As President Obama promotes job growth (green jobs) while also mapping out a 21st century energy transformation, he may run into a modern-day hurdle known by all: NIMBY - - Not In My Back Yard
We all know great ideas are great ideas unless they somehow impact us. Once that becomes the case, great ideas often die a quick and painful death. The President's effort to create new jobs through developing the wind, wave, solar and biofuels industries of tomorrow may be the latest casualty of this communal self-interest.
'Green' Push Faces Resistance From Locals
By Ian Talley of the Wall Street Journal (3/20/09)
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123757810072598461.html
The risk that President Barack Obama's plans to promote "green jobs" could bog down amid local and state opposition to the transmission lines, windmills and other clean energy hardware is becoming an issue for both supporters and critics of the president's agenda.
A new U.S. Chamber of Commerce Web site launched Friday catalogues 62 wind, wave, solar and biofuel projects and 15 high-voltage transmission proposals across 25 states that have faced significant local opposition, often enough to shut them down entirely. It also documents how 18 natural gas projects, 17 nuclear power plants and around 175 coal plants worth more than $62 billion in investments have encountered local antagonism.
"Just saying you're for green jobs or green technology doesn't get the project built," said William Kovacs, the Chamber's vice president of environment and regulatory affairs. The Chamber advocates setting stricter deadlines for environmental reviews, among other actions.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
The Sisterhood!
As we draw toward the close of Women's History Month (March) it is only fitting that I recognize the incredible strides women have made in our society over the years. Particularly in the African American community, sistas have been on a rocketship to higher and higher heights never before realized. Case in point is the lovely FLOTUS (First Lady of the United States).
Yet, other beneficiaries of this monumental realigning of power over the years can be found within the administration with the "sisterhood", a group of African American females that are running things for the POTUS (President of the United States) and making new history. These women are a new cadre of highly educated, well regarded and super networked powerbrokers that have scaled to some very high heights.
The Ties That Align: Administration's Black Women Form A Strong Sisterhood
By Krissah Thompson of the Washington Post (3/18/09)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/17/AR2009031703744.html?hpid%3Dartslot
Like two old girlfriends catching up, they ignored onlookers, hugged and laughed. Donna Brazile, the political strategist and Washington veteran, peppered Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson with questions.
"How are the kids?" "Have you contacted the church? I don't go every Sunday but they know me."
Before she left, Jackson had an open invitation to Brazile's place for home-cooked red beans and rice, served up every Monday night.
"The sisterhood in this town, there's deep history here," Jackson said.
The "Obama women" -- as African American women who've taken big jobs in his administration have been nicknamed -- mark another step in the long journey of black women from outsiders to gatekeepers in political Washington. They have quietly entered their jobs with little attention paid to the fact that they are the largest contingent of high-ranking black women to work for a president.
Many are firsts -- as in the first black woman to run the Domestic Policy Council, the first black EPA chief and the first black woman to be deputy chief of staff. Last week, Obama tapped Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg to lead the Food and Drug Administration. If confirmed, Hamburg -- who is biracial (her mother is African American, her father Jewish) -- will also be a first.
Seven of about three dozen senior positions on President Obama's team are filled by African American women. Veterans in town see them as part of the steady evolution of power for black women, not only in the White House but also across the country -- in the business world, in academia, in policy circles.
Yet, other beneficiaries of this monumental realigning of power over the years can be found within the administration with the "sisterhood", a group of African American females that are running things for the POTUS (President of the United States) and making new history. These women are a new cadre of highly educated, well regarded and super networked powerbrokers that have scaled to some very high heights.
The Ties That Align: Administration's Black Women Form A Strong Sisterhood
By Krissah Thompson of the Washington Post (3/18/09)
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/17/AR2009031703744.html?hpid%3Dartslot
Like two old girlfriends catching up, they ignored onlookers, hugged and laughed. Donna Brazile, the political strategist and Washington veteran, peppered Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Lisa Jackson with questions.
"How are the kids?" "Have you contacted the church? I don't go every Sunday but they know me."
Before she left, Jackson had an open invitation to Brazile's place for home-cooked red beans and rice, served up every Monday night.
"The sisterhood in this town, there's deep history here," Jackson said.
The "Obama women" -- as African American women who've taken big jobs in his administration have been nicknamed -- mark another step in the long journey of black women from outsiders to gatekeepers in political Washington. They have quietly entered their jobs with little attention paid to the fact that they are the largest contingent of high-ranking black women to work for a president.
Many are firsts -- as in the first black woman to run the Domestic Policy Council, the first black EPA chief and the first black woman to be deputy chief of staff. Last week, Obama tapped Margaret (Peggy) Hamburg to lead the Food and Drug Administration. If confirmed, Hamburg -- who is biracial (her mother is African American, her father Jewish) -- will also be a first.
Seven of about three dozen senior positions on President Obama's team are filled by African American women. Veterans in town see them as part of the steady evolution of power for black women, not only in the White House but also across the country -- in the business world, in academia, in policy circles.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
A Community of Leaders or Not - Political Leadership in the African American Community
In keeping with the question of the day regarding the time being at hand (or has been at hand) to see a new generation of leaders take charge in the black community; what say you regarding Roland Burris - - the Senator from Chicago?
At best a quizzical figure whose self-aggrandizing only makes you laugh harder or at worst, a stain on the recent legacy the President tried to build coming out of the often repudiated Chicago political environment to rise to a level never before seen by the African American community?
Either way, these two figures - representing a generational divide - are an interesting juxtaposition to one another and a stark reality of where we find ourself as a community.
Here are two recent sources to check out more on Senator Burris:
Collection of the latest stories by the Chicago Tribune (3/17/09)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/justice-rights/roland-burris-PEPLT000007550.topic
The Replacement
The rise of Roland Burris.
By Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker (3/23/09)
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/23/090323fa_fact_toobin
At best a quizzical figure whose self-aggrandizing only makes you laugh harder or at worst, a stain on the recent legacy the President tried to build coming out of the often repudiated Chicago political environment to rise to a level never before seen by the African American community?
Either way, these two figures - representing a generational divide - are an interesting juxtaposition to one another and a stark reality of where we find ourself as a community.
Here are two recent sources to check out more on Senator Burris:
Collection of the latest stories by the Chicago Tribune (3/17/09)
http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/justice-rights/roland-burris-PEPLT000007550.topic
The Replacement
The rise of Roland Burris.
By Jeffrey Toobin of The New Yorker (3/23/09)
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2009/03/23/090323fa_fact_toobin
The President May Like Hoops, But His Election Did Not Go Unnoticed by Football
A few days back, I posted a story regarding the interwoven fabric of D.C. and how six degrees of seperation really describes the town's political labyrinth. I also noted that if you did not know how to navigate it on your own, you had better hire someone who did if you wanted to be successful.
Well the NFL Players Association must have heard me having just hired a DC powerbroker from Patton Boggs Law Firm to be their next Executive Director.
Patton Boggs is one of the consistent big dogs on the block in Washington, D.C. when it comes to access and clout. Each year, the firm is listed as one of the top, if not the top, money earners for lobbying activities. Quite simply, they helped event the "game". http://www.pattonboggs.com/
Attorney Smith elected to succeed Upshaw as NFLPA executive director
By the Associated Press (3/17/09)
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f469df&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
DeMaurice Smith's ties to presidential power and business experts trumped football experience, leading the Washington D.C.-based attorney to become the NFL Players Association's new executive director.
With two former union presidents and a high-profile sports attorney also as finalists, NFLPA player representatives instead went with an outsider in electing Smith on Sunday. He succeeds the late Gene Upshaw and guides the players into a critical era that includes negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in the shadow of an economic meltdown. "Guys, let's get to work," Smith told the membership.
Inside Smith's career A native Washingtonian, Smith is a trial lawyer and litigation partner at Patton Boggs, a firm that concentrates in white-collar criminal defense and "bet the company" tort liability trials. Smith Graduated from University of Virginia law school in 1989. Admitted to the bar in Washington D.C. and Maryland. Former President, Assistant United States Attorney’s Association. On the Board of Directors for the Good Samaritan Foundation. Member of the American Bar Association White-Collar Crime Committee. Recipient of the United States Attorney General Award in 2000. Named one of Washingtonian magazine's Top 40 Lawyers Under 40.
Smith, 45, was elected on the first ballot by the 32 player representatives -- one for each NFL team -- and was introduced to a standing ovation.
Well the NFL Players Association must have heard me having just hired a DC powerbroker from Patton Boggs Law Firm to be their next Executive Director.
Patton Boggs is one of the consistent big dogs on the block in Washington, D.C. when it comes to access and clout. Each year, the firm is listed as one of the top, if not the top, money earners for lobbying activities. Quite simply, they helped event the "game". http://www.pattonboggs.com/
Attorney Smith elected to succeed Upshaw as NFLPA executive director
By the Associated Press (3/17/09)
http://www.nfl.com/news/story?id=09000d5d80f469df&template=without-video-with-comments&confirm=true
DeMaurice Smith's ties to presidential power and business experts trumped football experience, leading the Washington D.C.-based attorney to become the NFL Players Association's new executive director.
With two former union presidents and a high-profile sports attorney also as finalists, NFLPA player representatives instead went with an outsider in electing Smith on Sunday. He succeeds the late Gene Upshaw and guides the players into a critical era that includes negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement in the shadow of an economic meltdown. "Guys, let's get to work," Smith told the membership.
Inside Smith's career A native Washingtonian, Smith is a trial lawyer and litigation partner at Patton Boggs, a firm that concentrates in white-collar criminal defense and "bet the company" tort liability trials. Smith Graduated from University of Virginia law school in 1989. Admitted to the bar in Washington D.C. and Maryland. Former President, Assistant United States Attorney’s Association. On the Board of Directors for the Good Samaritan Foundation. Member of the American Bar Association White-Collar Crime Committee. Recipient of the United States Attorney General Award in 2000. Named one of Washingtonian magazine's Top 40 Lawyers Under 40.
Smith, 45, was elected on the first ballot by the 32 player representatives -- one for each NFL team -- and was introduced to a standing ovation.
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Job Losses Spawn a Wave of Business Creations
For thousands of us around the country, the current recession has created a major rethinking in how we sustain ourselves economically. No longer able to count of institutional stability or life-long jobs, many of us are looking at a variety of methods for improving our lot in life in this new world order. Many have gone back to school to upgrade skills or retrain for other job sectors. Others, such as those referenced in this article, have tapped into their entrepreneurial ingenuity to become their own bosses.
As we move forward as a world (we have to look beyond traditional borders and job sectors) entrepreneurs will be more vital than ever for reshaping the global economic community; particularly in the science, technology and environmental sectors. Hoever, for many, it simply boils down to taking control of their own financial destiny.
Weary of Looking for Work, Some Create Their Own
By Matt Richtel and Jenna Wortham of the New York Times (3/14/09)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/technology/start-ups/14startup.html?_r=1&ref=business
Alex Andon, 24, a graduate of Duke University in biology, was laid off from a biotech company last May. For months he sought new work. Then, frustrated with the hunt, he turned to jellyfish.
In an apartment he shares here with six roommates, Mr. Andon started a business in September building jellyfish aquariums, capitalizing on new technology that helps the fragile creatures survive in captivity. He has sold three tanks, one for $25,000 to a restaurant, and is starting a Web site to sell desktop versions for $350.
“I keep getting stung,” he said. And his crowded home office is filled with beakers and test tubes of jellyfish food. “But it beats looking for work. I hate looking for work.”
Plenty of other laid-off workers across the country, burned out by a merciless job market, are building business plans instead of sending out résumés. For these people, recession has become the mother of invention.
As we move forward as a world (we have to look beyond traditional borders and job sectors) entrepreneurs will be more vital than ever for reshaping the global economic community; particularly in the science, technology and environmental sectors. Hoever, for many, it simply boils down to taking control of their own financial destiny.
Weary of Looking for Work, Some Create Their Own
By Matt Richtel and Jenna Wortham of the New York Times (3/14/09)
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/technology/start-ups/14startup.html?_r=1&ref=business
Alex Andon, 24, a graduate of Duke University in biology, was laid off from a biotech company last May. For months he sought new work. Then, frustrated with the hunt, he turned to jellyfish.
In an apartment he shares here with six roommates, Mr. Andon started a business in September building jellyfish aquariums, capitalizing on new technology that helps the fragile creatures survive in captivity. He has sold three tanks, one for $25,000 to a restaurant, and is starting a Web site to sell desktop versions for $350.
“I keep getting stung,” he said. And his crowded home office is filled with beakers and test tubes of jellyfish food. “But it beats looking for work. I hate looking for work.”
Plenty of other laid-off workers across the country, burned out by a merciless job market, are building business plans instead of sending out résumés. For these people, recession has become the mother of invention.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A Call to Service - Some Answer More Often
Ok, there seems to be a Southern thread through today's posts. But I am very sensitive to this particular post having served in the Alabama Guard and Reserves for 11 years. These guys/ladies are true heroes who have been placed in harm's way more than they probably can ever understand. God Bless them and their families.
Going back to the previous post, I hope members of their families are not having to deal with the unemployment insurance situation in their absence.
Alabama sixth in nation for Army National Guard soldiers who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
By Tom Gordon of the Birmingham News (3/12/09)
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/123684580073100.xml&coll=2
The number of Army National Guard soldiers from Alabama who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is the sixth highest in the nation, according to the latest Pentagon figures.
At the end of January, 7,250 Army National Guard soldiers from Alabama had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, which is the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan. The states with higher numbers than Alabama were Texas, with 12,288; Pennsylvania, 10,181; California, 10,155; Indiana, 7,736; and Illinois, 7,410. Most of the Alabama Guard soldiers who deployed were members of Alabama National Guard units, but some were in units from other states.
Pentagon figures also show that nationally, the number of Alabamians in Guard and Reserve units who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars - 13,609 - is the 11th highest.
California, with 36,116, is first, followed by Texas, with 30,982. Four other Southern states are ahead of Alabama: Florida, with 20,383; Virginia, 18,929; Georgia, 16,650; and North Carolina, 15,245.
All of the states with higher totals have larger populations than Alabama. Also according to the Pentagon, 1,601 Alabamians who are Air National Guard members have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. That total is the nation's 13th highest. This year, about 1,600 Alabama Army Guard soldiers are expected to deploy to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Going back to the previous post, I hope members of their families are not having to deal with the unemployment insurance situation in their absence.
Alabama sixth in nation for Army National Guard soldiers who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars
By Tom Gordon of the Birmingham News (3/12/09)
http://www.al.com/news/birminghamnews/metro.ssf?/base/news/123684580073100.xml&coll=2
The number of Army National Guard soldiers from Alabama who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars is the sixth highest in the nation, according to the latest Pentagon figures.
At the end of January, 7,250 Army National Guard soldiers from Alabama had served in Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom, which is the U.S. military effort in Afghanistan. The states with higher numbers than Alabama were Texas, with 12,288; Pennsylvania, 10,181; California, 10,155; Indiana, 7,736; and Illinois, 7,410. Most of the Alabama Guard soldiers who deployed were members of Alabama National Guard units, but some were in units from other states.
Pentagon figures also show that nationally, the number of Alabamians in Guard and Reserve units who have served in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars - 13,609 - is the 11th highest.
California, with 36,116, is first, followed by Texas, with 30,982. Four other Southern states are ahead of Alabama: Florida, with 20,383; Virginia, 18,929; Georgia, 16,650; and North Carolina, 15,245.
All of the states with higher totals have larger populations than Alabama. Also according to the Pentagon, 1,601 Alabamians who are Air National Guard members have served in Iraq or Afghanistan. That total is the nation's 13th highest. This year, about 1,600 Alabama Army Guard soldiers are expected to deploy to the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
McDonald's Can't Even Catch a Break
If McDonald's is struggling to make profits, you know times are hard for people. Much of their food is only a buck - one dollar - four quarters: 2 year olds even know the golden arches by name.
McDonald’s Offers a Cautious Outlook
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (3/10/09)
The McDonald’s Corporation posted higher comparable sales Monday but warned that the stronger dollar and higher commodity costs might hurt its first-quarter sales and profit.
McDonald’s said global sales at stores open at least a year grew 1.4 percent in February. Sales at stores in the United States rose 2.8 percent.
Monday’s warning was not much of a surprise to investors — the company had indicated in January when it reported fourth-quarter results that the dollar would hurt first quarter results.
But the restaurant chain was more specific Monday, saying quarterly sales would probably be off by at least $600 million and earnings by 7 cents to 9 cents a share if foreign currency rates stayed at current levels. The company posted sales of $5.61 billion in the first quarter of 2008.
McDonald’s Offers a Cautious Outlook
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS (3/10/09)
The McDonald’s Corporation posted higher comparable sales Monday but warned that the stronger dollar and higher commodity costs might hurt its first-quarter sales and profit.
McDonald’s said global sales at stores open at least a year grew 1.4 percent in February. Sales at stores in the United States rose 2.8 percent.
Monday’s warning was not much of a surprise to investors — the company had indicated in January when it reported fourth-quarter results that the dollar would hurt first quarter results.
But the restaurant chain was more specific Monday, saying quarterly sales would probably be off by at least $600 million and earnings by 7 cents to 9 cents a share if foreign currency rates stayed at current levels. The company posted sales of $5.61 billion in the first quarter of 2008.
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