Trickle-down bailout strategy

I am waiting for a good trickle-down bailout strategy. I want to know how big bankers and other bailout recipients intend to start this. I suggest keeping people in their homes by strengthening credit and revising loans, and eliminating obscenely generous gifts to CEOs.

However the trickle-down starts, the bailout should work with the proposed 2009 stimulus package. It must provide funds to maintain public services and employees and invest in transit, water systems, schools, libraries and the environment.

Related to this is the auto industry bailout. Some complain that the "$74-per-hour" Detroit worker wage caused this crisis. The base wage for a United Auto Workers member is $29 an hour. Don't blame the unions. Blame corporate bad judgment and the cost of health care. Foreign automakers have national health care. Sixty million unorganized workers say they would unionize if allowed. So hand out money, but let sticky strings be attached. The world is watching us. Don't make it worse.

While the United Nations secretary general was quick to condemn the Israeli attack on Hamas, no one heard his earlier silences when Israeli Jews were the victims. In the past year, Hamas' attacks on Israeli towns and villages increased in both frequency and intensity, and grew more deadly even while the terrorist group formally ended the shaky truce.

No rational person can understand why Palestinian terrorists fire at their Israeli-sponsored utility plants, then cry victim when those same suppliers cut off that energy source and other forms of aid. Yet Israeli retaliation is increasingly looked upon with askance by an American public that seems to like the idea of a strong democracy in the Middle East, but not one that looks too tough or assertively defensive.

While soon-to-be President Barack Obama has said little recently in this regard, many would like to add the role of activist Middle East mediator to his already more than full domestic plate.

I love the pealing of bells. As a child, my mother called me home by ringing a bell by the back door. Bell choir renditions of Christmas carols are favorites. Hearing the Westminster chimes takes me back to walks across my college campus.

Since I lived within hearing distance of Irvington United Methodist Church, I always measured the day by their chimes. They rang every 15 minutes. At noon the bells played hymns. I took a moment for God, then fed my children lunch. At church my children thrilled me by playing in the chime choir. At a recent wedding, the bride was preceded by her nephew ringing a hand bell. And on All Saints Day, the organ chimes for each soul taken to heaven during the past year. Bells peeling seem to reflect every aspect of human emotion.

It is no wonder, then, that one of my favorite poems is Edgar Allan Poe's paen to the chiming of the "bells, bells, bells, bells." His poem honors bells of all shapes, sizes and timbres. In his short and troubled life, Poe wrote poems and short stories that have touched the soul of Americans like few other writers. Who isn't touched by the emotions Poe relates in his tale of Lenore in that kingdom by the sea? What would Halloween be without the raven quoting, "Nevermore." Just the title, "The Masque of Red Death," sends shivers down my spine.

Jan. 19, 2009, is the 200th anniversary of Poe's birth. Even if you can't attend one of the public commemorations, ring a bell in honor of his contribution to American life.

The Indianapolis Star did its readers a disservice by running a story about another frivolous lawsuit filed to challenge President-elect Barack Obama's qualifications to become president. As Tim Evans noted in his Dec. 25 article, similar suits have been rejected by courts across the country as frivolous or, even when taken seriously, because the plaintiffs did not have proper standing or did not suffer an individualized harm.

Given that the U.S. Supreme Court has within the last month or so rejected similar lawsuits, it seems ridiculous to give this newest suit any attention, let alone front-page, above-the-fold coverage. Perhaps a better article would have examined motivations of the plaintiffs, or investigated how Indiana's courts handle frivolous lawsuits, or inquired into the genesis of conspiracy theories targeting our nation's leaders and why many are willing to believe those theories.

By giving this lawsuit front-page coverage, the editors of The Star chose to make a story where none really exists, which will do nothing more than stoke the fires of conspiracy buffs and those who are ready to tear down our new president before he has even been sworn into office.

I enjoy the incongruities in life, especially in things I read or see in advertising. Recently, several ads caused me to wonder, smile or laugh out loud. For example, billboards along the highway for factory-second outlets such as a certain candy company (does that mean the candy is flawed or pre-chewed?), or the Bible store (was something left out, or does Genesis begin with day three?).

Then there was the newspaper ad for a chain of Christian stores ("Store closing Sale while supplies last." That one got me chuckling: What kind of Christians were they selling, since supplies seemed to be limited? Did they have any Baptists left, or could I select only Mormons or Catholics?

I remember passing a roadside sign near Long Beach, Calif., that read "Panchos Mexican Restaurant -- We specialize in Chinese Food." My favorite, which forced me to pull off the highway because I was laughing so hard, is just outside of Louisville on the side of a hill: "Tattoo Charlie's -- Done While You Wait." Between guffaws, I wondered if that meant I could leave a body part while I went shopping and pick it up later.

These represent the humorous side of life when one takes the opportunity to slow down to read and reflect. Happy New Year.

Community development corporations can fill a vital role in the community. They tackle challenges that neighborhoods either ignore or fail to address properly. But as a consequence, many neighborhoods fail to develop skills necessary to sustain their community, while others fall back to escape accountability.

Increasingly, CDC ventures provide little service to the community, with profits often going straight into their own reserves. This can be great for the family whose house needs rebuilding or corridors that lack business stakeholders, but it can adversely impact the clout of an already vulnerable community.

Ideally, people can put resources into CDCs that go far beyond housing and aesthetics, such as job training and child care programs and financial education that help foster ownership and economic opportunities.

A critical step is for neighbors in communities to see themselves as problem-solvers, not just problems. Many CDCs get results, but they need to cultivate a system of accountability if communities are to move forward.

Among the well-known who died in 2008 include entertainers Paul Newman, Cyd Charisse, Heath Ledger, Charlton Heston, George Carlin, Bo Diddley, Odetta; chess genius Bobby Fischer; Everest climber Edmund Hillary; writers Aleksandr Solzhenistsyn and Michael Crichton; political commentators William F. Buckley Jr. and Tim Russert; pioneering heart surgeon Michael DeBakey; civil rights activist Mildred Loving.

I'll miss Studs Terkel, 96, Pulitzer Prize-winning oral historian and raconteur. A master listener, Studs gave a voice for the ordinary person is such works as "Working," "Hard Times" and "And They All Sang." He recently published a memoir titled "Touch and Go." We heard you too, Studs.

What well-known personage passed in 2008 that had an impact on you?

After the inevitable letdown of saying goodbye to the holiday season, I am ready for spring. To get through the interim months, I look forward to simple things.

One of my harmless guilty pleasures is award's season: the Golden Globes, the People's Choice Awards, the Emmy's ... I like them all, especially the Academy Awards. I scrutinize the fashions and root for my favorite movies, shows and actors. My favorite categories are best actor and best actress in a supporting role. First of all, they are usually presented early in the ceremony so if I fall asleep, at least I've seen that part. But the bigger reason is many of us have played this role as a parent, a spouse, an employee and/or a friend.

The star is the big deal. The star is the center of attention. Often the supporting role is viewed as less significant but I don't agree. The secondary roles can make or break a movie.

Sometimes life allows us to be front and center and bask in all the glory. Sometimes we serve in the supporting role, tending to the important details that let others achieve the limelight. Too bad we don't hand out beautiful trophies to the people in our lives who quietly smooth the road and allow us to shine.

Parents are taking a closer look at how behavior and discipline are directly linked to academic success. Within my own community, some parents are taking a stand, only to be met by damage-controlled letters and pacification. A few parents even approached the school board to air their views, disappointments and willingness to partner to increase program effectiveness.

Prior to speaking at a meeting, several board members made it abundantly clear that parental views were unwelcome. They invited an attorney to read the school board regulations in an attempt to limit views of parents.

The same school board we elected to oversee the education of our children now seems to want to control the process. I thought this was a partnership effort. Statements by parents were continually interrupted by the attorney as if they were on trial, when they only wanted to enter into a fair and just discussion.

Our victory was not at the podium, but rather, afterward when many parents approached those who spoke out with encouraging support and assistance to be heard in the near future.

Recently, I have reconnected with a former teacher of mine. She is a dear lady who influenced me in my decision to become a teacher, and whose influence in my teaching I see on a daily basis.

Next to a child's parents, a classroom teacher spends the most time with a child in his formative years. Some children may spend more time with teachers than with their parents. Both good and bad teachers can have a profound influence in a child's life.

Consider the "real-life" stories of "Freedom Writers," "Mr. Holland's Opus," and "Lean on Me." These teachers inspired hundreds of students throughout their careers. I'm sure each of us can name at least one teacher whose influence we still feel in our lives today.

What saddens me about the state of education in the U.S. today is that good teachers don't receive the credit they deserve and bad teachers are retained because of seniority or other legal issues. Additionally, I'm frustrated that young men and women who would make excellent teachers are led away from the profession because of the reputation teaching has because of those bad teachers.