Echoes of Vietnam lessons silenced

"I love the smell of Napalm in the morning." A line from the movie Apocalypse Now. The character, Col. Kilgore, was based on real-life army Col. David Hackworth - among the most decorated US soldiers ever and possibly the most decorated of the Vietnam war.

Here's a list -

Individual Decorations & Service Medals:

Distinguished Service Cross (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)
Silver Star (with nine Oak Leaf Clusters)
Legion of Merit (with three Oak Leaf Clusters)
Distinguished Flying Cross
Bronze Star Medal (with "V" Device & seven Oak Leaf Clusters)(Seven of the awards for heroism)
Purple Heart (with seven Oak Leaf Clusters) - that's eight Purple Hearts
Air Medal (with "V" Device & Numeral 34)(One for heroism and 33 for aerial achievement)
Army Commendation Medal (w/ "V" Device & 3 Oak Leaf Clusters)
Good Conduct Medal
World War II Victory Medal
Army of Occupation Medal (with Germany and Japan Clasps)
National Defense Service Medal (with one Bronze Service Star)
Korean Service Medal (with Service Stars for eight campaigns)
Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal
Vietnam Service Medal (2 Silver Service Stars = 10 campaigns)
Armed Forces Reserve Medal
Unit Awards:

Presidential Unit Citation
Valorous Unit Award (with one Oak Leaf Cluster)
Meritorious Unit Commendation
Badges & Tabs:

Combat Infantryman Badge (w/ one Star; representing 2 awards)
Master Parachutist Badge
Army General Staff Identification Badge
Foreign Awards:

United Nations Service Medal (Korea)
Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device (1960)
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (with two Gold Stars)
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry (with two Silver Stars)
Vietnam Armed Forces Honor Medal (1st Class)
Vietnam Staff Service Medal (1st Class)
Vietnam Army Distinguished Service Order, 2d Class
Vietnam Parachutist Badge (Master Level)
Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Vietnam Presidential Unit Citation
Republic of Vietnam Gallantry Cross Unit Citation (with three Palm oak leaf clusters)
Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Honor Medal, First Class Unit Citation (with one Palm oak leaf cluster)
World War II Merchant Marine Awards:

Pacific War Zone Bar
Victory Medal

You may not have noticed his obit in the mainstream media. He died of bladder cancer while seeking alternative treatment in Tijuana. (To the end he maintained that the cancer was the result of exposure to dioxins used in Agent Orange, the primary defoliant used in Vietnam.) Hackworth was 74. To the mainstream media it may not have been a big deal, because the announcement for the May 31 funeral in the Washington Post and elsewhere said "...top brass not expected to attend."

Hackworth was characterized as a thorn in the side of the Pentagon, most notably after his 1971 appearance on the Dick Cavett Show when he publicly threw out his military decorations and told the viewing nation the US was losing the war in Vietnam. Yep, threw them out just like John Kerry, only in a significantly more conspicuous venue.

Shortly after he was allowed to resign from the Army under honorable conditions.

Frustrated with the situation and those he called the 'perfumed princes' of the Pentagon and nation's leaders, Hackworth moved to Australia and lived there for 20 years. While there he became one of the leaders of Australia's anti-nuclear movement and in that effort received the UN Medal for International Peace. After the Pentagon agreed to return/replace his medals the retired colonel returned to the US, wrote four books and became a media consultant on military affairs. Via Liberty Post

He remained a thorn in the Pentagon's side until the end, and referred to the occupation of Iraq as "...one of the biggest military snafu's in military history."

Hackworth also made a bit of noise when he publicly pointed out that Secretary of Defense Rumsfeld was signing condolence letters to survivors of US military members killed in the war in Iraq with an automatic pen (used to sign mass mailings). Pressure was put to bear, and Rumsfeld has been signing them by hand since.

He took his job seriously, and while the war in Vietnam created a division at home and in the field, this soldier took no extra credit for the work of the people in his command. At a time when commanders were frequently at as much risk from their own subordinates as the enemy, Hackworth had a solid following.

The retired Army officer was nonpartisan in his dislike for bureaucracy and politics. He criticized the Clinton administration and those Pentagon leaders for reducing defense budgets to bring it to one: ''held together with duct tape, bailing wire and gallons of sweat."

But Hackworth had to be heard, because he put his money where his mouth was. He could talk because he knew war and knew it was something to pursue as a last case situation.

During one battle in Vietnam, Hackworth had his helicopter land directly where the wounded fell. Under fire, the colonel leaped off the copter and ran through a wall of fire multiple times to reach his men, hauling each aboard the helicopter. As the chopper lifted off beyond capacity he stood on the skids, grabbing the copter's body to make it back to base.

Hackworth has been recommended for the nation's highest medal, the Medal of Honor, for his actions during that event, but the Pentagon has delayed it in what they say are administrative snags.

Due to current events he spoke out frequently and questioned authorities about the lack of adequate equipment and armor for soldiers sent to Iraq and Afghanistan. Additionally, he was among the first to relate to the conflict in Iraq as a 'quagmire.'

As recently as February he wrote, ''As with Vietnam, the Iraqi tar pit was oh-so-easy to sink into, but appears to be just as tough to exit." He considered the biggest problem the administration and those in the Pentagon who ''...have never sweated it out on a battlefield."

But the funeral announcement saying 'no top brass are expected to attend' was the final insult, demonstrating the lack of spine in the Pentagon leadership. It is code when it appears in an obit in a government or military town. 'No top brass are expected to attend' can also mean "top brass won't attend if they value their commissions."

It is the purview of the the Vice President to show up for funerals of high profile and highly decorated soldiers who are to be buried at Arlington. He, of course, was a no-show.

The only dignitary of note (not to devalue the presence of the many former colleagues who were retired military officers and former members of Hackworth's command who did attend), was Senator J. Robert Kerry.

None of the full-bird colonels, one, two, three or four star generals at the Pentagon had the fortitude to attend this proven soldiers' soldier's funeral to pay their respects. Just the fear of being seen at a service dedicated to a decorated hero who has questioned and criticized the nation's leaders in managing this military conflict kept these 'perfumed princes' away.

Under the circumstances, Hackworth may have preferred it that way. But when one thinks about it, if those same members of the Pentagon leadership were in fear of retribution here in Washington during an opportunity to do the honorable thing, what does it say about the level of individual or collective backbone used when they send troops to the Middle East?
# # #

Best to all,

Lloyd

Pentagon collecting names of students

Privacy appears to be dwindling. A few weeks ago congress passed a national ID law on the third attempt, by attaching it to an appropriations bill. It will have all of a person's medical, legal, insurance, library, driving, family history and more. It is a disturbing turn of events, but like many of congress' actions the Real ID system was passed as another unfunded mandate.

But another invasion of privacy comes in the form of a little known provision of the No Child Left Behind act (NCLB)that says that for schools to qualify under federal requirements in that set of unfunded mandates that all schools must provide all student data to the Department of Defense on all high school age children. Other published reports indicate that the Pentagon has been collecting all information on students as young as the age of 12.

This pretty much flies in the face of the US Privacy Act, but hey, who is following rules these days?

The fact is that the Pentagon developed a database of student information and started collecting data in 2003. This came to the fore under the Privacy Act when it hit the Federal Register in May 2005. What becomes even more disturbing is that other agencies will have access to that database including taxing agencies and law enforcement and investigative entities, according to Pentagon officials.

The data collection is not just of high school males, but females as well. And don't forget that the legislation that was in place just prior to the 2004 election, but rescinded by one house of congress, has language to draft both young men and young women if or when the draft is reinstituted and will directly impact young men and women ages 18 through 26...initially.

The DOD recruitment efforts have missed their goals for more than four months and they say that the database will give them an advantage in comparison to other opportunities presented to students when they leave school. Both the reasoning and the motives seems questionable.

Parents can have their child opt out of the system by informing the school district in which they live that they do not want data on their child/children supplied to the DOD.

A few groups have organized to make sure parents are aware of the Pentagon's less than forthright tactics and how their children can opt out including Leave My Child Alone .

There is nothing wrong with opportunities or even obligations to serve one's country in one capacity or another. But those should include alternatives that include the Peace Corps, the Department of the Interior, the University Extension system and others in addition to the military.

It is fair to characterize the DOD approach to this provision as underhanded.

Establishing this database and proceeding with the collection of student information without the knowledge of students or parents was entirely inappropriate and reflects on the motives and the trust we can put in our government leadership. Being less than forthright that there has existed basic data collection efforts already makes one suspect potential alterior motives for establishing the database when Pentagon officials have already said that data is available to other agencies.

If the opportunity arises for entire school districts to opt out of this provision they should. Then the remaining parents and students who indeed want the DOD to have all of their student data and related record should allow those students who wish to be a part of DOD database to opt in or give the records directly to the local recruiters.

Other related resources:

Catholic Peace Initiative

Just say no

CNN Report on recruitment goals

Student Rights

Military Recruiter

Who served in the military

and

From the June 23, '05 Washington Post -"The Pentagon's statements added that anyone can "opt out" of the system by providing detailed personal information that will be kept in a separate "suppression file." That file will be matched with the full database regularly to ensure that those who do not wish to be contacted are not, according to the Pentagon."

# # #

Best to all,

Lloyd

All underlined segments are links to supporting information.

We've got to change our frame of thought

Something has happened lately that has exchanged the pursuit of competency for the need to win.

It seems like everything is being approached with a "Super Bowl" mentality without consideration for context, history, theory or even whether it is right.

Lately, elections have become a competition to win "...if our guy wins then we're winners." This is happening instead of putting the right person in office after studied reasoning.

Shortly after 9-11 the prez visited 'ground zero' in NYC, and someone started chanting, "USA, USA..." soon followed by a large part of the crowd, as if it was some kind of hockey tournament. To many it seemed like shouting in church.

We have gotten used to being the first in many things, but I fear that we have slipped without knowing it from the spots even near the top.

This first stood out when the latest reports on press freedom came out. It is dismaying to get word that one of the principles upon which our country is based has slipped. Within most Baby Boomers' lifetimes the US has gone from first in one of its fundamental freedoms to 29th, according to FreedomHouse research.

Yep, that puts us behind Palau (look it up - I've been there), the Marshall Islands, New Zealand, Bahamas and 25 other countries.  This is not the quality of reporting we're talking about here. This is a ranking of press freedoms. "We're 29th. Rah." This can only happen if the people let it happen. Freedom of the press is not a right of the 'fourth estate,' it is the right of all of the people.

It's unfortunate too, because we need to get our act together in other areas as well - witness the list below. After a little homework it became apparent that there are things we used to think of as important that are slipping from our grasp. It is difficult to tell if we simply don't care, or if we are simply not aware of our decline in standings across so many areas.

Here are some examples:

• The United States is 49th in the world in literacy (the New York Times, Dec. 12, 2004).

• The United States ranked 28th out of 40 countries in mathematical literacy (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).

• Twenty percent of Americans think the sun orbits the earth. Seventeen percent believe the earth revolves around the sun once a day (The Week, Jan. 7, 2005).

• "The International Adult Literacy Survey...found that Americans with less than nine years of education 'score worse than virtually all of the other countries'" (Jeremy Rifkin's superbly documented book The European Dream: How Europe's Vision of the Future Is Quietly Eclipsing the American Dream, p.78).

• Our workers lack so many basic skills that American businesses spend $30 billion a year on remedial training (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004). No wonder they relocate elsewhere!

• "The European Union leads the U.S. in...the number of science and engineering graduates; public research and development (R&D) expenditures; and new capital raised" (The European Dream, p.70).

• "Europe surpassed the United States in the mid-1990s as the largest producer of scientific literature" (The European Dream, p.70).

• Nevertheless, Congress cut funds to the National Science Foundation. The agency will issue 1,000 fewer research grants this year (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004).

• Foreign applications to U.S. grad schools declined 28 percent last year. Foreign student enrollment on all levels fell for the first time in three decades, but increased greatly in Europe and China. Last year Chinese grad-school graduates in the U.S. dropped 56 percent, Indians 51 percent, South Koreans 28 percent (NYT, Dec. 21, 2004). We're not the place to be anymore.

• The World Health Organization "ranked the countries of the world in terms of overall health performance, and the U.S. [was]...37th." In the fairness of health care, we're 54th. "The irony is that the United States spends more per capita for health care than any other nation in the world" (The European Dream, pp.79-80). Pay more, get lots, lots less.

• "The U.S. and South Africa are the only two developed countries in the world that do not provide health care for all their citizens" (The European Dream, p.80).

• Lack of health insurance coverage causes 18,000 unnecessary American deaths a year. (That's six times the number of people killed on 9/11.) (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005.)

• "U.S. childhood poverty now ranks 22nd, or second to last, among the developed nations. Only Mexico scores lower" (The European Dream, p.81).

• Twelve million American families--more than 10 percent of all U.S. households--"continue to struggle, and not always successfully, to feed themselves." Families that "had members who actually went hungry at some point last year" numbered 3.9 million (NYT, Nov. 22, 2004).
Advertisement

• The United States is 41st in the world in infant mortality. Cuba scores higher (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).

• Women are 70 percent more likely to die in childbirth in America than in Europe (NYT, Jan. 12, 2005).

• The leading cause of death of pregnant women in this country is murder (CNN, Dec. 14, 2004).

• "Of the 20 most developed countries in the world, the U.S. was dead last in the growth rate of total compensation to its workforce in the 1980s.... In the 1990s, the U.S. average compensation growth rate grew only slightly, at an annual rate of about 0.1 percent" (The European Dream, p.39). Yet Americans work longer hours per year than any other industrialized country, and get less vacation time.

• "Sixty-one of the 140 biggest companies on the Global Fortune 500 rankings are European, while only 50 are U.S. companies" (The European Dream, p.66). "In a recent survey of the world's 50 best companies, conducted by Global Finance, all but one were European" (The European Dream, p.69).

• "Fourteen of the 20 largest commercial banks in the world today are European.... In the chemical industry, the European company BASF is the world's leader, and three of the top six players are European. In engineering and construction, three of the top five companies are European.... The two others are Japanese. Not a single American engineering and construction company is included among the world's top nine competitors. In food and consumer products, Nestlé and Unilever, two European giants, rank first and second, respectively, in the world. In the food and drugstore retail trade, two European companies...are first and second, and European companies make up five of the top ten. Only four U.S. companies are on the list" (The European Dream, p.68).

• The United States has lost 1.3 million jobs to China in the last decade (CNN, Jan. 12, 2005).

• U.S. employers eliminated 1 million jobs in 2004 (The Week, Jan. 14, 2005).

• Three million six hundred thousand Americans ran out of unemployment insurance last year; 1.8 million--one in five--unemployed workers are jobless for more than six months (NYT, Jan. 9, 2005).

• Japan, China, Taiwan, and South Korea hold 40 percent of our government debt. (That's why we talk nice to them.) "By helping keep mortgage rates from rising, China has come to play an enormous and little-noticed role in sustaining the American housing boom" (NYT, Dec. 4, 2004). Read that twice. We owe our housing boom to China, because they want us to keep buying all that stuff they manufacture.

• Sometime in the next 10 years Brazil will probably pass the U.S. as the world's largest agricultural producer. Brazil is now the world's largest exporter of chickens, orange juice, sugar, coffee, and tobacco. Last year, Brazil passed the U.S. as the world's largest beef producer. As a result, while we bear record trade deficits, Brazil boasts a $30 billion trade surplus (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).

• As of last June, the U.S. imported more food than it exported (NYT, Dec. 12, 2004).

• Bush: 62,027,582 votes. Kerry: 59,026,003 votes. Number of eligible voters who didn't show up: 79,279,000 (NYT, Dec. 26, 2004). That's more than a third. Way more. If more than a third of Iraqis don't show for their election, no country in the world will think that election legitimate.

• One-third of all U.S. children are born out of wedlock. One-half of all U.S. children will live in a one-parent house (CNN, Dec. 10, 2004).

• "Americans are now spending more money on gambling than on movies, videos, DVDs, music, and books combined" (The European Dream, p.28).

• "Nearly one out of four Americans [believe] that using violence to get what they want is acceptable" (The European Dream, p.32).

• Forty-three percent of Americans think torture is sometimes justified, according to a PEW Poll (Associated Press, Aug. 19, 2004).

• "Nearly 900,000 children were abused or neglected in 2002, the last year for which such data are available" (USA Today, Dec. 21, 2004).

• "The International Association of Chiefs of Police said that cuts by the [current] administration in federal aid to local police agencies have left the nation more vulnerable than ever" (USA Today, Nov. 17, 2004).


(After researching several areas, a compilation of much of this list surfaced in a blog written by Mike Ventura. I don't know if he's related to the former governor of Minnesota, but he is in the Twin Cities.)


We do seem to maintain the lead in fuel consumption and have apparently returned to the lead in arms spending.

What does all of this mean to you?

# # #

Best to all,

Lloyd

Fire department organization isn't

At the recent fire department annual meeting the fire board faced the volunteers and two conversations ensued.

Both conversations made sense, but not as a response to the other side.

In all honesty, the verbiage coming from the board side made more sense than anything they've spewed over the past two years. And the volunteers have been stating the same concerns for years, which appear to fall on deaf ears.

Now don't forget that a large component of this blog is commentary, but it is commentary based on a fair amount of homework and observation.

You may have heard this before

At the annual meeting the second rehash of a proposal to reorganize the community fire department was put forth. The Johnson Creek Community Fire Department is organized in a manner different from most. This story has been told several times, but often still the response is a wincing question mark, so here it is again:

The current Johnson Creek community fire department was organized in the 1960s as a corporation of sorts so that the village of Johnson Creek, could share the capitol costs with the other outlying townships it serves - Aztalan, Milford, Concord, Farmington and Watertown. At that time they set up the corporation with a board that consisted of the chair or president of each of those communities. Each fire board member is able to cast one vote.

To a certain extent the structure became somewhat of an afterthought, because the firefighters (and since then the EMS developed as well) are the ones in the field when the pagers go off. The implications are that they meant for things to go this way, because the Johnson Creek Mutual Hose Company was the vehicle for continuity as the original FD and the continuing organization of the personnel. Otherwise, why wouldn't they have disbanded the Mutual Hose Company back in the 1960s when the intergovernmental corporation was first formed?

It is almost as if the people in 1961 said, "Okay, this makes it formal so we share the cost of the gear and property, but you guys go ahead and just keep putting out those fires the same as usual."

The Mutual Hose Company, which dates back to the 19th Century, was left to run things and attend to those pesky fires and other life threatening situations while the board evolved (with a few potential refreshing exceptions) into a roly-poly group who would go to meetings twice a year to rubber-stamp the budget, unless there were proposed increases, and to make sure the Fire Station was still standing.

It was presumed that systems for accomodating emergencies -- being compliant with regulations, scheduling and providing training, filling out paperwork, maintaining equipment, accomplishing fire inspections, and a whole host of other activities that need to be done -- would fall on the people who attend to those emergencies and day-to-day tasks.

So the volunteers did just that. They made sure there was a continuity and necessary upgrades, and whenever they were alerted they reponded to the actual emergencies. When the need and opportunity to start and develop an EMS came along, the FD picked up that gauntlet. The local EMS has since evolved into a group of volunteers with standards to which others aspire and try to maintain.

Early on there were friendly understandings, because all of the communities were similar. They were either farming townships or, in the case of the village, a community that supported farming. But now the communities' complexions have changed and the board hasn't.

Now the village has a major mall and other commercial interests in addition to increased industry. The Interstate Highway System was just beginning to take shape in this nation when the Community Fire Department formed, but now it is a major traffic corridor requiring several emergency responses per year. Consequently the village pays the largest percentage of the FD budget.

For those who have gotten used to this over the past four decades, just a reminder that the majority of communities have developed their emergency services differently.

Here's how it works with most other FDs:

Some of the same townships who have board members on the Johnson Creek Community Fire Department Board need fire coverage from other departments. For example - Aztalan also needs fire protection services from Jefferson and Lake Mills fire departments. In their case, the Lake Mills and Jefferson departments simply submit a bill to Aztalan and the township pays it. They have no say on what those fire budgets will be.

But at the same time, the chairs of those townships come to the 'Creek FD Board and determine what the rest of their fire protection budget can be, possibly after the bills from the other FDs are paid.

Now, just as we learned in Sociology 101, in times of transition are the greatest potential times of turmoil.

There are likely many good things about the proposed new intergovernmental agreement, which most would agree needed an upgrade. The board will go from six members to eight, adding two more votes for the village. This makes the balance of things a bit more equitable, in view of the fact that the village pays 47 percent of the FD price tag.

Another concern has to do with accounting for equipment, issues of depreciation and so on. There has been no proportionate inventory accounting divvying up the property amongst the communities in the recorded past. In addition, tax issues related to the honoraria volunteers get for making emergency runs have to be taken care of by a central responsible party.

And so the plan, primarily authored by village attorney James Hammes has many good facets, addressing archaic issues to bring them up to date. The fact that extra attention and a proposed change came to light is a good thing in many ways. It indicates that the make-up of the board could be changing with a couple of members who realize that as times change so do upgrades to community services.

But those members realize that change can be slow - witness the decisions on location and plans for a new public safety facility, which has been a roller coaster ride of indecision on the part of the majority of the board.

But according to recent documents, the propsed plan is to follow a model agreement established by the Wisconsin Towns Association. It is a good and solid document, BUT even the framers of the model agreement likely did NOT consider that there would be a volunteer Fire Department/EMS with a six-way ownership split. Hammes and Attorney Andy Griggs feel the agreement will be solid in terms of community responsibilities.

However, Hammes, at the beginning of the recent meeting also tried to address operational issues within portions of the agreement. And this is where homework, diplomacy, history and common sense all need to work in concert even to make a decision to address the matter of operations. This entails the second conversation.

Think for a moment of the volunteers in the fire department and EMS.

Historically they were told, "Just keep doing what you do." So they do what needs to be done to set up systems, elect their leadership, establish routines, comply with regulations, be available to the community for additional tasks and basically attend to emergencies for four decades.

One could equate it to an orphan family that raised itself, established its own routines and figured out ways to take care of itself and others. And they learned to support each other - they recognize their best with their own award ceremonies, and developed a support system to address issues after facing trauma scenes head on without no questions asked.

They do this with a board that, until the most recent board, only peeked in for a couple meetings a year, giving very little feedback, no additional recognition and by all appearances forgetting that they are dealing with volunteers. Yes, they now get an hourly honorarium for the time they are pulled away from family or work. But that amounts to less than a teenager gets paid at McDonalds. While accounting and tax records suggest that the they are 'employees' for purposes of record keeping, they are still volunteers. And most of the volunteers have said that it is not about the money, and they often forget that they are to be compensated when the check arrives.

But according to personal accounts, history can't tell when the last time the community fire board collectively said - "We appreciate your service to this community." or handed them a plaque or any recognition elevating the members from a status that appears they feel is a necessary evil.  Having asked about more distant history,  volunteers can't remember a time the board approached the volunteers and said point blank - "You are doing a great job and want you to know what you need to keep it up?"

Yes things cost more, and yet the attitude of the board appears to be that the volunteers are the cause of those increases. The board still has latitude with this department in comparison to the non-negotiable bill the townships get from the other departments.

Does anyone realize how difficult it is to be a volunteer for anything and have to justify the needs of your services to a board or committee to allow you to provide a service? Think of it this way... you have a neighbor who asks you to help him change his second floor storm windows. Being a good neighbor you cordially agree, and suggest that Saturday morning will be a good time to help. At that point the neighbor indignantly replies, "Oh, it can't be Saturday morning, I'm very busy then." So you suggest another time, but the neighbor says, "Do you expect me to accommodate you and your schedule so that you can help me work on my house!?! And by the way, you'd better have a ladder." Kind of Salvador Dali logic, and sometimes it seems that way with the FD board.

There is nothing saying that any of the firefighters or EMS personnel have to stay members, yet they do. That's what makes them volunteers. So what makes them stay? This is a question to which board members should seek an answer, because if the volunteers begin to ask that question it may be too late.

The majority of the board does not live within earshot of the fire and EMS facility.

They do not hear the sirens on cold February mornings before sunrise when a blinding blizzard continues to cover roads with drifting snow, yet they respond to unknown emergencies in these sub-zero temperatures.

They do not hear the pagers when the dispatcher calls for them to respond to a traumatic farm accident involving a pre-school age child.

They do not see relatively fit peope huffing for air to keep up with their collectively pounding hearts as they trudge, laden with gear, across a field to put out the fourth grass fire within an eight-hour period.

Creek - FD

They do not have to face the survivors of an accident after zipping up the non-survivors in a body bag.

Creek FD GF

So going to this 'family' of volunteers to suggest changes in their routines, systems and procedures without approaching them at the very least for input is, to say the least, insensitive and can reinforce the perception that board finds their contribution is of negligible value.

In comparison, when there is news of farmers and farm families who are displaced by economic conditions or severe climate influences, we are saddened for their loss and we say "It is a way of life." and recognize that it is a part of an identity.


cfd rd

So it may be with those who respond to help their fellow man, never knowing who, when or what the circumstances. They are all pulled away from real life, to experience that which would be surreal for everyone else. They share the common experience and at the scene think in sync like members of a chamber music ensemble. As an observer, they appear as the reorganizing factor to life's moments of chaos.

It is likely that everyone wants to be on the same page when it comes to record keeping - an issue brought into discussion.

Positive changes are most often good, and the FD board primarily takes the overall good of the community as their chief motive for exploring these changes. But it must do so with sensitivity to the institutions that exist and the people who established them. They, after all, are also members of the community.

A review of the operations of both the fire department and the EMS may be warranted, but if one doesn't know what exists already how can changes be suggested? (The outcome could be that no changes are needed.) In short, it is wrong to avoid doing the leg work to at least appear to be interested enough to ask what is in place and what exists now.

As one firefighter said recently, "All they had to do was ask."



JD EMS
# # #

Best to all,

Lloyd

Negotiation participants should be congratulated

Members of the Johnson Creek School Board Personnel Committee and the negotiating team of the Johnson Creek Education Association made an incredibly bold move this year as they entered into teacher contract talks. In setting ground rules for their talks, both sides agreed to have as much as possible of the proceedings in open session.

Now, to many, this may be of little significance, especially to those who rarely read a newspaper, the ones who so often say,"How come I never heard about this?!?" at public forums... But I digress.

Because both sides of the negoatiations are maintaining a component of the process to be available for public view and press coverage, it is tantamount to both sides agreeing to bargain in good faith, and believing in the good faith facet of their talks enough to put them on display, to be so ardent about good faith bargaining that they jointly agreed to let the public, and consequently the press, in to hear the concerns of both sides, and to share the resolutions.

Just as there is good reason - about eight acceptable reasons - for elected officials who meet in regular sessions to legitimately go into closed session (although in regular session closed meetings should be the exception not the rule); labor contract talks maintain one or more of the primary reasons to take advantage of a closed session proviso a high percentage of the time.

Chief among them is the ability to negotiate candidly with potentially proprietary information that could have an impact on the final resolution if the proceedings were public. There are many gives-and-takes in negotiations, much like negotiating the sale and purchase of a home or land. Offers and counter offers are made and a course is set to get from point a to point b, but the actual trip can take several side trips with offers, language rewrites, questions on those rewrites, with it all consisting of partially completed pieces of a whole that can float around in disarray until a semblance of order appears on a completed document's language.

So there is good reason to have portions of negotiations in closed session, but the gesture to include the public when negotiating is also a gesture of good faith toward the public. One that encourages disclosure. One that is not based on or in fear. One that says that reason is the basis for this effort and the public recognizes reason.

In regular meetings of governing bodies the ability and reasons to go into closed session have sometimes become distorted. But that is not the case here related to teacher contract negotiations.

Self disclosure is a characterisitic of a good friend, and a person who is voluntarily self disclosing gains the trust of strangers.

So it is with the participants of this year's teacher contract talks, willing to share all that will not compromise the process, yet knowing that both sides gain by sharing with the community they serve. Also knowing that disclosure and openness can provide checks and balances on both sides if logic, reason and motives go off course.

The agreed decision locally by the leadership of the teachers and the representatives of the board to allow as much of the planned talks to be in open session should be considered a model at the vanguard of a new trend and direction. It demonstrates a willingness to share with the community (breaking down the concerns of those who are inherently suspicious or even cynical). In addition, it shows a willingnes to share not only the specidfcs of local issues, but to put on display the general struggle both sides face as constraints on educational funding remain caught in an ever tightening cinch.

Overall, everyone involved is to be congratulated for taking this bold step that should act as a model and example. You have taken a brave position, and as others in surrounding communities follow your example, risk dissipates to reveal in another way the nature of everyones' motives, ultimately illustrating why the cornerstone premise of our nation's foundation is that the government operates only by the consent of the governed and that it takes an informed electorate to properly decide who will take part in that government.

Once again Johnson Creek Schools prove themselves as leaders and innovators.

# # #

Best to all,
Lloyd

Ready to take a break

The last couple weeks have been interesting. For global readers, this blog originates in Johnson Creek, Wisconsin (USA). For those in 'Creek - it's true, this blog has intermittent and regular readers from around the world. Hang on a second while I check the list... Here it is:

Canada
Singapore
United Kingdom
Philippines
Kuwait
Malaysia
United Arab Emirates
Sweden
Australia
France
Guam
Portugal
Italy
Ireland
Brazil
and even though it didn't come up on my stats software, there may be a potential reader in Kyrgystan.

Granted 90 percent of 'Fieldtrips' readers are from the USA and 70 percent of those are from Wisconsin. Almost all of the readers also read CreekNews the intermittent cyber newspaper/magazine that tries to keep up with the local news.

One of the things I like about the news field is that it is 24/7. But for the first time in a long time I feel like taking a break. Not a vacation, but a real break to step back and look at things. Not that I'd assess things differently upon return. Just a step back to look, like a sculptor who steps away from his work to take a good look, a writer who sets aside a manuscript before editing it. Like a sailor who drops all sails and throws out a drogue after an unforeseen gale slams a near upset - giving skipper and crew a chance to reassess, and for pulses to return to normal.

There are several curiousities that have accumulated of late, and they need to be considered.

As those who are in the 'Creek area know, several issues have arisen lately. THe issue of a new public safety facility for the Fire Department and EMS has ridden a rollercoaster. A site is chosen, then discarded, a design is chosen then discarded, a new site is chosen then a new design is accepted then both are discarded...

A new school issue went before the public along with a decision on school operating costs. Those two offerings were defeated at a 4 to 1 ratio.

(In one way I feel very good about Tuesday's decision: It is very unlikely that this showing at the local polls had any influence from any voting machine manufacturers. The number of people who voted clearly reflected the number of votes cast, so there is every reason to believe that - unlike the November vote in Florida and Ohio - the polls reflected the actual wishes of the people, and that is something to celebrate. But that's another blog.)

But there are some points of confusion...

You've heard those sometimes curious sets of silly questions that go, "Why does the drive-up ATM have instructions in Braille?" or "Why is a quickly avoided mid-air collision called a near miss instead of a near hit?" or "Why do people use the term 'hot water heater' instead of just 'water heater?'"

In that vein here are some questions:

Why does it appear that people don't care if the Fire Department and EMS are properly equipped until their own house is on fire or their loved one is having a heart attack?

Why do people say they value education, but really don't find that value to be worth...oh...let's say paying for?

and here's a good one...

Why won't people do their homework to get or check facts, but will spend plenty of energy, time and yes sometimes money to spew inaccurate opinions? "I'm going to wait until a loud person says what I want to hear...because I live on Fantasy Island...Boss, de plane, de plane."

Oh such silliness - as the toddler character 'Stewie' on the animated television program 'Family Guy' might say in his demonic British accent, "Eerie isn't it? Almost like seeing the future."

Well, I don't know if 'Creek needed a new school or not. I DO KNOW, based on published data, that students learn in the best possible environment. Additionally, the local information was reliable, because I am paid to observe this and other schools' operations in meetings on the behalf of the public who cannot or don't wish to attend.

I also KNOW that the operating expense need is very real, NOT because a school board is just spending everyone's money to have a good time. Hell, as a group, I can't think of any organizations or individuals MORE FRUGAL than the typical school board. But the loud people sure can get the attention of the rest of you who don't do your homework on these issues. (One could conclude that you're not in favor of supporting education because you look in the mirror and say "Heck, look how far I've got without one.")

The FACT IS the amount of money a school in Wisconsin can levy is limited to the district valuation formula and a 1.5 percent increase annually. This FACT was in place while health insurance companies decided to have a sudden increase of 25 to 35 percent (as they did six years ago, and five years ago, and four years ago...and...) with impeccable timing pushing most districts 10 to 15 percent over total budget.

That's right ladies and gentlemen, that money is collected by the schools on behalf of the health insurance companies. It doesn't even go near anything having to do with education, makes a sharp U-turn and zing! Off it goes in a premium check to the health insurance companies.

(Speculative conversation of insurance company execs in smoke filled conclave: "Hey, here's a way to collect money from EVERYBODY and put the blame on the schools."

The TRUTH is nobody has ever given a reason for the outrageous increases in those specific costs, although some I contacted gave excuses. And it is only one extreme example.

Meanwhile teachers and programs have been cut, and teachers have made concessions in health benefit coverage.

As Jefferson resident Dr. Stoner, member of the Jefferson School Board said last year, "It's as if they back an armored truck up to the school every month for the insurance premium funds."

And of course there are the normal increases in expenses. Now really, you and I are paying more at the gas pump, right? Do you think the schools have a special magic energy resource?

As this gets written the current bill for the war in Iraq is $160.4 billion.

Let us consider one billion of something...anything. Fellow blogger Cosmo McMoon who writes the Freedom File blog pointed out that one billion seconds ago it was 1959, one billion minutes ago Jesus was walking the Earth, one billion hours ago humans were pretty much begining to come into their own on the planet. BUT one billion dollars was only 8.5 hours ago for US government spending.

Do a little more homework and you'll find Wisconsin's portion of that $160.4 billion spent on the effort in Iraq if divided per capita would have provided more than 46,000 teachers in state schools for a year. (Does the state need that many teachers? Probably not, but there would have been less of a need for an operating expense decision at the polls Tuesday.) But nobody is being loud about that spending. Nobody is using fact OR loud inaccuracies to question those priorities.

Nobody wants to pay out any more of their earnings than they must for anything, but it is the nature of this nation to jointly support things that we value. Not only do EMS and Fire Department personnel volunteer to be called out at any hour in any conditions to help you and your family and your neighbors, they also pay taxes.

Yep, there is no question that a new school would be a chunk of change, and I won't try to argue the FACT that schools have a positive influence on local growth which in turn brings down taxes and increases the standard of living and makes the facility a tangible community asset - data based info, by the way. (I know some people have trouble with things like facts and truth.)

I'm not independently wealthy, especially while trying to get two college students through school and closer to pushing them out of the nest..."Okay my children, if you're reading this '...Fly, be free,graduate from college, test your wings, buy and eat out of your own refrigerator...!'" And remember that each school board member and each teacher and administrator also pays taxes (and many have children in college nearing the edge of the nest, too.)

Here's the way I see it. Somebody paid for me to have an education, many of those people at that time may have moved from a different community to the town where they paid for me to have a school and education. Since then many may have moved on, indeed many of them may not be living anymore, period. I have moved from that community, and instead of paying any compensation for the education I got in my hometown back to that hometown, I pay that compensation to the local institutions. It may be after I move on if I choose to, or maybe after I'm gone entirely, but the students who benefit from the education I help provide them with now will be responsible for making sure that the young people where they choose to live have an adequate education.

In the meantime, I know I can look eye-to-eye with myself in a mirror and say "I value education."

'Eerie, isnt it?'

Best to all,

Lloyd

WPDC works toward Saturday's Peace Walk

Members of the WPDC work on signs for Saturday's Peace Walk

Members of the Watertown Peace and Democracy Coalition are staging a peace walk Saturday March 19 at noon.
The group started from a core of four members and over the past six weeks had grown to more than 50 Watertown citizens. Organizers note that usually about 25 show up at their weekly meetings.
The goal of the organization is to rally the quiet majority and raise community consciousness, according to the coalition web site.
Coalition members have narrowed their concerns from several current trends in the government. While ongoing government military policies remain a primary point the group feels the need for media reform, campaign finance and election reforms, and oversight of corporate responsibility.
“In general, we share a concern over indicators that democracy is slipping away,” said WPDC member Bill Reichertz.
According to a group spokesperson Tom Depies, the peace walk is the first in ongoing efforts to help provide related information to the public. He noted that next month the group will be hosting a presentation by George Martin, program director of Peace Action Wisconsin.
Scheduled for 6 p.m. April 23, Martin who recently returned from a visit to Iraq will speak at the Riverside Middle School large group instruction room. His presentation will be on “The Reality of Iraq.”
Saturday’s peace walk will begin at noon, and according to WPDC members they will begin gathering in the public parking lot on Water Street across from the Watertown Public Library. The walk route will be from Water Street east on Main Street to eighth street, return west on Main then heading south on Church Street to Bernard Street and returning to the Water St parking lot.
The coalition has made an abundance of signs expressing there views, and welcomes anyone with similar concerns to join them for Saturday’s walk.
# # #
***
Best to all,

Lloyd

The Value of Education: It doesn't cost, it pays

In the world of finance a few people get lucky and hit it big in a short period of time, but investment counselors agree that most people make safe gains by staying with their plan over the long haul.

So it is with education and schools. It is a solid investment that is proven directly tied to economic development. It can't be considered a short term investment, nor a temporary one, although there are near immediate benefits. But it is a good and wise investment in not only the future of your children, but also wise for anyone with an interest in the social and economic enhancement of a community.

This is simple research-based information. One good example is from the book, "Smart Money: Education and Economic Development," by William Schweke (published by the Economic Policy Institute).
 
The book summarizes that education at all levels is an investment worthwhile. Writing about primary and secondary education he notes:

Research shows that a high-quality education increases the earnings of individuals and the economic health of their communities. Some believe, however, that increased public investment will not necessarily improve the quality of education offered. But recent studies show that education spending can have a direct, positive impact on the business climate and can improve the success of at-risk students, whose contributions to the economy are critical for achieving a high-value/high-wage economy in the 21st century. Such spending will have a greater chance of success if coupled with specific reforms, such as smaller class sizes, greater access to technology for at-risk students, support for teacher training and innovation, and improved accountability structures.

Schweke also attributes human and social costs to a lack of investment in education, citing areas that lack educational resources and drawing correlations to increases in crime rates, drug use, gangs and basic family stability.

Education has a direct impact on specific values in the work place, indicating a more immediate return on investment with the educational dollar. One of the most immediately visible returns is the proven increase in productivity when education is a priority within a community.

The Congressional Joint Economic Committee Study published in 2000 and titled Investment in Education: Private and Public Returns reaches one of its first conclusions in relating the impact of an investment in education on the labor force:

The most direct way that education affects the labor market experience of workers is by increasing their productivity, thus increasing their earnings. The more education individuals acquire, the better they are able to absorb new information, acquire new skills, and familiarize themselves with new technologies. By increasing their human capital, workers enhance the productivity of their labor and of the other capital they use at work. If higher levels of productivity reflect higher levels of human capital, which are in turn primarily a result of increased education, then a positive relationship should exist between educational attainment and earnings.

The report also states that education not only has a direct result on income, but also improves the quality of employment.

As it turns out, attributing numbers to the correlation between good and higher education and economic growth has become easy to realize. Other research confirmed this finding. Edward Denison undertook one of the most comprehensive studies on the effect of education on economic growth. Denison estimated that education per worker was the source of 16 percent of output growth in nonresidential business.

In another study done for the Rand Corporation, 21 percent of the growth in output from 1940-1980 was the result of an increase in average schooling levels. Estimates of the effect of human capital on economic growth in the United States mostly range from 10 to 25 percent, although some recent evidence disputes this finding. But the specific number is definitely a positive and continuing trend.

The joint congressional study points out:

By improving the productivity of American workers, education increases the wealth of the United States. To illustrate the magnitude of the effect of increased educational levels on economic growth in the United States, consider the effect on gross domestic product (GDP) if educational levels had stopped rising in 1959. In real terms (chained 1992 dollars), GDP rose from $2,210.2 billion in 1959 to $7,269.8 billion in 1997. If one were to assume that increased education levels contribute 16 percent to economic growth, and that this education improvement did not occur, the result would be that in real terms 1997 GDP would be lower by approximately $1,260 billion dollars, standing at just over $6,009 billion in 1997.

But it turns out that the intangibles that follow as a return on investment in education have been known since before we were a nation. Traditional concern about the educational opportunities of the poor, as it has evolved in the American context, has resulted in the public provision of education. The public provision of education predates our independence beginning in 1647 with the passage of the Massachusetts Bay Colony's first schooling legislation. A tradition of state guidance, but local financing and control has characterized American public education for the majority of the past two centuries.

When not tapping out a blog article, I'm often doing internal marketing consulting for a portion of a large company.  An ongoing struggle is convincing powers at all levels that investing in quality in process, productivity, parts, production and service is worthwhile. I'm not sure if I can take credit for the term, but people have gotten used to me saying, "Quality doesn't cost, it pays." This appears to hold true with education. It is a good deal and a worthwhile investment - it doesn't cost, it pays.

Sometimes the public loses sight of the nature of education, and is blinded to the fact that the best route away from poverty, the best route to a better standard of living, the best way to prevent crime, the best way to ensure commerce and peace - locally and globally - is to make an earnest investment in education.

"If you think education is expensive, try ignorance."  -- a line often attributed to Mark Twain puts the matter together in a concise nutshell.

# # #

Best to all,

Lloyd
-----------------
Lloyd Schultz

On the learning environment

Informed decisions on seemingly difficult local issues often require a view that exceeds daily horizons.


Cutting to the chase


There are activities that are more difficult in certain environments.  Some have trouble writing in a noisy setting, icing a wedding cake in hot humid weather or reading in subdued lighting and many more. 

And so it is with the modern school facility. It is a site to return and repeat experiments, a place to rehearse, a place to perform, a place conducive to learning, a central resource location, and a place to share experiences and pass on information. In short it must be conducive to learning.

The age of a building can be a relative thing. The Cathedral at Chartres and its exquisite stained glass windows can be no better. It serves the purpose it was originally intended to serve, and remains an example of the best of what a cathedral can be in artistically representing the architectural standard for a place conducive to worship. It is spiritual in nature. It is not transient. It was built to last.

But schools serve a dynamic group of students and teachers, where new ideas are explored daily, or hourly. And if new ideas are to be presented to an ever more sophisticated group of students in an ever more sophisticated world, then the facilities must be able to adapt to those educational needs. 

Additionally, as more programs are mandated by legislative bodies, often no matter what the enrollment numbers, facilities will need to accommodate those changing requirements.

In a report on the impact of inadequate school infrastructure on student performance, David Branham, Ph.D of the University of Houston Center for Public Policy (click) cites several correlations. Simply put, the report studied 226 public schools and found that poor facilities have a direct impact on student abilities.

According to the report:

Specifically, schools in need of roof repair, schools with a high percentage of temporary buildings, and schools with inadequate custodial staffs will have lower attendance rates, higher drop out rates, and lower accountability ratings than schools without such structural problems.

The report goes on to say that people initially vote for school issues based on what they perceive as their own best interests. "That being the case," Branham writes, " it makes sense to discover what those interests are. In other words, if voters can see that school infrastructure has an effect on student achievement, then they may make a more informed vote on bond initiatives that support school infrastructure."

The state of Florida implemented a constitutional amendment recognizing the impact of class size on education, and requiring that different ages and programs have space and teacher/student ratios that optimize an educational experience.

A report on the amendment rationale, which includes input from the American Institute of Architects, recognizes that school expansion has not kept pace with population expansion, and also states that there was a gap in school spending compared to other growth related areas.

A part of the report states:

According to the Florida Chamber of Commerce’s New Cornerstone Report published in 2001-2002, Florida’s population expanded rapidly in the 1990s from 13.1 million to almost 16 million in 2000, a gain of nearly 18%. In addition, the Chamber reported that between 1991 and 2001, the K-12 expenditures in Florida did not keep
pace with either inflation or the rate of student growth. What has
resulted from this shrinking financial support is a construction
and maintenance backlog that has the potential to cripple Districts
as their physical plants age and they struggle to address the immediate concerns of campus overcrowding. With the Class Size Amendment added to the equation - which state economists estimate will require 30,000 more classrooms – there is potential for losing focus of the importance of a quality learning environment.

The Florida report also notes that there is a direct impact on teacher satisfaction related to work environment, which could have an impact on teacher contract matters.

Still another report on the funding of schools in Tennessee notes that the impact of a school environment has historical evidence.

The report, entitled "Do K-12 School Facilities Affect Education Outcomes?" states:

As far back as the 1920s, industrial research established the
relationship between environmental factors and employee
productivity and morale, but these lessons have not been applied
widely in educational settings. In recent years, however, the
importance of school facilities has been increasingly recognized.
There are now eight states where the courts have explicitly made the funding of capital facilities a part of education equalization remedies.

School facility factors such as building age and condition, quality of
maintenance, temperature, lighting, noise, color, and air quality can
affect student health, safety, sense of self, and psychological state.
Research has also shown that the quality of facilities influences
citizen perceptions of schools and can serve as a point of community pride and increased support for public education.

Wisconsin too has looked at its school facilities. A joint research paper done for the Wisconsin Education Association Council (WEAC) and the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators (AWSA) surveyed state schools. The research paper found interesting information about the age and condition of schools in the Badger State

It notes that three-fourths of Wisconsin's public school buildings were built before 1970, nearly one-fourth before 1940. About two percent were built in the 19th Century. Most of the existing buildings were constructed during the 1950's and 1960's. These buildings have been the target of considerable criticism because of their relatively poor construction. A 1989 study of the nation's school buildings by the Education Writers Association concluded that buildings of this age are "wearing out quickly and have severe repair needs. . . Many construction experts say the buildings were intended to last only about 30 years. If so, their time is up" (Lewis, et. al, p. 2).

The Wisconsin research concludes:

Furthermore, in our focus on numbers and quantitative measures, we must not forget the human dimension. Ultimately, we need to keep in mind that the 172 buildings judged inadequate by the principals in Wisconsin have an enrollment of nearly 75,000 students whose lives are affected on a daily basis by substandard school facilities.

While school facility matters are dealt with across the state and nation, at the local level the faces of individual students and teachers come into focus. We are no longer dealing with statistical figures and graphs, we are dealing with your children and my children. None of us think of our children as a statistic. They are the growing future. We urge them to be the best, to pursue the most, to aim high while learning conditions may be less than optimum.

Music teachers cannot expect students to learn on a mangled instrument. Ag teachers cannot demonstrate germination, photosynthesis or plant growth if seeds are planted where there is no light. So it is with students in all subject areas. It is essential to have the environment and tools that will maximize the odds for student success.

It is a national concern that really comes down to common sense. Everyone needs a location where they can study, exercise, play, perform and socialize, yet currently we have a tendency to shoot for the lowest common denominator in educational facilities. At the same time we say that we value education. Should school be any less accommodating than the areas where we work or pursue other interests? If anything it should be superior.

Why is a 50 year old school considered old? Because it was likely built with the scope of education that was prevailing at the time of its design.

It is time to see the facilities for education the way the designers, builders and supporters of structures like the cathedrals of Europe. When education is again seen as more than finite as an ever changing and never ending endeavor, planning and building for education will appear less transient as well.
# # #

Best to all,

Lloyd

A Little Tennyson

Like certain pieces of music that stir memories and transport one back to a different time and place, poetry revisited can agitate those thoughts past and nearly put you back in an exact spot and date. As the mess in Vietnam was heading to a less than spotless final page, many of us still holding draft cards breathed a collective sigh of relief along with a world that was simply fatigued by that sad chapter.

During that time by near accident I came across a portion of Tennyson's Locksley Hall that among its trochaic couplets spoke of a hope for the future in the aftermath of a senseles protracted tragedy. It surfaced recently, again by near accident, and I share it with you readers.

Best to all,

Lloyd

from Locksley Hall

(ca. 1840)
by
Alfred Lord Tennyson

. . .

For I dipt into the future, far as human eye could see,
Saw the Vision of the world, and all the wonder that would be;

Saw the heavens fill with commerce, argosies of magic sails,
Pilots of the purple twilight dropping down with costly bales;

Heard the heavens fill with shouting, and there rain'd a ghastly dew
From the nations' airy navies grappling in the central blue;

Far along the world-wide whisper of the south-wind rushing warm,
With the standards of the peoples plunging thro' the thunder-storm;

Till the war-drum throbb'd no longer, and the battle-flags were furl'd
In the Parliament of man, the Federation of the world.

There the common sense of most shall hold a fretful realm in awe,
And the kindly earth shall slumber, lapt in universal law.

. . .

# # #