Buffett Profits from Bailout

Charles Piller, in the April 5 The Sacramento Bee article "Financier Buffett benefits from bailout he promoted", writes that Warren Buffett, the world's second-wealthiest person, has also become a top beneficiary of the U.S. government's bailout of the banking industry - a bailout he promoted vigorously.

I find this incredibly troubling. Warren Buffett, who has been praised for his outspoken disdain for the greed and irresponsible behavior that led to the current economic crisis, has quietly received over $95 billion in federal aid through his affiliation with Berkshire Hathaway. As chairman of the company that owns more than 20 percent of Moody's Corporation, a top financial rating agency that has been faulted by many as contributing to the financial crisis by overvaluing toxic mortgage assets, Buffett appears to be playing both sides of this economic debacle and reaping fantastic rewards.

Amid the promise of change it looks like the status quo lives on. Again, Buffett is the second-wealthiest person in the world. The world, people! His fervent advocacy of a bailout program that directly benefits his own stock portfolio is not only unethical in my view, but proves that many of us are in the dark when it comes to the details associated with the bailout of the banking industry.

CPS Scandal

Marjie Lundstrom and Sam Stanton, in the March 22 Sacramento Bee's "Dozens in CPS Have Criminal Records", write that many of those working for Sacramento County's Child Protective Services have criminal backgrounds. An investigation by the Sacramento Bee uncovered that out of the agency's 969 workers, employed as of Oct. 1, 68 individuals have criminal records in Sacramento County.

I struggled a bit with this article only because, while the information uncovered was disturbing to say the least, it raises the question, can anyone truly be rehabilitated after having been convicted of a criminal offense and if so, does our society ever really believe that they can re-enter the mainstream?

While many of us cringe at the fact that 7 percent of CPS staffers have been convicted of a crime, I think that it is important that we try to consider both angles of the issue. I know, how can I even question whether or not convicted criminals should be dealing with some of our most vulnerable of citizens, children? I certainly don't think they should, but I challenged myself to be fair and consider the inconsiderable.

I was shocked by the crimes that some of CPS's workers have been convicted of; possession of heroin for sale, theft, embezzlement, spousal abuse, obstructing an officer, prostitution and identity theft to name a few. In my view, no one who has been convicted of a crime should be interacting with children or troubled families.

I also agree with Robert Wilson, executive director of Sacramento Child Advocates, whose attorneys represent children in dependency court, and his assessment that those in roles of leadership have failed to demand accountability among their ranks. What I find troubling is the sensationalist angle of the article and how it insinuates that once a criminal always a criminal.

The Future of Journalism

In a Mar. 15, 2009 article contemplating the future of journalism, Associated Press writer David Bauder's "Things are bleak in journalism" depicts the industry as healthy considering the demise of newspapers across the nation.

While the traditional delivery method of our news is certainly changing, I view it as an opportunity for those of us in, or entering, the business of journalism. Here we are at the forefront of a new era, a new chapter in American journalism and I feel that I will be fully prepared to be a part of the new electronic media and am looking forward to playing a role in its evolution.

Even in the face of the newspaper businesses latest casualty, with the Seattle Post-Intelligencer issuing its final issue today, I am confident that there will be newspaper outlets that will survive in order make the transition from paper to web.

Baseless Expectations

Max Roosevelt, in the Feb. 17 The New York Times article "Student Expectations Seen as Causing Grade Disputes", writes that many students entering college today have the expectation that they will receive above average grades in exchange for simply showing up to class. A recent study on this phenomenon was conducted by researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and it found that a third of the students surveyed expected to receive B's for merely attending lectures and completing the required reading. This sense of entitlement is causing a rift in the student-teacher dynamic as more and more students are challenging the grades they receive.

As an adult student resuming her education, I cannot help but be appalled by the behavior exhibited by my peers in this article. Education, in my mind, is all about individual growth and the research presented in this article reveals that many of my colleagues are more concerned about grades than they are about the actual knowledge they take away from the experience.

The article reveals that instructors are now being tasked with having to explain to their students that the grade they receive should be inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. I found it troubling that college professors now have to "re-teach" students about what education is truly all about; reading for knowledge and writing to explore ideas.

While I can relate to my peers in their quest for high marks, I believe that simply focusing on grades is an exercise in mediocrity. It is only when one pursues their educational interests in a meaningful and genuine way that excellence is achieved.

FDR's New Deal In Sacramento

Mary Lynne Vellinga, in the Feb. 3 Sacramento Bee's "1930s-era work boosted spirits and left a legacy", writes about how President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal impacted Sacramento during the Great Depression.
The article recalls the many projects that stemmed from the New Deal that are a part of the city's living legacy. Through the Works Progress Administration and Civilian Conservation Corps local projects, such as construction of the Tower Bridge, provided both jobs to those in need as well as contributed to the city's infrastructure.

Not having been raised in Sacramento, I found this article to be incredibly informative. While I found the underlying comparison to FDR's New Deal to President Obama's economic stimulus plan a bit opportunistic, I really enjoyed learning about all of the great works done by Depression-era workers that can be found all around the city.

As a Sacramentan, I have the privilege of walking among these amazing, historical testaments to our nation's ability to rise up from the depths of economic despair on a daily basis. In an instant however, I was saddened by the realization that it took me 15 years to discover these amazing historical treasures. I then wondered, how many of my fellow city mates just realized that the state's capital reaped some incredible rewards from the amazing projects created by the New Deal?

From the aforementioned Tower Bridge, to the grand water towers that hover mightily above us - one behind Sacramento City College and the other behind the Safeway on Alhambra Boulevard - FDR's legacy lives and breathes in the capital of California. Because these structures surround us in silence, it is up to all of us to ensure that they live on and are not forgotten.

Newsworthy in Sacramento

With hard economic times looming for just about everyone on the planet, things just got a little bit tougher for those of us living in the state of California. On Jan. 25, 2009, the Sacramento Bee reported that state Controller John Chiang's recent statements suggest that the state may have to resort to issuing IOUs in lieu of payment to many of the businesses it receives goods and services from.

While those of us in the 'real' world would have to declare bankruptcy in order to bailout of our financial woes, the state government has the luxury of issuing IOUs to its creditors. Really? In a time where California is arguably the most powerful state in the union, and it's thinking that it may have to resort to IOUs to perform its basic functions, what does that mean to those of us that are still trying to eke out a decent existence?

There is close to $3.7 billion in monies owed to college students who rely on financial aid, county public assistance programs, as well as the myriad companies that do business with the state on a daily basis, that could essentially be cut off in an instant. These are just not dollars we are talking about, we're talking about real people here. Local, hard-working people that are just trying to hold onto what they have in these economically uncertain times.

Chiang regretfully puts this out on the table as the state's only option to be able continue to operate. Is this yet another indication of the tougher times that await Californians in the coming year?

Coachella Approaches

April Showers? No problem. Head to Indio, Calif., during the weekend of April 17, 2009 to revel in the desert sun while experiencing one of the most eclectic lineups in music festival history.

The Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is one that follows in the grand tradition of Woodstock - open air stages that host the most creative artists of the day. Coachella 2009 boasts an incredible array of artists, from the legendary Paul McCartney - yes, THAT Paul McCartney folks - to the quirky Yeah, Yeah, Yeah's and their fabulously subversive front woman Karen O.

Since 1999, the small town of Indio, located in the desert region of the Coachella Valley, has hosted the world-renowned festival that brings together all walks of music lovers. From the Hollywood socialite - yes, Paris Hilton has attended in previous years - to the new-school hipster, Coachella is an experience that unites all.

Much to the chagrin of an old friend, I have yet to experience this incredible co-mingling of incredible artists and those who worship them. With the likes of Silversun Pickups, TV On the Radio, and Public Enemy performing I'd be crazy not to fork over the $300 plus to take part in the three-day event.

That brings me to my current dilemma, alas, I do not have $300 and, unfortunately, I'm sure to endure yet another year of scorn and ridicule from Mr. Jones. Perhaps next year Minus the Bear will be back in the lineup (Can't BELIEVE I had to miss them last year) and I'll really have to sell my soul to the devil for that entrance fee!