Merry Christmas to everyone. Thank you for coming here and checking out my rants, randomness, and rhetoric. I have noticed many things while traveling through this holiday season. Many of the places I have gone and people I have met have wished me a Merry Christmas. I drove through McD's yesterday and the young man taking my order and payment wished me a very Merry Christmas and then the young lady that handed me my order (which was exactly what I ordered, Thank You very much Apache Junction McDonald's) also wished me a Merry Christmas. It is odd how for the last several years we have heard Happy Holidays, Season Greetings, and the like from the media and advertisements from companies. But when you walk into an establishment the people working there most often wish you a Merry Christmas.
I like the thought that people have gone against the grain and shown that the media has not driven Christ out of America and we have given into the minority. I understand this is the land of freedom and all people are welcome to worship their religions on this piece of land our forefathers brought into existence. The very Constitution that allows you to practice your religion states "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof" and the Declaration of Independence states "All men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." This means I have a right to worship anyway I want (within reason) and to say Merry Christmas because I am a Christian and believe Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour, my Messiah, was born, lived, and died for me so that one day I may stand before Him and His Father in judgement and be granted entrance into the gracious and loving warmth of His heart and kneel before Him and praise His sacrifice. That same document allows you to say Happy Hanukkah (Chanukah) or Happy Kawanza or any other holiday or non-holiday greeting in response. Please do not feel offended when I say Merry Christmas, because I do not feel offended when you respond in some other way because of your religious beliefs. I cherish the right for all of us to worship freely, or even not to worship at all. That is YOUR choice. Just like the choice you, or your family, made to come to this great land and live a life better than anywhere else on this planet we call the third rock from the Sun. At no time will I tread on your faith because I feel it is beneath me and I would like the same respect. I will judge you by your actions, not by any other means.
I find that in some insistences people have fallen away from the Christian values of Christmas and the commercialization that has taken over has precedence. I find this disheartening at the least. I watch as children line up for Santa Clause with visions of Barbi, XBOX, and/or whatever the latest fad toy or electronic is this year. Parents have lost the tradition of explaining who Saint Nicholas was and why we celebrate his life in the Christmas season. I asked a woman, who happened to be my age, standing in line with her young daughter (6) and son (4), what is the significance of Santa Clause? She explained to me that Santa is the man who, one night a year, flies around the world and delivers toys to all the children of the world. I queried "even Muslim and Hindu children?" She looked at me as if I had just slapped her across the face and told her she was a bad mother (the thought crossed my mind). I told her and her children, with her permission and the assurance it would not scar her brood on the image of Santa Clause, the story of Saint Nicholas. Her children were amazed and even more eager to speak with Santa. She thanked me because the 25 minutes we were standing there flew by without so much as flinch or whine from the kids. Her daughter, who mind you did not want to sit on Santa's lap, broke from her mother's hand when her turn came, raced to Santa, and jumped into his lap. She began to rattle off the story of St. Nicholas to him and state she wanted only one gift, a Barbi of unimaginable spectacle. Before she left she asked him to bring one to an orphan girl for her. Her mother cried because her daughter had never asked for anything less than every toy and gift in the mall without a flicker of care about anyone else (including her younger brother). The woman walked over to me with tears in her eyes and hugged me and wished me a Merry Christmas. As she walked away she smiled and pulled a name off of the Wishing Tree and headed off to purchase a gift for that child. My sons grew up knowing that Christmas stands for more than what you get under the tree. It stands for faith in GOD and Jesus Christ, love for your fellow human, sacrifice of your self, compassion for those less fortunate than you, and celebration of family. If you do one thing this year think of those who have nothing and say a prayer for them. Because we have so much to be thankful for and blessings so abundant that we lose focus of why we celebrate Jesus Christ's birth. Jesus gave the greatest gift he could for us, His life.
One last note, our soldiers are risking their lives all over the world right now. Some have given their lives freely to protect us here at home, to fight those people who would do us harm. There is no greater gift then that, so pray for our troops, police officers, firefighters, and medical personnel today when you sit down with your family. They give without thought of reward.
GOD BLESS each and every one of you. Merry Christmas and all the blessings that come with it. Have a happy and prosperous New Year.
Big Daddy
12/25/2010
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Technology in Human Resources
Globalization
Globalization has created several opportunities and challenges for the human resource department (HR) of organizations that wish to participate in the current global environment. The opening of the global market through technology has made it necessary for HR to help organizations establish a competitive edge and make a profit. Today’s human resource department must be a partnership between HR professionals, line managers, and employees (Mani, 2007, p.3). Globalization has opened the doors to worldwide manpower availability and outsourcing of processes. Globalization has created challenges for HR in the area of relocating employees, adhering to local and foreign labor laws, and maintaining strict ethics standards.
Through improvements in technology and the Internet, organizations are able to tap into a pool of job applicants worldwide. Job opening can be placed on corporate websites or through employment agencies and viewed anywhere in the world that has Internet access. Applications and resumes can be collected electronically for ease of collection, reviewing, and storage. HR records and policies can be shared between company locations through a corporate intranet. Technology has helped to streamline the HR system and reduce the number of employees needed corporate wide.
Many companies are joining the trend to outsource processes both domestically and abroad to lower cost and increase profits. Outsourcing can turn into a nightmare if not managed correctly. Human resources is a critical partner in a corporations attempt to outsource processes to capitalize on low cost labor. Human resources can assess the need for additional employees and the types of skills required for these openings. Human resources will be responsible for the training and relocation of employees to foreign assignments. With the move to outsource processes, companies will need to reduce the current workforce. Human resources must be trained in handling the needs of these terminated employees such as counseling, job placement, and further education or training. During mergers and employee downsizing, HR must communicate to the remaining workforce that their jobs are secure and help rebuild the team spirit to maintain production and quality standards.
Relocating employees to domestic or foreign assignments are costly for a company and have a high percentage of failure if not handled correctly. HR needs to play a critical role in the relocation of employees and ultimately the success of the move. Relocation involves many aspects from language barriers; local customs, schooling for children, and family adjustment. An employee who is removed from his or her native country is called an expatriate. To improve the success of an expatriate program, HR must offer training in language, local customs, and family counseling. Families should be sent to the new location on a fact-finding mission to explore the local area and determine if the relocation will work for the entire family not just the employee. Can one imagine the turmoil of removing a teenager from their friends to move to the Ukraine for the next two years? HR should be involved in expatriate compensation and benefits to ensure they match the responsibilities of the assignment. With the opening of the world labor market, the new trend is to seek out potential employees native to the assigned area to eliminate the need for expatriates. Hiring local talent will eliminate the costly expatriate program and increase the potential success of the job applicant to meet the long-term needs of the company.
Human resources management has evolved in to more than just a department that processes employment applications and handles employee complaints. An HR specialist must be knowledgeable in both local and foreign labor laws, business strategies, and human relationships. With the opening of the world labor market, HR must be careful not to discriminate against any applicant for any reason. Not only do corporations need to follow United States labor laws but they must also follow any foreign labor laws that apply in the areas where they employ workers. All HR employees must understand and follow the rules of the Equal Opportunity Employment Act and affirmative act laws. A company’s HR department is responsible for filing required government labor reports and willfully assisting in any government audits.
Ethics is a big topic today with all the reports in the news of corrupt corporate officers. The human resources department is responsible for developing a corporate code of ethics and ethics policies. HR shall provide training on ethics for new and existing employees as required. An ethics hotline should be established where employees could voice their concerns anonymously. As companies move operations to foreign countries, HR needs to establish and enforce strict rules on not negotiating with corrupt government officials. Employees must be taught and monitored not to accept bribes, gifts, or kickbacks.
“The ever-expanding scope of global competition is causing a reexamination of how human resources can best support the rapid pace of business globalization. A shift from traditional and static structural solutions to business challenges must be made to a fluid and evolving dynamic network. A global competitive advantage will depend less on strategic planning inside the corporate head quarters and more on the behavior of employees across all regions of the world” (Pucik, 1996, p. 2).
Diversity
There have been many trends and challenges in human resource management (HRM) over the last few decades; the challenge of diversity has been a substantial factor that has been magnified by the trend of global organizations.
In today’s global environment organizations need to develop a diversity program that truly take advantage of the talents and skills of their global workforce. Diversity is a challenge for human resources management, but successful organizations find a way to capitalize on the talents of a diverse workforce. In the pursuit of successful human resources management, the understanding of diversity is just one part of the equation. The desire to capitalize on the global market, through the use of technology, while embracing the diversity of the workforce to improve efficiencies and remain competitive is a critical and necessary process. The labor market in the United States continues to become more diverse with women and other minorities, so organization need to find a way to embrace the talents and capitalize on the strengths of a diverse workforce. Creating an HRM system that values diversity and challenges the historic culture, is a vital necessity for organizations to become and remain competitive. Corporations that desire to compete in the global economy understand the importance of embracing the values and capitalizing on the strengths of a diverse workforce, which in turn creates a competitive advantage. Not all organizations have learned how to create this competitive advantage. In fact, some organizations have had to learn a painful monetary lesson before implementing a diversity program that embracing the differences in culture. “Nothing like a lawsuit to kick start a diversity program, imagine how much money could have been saved?” (Noe, Hollenbeck, & Gerhert, Wright, 2003).
In a global economy, organizations need to develop diversity programs that encourage the understanding of different cultures, values and contributions. The training and resources needed for these programs need to be monetarily supported by senior management, to ensure future success of the program and the organization. In addition, diversity training needs to occur from the top down, from senior management to entry level personnel. Diversity training should be included in the recruiting process, so the culture of the company will continue to progress regardless of turnover. Successful diversity programs help eliminate discrimination in the recruiting and promoting processes, which creates a healthy and productive working environment. Culture change is more than just lip service; it is a long-term endeavor to create a competitive advantage. Managing a successful diversity program has rewards that stretch beyond the facility walls of the organization, like lower cost due to turnover and the ability to provide world-class goods and services to internal and external customers (Noe, Hollenbeck, & Gerhert, Wright, 2003).
Organizations that compete in international markets have unique needs that affect HRM practices and diversity programs. Having teams working together from around the world with different work schedules, languages, training needs, and cultures, needs a diversity structure that will capitalize on the organizations global strengths, to ensure a competitive advantage. When organizations are considering staffing and recruiting needs, they need to ensure that methods used are without biases against minorities, including any test given to potential employee candidates. A diverse workforce has different values in benefits offered by an organization, some cultures might hold more value in daycare, while other cultures may have a higher regard for some other benefits offered. The landscape of needed employee expertise for modern organizations has changed drastically compared with traditional needs, due to technology, like the explosive use of the computer in all industries within the United States. Historically, mastery of some type of technical skill was the most important factor when addressing a staffing need; today interpersonal skills have a greater value to modern organizations, because this type of strength will give an indication of how well an employee will work with other team members. In modern organization, all technical needs involve the use of a computer, the Internet and the ability to work in a team environment. In addition, most organizations are looking to feel their staffing needs with candidates that have a history of educational and professional achievements, including technical certifications, college degrees and quality management training (TQM). This atmosphere creates a tough job market for individuals seeking employment across the spectrum, because careers requiring college, technical, and QMT training are very competitive markets. So, for those who do not qualify for these opportunities are forced to settle for lower paying jobs. To combat shortfalls in the lack of necessary skills needed to compete globally and create a competitive advantage, some organizations implement training and mentoring strategies, to develop internal resources. To reduce possible future shortfalls in the capabilities of the workforce, some organizations make an effort to hire and train from within. This method can be costly to maintain and ineffective, if a solid training program is not in place and sufficiently support by senior management of the organization is not maintained. There is a wide spectrum of staffing needs from within most organizations, from entry level, to highly trained, educated or technically skilled personnel. So, organizational training needs can vary from basic remedial skills, to advanced technical training. Regardless of training or education, many employees lack the necessary interpersonal skills to successfully work in a team environment and the ability or exposure to diversity in the workplace. Organizations within the United States need to find a method to close the gap between the abilities needed and the abilities available, to compete in a global environment, regardless of well the economy is performing. The companies that have invested in technology to streamline their internal processes, trained and developed their personnel and continue to invest in a quality management training program with continuous improvement methodologies, have and will continue to whether the storm at a greater speed, then their industry competitors (Noe, Hollenbeck, & Gerhert, Wright, 2003).
In conclusion, organizations that invest in quality diversity programs with monetary support and resources from senior management, have a better chance to motivate their workforce by breaking down historic differences and biases of a diverse workforce. Investing in training programs that help employees learn how to work with diversity is a key element for successful organizations. To ensure success in the global environment organizations that work with partners or customers around the world, need to implement a diversity program that involves training on differences and similarities. Global organizations have employees of different ethnicity's, cultures and beliefs, so finding a method that will capitalize on these global strengths is the difference between success and failure. Companies must implement a diversity strategy coupled with a quality program that creates a holistic approach to the programs of the organizations environment, is paramount to achieving the organizational goals.
Technology
Many new technological trends in human resource management have come into usage within the last decade. These innovations have allowed HR professionals to better handle the vast amount of information under their supervision. Other advances have made connecting to employees and resources much easier and quicker. The unfortunate reality is that these advances have been in use, in other sectors of business, for more than twenty years. It seems human resources as a part of the business model has been placed on the back burner, so to speak, and left out of the technologically advancing market. Companies continue to rely on outdated methods to recruit, train, and employ workers. These mistakes are the reason companies cannot recruit well trained and competent employees, or the company spends vast amounts of capital to acquire and train individuals only to lose him/her to another company. Employee turnover costs companies hundreds of thousands of dollars a year because the company under pays, lacks stable benefits, or digresses in outdated policies that hamper or discourage growth and/or commitment. By introducing new and radical ideas to HR management the company can out grow the competition by acquiring top performers in the industry, developing a benefits package that both the company and the employee can be comfortable with and cutting attrition rates to keep talent in the company.
Advances in human resource information management systems (HRIS) have grown by leaps and bounds in the last ten years. Many HR gurus believe no other technological achievement has helped the industry as much as HRIS advancements. “I see three major developments: (1) multi-tenancy architectural design in software, which is the key architectural enabler of software as a service as well as cost-effective HRM BPO; (2) web services architecture, a.k.a. SOA, which holds the promise of greater long-term flexibility as well as greater implementation ease, therefore of lower total cost of ownership; and (3) intelligent self-service, which combines traditional transactions with the content (i.e., business rules, policy information, analytics, etc.) needed to ensure complete and correct transactions while reducing demands for customer contact. When these are combined, as they have been and are being done by leaders in HRM BPO (because they must do so to provide effective and efficient services), the results are improved business benefits at reduced TCO” (Bloom, 2006). Human resources information systems are growing into vast databases of potential treasures or abysses of peril and doom. Potential, current, and former employees of the company have information stored in these databases. The system is a wondrous world of money making opportunity for the company if the cards are played right. It is up to the HR administrator to sift through the rocks and pull out the diamond. The proper training and development of this professional will give the company a better chance of pulling out the diamond.
When asked what the most important technological trend has been in her career, Linda Lausten, human resources director for Power Chevrolet, Inc., replied, “my Blackberry. I take it everywhere. It keeps me in contact with everyone whether by phone, text, or email” (Lausten, 2008). By keeping her Blackberry with her at all times Linda can communicate no matter where she is or goes. If management needs her help she can get the information and begin a search or development of a plan right away. The Blackberry is connected to her computer database so she can access any information needed even off-site. This could be helpful if a worker hurts him or herself outside of normal business hours. Laptop computers have also become more powerful and lighter weight allowing associates to take them on the road with all the important information right at their finger tips.
Excluding the Blackberry, cellular phones have made staying in contact with the business easier. Emergencies happen and if no one is available to explain proper procedure the chances of the wrong procedure being followed increases. This can open the company to liability unnecessarily. Cellular phones began as bulky, awkward bricks weighing 3-4 pounds. Now cellular phones are as small as a pocket watch. Cell phones may seem more powerful than previous models but that really comes from better circuitry and design in the addition to a huge network of towers and repeaters to bounce the signal around the world. The communication allows people to converse around the world in seconds, inside buildings, on airplanes, and even on the oceans. Many cell phones have many of the same features as the Blackberry including web access, calendars, and Email.
All the advances in technology have given new life to identity theft and hackers breaking into confidential files. Companies have had to beef up security measures to ensure employee information is kept safe. Human resource personnel must be diligent in their quest for security. Laptop computers are virtually the most vulnerable to hacking due to the mobility factor and unsecured Internet connections. Laptops are also vulnerable to theft if left unattended for more than a split second. This allows thieves to have absolute access to not only personal information but also confidential company data that may cause huge problems in the wrong hands. Electronic mail also poses a threat with worm, Trojan, and spyware being transmitted every day through innocent looking emails. Companies have an obligation to keep employee information confidential and privacy issues have been an increasing problem in the recent past. Many credit card companies have had information stolen due to lacking security programs. Internet and Intranet security from many manufacturers, such as Norton and MacAfee, help keep networks secure and private information safe. This cost is substantial but what is the privacy of your employees and customers worth? It will cost multiple times more if the information is stolen and misused while in the care of the corporation. “Today, organizations are asking their HR departments for innovative approaches and solutions to improve productivity and the quality of work life while complying with the law in an environment of high uncertainty, energy conservation, and intense international competition” (Mani, 2007, p. 6).
Globalization has created several opportunities and challenges for the human resource department (HR) of organizations that wish to participate in the current global environment. The opening of the global market through technology has made it necessary for HR to help organizations establish a competitive edge and make a profit. Today’s human resource department must be a partnership between HR professionals, line managers, and employees (Mani, 2007, p.3). Globalization has opened the doors to worldwide manpower availability and outsourcing of processes. Globalization has created challenges for HR in the area of relocating employees, adhering to local and foreign labor laws, and maintaining strict ethics standards.
Through improvements in technology and the Internet, organizations are able to tap into a pool of job applicants worldwide. Job opening can be placed on corporate websites or through employment agencies and viewed anywhere in the world that has Internet access. Applications and resumes can be collected electronically for ease of collection, reviewing, and storage. HR records and policies can be shared between company locations through a corporate intranet. Technology has helped to streamline the HR system and reduce the number of employees needed corporate wide.
Many companies are joining the trend to outsource processes both domestically and abroad to lower cost and increase profits. Outsourcing can turn into a nightmare if not managed correctly. Human resources is a critical partner in a corporations attempt to outsource processes to capitalize on low cost labor. Human resources can assess the need for additional employees and the types of skills required for these openings. Human resources will be responsible for the training and relocation of employees to foreign assignments. With the move to outsource processes, companies will need to reduce the current workforce. Human resources must be trained in handling the needs of these terminated employees such as counseling, job placement, and further education or training. During mergers and employee downsizing, HR must communicate to the remaining workforce that their jobs are secure and help rebuild the team spirit to maintain production and quality standards.
Relocating employees to domestic or foreign assignments are costly for a company and have a high percentage of failure if not handled correctly. HR needs to play a critical role in the relocation of employees and ultimately the success of the move. Relocation involves many aspects from language barriers; local customs, schooling for children, and family adjustment. An employee who is removed from his or her native country is called an expatriate. To improve the success of an expatriate program, HR must offer training in language, local customs, and family counseling. Families should be sent to the new location on a fact-finding mission to explore the local area and determine if the relocation will work for the entire family not just the employee. Can one imagine the turmoil of removing a teenager from their friends to move to the Ukraine for the next two years? HR should be involved in expatriate compensation and benefits to ensure they match the responsibilities of the assignment. With the opening of the world labor market, the new trend is to seek out potential employees native to the assigned area to eliminate the need for expatriates. Hiring local talent will eliminate the costly expatriate program and increase the potential success of the job applicant to meet the long-term needs of the company.
Human resources management has evolved in to more than just a department that processes employment applications and handles employee complaints. An HR specialist must be knowledgeable in both local and foreign labor laws, business strategies, and human relationships. With the opening of the world labor market, HR must be careful not to discriminate against any applicant for any reason. Not only do corporations need to follow United States labor laws but they must also follow any foreign labor laws that apply in the areas where they employ workers. All HR employees must understand and follow the rules of the Equal Opportunity Employment Act and affirmative act laws. A company’s HR department is responsible for filing required government labor reports and willfully assisting in any government audits.
Ethics is a big topic today with all the reports in the news of corrupt corporate officers. The human resources department is responsible for developing a corporate code of ethics and ethics policies. HR shall provide training on ethics for new and existing employees as required. An ethics hotline should be established where employees could voice their concerns anonymously. As companies move operations to foreign countries, HR needs to establish and enforce strict rules on not negotiating with corrupt government officials. Employees must be taught and monitored not to accept bribes, gifts, or kickbacks.
“The ever-expanding scope of global competition is causing a reexamination of how human resources can best support the rapid pace of business globalization. A shift from traditional and static structural solutions to business challenges must be made to a fluid and evolving dynamic network. A global competitive advantage will depend less on strategic planning inside the corporate head quarters and more on the behavior of employees across all regions of the world” (Pucik, 1996, p. 2).
Diversity
There have been many trends and challenges in human resource management (HRM) over the last few decades; the challenge of diversity has been a substantial factor that has been magnified by the trend of global organizations.
In today’s global environment organizations need to develop a diversity program that truly take advantage of the talents and skills of their global workforce. Diversity is a challenge for human resources management, but successful organizations find a way to capitalize on the talents of a diverse workforce. In the pursuit of successful human resources management, the understanding of diversity is just one part of the equation. The desire to capitalize on the global market, through the use of technology, while embracing the diversity of the workforce to improve efficiencies and remain competitive is a critical and necessary process. The labor market in the United States continues to become more diverse with women and other minorities, so organization need to find a way to embrace the talents and capitalize on the strengths of a diverse workforce. Creating an HRM system that values diversity and challenges the historic culture, is a vital necessity for organizations to become and remain competitive. Corporations that desire to compete in the global economy understand the importance of embracing the values and capitalizing on the strengths of a diverse workforce, which in turn creates a competitive advantage. Not all organizations have learned how to create this competitive advantage. In fact, some organizations have had to learn a painful monetary lesson before implementing a diversity program that embracing the differences in culture. “Nothing like a lawsuit to kick start a diversity program, imagine how much money could have been saved?” (Noe, Hollenbeck, & Gerhert, Wright, 2003).
In a global economy, organizations need to develop diversity programs that encourage the understanding of different cultures, values and contributions. The training and resources needed for these programs need to be monetarily supported by senior management, to ensure future success of the program and the organization. In addition, diversity training needs to occur from the top down, from senior management to entry level personnel. Diversity training should be included in the recruiting process, so the culture of the company will continue to progress regardless of turnover. Successful diversity programs help eliminate discrimination in the recruiting and promoting processes, which creates a healthy and productive working environment. Culture change is more than just lip service; it is a long-term endeavor to create a competitive advantage. Managing a successful diversity program has rewards that stretch beyond the facility walls of the organization, like lower cost due to turnover and the ability to provide world-class goods and services to internal and external customers (Noe, Hollenbeck, & Gerhert, Wright, 2003).
Organizations that compete in international markets have unique needs that affect HRM practices and diversity programs. Having teams working together from around the world with different work schedules, languages, training needs, and cultures, needs a diversity structure that will capitalize on the organizations global strengths, to ensure a competitive advantage. When organizations are considering staffing and recruiting needs, they need to ensure that methods used are without biases against minorities, including any test given to potential employee candidates. A diverse workforce has different values in benefits offered by an organization, some cultures might hold more value in daycare, while other cultures may have a higher regard for some other benefits offered. The landscape of needed employee expertise for modern organizations has changed drastically compared with traditional needs, due to technology, like the explosive use of the computer in all industries within the United States. Historically, mastery of some type of technical skill was the most important factor when addressing a staffing need; today interpersonal skills have a greater value to modern organizations, because this type of strength will give an indication of how well an employee will work with other team members. In modern organization, all technical needs involve the use of a computer, the Internet and the ability to work in a team environment. In addition, most organizations are looking to feel their staffing needs with candidates that have a history of educational and professional achievements, including technical certifications, college degrees and quality management training (TQM). This atmosphere creates a tough job market for individuals seeking employment across the spectrum, because careers requiring college, technical, and QMT training are very competitive markets. So, for those who do not qualify for these opportunities are forced to settle for lower paying jobs. To combat shortfalls in the lack of necessary skills needed to compete globally and create a competitive advantage, some organizations implement training and mentoring strategies, to develop internal resources. To reduce possible future shortfalls in the capabilities of the workforce, some organizations make an effort to hire and train from within. This method can be costly to maintain and ineffective, if a solid training program is not in place and sufficiently support by senior management of the organization is not maintained. There is a wide spectrum of staffing needs from within most organizations, from entry level, to highly trained, educated or technically skilled personnel. So, organizational training needs can vary from basic remedial skills, to advanced technical training. Regardless of training or education, many employees lack the necessary interpersonal skills to successfully work in a team environment and the ability or exposure to diversity in the workplace. Organizations within the United States need to find a method to close the gap between the abilities needed and the abilities available, to compete in a global environment, regardless of well the economy is performing. The companies that have invested in technology to streamline their internal processes, trained and developed their personnel and continue to invest in a quality management training program with continuous improvement methodologies, have and will continue to whether the storm at a greater speed, then their industry competitors (Noe, Hollenbeck, & Gerhert, Wright, 2003).
In conclusion, organizations that invest in quality diversity programs with monetary support and resources from senior management, have a better chance to motivate their workforce by breaking down historic differences and biases of a diverse workforce. Investing in training programs that help employees learn how to work with diversity is a key element for successful organizations. To ensure success in the global environment organizations that work with partners or customers around the world, need to implement a diversity program that involves training on differences and similarities. Global organizations have employees of different ethnicity's, cultures and beliefs, so finding a method that will capitalize on these global strengths is the difference between success and failure. Companies must implement a diversity strategy coupled with a quality program that creates a holistic approach to the programs of the organizations environment, is paramount to achieving the organizational goals.
Technology
Many new technological trends in human resource management have come into usage within the last decade. These innovations have allowed HR professionals to better handle the vast amount of information under their supervision. Other advances have made connecting to employees and resources much easier and quicker. The unfortunate reality is that these advances have been in use, in other sectors of business, for more than twenty years. It seems human resources as a part of the business model has been placed on the back burner, so to speak, and left out of the technologically advancing market. Companies continue to rely on outdated methods to recruit, train, and employ workers. These mistakes are the reason companies cannot recruit well trained and competent employees, or the company spends vast amounts of capital to acquire and train individuals only to lose him/her to another company. Employee turnover costs companies hundreds of thousands of dollars a year because the company under pays, lacks stable benefits, or digresses in outdated policies that hamper or discourage growth and/or commitment. By introducing new and radical ideas to HR management the company can out grow the competition by acquiring top performers in the industry, developing a benefits package that both the company and the employee can be comfortable with and cutting attrition rates to keep talent in the company.
Advances in human resource information management systems (HRIS) have grown by leaps and bounds in the last ten years. Many HR gurus believe no other technological achievement has helped the industry as much as HRIS advancements. “I see three major developments: (1) multi-tenancy architectural design in software, which is the key architectural enabler of software as a service as well as cost-effective HRM BPO; (2) web services architecture, a.k.a. SOA, which holds the promise of greater long-term flexibility as well as greater implementation ease, therefore of lower total cost of ownership; and (3) intelligent self-service, which combines traditional transactions with the content (i.e., business rules, policy information, analytics, etc.) needed to ensure complete and correct transactions while reducing demands for customer contact. When these are combined, as they have been and are being done by leaders in HRM BPO (because they must do so to provide effective and efficient services), the results are improved business benefits at reduced TCO” (Bloom, 2006). Human resources information systems are growing into vast databases of potential treasures or abysses of peril and doom. Potential, current, and former employees of the company have information stored in these databases. The system is a wondrous world of money making opportunity for the company if the cards are played right. It is up to the HR administrator to sift through the rocks and pull out the diamond. The proper training and development of this professional will give the company a better chance of pulling out the diamond.
When asked what the most important technological trend has been in her career, Linda Lausten, human resources director for Power Chevrolet, Inc., replied, “my Blackberry. I take it everywhere. It keeps me in contact with everyone whether by phone, text, or email” (Lausten, 2008). By keeping her Blackberry with her at all times Linda can communicate no matter where she is or goes. If management needs her help she can get the information and begin a search or development of a plan right away. The Blackberry is connected to her computer database so she can access any information needed even off-site. This could be helpful if a worker hurts him or herself outside of normal business hours. Laptop computers have also become more powerful and lighter weight allowing associates to take them on the road with all the important information right at their finger tips.
Excluding the Blackberry, cellular phones have made staying in contact with the business easier. Emergencies happen and if no one is available to explain proper procedure the chances of the wrong procedure being followed increases. This can open the company to liability unnecessarily. Cellular phones began as bulky, awkward bricks weighing 3-4 pounds. Now cellular phones are as small as a pocket watch. Cell phones may seem more powerful than previous models but that really comes from better circuitry and design in the addition to a huge network of towers and repeaters to bounce the signal around the world. The communication allows people to converse around the world in seconds, inside buildings, on airplanes, and even on the oceans. Many cell phones have many of the same features as the Blackberry including web access, calendars, and Email.
All the advances in technology have given new life to identity theft and hackers breaking into confidential files. Companies have had to beef up security measures to ensure employee information is kept safe. Human resource personnel must be diligent in their quest for security. Laptop computers are virtually the most vulnerable to hacking due to the mobility factor and unsecured Internet connections. Laptops are also vulnerable to theft if left unattended for more than a split second. This allows thieves to have absolute access to not only personal information but also confidential company data that may cause huge problems in the wrong hands. Electronic mail also poses a threat with worm, Trojan, and spyware being transmitted every day through innocent looking emails. Companies have an obligation to keep employee information confidential and privacy issues have been an increasing problem in the recent past. Many credit card companies have had information stolen due to lacking security programs. Internet and Intranet security from many manufacturers, such as Norton and MacAfee, help keep networks secure and private information safe. This cost is substantial but what is the privacy of your employees and customers worth? It will cost multiple times more if the information is stolen and misused while in the care of the corporation. “Today, organizations are asking their HR departments for innovative approaches and solutions to improve productivity and the quality of work life while complying with the law in an environment of high uncertainty, energy conservation, and intense international competition” (Mani, 2007, p. 6).
Obama Versus McCain 2008
This was an analysis of the presidential race I did in October 2008. It was significant to a few people I had some very interesting, and heated, discussions with at the time. I still think the questions are relevant to what Obama is doing right now. I tried to be objective and unbiased, pointing out the good and bad in both candidates.
In the presidential race between Barack Obama (D) and John McCain (R) the subject of restructuring and/or saving the American Economy has been a much heated debate. The American people seem to be at wits end. Both candidates blame the other’s party for the failure. The best thing to do now is stop blaming each other and start figuring out a way to fix the problem. Both candidates have plans for the rebirth of the economy both at home here in America and globally as a whole.
Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois, has a large plan in which he attacks ten different planes of the economy. The basic forefront of the plan is to cut taxes for families earning less than $250,000 per year. “Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 95 percent of working Americans the tax relief they need. They will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family.” (BarackObama.com, n.d., ¶ 1). The second main factor is tax relief for small businesses and start ups to drive them to spend the money in new developments and creating jobs (BarackObama.com, ¶ 2). The third and final main point is to instill fair trade and to “fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. They will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world” (BarackObama.com, ¶ 3). These all are great ideas and putting them into actual use will help millions of families and businesses cope with the downturn in the economy.
The problem is these ideas cost money and the economy in this country is already strapped for cash. Where is this money going to come from? The money paid in taxes is what runs this country, just like a business selling a product, the money has to be made to continue the cycle. Struggling states and municipalities are closing down some areas to conserve money because the deficits are so great. Cutting taxes is going to help a few people but where is the country’s money to function going to come from? The top five percent of wealth in this country pays 90% of the taxes in the U.S. already; cutting taxes for the lower 95% is going to put more strain on the upper 5%. Not that they cannot afford the extra burden, but that just proves that becoming wealthy is a punishment not a pleasure.
Barack has great plans to kick start the economy by delving into the mess with a strong back wind with such plans as eliminating taxes for seniors who earn less than $50,000 or for adding a rebate for over 10 million families by instituting a new “Make Work Pay” tax rebate. The plan to create better trade plans and amend old plans like NAFTA and CAFTA to make the agreements more fair for the U.S. side of the equation will take time and maybe a long term fix, but something short term is needed to get it off on the right foot.
Senator McCain also has a very detailed plan to get the country out of recession and help an ailing global economy right itself. John’s plan involves cutting taxes for corporate America in hopes prices will fall and more people will spend money to bring cash back into the economy. The problem with this idea is companies want to make a profit, the money being put back into the businesses as profit will, in some cases, merely see its way into the pockets of the officers of the company. How does this help the economy? Jobs are still threatened because costs are high, and profits are not being spread around to get the economy rolling. Plus if the prices do not drop people will still cut back on luxuries and only spend enough to buy necessities. The one idea John continues to press forward and has the best chance of winning is his energy plan. His plan to expand domestic oil exploration and drilling to decrease the U.S. dependency on foreign oil and to leap forward to create better green fuels like nuclear and solar power stations and plants will give the American people greater savings and cut costs by billions in the near future. His ideas to increase clean coal technologies have been some the most aggressive of any administration to date. The concept of bring the technology to bear on the problem of energy production in the U.S. will also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs to design, build, and operate these facilities needed to make the plan a success.
McCain’s ideas do not stop just on energy production, but his plans to help companies build more fuel efficient transportation options such as hybrids, fuel-cell, and full electric cars and trucks will reduce even farther the dependency on fossil fuels. The plan is to help America “break its strategic dependence on foreign oil” and “change how we power our automobiles and rejuvenate our automotive industry” (JohnMcCain.com, 2008, ¶ 12). By requiring companies to build more fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, with penalties for failure to follow the guidelines, the McCain administration is leaping forward on the Obama administration.
Many of the ideas both candidates have will give the economy a fighting chance to recover and once again lead the world as the global powerhouse it once was. The question is who is the best choice? This is a hard decision because no one knows the truth until one of them steps into the oval office and assumes command. The plans include money from an unknown source or a source that is already burdened by low funds. The candidates talk and debate and campaign on hundreds of issues with the bottom line of making the country better from the ideas each one brings to the table. Factors of Congress and Lobbyists, the Supreme Court and the Justices, and every American who goes to work to earn a living for his/her family will put the winner to the test. Four years is a very short time to try and implement hundreds of ideas and concepts to bring about change. But is change for change’s sake good or bad? Will one man be able to right a sinking ship and limp it back to shore for repairs? Where is the money coming from to fund these radical plans? These are the questions Americans should be asking and the candidates should be answering when the senators are at the microphone.
In the presidential race between Barack Obama (D) and John McCain (R) the subject of restructuring and/or saving the American Economy has been a much heated debate. The American people seem to be at wits end. Both candidates blame the other’s party for the failure. The best thing to do now is stop blaming each other and start figuring out a way to fix the problem. Both candidates have plans for the rebirth of the economy both at home here in America and globally as a whole.
Barack Obama, the senator from Illinois, has a large plan in which he attacks ten different planes of the economy. The basic forefront of the plan is to cut taxes for families earning less than $250,000 per year. “Obama and Biden will restore fairness to the tax code and provide 95 percent of working Americans the tax relief they need. They will create a new "Making Work Pay" tax credit of up to $500 per person, or $1,000 per working family.” (BarackObama.com, n.d., ¶ 1). The second main factor is tax relief for small businesses and start ups to drive them to spend the money in new developments and creating jobs (BarackObama.com, ¶ 2). The third and final main point is to instill fair trade and to “fight for a trade policy that opens up foreign markets to support good American jobs. They will use trade agreements to spread good labor and environmental standards around the world” (BarackObama.com, ¶ 3). These all are great ideas and putting them into actual use will help millions of families and businesses cope with the downturn in the economy.
The problem is these ideas cost money and the economy in this country is already strapped for cash. Where is this money going to come from? The money paid in taxes is what runs this country, just like a business selling a product, the money has to be made to continue the cycle. Struggling states and municipalities are closing down some areas to conserve money because the deficits are so great. Cutting taxes is going to help a few people but where is the country’s money to function going to come from? The top five percent of wealth in this country pays 90% of the taxes in the U.S. already; cutting taxes for the lower 95% is going to put more strain on the upper 5%. Not that they cannot afford the extra burden, but that just proves that becoming wealthy is a punishment not a pleasure.
Barack has great plans to kick start the economy by delving into the mess with a strong back wind with such plans as eliminating taxes for seniors who earn less than $50,000 or for adding a rebate for over 10 million families by instituting a new “Make Work Pay” tax rebate. The plan to create better trade plans and amend old plans like NAFTA and CAFTA to make the agreements more fair for the U.S. side of the equation will take time and maybe a long term fix, but something short term is needed to get it off on the right foot.
Senator McCain also has a very detailed plan to get the country out of recession and help an ailing global economy right itself. John’s plan involves cutting taxes for corporate America in hopes prices will fall and more people will spend money to bring cash back into the economy. The problem with this idea is companies want to make a profit, the money being put back into the businesses as profit will, in some cases, merely see its way into the pockets of the officers of the company. How does this help the economy? Jobs are still threatened because costs are high, and profits are not being spread around to get the economy rolling. Plus if the prices do not drop people will still cut back on luxuries and only spend enough to buy necessities. The one idea John continues to press forward and has the best chance of winning is his energy plan. His plan to expand domestic oil exploration and drilling to decrease the U.S. dependency on foreign oil and to leap forward to create better green fuels like nuclear and solar power stations and plants will give the American people greater savings and cut costs by billions in the near future. His ideas to increase clean coal technologies have been some the most aggressive of any administration to date. The concept of bring the technology to bear on the problem of energy production in the U.S. will also create hundreds of thousands of new jobs to design, build, and operate these facilities needed to make the plan a success.
McCain’s ideas do not stop just on energy production, but his plans to help companies build more fuel efficient transportation options such as hybrids, fuel-cell, and full electric cars and trucks will reduce even farther the dependency on fossil fuels. The plan is to help America “break its strategic dependence on foreign oil” and “change how we power our automobiles and rejuvenate our automotive industry” (JohnMcCain.com, 2008, ¶ 12). By requiring companies to build more fuel efficient and alternative fuel vehicles, with penalties for failure to follow the guidelines, the McCain administration is leaping forward on the Obama administration.
Many of the ideas both candidates have will give the economy a fighting chance to recover and once again lead the world as the global powerhouse it once was. The question is who is the best choice? This is a hard decision because no one knows the truth until one of them steps into the oval office and assumes command. The plans include money from an unknown source or a source that is already burdened by low funds. The candidates talk and debate and campaign on hundreds of issues with the bottom line of making the country better from the ideas each one brings to the table. Factors of Congress and Lobbyists, the Supreme Court and the Justices, and every American who goes to work to earn a living for his/her family will put the winner to the test. Four years is a very short time to try and implement hundreds of ideas and concepts to bring about change. But is change for change’s sake good or bad? Will one man be able to right a sinking ship and limp it back to shore for repairs? Where is the money coming from to fund these radical plans? These are the questions Americans should be asking and the candidates should be answering when the senators are at the microphone.
Employee Motivation
Increasing employee motivation, satisfaction, and performance is essential to production and profitability. No company can survive if the workforce is not on board with the development and direction of the company. Employees who enjoy their jobs listed the work itself as the biggest contributors to satisfaction. Organizational Behavior authors Stephen Robbins and Timothy Judge stated “…enjoying the work itself is almost always the facet most strongly correlated with high levels of overall job satisfaction. Interesting jobs that provide training, variety, independence, and control satisfy most employees (2007).
Creating a plan to strengthen an employee’s job satisfaction has been a factor for study for more than half a century. Some companies have instituted various ideas to increase their employee’s satisfaction. More recognition, promotions, matching personality to the task, and various health and stress management tools are being instituted at many companies. Things like free gym memberships, free health screens, in-house massages, recreation centers in-house, and healthy food catering for lunches are just some of the many ways companies are helping their employees. Google is probably one the biggest outside-the-box thinkers when it comes to ensuring employees are stress-free and happy. Google has open meeting rooms in hallways lined with whiteboards because according to Google president Larry Page “Ideas don’t just happen in the boardroom. If an idea hits an employee walking down the hall that person should have a way to express that creativity and immortalize it immediately”. Groups can meet in specially designed areas that foster relaxation and creativity like the lounge area where big, overstuffed Laz-E-Boy chairs surround tranquil vegetation and whiteboards. A cafeteria serves healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner options (free of charge) so employees do not have to leave to get a good meal. Recreation areas with video games, personal televisions, satalite radio, and computers are on excellent places to just “getaway” according to Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO. “Employees need to relax whenever they need to, not on a schedule. Stress relief fosters healthy habits and productivity”.
These ideas didn’t just happen out of the air. There was serious thought and ingenuity in bringing these thoughts to fruition. “Google is the only dotcom to achieve the rare distinction of zero percent employee turnover” according to 123oye.com (n.d.). So Google seems to have won the battle between success and employee satisfaction. But not every company can have hockey tournaments, foosball competitions, and Zen-like atmospheres for their employees. A plan to optimize employee production and balance it with reasonable employee satisfaction comes from listening to what employees have to say. If they’re uncomfortable in the way desks are arranged, try a different configuration until a good balance is found. When an employee asks why the company doesn’t have bottled water or reverse osmosis filtering, have a company bring in a water dispenser or, if funds allow, have a filtration system put in on the drinking fountains. These are simple things that make employees happy and they feel they are appreciated.
Innovative companies have excelled at developing employees that can identify a problem, collaborate with a team or management, and fix or avoid the issue. Mentoring and/or finding these types of individuals have been a hurdle for every company on the planet. An experienced HR department with clear instructions and definitions of the type of person needed and the job description so a person’s qualifications can be matched to the job that will do the best job and reduce turn-over and increase productivity. Other properties of innovative companies are reward systems, handling failure with praise for initiative, and creating a learning environment that set them apart from the norm. Companies that continue to reinvent themselves consistently produce higher profits and lower turnover rates. So innovative companies are ones that hire and develop the best and brightest talent they can afford, create learning environments that foster creativity and idea, and reinvent themselves when the time is right to keep them at the forefront of their industries.
Creating a plan to strengthen an employee’s job satisfaction has been a factor for study for more than half a century. Some companies have instituted various ideas to increase their employee’s satisfaction. More recognition, promotions, matching personality to the task, and various health and stress management tools are being instituted at many companies. Things like free gym memberships, free health screens, in-house massages, recreation centers in-house, and healthy food catering for lunches are just some of the many ways companies are helping their employees. Google is probably one the biggest outside-the-box thinkers when it comes to ensuring employees are stress-free and happy. Google has open meeting rooms in hallways lined with whiteboards because according to Google president Larry Page “Ideas don’t just happen in the boardroom. If an idea hits an employee walking down the hall that person should have a way to express that creativity and immortalize it immediately”. Groups can meet in specially designed areas that foster relaxation and creativity like the lounge area where big, overstuffed Laz-E-Boy chairs surround tranquil vegetation and whiteboards. A cafeteria serves healthy breakfast, lunch, and dinner options (free of charge) so employees do not have to leave to get a good meal. Recreation areas with video games, personal televisions, satalite radio, and computers are on excellent places to just “getaway” according to Eric Schmidt, Google’s CEO. “Employees need to relax whenever they need to, not on a schedule. Stress relief fosters healthy habits and productivity”.
These ideas didn’t just happen out of the air. There was serious thought and ingenuity in bringing these thoughts to fruition. “Google is the only dotcom to achieve the rare distinction of zero percent employee turnover” according to 123oye.com (n.d.). So Google seems to have won the battle between success and employee satisfaction. But not every company can have hockey tournaments, foosball competitions, and Zen-like atmospheres for their employees. A plan to optimize employee production and balance it with reasonable employee satisfaction comes from listening to what employees have to say. If they’re uncomfortable in the way desks are arranged, try a different configuration until a good balance is found. When an employee asks why the company doesn’t have bottled water or reverse osmosis filtering, have a company bring in a water dispenser or, if funds allow, have a filtration system put in on the drinking fountains. These are simple things that make employees happy and they feel they are appreciated.
Innovative companies have excelled at developing employees that can identify a problem, collaborate with a team or management, and fix or avoid the issue. Mentoring and/or finding these types of individuals have been a hurdle for every company on the planet. An experienced HR department with clear instructions and definitions of the type of person needed and the job description so a person’s qualifications can be matched to the job that will do the best job and reduce turn-over and increase productivity. Other properties of innovative companies are reward systems, handling failure with praise for initiative, and creating a learning environment that set them apart from the norm. Companies that continue to reinvent themselves consistently produce higher profits and lower turnover rates. So innovative companies are ones that hire and develop the best and brightest talent they can afford, create learning environments that foster creativity and idea, and reinvent themselves when the time is right to keep them at the forefront of their industries.
Healthcare Reform in America
1. Title: How Health Reform Will Affect Older Americans
2. Author: Mark Miller
3. Source: Businessweek Magazine
4. Topic: U.S. Healthcare Reform
5. Talking Points:
• Medicare cuts
• Medicare benefits
• Other add ins
6. Summary:
The new healthcare reform bill signed into law by President Obama has had numerous opponents that have told older Americans that the bill has Medicare cuts built in, that the government will control last rites decisions, and eliminate prescription drug coverages for seniors. The author researched the bill and has highlighted the main contradictions to these claims. First, traditional Medicare benefits have not been cut. The only reductions have been to the “reimbursements to Medicare Advantage” according to the author. This translates to reductions for doctors not in the benefits for Medicare recipients. The reason for this is because the companies that Medicare Advantage enlists to provide care have been “reimbursed by the federal government at 114 percent of regular Medicare rates” and this takes money away from traditional Medicare recipients. Second, the Medicare part D drug coverage has gaps in the coverage levels that cause undue hardship on members that fall in the gap between $2,830 in out-of-pocket expenses and the top level at $4,550 in out-of-pocket expenses. In that gap the member is responsible for all costs associated with their prescription costs. Some seniors can barely afford their medication at the reduced rates and most cannot pay the cost in the gap area. The healthcare reform law reduces that cost by 50% on name brand drugs to help offset the cost in the gap levels. Plus it reduces the gap level each year until in 2020 the gap is gone, meaning all Medicare part D members will have coverage with gaps. There are also tax rebates for those in the gap area to help for this year 2010. Lastly, for the rest of those Americans who do not have health insurance due to pre-existing condition, they will not be denied coverage because of that fact. A new “high-risk insurance pool” will be created to allow those families to buy into an affordable plan.
7. Level of data: Actual research data
8. Conclusions:
• Medicare members will not see a reduction in their benefits
• Medicare part D members will see more affordable options for medication
• People with pre-existing conditions will be able to buy coverage
9. Recommendations: Excellent article that helps people understand that the opponents did have scare tactics involved to put fear into seniors about the law. And it clears up some issues about the vague parts of Medicare part D.
10. Relevance: Very relevant to economics because it shows how the cost of Medicare has been ignored in the past. It shows how seniors can benefit from the reduction in costs to their medications.
How Health Reform Will Affect Older Americans
Mark Miller
Opponents of health reform used smokescreens to frighten older Americans -- conjuring up everything from death panels to dire predictions of slashed Medicare budgets and totalitarian takeovers of hospitals and doctors' offices.
But it's really not nice to scare Grandma.
So, now that the smoke is starting to clear, let's consider the important benefits in the new law for people over age 50. They fall into two groups: people over 65 on Medicare, and everyone else.
First, Medicare
The key smokescreen here was that reform would be funded through draconian cuts to Medicare.
But, as I've stated before in this space, the law contains no reductions in traditional Medicare benefits. None.
What the law does do is reduce reimbursements to Medicare Advantage -- the privatized Medicare insurance plans that offer all-in-one medical and drug coverage. These are managed care plans from insurance companies -- PPOs, HMOs and the like.
These plans have been growing quickly in recent years. But they are reimbursed by the federal government at 114 percent of regular Medicare rates, a payment scheme that was put in place to stimulate the Advantage market but amounts to no more than a big subsidy to insurance companies. The new law freezes the reimbursements at current levels through 2011, and then reduces payments by$116 billion over a period of years, ultimately equalizing them with traditional Medicare.
Will that translate to a squeeze on Advantage plans? Not necessarily.
The new law also offers bonuses to Advantage plans that meet certain benchmarks for high quality care. "That could engender a race to the top," argues Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center.
Moreover, it's important to keep in mind that Advantage plans operate in a competitive marketplace; if a plan were to slash benefits, enrollees could simply move to more attractive plans during the annual enrollment period. It's more likely that the reduced reimbursements will put pressure on insurance company profit margins.
And these plans could stand some tightening up.
A recent report to Congress on Advantage prepared by the majority staff of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce found that:
-- Medicare paid $12 billion more in 2009 for Advantage beneficiaries than it would have if the beneficiaries had participated in traditional Medicare.
-- Advantage plans are spending less of every premium dollar on actual medical care delivery than basic Medicare.
-- Twenty-three insurance companies in the program spent $121 million on 355 corporate retreats for executives, insurance brokers and board members between 2008 and 2009.
Next, let's talk about the new Medicare benefits contained in the law
First, the Medicare D prescription drug doughnut hole will be closed. That's the coverage gap that starts when a beneficiary's annual out-of-pocket spending hits$2,830, and resumes at the catastrophic level ($4,550 out of pocket).
This year, patients who enter the doughnut hole will get a $250 rebate. In 2011, pharmaceutical companies will provide a discount of 50 percent on brand-name drugs to low- and middle-income beneficiaries who find themselves in the doughnut hole. Then, the doughnut hole itself will shrink a bit every year, ultimately disappearing entirely in 2020.
The law also contains some important improvements to traditional Medicare aimed at boosting preventive care. Deductibles and co-payments will be eliminated for most preventive care services, starting this year. And doctors will receive incentives for joining “accountable care organizations", which will coordinate patient care and foster greater attention to prevention.
Starting next year, Medicare patients also will be able to get an annual wellness visit -- with no co-payment or deductible -- that includes a comprehensive health risk assessment and a long-term personalized prevention plan.
One possible negative in the bill for retirees is the end of a tax break starting in 2013 for employers that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible employees. The ranks of these employers has been dwindling fast in recent years, but ending the tax subsidy could encourage more companies to discontinue the benefit or encourage retirees to use Medicare Part D benefits instead.
Meanwhile, the new law will help millions of older Americans who have lost health insurance but are too young for Medicare.
While insurability issues affect Americans of all ages, the problems are acute for people over 50, who tend to have more pre-existing conditions than younger people do, and use more health care.
Starting this year, insurance companies won't be able to refuse applicants with pre-existing conditions, and the new law also creates new insurance options for people without group coverage. Within six months, you can buy into a new high-risk insurance pool that caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $5,950 for individuals and $11,900 for families. While buying coverage will be mandated for most people starting in 2014, tax credits will be available on a sliding income-based scale to help make the coverage affordable.
The high-risk pool will serve as a bridge to longer-term solutions.
These include private insurance exchanges that will operate starting in 2014, as well as expanded Medicare for low-income households.
The new individual insurance options will open up some very positive new options for baby boomers in their 50s and early 60s, many of whom are eager to move on to second careers, entrepreneurial ventures and other new paths, but have been hanging on to jobs solely for the health benefits.
Health reform gives them the freedom to move on.
That will stimulate entrepreneurial activity, and it's going to open up spots on the management charts, allowing younger people to advance.
Is the smoke clearing for you yet?
2. Author: Mark Miller
3. Source: Businessweek Magazine
4. Topic: U.S. Healthcare Reform
5. Talking Points:
• Medicare cuts
• Medicare benefits
• Other add ins
6. Summary:
The new healthcare reform bill signed into law by President Obama has had numerous opponents that have told older Americans that the bill has Medicare cuts built in, that the government will control last rites decisions, and eliminate prescription drug coverages for seniors. The author researched the bill and has highlighted the main contradictions to these claims. First, traditional Medicare benefits have not been cut. The only reductions have been to the “reimbursements to Medicare Advantage” according to the author. This translates to reductions for doctors not in the benefits for Medicare recipients. The reason for this is because the companies that Medicare Advantage enlists to provide care have been “reimbursed by the federal government at 114 percent of regular Medicare rates” and this takes money away from traditional Medicare recipients. Second, the Medicare part D drug coverage has gaps in the coverage levels that cause undue hardship on members that fall in the gap between $2,830 in out-of-pocket expenses and the top level at $4,550 in out-of-pocket expenses. In that gap the member is responsible for all costs associated with their prescription costs. Some seniors can barely afford their medication at the reduced rates and most cannot pay the cost in the gap area. The healthcare reform law reduces that cost by 50% on name brand drugs to help offset the cost in the gap levels. Plus it reduces the gap level each year until in 2020 the gap is gone, meaning all Medicare part D members will have coverage with gaps. There are also tax rebates for those in the gap area to help for this year 2010. Lastly, for the rest of those Americans who do not have health insurance due to pre-existing condition, they will not be denied coverage because of that fact. A new “high-risk insurance pool” will be created to allow those families to buy into an affordable plan.
7. Level of data: Actual research data
8. Conclusions:
• Medicare members will not see a reduction in their benefits
• Medicare part D members will see more affordable options for medication
• People with pre-existing conditions will be able to buy coverage
9. Recommendations: Excellent article that helps people understand that the opponents did have scare tactics involved to put fear into seniors about the law. And it clears up some issues about the vague parts of Medicare part D.
10. Relevance: Very relevant to economics because it shows how the cost of Medicare has been ignored in the past. It shows how seniors can benefit from the reduction in costs to their medications.
How Health Reform Will Affect Older Americans
Mark Miller
Opponents of health reform used smokescreens to frighten older Americans -- conjuring up everything from death panels to dire predictions of slashed Medicare budgets and totalitarian takeovers of hospitals and doctors' offices.
But it's really not nice to scare Grandma.
So, now that the smoke is starting to clear, let's consider the important benefits in the new law for people over age 50. They fall into two groups: people over 65 on Medicare, and everyone else.
First, Medicare
The key smokescreen here was that reform would be funded through draconian cuts to Medicare.
But, as I've stated before in this space, the law contains no reductions in traditional Medicare benefits. None.
What the law does do is reduce reimbursements to Medicare Advantage -- the privatized Medicare insurance plans that offer all-in-one medical and drug coverage. These are managed care plans from insurance companies -- PPOs, HMOs and the like.
These plans have been growing quickly in recent years. But they are reimbursed by the federal government at 114 percent of regular Medicare rates, a payment scheme that was put in place to stimulate the Advantage market but amounts to no more than a big subsidy to insurance companies. The new law freezes the reimbursements at current levels through 2011, and then reduces payments by$116 billion over a period of years, ultimately equalizing them with traditional Medicare.
Will that translate to a squeeze on Advantage plans? Not necessarily.
The new law also offers bonuses to Advantage plans that meet certain benchmarks for high quality care. "That could engender a race to the top," argues Joe Baker, president of the Medicare Rights Center.
Moreover, it's important to keep in mind that Advantage plans operate in a competitive marketplace; if a plan were to slash benefits, enrollees could simply move to more attractive plans during the annual enrollment period. It's more likely that the reduced reimbursements will put pressure on insurance company profit margins.
And these plans could stand some tightening up.
A recent report to Congress on Advantage prepared by the majority staff of the U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce found that:
-- Medicare paid $12 billion more in 2009 for Advantage beneficiaries than it would have if the beneficiaries had participated in traditional Medicare.
-- Advantage plans are spending less of every premium dollar on actual medical care delivery than basic Medicare.
-- Twenty-three insurance companies in the program spent $121 million on 355 corporate retreats for executives, insurance brokers and board members between 2008 and 2009.
Next, let's talk about the new Medicare benefits contained in the law
First, the Medicare D prescription drug doughnut hole will be closed. That's the coverage gap that starts when a beneficiary's annual out-of-pocket spending hits$2,830, and resumes at the catastrophic level ($4,550 out of pocket).
This year, patients who enter the doughnut hole will get a $250 rebate. In 2011, pharmaceutical companies will provide a discount of 50 percent on brand-name drugs to low- and middle-income beneficiaries who find themselves in the doughnut hole. Then, the doughnut hole itself will shrink a bit every year, ultimately disappearing entirely in 2020.
The law also contains some important improvements to traditional Medicare aimed at boosting preventive care. Deductibles and co-payments will be eliminated for most preventive care services, starting this year. And doctors will receive incentives for joining “accountable care organizations", which will coordinate patient care and foster greater attention to prevention.
Starting next year, Medicare patients also will be able to get an annual wellness visit -- with no co-payment or deductible -- that includes a comprehensive health risk assessment and a long-term personalized prevention plan.
One possible negative in the bill for retirees is the end of a tax break starting in 2013 for employers that provide prescription drug coverage to Medicare-eligible employees. The ranks of these employers has been dwindling fast in recent years, but ending the tax subsidy could encourage more companies to discontinue the benefit or encourage retirees to use Medicare Part D benefits instead.
Meanwhile, the new law will help millions of older Americans who have lost health insurance but are too young for Medicare.
While insurability issues affect Americans of all ages, the problems are acute for people over 50, who tend to have more pre-existing conditions than younger people do, and use more health care.
Starting this year, insurance companies won't be able to refuse applicants with pre-existing conditions, and the new law also creates new insurance options for people without group coverage. Within six months, you can buy into a new high-risk insurance pool that caps annual out-of-pocket costs at $5,950 for individuals and $11,900 for families. While buying coverage will be mandated for most people starting in 2014, tax credits will be available on a sliding income-based scale to help make the coverage affordable.
The high-risk pool will serve as a bridge to longer-term solutions.
These include private insurance exchanges that will operate starting in 2014, as well as expanded Medicare for low-income households.
The new individual insurance options will open up some very positive new options for baby boomers in their 50s and early 60s, many of whom are eager to move on to second careers, entrepreneurial ventures and other new paths, but have been hanging on to jobs solely for the health benefits.
Health reform gives them the freedom to move on.
That will stimulate entrepreneurial activity, and it's going to open up spots on the management charts, allowing younger people to advance.
Is the smoke clearing for you yet?
Current Conditions in the Automotive Market
General Motors fights for the coveted spot of number one in the global automotive manufacturing market. The company held the spot for more than sixty years until the first quarter of 2007 when Toyota Motors overtook GM as number in automotive sales globally. General Motors sold approximately 9.3 million vehicles worldwide in 2007 according to the General Motors website. Toyota announced the same number of sales at 9.3 million. According to Edmunds GM edged Toyota by merely 3,000 units to maintain overall global sales supremacy (Edmunds.com, 2008). Light vehicle sales were 16.15 million for 2007; number one GM’s portion was 3.87 million units to, second place, Toyota’s 2.63 million units (Autoobserver.com, 2008). Current numbers are down significantly from 2007 and highs in 2006. General Motors has not announced summer numbers for the third quarter of 2008. The first two quarters are devastatingly low compared to recent years. GM sales, for the first three quarters of 2008, have been off 18.3% from the same time last year.
New companies entering the market, whose downturn has all but crippled U.S. companies; have their work cut out for themselves. Tata Motors Limited in India is one of three new companies trying to grab a share of the world market. Tata manufacturers light cars and trucks, also medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles. The company is bringing to market an inexpensive sub-compact car called the Nano. The vehicle will sell for approximately $2,500. The company hopes the car will sell well in gas guzzling countries such as the U.S. and China. The car has yet to pass safety standards in many countries and it is unknown how the upgrades will affect the price. Some companies are pulling out of slow or defunct areas of the globe. China has increased sales for GM in the last decade, but recently sales have also slowed in China for other manufacturers. Smart Car USA is another company in recent months to dive into the sub-compact market with the ForTwo. The company has had better than expected sales due to high fuel prices and exceeding U.S. highway safety standards.
General Motors adjusts prices continuously to entice customers to buy their automobiles. During the summer of 2008 GM advertised employee pricing for everyone. This scheme was believed to kick start sales. Due to the economic downturn customers did not rush out and begin buying cars and trucks. Employee pricing allows dealers to sell vehicles at a lower price, a small percentage above cost. Financing has become harder to qualify for because the financial industry is in a freefall and the government has to bail out the banks. Banks and lending institutions are tightening the reins on sub-prime and risky loans.
Technology may help save General Motors from complete collapse. The introduction of the Volt, a full electric plug in car, in 2009 is predicted to catapult GM into the next decade. New hybrid technology has helped brands Chevrolet and GMC to compete in the market of large SUVs. The Tahoe and Yukon hybrids have sold light numbers compared to smaller hybrids from Toyota and Honda. Cadillac has jumped onboard and has introduced the Escalade Hybrid. This truck is a full-size, luxury SUV that GM is hoping will entice luxury owners to convert to greener vehicles. New safety standards like second generation airbags, traction control, and roll-over avoidance are great leaps forward for the automotive industry. Luxuries like XM satellite radio, navigation systems, and OnStar are big selling points for General Motors. Automatic drive systems are in development and are still in the infant stage but the technology is quickly gaining ground.
Productivity within GM is nowhere the standards of Toyota or Honda and labor unions continue to put pressure on the American auto industry to drive up wages and benefits without stepping up production to pay for these costs. The labor units cost GM more each year as older workers retire and new workers must replace them. The retirement pensions continue to rise as retirees are living longer and wages for the factory workers rise because of union contracts. This phenomenon has caused GM to close plants and lay-off workers. Honda and Toyota do not have these problems because their employees do not retirement plans or large severance packages when a plant closes or staff is reduced. Fixed costs are rare in the automotive industry, and the variable costs grow each year. Fixed costs are the contractual agreements the company faces each year. Wages, benefits, and parts supplies are contracted to stay flat throughout the duration. The variable costs continue to skyrocket each year as fuel costs are out of control, shipping costs are tied to the rise in fuel, and energy costs like electricity and water.
Demand is waning every month and costs are rising. General Motors continues to change the prices of the vehicles or making deals with lower interest rates to bring customers into the dealerships. Nothing has helped drive sales up in the lagging economy. Dealerships are being consolidated or eliminated altogether to cut costs and give customers less options. Less competing dealerships allows GM to keep inventories lower and meet the drop in demand. AutoNation is the largest automotive retailer in the world. Bill Heard Inc. was the largest GM dealer franchise in the U.S. until the recent collapse and subsequent bankruptcy of the company. AutoNation has closed and consolidated a number of dealerships dropping the number of dealerships from approximately 350 nationwide to 250. This has helped GM to shed inventory costs and allowed production to drop off to meet demand. This also has caused GM to close plants and release workers. The plan is to close the Moraine and Janesville plants in December 2008 and early 2009 respectively. Over 8,000 jobs will be cut saving millions over the next five years as GM concentrates on producing smaller cars.
Supply and demand are tricky puzzles GM and the rest of American auto manufacturers are having a hard time figuring out. GM has lowered production to meet demand, but as the economy continues to spiral downward and costs for families rise, demand is slipping lower and supply is still too high. Inventories are setting dead on dealers’ lots while sales continue to slide. The hope of the government’s 700 billion dollar bailout of the financial industry is that lending will begin to help stabilize the economy and cash will flow back into circulation. The problem is consumers are scared and do not want to risk their money by making unnecessary purchases.
General Motors chief Rick Wagoner is optimistic about the future of the company. He believes the company will rebound and continue to reign as the superpower of the auto industry. Some experts have talked about the collapse of GM and eventual bankruptcy. Rick Wagoner has denied these claims and says the company is in great shape financially even though sales have dropped.
References
Autoobserver.com (2008). 2007: A Historic Year for U.S. Vehicle Sales. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/2007-a-historic-year-for-us-vehicle-sales.html
Edmunds.com (2008). GM Edges Toyota in Global Sales in 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=124482
New companies entering the market, whose downturn has all but crippled U.S. companies; have their work cut out for themselves. Tata Motors Limited in India is one of three new companies trying to grab a share of the world market. Tata manufacturers light cars and trucks, also medium and heavy duty commercial vehicles. The company is bringing to market an inexpensive sub-compact car called the Nano. The vehicle will sell for approximately $2,500. The company hopes the car will sell well in gas guzzling countries such as the U.S. and China. The car has yet to pass safety standards in many countries and it is unknown how the upgrades will affect the price. Some companies are pulling out of slow or defunct areas of the globe. China has increased sales for GM in the last decade, but recently sales have also slowed in China for other manufacturers. Smart Car USA is another company in recent months to dive into the sub-compact market with the ForTwo. The company has had better than expected sales due to high fuel prices and exceeding U.S. highway safety standards.
General Motors adjusts prices continuously to entice customers to buy their automobiles. During the summer of 2008 GM advertised employee pricing for everyone. This scheme was believed to kick start sales. Due to the economic downturn customers did not rush out and begin buying cars and trucks. Employee pricing allows dealers to sell vehicles at a lower price, a small percentage above cost. Financing has become harder to qualify for because the financial industry is in a freefall and the government has to bail out the banks. Banks and lending institutions are tightening the reins on sub-prime and risky loans.
Technology may help save General Motors from complete collapse. The introduction of the Volt, a full electric plug in car, in 2009 is predicted to catapult GM into the next decade. New hybrid technology has helped brands Chevrolet and GMC to compete in the market of large SUVs. The Tahoe and Yukon hybrids have sold light numbers compared to smaller hybrids from Toyota and Honda. Cadillac has jumped onboard and has introduced the Escalade Hybrid. This truck is a full-size, luxury SUV that GM is hoping will entice luxury owners to convert to greener vehicles. New safety standards like second generation airbags, traction control, and roll-over avoidance are great leaps forward for the automotive industry. Luxuries like XM satellite radio, navigation systems, and OnStar are big selling points for General Motors. Automatic drive systems are in development and are still in the infant stage but the technology is quickly gaining ground.
Productivity within GM is nowhere the standards of Toyota or Honda and labor unions continue to put pressure on the American auto industry to drive up wages and benefits without stepping up production to pay for these costs. The labor units cost GM more each year as older workers retire and new workers must replace them. The retirement pensions continue to rise as retirees are living longer and wages for the factory workers rise because of union contracts. This phenomenon has caused GM to close plants and lay-off workers. Honda and Toyota do not have these problems because their employees do not retirement plans or large severance packages when a plant closes or staff is reduced. Fixed costs are rare in the automotive industry, and the variable costs grow each year. Fixed costs are the contractual agreements the company faces each year. Wages, benefits, and parts supplies are contracted to stay flat throughout the duration. The variable costs continue to skyrocket each year as fuel costs are out of control, shipping costs are tied to the rise in fuel, and energy costs like electricity and water.
Demand is waning every month and costs are rising. General Motors continues to change the prices of the vehicles or making deals with lower interest rates to bring customers into the dealerships. Nothing has helped drive sales up in the lagging economy. Dealerships are being consolidated or eliminated altogether to cut costs and give customers less options. Less competing dealerships allows GM to keep inventories lower and meet the drop in demand. AutoNation is the largest automotive retailer in the world. Bill Heard Inc. was the largest GM dealer franchise in the U.S. until the recent collapse and subsequent bankruptcy of the company. AutoNation has closed and consolidated a number of dealerships dropping the number of dealerships from approximately 350 nationwide to 250. This has helped GM to shed inventory costs and allowed production to drop off to meet demand. This also has caused GM to close plants and release workers. The plan is to close the Moraine and Janesville plants in December 2008 and early 2009 respectively. Over 8,000 jobs will be cut saving millions over the next five years as GM concentrates on producing smaller cars.
Supply and demand are tricky puzzles GM and the rest of American auto manufacturers are having a hard time figuring out. GM has lowered production to meet demand, but as the economy continues to spiral downward and costs for families rise, demand is slipping lower and supply is still too high. Inventories are setting dead on dealers’ lots while sales continue to slide. The hope of the government’s 700 billion dollar bailout of the financial industry is that lending will begin to help stabilize the economy and cash will flow back into circulation. The problem is consumers are scared and do not want to risk their money by making unnecessary purchases.
General Motors chief Rick Wagoner is optimistic about the future of the company. He believes the company will rebound and continue to reign as the superpower of the auto industry. Some experts have talked about the collapse of GM and eventual bankruptcy. Rick Wagoner has denied these claims and says the company is in great shape financially even though sales have dropped.
References
Autoobserver.com (2008). 2007: A Historic Year for U.S. Vehicle Sales. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from http://www.autoobserver.com/2008/01/2007-a-historic-year-for-us-vehicle-sales.html
Edmunds.com (2008). GM Edges Toyota in Global Sales in 2007. Retrieved October 12, 2008, from http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/News/articleId=124482
Ethics in Business
Ethics in the business world has become a media showcase in the last decade. With Enron, WorldCom, Tyco, Bernie Madoff, Martha Stewart, and Hilary and Bill Clinton having their business dealings questioned and investigated the country has been thrust into an ethics conundrum. What is right and/or wrong? What are the guidelines? Who decides what is right/wrong? The questions posed here are not the same for everyone. Ethics and morals of the individual are based on our experiences, childhood lessons, parents, school, and friends, among others.
In business the ethics, morals, goals, mission, and policies are made up by the owner(s), board of directors, or in the case of the government, Federal and State lawmakers. A company’s goal or mission states what the company plans to do in its life cycle. The ethics of the company are major contributors to the formation of the mission statement. No company states its mission to rip-off, cheat, and swindle its customers out of as much money as it can before getting caught. Although some companies have done this, the mission statement of a company, like Enron stated “Respect, Integrity, Communication and Excellence”, is opposite of the actions shown by the company (Corporate-aliens.com, n.d.). Enron’s Code of Ethics stated,
“As officers and Enron Corp, its subsidiaries, and its affiliated companies, we are responsible for conducting the business affairs of the companies in accordance with all applicable laws and in a moral and honest manner...We want to be proud of Enron and to know that it enjoys a reputation for fairness and honesty and that it is respected. Compliance with the law and ethical standards are conditions of employment and violations will result in disciplinary action, which may include termination...in addition to responding to the Act, we are adopting this Policy Statement to avoid even the appearance of improper conduct on the part of anyone employed by or associated with the Company...We have all worked hard over the years to establish our reputation for integrity and ethical conduct. We cannot afford to have it damaged” (Soxfirst.com, 2006).
Enron unfortunately has become a poster child for how a company can get off track from its mission and code of ethics. The victims of these companies continue to feel the effects of these companies and their unethical behavior.
Ethics and Social Responsibility
A company’s social responsibility is directly correlated to its code of ethics. Nike’s code of ethics requires its contractors and partners to abide by the same rules as Nike’s employees. One part that stands out as a socially responsible plan is “The contractor has written environmental, safety, and health policies and standards and implements a system to minimize negative impacts on the environment, reduce work-related injury and illness, and promote the general health of employees” (Pearce II & Robinson, 2011). This shows that Nike has a plan to reduce its environmental footprint and provide a safe workplace for its employees. This also requires Nike’s partners to adapt themselves to the same principles. With this plan Nike has forced its business ethics onto its partners and contractors. In some countries child labor and workers pay are not regulated by the governments of those countries. Nike has required that companies in its business community that wants to be a partner adhere to standards that Nike has deemed necessary to keep Nike’s image in the global marketplace high. Nike has addressed this in its code of ethics plan, “The contractor does not employ any person below the age of 18 to produce footwear. The contractor does not employ any person below the age of 16 to produce apparel, accessories, or equipment. If at the time Nike production begins, the contractor employs people of the legal working age who are at least 15, that employment may continue, but the contractor will not hire any person going forward who is younger than the Nike or legal age limit, whichever is higher” and “The contractor provides each employee at least the minimum wage, or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher; provides each employee a clear, written accounting for every pay period; and does not deduct from employee pay for disciplinary infractions” (Pearce II & Robinson, 2011). Companies with global power and consumer face value can use that leverage to impose its will on its partner companies. This poses the question, is that ethical? So the more money and power a company has can create ethical guidelines that other companies must follow or risk not being part of the success of the guiding company.
Ethical Perspective
Over the course of my educational experiences with the University of Phoenix my idea of ethics has been amended to view more than just the actions that affect me. I now assess how my actions will ethically affect others; teammates, subordinates, superiors, clients, and partners. I previously felt something that did not affect me in a positive way was unethical. Now I realize that view was selfish. I now view ethics as a basis for how an individual conducts him/herself in society for the benefit of all peoples. Treating people with respect and dignity is only part of ethics. Moreover being an ethical people does not make you a good person. Character and ethics go hand-in-hand.
In business the ethics, morals, goals, mission, and policies are made up by the owner(s), board of directors, or in the case of the government, Federal and State lawmakers. A company’s goal or mission states what the company plans to do in its life cycle. The ethics of the company are major contributors to the formation of the mission statement. No company states its mission to rip-off, cheat, and swindle its customers out of as much money as it can before getting caught. Although some companies have done this, the mission statement of a company, like Enron stated “Respect, Integrity, Communication and Excellence”, is opposite of the actions shown by the company (Corporate-aliens.com, n.d.). Enron’s Code of Ethics stated,
“As officers and Enron Corp, its subsidiaries, and its affiliated companies, we are responsible for conducting the business affairs of the companies in accordance with all applicable laws and in a moral and honest manner...We want to be proud of Enron and to know that it enjoys a reputation for fairness and honesty and that it is respected. Compliance with the law and ethical standards are conditions of employment and violations will result in disciplinary action, which may include termination...in addition to responding to the Act, we are adopting this Policy Statement to avoid even the appearance of improper conduct on the part of anyone employed by or associated with the Company...We have all worked hard over the years to establish our reputation for integrity and ethical conduct. We cannot afford to have it damaged” (Soxfirst.com, 2006).
Enron unfortunately has become a poster child for how a company can get off track from its mission and code of ethics. The victims of these companies continue to feel the effects of these companies and their unethical behavior.
Ethics and Social Responsibility
A company’s social responsibility is directly correlated to its code of ethics. Nike’s code of ethics requires its contractors and partners to abide by the same rules as Nike’s employees. One part that stands out as a socially responsible plan is “The contractor has written environmental, safety, and health policies and standards and implements a system to minimize negative impacts on the environment, reduce work-related injury and illness, and promote the general health of employees” (Pearce II & Robinson, 2011). This shows that Nike has a plan to reduce its environmental footprint and provide a safe workplace for its employees. This also requires Nike’s partners to adapt themselves to the same principles. With this plan Nike has forced its business ethics onto its partners and contractors. In some countries child labor and workers pay are not regulated by the governments of those countries. Nike has required that companies in its business community that wants to be a partner adhere to standards that Nike has deemed necessary to keep Nike’s image in the global marketplace high. Nike has addressed this in its code of ethics plan, “The contractor does not employ any person below the age of 18 to produce footwear. The contractor does not employ any person below the age of 16 to produce apparel, accessories, or equipment. If at the time Nike production begins, the contractor employs people of the legal working age who are at least 15, that employment may continue, but the contractor will not hire any person going forward who is younger than the Nike or legal age limit, whichever is higher” and “The contractor provides each employee at least the minimum wage, or the prevailing industry wage, whichever is higher; provides each employee a clear, written accounting for every pay period; and does not deduct from employee pay for disciplinary infractions” (Pearce II & Robinson, 2011). Companies with global power and consumer face value can use that leverage to impose its will on its partner companies. This poses the question, is that ethical? So the more money and power a company has can create ethical guidelines that other companies must follow or risk not being part of the success of the guiding company.
Ethical Perspective
Over the course of my educational experiences with the University of Phoenix my idea of ethics has been amended to view more than just the actions that affect me. I now assess how my actions will ethically affect others; teammates, subordinates, superiors, clients, and partners. I previously felt something that did not affect me in a positive way was unethical. Now I realize that view was selfish. I now view ethics as a basis for how an individual conducts him/herself in society for the benefit of all peoples. Treating people with respect and dignity is only part of ethics. Moreover being an ethical people does not make you a good person. Character and ethics go hand-in-hand.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Choosing an Internet Savvy Marketing Agency
It is estimated that 64% of all shoppers seek out the product or service online before they go to the store. Of that 64%, 38% will buy from the first place the customers visit (Marketing News, 2009). Considering these numbers would it not be smart to increase the web presence of your company. Today's Internet savvy purchaser is educated and self-informed about the types of products he/she is interested. More than six out of ten purchasers have researched the product to the point that he/she is comfortable with the knowledge of function, cost, reliability, and warranty. Making your product stand out among the competition is harder than you think. A knowledgeable marketing professional has spent hundreds, if not thousands, of hours researching, testing, and perfecting a plan to develop, introduce, and advertise your product to the public. Only a marketing professional can put your products in front of prospective purchasers with positive results. Most company owners do not have the time to invest hours per day to perform market research, client testing, and ad development. Hiring a full-time marketing director is impossible for most companies so the owner(s) sublet or contract with a marketing/advertising company. This frees up time to run the business, but how do you know who to choose for your marketing needs.
A marketing/advertising company should give you multiple options and have several examples of previous successful campaigns run by the agency. DO NOT contract with the first company you meet with or you will be sorry. Interview several different marketing companies and ask many questions about past campaigns. Ask to interview clients of the company, good advertising agencies will have many clients how will vouch for the marketing company's good name and show you examples of successful campaigns. After interviewing several companies narrow your list to two or three selections and request a small demonstration of the companies ability to present your products to purchasers. A mock presentation should be no problem for a good agency.
When you receive your presentation now you can make a decision based on your company's wants and needs. This also gives you a chance to see how the agency's culture matches with you own. Developing an ad campaign is not a clip art laden PowerPoint presentation. The presentation should have all aspects of media involved which will fit your budget and reach your target customers. A marketing firm that consistently comes in significantly under budget is short changing you. If you have $10,000 to spend, the agency should use $10,000. Anything less and you are not effectively using your money and something is being left out. Do not think your agency is giving you a deal. The agency should be using every penny available to get your product out in front of your clients. The opposite is true too. If the agency is consistently coming back to you to get more money then it is not using your money correctly. If the quote to perform a campaign set is $10,000 and then the agency comes back and tries to renegotiate the terms or cost, DO NOT comply unless you have thoroughly investigated the reasons behind the increase. A contract to perform work is to protect you as well as the agency. A reputable marketing firm with years of experience will be able to create a campaign to within pennies of the budget you give them. But do not expect a Super Bowl ad campaign on an infomercial budget.
An ad campaign should definitely include Internet ads and social media blasting. Facebook and Twitter are vast wells of potential customers just waiting to buy your products. Introducing your company to users of social media can create a web presence unlike anything you could accomplish with billboards, radio spots, and television commercials. By integrating your company's website with social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook you can introduce your product to new clientele. More companies are creating Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep up with new trends and fads customers want. Knowledgeable marketing agents can put your company and products in front of thousands of new customers through social media. Make sure this is part of your ad campaign whenever you hire an agency.
A marketing/advertising company should give you multiple options and have several examples of previous successful campaigns run by the agency. DO NOT contract with the first company you meet with or you will be sorry. Interview several different marketing companies and ask many questions about past campaigns. Ask to interview clients of the company, good advertising agencies will have many clients how will vouch for the marketing company's good name and show you examples of successful campaigns. After interviewing several companies narrow your list to two or three selections and request a small demonstration of the companies ability to present your products to purchasers. A mock presentation should be no problem for a good agency.
When you receive your presentation now you can make a decision based on your company's wants and needs. This also gives you a chance to see how the agency's culture matches with you own. Developing an ad campaign is not a clip art laden PowerPoint presentation. The presentation should have all aspects of media involved which will fit your budget and reach your target customers. A marketing firm that consistently comes in significantly under budget is short changing you. If you have $10,000 to spend, the agency should use $10,000. Anything less and you are not effectively using your money and something is being left out. Do not think your agency is giving you a deal. The agency should be using every penny available to get your product out in front of your clients. The opposite is true too. If the agency is consistently coming back to you to get more money then it is not using your money correctly. If the quote to perform a campaign set is $10,000 and then the agency comes back and tries to renegotiate the terms or cost, DO NOT comply unless you have thoroughly investigated the reasons behind the increase. A contract to perform work is to protect you as well as the agency. A reputable marketing firm with years of experience will be able to create a campaign to within pennies of the budget you give them. But do not expect a Super Bowl ad campaign on an infomercial budget.
An ad campaign should definitely include Internet ads and social media blasting. Facebook and Twitter are vast wells of potential customers just waiting to buy your products. Introducing your company to users of social media can create a web presence unlike anything you could accomplish with billboards, radio spots, and television commercials. By integrating your company's website with social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook you can introduce your product to new clientele. More companies are creating Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep up with new trends and fads customers want. Knowledgeable marketing agents can put your company and products in front of thousands of new customers through social media. Make sure this is part of your ad campaign whenever you hire an agency.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Breast Cancer Awareness Making Strides Walk
http://makingstrides.acsevents.org/site/TR/MakingStridesAgainstBreastCancer/MSABCFY11National?pg=informational&fr_id=28080&type=fr_informational&sid=16393
This website will take you to the Making Strides website for breast cancer awareness. Get involved and help those who are fight this disease have a better chance of having many more happy birthdays. The American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure have helped fund the fight to see this disease that takes our wives, girlfriends, mothers, aunts, and friends from us. Please if you cannot participate donate to a sponsor or participant. The website explains how to sign up and/or donate to the cause.
I participate for my wife, Sabrina; my mother, Jean; my grandmother, Gwen (survivor); my wife's BFF, Sheryl (fighting victim); and my friends and women I don't even know. Helps fight for their quality of life and keep them here for their families to love and enjoy.
Big Daddy
09/22/2010
This website will take you to the Making Strides website for breast cancer awareness. Get involved and help those who are fight this disease have a better chance of having many more happy birthdays. The American Cancer Society and the Susan G. Komen Foundation for the Cure have helped fund the fight to see this disease that takes our wives, girlfriends, mothers, aunts, and friends from us. Please if you cannot participate donate to a sponsor or participant. The website explains how to sign up and/or donate to the cause.
I participate for my wife, Sabrina; my mother, Jean; my grandmother, Gwen (survivor); my wife's BFF, Sheryl (fighting victim); and my friends and women I don't even know. Helps fight for their quality of life and keep them here for their families to love and enjoy.
Big Daddy
09/22/2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
Georgia Man Wins Right to Keep Flying American Flag at Home
This story is one for all Americans out there who are tired of homeowners associations, or anyone else, trying to take down our flag. Old Glory has stood proud and flashed her stars and stripes over funerals, weddings, wars, and tribulations. To allow any person, association, or scumbag to dictate how to, where to, when to, and who can fly the United States of America's symbol of freedom is a sacrilege to all the soldiers, police officers, fire fighters, and any other American who has put their lives on the line and paid the ultimate sacrifice in honor of it.
Ron Tripodo, a former Army Reservist, of Canton, Georgia fought, like many Americans, against a ruthless homeowners association, at great expense, to honor our flag and his right to fly her in his front yard. The Bridgemill Homeowners Association claimed the flag was "an obstruction" and sued Mr' Tripodo in an effort to make him remove it. The judge presiding over the case dismissed the lawsuit and declared Mr. Tripodo did not owe the money. Ron Tripodo you are an honor to our country and I proudly thank you for your service and sacrifice. So now our flag is an obstruction? WOW! I've heard the flag called a lot of things, magnificent, awe inspiring, comforting, and lovely, but an obstruction has never enter my mind. The only way I could ever imagine Old Glory being an obstruction is if she fell across my windshield as I was driving down the freeway at 65 miles per hour and only a minor one. I hope the residents of Mr. Tripodo's neighborhood remember these scumbags when elections come around and/or vote to remove the HOA permanently.
Here is a summary, provided by Govtrack.us, "7/24/2006--Public Law. (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 - States that a condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association may not adopt or enforce any policy, or enter into any agreement, that would restrict or prevent an association member from displaying the U.S. flag on residential property within the association with respect to which such member has a separate ownership interest or a right to exclusive possession or use. States that nothing in this Act shall be considered to permit any display or use that is inconsistent with: (1) federal law or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper display or use of the flag; or (2) any reasonable restriction pertaining to the time, place, or manner of displaying the flag necessary to protect a substantial interest of the condominium, cooperative, or residential real estate management association." I posted this so that any homeowner who wishes to display the American flag on their property can do so without fear of the homeowners association in their area. There may exist height and easement limits so check with the HOA for those limitations. BUT they cannot tell you to take it down if you are within city, county, and state statues.
Big Daddy
08/27/2010
Ron Tripodo, a former Army Reservist, of Canton, Georgia fought, like many Americans, against a ruthless homeowners association, at great expense, to honor our flag and his right to fly her in his front yard. The Bridgemill Homeowners Association claimed the flag was "an obstruction" and sued Mr' Tripodo in an effort to make him remove it. The judge presiding over the case dismissed the lawsuit and declared Mr. Tripodo did not owe the money. Ron Tripodo you are an honor to our country and I proudly thank you for your service and sacrifice. So now our flag is an obstruction? WOW! I've heard the flag called a lot of things, magnificent, awe inspiring, comforting, and lovely, but an obstruction has never enter my mind. The only way I could ever imagine Old Glory being an obstruction is if she fell across my windshield as I was driving down the freeway at 65 miles per hour and only a minor one. I hope the residents of Mr. Tripodo's neighborhood remember these scumbags when elections come around and/or vote to remove the HOA permanently.
Here is a summary, provided by Govtrack.us, "7/24/2006--Public Law. (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary of that version is repeated here.) Freedom to Display the American Flag Act of 2005 - States that a condominium association, cooperative association, or residential real estate management association may not adopt or enforce any policy, or enter into any agreement, that would restrict or prevent an association member from displaying the U.S. flag on residential property within the association with respect to which such member has a separate ownership interest or a right to exclusive possession or use. States that nothing in this Act shall be considered to permit any display or use that is inconsistent with: (1) federal law or any rule or custom pertaining to the proper display or use of the flag; or (2) any reasonable restriction pertaining to the time, place, or manner of displaying the flag necessary to protect a substantial interest of the condominium, cooperative, or residential real estate management association." I posted this so that any homeowner who wishes to display the American flag on their property can do so without fear of the homeowners association in their area. There may exist height and easement limits so check with the HOA for those limitations. BUT they cannot tell you to take it down if you are within city, county, and state statues.
Big Daddy
08/27/2010
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Aid for Americans!! Sad Isn't It?!
Okay folks. I dusted off the soapbox and have now firmly planted my enormous feet upon it.
*Takes a breath*
What in the hell is going on in this country!!!!!!! Please Lord, my GOD and Savior, help me understand the stupidity of the people running this speck of land on this insignificant planet! I read this blurb by an unknown author and it hit me so hard that someone actually thinks like I do. Are there more? Are we the majority or the minority? Why can't we band together and put an end to these atrocities in this country? Are we that busy in our puny little lives that we can't help our fellow countrymen and women? What if you lost your job tomorrow? How about your home? Think about what you would do tomorrow if everything you owned was gone and you had nothing. There are people in our towns, on our streets, in your neighborhoods that are 30 days from being on the streets with nothing but the clothes on their backs and children in tow. But "Damn WE have to send money to Haiti, Pakistan, Chile, etc. to help those poor people". BULLSHIT!!! I can't tell you how sick I am of hearing celebrities and public figures jumping on the "Oh look at me! I'm doing good." bandwagon. Angelina, Brad, Madonna, Sandra, I'm talking to you. PISS OFF!!! You're all a joke. Those kids you just had to have, to make you look like some benevolent benefactor bringing love to the unfortunate, are just a slap in the face of the children sitting in orphanages in the United States of America praying that someday one of you high and mighty givers will walk through the door and give them the dream of a family and home. I guess it's too hard to adopt an American child because you can't BUY the child. JACKASSES!!
And to you so called religious people. What is with going to Asia, Central America, and every other poor country to hand out medical aid, build houses, and/or give money? Help the people here! Trust me I bet the ones here would appreciate it more.
I can't stand it. It breaks my heart to see Americans starving and begging for help. We have to save ourselves people. Those other countries are going to laugh in our faces when the shoe is on the other foot. You think China is buying our debt to be benevolent? HA! They're doing it so they take our country. We're so worried about helping everyone else and this country is going down in debt because of it. This recession (more like depression) is getting worse and we have no one to turn to or blame but ourselves.
This is the statement I read, "We're 'broke' & can't help our own Seniors, Homeless, Veterans, Orphans, etc.?? This is so pathetically true...in the last month we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey. Our retired seniors living on a fixed income receive no aid while our government and religious organizations pour hundreds of millions of dollars and tons of food to foreign countries. We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans. Why are so many American citizens, and the American government, so star struck they won't provide for our own? America: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents, clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies. Imagine if we gave ourselves the same support that we gave all other countries. I feel bad for them but I also care about America and our Seniors who developed this great country only to be forgotten.
Sad isn't it?
Big Daddy
08/26/2010
*Takes a breath*
What in the hell is going on in this country!!!!!!! Please Lord, my GOD and Savior, help me understand the stupidity of the people running this speck of land on this insignificant planet! I read this blurb by an unknown author and it hit me so hard that someone actually thinks like I do. Are there more? Are we the majority or the minority? Why can't we band together and put an end to these atrocities in this country? Are we that busy in our puny little lives that we can't help our fellow countrymen and women? What if you lost your job tomorrow? How about your home? Think about what you would do tomorrow if everything you owned was gone and you had nothing. There are people in our towns, on our streets, in your neighborhoods that are 30 days from being on the streets with nothing but the clothes on their backs and children in tow. But "Damn WE have to send money to Haiti, Pakistan, Chile, etc. to help those poor people". BULLSHIT!!! I can't tell you how sick I am of hearing celebrities and public figures jumping on the "Oh look at me! I'm doing good." bandwagon. Angelina, Brad, Madonna, Sandra, I'm talking to you. PISS OFF!!! You're all a joke. Those kids you just had to have, to make you look like some benevolent benefactor bringing love to the unfortunate, are just a slap in the face of the children sitting in orphanages in the United States of America praying that someday one of you high and mighty givers will walk through the door and give them the dream of a family and home. I guess it's too hard to adopt an American child because you can't BUY the child. JACKASSES!!
And to you so called religious people. What is with going to Asia, Central America, and every other poor country to hand out medical aid, build houses, and/or give money? Help the people here! Trust me I bet the ones here would appreciate it more.
I can't stand it. It breaks my heart to see Americans starving and begging for help. We have to save ourselves people. Those other countries are going to laugh in our faces when the shoe is on the other foot. You think China is buying our debt to be benevolent? HA! They're doing it so they take our country. We're so worried about helping everyone else and this country is going down in debt because of it. This recession (more like depression) is getting worse and we have no one to turn to or blame but ourselves.
This is the statement I read, "We're 'broke' & can't help our own Seniors, Homeless, Veterans, Orphans, etc.?? This is so pathetically true...in the last month we have provided aid to Haiti , Chile , and Turkey. Our retired seniors living on a fixed income receive no aid while our government and religious organizations pour hundreds of millions of dollars and tons of food to foreign countries. We have hundreds of adoptable children who are shoved aside to make room for the adoption of foreign orphans. Why are so many American citizens, and the American government, so star struck they won't provide for our own? America: a country where we have homeless without shelter, children going to bed without eating, elderly going without needed meds, and mentally ill without treatment - yet we have a benefit for the people of Haiti on 12 TV stations, ships and planes lining up with food, water, tents, clothes, bedding, doctors and medical supplies. Imagine if we gave ourselves the same support that we gave all other countries. I feel bad for them but I also care about America and our Seniors who developed this great country only to be forgotten.
Sad isn't it?
Big Daddy
08/26/2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
OK damn it I have a rant!! I know “what a freakin’ shock”, right? I hope the revelation hasn't caused anyone stress. But what in the hell is going on in Washington?! Oh my GOD we are fucked! It’s like we put a bunch of shit sandwiches in charge. Everything they say or do stinks. These dumb asses have actually fed us so much bullshit I think I’m growing weeds out of my ears. I feel like a fucking mushroom.
Iran has developed a new unmanned bomber for “defense”. Are you shitting me? Defense? OK so let’s look at this logically, they are now a nuclear power (thanks to our buddies the Russians), testing long range missiles, and building unmanned bombers. Sure that’s for defense. Same as North Korea testing their stuff to make sure they can defend themselves. Can anyone tell me when in history this happened? YOU’RE RIGHT!! World War II! Germany and Japan did the same shit and look what the hell happened then. Germany controlled half of Europe and Japan controlled South East Asia. AND THEY DIDN'T HAVE NUCLEAR WEAPONS!! This is not going to end well people. These radical psycho countries aren't run by the citizens. There are two dictators that have control over the citizens through fear and torture. They have got their people so down trodden the people can’t fight back or are too scared to fight back.
Son of a bitch!! I just realized our government has done the same thing to us. We’re not scared to fight back. We've been slowly desensitized to the bullshit they keep feeding us. Our reaction is normal passivity because the stuff isn't happening in our little bubble of a life. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Southern U.S. and everyone felt bad and mourned those people for oh what A MONTH! Then something else captured our attention and off we went in a daze. “Oh look at the bright light. Katrina? I don’t know anyone named Katrina.” FEMA stepped on their fingers and screwed the pooch on Katrina. No plan, no reaction. FEMA just stood there and looked on until someone said something. Michael Brown knew the situation was dire. Marty Baramonde wrote this prick a memo and told him that people were dying, The Superdome, which was being used to house survivors, was running out of food and water. Brown’s response was “So do you think it’s too early to quit?” HUH?? You’re the head of the government’s emergency response agency and you want to quit? Holy shit! So I ask you again, what in the hell are those ass hats doing in Washington?? What did the government do? Nothing!! Oh they sent some National Guard troops down to keep peace. But the damage was already done. That people was five short years ago. Do you think anything has changed? Do you think Obama, Biden, Pelosi, Reid, Dodd, or any of the other jack wagons (Republican or Democrat) that occupy an office in Washington has a flying flamenco dancer’s ass of an idea what the hell to do if the shit hits the fan? I don’t! They’re all standing around with their fingers in the air going “I can’t seem to figure out which way the winds are blowing Toto”. Their blowing right up our fucking skirts you assholes!!!
And now the important thing is whether or not California is going to allow gay marriages to resume. Who the hell cares! Let them marry and be fucking miserable with the rest of us. Fuck people I don’t give a damn who marries who. I care about getting my ass handed to me on a platter by some fanatic with a nuclear weapon. Because trust me letting Jim and Stan or Beth and Donna get married isn't going to be the downfall of society as we know it, we aren't going to have a society or culture or anything the hell else if Kim Jong II or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad sends a shitload rockets over here FEDEX with love. Cause I don’t give two shits about how my Queer Eye for the Straight Guy wardrobe looks because in the words of Dan Aykroyd those bombs “will suck the paint off your house and give your family a permanent pink afro”. And I’m no fashion critic but I don’t think the pink afro is going to look too good with anything in my closet.
Eventually this country is going to have to get it’s shit together and make them lazy ass bags in Washington do their damn jobs. Quit worrying about gays and lesbians marrying or what Britney, Lindsey, and Miley are wearing, screwing, or snorting, and start getting a handle on our international policies. This isn't just the government’s job people, it’s OUR job as citizens. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and the rest of our founding fathers fought their asses off to defend this country and give us a place to be free. Every soldier that has fought for this country as defended those rights so Britney, Lindsey, and Miley can act like idiots and we can point and laugh like they’re the Three Stooges. We are soldiers for our country, every man, woman, and child. It is our duty to make sure our representatives, and I use that term loosely, in Washington do what is best for us. Now stop being sheep, mushrooms, and/or lazy and write to your Congressmen and women. Tell them to get on the stick and start paying attention to what we say.
Big Daddy
08/22/2010
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Giant iceberg a drifting menace
This article (http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/11/20100811ice-island0811.html) is great. Irregardless of where you stand on global climate change (which by the way has been happening for milliennia) this is interesting reading. The arguement is whether to try and break up a piece frozen water 4 TIMES the size of Manhattan. That's 100 square miles in size. This thing could wipe out anything in its path in addition to drifting into shipping lanes and bouncing off islands int he region. Now they're worried this thing could break up by itself and become several massive icebergs. the shipping lanes would be like going to the mall a week before school starts and trying to navigate the stores. Bobbing and weaving like Muhammed Ali in the ring. This is some serious stuff.
So what are your ideas? How did this happen? Are you a believer in Al Gore's theory of Global Warming catastrophes causing all this weird weather? Or is this just the Earth's cycle of cleansing itself? Is this the start of something like the movie Day After Tomorrow? I am interested where everyone stands on this topic. Opinions and theories make for great conversation fodder. And since everybody has an opinion and they all stink (except mine) no slamming anyone's idea or theory. Let's play nice and agree to disagree. I really want to know what you all think. Please post your comments and we'll see where we go.
Big Daddy
08/11/2010
So what are your ideas? How did this happen? Are you a believer in Al Gore's theory of Global Warming catastrophes causing all this weird weather? Or is this just the Earth's cycle of cleansing itself? Is this the start of something like the movie Day After Tomorrow? I am interested where everyone stands on this topic. Opinions and theories make for great conversation fodder. And since everybody has an opinion and they all stink (except mine) no slamming anyone's idea or theory. Let's play nice and agree to disagree. I really want to know what you all think. Please post your comments and we'll see where we go.
Big Daddy
08/11/2010
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Woman says she threw 3 kids off bridge
PHILADELPHIA - A Coast Guard official says crews are searching the Delaware River off Philadelphia after a woman called a hospital drug counselor and said she had thrown her baby and two young children from a bridge.
Petty Officer Michael Blake says the woman called St. Joseph's Hospital early Tuesday morning, saying she had thrown her kids off the Ben Franklin Bridge because she could not feed them. Blake says there is no way to verify if the report is true, but that the Coast Guard is treating it as legitimate.
Authorities are trying to locate the woman. The Coast Guard, plus police and firefighters from Philadelphia and Camden, N.J., are searching the river with boats and a helicopter.
The suspension bridge connects Philadelphia and New Jersey.
Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2010/08/10/20100810woman-says-she-threw-3-kids-off-bridge.html#ixzz0wFoCKVveWHAT IN THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THESE PEOPLE!!!!
This is absolutely preventable. I can't believe someone would harm their own children because they think they can't feed them, or the child cried, or the family is breaking up. Kill yourself not your kids. These innocent babies didn't ask your dumb ass to bring them into this world. You made that conscious effort to keep that child and be responsible for it. Stop thinking about yourself and be a damn parent. That baby needs you to protect, feed, and care for it (them). Selfish assholes don't deserve the love a child can give. There are loving, caring people out there that beg GOD for a child. They go through horrendous procedures at exorbitant cost to have a baby of their own. Most never get that blessing. and then we have these idiots that go off the deep end and murder their babies. Anyone that has done this should be sterilized so they can't screw up another life. The same thing goes for women who use abortions for birth-control. If you don't want to get pregnant there are numerous methods of birth-control that even your state provided healthcare insurance will provide for you. Stop being a selfish idiot!!
Big Daddy
08/10/2010
Scuba diver finds, returns $7k ring
Some Good News
OK now for some good news. I'm tired of all the miserable stuff on the web these days. I found this article at http://www.happynews.com/ about a lost engagement ring.Scuba diver finds, returns $7K engagement ring (http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/38245794/ns/today-today_people/)
A young bride-to-be was boating with her fiance and while applying sunscreen to her beau she placed the ring in her mouth to not get it dirty. During the application process the ring fell from her mouth, hit the deck, and bounced into the water. Now, while I believe they edited out the expletives from the article the despair is without a doubt real.
Here is the good part...
"Denny Geffre of nearby Long Lake, Minn., says he has been hunting treasures in lakes for 40 years. After hearing of Stocco's loss, he donned his scuba gear and spent three days searching the lake with a metal detector" (today.msnbc.msn.com, 2010). This guy took three days out of his life that he will never get back to help another person in despair. Not that the ring could not have been replaced, but the sentimental value cannot be replaced. To help a young couple rest comfortably and hold on to a wonderful memory (the day the groom seen the eyes of his bride light up seeing the ring for the first time) instead of a dreaded nightmare (the moment they heard *plop* as the ring disappeared into the murky depths of the lake) can only be described as a selfless act of the heart. Mister Geffre was rewarded with a $750 gift for his troubles, but I bet that wasn't half as good as seeing the tears in the couples eyes when they knew their dreams were still intact. Even a better memory to help erase the nightmare.
Good people exist and they aren't as rare as you might think. My challenge to you is take a moment each day to look for one positive thing in life that someone does without thought of repayment, reward, or recognition. I bet you'll find more than one. Little things mean so much to those who have lost hope. And a big thanks to Denny Geffre, you're an inspiration to me.
Big Daddy
08/01/2010
Iran says they have dug graves for US soldiers
"Iran warns 'we have dug mass graves for your soldiers' in response to U.S. attack threat" (2010) Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1301836/Iran-warns-dug-mass-graves-soldiers-response-U-S-attack-threat.html?ITO=1490#ixzz0wE5mo7PH
All right so these people are enriching uranium and building "energy facilities" to produce power, but yet they want us to believe it's all peaceful after threatening if attack they have mass graves for U.S. Armed Forces casualties? Seems to me that's not very peaceful. The U.N. put sanctions against Iran and North Korea because these zealot, fanatics can't control themselves from thumbing there nose at the rest of the world and doing things reminiscent of Hitler. Although Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korean dictator Kim Jong II have only done these horrors to their own people, they continue to perform missile tests (in the case of North Korea) and offer for sale the enriched uranium (Iran) to parties outside its borders that would like nothing better than see the free world, especially the U.S., fall in a ball of nuclear flames.
"The deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, General Hossein Kan'ani Moghadam, said graves for any attacking U.S. troops had been dug in Iran's south-western Khuzestan province, where Iran buried Iraqi soldiers killed during the ruinous 1980-88 war between the Islamic republic and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime" (2010). Now does this sound like a peace loving people. No, this sounds like a challenge. Well let us take a look at this from a global aspect...why not put a few precision, laser-guided Tomahawk enemas right up both Iran and North Korea's psychos' keesters? Is it that big of a problem? Don't we have the technology to swat a fly off the nose of George Washington's face at Mount Rushmore with a Tomahawk without making him sneeze? This should be easy peasy.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen said, "I assume that the enemy will be hit in its own military bases out of our borders and will not have any chance to have its forces land in Iran...If the U.S. decides to take a pre-emptive action and attack Iran, Iran will have no choice but to strike the American bases in the region" (2010). So we know what will happen if we strike Iran, so cripple the defense system first by taking out the bases in a coordinated strike. At the same time destroy the communications grid. Create chaos within the military by removing the leaders first. When confusion and panic set in that's the time to push in with an air and sea strike that cleanses the region (be it Asia or Middle East) of all remenants of both problems, Ahmadinejad and Jong II, including their regimes.
I'm not a warmonger but these people are and would have no problem doing the same thing to us if they had even a shred of belief they could succeed. TRhe only reason they haven't so far is because they know their militaries are nowhere near the capabilities of The United States Armed Forces. But if they succeed in gain nuclear armament, look out cause the U.S. is on the top of the hitlist with these maniacs.
Big Daddy
08/10/2010
All right so these people are enriching uranium and building "energy facilities" to produce power, but yet they want us to believe it's all peaceful after threatening if attack they have mass graves for U.S. Armed Forces casualties? Seems to me that's not very peaceful. The U.N. put sanctions against Iran and North Korea because these zealot, fanatics can't control themselves from thumbing there nose at the rest of the world and doing things reminiscent of Hitler. Although Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and North Korean dictator Kim Jong II have only done these horrors to their own people, they continue to perform missile tests (in the case of North Korea) and offer for sale the enriched uranium (Iran) to parties outside its borders that would like nothing better than see the free world, especially the U.S., fall in a ball of nuclear flames.
"The deputy commander of the Revolutionary Guard, General Hossein Kan'ani Moghadam, said graves for any attacking U.S. troops had been dug in Iran's south-western Khuzestan province, where Iran buried Iraqi soldiers killed during the ruinous 1980-88 war between the Islamic republic and Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein's regime" (2010). Now does this sound like a peace loving people. No, this sounds like a challenge. Well let us take a look at this from a global aspect...why not put a few precision, laser-guided Tomahawk enemas right up both Iran and North Korea's psychos' keesters? Is it that big of a problem? Don't we have the technology to swat a fly off the nose of George Washington's face at Mount Rushmore with a Tomahawk without making him sneeze? This should be easy peasy.
U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen said, "I assume that the enemy will be hit in its own military bases out of our borders and will not have any chance to have its forces land in Iran...If the U.S. decides to take a pre-emptive action and attack Iran, Iran will have no choice but to strike the American bases in the region" (2010). So we know what will happen if we strike Iran, so cripple the defense system first by taking out the bases in a coordinated strike. At the same time destroy the communications grid. Create chaos within the military by removing the leaders first. When confusion and panic set in that's the time to push in with an air and sea strike that cleanses the region (be it Asia or Middle East) of all remenants of both problems, Ahmadinejad and Jong II, including their regimes.
I'm not a warmonger but these people are and would have no problem doing the same thing to us if they had even a shred of belief they could succeed. TRhe only reason they haven't so far is because they know their militaries are nowhere near the capabilities of The United States Armed Forces. But if they succeed in gain nuclear armament, look out cause the U.S. is on the top of the hitlist with these maniacs.
Big Daddy
08/10/2010
Monday, August 9, 2010
Phoenix, AZ SB1070 protestors
THIS IS OBSCENE!!! At what point do we say enough is enough. I guess my country does not care anymore. When the time comes the people with their heads in the sand will look around and say why didn't someone stop this. One hundred years ago these people would be hanging from the gallows in downtown Phoenix next to the courthouse. But hey these people have rights, you don't. You can't stop them, your GOVERNMENT tells you they have rights. Not YOU have rights, THEY have rights. Your rights stopped the day they set foot in this country and could alter legislation in Congress and in the White House. The CITIZENS of this country need to stand up for themselves and stop looking the other way or believing the U.S. Government has your best interests at heart.
Those people on Capitol Hill only care about getting re-elected, not pushing thru legislation that will help our citizens. Our veterans and elderly are being starved out by lazy, useless people who refuse to work (not because they are not able to, they just don't want to). Welfare is for those who deserve it; widows, orphans, handicapped, and those unfortunate souls who have fell on hard times. When they are able to work find jobs for them. My highways look like trash bins, my roads have potholes the size of swimming pools, my city needs graffiti removed. You want the State of Arizona (my tax dollars) to pay for your food, healthcare, and unemployment insurance? Worker programs should be instituted and the money the State would pay for your WELFARE will be deducted from the wages you would've earned. The State of Arizona would win in both case as would the worker. The States of Arizona receives the work needed and reimbursed for the expense, the worker has healthcare, food, and the excess wages (or funds) to take care of the rest of life's necessities. Cable T.V., High-speed Internet, cigarettes, booze, a Cadillac Escalade with 24" rims, and/or $300 jeans are not necessities. Electricity, water, gas, car insurance (so when your deadbeat ass hits me I don't foot the bill with higher insurance rates), food, and hygiene products are ESSENTIALS for life. Then you can stand up and call for a better life now that you are a contributing member of this great country. This is not meant as a slam to the illegal immigrants that come here and sponge off my state, but also those leeches and lazy deadbeats who are citizens and feel the country owes them something because they were born here. Bull! Get your fat, lazy carcass off the couch and get a job, or volunteer your time, to take some of the load off the hardworking contributors of this country. My back is killing me carrying your dead weight around. I will never begrudge anyone the right to come to this great country and pursue the life, liberty, and justice I have enjoyed my entire life. But come here the right way and offer something useful to the economy.
Benjamin Franklin said "They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." Let us not give up our country and our freedoms. Our Constitution is the most sacred document to our way of life. The prolific corruption of our country is being done by our own Government with inaction and gross negligence. The ability of the senile, self-serving, maniacal members of our Congress have polluted our legislative body so much, for so long, the cancer is spreading to the citizens. We have become complacent and numb to the stench that has reeked the halls of Congress for decades. It does not matter, Republican or Democrat, they all have been part of the problem with no hint of a solution at the end of the rope this country is going to hang itself with. At some point there has to be an end to the malfeasance of our governing body. Because if not the horrors halfway around the globe that our soldiers are facing right now, while you sit down to dinner, while you watch your DirecTv, while you sit safe and sound in your high-rise office building, is going sweep across this land like a plague and its coming across the border everyday. I'm not talking about illegal Mexican immigrants, I'm talking about the ones that want to do this country irreparable harm. The horrors that plague the soldiers in the Middle East and Asia are coming to the streets of your neighborhood. If a poor, starving Mexican immigrant can sneak across the Southern border of the U.S. with little or no problem, do you think a terrorist with nearly unlimited resources cannot march him or herself up the same trail with any difficulty? How about carrying a small nuclear device that weighs 30 pounds and can clear a one mile radius piece of U.S. soil clean of all living organisms except cockroaches? This is real people not some fantasy as our Government would like you to believe. If you are scared, good you should be. Because fear breeds anger and anger breeds action. We are normal human animals with a flight or fight instinct. We are now back into a corner, there is no flight option left. We have to fight for our right to control our fate, fight for our right to be happy, fight for our right for liberty, fight for our lives before it is taken from us and some bureaucrat makes that decision for us.
I have added these thoughts in hopes that those people I send this email to might look into their hearts and see where there loyalties lie. I am an American citizen as is my father and his father before him and his father before him and so on for fourteen generations with the founding of this great nation.
Big Daddy
08-09-2010
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