A new adventure: The Jackson and Pawpaw Show

My grandchild is an incredible friend.  We try to do new things together.  He is five, I am not.  

I picked up some recording equipment and thought we could make it an adventure.  I'm calling it a podcast, our first foray, but he just thought the headphones and mics were cool. Not so much a podcast, but a nearly typical conversation with this five year old on a late Monday afternoon. just being together. At the end I say we'll be right back, but it was time to end the episode.   

So if you have 10 minutes or so, join us and listen in:

The Jackson and Pawpaw Show

Left, Right or Center: Do not touch the Wisconsin recall law...

There are no rules of purpose or triggers for a recall in Wisconsin, nor should there be.

A recent Wisconsin State Journal editorial held a position against recall actions. The editorial stated that those facing recalls were elected to four-year terms and “…shouldn’t be targeted for recall, because of public policy decisions.  The recall process is designed to quickly purge politicians for illicit behavior, not to punish those who take controversial stands on single issues.”  Often speculation, or perhaps wishful speculation, will give a voice such authority, but instead it should first be cultivated with homework. In short, the editorial premise is inaccurate.

The matter of illicit behavior is already addressed by due process and impeachment and so would be redundant. The recall was designed as an umbrella protection for the people from elected officials who misrepresent themselves, go against the public’s wishes and best interests, and instead seek their own benefit and those of special interests to the detriment of the people.  If the purpose of something important enough to be an amendment to the state constitution was to be specifically for dealing with illicit behavior, the framers of the recall amendment surely would have included that in the language.

Republican Senator and former Wisconsin governor Robert M. LaFollette was an initial champion of the recall as well as other citizen protections. There was in the early 20th Century a progressive effort for the electorate to have more direct input into government.  One must remember it wasn’t until 1913 the people directly elected US senators – prior, it was the state legislatures who decided and sent senators to Washington DC.  That change too was an effort for the public to have direct participation in government.

Recall is there precisely for the people to use when matters of public policy have gone on a course that sets a destination counter to the wants and needs of those by whom the official was elected.  LaFollette said “The recall will enable the people to dismiss from public service a representative whenever he shall cease to serve the public interest. Then, no jackpot politician can hold his office in defiance of the will of a constituency whose commission he has dishonored.”

Having specific criteria for a recall takes away its purpose. An abundance of damage can be done between term elections without there being any illicit behavior.  Indeed it is possible, before a term has ended, for an elected body to change what constitutes illicit behavior.  LaFollette said, “Whenever a representative government fails, it fails because the representative proves incompetent or false to his trust. Entrenched in office for his full term, his constituency is powerless and must submit to misrepresentation. There is no way to correct his blunders or to protect against his betrayal.”

Recently, discussions and plans made in committees of the Wisconsin Legislature to change the recall law have ensued.  What is wrong with a picture in which the elected officials, who could be displaced by recall, are deciding on rules to make it more difficult for voters to use a law designed to keep those elected officials in check? 

This is a law for and of the people and it should not be altered. In fact the last line of the amendment itself states,  “…Laws may be enacted to facilitate its operation but no law shall be enacted to hamper, restrict or impair the right of recall.” (Art. XIII, Sec. 11 (7) Constitution, State of Wisconsin)

In the process of making this an amendment to the state constitution in the 1920s, there was support from both the major parties of the time -- the Socialists and the Republicans in the legislature and Republican Governor John Blaine.

Between 1924 and 1926 the Wisconsin Legislature voted for the recall amendment twice, both times getting support from both sides of the aisle.  Then, true to the idea of direct input from the electorate, the recall amendment went to a state-wide referendum.   In that April 1926 referendum the recall amendment passed with greater than 80 percent of the vote from the people of the state of Wisconsin.

From where did the idea that there must be illicit behavior for there to be a recall come? No triggers are required to have a recall.  While the State Journal’s premise is incorrect, one can address their concern over the number of recalls without manufacturing the intended purpose or pushing to change the language of the law.  Simply put, the best way to prevent recalls is for those whom we elect to heed the wishes of their constituency. 

Legislators have no right to touch the recall amendment. Doing so renders transparent their need to review the basic tenet that a representative government is one where the representatives work for the people. It doesn’t matter which side of the current issues one resides. When it comes to the recall law all sides will lose if those, who could be subject to recall, alter or impose conditions that render unavailable this tool of the people. 

Workplace bullying must stop

This behavior must stop.

The issue needs to be addressed for a variety of reasons. Workplace bullying is something that
truly impacts the bottom line in business, with studies suggesting the
cost to business nationally ranges from $10 billion to more than $100
billion annually .

And of course it can simply destroy individuals in the workplace. (Here is an interesting report from
Pepperdine University - "Are workplace bullies sabotaging your ability
to compete?" http://gbr.pepperdine.edu/014/print_bullies.htm .) In it
the authors write:

Because bullies are cowards and are driven by deep-seated insecurities and

fears of inadequacy, they intentionally wage a covert war against an

organization's best employees - those who are highly-skilled,

intelligent, creative, ethical, able to work well with others, and

independent (who refuse to be subservient or controlled by others).

Bullies can act alone or in groups. Bullying behavior can exist at any

level of an organization. Bullies can be superiors, subordinates,

co-workers and colleagues.
You are not protected
There is a false sense of security in the US as most people don't realize
that EEO regulations (related to gender, disability, religion, etc) are
very narrowly defined. They will only protect one from harassment or
discrimination if one fits into those categories with specific related
infractions. So in a situation where a manager or coworker might
dislike people with brown eyes, the manager or co-worker could make a
brown eyed person's life miserable at work with complete impunity.
There are no hostile workplace laws.

Workplace bullying defined
The Workplace Bully and Trauma Institute defines workplace bullying as:
"...repeated, health-harming mistreatment of one or more persons (the
targets) by one or more perpetrators that takes one or more of the
following forms:
- verbal abuse
- offensive conduct/behaviors (including nonverbal) which are threatening, humiliating or intimidating
- work interference -- sabotage -- which prevents work from getting done."

And it continues: "Workplace Bullying: (a) is driven by perpetrators' need
to control the targeted individual's) , (b) is initiated by bullies who
choose targets, timing, place and methods, (c) escalates to involve
others who side with the bully, either voluntarily through coercion,
and it (d) undermines legitimate business interests when bullies'
personal agendas take precedence over work itself."

The keys are 'repeated' and 'health-harming' actions against a single target. This
does not mean a simple bad boss who makes everyone's life miserable,
nor a couple individual bad interactions. Herein is the key to a
quantifiable definition or complaint. One or several different kinds of
unpleasant experiences based on perception of tone of voice or choice
of words does not a workplace bully make.

A snake by any other name
It is presumed that a bully has to be a loud tyrant out in the open. In
fact there are as many who work to remain undetected just as a school
age bully wishes to go undetected. Several reports show workplace
bullies are so covert that it simply adds to the stressful turmoil
where even the target is unaware of or disoriented by what is happening
- equally unaware of the source. ("The Bully at WorK" Gary and Ruth
Namie, PhDx2 - Sourcebooks, Inc. )

Examples:
- if a boss or co-worker repeatedly pulls someone from a distribution list or
misinforms a target of meeting dates so they don't make meetings to
make them look incompetent
-if the target provides top performance
and is repeatedly passed over for recognition to the point where
co-workers notice and question it,
-if the individual is moved to a work area to separate the person from colleagues,
-if the bully regularly plagiarizes materials created by the target taking
credit for the good work yet blaming the target publicly as his or hers
if the work is questioned
-if the bully publicly rebukes the target
for efforts inaccurate due to purposed misinformation provided by or at
the direction of the bully
-if the target is blamed for unfinished work actually assigned  to others on a regular basis.
- and myriad of other potential insidious behaviors…
...it falls into the realm of behavior and treatment that can be documented and measured.
 

There are also findings that many of these bullies fit the profile of or are
indeed psychopaths (per the book: "Snakes in Suits: When Psychopaths go
to Work" - Babiak and Hare - Harper) 

US behind the curve 

Bullying is legal in the US workplace, yet most of the other western
industrialized countries around the world have some form of legal
recourse for what has been termed 'status-blind'
harassment/discrimination. Currently there are 13 states at various
stages in the process of writing, deliberating or enacting
anti-workplace bullying legislation. There is speculation on how new
laws would be manifest and it is only speculation. Many are saying that
there would be a deluge of frivolous lawsuits - of course that can't be
determined until a law is in place. It seems that a law wouldn't be
required if organizations wrote and adhered to solid policies against
this behavior.

Another false safety net
Often the first response or advice for the individual is to approach a
business' HR department. Unfortunately, one study found that in more
than 50 percent of workplace bullying cases HR did nothing on the bully
target's behalf, and in more than 30 percent of the cases HR helped or
supported the bully. Consequently the majority of workplace bully
targets are pushed out of their position (per
http://bullyinginstitute.org/research/research.html ) Similar studies
indicate that those pushed out tend to be the top performers.
A 2007 Zogby study illustrates the loss to employers: "Because
40% of bullied respondents left their jobs, it is estimated that the
skills of 21+ million workers are lost to employers due to bullying."

Health-harming
Dr. Noreen Tehrani, a researcher dealing with soldiers returning from combat as well as victims of workplace bullying said:

The symptoms displayed by people who have been in (military) conflict

situations and workplaces where bullying happens are strikingly

similar. Both groups suffer nightmares, are jumpy and seem fueled by

too much adrenaline.
Tehrani explained that the three primary signs of PTSD are hyper-arousal, a
feeling of constant anxiety and over-vigilance; avoidance of anything
to do with the traumatizing event(s); and re-experiencing, in which
subjects suffer flashbacks or obsessive thoughts concerning the trauma.
She added that this can be the result of exposure to both environments
of conflict and those where workplace bullies are allowed exist and
operate.

 
An additional article referred to early research on 'mobbing,' a term then used and still interchanged with 'bullying:'

Dr. Heinz Leymann, German industrial psychologist, is credited for

identifying the syndrome in Europe, Japan and Australia where he

studied it for nearly 20 years. He lived in Sweden and estimated that

15% of the suicides in Sweden were the result of mobbing in the

workplace. It is cruelty in the extreme, a group bullying process that

can go or weeks, months, even years, until the job is done...

Current studies indicate that work-related suicides now may be an even larger
percentage of the totals established in Leymann's original inquiries. 

In a case very close to home a person was severely bullied out of a
position after more 24 years of success working over the years from an
entry level position up to a management position in a Fortune top 10
corporation.

Often the advice given is to simply leave and seek
a position elsewhere. But if it is a person with one or two decades of
success contributing to a business' success (or any period of time) it
is wrong and against all principle. Secondly, it is easy to say one
should quit IF one doesn't have children in college, IF one has no
house payment along with the other day-to-day/month-to-month expenses.
IF one can afford to lose accumulated benefits including retirement
contributions and others that would require someone to start over. And
one could do it IF there really weren't age discrimination or IF one
really had the resources to pursue complaints. And that is also IF one
hasn't been injured by the bullying so severely that they are barely
able to contribute without some accommodation.

Bullying is behavior that should not be tolerated and - barring a faster easier
solution in the form of a solid commitment by employers framing
policies which will be monitored, reviewed and enforced - the
government must step in and fulfill one of its functions, protecting
the citizenry.

Bullies should no more be allowed in the
workplace than an known active rapist, someone who assaults others,
someone who threatens others with weapons or otherwise has tendencies
to terrorize individuals.

Best to all,

Lloyd

Campaigning

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

Sea Fever

I must go down to the seas again,
   to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship
   and a star to steer her by,
And the wheel's kick and the wind's song
   and the white sail's shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea's face
   and a grey dawn breaking.

I must go down to the seas again,
   for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call
   that may not be denied;
And all I ask is a windy day
   with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume,
   and the sea-gulls crying.

I must go down to the seas again
   to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull's way and the whale's way
   where the wind's like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn
   from a laughing fellow rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream
   when the long trick's over.

  -- John Masefield

Pinafore: Sailing 2006

Sound on: Music is opening chorus of 'HMS Pinafore' by Gilbert and Sullivan.

Emergency Services a Foundation of Hope

Hope is our fuel to a future. It grants our soul the opportunity to find joy in anticipation. It is an essential ingredient in adapting to life's unexpected course changes.

Within most small communities there are a few common established institutions including churches, a school, a library, a post office, fire, EMS, PD, a business presence and some sort of repository for local government.

But to truly be a community, residents must serve or participate in these institutions. It is a requirement for membership. Each institution carries out a series of tasks or activities, but bring to the community a greater or larger quality.

The school seeds fertile minds through daily learning pursuits, but for the community the schools maintain a foundation and value in knowledge. The police provide security, but also a larger community influence of peace. Libraries are pharmacies for the mind that prescribe the right information for those who yearn to expand insight but also instill wisdom to benefit the community. And the churches provide understanding, meaning and in a larger sense principle.

Most of these organizations provide opportunities to make a locale more than just a gathering of dwellings and businesses -- the purpose provided in serving define a community.

Over the past seven years I've had the privilege of working with the local volunteer EMS and then the Fire and EMS combined. My contribution is limited as Information Officer, but much like the majority of my work-life it allows me to continue being an observer.

Volunteer Fire and EMS departments are unique to the institutions of small communities. They are people from a full spectrum of ages, backgrounds, careers and experience. They require a dedication that is unique. Before even starting to serve, EMTs and firefighter need well over 100 hours of training for both disciplines. And training is ongoing to stay current. In addition to the formal training, the true tests happen with real situations in the field.

Emergency services require a volunteer frame of mind outside of the typical. Unlike most other organizations, the schedule is determined by the needs of others or the situation.

It is a commitment to community where members are willing to say "we're here to help at any time - just call us." People leave their jobs, their homes and family, their projects, their beds in the middle of the night and go to help...some person - another community member or a complete stranger who is sick, injured or in danger.

The idea of being a participating community member more than simply living in a local dwelling, paying taxes, keeping your lawn mowed.

Fire and EMS people demonstrate this commitment tangibly many, many times a year.

And what do they do? In an organized manner they rapidly assemble and answer calls. Often they go to motor vehicle accidents which require delicately separating crumpled humans from crumpled metal, providing immediate medical expertise on the move to a destination of recovery. They rescue people from the depths of waterways and the heights of silos and grain bins.

At a fire scene the safety and wellbeing of others is primary, then continue to save property and possessions, often at potential personal risk of peril. Everyone knows their part, played out like a tight jazz group that improvises as they need to, yet everyone knows where the song is going. The goal is the same - to save people and then protect property.

So they do all that. They do rescue cats in trees, walk into infernos, bring back the injured or ill from the brink of a permanent farewell, mend wounds, take programs to the schools, support community causes. They head out in blizzards and ice storms to accidents when no one should have been on the road in the first place. They spend 10 hours fighting and finishing a barn fire on a day of 90+ degree heat and equal humidity. They face hazardous materials that could make your skin fall off, and attend to injury accidents that would make your skin crawl.

What is the larger element this institution brings to the foundation of a community? They deliver Hope.

There are few sounds more deafening than the silence immediately after a vehicle collision. It is the sound of despair. But then the silence is broken by the sound of sirens from an approaching EMS rig and fire engine - it is the music of hope.

Anguish during an out of control kitchen fire is interrupted by renewed hope that it won't cost the whole house when firefighters confidently step in and quell the blaze.

Helplessness, felt by new parents when their newborn, who had been running a fever, started convulsing, is stilled by hope when experienced EMTs arrive with assurances that they've seen it before, then help the child's condition to improve even before reaching the emergency room.

Hope is the first element in returning order from chaos. Hope is the tangible assurance that a community will maintain a past, feel safe in the present and be confident in a future. As long as people are willing to make this commitment to neighbors and their community...there is hope.

Best to all,

Lloyd

Johnson Creek Fire & EMS Recruiting Vid