Youth Employment

Let us talk about this issue.  Kids working, perhaps at their first job. First of all let’s focus on teenagers say from 14 to 18.

Employment is generally a good thing for young people. It centers their attention on useful activity for which they get paid.  They learn how to do things for others that are useful. That’s why they can earn money from their efforts. They begin to see themselves differently, worthy of getting paid. Learning something useful. Doing something for other people or organizations, that gets them outside of themselves at the same time.

Their earnings allow them the means to pay some personal expenses so they are a little more independent of family. They may even be able to help their families if economic struggles are present in the household.

This age group also is in the life phase where they explore interests, future careers, social interactions and their consequences – a whole lot of experimentation and consequences!  Some results are tragic. Some are definitely educational, but all are worthwhile. Exploring the world of work is mostly a good thing. It helps them learn what to avoid in the future and what to move towards.

Keeping them busy in worthwhile activities also reduces their free time to get into trouble.

Most jobs for teenagers, however, are either volunteer tasks (think hospitals and churches) or are low paid (think fast food and yard care). Furthermore, and maybe most importantly, few jobs are available for teens in most communities. Age restrictions are one reason, but training is a larger obstacle.

By far, however, the largest challenge is that employers do not think of this age group and intentionally make work available for them.

Thus kids go unemployed and have lots of free time to get into trouble unsupervised. Not all of course, but these days most parents both work outside the home and leave their teenagers with lots of free time.

Employers lose out as well. They are not getting to know the latest generation of future workers and understand their interests and talents. They also miss out on attracting those same young people into their workforce once they have completed their education.

Older youth is our next focus, ages 18 to 29. They currently are unemployed at the rate of 15%. [Millennial Jobs Report, Generation Opportunity, Arlington, Virginia] Stunning high number.  Worse, 22.4% of African-Americans in this age group are idle, 15.8% of Hispanic youth are similarly idle

Idle young talent, an army of them. They will fill their time fiddling with electronic gadgets. They could explore service opportunities at local institutions that need volunteer help, but how would they earn the income necessary to support their own lives? And build a future?

Are we wasting a major portion of our newest adult generation? If yes, this is a huge waste and ticking time bomb for massive social unrest. If no, I’d like to know how these people are eventually being absorbed into the world of work, meaningful work.

But my greatest concern is simply this: I don’t think we know the answer to the question in the first place. And that begs the question: Why is America unconcerned with the how and why of career development among the youngest generations?  Is anyone studying this area and finding usable answers and solutions?

All the policy makers in Congress and state legislatures will do little good if this area of inquiry is ignored.

Who knows what is going on in this arena? Please respond if you know something on this issue.

Some anecdotal information: I work with some teens (not a huge number, but small in number) that have been caught drinking and using/trading drugs underage. To a person they are very smart and creative. Most have struggled with depression. Most have no clue as to what they will do with the rest of their lives. Some do, but most don’t. With both parents working long hours and their focus outside of the home, are these kids ignored and disconnected from their parents? Do they have dreams of their future in a positive or negative mode? What positive influences are they exposed to?

I’m just saying I think our nation has a problem here that needs creative responses if we expect good results from these young people. Once engaged I find them personable, caring and enormously creative. All positive traits that they can build on for a fantastic future for themselves and their society.

Meanwhile, how many are being wasted or imperiled?

September 8, 2014

Thought for the Day

From an organization or person wanting to be known as “Whisper of the heart” comes this quote from the internet (naturally!):

            “7 Rules of Life

1.      Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.

2.      What others think of you is none of your business.

3.      Time heals almost everything, give it time.

4.      Don’t compare your life to others and don’t judge them. You have no

idea what their journey is all about.

5.      Stop thinking too much, it’s alright not to know the answers. They will come to you when you least expect it.

6.      No one is in charge of your happiness, except you.

7.      Smile. You don’t own all the problems in the world.”

As we begin another weekend I think these are good thoughts to ponder. Hopefully most of us are dealing constructively with many of these ‘rules’?  If not, re-think them and try it again!

Have a great and peaceful weekend. And be kind to one another!

September 6, 2014

Russia Severs Ties to Europe

German President Joachim Gauck claims Russia’s recent international policies have been inimical to healthy relations with Europe. That’s refreshing. I was beginning to think I was the lone person thinking this.

Partnerships are valuable to understanding people, cultures and complex socio-economic issues between different nations. It is the root of good diplomacy: find what we can work together on, then pursue it diligently and sensitively so all parties feel like a winner.

This evidently is not how Russia’s Putin views matters presently. He talked a good game for several years, then took some time off constitutionally in Russia and put in his mentee Medvedev for a term. Then he returned with his fresh agenda. First, however, he built friendly relations everywhere he could. Mr. Friendly he was until he was ready to strike. So the Winter Olympics placed Russia’s face in a good light and immediately afterwards he took over Crimea.

Within a whisker’s breath he engineered civil war in Ukraine and manipulated it daring the rest of the world to deny him his plum: Eastern Ukraine.  With that he could bully the rest of Ukraine and establish another arguable and hot border with Europe.

Putin played the game expertly. The world did nothing but complain about his Crimean plans. The world still complains about the invasion of Ukraine. Make no mistake, Putin is attempting a re-Sovietization for Russia to rule. This time his threat is violence and energy supplies.

NATO, United Nations and all peace loving nations must understand exactly what Putin is all about. And they must resist. First, economic sanctions; second, human aid supplies; third, isolation from collaborative relations unless he brings clear peace offerings to the table.

Like Netanyahu of Israel, Putin is a bully. He feels somehow inferior to the rest of the world, broadcasts that to his fellow Russians, and claims he will turn this around!  He is making an issue that does not exist. The world admires Russia in many, many ways. It does not need to be a warrior or bully to feel good. Rather the opposite!

It is time for all nations to understand that power and influence does not require bullets, rifles, cannon or bombs. Power and influence are earned by building peaceful societies that respect life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Those are conditions of all peoples everywhere. No country has sole control over them. Each nation can and should pursue those conditions for their people. Cooperating and collaborating with other nations will speed the process along.

What a concept!  These are not American ideals alone. Or France’s, Germany’s, or any other nation. We all want this for our own lands and for our neighbors and even for those considered as enemies.

We all have worked long and hard to redefine others as our friends and not our enemies. It is not a difficult concept to understand. Why then are so many leaders seemingly intent to frame themselves as enemies of other people?

The world is an old place. We have endured many wars, violence and death. It is time to truly make peace a reality and long lived.

Mr. Putin, understand the needs of your people in the context of the globe. Mr. Netanyahu, do the same!

Maybe then we can expect different and better results?

One can hope for this. But we all must work for it too!

September 5, 2014

Netanyahu, Again

So Israel announces its intention to build large settlements in the Jerusalem suburbs. Surprised? No, I am not because I just have to check to see who’s head of government at the time. If its Netanyahu, then I know he will push to build more settlements in disputed territory.

Settlements!  Build more settlements! That is his mantra.

Of course it is all political nonsense. Settlements will destabilize the region and he knows is. His political/diplomatic theory goes like this: “keep them guessing; exercise your strengths; push them back to make a point; cede the settlements in time to ‘make peace’.” Yes, that’s Mr. N, alright.

What a putz!

First of all, America props up Israel financially. Has for many decades. America also provides ample military supplies and weaponry to Israel. These supports buys us friendship with Israel. I might add, not very good friendship because Israel will turn her back on America faster than a snap of the fingers.

We provide manufactured goods they cannot make to satisfy the demand in-country. We collaborate with policy, arts and entertainment, charitable goods and services, and constantly apologize for Israel’s rudeness to other nations.

Simply put, I doubt Israel can stand on her own.

Now America has stood by Israel for a number of reasons. First is we know she cannot stand on her own. So we help her in order to maintain some balance in the Middle East region. Second, we are part of the culture known as Judeo-Christian. Both religions come from the same root stock. Of course the same can be said of Islam because all three religions worship the same God, the God of Abraham.

Third, Israel is an inventive nation of culture, music, literature and history. Theology, too, of course! Their entire national existence mirrors much of America’s struggle to freedom, only their trek is several millennia long! Ours is only a few hundred years. But still…

I support Israel in many ways. I just don’t support Netanyahu. He is a bully. He is rude. He is domineering. That may be what he honestly feels is the road to take to protect his homeland from extinction promised by her many enemies. But there is another way this can be done.

A much better approach is collaborate partnerships with many global nations of high leadership caliber. France, England, Germany, Spain, Canada, America, most of the South American nations, and plenty other friends. Middle Eastern nations should be pulled into this collaborative partnership as well: Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia to name just a few.

Middle Eastern nations have two major exports to the rest of the world; one is good; the other bad. The good is energy products, mostly oil. The bad is terrorism. The last is a sick nihilistic contortion of its culture. Islam is not militaristic. It is not violent. It is a religion of peace and serenity that both Judaism and Christianity claim.

Why then does the world get this awful image of Islam as terror-based?  Well, first of all, it’s a bum rap. Islam is not terror-based. But a few bad apples have certainly skewed the world’s view of Islam. It behooves the Islam faith community to take back its own identity and help steer a path of peace toward the rest of the Middle East including Israel. This would be a huge step in the right direction.

A second diplomatic step that would help: NATO and the United Nations pledge all the humanitarian help it can provide to calm the terror-ridden landscape of the Middle East. Libya, Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Afghanistan and Iran must pull together to build a future of peace for themselves and the rest of the region. And that would help build serenity for the rest of the globe at the same time.

America is not the policeman of the world. It doesn't want to be. It can’t afford to be. And it would be wrong for it to pursue such as role.

But America can help the process along and support it along the way.  I think most Americans would agree with this goal and process.

Now if Mr. N would begin to act like a true leader rather than a bully, we would have a good start.

Anyone else have any constructive ideas in this matter?

September 4, 2014

Getting Along

Reading news headlines and reports once would get the impression that the world is at war everywhere. Well, in some cases that impression may be truer than not if you consider private fights, skirmishes and criminal violence. Just think of racism, anti immigration protests and riots, and the like in the US and you will get the point readily enough.

On a larger scale of course, we have the violence of the near past and modest breakouts of new skirmishes in Egypt. Rebel warfare in Libya. Rebel warfare in Syria made more complex with the addition of ISIS craziness – it is a religious war, it is not a religious war, it is malcontents being violently malcontented! – whatever it is, it is warlike and dangerous.  Even more dangerous because it is sweeping beyond national borders into several countries and threatens violence in faraway places all over the globe. They say it is religious retaliation; but it is not that and anyone serious about religion and the study of theology knows this. No, it is a war of cultural dissonance and actual and imagined slights.

Then there is Russia’s taking of the Crimea. Russia’s feigned rebel supporters taking Ukraine when everyone knows it is Russia trying to take Ukraine once again under its power umbrella.

We would be remiss if we didn't include China which covets Japanese islands, neighboring Tibet, and countless other small territories, all of which would gain it strategic advantage militarily and economically if the need arises. Who then can take China as a peaceful ally? One is naturally very wary.

So too with Russia. Putin has made it clear that he calls the tune and that alone makes him the aggressor and thus peace is failed again.  It really is that simple.

Getting along is also quite simple. One party exercises power over another without cause or invitation. The other either gives in or fights back. Either way the bully is the bully and the bullied is bullied.

Why can’t we just all get along? Why does any person or group, company or nation wish to upset power balances just so they can gain an advantage over someone else. What is the motivation? Do they feel powerless otherwise? Do they feel unappreciated? Are they poor, in ill health, or dependent on others that make them feel even more powerless?

If that is the case, why don’t they trust willing helping hands almost always nearby for help? Helpers are not all seeking an advantage.  America sends aid to many countries year after year to help them recover from natural disasters, health plagues, huge absences of education infrastructure, scarcity of potable well water, agricultural challenges and many other crises. This help is a cultural need of America to provide to others. It is not an advantage seeking strategy.

If two people were the only people alive and struggling to remain alive on an isolated island, they would naturally find ways of trusting each other and cooperating with the work and tasks needed. They would most likely collaborate on long term solutions to their situation as well. Expand this scenario out to a town or village in trouble. They would work together to improve their lot.

So would nations do this within their borders if they have the resources. Sometimes it is necessary that other nations step forward to help such nations with needed resources so they can be self sustaining in the future.

This sort of behavior among nations also builds peace. It takes time to build relationships, trust, cooperation and collaboration. That last term is a tough one. Collaboration. Two or more parties working together to achieve shared results working toward mutually shared goals. This may be finding water or energy supplies for the long term. It could be combating global warming to protect human life for the long term, and maintain and conserve quality of natural resources. It could also be the shared goal of peace. Simply that.

However, we all know it is not that simple. It takes work and trust to eliminate hostility and animosity among peoples of differing cultures.  Such are complex notions that require study to understand.  Trust takes a leap of faith that the partners will get along because in the long run it makes sense for both of them. So too the world.

Egos get in the way. Ideologies disrupt cooperation as well. Pride and hubris rear their ugly head. I guess it is the ugly part of mankind that some people simply have to feel superior to others. Why else the combat among religions, forms of art and music, politics, anti gay, anti women, anti immigrant…the whole anti brigade of issues and topics that otherwise sane people toss into daily living.  These are negative forces. They need to be avoided and neutralized in some way.

Getting along. I think it begins with the feeling that I’m OK and accept myself. It sure makes it easier to accept the other person and feel OK about them. So much can be accomplished after that point. So much.

Why then don’t the powers of good come together to silence the negative efforts of the spoilers? ISIS needs to be confronted and tamed. America alone cannot do it. And it should not. This is a global problem in need of a global community solution. Where is NATO, SEATO, UN and other power cooperatives in this matter? Will they step forward to aid the challenge of this crisis?

This is where the goal of peace resides. In the middle of the trouble spots. Where are the leaders when we need them?

Right now?

September 3, 2014

Corporate Inversions

So Burger King buys a Canadian coffee and restaurant chain for $11 billion dollars. What are the immediate thoughts that come to mind?

Well first, where’d they get the money? Burger King has had a tough time maintaining market share and keeps competitive by maintaining lower prices in their market. So profits are little iffy, right?  So again, where did they get the money?  They sure didn't borrow it. They had it in their balance sheet – idle cash earning very little on the investment market. So…

Point second, they could build new restaurants, or buy out some other chains to expand market, or… a lot of options. But they didn't. They bought a Canadian firm. Why?

They say they wanted to expand their ‘lock’ on the coffee and breakfast market niche. And they do that in America by buying a Canadian firm that they have no intention of building a presence for in the American market.  Exactly what niche are they referring to? And where is it physically located?

Point third, there has to be another advantage staring us all in the face because what the company shared with the press doesn't make any sense. Window dressing sense, yes; mathematical sense, no.

So a mention of moving their operating headquarters to cheaper space in Ontario, Canada combined with their newly purchased Canadian company, and voila! We now have the true reason for buying the company: cheaper corporate tax rates and avoidance of American federal taxes.

Essentially they are inverting their tax liabilities by relocating to foreign territory outside the USA. This happens more and more because the tax code has been shaped by corporate lobbyists who in turn finance election campaigns of senators and congressmen. This has been going on for years. And the tax code whole needs to be plugged.

Now!

It is not just tax dollars saved but it is a diversion of jobs and careers sucked from American families. That is the hidden cost of corporate inversions.

I've mentioned here in the past that corporations claim to be job generators, tax payers extraordinaire, and community partners in countless ways. Once this was true. Not so much any more.

I have served on a city council. I know what municipalities have to put up with – the demand for lower taxes and service fees, favored status in road repairs, softer water for their plumbing, better traffic controls for their properties, and of course speedy police and fire responses for their facilities.  All these cost huge amounts of money. And yes, they pay property taxes, but they also produce a lot of traffic, resultant traffic snarls and accidents, storm water retention/detention/flooding challenges, etc. All of these cost lots of money. And let’s not forget the cost of the initial installation of the infrastructure that is often overlooked and taken for granted. Streets, curbs, gutters, lighting and traffic control equipment is not free to build and buy. And the maintenance costs go on for an eternity.

Local services are paid from property and use taxes. Not income taxes. The infrastructure has to be in place to support daily routines of residents and the business community. Employment opportunities grow from these businesses but not very much for the local town. Lots of commuters paying taxes elsewhere and wearing out our streets add to the tax load of our community.

Corporations do not pay their full share of the costs for the infrastructure (building it or maintaining it). Federal dollars are used for some of these investments, and of course federal dollars are used for regulatory safeguards, national defense, education supports for a talented workforce, and so much more.

The Burger Kings of the world are simply dodging the costs they create only those costs are hidden in public infrastructure costs paid for by everyone else in their tax obligations.

Corporate inversions have become an economic liability and we should demand a congressional fix for the problem. Meanwhile we should boycott all companies who employ the inversion tactic to cheat on their community responsibility.

By the way, most oil companies are foreign last time I checked. Very few oil corporations are American anymore. Just think of the federal tax loss from that. And they claim to be working to benefit America!

Bosh!

September 2, 2014

Labor Day

Today is a holiday in America. It was solely created to celebrate the contributions to the nation’s security, prosperity and well being by American workers. It began at the behest of the labor union movement and later spread to recognize the benefits from all workers, union or not.

In 2014 the labor movement is a shrunken giant. It still has muscle and purpose but it is nothing as it was in the 19502’s or 1960’s. Historians will wrestle with the ‘why’ of this shrinkage of labor union power, but in the end it will still be a movement that had and still has great value to the American culture and economy.

Labor unions mightily helped improve working conditions. Then livable wages were targeted and won. Finally worker benefits were championed. Along the way holidays, seniority and work rules that improved worker training and productivity gained traction.

Today the American economy has transformed into several divisions of activity: first is services, second is manufacturing, third is micro markets for both products and services, and fourth is entrepreneurial thirst to build one’s own business from the ground floor up.

Each of these divisions in the economy fractures the hold that labor and separately, management, has had over the economy. Major corporate leaders no longer hold the sway they once did. Same for labor unions. At one time the nation would grind to a halt if management locked out its laborers. The unions had the same power: they could call a strike and shut down transportation, communication and other key industries that otherwise keep the country working.

Compensation for work performed has shriveled in recent years. There is too little work available and too many potential employees to fill the job openings that exist. This spells lower salaries.

Management mindsets began in 1992 or before to cheapened worker benefits. Health coverage was the first to move to complicated co-pay requirements, then higher premiums passed directly on to employees. Increasingly annual pay increases pretty much matched premium increases. This was the case for several years. So, first lower or stagnant pay, then lower health benefits, and finally pension benefits. Those are nearly gone. And even those that remain are being threatened for revaluation to lower benefits and higher premiums.

Compensation is a combination of pay and benefits including pensions. Lest we forget, however, the work is paramount. The companies need work performed well by a willing labor force. And the labor force deserves to have a meaningful career now and in the future. It may be the personal responsibility for each worker to prepare for their next step forward, but it is also incumbent on the employer to make career options open to those capable of filling the company’s needs. It makes good sense. It shares the responsibilities among the two parties.

Neither political party should have frown on either corporate or labor points of view. They ought to support what’s good for the economy and the nation. An impoverished labor force bodes ill for the nation’s future. Dickensian power over labor by the titans of industry is an hideous view back centuries. It wasn't good for society then and certainly wouldn't be a positive today.

We have vast untapped worker resources in the country. We have an economy finally facing up to the realization that it needs to reinvent itself in both manufacturing, labor movement practices, and benefit plan development. The ends of what we are all working for should be our focus. Not the means. Otherwise we get back to the old argument of the ends justifying the means.  No, no. In those days gone by more was destroyed than built.

America is a deep well of creativity and inventiveness. Unlock that and there are no limits to what we can do. The trick is how do we unlock that promise so we all can benefit?

A good question. Why are the answers not forthcoming?

September 1, 2014