I’m Prescient! <sigh> As I posted here and here a mandate has been claimed for a win by a scant few percentage points, thus setting us up for more partisan rancor. If the above referenced article (found here) is to be believed, it’s stated even worse as a “broad” mandate in the first line, “President Barack Obama claimed a broad mandate for his vision on taxes at his first news conference since being re-elected, demanding that his negotiations with Congress yield a specific plan that results in a higher tax burden for the wealthiest Americans.”
So we went from “calling both sides together to arrive at a solution” to “demanding” in a matter of a week. So much for healing…
For those of you that know me, you probably know that I have not been chanting “Four More Years!” this fall. That doesn’t mean that I’m thrilled with nor buy into everything the other side says either. I tend to agree with William Weld who said, “I believe the government should stay out of your wallet and out of your bedroom.” which I’ve heard paraphrased as “I wish the Democrats would stay out of my wallet and the Republicans would stay out of my bedroom!” Whatever the outcome, I will just be glad to have it over. The negative campaigning has taken its toll and I’m concerned that whoever wins will claim a mandate, but in reality not be able to do anything. Normally I’m somewhat in favor of gridlock going by the theory that if they can’t do anything, they also can’t do any harm. In this case though, I feel the uncertainty of the last few years has contributed to the economic malaise. If you’re informed voter, get out and vote. If you’re not? Stay home!
In other election day events, the Senior Expo is going on at the Lifeplex. Marshall County Community Foundation (MCCF) will be there in a booth with the United Way. Since I’m now a board member, I want to promote their cause. They will be talking about The John Marshall Legacy Society.
John Marshall was the 4th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the namesake for Marshall County. Here’s an excerpt taken from the MCCF John Marshall Legacy Society flyer:
John Marshall (1775 – 1835) is considered by many as one of the greatest jurists that ever served on the Supreme Court of the United States of America. His tenure as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (1801 – 1835) produced some of the most important decisions that have become fundamentals of U.S. law and shaped our country’s way of life. Truly, Chief Justice Marshall was a man who accomplished much during his life and, by his actions, left a positive legacy that has affected many generations beyond his mortal years. In recognition of his life’s work, Marshall County, Indiana was named in his honor on February 7, 1835.
If you’re out and about after voting, stop by and see Jennifer, Jayne and Amanda.
I had the opportunity to hear State Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Tony Bennett, speak last week at the State Board meeting of Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) in Indianapolis. It was interesting to hear the changes that he and Governor Daniels have made in the Indiana school systems over the past few years. While it had a campaign speech theme, I was pleased and impressed with a lot of the questions and answers that followed. Through my association with the Marshall County Economic Development Corporation, MCEDC, I constantly hear that educating the workforce is the number one request from the business community. Dr. Bennett said that graduation rates are up 4%, and 10% more students are participating in Advanced Placement in preparation for college from 2009 to 2011.
As it affects our industry, I was more interested in how schools can earn credit for vocational education. This has long been a frustration of mine. I’ve often felt that high schools have divided the students into two tracks, 1) College Prep and 2) High School Graduation. Track 1 kids are prepared for higher learning and are made to understand that high school is just a step along the way. Less than three months after high school graduation they will be back in school and expected to continue their career path education. Track 2 kids are given the goal of getting their high school diploma. I feel that it often hasn’t been explained to them that they will still be expected to “learn” in order to make whatever job they take into a career. Kids that we hire are often shocked and almost offended that we would suggest that they need to participate in Apprenticeship programs and continue their education in order to advance with our company.
For years now, ABC has offered a program to our schools that allows high school students participating in the Building Trades programs to earn their first year of apprenticeship. The program is Bureau of Apprenticeship Training (BAT) approved, meaning that they could continue their training through union or merit shop training after graduation. I think this accomplishes a three things: 1) It fosters the idea that construction workers need to be educated in order to make their job a career. 2) It gives the students a leg-up on the competition when they enter the job market. 3) It elevates a graduate’s pay potential. (They would still need to complete On the Job Training (OJT’s) hours to complete their first year, but the programs are set up with graduated pay increases with each year of apprenticeship successfully completed. At Easterday Construction, we generally require a year of service before we would consider sending someone to Apprenticeship Training, but if someone came out of a high school building trades program with a year of apprenticeship under their belt, I would seriously consider sending them for year two the following Fall.) I have approached the Culver and Plymouth Schools regarding this opportunity in the past and I have been rebuffed. Hopefully they will reconsider this in the future since it would now count favorably in the school’s overall assessment by the State.
All in all, I was impressed with Dr. Bennett and the programs he has put into place. I think Indiana could do worse than giving Dr. Bennett another term to further his programs and give the ones currently implemented a chance to bear fruit.
Today is Constitution Day, also known as Citizenship Day. It was set for September 17th, the day the Constitutional Congress signed the Constitution in 1787. It’s interesting to contemplate the Constitution in the year of a Presidential Election. For such a simple document there seems to be a lot of “interpretation” going on.
Check out a previous post here from 2009 that includes links if you are interested in finding out more.