Let's Cut the Middle Man Out

There seems to be a lot of talk about what to do with all that money the government is willing to loan out to help bailout the major companies that are in such financial trouble. The CEO’s are so rich they could never spend all their money in two life times. Their plan seems to be to take the money, keep living their life style as usual and somehow all of this would trickle down and help everyone else in the real world.
I sat, listening in disbelief, as I watched the news and learned that these hedge fund managers had made up to 3.7 billion dollars while many people’s 401K’s lost 40% over the last year. These CEO’s are still being paid millions even after they’ve lost all of that money just to be bailed out to lose it again.
It reminds me of my first trip to New York and as we were driving down 5th Avenue we took a picture of a man sleeping on a piece of cardboard in front of an exclusive clothing store and people were stepping over and going around this man as if it was an everyday day occurrence, and it may have been.
It seems to be a world of the haves and have not’s. The ones that have look at the world thinking, “John Q. Public got what he deserved”. The ones that don’t have are saying, “I played by the rules; where’s all my money gone?”
Banks are not lending the money given to them by the government and wasn’t that the whole purpose of giving it to them in the first place? Free up money to lend and to get the economy rolling again.
I have a thought, let’s cut out the middle man. Instead of relying on the big companies and Privileged Poindexters to do what’s right and invest the money to create more jobs, let’s put the money toward paying off student loans and give sizable stimulus checks for families with an annual income of under $175,000 a year. Houses will be built, debts paid off, cars bought, and non-essential items will be purchased. There will be no holding the economy back. We could just call it “an accelerated trickle”. The same companies would be getting a lot of the money but instead of trickle down it would trickle up. Some people would look at this as just another welfare program but no more than money going to pay these CEO’s salaries and at least it would be getting to the people that need it. This would not only help more people directly but create jobs that would get the economy booming again.
Just Saying!
Odes Roberts

A Day Trip to Reality

We got up Saturday and decided to just drive. Since the gas is cheaper this week we thought it would be nice to get out and see what was going on out of South Carolina. We ended up in Atlanta and decided to walk around some of the shopping malls which are already decorated for Christmas and all set and ready for the paying customers that didn’t show up in the numbers they were hoping for. It was really nice to walk around in the spacious uncluttered stores and the people seemed so nice and polite. I even had one young lady say she really liked the hat I was wearing. There were 40%, 50% and even some 75% off signs in most stores but few people were in line at the cash registers to take advantage of these deals and as we ventured toward the more exclusive stores it was like a ghost town. It was kind of interesting to watch the sales clerks in the higher price stores summing up each and every customer passing, as if to be able to tell if they were worth waiting on. It only takes a trip through Neiman Marcus or Kenneth Cole to be struck by the reality of where we stand in the world of economics. Do people really pay this kind of money for clothes? It was amazing to me that a sweater could cost more than some people make in a week. It was no wonder Sarah Palin’s people could spend that kind of money at this store. I wonder if they kept the receipts. What’s Cartier’s return policy? I guess if you need to know those things you would be like me, only there as part of the sightseeing tour. That explains why the clerks were so good at summing people up. If you have the look of bewilderment on your face they just assume they can’t help you, unless you’re asking where the exit is and does it cost anything to get out of here. I overheard one lady tell her daughter that they only had $250 dollars to spend today and her daughter said, “That won’t even buy me a pair of shoes.” Heck, I can buy several pair for $250, what planet is she from?
I did learn one thing on this weekend adventure; if I can’t pronounce the name that’s on the label I probably can’t afford the clothes.
Just Saying!
Odes Roberts

A Modern Day Calling

I don’t know any teachers that are on a mission to destroy your child’s life but they do learn very quickly that they are expected to keep control of their classrooms or they’ll be the ones facing the consequences.
When I was in school I was totally convinced that at least one or maybe even two, ok most of my high school teachers were sent there by some unknown source to make my life a living hell. I discovered very quickly just how far I could go and not step over that imaginary line, never realizing that I was not only hurting myself but everyone else in the class. It was all about the next laugh and the 3 o’clock bell. It’s not a big surprise that I wasn’t an “A” student but I did do just well enough to get by. I’m sure to many teachers this is an all too familiar scenario and something that plagues me to this day. Let’s just say that my spell check regularly begs me to turn it off and give it a break, I married a woman who is an avid reader and has to be one of the best spellers I know, and as luck would have it, we have a son who is an English teacher. God does have a sense of humor!
That being said I’m around a lot of teachers from time to time and as I hear stories of first year teachers being seen out in the halls with face in hands trying to hold back the tears of frustration and literally trying to build up enough courage to return to the classroom, I find myself thinking, I was one of those kids. I was that student who not only wasted my time but had to have most of my teachers rethink their profession.
Things have changed a lot since I was in school. There were no alternative schools you just got your butt worn out. I will never forget being in class and “rudely” woke up by a math teacher asking me to complete a math problem she had written on the board. Of course I just stared at it until I heard her say, “You’re just like your dad” and then I felt the shock of my life. This little 5 foot tall, 70 year old lady showed me she could swing a well used 2 ½ foot paddle. I’m in no way saying this is the answer to our problems but amazingly I found the correct answer to the one on the board and never fell asleep in her class again. I fondly remember her as one of my better teachers, maybe because I started listening. She later told me that she had also taught my father and had to use the same teaching techniques on him, more than once.
Teachers now days are caught in the middle of “no child left behind”, parents who are too busy or are just not interested in keeping up with their children’s progress and an administration that has to answer to the school board. Is there any wonder why there’s such a shortage of teacher’s in this country?
I have found out over the years as a parent, that if a teacher says there’s a problem, they’re usually right. With our first child I was the parent who was always there defending him to the last breath. I was sure without a doubt my son was perfect and this teacher just had to have it in for him. But after a while we learned this just wasn’t the case and he became a much better student. With our youngest son things were quite different even though there were times I felt we needed parent /teacher conferences, there were very few times we needed to go up the chain of command. The second child always has it rougher; “it’s just a broken arm, shake it off you’ll be fine”.
We as parents can do our children a great disservice by not attending the schools functions like open houses, if you can’t be there at least send a trusted family member or friend to talk to the teacher so they know you’re involved and interested in your child’s educational future. If you have questions contact the teacher by phone or email. Email seems to work the best now days. If you don’t get a response call the school’s office and let them know you’ve emailed and tried to reach the teacher by leaving messages and ask that a person in administration call you.
Keep in mind that teachers are people too. They not only put up with your little angel all day but then have to grade papers, go to meetings and some even coach school sports, then are expected to further their education to meet certain state requirements and somehow in the mist of all this, make time for their own families.
Some people say this career was by choice, and for some that’s true, but then there are those that you never forget as making a difference in your life. I truly believe they are there for a much higher cause. I consider it nothing less than a modern day calling.

Just Saying!

Odes Roberts