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Bully Pulpit: Transitions |
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Written by Jackie Taylor
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Wednesday, 30 June 2010 11:59 |
Anybody that has been a manager, owner or “boss” knows of the challenges that employees bring. Some I’ve heard equate managing people to herding chickens. I, on the other hand, have had the pleasure of working with some outstanding people over my years, and many of them have been with me since the early years of moving to Linn County.
And one of those employees is our sports editor, Brad Allen.
Brad started with the Linn County News eight years ago as a part-time sportswriter. Following the departure of two very wonderful news editors, Brad assumed the responsibility of both positions and became the Linn County News editor and sportswriter.
He was also my go-to man. Brad assumed the position of keeping my hot temper from flaring up in unwelcomed areas. He was successful most of the time and I found him very fair and balanced in his views of those situations that arose.
Today, Brad is at the bedside of his terminally ill mother and has chosen to move to Coffeyville to assist his also ill father through the challenges that lie before them.
As in his writing and treatment of people, he again is portraying the gracefulness and compassion that we at the paper have grown to love. We have watched Brad sacrifice many times for the wellbeing of his family, but this time is a new beginning for him, his kids and his wife.
Besides being the balancing figure at the paper, Brad was also our only male employee. His sense of humor about his “more feminine side” and hoping he didn’t break out with a pole dance during deadline day kept all of us on our toes and laughing.
Brad has asked that I look to replace him. When he told me this, I responded that his shoes would not be easy to fill. He has done a superb job bringing sports in the paper to a place we can be proud of. He has worked diligently to cover each sport at each high school fairly and to give each equal recognition.
We will begin looking for someone that we feel can give sports in Linn County the same kind of love and devotion that Brad gave, so in the interim, we hope our readers will have patience with us.
We will begin running a help wanted ad in the paper and hope someone steps forward that has the drive and enthusiasm for sports that Brad did.
Meanwhile, we pray that Brad and his family can make it through the tough time that illness and death creates and we wish him the best in the new challenges and life that lie before him.
We will miss him and I personally will miss his friendship.
Jackie Taylor
Linn County News publisher
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Bully Pulpit - Arizona – not the only tough state |
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Written by Jackie Taylor
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Wednesday, 23 June 2010 09:15 |
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As Arizona delves into uncharted waters on toughening legislation concerning illegal aliens, many states and cities are following suit in the wake of that legislation.
Arizona is continuing the charge on illegal immigration, now with new legislation discussed coming in January that will make the children of illegal aliens born in Arizona noncitizens. Those children would be issued noncitizen birth certificates, denying them the rights of legal citizens born in the United States.
But Arizona is not the only state that is becoming aggressive in fighting the problem. Following closely behind Arizona, without receiving the negative publicity surrounding the debate, is our neighboring state of Missouri. I found an editorial piece by Nita Jane Ayres written in “The Ozarks Sentinel” on May 13, 2010, very interesting explaining legislation that Missouri has enacted.
“The ‘Show Me’ state has once again showed us how it should be done.
In 2007, Missouri placed on the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment designating English as the Official language of Missouri. Nearly 90% voting in favor!
English became the official language for ALL governmental proceeding in Missouri.
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Medicare Payment Board Needs Fixing |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 16 June 2010 14:32 |
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Peter J. Pitts
Those who opposed the healthcare bill are currently debating whether “repeal and replace” should be the clarion call in the coming election. Regardless of how this debate turns out, those in favor of doing better should focus their immediate attention to identifying and fixing the most harmful parts of the legislation. The new Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) should be a top target.
The bill that passed restructures the existing federal agency responsible for bringing down Medicare costs -- the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MPAC) -- and turns it into the IPAB.
MPAC was a group of medical experts appointed by Congress that provided non-binding recommendations on ways to cut expenses and increase revenues in the Medicare program.
The changes embodied in the IPAB are meant to make the agency more independent and to skirt the political hurdles that have stalled cost-control efforts in the past. Board members will now be appointed by the President. And the IPAB’s policy recommendation will automatically be instituted unless Congress overrides them.
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Bully Pulpit: Go Arizona!! |
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Written by Jackie Taylor
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Wednesday, 09 June 2010 13:35 |
I was watching Arizona’s Governor Jan Brewer following her one-on-one last week with President Obama concerning new legislation enacted in Arizona in April, and the only way I could describe her response to the meeting was – “Go, girl!”
The governor is not buckling to a few squeaking wheels, including the President, and is holding steady to what a recent poll states 75 percent of Arizona residents want - deal with illegal immigration.
I ask myself, as a minority – a white female - what would happen to me if I were stopped in a traffic stop of some type? I’d be asked for my identification and car registration. If I couldn’t produce such documentation, I’d face the fiddler. Why should it be any different for those coming from Mexico?
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 02 June 2010 12:02 |
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If only more Americans had bought fixer-uppers.
Maybe I better explain.
My first house was in need of major renovations. Boy, did my father and I suffer when we improved the bathroom.
The project started well enough. We tore down the old wall tile and put up wallpaper and a tub surround. We repainted, then put down a new floor. All we had to do to was reinstall the commode.
The bolts that had secured the toilet to the floor had both broken. The hardware-store guy sold me a kit to reattach them.
My father spent an hour reattaching the bolts. But as we attempted to fish the bolts through the commode’s bolt holes, we discovered they were too short.
“Son of a ... !” said my father.
“The idiots gave us the wrong bolts!” I said.
I raced to the hardware store and bought longer bolts. My father spent another hour getting them in place. We were finally able to reattach the commode.
But another problem arose: the wax goop that seals the commode to the sewage pipe wasn’t thick enough to seal anything.
“Son of a ... !!” said my father.
“The idiots gave us the wrong goop!” I said.
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Last Updated on Wednesday, 02 June 2010 12:49 |
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