I was intrigued to discover today that the Maryland General Assembly in 2007 directed the Governor to appoint a Baby Boomer Initiative Council whose duties are:
§ 24-1504. Chair; functions.
(a) Chair.- The Governor shall designate the chair of the Council.
(b) Functions.- The Council shall:
(1) Develop a model with recommendations for addressing the needs of the baby boomer population;
(2) Make recommendations regarding public policy initiatives for utilizing the baby boomer population as a source of social capital and as a way to address community needs;
(3) Make recommendations to the Department of Aging for:
(i) A marketing outreach effort to businesses; and
(ii) Outreach to nonprofit organizations, the State Department of Education, and other State agencies;
(4) Make recommendations for eligible civic engagement and multigenerational activities such as early childhood education and after-school programs, respite services for older adults and caregivers, and transitions for the baby boomer population to engage in purposeful work following their exit from career-track work; and
(5) Study and document health and social benefits derived from:
(i) The active engagement of the baby boomer population; and
(ii) Intergenerational activity, life-long learning, and civic engagement for the general community.
(c) Study.- The representatives on the Council from the University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins Institutions jointly shall initiate a study to better understand and document:
(1) The economic impact of older workers' roles in the economy; and
(2) The social impact of older workers' roles in the community.
(d) Staff.- The University of Maryland's College of Health and Human Performance, in cooperation with Johns Hopkins Institutions, shall provide staff for the Council.
Friday, December 11, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
Obama and Nobel Peace Prize
President Obama does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize.
If I were him, I would decline to accept it. I would have acknowledged the award as a great vote of confidence, but confess that it is not appropriately awarded.
Giving this award to President Obama at this time trivializes the award. The President would do more for World Peace right now by restoring the award to its proper stature by declining it.
If I were him I would say, "Humbly, I invite the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to consider me for this honor only after I leave office. Only then can weigh my accomplishments in achieving peace against the challenges I undertook, and in comparison to those great men and women who have been awarded the prize previously."
If I were him, I would decline to accept it. I would have acknowledged the award as a great vote of confidence, but confess that it is not appropriately awarded.
Giving this award to President Obama at this time trivializes the award. The President would do more for World Peace right now by restoring the award to its proper stature by declining it.
If I were him I would say, "Humbly, I invite the Nobel Peace Prize Committee to consider me for this honor only after I leave office. Only then can weigh my accomplishments in achieving peace against the challenges I undertook, and in comparison to those great men and women who have been awarded the prize previously."
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Danger, Danger -- Should we ban it?
How many times have you heard a public official say, "If this measure saves just one life, it is worth it!"
The New York Times reports on the danger of high school football. Of course, high school football is defensible on First Amendment grounds: it is a religion in many communities.
Ban high school football to protect kids from life threatening injuries? Definitely, pardon the phrase, overkill.
The New York Times reports on the danger of high school football. Of course, high school football is defensible on First Amendment grounds: it is a religion in many communities.
Ban high school football to protect kids from life threatening injuries? Definitely, pardon the phrase, overkill.
Friday, April 17, 2009
The big White House issues -- Money and Security
Let's generate tens of thousands of letters to the White House to Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel and send along a terrific oped, below, from the Chicago Tribune, that was captured by DrugSense Weekly. The author, Brian O'Dea -- that appears to be his real name -- is a former international marijuana smuggler.
Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, a native of Chicago, and former Chicago congressman, was an anti-drug, law and order voice in the Clinton White House. In some circles he is considered a political genius because as the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2005-2006 he was able to lead to the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives. I suspect that he has encouraged the tough on drugs line that is coming out of the White House these days.
As you know, President Obama just went to Mexico which is deep in the blood of innocents as the cartels fight for turf, kill informants, intimidate those who resist them or report about them, and counterattack against the military, the honest cops, and the central government.
Congress made trouble for his trip by disregarding NAFTA and dissing
Mexican truck drivers. To make nice with President Calderon, Obama made a speech about cracking down on drug use. He made a pathetically unenforceable pledge to stop the Iron River of guns from the U.S. to Mexico. This is akin to King Canute's eleventh century effort to stop the tides of the sea.
Here's what I wrote to Rahm Emanuel at the White House (I suggest you modify it with your own words and your own story).
Subject: I have a policy question
Attention Rahm Emanuel
Re: The big issues -- money and security
For good reason, the American people are afraid that the bloodshed in Mexico will spread to the 230 cities across the country in which the cartels are operating. Because we are not taxing the sales and profits of illegal drugs, we are subsidizing the illegal drug cartels and their violence.
In September our school system is cutting out another teacher at my daughter's elementary school. They have already cut teachers, nurses, and paraprofessionals. Our county is cutting out psychiatric nurses at the detention center to treat drug addicts. We are cutting the police department.
None of these cuts should be made as long as we are spending billions of dollars to stop adults from using marijuana. Put marijuana prohibition on a scale with drug treatment or teachers or police protection. The answer is obvious, marijuana prohibition is less important.
This article in your hometown paper makes the point very well.
If we really want to help Mexico, we need a real strategy to stop the cartels from buying guns. The President's pledge to President Calderon is empty.
You have only one strategy that has not been tried in the past 40 years -- regulation, taxation and control.
America will abandon marijuana prohibition because it makes sense.
How long will the Obama Administration stand in the way of history and logic?
Eric E. Sterling
Obama's Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, a native of Chicago, and former Chicago congressman, was an anti-drug, law and order voice in the Clinton White House. In some circles he is considered a political genius because as the Chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee in 2005-2006 he was able to lead to the Democratic takeover of the House of Representatives. I suspect that he has encouraged the tough on drugs line that is coming out of the White House these days.
As you know, President Obama just went to Mexico which is deep in the blood of innocents as the cartels fight for turf, kill informants, intimidate those who resist them or report about them, and counterattack against the military, the honest cops, and the central government.
Congress made trouble for his trip by disregarding NAFTA and dissing
Mexican truck drivers. To make nice with President Calderon, Obama made a speech about cracking down on drug use. He made a pathetically unenforceable pledge to stop the Iron River of guns from the U.S. to Mexico. This is akin to King Canute's eleventh century effort to stop the tides of the sea.
Here's what I wrote to Rahm Emanuel at the White House (I suggest you modify it with your own words and your own story).
Subject: I have a policy question
Attention Rahm Emanuel
Re: The big issues -- money and security
For good reason, the American people are afraid that the bloodshed in Mexico will spread to the 230 cities across the country in which the cartels are operating. Because we are not taxing the sales and profits of illegal drugs, we are subsidizing the illegal drug cartels and their violence.
In September our school system is cutting out another teacher at my daughter's elementary school. They have already cut teachers, nurses, and paraprofessionals. Our county is cutting out psychiatric nurses at the detention center to treat drug addicts. We are cutting the police department.
None of these cuts should be made as long as we are spending billions of dollars to stop adults from using marijuana. Put marijuana prohibition on a scale with drug treatment or teachers or police protection. The answer is obvious, marijuana prohibition is less important.
This article in your hometown paper makes the point very well.
If we really want to help Mexico, we need a real strategy to stop the cartels from buying guns. The President's pledge to President Calderon is empty.
You have only one strategy that has not been tried in the past 40 years -- regulation, taxation and control.
America will abandon marijuana prohibition because it makes sense.
How long will the Obama Administration stand in the way of history and logic?
Eric E. Sterling
A rusty burned out America
On Easter Sunday, I rode Amtrak from New York City to Washington, DC. This is route of the railroad train that connects our largest city with our nation's capital. The route is shared by commuter trains into New York, Newark (the largest city in New Jersey), Trenton (the capital of New Jersey), Philadelphia (the largest city in Pennsylvania, and one of the largest in the United States), Wilmington (the largest city in Delaware), Baltimore (the largest city in Maryland) and Washington. Tens of thousands of people ride this route every day.
What a pathetic view of our nation. It filled me with sadness. There are a few suburban locations along the route -- Metro Park, NJ, New Carrollton, MD -- with new buildings, and in Philadelphia and Wilmington, clustered for a few blocks at the downtown, there are also new buildings.
But otherwise, when not in the woods or suburbs, the scene is desolation. In Baltimore and Chester, PA, numerous burned out houses not yet demolished. Throughout Trenton and Philadelphia and Baltimore, countless warehouses and factories abandoned, with broken windows. All along the route, trash, decrepit foundations and walls, rust, broken windows, and grafitti -- the hallmark of abandonment.
In Wilmington, Delaware, the train station that has been the daily destination for 36 years of the distinguished U.S. Senator Joe Biden, now our Vice President, paint is old and peeling and the steel is rusting after years of neglect.
Every day, wealthy business and political leaders ride this route. For decades the artery of our principal Eastern cities has simply flaked away, or is allowed to burn and is ignored.
Can all these properties be worthless? Can these properties adjacent to one of our busiest passenger rail roads be worthless?
I taken some trains in Europe -- old Europe. The property adjacent to the railroad is not squalor.
Doesn't this tell us something terrible about America?
What a pathetic view of our nation. It filled me with sadness. There are a few suburban locations along the route -- Metro Park, NJ, New Carrollton, MD -- with new buildings, and in Philadelphia and Wilmington, clustered for a few blocks at the downtown, there are also new buildings.
But otherwise, when not in the woods or suburbs, the scene is desolation. In Baltimore and Chester, PA, numerous burned out houses not yet demolished. Throughout Trenton and Philadelphia and Baltimore, countless warehouses and factories abandoned, with broken windows. All along the route, trash, decrepit foundations and walls, rust, broken windows, and grafitti -- the hallmark of abandonment.
In Wilmington, Delaware, the train station that has been the daily destination for 36 years of the distinguished U.S. Senator Joe Biden, now our Vice President, paint is old and peeling and the steel is rusting after years of neglect.
Every day, wealthy business and political leaders ride this route. For decades the artery of our principal Eastern cities has simply flaked away, or is allowed to burn and is ignored.
Can all these properties be worthless? Can these properties adjacent to one of our busiest passenger rail roads be worthless?
I taken some trains in Europe -- old Europe. The property adjacent to the railroad is not squalor.
Doesn't this tell us something terrible about America?
Friday, February 27, 2009
Where is the world's greatest "amusement" park?
Conor James blogging at Wide Wide World.com writes about the Agrodome in New Zealand. Definitely check out the You Tube video just above the post!!
50 million may lose jobs in 2009, worldwide
Craig James, traveling in Asia with his family, writes of the deflation in Chiang Mai, Thailand.
The Seat of Power
This cartoon , "The Seat of Power," by Jack Ohman at the Portland Oregonian, was the subject of a writing assignment for fifth graders at Rock Creek Forest E.S. in Chevy Chase this week.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Cash for Grades or "too much worthless praise"?
Several of my daughter's elementary school teachers have had a Friday market at which the students can exchange their rewards for good behavior and good grades for candy and trinkets.
Is this reward system good or bad for the kids? If it helps create better behavior in the classroom, that's good, isn't it?
If, as a result of this reward system, the scores on the statewide tests are improved, the reward system is good for the careers of the principal and the teachers, the reputation of the school system, and the real estate values in the neighborhood, isn't it?
Well, is the reward system good for the individual kids?
This fascinating article and the internal links by Alfie Kohn looks at the dangers of too much praise.
Is this reward system good or bad for the kids? If it helps create better behavior in the classroom, that's good, isn't it?
If, as a result of this reward system, the scores on the statewide tests are improved, the reward system is good for the careers of the principal and the teachers, the reputation of the school system, and the real estate values in the neighborhood, isn't it?
Well, is the reward system good for the individual kids?
This fascinating article and the internal links by Alfie Kohn looks at the dangers of too much praise.
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