It seems that you can't turn on any national newscast these days without hearing about the Tea Party. A group of well-meaning Americans got together one day and decided that they were mad as hell and weren't going to take it anymore. Their aim was to protest excessive government spending. Somebody in the group who was awake during their high school American history class, got the idea to call their movement the Tea Party, remembering their study of colonial times.
Pretty soon, hundreds, then thousands began demonstrating, carrying signs demanding the government cut spending and cut taxes. In this era when most of us have to watch our personal spending more than ever, this seemed like a reasonable request. Trouble is, I'll bet if you ask a dozen of the Tea Party followers, you wouldn't be able to find more than two or three concrete suggestions on where the budget should be cut.
Compounding this apparent lack of definite direction, it didn't take long for some of the more radical political figures in this country to jump on this bandwagon. The field was ripe for picking up votes from this frustrated group and it seems like details didn't matter. Just say you were in favor of cutting the budget and suddenly you were hiring a staff for your congressional office.
Suddenly, it was time for these young members of Congress to put their ideas where their mouths were just a few months before. Now that you're here, where do we cut? What's even more frightening, is some politicians with even higher aspirations and similar views have their sites set on the White House in 2012. Apparently, they think that all they have to do is run on the promise of a leaner federal budget and they will be able to move their desk into the Oval Office. It's quite possible that the next serious candidate for president, at least from one of the major parties, would be hard-pressed to find Iran or the Sudan on a map of the world. Sorry, we can't be bothered with dealing with these international problems. We're busy cutting the budget.
As I said, the goals of the originators of the Tea Party movement should not be downplayed. It's true that we have to reign in spending or we will all be working for China in a few years. The point is, it's not as easy as some of those people would have you believe. If it was easy, Sarah Palin would be vice president, sitting on her front porch looking for Russia.
I also have problems with the name of this movement. I think it's time Tea Party followers come clean and admit just what kind of tea they prefer. Since they're so concerned with economics and money, most of them may prefer green tea. Since some predict a period of gloom and doom, maybe they would prefer black tea. In the spirit of full disclosure, I'll admit I drink iced tea nearly every day. It comes in instant form from a jar. I don't know what color the tea leaves were.
I think it's time to form a new movement, one that better reflects the American spirit. My new movement would be called the Beer Party. Let me explain.
When you think of beer, you may automatically think of the commercials where young people are having a good time in a group or an establishment. If you drink a certain brand of beer, you're guaranteed to get the girl or guy. But that's just the tip of the iceberg (or keg). Our local supermarket recently added a big beer and liquor department. One wall is lined with literally hundreds of brands of beer from all over the world. There's even a two-story walk-in cooler with cases of beer as far as the eye can see.
I'm sure that in this part of the Midwest, the best selling brews at this store come from a handful of well-known companies. But the point is, beer drinkers come from all walks of life and the store owners realized this and spent considerable resources to give them a choice. If you say you don't like beer, try a different kind. If you don't want the alcohol, they make several varieties of non-alcoholic beer.
Beer is good for our economy and for international relations. Farmers in this country grow grains for domestic beers. Deck hands and truckers bring beer to us from all over the world. Can we really say that about tea? How many business deals were brokered, how many differences were resolved when two people were able to meet over a beer? Far more than over a cup of tea, I would guess.
There might be a few people out there who want to become activists who simply can't find a beer they enjoy. They could form their own group and become allied with the Beer Party. They could call themselves the Pizza Party.
This has been an attempt at presenting a tongue-in-cheek look at a serious problem. The moral of the story is we get the message that there's a problem with our economy. Now lets put forth some constructive ideas on how to fix it. In the meantime, pour me another one to go with that slice of deep-dish supreme.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Finally some cooperation in the Iowa Legislature!
NEWS FLASH: The Iowa Legislature has agreed one something. It has passed a bill that is sure to improve the standard of living of every man, woman and child in this state...or maybe not. Did this group suddenly find a way to solve this state's financial crisis? No. Did it find a way to continue funding for public education and allocate money for preschool education? No. Did it come up with a way to even the playing field for commercial property owners to cut their property tax bill? No. Did legislators at least develop a plan for bringing new business to our state? No.
I said the legislature did something to improve life for all of us. Actually, it will improve the sporting life of a very few hunters and it does nothing for the future of a certain winged species that had, up until now, been a protected species. You see, dear readers, our legislators decided it was time to jump on the bandwagon and join 41 other states and answer the clamor of six or eight sharpshooters in this state. Yes, it will apparently soon be legal to hunt mourning doves in Iowa! Let the fun begin! Get ready to blast away!
Let me say right here that I am not against hunting. I've lived in small town Iowa for many years and I understand that hunting for game such as pheasants and deer is a huge industry and many feel is a great sport. I don't hunt, but whenever I hear of someone taking a deer, I figure that's one less critter to find the hood of my van when I'm out driving.
Proponents of this legislation say that doves are considered a delicacy. They point out that all states surrounding Iowa allow dove hunting. They also claim that allowing for dove hunting in Iowa will bring vast riches to the state in fees to the state and money spent by the flock of hunters who will come here to fill up their gas tanks, buy lunch and ammo and maybe even stay overnight to hunt the best area. After all, since Iowa has not allowed dove hunting up to this point, surely the word has gone out to the dove population that Iowa is a sanctuary and they have apparently flown by the hundreds from the surrounding states to lead a peaceful life in the Hawkeye state.
Opponents of this legislation quote Bible passages and acquaint doves to peace.
I really don't have any big opposition to the institution of a dove hunting season in this state. We have a bird feeder outside of our patio door and we have five or six mourning doves who fatten themselves at our feeding station on a daily basis. They don't seem to leave a mess and don't make much noise. In fact, they sometimes intimidate the pesky squirrel that thinks bird seed is the next best thing to walnuts.
My main gripe is, why is our legislature messing with this stuff when we have so many more pressing matters to decide? It seems that legislators think if they don't have an answer to some of the major problems I cited earlier, they'll pass a bill allowing dove hunting. "Hey look voters! We agreed on something!"
It seems like some of the more wacky ideas come from the Iowa House. Fortunately, many of these schemes are knocked down by the Senate before they have a chance to reach the governor. Some, however, slip through and gain just enough votes by both houses to give something for our governor to sign. It was reported that the dove hunting bill was approved when one body of the legislature substituted "mourning doves" for "raccoons." I don't know what the original bill said, but I can guarantee that more of our sweet corn will be eaten by raccoons this summer than mourning doves.
I guess we all need a diversion. If you are facing foreclosure on your home, if you are unemployed, at least if you can find the cash to buy a box of ammo and a hunting license, you can feed your family on your mourning dove harvest. In the meantime, we'll keep feeding the mourning doves who make it to our feeder. They still have at least one sanctuary in a Davenport back yard!
I said the legislature did something to improve life for all of us. Actually, it will improve the sporting life of a very few hunters and it does nothing for the future of a certain winged species that had, up until now, been a protected species. You see, dear readers, our legislators decided it was time to jump on the bandwagon and join 41 other states and answer the clamor of six or eight sharpshooters in this state. Yes, it will apparently soon be legal to hunt mourning doves in Iowa! Let the fun begin! Get ready to blast away!
Let me say right here that I am not against hunting. I've lived in small town Iowa for many years and I understand that hunting for game such as pheasants and deer is a huge industry and many feel is a great sport. I don't hunt, but whenever I hear of someone taking a deer, I figure that's one less critter to find the hood of my van when I'm out driving.
Proponents of this legislation say that doves are considered a delicacy. They point out that all states surrounding Iowa allow dove hunting. They also claim that allowing for dove hunting in Iowa will bring vast riches to the state in fees to the state and money spent by the flock of hunters who will come here to fill up their gas tanks, buy lunch and ammo and maybe even stay overnight to hunt the best area. After all, since Iowa has not allowed dove hunting up to this point, surely the word has gone out to the dove population that Iowa is a sanctuary and they have apparently flown by the hundreds from the surrounding states to lead a peaceful life in the Hawkeye state.
Opponents of this legislation quote Bible passages and acquaint doves to peace.
I really don't have any big opposition to the institution of a dove hunting season in this state. We have a bird feeder outside of our patio door and we have five or six mourning doves who fatten themselves at our feeding station on a daily basis. They don't seem to leave a mess and don't make much noise. In fact, they sometimes intimidate the pesky squirrel that thinks bird seed is the next best thing to walnuts.
My main gripe is, why is our legislature messing with this stuff when we have so many more pressing matters to decide? It seems that legislators think if they don't have an answer to some of the major problems I cited earlier, they'll pass a bill allowing dove hunting. "Hey look voters! We agreed on something!"
It seems like some of the more wacky ideas come from the Iowa House. Fortunately, many of these schemes are knocked down by the Senate before they have a chance to reach the governor. Some, however, slip through and gain just enough votes by both houses to give something for our governor to sign. It was reported that the dove hunting bill was approved when one body of the legislature substituted "mourning doves" for "raccoons." I don't know what the original bill said, but I can guarantee that more of our sweet corn will be eaten by raccoons this summer than mourning doves.
I guess we all need a diversion. If you are facing foreclosure on your home, if you are unemployed, at least if you can find the cash to buy a box of ammo and a hunting license, you can feed your family on your mourning dove harvest. In the meantime, we'll keep feeding the mourning doves who make it to our feeder. They still have at least one sanctuary in a Davenport back yard!
Monday, March 21, 2011
Enlightened era means better basketball
It has been less than 24 hours since the final horn sounded, signaling the end of the first round of the NCAA basketball tournaments. I think I'm in the early stages of recovery, after attempting to keep track of 32 men's basketball games over a four-day period, as well as at least three women's games. I suppose the NCAA decided to separate the first and second week of the tournament by three days to allow the players to rest and travel to their next sites. But maybe it was also to allow fans a chance to unwind, make excuses on why their brackets took such a hit and to allow the fans to restock the kitchen before Thursday night.
The tournament has become one of the major events of the year. It generates millions of dollars for the NCAA, member universities and the TV networks. We are an enlightened generation here in the 21st century and most of us disregard the race of the players we are watching. But it doesn't take even an occasional viewer long to observe that the majority of the players on the court this past weekend were African-Americans. But it wasn't always that way.
Although African-Americans had played college basketball from the early part of the last century, their participation was generally limited to all-black schools. A few integrated some white major college programs before the start of World War I. But it wasn't until 1947 that an African-American broke the “gentleman's agreement” that had barred blacks from the Big Ten Conference when he joined the Indiana team.
Legendary Coach John Wooden, then coach at Indiana State Teacher's College, was the first to take an integrated team to a postseason tournament. The National Association of Intercollegiate Basketball lifted its ban on blacks and Wooden's first team went all the way to the finals, falling in the championship game to Louisville. It too two more years before the NCAA and the NIT tournaments became integrated.
Imagine how boring last week's games may have been if the NCAA was operating under the ban it had in place before 1949. There were a few white players who had great games in some of the contests I watched, but far more of the spectacular plays were made by young African-Americans.
Another sport that has benefitted by the change in attitudes of team officials and fans is baseball. It's hard to imagine a time when there weren't at least three or four players from Latin American countries and perhaps one or two from Japan, Korea or China on a roster. If Major League Baseball had a rule stating that only players born in this country could play, the game would really suffer.
I once heard someone complain that it seemed that all of the doctors he encountered were from foreign countries. He wondered why there weren't more American doctors around. While we do still have our share of dedicated Americans in the health care field, there is no doubt that many foreign-born health care professionals are filling vital positions in keeping us all healthy. The discipline exhibited by students in many other countries has been well documented. Until we can upgrade our education system from preschool through post-grad education, that trend will continue.
Same goes for sports. If we want to see more caucasians scoring the winning baskets or making the double plays, we have to get our kids away from the TV, video games and computers and put a ball in their hands and tell them not to come home until it's time for supper. But only after they get their homework done!
Monday, March 14, 2011
Three of the best weeks in sports begins now
The NFL season is over and the draft is still several weeks away. Baseball won't officially get underway until the end of this month. Golf's first big event, The Masters, is still almost a month away. But dedicated sports fans realize that for sheer drama, the next three weeks, starting Tuesday, can't really be beat.
Anyone who has watched more than five minutes of ESPN in the past month or even an occasional local sports report knows all about "The Road to the Final Four" and "March Madness." The NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament gets underway with four games Tuesday and Wednesday and then 16 games on Thursday, 16 more on Friday, eight on Saturday and eight on Sunday. Naturally, as teams are eliminated in these first rounds, the number of games will diminish next week and the Final Four is set for Saturday, April 2, leading to the championship on Monday, April 4.
Fans know that late Sunday afternoon preceding the start of the tournament is another big time as the teams and first round match-ups are announced. In other years, I was glued to the TV, waiting to see where Iowa, UNI or Iowa State would be playing. Unfortunately, this year Iowa is rebuilding and ISU and UNI fell just short of consideration. But after spending the weekend watching some exciting conference tournament games from around the country, it was still interesting to see where the teams would be playing.
The teams are selected for the tourney by a committee of college sports officials. Nearly half of the 68-team field is determined by winners of conference races. The committee members then sort through tons of statistics of other deserving teams to determine who had the best record, who beat the best opponents and probably who would bring the most fans to the tournament games. All of this info is miraculously boiled down to a tournament field by Sunday afternoon and coaches and athletic directors are notified that they must plan on at least one more road trip.
There are studies that indicate that not much work is done in offices around the country following Sunday's selection show as workers study the NCAA Tourney bracket and try to predict the winners. In past years, I have gone out on a limb and listed my picks in a newspaper column. I'm not going to get into that this time. I will say I hope North Carolina does well, since its big star is Harrison Barnes, Iowa's Mr. Basketball a year ago from Ames. He only had 40 points in the ACC semifinals on Saturday. This year's field could provide more than a few first round surprises.
If your team had a respectable record this season but did not make the NCAA field, there's still hope for more play. Shortly after the selection show, the NIT announced its 32-team field. If that's not enough, I discovered two other postseason basketball tournaments that will start action this week. UNI will host Rider Tuesday night in the first round of the 24-team CIT Tourney. Another 16 teams will play in the CBI Tourney. You can Google these tourneys for more information. If my math is correct, that means 140 college basketball teams will each have at least one more game this year.
For fans of Iowa college teams, tonight should be another big night. The Women's NCAA Tourney field will be announced on ESPN. There's a good chance that Iowa State and Iowa will both qualify as at-large entrants. UNI earned its second straight invitation with a conference tourney domination on Sunday (Way to go, Panthers!).
Back in the good old days, when I was gainfully employed with four weeks of vacation each year, I would block out the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament week to stay home. Except for a couple of hours out for local programming and news, it was pure basketball from 11 a.m. to after 10 p.m. The start of the tourney is usually around St. Patrick's Day. I'm not a big fan of Irish beer, but there was usually a corned beef brisket roasting in the oven, with the promise of a good dinner followed by a couple of days of reuben sandwiches to go along with plenty of hoops.
I'm currently on a forced hiatus from full-time employment. But the brisket is in the refrigerator, the recliner is in position and the remote is stocked with fresh batteries. Bring on the hoops!
As a postscript, I have been preparing for this week by reading John Feinstein's great book, "Last Dance." It chronicles the 2005 Final Four, but offers plenty of insight into the history of the tournament and the teams and coaches that played there over the years. It also contains a great foreword by Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is once again taking a strong Duke team to the Dance.
Anyone who has watched more than five minutes of ESPN in the past month or even an occasional local sports report knows all about "The Road to the Final Four" and "March Madness." The NCAA Men's Division I basketball tournament gets underway with four games Tuesday and Wednesday and then 16 games on Thursday, 16 more on Friday, eight on Saturday and eight on Sunday. Naturally, as teams are eliminated in these first rounds, the number of games will diminish next week and the Final Four is set for Saturday, April 2, leading to the championship on Monday, April 4.
Fans know that late Sunday afternoon preceding the start of the tournament is another big time as the teams and first round match-ups are announced. In other years, I was glued to the TV, waiting to see where Iowa, UNI or Iowa State would be playing. Unfortunately, this year Iowa is rebuilding and ISU and UNI fell just short of consideration. But after spending the weekend watching some exciting conference tournament games from around the country, it was still interesting to see where the teams would be playing.
The teams are selected for the tourney by a committee of college sports officials. Nearly half of the 68-team field is determined by winners of conference races. The committee members then sort through tons of statistics of other deserving teams to determine who had the best record, who beat the best opponents and probably who would bring the most fans to the tournament games. All of this info is miraculously boiled down to a tournament field by Sunday afternoon and coaches and athletic directors are notified that they must plan on at least one more road trip.
There are studies that indicate that not much work is done in offices around the country following Sunday's selection show as workers study the NCAA Tourney bracket and try to predict the winners. In past years, I have gone out on a limb and listed my picks in a newspaper column. I'm not going to get into that this time. I will say I hope North Carolina does well, since its big star is Harrison Barnes, Iowa's Mr. Basketball a year ago from Ames. He only had 40 points in the ACC semifinals on Saturday. This year's field could provide more than a few first round surprises.
If your team had a respectable record this season but did not make the NCAA field, there's still hope for more play. Shortly after the selection show, the NIT announced its 32-team field. If that's not enough, I discovered two other postseason basketball tournaments that will start action this week. UNI will host Rider Tuesday night in the first round of the 24-team CIT Tourney. Another 16 teams will play in the CBI Tourney. You can Google these tourneys for more information. If my math is correct, that means 140 college basketball teams will each have at least one more game this year.
For fans of Iowa college teams, tonight should be another big night. The Women's NCAA Tourney field will be announced on ESPN. There's a good chance that Iowa State and Iowa will both qualify as at-large entrants. UNI earned its second straight invitation with a conference tourney domination on Sunday (Way to go, Panthers!).
Back in the good old days, when I was gainfully employed with four weeks of vacation each year, I would block out the first Thursday and Friday of the NCAA Tournament week to stay home. Except for a couple of hours out for local programming and news, it was pure basketball from 11 a.m. to after 10 p.m. The start of the tourney is usually around St. Patrick's Day. I'm not a big fan of Irish beer, but there was usually a corned beef brisket roasting in the oven, with the promise of a good dinner followed by a couple of days of reuben sandwiches to go along with plenty of hoops.
I'm currently on a forced hiatus from full-time employment. But the brisket is in the refrigerator, the recliner is in position and the remote is stocked with fresh batteries. Bring on the hoops!
As a postscript, I have been preparing for this week by reading John Feinstein's great book, "Last Dance." It chronicles the 2005 Final Four, but offers plenty of insight into the history of the tournament and the teams and coaches that played there over the years. It also contains a great foreword by Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski, who is once again taking a strong Duke team to the Dance.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Too late for compromise?
We live in a country that seems to constantly be on a seesaw. Sometimes the Democrats have the edge, then the Republicans have it. Liberals one day, conservatives the next. I know that those of us who have been in the news business welcome this constant give and take. If everything remained even, there would be little or no news.
For several years, it seemed that unionized workers held the upper hand in this country. With a healthy economy, they could demand better pay and benefits and management would generally agree, since there was a market for whatever was being produced and they knew they could afford it.
As our economy has been on the down slide of late, there has been less work, less money to pay workers and more layoffs. The seesaw is tipping toward management and unfortunately, some of the bosses have taken advantage of this turn of events. There is mounting evidence that the recently elected governor of Wisconsin has seized on his state's dire economic circumstance to attempt to at least weaken, if not destroy, his state's public worker unions.Other states, including Iowa, may also be on that same path.
Union leaders in Wisconsin claim that the governor has repeatedly declined to meet with them to attempt to find a solution to the problem. There has also been an indication that the governor has been in contact with a wealthy California businessman, claiming to be gaining in his goal to bust the union. That businessman was one of the governor's main campaign contributors.
My first exposure to unions came when I was still in school. Several of my relatives worked at Alcoa in the Quad-Cities. Every few years, there was a threat of a strike. The union and company usually came to agreement before any prolonged work stoppage. I remember one contract where union members received 10 weeks of vacation every few years. I seem to remember that my grandfather took advantage of that at least once and spent the summer off growing one of the biggest and most productive gardens in Mercer County, IL.
I have never been a member of a union. Working for weekly newspaper publications, unions were not part of the picture. I was fortunate to work for a couple of bosses who paid me what I was worth and provided what benefits they could afford. A couple of times in my career, the newspapers I worked for were owned by large media companies. I'm convinced that some of the benefits I received (though not pay) were based on what unions at some of our larger sister publications had won through the collective bargaining process.
It has been well documented that some union leaders of the past have been corrupt. Unfortunately, with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing for unlimited contributions to political campaigns by corporations, the possibility of the seesaw of corruption leaning toward some governors is very real.
I don't deny that states are facing major financial problems. But governors and legislatures have to realize that they represent all of the people in their states, including union members. They shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the best way to iron out problems and to maintain a healthy work environment is for management and the rank and file to work as a team. Both sides must learn to give a little. There can't be any more "My way or the highway" mentality." Camping out in the state's capital and waving signs and shouting has run its course. Stubbornly refusing to negotiate and making threats also won't work. The best way to resolve the problem is for both sides to man up and agree to sit down and negotiate as a team, rather than as bitter adversaries.
For several years, it seemed that unionized workers held the upper hand in this country. With a healthy economy, they could demand better pay and benefits and management would generally agree, since there was a market for whatever was being produced and they knew they could afford it.
As our economy has been on the down slide of late, there has been less work, less money to pay workers and more layoffs. The seesaw is tipping toward management and unfortunately, some of the bosses have taken advantage of this turn of events. There is mounting evidence that the recently elected governor of Wisconsin has seized on his state's dire economic circumstance to attempt to at least weaken, if not destroy, his state's public worker unions.Other states, including Iowa, may also be on that same path.
Union leaders in Wisconsin claim that the governor has repeatedly declined to meet with them to attempt to find a solution to the problem. There has also been an indication that the governor has been in contact with a wealthy California businessman, claiming to be gaining in his goal to bust the union. That businessman was one of the governor's main campaign contributors.
My first exposure to unions came when I was still in school. Several of my relatives worked at Alcoa in the Quad-Cities. Every few years, there was a threat of a strike. The union and company usually came to agreement before any prolonged work stoppage. I remember one contract where union members received 10 weeks of vacation every few years. I seem to remember that my grandfather took advantage of that at least once and spent the summer off growing one of the biggest and most productive gardens in Mercer County, IL.
I have never been a member of a union. Working for weekly newspaper publications, unions were not part of the picture. I was fortunate to work for a couple of bosses who paid me what I was worth and provided what benefits they could afford. A couple of times in my career, the newspapers I worked for were owned by large media companies. I'm convinced that some of the benefits I received (though not pay) were based on what unions at some of our larger sister publications had won through the collective bargaining process.
It has been well documented that some union leaders of the past have been corrupt. Unfortunately, with the recent Supreme Court ruling allowing for unlimited contributions to political campaigns by corporations, the possibility of the seesaw of corruption leaning toward some governors is very real.
I don't deny that states are facing major financial problems. But governors and legislatures have to realize that they represent all of the people in their states, including union members. They shouldn't lose sight of the fact that the best way to iron out problems and to maintain a healthy work environment is for management and the rank and file to work as a team. Both sides must learn to give a little. There can't be any more "My way or the highway" mentality." Camping out in the state's capital and waving signs and shouting has run its course. Stubbornly refusing to negotiate and making threats also won't work. The best way to resolve the problem is for both sides to man up and agree to sit down and negotiate as a team, rather than as bitter adversaries.
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