WORDS OF WISDOM

From time to time I will post thoughts of others that I deem worthy of note. These from the newest book by Lee Iacocca, 'Where have all the leaders gone?':

'Am I the only guy in this country who's fed up with what's happening? Where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder! We've got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state right over a cliff, we've got corporate gangsters stealing us blind, and we can't even clean up after a hurricane much less build a hybrid car. But instead of getting mad, everyone sits around and nods their heads when the politicians say, 'Stay the course.'

Stay the course? You've got to be kidding. This is America, not the damned, 'Titanic'. I'll give you a sound bite: 'Throw all the bums out!'

You might think I'm getting senile, that I've gone off my rocker, and maybe I have. But someone has to speak up.. I hardly recognize this country anymore.

The most famous business leaders are not the innovators but the guys in handcuffs. While we're fiddling in Iraq , the Middle East is burning and nobody seems to know what to do. And the press is waving 'pom-poms' instead of asking hard questions. That's not the promise of the 'America' my parents and yours traveled across the ocean for. I've had enough. How about you?

I'll go a step further. You can't call yourself a patriot if you're not outraged. This is a fight I'm ready and willing to have. The Biggest 'C' is Crisis! (Iacocca elaborates on nine C's of leadership, with crisis being the first.)

Leaders are made, not born. Leadership is forged in times of crisis. It's easy to sit there with your feet up on the desk and talk theory. Or send someone else's kids off to war when you've never seen a battlefield yourself. It's another thing to lead when your world comes tumbling down.

On September 11, 2001, we needed a strong leader more than any other time in our history. We needed a steady hand to guide us out of the ashes. A hell of a mess, so here's where we stand.

We're immersed in a bloody war with no plan for winning and no plan for leaving.

We're running the biggest deficit in the history of the country.

We're losing the manufacturing edge to Asia, while our once-great companies are getting slaughtered by health care costs.

Gas prices are skyrocketing, and nobody in power has a coherent energy policy. Our schools are in trouble.

Our borders are like sieves.

The middle class is being squeezed every which way.

These are times that cry out for leadership.

But when you look around, you've got to ask: 'Where have all the leaders gone?' Where are the curious, creative communicators? Where are the people of character, courage, conviction, omnipotence, and common sense? I may be a sucker for alliteration, but I think you get the point.

Name me a leader who has a better idea for homeland security than making us take off our shoes in airports and throw away our shampoo?

We've spent billions of dollars building a huge new bureaucracy, and all we know how to do is react to things that have already happened.

Name me one leader who emerged from the crisis of Hurricane Katrina. Congress has yet to spend a single day evaluating the response to the hurricane or demanding accountability for the decisions that were made in the crucial hours after the storm.

Everyone's hunkering down, fingers crossed, hoping it doesn't happen again. Now, that's just crazy. Storms happen.. Deal with it. Make a plan. Figure out what you're going to do the next time.

Name me an industry leader who is thinking creatively about how we can restore our competitive edge in manufacturing. Who would have believed that there could ever be a time when 'The Big Three' referred to Japanese car companies? How did this happen, and more important, what are we going to do about it?

Name me a government leader who can articulate a plan for paying down the debit, or solving the energy crisis, or managing the health care problem. The silence is deafening. But these are the crises that are eating away at our country and milking the middle class dry.

I have news for the gang in Congress.. We didn't elect you to sit on your asses and do nothing and remain silent while our democracy is being hijacked and our greatness is being replaced with mediocrity. What is everybody so afraid of? That some bonehead on Fox News will call them a name? Give me a break. Why don't you guys show some spine for a change?

Had Enough? Hey, I'm not trying to be the voice of gloom and doom here. I'm trying to light a fire. I'm speaking out because I have hope - I believe in America. In my lifetime, I've had the privilege of living through some of America 's greatest moments. I've also experienced some of our worst crises: The 'Great Depression,' 'World War II,' the 'Korean War,' the 'Kennedy Assassination,' the 'Vietnam War,' the 1970's oil crisis, and the struggles of recent years culminating with 9/11.

If I've learned one thing, it's this: 'You don't get anywhere by standing on the sidelines waiting for somebody else to take action. Whether it's building a better car or building a better future for our children, we all have a role to play. That's the challenge I'm raising in this book. It's a "Call to Action" for people who, like me, believe in America'. It's not too late, but it's getting pretty close. So let's shake off the crap and go to work. Let's tell 'em all we've had 'enough.'

Make your own contribution by sending this to everyone you know and care about. It's our country, folks, and it's our future. Our future is at stake!!

FREE FREE FREE

If we assume that "FREE" means the absence of cost, then most of the free offers that you see on television or in ads in newspapers and magazines, or hear on radio are in fact NOT free at all.

If they want your credit or debit card or checking account information, it's not free. If they want to charge you shipping and/or handling, it's not free. If you must purchase something to get something free, it's not free! Even if you are required to cancel within a certain period of time or be charged, that is not free.

The word "FREE" is the biggest con in our capitalistic society. "Buy two of these and you will receive one of those." The cost of that one of those is covered by the price of the two of these. Nothing is FREE. Think about it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

So long to 2008, hello to 2009. As the new year begins, I am full of hope. Although we face many challenges in the coming year, those should be looked upon as opportunities and not problems. I am excited that we have a new president and the hope for improvement that that offers. I believe the worst of the economic downturn is behind us. As creative Americans, I believe that we will rebuild our economy to be even stronger than before. What will make that happen is for everyone to start pulling together. FDR once said " The only thing we have to fear is fear itself." This is as true today as it was in his turbulent time. If we are able to keep an optimistic attitude, we can persevere. Don't be afraid to work harder. Don't be afraid to reach higher. Don't be afraid to ignore the prophets of doom. Don't be afraid to reach out to friends and families with your support. Don't be afraid to be more caring, understanding and tolerant of what others are going through. Don't be afraid to make new acquaintences, they may lead to new opportunities.

I wish all of you prosperity and happiness for the new year.

ARE YOU INSURED?

You may have auto insurance, homeowners insurance, life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance and business insurance. You pay the premiums every month, quarter or year as agreed in your policy. Are you insured? Perhaps, perhaps not.

Did you read your policy that was provided by the insurance company? I mean really read it, not just scan the dollar amount of coverage. Unless you are an attorney experienced in insurance law, you wouldn't understand most of it anyway. The concept of insurance is simple enough: You pay a premium to a company that will pay you in the event of loss.

So if your house is insured against loss by fire and your house burns down and your premiums are up to date, the insurance company will pay you for your loss. But, hold on a minute! What exactly is your loss? You say it is the cost of replacing the house and the belongings lost in the fire. The insurance company will have other ideas. Now the fine print in your policy comes into play. What was the cause of the fire? What does the policy have to say about negligence? What about depreciation of the property and belongings. Your property and belongings will cost you $300,000.00 to replace, and that doesn't take into account the sentimental value of those items that cannot be replaced. The insurance company has offered you $100,000.00. Who decides what you will get? There is an entire industry built around that question. Law firms and lawyers make billions every year arguing who is right.

Insurance companies hire attorneys to draw up their policies to favor insurance companies. When was the last time you hired an attorney to look over your insurance policy when you payed for the insurance? With the high cost of premiums, most people would think that spending another $500.00 is a wasted expense. An honest attorney would tell you that the policy heavily favors the insurance company and that if you ever file a claim, there is a good chance you will never collect ten cents on the dollar. He would tell you that there is a reason insurance companies record record profits every quarter.

This is true of every type of insurance you buy. The insurance companies spend vast fortunes to fight nearly every claim on some level. Yet, they record profits in the billions. Think about it, are you insured?

A DIFFERENT AMERICA

I remember a different America. A place where people never locked their doors because it would be unthinkable that someone would be so bold as to walk in uninvited. A place where people walked about the streets day or night without fear of being accosted. A place where whole families sat down to dinner together, not just on Sundays, but every evening. Amazingly, the family members actually talked with each other. A place where neighbors not only knew each other, but watched out for each other's welfare, as well. A place where anyone who wanted a job could get one and be paid a living wage. A place where doctors not only cared for but cared about their patients and even made house calls. A place where honor, respect for others and high moral values were admirable traits. A place far different than the America we live in today. So, what happened?

IT'S TIME OUR CHILDREN LEARNED TO READ

It is shameful that there are so many illiterate young people that are graduating high school and cannot read or write at a fourth grade level. Who is responsible for this outrage? How is this acceptable? Where are the parents? Don't you want your kids to do well in life? Sure you live busy lives, everybody does. If you do not sit down with your children and make them read every day, you are dooming them to a life of frustration and failure. From that very first report card that shows your child is struggling in reading, you should make it your top priority to spend time talking to the teacher to find out how you can help. What could be more important? You can always find a 30 minute time period to spend with your child reading to you. Get them excited at an early age about reading. What are their favorite things? Get them books about their interests. Show them how being able to read will expand their world. Feed their curiosity about life by showing them how to find out more. You don't need a fancy computer for your child. Abe Lincoln fed his curiosity by reading books by fireplace light. A young generation of imaginative readers will enable this country to remain the great country it is.

America, love it or leave it?

This bumper sticker slogan has been around since the 1960's. It was created by those 'loyal' Americans to counter the anti-war sentiment stirred up by those who saw the futility and/or immorality of the 'conflict' in southeast Asia. But as students of American history can tell you: in America, we love it or change it.

Granted, the changes often take decades or even centuries to come about. At the risk of sounding unpatriotic, I must say we have a long way to go.

In our mighty country, every man, woman and child should be guaranteed a roof over their head, clothes on their back, food in their belly and quality health care. Does this sound like Socialism? Not at all. These things are easily attainable with no threat to the rich or middle class. If we change our income tax system to a less complicated system. Do away with all the exceptions and loopholes, except for non-profit organizations. Those legitamate NON profit organizations shall pay no tax. All other individuals and businesses shall be taxed at the rate of 10% of their income or gross profit. If you crunch the numbers, you'll discover that the tax will be enough to eliminate our national debt in ten years while still supporting the welfare programs necessary to guarantee the aforementioned minimal needs for all Americans.