The evidence?  Well, the latest example comes from Rush Limbaugh, the voice of the Republican Party, and his right-wing copycats as they denounce the President’s “Cash for Clunkers” program. The hugely popular program put money into the hands of local car dealerships, who are taking a beating in the never-ending Bush Recession.  Cash for Clunkers has allowed countless car dealers to stay in business and keep employees hired.  So therefore, by opposing the program, Republicans hurt businesses.

There’s also the right-wing outrage over healthcare reform, which would help the bottom line of small business owners as they try to afford health insurance for their employees.   On a larger scale, reforming healthcare would bring some 50 million new customers into the health insurance market to buy goods and services that would help doctors, nurses, clinics, hospitals, medical supply companies, and the thousands of small businesses and vendors who have contracts in the healthcare industry prosper.  Again, by opposing reform, the Republicans hurt businesses.

And of course, the so-called “Cap-And-Trade” bill, which Republicans opposed, had major incentives and tax credits available for new “pro-green” companies and industries that would create thousands of jobs and pump money into the economy (and the markets).  By opposing this legislation, Republicans hurt businesses.

We already knew that Conservatives hate working people.  After all, they have opposed nearly every program or effort over the last 80 years that has benefited working families and have created the middle class.   Social Security, Medicare, the minimum wage, and OSHA come to mind.  But not being content with beating up on workers, now they’re turning their sights on their own traditional allies – business.

Who knew Republicans were anti-capitalists?  Makes you wonder who will support them in the next election.  I mean, besides ultra right-wing extremists…

What you need to know right now, while the debate unfolds in Congress on the Employee Free Choice Act, is how right-wing conservatives, funded by corporate America, are lying to you about it. The big problem with EFCA, the Right tells us, is that it “takes away secret ballot elections” when a group of workers is deciding whether or not to form a union. Despite their hatred for secret ballot elections in their own boardrooms and shareholder meetings, America’s CEO’s now suddenly have a new appreciation for the democratic process when it comes to this law and are demanding that the “secret ballot” be preserved in union organizing drives.

As you might imagine, EFCA’s anti-labor advocates are misrepresenting the bill. A key provision of the Employee Free Choice Act is that workers, (not Management) get to decide whether there will be an election at all or use what’s called “majority sign-up” (also known as “card-check”). The “secret ballot” isn’t going anywhere, it just allows for another option and that the workers, not the CEO’s get to make the decision on which method to use.

Now, you may ask yourself, “why would anybody not want to have a secret ballot election?” That’s a fair enough question. After all, free and fair elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. But under the current company-dominated system, union elections are anything but free and fair. The key is the timeline. Right now, it’s the companies that get to decide when the election is held. They often decide to hold the election many months or years into the future, which gives them time to identify, harass, intimidate, and terminate workers who may want to form a union. Think of it this way. Imagine if George W. Bush – realizing that John McCain was going to lose on November 4, just decided to put the presidential election off for a year, hoping that the political winds would change, that the economy would improve, or that Barack Obama might get hit by a bus. Would that seem fair? That’s currently the system that exists under U.S. labor law. The companies get to set the rules and the timelines – the workers have no say. The Employee Free Choice Act threatens business’ control over the process and this is what truly horrifies them.

There is also the matter of whether an election is even needed at all. The other key provision of the Employee Free Choice Act is to recognize majority sign-up. What that means is that if a majority of workers at a company indicate their preference for forming a union by signing an authorization card, then the union must be recognized by all parties involved. What’s the difference between majority sign-up and an election? Not much. Both indicate the will of what the employees’ wishes are. Again we go back to the timeline. Majority sign-up denies Management the time they need to intimidate and fire pro-union employees. Currently an employer can demand a secret ballot election even if a majority of employees has signed authorization cards.

The Employee Free Choice Act in its current form will ultimately be one of the best pieces of pro-worker legislation in a half-century and is the single biggest threat to corporate dominance over working men and women. For that reason – not some bogus threat to a “secret ballot” – expect our well-financed adversaries to say anything to stop it.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by the Urban Resource Center and its director, Terry McMoore, in partnership with the Center for Community Change.

Over the next 5 years a half a billion dollars in job training money will be coming to Clarksville. Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) will open a new plant in Clarksville that will hire over 1,000 construction workers to build, and provide over 800 permanent high paying jobs when they open. HSC will be one of the richest employers in Clarksville’s history since the arrival of Fort Campbell in the 1940s.
Under the President’s Economic Recovery Bill, states and counties are poised to receive significant federal funding to stimulate the economy and put people back to work. These are just some of the issues that will be discussed at this community forum.

Initial response from the community and some elected officials has been strong.  community and several elected officials who will be in attendance, including State Senator Tim Barnes and NAACP President Jimmie Garland Sr. are planning to attend this session.

McMoore was asked to hold this meeting by the Washington D.C.-based  Center for Community Change, who will be facilitating most of the meeting.

Ms. Evonne Tisdale, the South East Regional Team Leader for the Center for Community Change, is  in Nashville and has already touched base with the Governor’s office on this issue; she held a  meeting with Nashville Mayor Karl Dean,  who is eagerly awaiting the final plan and proposal from the Nashville African American community.

New job opportunities for Clarksville-Montgomery County targeted populations include:

• High School graduates
• College graduates
• Veterans or members of the reserve forces
• Homeless individuals
• Non-violent ex-felons
• Low-income individuals

This falls right in line with the recently signed into law Economic Recovery Bill. Under the President’s Economic Recovery Bill, states and counties are poised to receive significant federal funding to stimulate the economy and put people back to work.

McMoore wants the community to understand that this bill is intended for all Americans and this meeting is open to anyone who wants to attend. It took people from all races and nationalities to get this far in first ending slavery, and years later stopping Jim Crow laws which eventually led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

The country came together to say “enough is enough.” That demand for change resulted in the election of the first African American president in the history of our nation. But there is still work to be done, and by community dialog and working together can we will someday achieve the true meaning of our constitution.

Pastors, Business Owners and the Community-at -Large: are you prepared to have a place at the table right now while there are still jobs and money available? How and what this money is spent on is important to the survival of our communities; these are the jobs of the future and they pay good salaries.

Contact Person for this release is Mr. Terry McMoore at  (931) 378-1999

Ms. Evonne Tisdale, South East Regional Team Leader, Center for Community Change can be reached at Email: or at (615) 469-5220 in Nashville, or at
http://www.communitychange.org/

NASHVILLE, TN (2-26-09):  Several bills aimed at protecting children advanced in the State Senate this week, including legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee that would prohibit sex offenders from loitering within 1,000 feet of certain places where children are likely to gather.   The bill, sponsored by Speaker Pro Tempore Jamie Woodson (R-Knoxville), would apply to schools, licensed day care centers, child care facilities, public parks, playgrounds, recreation centers or athletic fields when children under age 18 are present.

“This legislation greatly strengthens our laws to protect Tennessee children,” said Woodson.  “Parents deserve to know that their children are safe, and this bill will keep sexual offenders away from these areas where children are commonly present.”
Current law sets a parameter of 500 feet as the distance sex offenders are prohibited from going near school property.  The legislation, SB 511, would expand that distance to 1,000 feet, adds other places where children are likely to gather, and spells out that offenders are prohibited from “loitering” within those bounds.  It also removes an exception currently in place that allows sex offenders to be present on school property during school hours if they are making deliveries.

The Judiciary Committee also approved legislation requiring law enforcement agencies to enter information into the NCIC (National Crime Information Center) database within two hours of receipt of a report of a missing child.  The bill, SB 110 sponsored by Senator Diane Black (R-Gallatin), would bring Tennessee into compliance with the Adam Walsh Act which was signed into law in 2006.

The sweeping federal law, named after the murdered 6-year-old son of “America’s Most Wanted” host John Walsh, required states to adopt strict new standards for registering sex offenders and providing public information about their crimes and whereabouts. This included publishing photos and addresses of sex offenders online and toughening criminal penalties for those who fail to register, among other provisions.  Tennessee made several changes to comply with the law last year.  The states must comply with provisions of the act by 2009 or risk facing a 10 percent cut to their share of funds in a congressional grant program used to fight crime.

“This legislation makes sure that we are acting quickly to enter the needed information to alert law enforcement of a missing child,” said Senator Black.  “Hopefully, this will help us to bring these children safely home quicker.”

Jerri Powell, a specialist for the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation who coordinates the state’s Amber Alert Program, told legislators that Tennessee has between 600 and 1,200 missing children per month.  A report to the NCIC system does not automatically trigger an Amber Alert, which has a much higher standard of urgency before it is broadcast.

Finally, the Judiciary Committee approved a measure, SB 284 sponsored by Senator Black, to establish venue for a violation of supervision of a sex offender in the county where they were being supervised.  The bill makes sure that if a sex offender violates the conditions of their parole, that valuable time and money are not spent by sending law enforcement to another locality where the violation took place and that the violator can be returned back to where they were being supervised for further court action.

In other action protecting children this week, the full Senate approved legislation to strengthen Tennessee’s “anti-bullying law” by requiring each local school board to adopt a policy that prohibits harassment, intimidation, or bullying.  The bill, SB 283 by Senator Black, makes the varying policies implemented by local education agencies across the state under the 2005 bullying law more consistent by requiring 13 standards that must be included in each system’s anti-bullying policy.

“Bullying is a widespread problem among students nationwide,” said Senator Black.   “Research indicates that approximately 160,000 students avoid school every day for fear of being bullied.”

Lawmakers hear update on Property Tax Freeze Program for Seniors

More than 16,400 senior citizens across Tennessee are enrolled in the state’s property tax freeze program according to Tom Fleming, Assistant to the Comptroller, who testified before members of the State and Local Government Committee this week.  Fleming said Smyrna and Spring Hill are the latest of 20 counties and 19 cities who participate in the program, while a growing number of communities are considering adopting it to give seniors some relief.

“It is time for counties and municipalities across Tennessee to realize that making home ownership more affordable for senior citizens is fiscally responsible,” said Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris (R-Collierville).  It increases their prospects of aging with grace and dignity in familiar surroundings which is better for everyone.”

The mechanism for the Property Tax Freeze Program was added to the state’s constitution by voters in a referendum in 2006, after a resolution was sponsored by Sen. Norris.  That action was followed by passage of a law to implement the program in 2007.  The resolution, however, must be adopted by the governing body of the city and county before seniors can participate.

Once the local government opts into the program, the law allows qualified property owners to keep their property tax bill at a fixed amount, even if the tax rate or the appraised value of their home increases.  In order to qualify, the home owner’s combined income cannot exceed a predetermined amount set by a state formula, which uses the median income and population in the homeowner’s county.  That amount can vary from $44,570 in Williamson County to the minimum income level of $24,790 that is in place for 52 Tennessee counties.

For more information and to review a list of participating localities, visit the Comptroller’s website at http://www.tn.gov/comptroller/pa/taxfreeze.htm or www.Tennesseniors.com.

Secret Ballot Protection Act would preserve the right to vote by secret ballot

Senator Jack Johnson (R-Franklin) joined members of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) in a press conference this week to promote legislation he has filed to protect the rights of employees to vote on whether or not they want to unionize by a secret ballot. The “Secret Ballot Protection Act” is a counter measure to dangerous federal card check legislation, which would subject employees to intimidation by allowing unions to organize simply by persuading a majority of employees to sign a union representation card.  This petitioning would take place outside the workplace, in front of union organizers and other employees who support the union.

The federal card-check bill was narrowly defeated in the U.S. Senate last year, and labor representatives believe the 2008 elections will greatly enhance the possibility for passage in 2009. The Tennessee legislation, SB 1674, defines the denial of secret-ballot elections as an unfair labor practice.  It also establishes penalties and civil remedies for violation.  The legislation does not apply to collective bargaining relationships already in existence before July 1, 2009.

“The right to a secret ballot is sacred whether it is in the voting booth or in the workplace,” added Johnson.  “This bill is consistent with our state’s Constitution and court decisions that provide that all elections in Tennessee shall be by a method guaranteeing ballot secrecy.”

“We are working diligently against the tide of a weakening economy to bring jobs to Tennessee by maintaining a business-friendly environment,” he continued.  “The card check system is not only un-democratic and un-American, but could hamper our ability to attract new business — or drive those who are already here out of the state.”

Conservative approach to investing state fund is best says Treasurer Lillard

Tennessee’s conservative approach to investing state funds has served the state well according to David Lillard, the state’s Treasurer.  Lillard presented legislators on the Senate Finance Committee with information about how Tennessee has performed in an increasingly challenging economic market.

Lillard said Tennessee is dealing with the second worst market in the last 107 years based on the Dow Jones Industrial average.  The state, however, has out-performed 93 percent of its peer funds last year, and 80 percent when looking back at a three-year average.

Lillard, who became Treasurer on January 15 after Republicans nominated him for the post, said he has moved the state’s portfolio to an even more defensive position since taking office based on the most recent market information and outlook.

“The challenge is to determine how conservative or defensive you go to not sacrifice some of the upside in the event the market turns,” he said.  Lillard also said his staff is monitoring the situation “by the minute.”

In speaking of Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), which funds payments to state and local government retirees and teachers, Lillard said “The TCRS is one of the most conservative funds, in terms of investments, in the country.  The outflow from the plan is about $.14 billion per year.  Our cash flow into the fund is well in excess of that.  We have well-covered ourselves from the standpoint of sources of income versus use of income.  We do not have a liquidity issue in respect to this plan in paying retiree benefits.”

Senate approves legislation to allow state to issue bonds to pay for infrastructure commitments to Volkswagen and Hemlock

Legislation that would allow the state to issue up to $262 million in bonds to pay for economic development infrastructure commitments was approved by the full Senate this week.  The bill, SB 315, provides state officials flexibility to sell the bonds to cover money needed to build infrastructure for the Volkswagen and Hemlock Semiconductor plants that have agreed to locate in the state.

Volkswagen is planning to make an initial $1 billion investment in Chattanooga, while Hemlock plans to invest $1.2 billion in Clarksville.  State finance officials told lawmakers that the debt service on the bonds would be covered by the more than $28 million in revenues per year that is expected to come into the state as a result of the Volkswagen plant alone.

The new Volkswagen plant means more than 2,000 new jobs in Tennessee, just in the plant itself.  It is also expected to create more jobs in the region due to vendor businesses that will also locate here as a result of the plant. Hemlock is expected to create 500 new jobs, with the potential of employing up to 900 people within five to seven years.

Let’s remember how money, on which our economy is based, started out simply as a system of “trade.” Now days money is capital, and capital is for making more capital. It’s called capitalism. And it’s not the market with which my mother traded…not at all!

Too many years ago, when my mother would go to town from our farm, she didn’t go to the store. She went to “trade.”

I never thought twice about why she would say “trade,” and the rest of us would say we were going to buy something.

Of course, Mom wasn’t a dummy. Maybe she was more of an economist than the guys who deal with capitalism for the Federal Reserve.

You see, Mom knew the proper use of money. She would take eggs and cream into town, for which she would get paid. She would take her egg and cream money and go to the store to buy sugar and flour. Essentially, she was using the money as a means of bartering. Instead of taking the cream and eggs to the grocery store to haggle with the store owner, who wasn’t equipped to handle the cream and eggs from the local farmer, she used a middle person, the creamery, to change the eggs and cream into money.

This is how the economy worked when I was a kid. In good years, the crops would come in. The farmers would be awash in money after a long dry period of buying sparingly at the store, running their grocery tab up at the store, and maybe borrowing just a little ’til the crops came in.

It was this way year in and year out. Very few farmers got tremendously rich, but they made it. A few made more, invested their money in the other market.

When I left to go to college, the farm crisis began. The capitalists, the big grain companies, merged into about three. Competition went down at the market. The stockyards in Omaha closed down. The nearest was now in Chicago, too far away for most of the Southwest Iowa farmers.

As this “more mature” economy changed, interest rates went up at the local banks. So grain prices and stock prices were down. Interest rates were up. Farmers weren’t able to pay on their loans which were being called in. As many with a few gray hairs know, this was clean out time for the farmers. Small farmers were forced to sell out in order to pay off their loans. The farmers who survived got bigger. And of course, big business, like Prudential Insurance, got into the farm business. Farming went from being agri-CULTURE to becoming agri-BUSINESS.

A farm family

I bring up what happened on the farm and with my parents, who eventually had to sell out, never paying off their farm loan, to show how our economy isn’t mature and too complicated for the common person to understand.

No, it’s just plain corrupt. Our capitalistic economy isn’t about money that is involved with trading at the local market. It is about growing capital, that’s all.

Capital, of course, is what you have to invest after doing all your trading to get what you and your family need to survive.

The rich uses capital to make more capital. As their capital grows, tied up in investments in what they want to invest in to grow their capital, not to feed their families, the rich get richer, and you know the rest of the story, the poor get poorer, like my parents did.

West Tennessee General Store circa 1936

And like those left behind with the so-called collapse of our capitalistic economy today, my parents worked darn hard, much harder than any CEO out there who uses his or her company’s profits to invest in other companies, to do mergers, to gamble on Wall Street. But the capitalistic system puts different values on workers depending on what type of shirt they wear or where they went to school or who their parents and grandparents are. The workers don’t make money to invest in capitalism, but their very lives are controlled by such a system.

A friend of mine startled me one day when she asked me to tell her one name of one person who became rich because he or she worked hard. I could give her no name. She reminded me that those who were rich were rich because their money worked while they simply raked in the growth from their money. That is what capitalism is: growth in money that some can afford to invest.

And when the investments go bad, or when those on Wall Street screw up stupidly or intentionally, they get bailed out. Their salaries are capped at $500,000 a year. Meanwhile the guy in the t-shirt loses his job in the factory and goes on food stamps.

Our government is concerned about providing jobs so the guys at the top and middle will not be without jobs. The government knows that jobs must be ongoing so workers can buy and so the producers can sell and so that the rich can get richer again before all the money ends up at the top again.

As you’ve probably noticed, you can blow up a balloon once and maybe twice, but after two or three times, the balloon is worn out. This is how I see our capitalistic economy. This system that rules our economy is worn out. A new economy needs to be put into service. Will our leaders be able to look outside the balloon of capitalism, and create something more just, more responsive to the workers, the disabled, the elderly and our future generations?

At this time in our economic history, we need creativity, imagination and guts to think outside the balloon. Will the folks we elected be up to the task?

And we have to remember my mom with her household eggs and cream. Remember, the Greek origin for the word economy is “oikos,” which means house. Mom was the true economist, not a capitalist!

About Rachael Bliss

Lived most of my life in Tennessee, and now enjoying the wacky world of Asheville, NC, where I work for an environmental group as a VISTA volunteer. I am the proud grandmother of three.

Website: http://peoplepowergranny.blogspot.com/

Over the next 5 years a half a billion dollars in job training money will be coming to Clarksville. Hemlock Semiconductor (HSC) will open a new plant in Clarksville that will hire over 1,000 construction workers to build, and provide over 800 permanent high paying jobs when they open. HSC will be one of the richest employers in Clarksville’s history since the arrival of Fort Campbell in the 1940s.

Under the President’s Economic Recovery Bill, states and counties are poised to receive significant federal funding to stimulate the economy and put people back to work.

To learn more about the coming opportunities, join in a Community Discussion titled  “How Will President Obama’s Economic Recovery Bill Affect the African American Community?” to be held on  March 5 at the Montgomery County Public Library, 350 Pageant Lane, Clarksville, from 6-8 p.m. The event, which is free and open to the public, is hosted by the Urban Resource Center and its director,   Terry McMoore, in partnership with the Center for Community Change.

New job opportunities for targeted populations include high school graduates, college graduates, veterans or members of the reserve forces, homeless individuals, non-violent ex-felons, and low-income individuals.

These are some of the questions:

• Pastors: Are you educated enough on the new job issues to help your congregation?
• Business Owners: Do you know the steps in getting funding for training under the Green Jobs Act?
• Community: Are you prepared to have a place at the table right now while there are still jobs and money available?

How and what this money is spent on is important to the survival of our communities; these are the jobs of the future and they pay good salaries. Don’t wait until the last minute.

It’s hard to maintain a happy face about our future when our personal finances and monetary worth for retirement are steadily declining, when our retirement plans are going bankrupt. In our communities, cities and states are raiding their rainy day funds to prevent raising taxes. International governments and their citizens are also in financial straits. Presently, places from our own Clarksville,  to Mexico City, to Heidleberg, London, Asian cities are all experiencing financial world. Such unfortunate events precipitate the “sad face” facing retirees.

Our neighbors who have already retired are facing despair as their financial security diminishes substantially. In the locker room I hear complaints from retirees who suddenly find their secure plans for their future sabotaged by the monetary crisis. Social Security had its marginal annual  increase and that helps some budgets but is not enough to offset other losses.

Our retirement plans are swayed by economy and income. Previous plans are now scrapped on the rubbish heap of our dreams as the economy suffers a nervous breakdown. Optimism and that “smiley face” have made a quick retreat as investments drop 25% or more of their previous net worth.

Personally, I refuse to estimate my losses, though for now they are just “paper losses.” I recognize that refusal is a form of denial and wishful thinking, but perhaps now, after Christmas and the holiday season, I’ll find the fortitude and motivation to analyze my situation. Statistics show that “only 18% of workers are confident that they would have enough money for a comfortable retirement, down from 27% in 2007.” The sad faces emerges.

The smiling face, that symbol of optimism, is still there though; it’s a psychological, emotional and spiritual dimension that can help take this adversity in stride and keep at least a faint  smiley face going.

“Our retirement health doesn’t have to fluctuate with the health of the economy.” It’s well to remember and to practice the creed that well-being is not completely dependent on dollars and bank accounts. We can have a measure of confidence, hope and encouragement as our resources diminish and fade.

We can improve the smiley face with the rationalization and understanding that we do have some control; our health and outlook should hinge on the things we can control:

• Spending habits
• Retirement savings
• Investments

Managing these items expands the potential for retiring with that smiley face. Read and study informational materials on finance, such as those reports in Money Advisor by Consumer Reports. A wealth of valuable information is at your fingertips.

In the absence of throngs of shoppers at many stores, I found myself eyeing lovely $8.00 boxes of holiday greeting cards (18 per box) for a mere $1.60 a box. Lovely extra ornaments (box of 24 in the colors and finishes I love) also $1.60. Another snowman for my collection: 67 cents. A funky purple hat and a funkier stuffed turtle  for one granddaughter, total price $1 each. Even the suet cakes for my bird feeders were discounted to 50 cents apiece. Half price. And this was Sunday, the last weekend shopping day before Christmas.

I hadn’t planned on doing my food shopping on what is usually the most chaotic shopping day of the season other than the insanity that is Black Friday, but quite frankly, it was easy to find a parking up front of each of the stores I visited. Inside there was no frenzied fray to find items, no staggering lines at the cash registers, not much of anything except the kind of deep, deep discounts one expects to see in the January sales and February clearance sales — only these sale prices  are happening before Christmas is even here.

I visited seven stores Sunday, with no problem parking, no lines to stand in for service, and no significant traffic on the roads. Doesn’t seem like Christmas as usual, and there’s no doubt that the state of the nation’s economy is being felt here.

Retailers hoping for a surge in sales seem destined for disappointment. Those of us who plan ahead and love a good bargain will find the best shopping yet to come.

It remains a question, though, as to which retailers will survive the slump otherwise known as Christmas 2008.

My stomach churns, and I realize again why the sheer lunacy of queuing up in the wee hours of morning for a bargain has never been on my agenda. Never will be. This statement of the American consumer mindset is appalling, and as a nation, we should collectively be ashamed of ourselves.

Kolacky in the Polish tradition

When I hear of parents putting $50 limits per toy even as they stack dozens of toys in their carts and create colorfully mountains of wrapped gifts, I remember a year when my then toddler daughter and I made dozens of loaves of yeast breads — cinnamon, sourdough, rye, and fruit breads — banana, date, pumpkin, then spent several hours wrapping them and tying yarn ribbons with recipe cards and gift tags on each. We had a full pantry but not a lot of “loose change” for store bought presents.

I remember a year when a friend’s mom sent us a stack of recipes from her Slavik relatives overseas; those delicate fruit-filled pastries such as Kolacky were carefully baked and wrapped in colorful tins the following year for us to give as gifts.

The autumn harvest of red raspberries, blueberries, and black raspberries became jams and jellies in crystal jars topped with pinked quilt fabric and tied with ribbon. The last bushels of cucumbers became the sweetest bread and butter pickles ever.

I remember teaching my daughter, then two, to push a tiny finger into the tilled earth, count two seeds, and pat the dirt back in the hole. “These will be cucumbers (”cumbies”) and these will be yellow beans,” I would tell her.

Which is not to say this wasn’t hard work. Or economically necessary. But it had another purpose: it was also a time of bonding, passing on traditions, or sharing activities laced with love and laughter. In the past few years, this homegrown tradition took another step in time as my almost-grown-up grandchildren want to learn the secrets and mysteries of the family recipes they have been gorging themselves on for years. Girls. Boys. Makes little difference. Each has had their turn at learning the craft and joy of cooking and passing along that nourishment, spiritual and physical, in the form of gifts from the hands and the heart.

This is not to say that all of us have to return to homemade gifts and avoid holiday commerce; there were many years after when Christmas was spent in a year ’round hunt for those “perfect” gifts, items that would be unique to the recipient.  I became known for my Christmas shopping which began in January, and continued through the season, with those “finds” carefully hidden in my grandmother’s old trunk.

Again, it is not that we could or should avoid holiday commerce, or return to the allure of those homemade cookies, but when that desire for the item of the year transcends humanity and is trampled under collective greed, it is time to step back, pause and rethink the real meaning of the holidays. No store-bought item is worth the price of greed, selfishness and, above all, human life.

Be it the company of family, of cherished friends, or even the quiet long-distance morning chat between friends on a holiday morning, there are things much more important and far more valuable than showy and often overpriced and overvalued gifts — if we take the time to notice and appreciate them.

The statement came even as the stock market, which had a rebound last week, tanked on the news, dropping 400 points by noon Monday and closing the day down by 680. With a public still reeling from months of soaring gas prices and the fallout of higher food and other retail items (due in part to exploding transportation costs), the reality of recession with or without documentation from a national bureau.

In making their determination on the state of American economy, the NBES examined records on jobs and job loss, real personal income, industrial production, and wholesale and retail sales. The last two recessions (1990-91 and 2001) both lasted less than a year.

Initial reports of “better than expected” holiday spending may not be an indicator of the true retail market this holiday season, since many shoppers who bought into the Black Fridayscenerio seemed to be after the sharply discounted big ticket items like computers and audio/visual equiment. One of the problems for retailers is that these items have been so steeply discounted so early there is a diminishing profit margin — little “wiggle room” for more cuts. Apart from these specialty items, consumers seemed conservative and, at least in Clarksville, not as willing to randomly spend.

There is no fudging a national declaration of “recession.” It’s, here. It’s now. And it’s been here for a while. It’s an issue on which the current administration has been in a state of persistent denial. For the rest of America, the lower and middle class worker bees, it’s reality.They have the bills and the decreased spending power to prove it.

Our objective was the Governors Square complex, where one finds several of the largest retailers in our community: Target, Circuit City, JC Penny’s, Dillard’s, Old Navy, Sears, Toys ‘R Us, to name a few. Driving through the various parking lots, we found them — unlike last year — disappointingly bare of overnight campers. Target, Dilliard’s, and JC Penny were completely empty, and Toys ‘R Us and Sears had only one car each.

The first stop on our survey tour was the Best Buy Store. At 2:02 a.m. there was a line of approximately 60 to 75 people camped out at the store. Sleeping bags, tents, lawn chairs, blankets filled the sidewalk along and past Premiere Medical Center and wrapped around the corner. This proved to be the largest gathering we encountered in our city tour. Best Buy had set out Port-a-Potties, lighting and recorded outdoor music for the campers. Speaking with a few of the hearty souls gathered revealed the following:

• Having arrived at 5 a.m. Thursday morning, Dan Stafford was looking to save money on a laptop
• Aaron Watts said he started his vigil at 1:30 p.m. Thursday and was looking for computers, both a laptop and a desktop
• Souette Quinn took up her post at 4 p.m. Thursday. She was looking to save $500 and buy a laptop and software.

Next we traveled to Circuit City. At 2:11 p.m. there were considerably fewer campers awaiting the Black Friday savings. Daniel Lockwood was there with his friend Raphael Alexander, looking to save money on cellphones, DVDs and video games. They had began their vigil at 6 p.m. Thursday. Quentin McLaughlin was interested in MP3 players, the Samsung Fuse, a Nintendo DS and was looking to spend about $250. There were also two good friends from Trigg County in the small group of about 15 people.

From Circuit City, we traveled to the front entrance of Governors Square Mall, where an even smaller group of die-hard shoppers stood their ground in the silent dark. Mitchell said he had been there since 11 a.m.. Ashley and Amber came on the scene at 11 p.m. with their Uncle Roger as guardian. They were looking for anything from Hot Topic and getting something to eat. Ashley admitted her funds were rather meager but she was hoping to find good bargains. There were about eight people camped out at the entrance and maybe four more in parked cars. At this point, we drove around the mall, finding the parking lot barren at JC Penny, Belk, Dillards, Old Navy and Sears. Toys ‘R Us was likewise forlorn, as was the lot at H.H. Gregg.

There were about 15 cars parked awaiting the specials at Kohl’s. K-mart employees seemed to be only cars in that parking lot- there was no one inside the six cars parked there and TJ Maxx was even more so vacant. However, Office Depot did have a hearty bunch awaiting their door opening. Wendy Kostenbawder and Jenny Shulze had arrived at 2:30. Wendy was looking for a laptop. Drew Jeffrey said he was also looking for the laptop special. The sales flier said there would be a minimum of six at each store and there were seven shoppers in this group. Right next door at Electronic Express, Dakota said he had been posted since 6 a.m. Thursday and was looking for a laptop. Other locations scoured included Borders, Pier 1, Books-A-Million, Hastings, Radio Shack, Hollywood Video, Big Lots, Grandpa’s, Riner’s and Chuck’s Furniture Stores, and both the Wilma Rudolph Boulevard and Fort Campbell Boulevard Wal-Mart Super Centers. Except for the Wal-Marts, businesses were all closed, with no indicated activity inside and no shoppers camping out for specials. The Wal-Marts were open but with no appreciable volume in their parking lots.

This little tour ended at 3:40 a.m.. It is hoped that shoppers did arrive after our drive-through, but the feeling from most the people we talked with indicated that while they were intending to spend some money, they had specific objectives and were not looking to be extravagant or deviate from their shopping lists. Everyone referred to being practical in some sense or another. This does not bode well for merchants. Last year early bird shoppers numbered in the thousands at the various retail outlets. What we saw would barely break the 130 mark. Our conclusion: the economy is having a definite impact on consumer shopping. Merchants are going to have to keep bargains in front of the public and have sufficient staff to insure quick processing at the check-outs. Best of luck to us all.

Share your Black Friday experiences. Did you shop online, go to Nashville, Bowling Green, Memphis, Atlanta, Louisville or not bother at all? Or are you looking for specials on Franklin Street or other local venues? Maybe you went shopping on Thanksgiving Day. How will you spend your holiday dollars this year?

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will host a fact finding meeting tonight on the controversial downtown redevelopment plan, dubbed “the blight bill,” including its eminent domain and assemblage issues. The meeting will be held at the New Providence Outreach Center, 207 Oak Street, in Clarksville at 7:00 p.m.

The redevelopment plan was first brought to the attention of federal officials this summer, when local NAACP President Jimmie Garland submitted some concerns to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The plan as it was passed contained language that effectively “blighted” the entire downtown business district — two square miles.

Angry residents challenge the redevelopment ordinance at a series of public meetings on the issue

Property owners, in response to this legislation, formed the Clarksville Property Rights Coalition to challenge this ordinance.William Dirl, field office director of the Nashville HUD office, expressed concerns in a letter to Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper that the redevelopment plan did not emphasize providing housing rehabilitation to existing residents nor did it protect low to moderate home owners from eminent domain abuse.

Representatives from the NAACP, Clarksville Property Rights Coalition and the Institute for Justice a national advocacy group supporting the community will  attend the meeting.

Elected officials, community leaders have been invited to attend. The meeting is also open to interested members of the public and the media.

For more information please contact meeting coordinator Mr. Terry McMoore, Director, Urban Resource Center at (931) 378-1999 or Jimmie Garland, NAACP President, at (931) 216-6745

Shopping for a bail-out.

As the holiday shopping and travel season approaches, worries over the economy are having a sobering impact on the retail season that is usually the most profitable time of the year for merchants.

To make matters worse, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell below the 8,000 mark, closing at 7,997, a five-year low that is in part a reflection of the newest monetary crisis: the big 3 automakers who are shopping for a multi-million dollar bailout that could avert bankruptcy that could further compound economic woes. Standard and Poor’s slid another 6%,a five-year low.

General Motors dropped a whopping 10% while Ford’s  stock tumbled 25%. Citigroup dropped 25% to under the $7 mark. Bank of America fell 14% and JP Morgan, 12%. Meanwhile, executives of the Big Three automakers flew private jets to Washington in search of federal money to stay afloat.

Fewer travelers are expected to hit the road for the Thanksgiving season next week, and Black Friday, the “morning after” Dow Jones Industrial Average sales frenzy, is looking for large crowds seeking better bargains than ever as retailers slash prices and offer substantial discounts on higher ticket items. Families across the country more concerned with paying essential bills including mortgage, rent, and/or utilities are focusing on both necessary and voluntary spending cuts. Families across the country are also watching their net worth plummet as housing prices tank and investment and retirement  accounts take heavy hits.

Terry McMoore, organizer of "Clarksville for Obama"

Barack Obama shares the values of all Americans. He understands the need for more jobs, affordable health care for all, rebuilding the middle class and bringing our troops home safe.

The current administration has put us all in a very serious economical depression, and only Barack Obama can restore balance to our economy. His tax plan for the working families and homeowners trying to make ends meet will reward all Americans, not just the wealthy.

His proactive solutions to the problems plaguing this nation and his blueprint for change will also help to strengthen the Medicare and financial aid systems. It’s no wonder with this ideal for change approach his opponents can only rely on continuing to spread the false lies and smears about his life.

Does Obama wear a flag pin on his lapel? Yes, but sometimes he also wears a breast cancer awareness pin, his U.S. Senate membership pin or no pin at all.

Is Obama a Christian? Yes. He is a committed Christian. He began his career working as a community organizer with a Christian church-based group.

Was Obama sworn in on a Bible? Yes. Barack Obama took the oath of office on his personal family Bible. It was U.S. Rep. Keith Ellison from Minnesota who was sworn in on the Quran.

Was Obama born in America? Yes. Barack Obama’s birth certificate shows he was born in Honolulu, Hawaii on Aug. 4, 1961, at 7:24 p.m.

Does Obama place his hand over his heart when he says the pledge of allegiance? Yes. Barack Obama always places his hand over his heart during the pledge of allegiance.

A simple Google search of “fight the smears” will clear up all of these untruths and more for those who are looking for change.

And, unlike Wurzelbacher, he’s a licensed plumber.

Joe Moenck, a plumber in Zumbrota, Minn., is a member of Plumbers and Pipe Fitters (UA) Local 6—which, like all building and construction trades unions, has high professional standards for its members—such as making sure they hold a license to practice their craft.

Moenck was dismayed to see McCain repeatedly trot out “Joe the Plumber” during this week’s presidential debate with Sen. Barack Obama. Says Moenck:

“I felt that when John McCain was talking about Joe the Plumber, I didn’t feel that that was sincere. He didn’t mention the middle class in the last two debates at all. It upset me that he brought this up strictly because he had to, because his ratings are low among the middle class. I don’t think he believes what he said, but he knows his support is low there and said that strictly for the ratings, as a campaign strategy.”

When “Joe the Plumber” Wurzelbacher met Obama in Toledo on Sunday, Wurzelbacher expressed concern about being taxed on earnings of $280,000 per year should he ever start a small plumbing business.

But, as Moenck can tell you, hard workers like him in the building trades aren’t paid anywhere near $250,000 a year. For Moenck—and even for Wurzelbacher, who right now makes far less than his dream salary—Obama’s tax plan would mean a decrease in taxes by more than $1,200 a year—more than under McCain’s tax plan. And should Wurzelbacher ever pull in $250,000, he’d only pay a few hundred dollar more in taxes under Obama’s plan. Not a deal-breaker for a guy thinking of starting a small business.

Wurzelbacher also has a bit of an agenda. He’s a member of the Associated Builders & Contractors, a nonunion trade group that has endorsed McCain.

So, in addition to Moenck, we’d like to introduce McCain to a few other real Joe the plumbers.

There’s Joe Gutzwiller, a licensed plumber in Indianapolis and member of UA Local 440. Gutzwiller shares a lot in common with Moenck, including seeing through McCain’s pretensions of support for America’s middle class.

“I heard the one about health care, where McCain wants to tax our benefits, and I just think he’s looking out for bigger businesses and corporations leaving middle class people out of the whole picture.

“I think Obama is actually trying to help out middle class people who are feeling the effect of our economy. From what I’ve seen in the debates, he’s trying to prevent future problems and give the middle class a tax break to help stimulate the economy.”

And then there’s Joe Tatum in Virginia, who’s been a licensed plumber for 35 years after apprenticing with UA Local 10.

“McCain thinks we make over $200,000. I don’t make anywhere close to that. If I did, I could retire now instead of waiting ’til I’m 62.”

Over in Colorado, Joe Martinez, a plumber and member of UA Local 3, has this to say:

“John McCain doesn’t understand working families and I don’t understand how any plumber can vote for John McCain. He’s just not in touch with the working man at all.”

And there’s Joe Vicena, a member of UA Local 75 in Milwaukee, who sees McCain as continuing the same disastrous economic policies as George W. Bush.

“Our jobs are being sent overseas, people are losing their pensions and their 401(k)s, and the stock market is tanking. We need change in a positive manner. McCain is not the person to do it.  He is absolutely not the person.  Me and my family can’t take four more minutes, much less four more years, of the missteps and mis-policies we’ve had the past eight.”

Moenck, Gutzwiller, Tatum, Martinez and Vicena agree with their union that Obama is the best choice for America’s plumbers—and all middle-class workers—because, as under Bush, McCain’s economic policy would benefit the wealthiest and flush the rest of us down the tank. As Moenck puts it:

“If the middle class doesn’t have money to call Joe the Plumber, Joe the Plumber’s not gonna be in business very long.”

About the Author

This is a cross-post from the Firedoglake blog in partnership with the author Tula Connell, AFL-CIO managing editor. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly known as the AFL-CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States made up of 56 national and international unions including Canadian together representing more than 10 million workers. This organization gave Barack Obama one of his biggest Union endorsements.