeling simply as “paradise”. Not only do you experience some serenity about the environment, you can literally feel the melting snow down the slopes turning to effortless clean water for you to drink.

I imagine if we all can work hard, to keep our water, air and environment clean, maybe we will not have to suffer too hard to the extent that some of us have to see our doctors often. And if you are contemplating where I am taking the blog to this night, I’ll say save your breath, it is not about passing the health care reform thing again! I am more interested in how far the support for Waxman-Markey bill is waning; and, if we actually need to shore it up to ensure that it passes in Senate, later this year or early next year.

Contrary to the position of some environmentalists who believe that the bill as a policy instrument is only full of symbolism, with little or no impact on the real world experience, I will say welcome to your premeditated illusion. To these people, many of the provisions of the bill, including the targets and timetables are unattainable. My position to this is that there is no one silver bullet to the problem of carbon vis-à-vis environmental pollution. What we have in Waxman-Markey, is not a magical solution to a problem that has taken several centuries to accumulate. Rather, it is an attempt for the first time to work steadily and constructively to undo the accumulated damage that we have done to the environment.

The ethos of Waxman-Markey is not to provide answers for all things that are impacting our environment; rather, it is exploring solutions to carbon emission level and its consequential impact on the environment, including the imbalance in the ozone layer, which in turn probably affects the degree of global warming. As a policy instrument, the bill leaves room for practical solutions to carbon emissions and some more. The bill attempts to include stronger carbon emissions targets, setting out attainable premium targets. And God forbids if we are unable to attain the goal, nothing prevents us from reviewing the bill and introducing a global climatic change index that would help us track global warming. The ultimate goal is to prevent further carbon emissions pollution and bring some balance to the environment.

When the authorizing legislation of the Clean Air Act was about to expire under the Bush Administration, there were so much apprehension from members of congress, environmentalists, academics and industry officials as to the necessity of its continuance. There were those in the debate who maintained that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) had gone beyond the confines of its authority, the way it administered the act, and asked that the bill be rewritten to curtail the authority of the Environmental Protection Agency, in enforcing its provisions. Others had called for congress to play a greater role in fashioning specific emissions targets and control mandates. My modest position is that an agency as the EPA ought to have all the necessary authority to accomplish the goals and tasks of maintaining a clean environment. The Congress however, still retains the power to do as it pleases. We must however appreciate that based on the information we now have out there regarding global warming, any instrument of government that calls the agency to question as to its overreaching effort to secure a clean environment would not be doing our environment any good. Those of us living in Western Washington could tell you about our experiences regarding pollution of our waters; and, a quick trip down the Puget Sound, would frankly tell you that the EPA needs more authority to make a difference considering the gravity of the problem of water, air and environmental pollution.

In the acrimonious environment that we find the debate on Waxman Markey, I would still like to default to the New York Times columnist Tom Friedman’s views on the
Waxman-Markey bill as it emerged from the House of Representative: “There is much in the House cap-and-trade energy bill that just passed that I absolutely hate. It is too weak in key areas and way too complicated in others. A simple, straightforward carbon tax would have made much more sense than this Rube Goldberg contraption. It is pathetic that we couldn’t do better. It is appalling that so much had to be given away to polluters. It stinks. It’s a mess. I detest it.” Despite his assessments though, I will still call on all our Senators to ensure that we move ahead, to please support the bill and let us pass it into the law of the land.

TRIBUTE TO A FINE POLITICIAN: EDWARD MOORE KENNEDY

It is written that a man dies only once and then it's judgment. In the annals of Ted Kennedy’s life are stories of courage, defeat, triumph, despondence, grief, exhilaration, faith and endurance. And when he died two days ago, no word could be enough to describe his contribution to life. Yes, life. Many of his colleagues in the Senate, even those who held a different political conviction, shared of his grief by writing gracious statements about this fiery lion of a liberal leaning. Some expressed the pain of his brother’s death, others mentioned his memorable public service, others yet talked about his family life, and a few about Chappaquiddick. Like the man in life, many were able to compartmentalize their views between his private and his public life. So, you could have read an array of opinions, but what is very important in all these semi-eulogies, is the respect and honor that every persons gave to this man. American Vice President Joseph Biden adduced this respect and honor for Teddy, to the type of life he led: Ted never made anyone feel small; he made everyone he met, either in politics or in his personal life, bigger. This is the type of man Edward Moore Kennedy was. Ted was a joiner of people, who had been in pain since an accident in 1961; but never talked about himself. He never made anything personal, nor held grudges, but cared so much about everyone. He was truly a fine man.

Today is a celebration of the 77 years he spent with us before he went home two days ago. He arrives for public viewing at the JFK Presidential library in Boston today under the watchful eye of his family, his immediate family and the people of Massachusetts, who are all grieving. Our hearts are with them. Ted once said there is no statement that I can make now, to express the pain and regret I felt for my behavior in that episode of Chappaquiddick. He agrees that he has not been a perfect person, but he has tried to do his best, in whatever circumstance he had found himself. Probably one other regret that he had accepted to in political life was his failure to accept universal health care proposal when pitched to him by President Richard Nixon. However, he worked ceaselessly to correct his latter error and left to men to make up their minds about forgiveness for the former. Ted was human, he was one of us, though frail in the latter days of his life due to his illness, he was still fighting hard to make sure that the lives of the ordinary man was better. When he got the message of his diagnosis of brain cancer last summer, he chose to live the rest of his life brilliantly, he did not crawl under a rock rather, stood firm with his wife and family to fight the tide of human fragility. He was able to compartmentalize his private life from his public life. He will be remembered for the generosity of spirit. Ted was a marvelous legislature.

To the living, let us now cherish the work of Senator Edward Kennedy, not by grieving too excessively, but by working so hard to fulfill his dream of a reformed health care system for America. Let us work ceaselessly, just like Ted did, so we can achieve a system, where men and women, Republicans, Independents and Democrats are able to afford care without the fear of loosing their home, marriage, family, bank account and the remaining respect they have after being knocked down by a disease. This is what Ted was passionate about. Let us honor him by completing his work. “Divine providence has granted us this man, that those things he cherish when he was with us, we are honest enough to achieve in his absence.” – Christopher Adekoya. Let us look very long at the benefits of a reformed system, where people are comfortable enough to approach their physician for care, without the fear of going bankrupt!

SENATOR EDWARD KENNEDY, THANK YOU, GOOD NIGHT AND GOD’S SPEED

I hate writing obituaries, but I humbly write this one for the greatest of all men, at a moment of grief. Until his dying day, Ted Kennedy was at the fore front of some of the amazing moments in the history of American Politics. Ted did not win the Presidency for himself when he tried in 1980, but he stood firm legendarily behind Barack Obama, when he chose to run, even when the high and mighty in the Democratic Party were seating out on the fence. Edward M. Kennedy, the brother of the best known icons of American politics, Jack and Bobby, was a remarkable public figure who stood for justice, kindness and compassion. Who can ever forget the fight for the Medicare Prescription Drug benefits for seniors, as Ted led the fight dedicatedly. He fought for the elderly, the young and the disenfranchised not only as a politician, but as a dedicated brother, our friend and our better senator from Massachusetts and the Kennedy clan.

The greatest ally of President Obama in the fight for a reformed health care system has gone home to be with the good Lord. He went home yesterday night to be with the rest of the brotherhood only ten days after Eunice, his sister was laid to rest. This is one of us, one of the most beautiful of all men, the gold standard for public service, who dedicated his life to fighting for the underprivileged, who understood how and when to compromise on issues and bills. He died of a brain tumor yesterday night with his closest family members at his side. His inspiration, optimism and sacrifice will not only live on, but will serve as the barometer for measuring selflessness in the service to mankind. He was a model of public service. He served the the State of Massachussetts and this nation as a dedicated son of the soil, with a personal torch, for close to five decades.

Ted was a gentle man. Ted was a survivor, a friend of the poor, the greatest one of us, a liberal lion, a fire brand who stood firmly for reform in civil rights, voting rights, social security, social justice, education, immigration reform, and health care reform, among other uncounted points of public service. He loved to legislate and never shied away from moving across the political spectrum to reach compromises and to achieve the greatest number of good for the greatest number of people. By his death, we have lost a true and genuine diamond of all men in Washington D.C. Eunice, John, Bobby, Ted and their parents are back home with the good Lord, now. Edward Kennedy in the companion of great reformists of American political liberalism has run a great race for the past five decades. He made his mark and now it is time to rest. “The best thing which eternal law ever ordained was that it allowed us one entrance into life, but many exists” – the epistle ad Lucilium, Epis, 15.

With all reverence Ted, I will repeat what you once said in the service of mankind: the work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dream shall never die! Goodnight and God's Speed.

Climate Conference in Copenhagen: Is America Ready to Play Ball?

In the world of climate change gurus, the up coming Copenhagen summit is probably going to be a turning point. If the conference goes on as scheduled and if members at the conference representing a mired of governments all over the world agree on some critical issues on the protocol, it may be possible to resuscitate this document or commitment by countries to help halt the problem of climate change and global warming. The protocol which is scheduled to expire if nothing is done by 2012, calls the attention of governments to the problem of climate change and global warming, and seeks commitment from signatories to the protocol to help advance the objectives of the protocol.

Since the USA was not a signatory to the protocol, you may ask why we should bother. Well, two major developments: 1) there is a new body of knowledge in America that somewhat recognizes the existence of the problem of climate change and global warming. I use the word somewhat here, because there are still some ragging debates regarding the true nature of the problem, and whether we are actually contributing to this problem as ascertained by some scientists, academics and environmentalists; 2) We now have in the White House, someone who understands the problem and has a team of experts who can guide us to better decisions regarding the issue of climate change and global warming. The two developments are important, since they shed some lights on our prior decisions not to join the protocol.

Prior till now America considered the problem of global warming as a fluke. We ignored past efforts in Europe and Asia to bring our attention to the problem. Since we had other interests in mind, we were least disposed to the protocol. With some new research findings, political debates (see contributions from folks at www.350.org), and some enlightenment from former Vice President Al Gore’s movie, which yielded him and his team a Noble Laureate award, we are probably in a situation to entertain some discussion of a support for the Kyoto protocol and its extension beyond 2012.

Thus, come December when government representatives from 170 countries are expected to gather in the Copenhagen Congress Center to discuss a possible extension of the protocol, you may expect the US to send at least a team of observers, if not a contingent of American experts, who may interpret new discussions and relate our current position to the world or relate the present position of other governments deliberating on the extension of the protocol, to our government. No matter what happens in December, we may continue to remain neutral, or we may take a new position based on advisory from our government representatives at the conference. What is rather important though is that America starts to take a leadership role in combating the problem of climate change and global warming. Enough of the dismissal of the existence of the problem!

PS: The committee advancing the December 6th – 18th, 2009 Conference has included the following information on its website:

The conference in Copenhagen is the 15th conference of parties (COP15) in the Framework Convention on Climate Change. The recent meeting in United Nations Climate Change Conferences was held in December 2007 in Bali. The address of the secretariat for the Climate Conference is:

COP15
The Climate Secretariat
The Prime Minister's Office
Christiansborg
Prins Jørgens Gård 11
1218 København K
Denmark
Tel (+45) 33 92 33 00, Fax (+45) 33 11 16 65
The Official secretariat of the 15th Climate Conference in Copenhagen.
Copenhagen Climate Network
Ehlersvej 11
2900 Hellerup
Denmark
Tel (+45) 39 48 18 10, Fax (+45) 39 48 18 01
A Danish network that will underpin the Copenhagen Climate Summit, thus making the 2009 UN climate summit a success for the benefit of sustainable climate policy. The network will use the period before, under and after the Copenhagen Climate Summit to establish networks among businesses, individuals and organizations supporting a climate policy focusing on the environment.

Copenhagen Climate Council
c/ Mandag Morgen
Valkendorsgade 13
Box 1127
1009 Copenhagen K
Tel (+45) 33 93 93 23, Fax (+45) 33 14 13 94
An initiative founded in May 2007 by a group of business leaders and scientists with the aim of helping make the case for a new global climate treaty that will come into force when the first commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol comes to an end in 2012

National Politics: Solving Unemployment Problem in America.

Unemployment is naturally not a subject that this blog is known for. It is also not one area that I would like to spend much of my time. The only reason it got on this blog today is the alarming rate of house foreclosures in my State. National Foreclosure Listing informs me that Washington State is ranked 16th in the rate of foreclosures among the fifty states of the Federation. Most recent foreclosures I understand are as a result of people loosing their jobs not the dubious adjusted rate mortgage debacle that banks like Washington Mutual, Merrill Lynch, Lehman Brothers and other banks are accused of. Incidentally, many of these banks have been found in the throes of willing and dealing which are hardly acceptable in good bank and financial institutions management. The unusual nature of mortgage loans that were underwritten and the frantic pace at which many of these loans were closed or wrapped up, make one wonder?

Further, I hate to discuss unemployment, because it was one area of Macroeconomics that I never could get grips of while in graduate school. With unemployment climbing to 10% and some predictions saying it may rise as high as 16%, I could not just let the problem go untouched. Yes, I am a Keynesian economist, but I just didn’t fancy the relationships between unemployment and inflation. I felt some inconsistencies in the subject matter and my suspicion is borne out by the Phillips curve: When economists perceive inflation and unemployment in the short run, they see roughly an inverse correlation between both. When we have low inflation rate, unemployment is supposed to be high, and when unemployment rate is high, inflation rate is supposed to be low. The relationship between inflation and unemployment offers a difficult explanation, most policy makers find themselves in a quandary, when attempting to explain the concept to the everyday Jane Doe. Maybe that was why I never could comprehend the relationship while in graduate school; and if I did, I was never able to convince my undergraduate students, whom I taught for over 15 years, that I understood that aspect of macroeconomics, very well. Unfortunately today, I have to revert back to a bitter subject for the sake of millions of Americans out of a job and looking for answer to the question: Why me?

Discussions on Meet the Press on Sunday with its guest Dr. Larry Summers, Director of National Economic Council, did not make the subject matter any palatable for me to discuss. With his assessment of the job market as being a serious one that would not readily adjust to change very soon, I was tempted to ask him directly: Are you saying that unemployment is going to remain with us for a long time to come? Since I was watching him on the television, I considered this effort as fruitless. Not withstanding though, I am inclined to believe that this type of assertion would not sit very well with many Americans who have remained unemployed for a number of months. Unemployment and associated problems are often difficult and families who have their breadwinner out of a job are sometimes bewildered by the sudden nemesis of unemployment.

Many unemployed Americans probably want a job some would even consider positions that are not traditionally classified as white color job, even if only to put food on the table. The reality though, from Dr. Summer’s comment, is that this is not likely to happen very soon. Maybe that was why he repeated or horned on the following comments: the Obama’s administration will work with Congress to make sure that unemployment insurance continues to perform its basic function of protecting the unemployed. The unemployment insurance compensation will continue to ameliorate the pains of unemployment; however, it will not solve the problem of chronic unemployment. In one sentence: Suck it up America, no jobs for those of you who are unemployed for now, but you can continue to live on the bread crumbs! Incidentally, many Americans are not interested in a welfare check, they would rather like to have a job, some activities to occupy their precious day and time.

Here are some rather unconventional approaches to solving the current unemployment problems in America, without stressing the U.S treasury to its limits:

Unlike Classical economists, who view inflation as a problem of ever-increasing money supply, Keynesians economists concentrate on the institutional problems of companies increasing price they demand for their products. Keynesians argue that firms raise wages to keep their workers happy. Firms then have to pay for that wage increases and keep making a profit by subsequently raising product prices. This causes an increase in both wages and prices; and, subsequent pressure on treasury to increase money supply to keep the economy running. Government can then issue more and more money backed up by production of more goods and services to keep up with inflation. This of course, the classical economists disagree with.

Since the Federal Reserve Chairman, Dr. Ben S. Bernanke, seems to default on the part of the Keynesian economists, I would encourage the Feds to intertwine their money releases with the rate of unemployment, not inflation alone. Even if inflation is low, until unemployment declines to a very appreciable margin, money supply should be kept to a minimum. Encourage US government to quit fighting those nasty wars started by the Bush Administration, and divert saved money to boost employment, via more job creation. Re-evaluate public policies supporting the military industrial complex that seems to be bankrupting the nation, with everyone pretending all is well with us going to war and staying at war for so long without suffering the repercussions of extended war costs.

Ask those stock Analysts on Wall Street who are very sold on companies' annual reports from CEO's to stockholders to be a little bit more circumspect. Many of those firms that were rated triple A, went under during the real estate fiasco. Scrutinizing annual reports from CEO to stockholders for moral, ideological, and emotional characterization of future plans and past mistakes, would not be enough to guarantee the financial health or liquidity of a company. When companies are rated rather too proficient and they loose heavily from poor financial decisions, money is not the only thing lost, lives and way of life for many people also get trodden. When financial regulatory agencies look away from insider's trading and or, exempt appropriate scrutiny of back room deals going between financial institutions, then we end up with the type of mess that exacerbates unemployment. Unemployment from past mistakes of well rated companies has shown us the need to be a little more careful in our interpretations of business annual reports.

Using government college grants to tease back the unemployed to school may not be sufficient to solve the unemployment problem. I know a Ph.D without a job. What would you recommend him to do? Retrain and acquire another Ph.D that would get him unemployed all over again? We need to unveil new strategies to help those that are hard to place in employment, once they have a good education. Transfer payments for companies that employ or reemploy those hard to place workers may be a viable option for keeping unemployment low among Americans, but frankly, that would hardly solve the problem. We need new initiatives in public policy to help the private sector create jobs. We need new public sector infusion of money into public projects to help build our crumbling roads and schools. We need a combination of both private and public sectors job creation initiatives to really confront the problems of rising unemployment.

Washington State Politics: Candidate Susan Hutchinson for the King County Executive Position

As I promised my readers a month ago, I will be bringing you my humble assessment of candidates for the King County Executive Position vacated by Rom Sims. If political polls are anything to base one’s judgment, then it seems that the likely successor to the Former King County Executive will be Susan Hutchinson. Or, maybe not! Well, King 5 News upfront Survey USA reported her as leading in the polls for the position at 39%. Others are Constantine (12%); Phillip (8%); Jarret (7%); Hunter (6%); Lobdell (2%); Goodspaceguy (2%); Lippmann (1%); and 22%, remain undecided. For many of us who appreciate what a month or week can do in the life of a politician, that is obviously a rather slim lead. However, you never call tell.

So who is Susan Hutchinson? According to reports from her campaign, she was formerly a KIRO Television News anchor woman with a BS from University of Florida. She has some great fortunes working for her, the first being that she is the only woman in the pack of eight candidates attempting to fill two non partisan spot that will enter the August 18th voting. She denies being a conservative Republican, recognizes that Transit spending may be justified but does not place any emphasis on commitment to further spending on the newly expanding transit network around the Puget Sound. She is committed to fighting divisiveness in the King County Politics and does not offer her firm affiliation with any of the two major parties in the state. There ends her fortune!

Ms. Hutchinson has not defined her party affiliation. She informs us that she takes a little bit of the Republican Party and a little bit of the Democratic Party. Are we talking about an bat here? This makes her look more of a flip-flopper. If she believes this is an unkind assessment, she must declare a party affiliation and let the citizens of King County assess her in completeness. She believes that the budget issue, the county’s 50 million dollars in the hole can be refilled through taxation. To that many under performing companies and unemployed King County residents say: No thanks, No, once again. You will need to be convincing and provide a much reliable and thought provoking decision that ensures that in reality, you can make an impact in refilling the gap in King County’s budget. When King 5 News Upfront plowed her further, she says she wants to cut spending and streamline the King County budget as an alternative to taxation. She wants the King County voters to decide if the ‘human stuff’ services that are hampered due to dwindling revenue to the county purse are worth raising taxes for. There she goes again: Avoiding confronting a huge budget problem and deferring the decision to those who actually are looking for someone to repose confidence in, someone who can take or make crucial decision when one is absolutely needed.

Maybe the greatest impending explosive in making is the unsealed record of a suit she brought against her former employer, the Cox Communications. No one knows what is in that unsealed record for now except those who were parties to the agreement. She indicated she will stop any effort to unseal the records of the case. This makes Voters wonder if it is a case of what you don’t know, won’t hurt you. Or, is the candidate for the highest office in King County administration attempting to hide something? This raises all flags and makes us reflect on the experience of Watergate or Clinton’s Ross Law debacle from Arkansas. Ms. Hutchinson, voters are tired of surprises. We live in a transparent world now. Like what President Nixon will rightly inform you, it not the crime that gets you, it is the cover-ups!

Reflecting on the past : A credit to ACHSA School Song

If you read my profile, you'll probably miss the name of my high school. I ran into my high school yearbook yesterday and found this school song; the wordings still resonate with me today just as it did thirty-nine year's ago:

1. Land of our birth, we pledge to thee

our love and toil in the years to be,

when we are grown and take our place

as men and women with our race.

2. Father in heaven, who lovest all,

O help thy children when they call,

that they may build from age to age

an undefiled heritage.

3. Teach us to bear the yoke in youth,

with steadfastness and careful truth,

that, in our time, thy grace may give

the truth whereby the nations live.

4. Teach us to rule ourselves always,

controlled and cleanly night and day,

that we may bring, if need arise,

no maimed or worthless sacrifice.

5. Teach us to look in all our ends,

on thee for Judge, and not our friends,

that we, with thee, may walk uncowed

by fear or favor of the crowd.

6. Land of our birth, our faith, our pride,

for whose dear sake our fathers died;

O Motherland, we pledge to thee

head, heart and hand through the years to be.

Please crave my indulgence. This is just one of the songs that moulded my life and wanted to share it with my readers. I realy appreciate the effort of Dr. Adam Stanislaw Skapski, Formerly of USAID and Ford Foundation. Without his tireless efforts, people like me wouldn't have had a shot at life.

A TRIBUTE TO ALL AMERICANS ON THIS INDEPENDENCE DAY

Today we will remember our independence with excerpts of a letter from President John Adams to his wife, a day before our independence in the year of the Lord, 1776:

• Yesterday, the greatest question was decided which ever was debated in America; and a greater perhaps never was, nor will be, decided among men. A resolution was passed without one dissenting colony that those United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.

• The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generation as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other from the time forward forevermore.

If I understand very well the two excerpts from President John Adams to his wife, it is not enough to celebrate July 4th we must celebrate July 2, 1776; for our independence was won two nights before we celebrate it in modern times. For this reason, All Americas deserve to take time off from July 2nd till July 5th, as long as time and the spirit of our independence persist.

Please pass on the pop corn, hot dogs, beer and all the good things that make pomp and circumstance worth it.

Washington State Politics: What did we get for the outdoor burning provisions of the Clean Air Act?

Two interesting voting events happened in Washington State Legislature on April 7, 2009 and March 3, 2009. Both Washington Senate (48 yea, 0 Nay) and House of Representative (98 yea, 0 Nay) voted unanimously, to support and pass the nonsubstantive changes clarifying outdoor burning provisions of the Washington Clean Air Act. The Law which will take effect on July 26th, twenty-three days from today, clarified some difficult issues regarding outdoor burning and the clean air act.

The bill initiated as Senate bill 5767, was signed into Law on April 16, 2009 by Governor Gregoire. As signed, the Law says no person shall engage in any outdoor burning, including the combustion of material of any type in an open fire or in an outdoor container, without providing for emissions control from combustion. In other words, those of us heading for the mountains hide away, recluses or wherever you go to kill time during the summer months, must now be careful as we attempt to combust our lunch leftovers, unwanted bag pack pieces and probably, our hunting trophies on our summer camp fires. Incidentally, this include the combustion of garbage, dead animals, asphalt, petroleum products, paints, rubber products, plastics, or any substance other than natural vegetation that normally emits dense smoke or obnoxious odors.

The bill is one of our many state’s efforts to maintain some level of sanity in our state’s environment quality, especially considering the higher emitted pollutants in outdoor combustion to the ambient air quality. The question before us now is: did the bill reach far enough to address our concerns about pollution from outdoor burning? Were all state residents equally subjected to the provisions of the soon to become law? Will all Washingtonians deem it necessary to work within the boundaries of the law, knowing well that the agricultural communities around the state were cut some slacks with the way the law has been written?

Apart from the slack cut the agricultural communities on this law, what I noticed in the discussion leading up to the final voting on the bill was the unspoken and fundamental assumption that the bill limited the freedom of rural residents and disproportionately put them at a constraint with respect to their daily agricultural activities. The constraint on outdoor burning and combustion of materials was seen as an affront for some regular activities associated with rural living and agricultural activities; and, their constituents’ representatives actively campaigned against some of the provisions of the bill. While some provisions of the bill may have sought some restraints in the way agricultural activities are carried on after July 26th, at least with the combustion of materials in the outdoor, the effort of the bill was to address all the concerns of Washingtonians regarding ambient air quality. While outdoor burning as part of agricultural activities may be part of the problem, air quality pollution are caused by other human activities. For example, automobile driving and industrial activities, activities involving engine combustion and other industrial processes are known to equally, if not more disproportionately, contribute to ambient pollution. The combination of all human activities, including automobile driving, industrial processes, agricultural activities and other, all contribute to the problem of air pollution in the environment.

As we all know by now, Senate bill 5767 becomes the law of the State on July 26th, 2009. From my experience with this type of law, the willingness to abide by the law is only weighted against the potential punishment for its violation. The possible penalties of violators were not clearly stated in the body of the document that was approved by both senate and the house in the 61st legislative session. The repercussion of violating the law will need to be revisited and issue of penalty adequately addressed, if we are serious about dealing with the problem of air pollution under the Washington Clean Air Act. The visitation of the potential repercussions of violating the law may want to begin by the legislature addressing the extensive exclusion notice given to violators of outside burning for the purpose of managing storm or flood-related debris.

Washington Politics: Who is the greenest Candidate for King County Executive?

You have heard this before: there are no victimless crimes in politics. That is of course, if you have been listening to Bill Moyers on PBS radio or television. This is once again true if you have been inquisitive and talking to people in the know, regarding who is likely to replace Ron Sims as the King County Executive. For those of us who are not familiar with Washington State politics, let me bring you up to speed: The biggest county in terms of population and commerce in Washington State lost its county executive to the Obama’s administration. Rom Sims, the former chief executive of the county is now an Obama’s executive. His temporary replacement, who had worked in close proximity with Mr. Sims, is Ballard resident Kurt Triplett, who had worked with the county for 17 years. Immediately Mr. Triplett indicated in his acceptance of his interim position with the words: “The reason why I was chosen was I’ve been with King County in various levels of senior management,” the politics of permanent replacement for Sims began.

Debates were rife as regards why Mr. Triplett must never be a member of the class of people who should replace Sims permanently. Sims himself put the ‘buhaha’ to rest when he indicated in his outgoing or resignation speech that the caretaker or interim County Executive, should not be someone who is planning to run for the office permanently, as this will give him an unfair advantage. The statement irked many of his council members who had be canvassing behind to be the seat warmer, and probably gain an undue advantage when the election for the office comes to play. Here ends the up-to-date events.

Now to the issue proper, who is likely to replace Mr. Sims permanently? There are arrays of qualified persons in and out of the current council members. I got to meet one of them on TV the other day: Ross Hunter, who had in the past worked for Microsoft for 17 years, holds a Bachelor’s from Yale University and represents the Bellevue district in the State Legislature. According to Mr. Hunter in his interview with KING-TV, he will like to provide a functioning transit system for the county; he will advance a more compact transit system and wants to pursue a clean environment agenda. He understands the budget problem, which most of us in the county are worried about; we will all like to know when we are going to pay attention to the gorilla in house. The county is about 100 million dollars in the red. He will also like to work with other cities and county to solve the issue of annexation of unincorporated areas around the county. He wants to increase the county’s revenue base and guess what? Increase salaries of King County employees.

Much as I admire his enthusiasm, I wonder about his ability to make good judgment about our budget items. Here is an incoming executive, who is facing a gapping hole in the county pocket, proposing to increase county employees’ salaries. He is either disingenuous or playing dumb about the gravity of the county deficit. A county of about 2 million people, carrying a debt in excess of 100 million dollars, is not one that should be contemplating increasing salaries. The whole state and county economy is not doing well, and the county had just put in place a mandatory unpaid vacation days for its employees, and here comes a replacement to the county executive’s position, brandishing a golden stick of increasing salaries of county workers. This hardly sounds like someone who understands the implication of a budget shortfall in the order of challenges facing the county. The county had also cut several critical county services, including public health, safety and human services in light of the budget shortfall. This county does not seem like a financially healthy baby. Hello? The interesting thing as well is that those (Sims & Triplett) Mr. Hunter is trying to replace probably do not understand the same budgetary implication, considering their recent pronouncements. The interim County Executive recently indicated that, the challenge of the transit system is that everyone needs more not less. How the county is going to be able to maintain its triple A’s rating while committing to project(s) at a scale that empties its pocket, is still the catch 21 question. While I am not going to flog this issue any harder now, I am a little bit skeptical of the judgment of this potential Sim’s replacement. I appreciate and welcome his green politics, but I am weary of his sense of appreciation of the challenge the county is facing.

How is the new county executive going to deal with the traffic issue, when residents are already complaining about the burden of traffic congestion? Mr. Hunter was not really explicit on this question. Can we really continue to dumb down to use public transportation when possible, pay the real costs of driving on our roads and make changes in our lives that will cut down on the need to use our cars, as are pursued by the current king county executive? What exactly is Mr. Hunter’s solution to the traffic issue? Current agenda by the outgoing King County executive’s administration seems a likeable green solution to the traffic congestion problem, but many of us are not convinced, we want bolder initiatives that will help cut down on environmental pollution from automobile fumes and rebuild back the budget short-fall in King County.

I will come back in my future blogs to debate other candidates as they show up in the public arena. This will give every candidate an equal opportunity of being assessed as a replacement candidate for the King County Executive position.