Styles used in journalism today change daily. The way that news reaches readers changes as well, such as the turn that many papers have made to depend on the internet as a way to reach the public.
In "Mad Men: Reefer Madness," the writer has created a typical review for a television show, but it does not seem to have much thought put into it. I cannot say that I have ever watched "Mad Men" and I have maybe seen part of one episode of "The Sopranos," so I won't say anything about the comparison of the two because I know nothing about them. However, the use of bullet points in the article make it seem "cheap" in a way.
Over the past few years, I cannot honestly say that I have used bullet points in any writings I have done for any journalism classes, only reports for other classes. Nor do I like articles that begin with a question or end with a bunch of questions. Articles that are written that way make me wonder just how much the writer knows about the subject.
Maybe it's also a pet peeve, but why must the writer start each bullet with "In the..." There are other ways to begin an idea. It would be easier to read if the paragraphs were divided up, instead of being so long.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Contributions Plunge, Hospice House Remains Successful
Contributions to Hospice of Huntington have been plummeting because of the economic recession, but the agency has weathered the storm, without having to cut back programs or services.
Overall contributions decreased 65 percent from 2006 to 2007, from $1,736,609 to $604,919, according to tax documents. The decrease continued another 30 percent to 40 percent in 2008, said Barbara Cassidy, chief finance officer for Hospice of Huntington.
Cassidy said she expects contributions to continue decreasing but the main reason there was such a plunge from 2006 to 2007 was because of the capital campaign, which ended in 2006. The campaign was used to get pledges from businesses and other individuals to help fund the construction of the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House, located on Staunton Road in Huntington.
The new Hospice House opened in May 2006, costing $6.5 million to build, Cassidy said. During the campaign, people were able to purchase a room in the house, which contained 14 rooms, and then donate the funds that it would cost to complete each room. Some contributors purchased the nursing station. Since then, there has not been any type of campaign held to raise more funds for the organization.
Bill and Lois Dolin remain the highest contributors to the organization. The Hospice House was named after Bill Dolin’s mother, Emogene Dolin Jones. The couple donated $301,546 in 2007, according to tax documents. Other individual contributors included the Board of Trustees of Prichard School, which donated $75,000 in 2006.
Although the organization received several other contributions from individuals in amounts usually of $5,000 or $20,000, the donations still fell in 2008 because of the economy, Cassidy said. People were no longer able to donate as much money as before. Regardless of the lack of contributions, the total revenue for the organization has remained at least $12 million since 2006.
According to 2007 tax forms, expenses also increased by roughly 20 percent, from $10 million to $12 million. Salaries for Cassidy and Charlene Farrell, executive director, also increased during that time as well, but only by about $3,000. Physicians for the organization received larger increases in salary.
Ann Conjura, a physician, earned roughly $50,000 more in 2007, than in 2006. Her salary increased from $80,769 to $130,409. The highest paid physician, James David Daniels, only received around $7,000 more but he was still the highest paid employee that was not part of the directors or trustees board. He made $154,327, according to tax documents.
There was no clear reason why Conjura received such an increase, compared to the small amounts that other employees received. The executive director only earned $3,000 more than she did the previous year. Yet, Conjura's overall salary is still higher that the directors.
The spring 2009 newsletter for Hospice states that Conjura is the chief medical director. However, Daniels still earns more than her and he is a normal medical director, not chief.
With salaries and expenses increasing, the organization has still managed to keep enough funds to cover all the costs without going into debt. Other events occurred in 2008 that allowed the organization to increase their funds or benefit in some way, which helped cover the costs of the increases. Miami Dolphins NFL quarterback Chad Pennington and former Patriots NFL wide receiver Troy Brown both helped raise money for the organization last year.
Brown held several fundraisers for the organization in 2008, including the “Hospice Bowl” at Strike Zone, according to the first quarter 2008 edition of “Sharing: A Publication of Hospice of Huntington.” He raised $65,000 through his fundraisers, Cassidy said.
Chad Pennington’s 1st and 10 Foundation gave the organization a grant for $50,000. The money was used to purchase a four-wheel drive vehicle, Cassidy said. The vehicle will help employees make house calls to patients in rural areas.
Two fundraisers are already scheduled for the organization, Cassidy said. A golf tournament will be held in August and a cruise will be held aboard the Belle of Cincinnati in October, with proceeds going to the Hospice House.
Overall contributions decreased 65 percent from 2006 to 2007, from $1,736,609 to $604,919, according to tax documents. The decrease continued another 30 percent to 40 percent in 2008, said Barbara Cassidy, chief finance officer for Hospice of Huntington.
Cassidy said she expects contributions to continue decreasing but the main reason there was such a plunge from 2006 to 2007 was because of the capital campaign, which ended in 2006. The campaign was used to get pledges from businesses and other individuals to help fund the construction of the Emogene Dolin Jones Hospice House, located on Staunton Road in Huntington.
The new Hospice House opened in May 2006, costing $6.5 million to build, Cassidy said. During the campaign, people were able to purchase a room in the house, which contained 14 rooms, and then donate the funds that it would cost to complete each room. Some contributors purchased the nursing station. Since then, there has not been any type of campaign held to raise more funds for the organization.
Bill and Lois Dolin remain the highest contributors to the organization. The Hospice House was named after Bill Dolin’s mother, Emogene Dolin Jones. The couple donated $301,546 in 2007, according to tax documents. Other individual contributors included the Board of Trustees of Prichard School, which donated $75,000 in 2006.
Although the organization received several other contributions from individuals in amounts usually of $5,000 or $20,000, the donations still fell in 2008 because of the economy, Cassidy said. People were no longer able to donate as much money as before. Regardless of the lack of contributions, the total revenue for the organization has remained at least $12 million since 2006.
According to 2007 tax forms, expenses also increased by roughly 20 percent, from $10 million to $12 million. Salaries for Cassidy and Charlene Farrell, executive director, also increased during that time as well, but only by about $3,000. Physicians for the organization received larger increases in salary.
Ann Conjura, a physician, earned roughly $50,000 more in 2007, than in 2006. Her salary increased from $80,769 to $130,409. The highest paid physician, James David Daniels, only received around $7,000 more but he was still the highest paid employee that was not part of the directors or trustees board. He made $154,327, according to tax documents.
There was no clear reason why Conjura received such an increase, compared to the small amounts that other employees received. The executive director only earned $3,000 more than she did the previous year. Yet, Conjura's overall salary is still higher that the directors.
The spring 2009 newsletter for Hospice states that Conjura is the chief medical director. However, Daniels still earns more than her and he is a normal medical director, not chief.
With salaries and expenses increasing, the organization has still managed to keep enough funds to cover all the costs without going into debt. Other events occurred in 2008 that allowed the organization to increase their funds or benefit in some way, which helped cover the costs of the increases. Miami Dolphins NFL quarterback Chad Pennington and former Patriots NFL wide receiver Troy Brown both helped raise money for the organization last year.
Brown held several fundraisers for the organization in 2008, including the “Hospice Bowl” at Strike Zone, according to the first quarter 2008 edition of “Sharing: A Publication of Hospice of Huntington.” He raised $65,000 through his fundraisers, Cassidy said.
Chad Pennington’s 1st and 10 Foundation gave the organization a grant for $50,000. The money was used to purchase a four-wheel drive vehicle, Cassidy said. The vehicle will help employees make house calls to patients in rural areas.
Two fundraisers are already scheduled for the organization, Cassidy said. A golf tournament will be held in August and a cruise will be held aboard the Belle of Cincinnati in October, with proceeds going to the Hospice House.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Senator Bunning Not Following Senate Ethics
Financial disclosure reports for Senator James “Jim” Bunning’s foundation appear to be excluding certain information regarding incomes and assets, as Bunning takes more money from the foundation, than what charities are receiving.
The most recent financial disclosure report for Bunning, a representative for Kentucky, states that total assets for the Jim Bunning Foundation in 2008 were $97,684. Bunning removes $20,000 yearly from the total amount raised by the foundation each year. This amount is his salary for working an average of one hour per week, according to his 2007 tax filings. This averages to about $357 per hour.
When the foundation was initially created in 1996, it was not until 1998 that Bunning began earning a salary from the foundation. His salary began at $15,000 a year and increased $5,000 in 2002. The foundation does not have a committee to approve of these salary changes.
The president of the foundation is his wife Mary C. Bunning. Richard Robinson, an attorney for Graydon Head & Ritchey LLP in Kentucky, is the secretary of the foundation and Robert B. Sumerel, a tire dealer in Cincinnati, is the treasurer. None of the three receive any pay for their positions. Richardson and Bunning’s wife are also on the advisory council for the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Cincinnati, according to the organization’s web site.
Any money that Bunning receives from autographs, sports shows or other related activities, which are mostly a result of his former pitching career with major league baseball, is supposed to go to foundation to be donated to charities, since Bunning is not suppose to accept outside income. This is the main reason why the foundation was created.
“Federal law and Senate rules restrict the amount and source of outside income that members, officers, and employees of the Senate may accept,” according to the Senate Ethics Manual. “For the most part, these restrictions limit earned income, that is, payments for services rendered, but not returns on investments.”
The manual clearly states that is not ethical to earn money outside of the senator’s duties. According to the LegiStorm web site, Bunning’s salary as a senator is $174,000, the default annual salary for 2009. However, Bunning increases his yearly income by $20,000 received from his own foundation.
Bunning has profited by $200,000, since he began earning a salary in 1998, according to disclosure reports. However, only $154, 947 has been given to charities in that same length of time, a difference of $45,053.
Even though Bunning is not supposed to gain an outside income, he has still earned roughly 27 percent more money than the total amount that has been given to charities. A year after the foundation was started, Bunning profited $18,000 from “autograph sessions,” specifically listed in his financial disclosure report for that year.
Salary expenses reported in his financial disclosures since 1997 have fluctuated but never totaled the same amount as salary expenses. In 1998, the expense was $26,000 but the only salary paid was $15,000 to Bunning himself, leaving $11,000 unaccounted for. The same has happened throughout all the disclosures filed since then. Since 1998, salary expenses have totaled $294,700. That leaves $94,700 unaccounted after Bunning’s total salary is deducted.
The net worth of the Jim Bunning Foundation in 2008 was $97,684, a decrease of almost $30,000 since the previous year. The 23 percent decrease from $126,952 in 2007, may have had an impact on why charities receive more than $4,000 less than 2007, but Bunning still received his $20,000 salary.
When the foundation was first created in 1996, Bunning listed an account on his financial disclosure reports, as a publicly traded asset or unearned income source. The account was held at Citizens Bank. He has listed the amount of money in that account as cash on one of the balance sheets for the foundation each year.
However, the past three years, he has not also included that bank account on his publicly traded assets or unearned income forms. The balance sheet reports there is $3,934 in the account as of 2008 but there was roughly $20,952 in the account in 2007.. Neither year included the account on his asset chart. The only assets he now reports are his Equitable Life Insurance and a checking and savings account at Fifth Third Bank.
The asset value for the life insurance is $500,001 to $1 million with an amount of income being $50,001 to $100,000. Bunning’s worth based on the insurance is higher than his worth based on only the checking and savings account. The value of the account is $15,001 to $50,000 with an increased income of 1 percent to 2 percent, or $201 to $1,000, in 2008, most likely from interest gained since it is a savings account.
On the first page of Bunning’s financial disclosure report for 2008, he checks “yes” stating that he, his wife or dependent child purchased, sold or exchanged an asset worth more than $1,000. If checked yes, part 5, the transaction section, is supposed to be included. Bunning has checked yes on the reports for the past three years and neglected to include any sort of transaction sheet, showing what assets he bought, sold or exchanged.
Bunning’s net worth for 2008 is unclear because disclosure reports were submitted just last month. However, his net worth in 2007 was $501,003 to $1.05 million a dramatic increase of 46 percent to 50 percent from his 2006 net worth of $252,004 to $570,000, according to the Open Secrets web site.
The net worth increase from 2007 to 2008 was quite large, but Sen. Jim Bunning’s foundation reports appear to leave several questions unanswered and some financial assets and incomes not clearly reported.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Marshall University Budget
Last week the Marshall University budget proposal passed, resulting in a tuition increase, as well as an increase of costs for room and board. I intended to write this over the weekend because of an error in the budget.
On the sheet for all accounts, the operating expenses do not properly add up. The list reads as follows:
Instruction - 65,248
Research -20,405
Public service - 19,677
Academic support - 23,282
Student services - 10,667
Operation and maintenance of plant - 10,659
General institutional support - 20,400
Student financial aid - 17,622
Auxillary enterprises - 30,875
Depreciation - 4,598
Other - 0
Total operating expenses: 223,432
Of course, everything appears to be fine with the amount of expenses and total, until someone actually tries to add up the numbers. Anyone with common sense or a calculator, can see that the amount does not total 223,432. Keep in mind that actually means $223,432,000. If you add all the expenses, the total amount shown on the budget proposal is actually off by $1,000.
I understand that the numbers are clearly estimates, but when the total is supposed to be all the estimated amounts added, the number should equal just that - the total of all the expense amounts LISTED not the numbers prior to estimations. Yes, $1,000 is quite small when you're talking about $200+ million but if the finance department can mess something up as simple as adding 10 numbers together, it makes me wonder if anything else is off.
After going through more amounts listed in the budget, the consolidated budget amount forFY08-09 totaled $229,101,000. In actually, it was also $1,000 off. The exact same goes for the consolidated budget column for FY09-10. The normal budget for just Marshall (not all accounts) is also $1,000 off and should be $163,464,000. The total expenditures for Marshall only (not all accounts) is ALSO $1,000 off.
Maybe I just don't understand something but I was always taught that when lists are provided, they should properly add up, even if they are estimates, the given estimates should at least match the total amount. I just had to share that tid-bit with everyone.
On the sheet for all accounts, the operating expenses do not properly add up. The list reads as follows:
Instruction - 65,248
Research -20,405
Public service - 19,677
Academic support - 23,282
Student services - 10,667
Operation and maintenance of plant - 10,659
General institutional support - 20,400
Student financial aid - 17,622
Auxillary enterprises - 30,875
Depreciation - 4,598
Other - 0
Total operating expenses: 223,432
Of course, everything appears to be fine with the amount of expenses and total, until someone actually tries to add up the numbers. Anyone with common sense or a calculator, can see that the amount does not total 223,432. Keep in mind that actually means $223,432,000. If you add all the expenses, the total amount shown on the budget proposal is actually off by $1,000.
I understand that the numbers are clearly estimates, but when the total is supposed to be all the estimated amounts added, the number should equal just that - the total of all the expense amounts LISTED not the numbers prior to estimations. Yes, $1,000 is quite small when you're talking about $200+ million but if the finance department can mess something up as simple as adding 10 numbers together, it makes me wonder if anything else is off.
After going through more amounts listed in the budget, the consolidated budget amount forFY08-09 totaled $229,101,000. In actually, it was also $1,000 off. The exact same goes for the consolidated budget column for FY09-10. The normal budget for just Marshall (not all accounts) is also $1,000 off and should be $163,464,000. The total expenditures for Marshall only (not all accounts) is ALSO $1,000 off.
Maybe I just don't understand something but I was always taught that when lists are provided, they should properly add up, even if they are estimates, the given estimates should at least match the total amount. I just had to share that tid-bit with everyone.
Senator Jim Bunning Ripping off Foundation?
Jim Bunning appears to be using money from his foundation for his own personal needs, which is meant to be donated to charities instead. For this story, I will be searching information pertaining to Bunning’s financial assets and financial information regarding his foundation to help charities. His average salary for being a senator is $174,000 a year and some other media outlets have reported that he takes more than $100,000 from his foundation for his own personal use, instead of donating it. However, according to his financial disclosure for 2008, excluding his life insurance, he is worth less than $4,000, which is located in a savings account. A few questions remain unanswered- exactly how much is he taking from his foundation and where is the money going.
Kentucky tax payers are helping pay Bunning’s salary and some are also donating to the foundation, with the impression that the money will be used toward charities. The truth of where the money is really going needs to be laid out for these Kentuckians to know. The best way to get the background of the situation between Bunning’s foundation and his personal financial information is to search the internet for campaign donations, salaries, assets, expenses and other information of that sort. Once the information is gathered, all the unanswered questions need to be looked at and then the best source to answer those questions needs to be contacted.
I have already used several sources to get a general idea of the situation. These include Campaign Money web site, LegiStorm web site and other various web sites regarding campaign funding. I have been searching for a website that lists personal taxes to see what type of items he is paying taxes on but those attempts have been unsuccessful so far. Other sources could be contributors to the Jim Bunning Foundation or Rick Robinson, a lobbyist that is in charge of the records for the foundation.
Idea for a follow-up:Although this could not be clearly answered until the next election, Senator Bunning has discussed the possibility of not running for re-election if he cannot raise enough money. If he chooses to not run, the question will be what is he going to do with the money that he collected for another campaign.
Campaign Donations
A total of 21 people in Hurricane, W.Va. donated to the 2008 presidential election. Campaign donations were made to Hillary Clinton, John Edwards, Mike Huckabee, John McCain and Barack Obama. There were six females and 15 males that donated to these candidates, totaling $11,606 in donations.
Clinton received $3,342 from two males and two females. Edwards received $304 from a male. A male and a female contributed $525 to Huckabee and McCain received $3,136 from four males and one female. Finally, Obama received the most support, receiving $4,299 from nine residents, including seven males and two females.
Overall, Hurricane residents appear to favor democrats over republicans. Out of the nine contributors to Obama, five were attorneys. The locations of employment for the other campaign contributors for all the candidates varied. Some were at engineer companies, hospitals and retired military personnel.
There were nine employees of Marshall University that donated to the 2008 presidential candidates. Eight of the nine donated to a democrat, with one female donating $300 to Ron Paul. Two women donated $1,043 to Clinton’s campaign. The majority went to Obama just like in Hurricane. He received $2,448 from three professors, vice president, graduate assistant and a secretary.
Clinton received $3,342 from two males and two females. Edwards received $304 from a male. A male and a female contributed $525 to Huckabee and McCain received $3,136 from four males and one female. Finally, Obama received the most support, receiving $4,299 from nine residents, including seven males and two females.
Overall, Hurricane residents appear to favor democrats over republicans. Out of the nine contributors to Obama, five were attorneys. The locations of employment for the other campaign contributors for all the candidates varied. Some were at engineer companies, hospitals and retired military personnel.
There were nine employees of Marshall University that donated to the 2008 presidential candidates. Eight of the nine donated to a democrat, with one female donating $300 to Ron Paul. Two women donated $1,043 to Clinton’s campaign. The majority went to Obama just like in Hurricane. He received $2,448 from three professors, vice president, graduate assistant and a secretary.
Steel of West Virginia
In the S-4 filing made by Steel of West Virginia on April 16, 2009, several items were included as anticipations of what may affect the company in the future. There are a few general items that any large company faces in the economy, such as changes in supply and demand, the possibility of increased interest rates, costs of borrowing and the affect that government regulations may have.
Steel of West Virginia also has to worry about strikes among their employees and labor unrest. The price of recycling also has an impact on the business, as well as their consumers. If it loses any main consumer, profits will be affected greatly. The “forward looking statement” also anticipates equipment failures and the cost of utilities, which are typical expenses that most companies need to prepare for.
Previously there have been lawsuits against the employer by former employees and labor unions. An employee laid off in 2003 filed a lawsuit alleging that Steel of West Virginia fired him because he filed for worker’s compensation in 1994 after injuring his neck.
In January 2009, the business became the plaintiff in a lawsuit against AMI G.E. LLC regarding damaged property. In 2007 it was the defendant in a case about a personal injury on the job. Lawsuits are most likely the common situation that the company is anticipating since workers can easily get hurt on the job.
Steel of West Virginia also has to worry about strikes among their employees and labor unrest. The price of recycling also has an impact on the business, as well as their consumers. If it loses any main consumer, profits will be affected greatly. The “forward looking statement” also anticipates equipment failures and the cost of utilities, which are typical expenses that most companies need to prepare for.
Previously there have been lawsuits against the employer by former employees and labor unions. An employee laid off in 2003 filed a lawsuit alleging that Steel of West Virginia fired him because he filed for worker’s compensation in 1994 after injuring his neck.
In January 2009, the business became the plaintiff in a lawsuit against AMI G.E. LLC regarding damaged property. In 2007 it was the defendant in a case about a personal injury on the job. Lawsuits are most likely the common situation that the company is anticipating since workers can easily get hurt on the job.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Swine Flu - Now a Pandemic
On June 11, 2009, the Swine Flu was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization. The group increased the flu alert level to phase 6, which means the flu is a "widespread human infection."
Roughly 70 countries have reported cases of the H1N1 flu, many caused by traveling to other areas that already had the virus. Over the past few weeks, West Virginia has increased from sporadic flu spread to local spread. As of June 18, there have been 77 cases reported in West Virginia. Several of these include Cabell and Putnam Counties.
The West Virginia Bureau for Health reported 115 cases in West Virginia as of 115, only four have been hospitalized.
The Department of Health and Human Resources announced on June 10, that the West Virginia State Lab is now certified to test Swine Flu cases, after confirming five cases and having them tested by either a center in Atlanta or another certified lab. Once both labs tested positive, West Virginia's lab became a certified testing location for the flu.
Roughly 70 countries have reported cases of the H1N1 flu, many caused by traveling to other areas that already had the virus. Over the past few weeks, West Virginia has increased from sporadic flu spread to local spread. As of June 18, there have been 77 cases reported in West Virginia. Several of these include Cabell and Putnam Counties.
The West Virginia Bureau for Health reported 115 cases in West Virginia as of 115, only four have been hospitalized.
The Department of Health and Human Resources announced on June 10, that the West Virginia State Lab is now certified to test Swine Flu cases, after confirming five cases and having them tested by either a center in Atlanta or another certified lab. Once both labs tested positive, West Virginia's lab became a certified testing location for the flu.
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
Investigating Journalism
Case study 1:
An officer shot himself in the foot during a gun demonstration and the beat reporter did not cover it because he did not want to jeopardize his relationship with the offers. Later, officers told the reporter the sheriff forced new personnel to donate $2,500 to his election campaign.
Case study 2:
A reporter for Buchanan Record-Journal started investigating the Buchanan mayor after learning that he was involved in a hidden last trust. She discovered that he was using city personnel to assist him in obtaining cheap properties in another town and reselling for three times the amount.
Investigative Story:
Reporters at Pittsburgh Post-Gazette contacted West Virginia University in 2007 after Heather Bresch, West Virginia Governor Joe Manchin’s daughter, took a job as top executive at Mylan Inc., discovering that she did not complete the graduate program and earn her MBA. The reporters, Patricia Sabatini and Len Boselovic, called the school to confirm Bresch’s credentials when she took the new position at Mylan. The initial article published Friday, December 21, 2007, dealt with the reporters’.
No one appeared to know that Bresch had not properly earned her degree, until officials at WVU told the reporters when they contacted them. This story was not just an ordinary story to cover because it had to be researched and the reporters had to contact several people to get to the bottom of the story. Obviously the fact that the degree had not been earned was being hidden or more people would have known about it. When the reporters contacted Bresch, she said that she was unaware that she did not earn her degree.
The reporters contacted school officials and former classmates and went over class rosters, instead of having one key document. They even looked into a lawsuit that Bresch helped Mylan with, showing that was traveling during the time she was supposedly taking classes. There are photos of Bresch, Manchin and WVU officials featured in the article, to allow readers to see who the people are in article that are being mentioned.
When the story first broke out, students in West Virginia made comments that Bresch still received the degree because she was the governor’s daughter. However, the company she works for probably found an interest in the story as well, questioning her credentials. Students at WVU and other schools, WVU officials, and parents would probably read copies of this story, since it first appeared that Bresch was being favored.
After the article initially ran, other newspapers such as New York Times and USA Today publishes articles about it. The headlines stayed simple. The headline in Post-Gazette was “MBA mystery in Morgantown.” USA Today ran a headline reading “State ethics commission probes WVU degree scandal.”
All the information was obtained lawfully from credible sources at the school. The reporters seemed to depend more on information received from them, instead of focusing on information from only Bresch’s classmates.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Diesel Prices Remain Unstable, Truckers Make Changes
Fluctuating diesel prices have some truck drivers making changes to keep a profit, with some even choosing to leave the business.
“The rates are outrageous and they’ve been like that for years,” said John Johnson, of St. Albans, W.Va. He previously owned a flatbed that he leased to a company in Chicago. The company would find jobs and contact him with loads to pick up and deliver. In return, he paid the company 10 percent of the profit.
“In my part, I would try to run anywhere from $1.25 to $1.29 a mile,” Johnson said. “These people (the companies hiring drivers) are going in and paying 75 cents a mile.”
Self-employed truck drivers are being hit harder by fuel costs, causing some drivers to find employment with a company. According to the 2008-09 edition of the Occupation Outlook Handbook on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, self-employed drivers made up 9 percent of the 3.4 million tractor-trailer drivers in 2006. The bureau also projected employment for truck drivers in 2016 to be 3.6 million drivers, an increase of eight percent.
“I believe the increase in prices affect self-employed drivers more than company drivers,” said Calvin Bench of Hurricane, W.Va. He drove for a company for 34 years and was self-employed for six years. Within the past month, he returned to a company that hauls chemicals, because the increase of fuel prices “demolished” his profit as a self-employed driver, he said.
“I gained no profit for a year due to high diesel costs,” Calvin Bench said. Vacations and eating out were among the things that he had to cut back on to save money. He also had to stay on the road longer to help make up for loss profit. After driving so much, the amount of fuel used would eventually level out and there would not be as much of a loss, but not much gain either, he said.
Bud Bench, Calvin Bench’s brother from Pittsburg, Kansas, has been driving a flatbed tractor-trailer for 25 years for Slay Industries. He said he does not have to worry about diesel prices as much because the company buys the drivers’ fuel.
Instead of finding employment with a company like the Bench brothers, Johnson left the business last year after driving for 37 years, when diesel prices started to increase over $5 a gallon locally causing him to lose money.
“Gas prices went clear over $6 a gallon and I couldn’t afford it,” Johnson said. “After it hit $4, I was spending $2,500 to $3,000 a week in fuel and should have been spending only $1,000.”
The furthest he would travel was to Arizona because other western states would not pay as much per mile, and he would lose money because of that too. After quitting the business, he eventually sold his truck, after someone made an offer that he could not turn down, he said.
Each driver said their truck averaged five to seven miles per gallon, which cost them $400 to $600 a day for fuel. “When you go to fill up a big truck, it’s anywhere from 200 gallons to 300 gallons,” Johnson said. “Each (truck) I had, had 125 gallon tanks (on each side). Some guys have 150 gallon tanks on each side.”
On top of the price truckers are paying for fuel, they also have to worry about oil changes every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, which costs a few hundred dollars, a service check-up every three or four weeks and the trucks have to be greased every weekend as well, Johnson said.
The trucks also require tires that cost around $300 each. Johnson used 10 tires for the truck cab, costing him $3,000 for tires each time they were changed. That was not including the tires for his trailer. Most tractor-trailers use a total of 18 tires, depending on whether or not the truck is a Bobtail or including a trailer. The Bobtail Insurance for Johnson was around $500 a week.
“There ain’t nothing you can really do, but run it back and run 50 mph,” Johnson said about saving fuel. “There’s a lot of trucks running 55 mph, but they’re not really saving anything.” The trucks also burn five to six gallons of fuel during the driver’s idle time at night.
Some drivers change the type of burners they use in their trucks, so that only one or two gallons of fuel will be used nightly while they idle, he said.
Fuel surcharges are also being added to delivered products to help prevent drivers from losing money from fuel prices. “The companies supply a fuel surcharge allowing the drivers to receive back one-third of the money spent on fuel,” Calvin Bench said.
“A fuel surcharge is a fee that can be added to the freight charges, and they don’t require governmental approval and you do not need to file an application with DOT to implement a fuel surcharge,” according to America’s Independent Truckers’ Association Inc. web site.
Even though Johnson left the business because of lost profits, he is thinking about returning to the business because he still made more money driving than he does with his current job. He wants to purchase four or five trucks and flatbeds, hire drivers of his own and start his own trucking company.
The current national average price of diesel as is $2.59, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report released Tuesday morning. That is an eight cent increase from last week and 22 cent increase from May. The highest recorded average price for diesel was $4.84 in July 2008. The current average price in West Virginia is $2.65, 11th highest in the country. Hawaii ranked first, with prices at $3.88.
Although the current prices are low compared to last year’s average price of diesel, the price is more than twice the amount it was 10 years ago. In June 1999, the average price was around $1.06 a gallon. Earlier that year, in January, February and March, the cost of diesel was below a dollar a gallon, according to Energy Information Administration web site.
“Right now it’s kind of an iffy, iffy guess,” Johnson said about whether diesel prices will continue to increase. The EIA web site projects that the average diesel price in 2010 will be $2.67.
“The rates are outrageous and they’ve been like that for years,” said John Johnson, of St. Albans, W.Va. He previously owned a flatbed that he leased to a company in Chicago. The company would find jobs and contact him with loads to pick up and deliver. In return, he paid the company 10 percent of the profit.
“In my part, I would try to run anywhere from $1.25 to $1.29 a mile,” Johnson said. “These people (the companies hiring drivers) are going in and paying 75 cents a mile.”
Self-employed truck drivers are being hit harder by fuel costs, causing some drivers to find employment with a company. According to the 2008-09 edition of the Occupation Outlook Handbook on the Bureau of Labor Statistics, self-employed drivers made up 9 percent of the 3.4 million tractor-trailer drivers in 2006. The bureau also projected employment for truck drivers in 2016 to be 3.6 million drivers, an increase of eight percent.
“I believe the increase in prices affect self-employed drivers more than company drivers,” said Calvin Bench of Hurricane, W.Va. He drove for a company for 34 years and was self-employed for six years. Within the past month, he returned to a company that hauls chemicals, because the increase of fuel prices “demolished” his profit as a self-employed driver, he said.
“I gained no profit for a year due to high diesel costs,” Calvin Bench said. Vacations and eating out were among the things that he had to cut back on to save money. He also had to stay on the road longer to help make up for loss profit. After driving so much, the amount of fuel used would eventually level out and there would not be as much of a loss, but not much gain either, he said.
Bud Bench, Calvin Bench’s brother from Pittsburg, Kansas, has been driving a flatbed tractor-trailer for 25 years for Slay Industries. He said he does not have to worry about diesel prices as much because the company buys the drivers’ fuel.
Instead of finding employment with a company like the Bench brothers, Johnson left the business last year after driving for 37 years, when diesel prices started to increase over $5 a gallon locally causing him to lose money.
“Gas prices went clear over $6 a gallon and I couldn’t afford it,” Johnson said. “After it hit $4, I was spending $2,500 to $3,000 a week in fuel and should have been spending only $1,000.”
The furthest he would travel was to Arizona because other western states would not pay as much per mile, and he would lose money because of that too. After quitting the business, he eventually sold his truck, after someone made an offer that he could not turn down, he said.
Each driver said their truck averaged five to seven miles per gallon, which cost them $400 to $600 a day for fuel. “When you go to fill up a big truck, it’s anywhere from 200 gallons to 300 gallons,” Johnson said. “Each (truck) I had, had 125 gallon tanks (on each side). Some guys have 150 gallon tanks on each side.”
On top of the price truckers are paying for fuel, they also have to worry about oil changes every 10,000 to 15,000 miles, which costs a few hundred dollars, a service check-up every three or four weeks and the trucks have to be greased every weekend as well, Johnson said.
The trucks also require tires that cost around $300 each. Johnson used 10 tires for the truck cab, costing him $3,000 for tires each time they were changed. That was not including the tires for his trailer. Most tractor-trailers use a total of 18 tires, depending on whether or not the truck is a Bobtail or including a trailer. The Bobtail Insurance for Johnson was around $500 a week.
“There ain’t nothing you can really do, but run it back and run 50 mph,” Johnson said about saving fuel. “There’s a lot of trucks running 55 mph, but they’re not really saving anything.” The trucks also burn five to six gallons of fuel during the driver’s idle time at night.
Some drivers change the type of burners they use in their trucks, so that only one or two gallons of fuel will be used nightly while they idle, he said.
Fuel surcharges are also being added to delivered products to help prevent drivers from losing money from fuel prices. “The companies supply a fuel surcharge allowing the drivers to receive back one-third of the money spent on fuel,” Calvin Bench said.
“A fuel surcharge is a fee that can be added to the freight charges, and they don’t require governmental approval and you do not need to file an application with DOT to implement a fuel surcharge,” according to America’s Independent Truckers’ Association Inc. web site.
Even though Johnson left the business because of lost profits, he is thinking about returning to the business because he still made more money driving than he does with his current job. He wants to purchase four or five trucks and flatbeds, hire drivers of his own and start his own trucking company.
The current national average price of diesel as is $2.59, according to AAA’s Daily Fuel Gauge Report released Tuesday morning. That is an eight cent increase from last week and 22 cent increase from May. The highest recorded average price for diesel was $4.84 in July 2008. The current average price in West Virginia is $2.65, 11th highest in the country. Hawaii ranked first, with prices at $3.88.
Although the current prices are low compared to last year’s average price of diesel, the price is more than twice the amount it was 10 years ago. In June 1999, the average price was around $1.06 a gallon. Earlier that year, in January, February and March, the cost of diesel was below a dollar a gallon, according to Energy Information Administration web site.
“Right now it’s kind of an iffy, iffy guess,” Johnson said about whether diesel prices will continue to increase. The EIA web site projects that the average diesel price in 2010 will be $2.67.
Monday, June 15, 2009
HURA Hold Elections, Changes to Come
HUNTINGTON- Four officers have been elected for the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority board, including a new president but that is not the only change to come.
Months after elections were initially scheduled to be held, HURA finally had enough members in attendance to hold the election at Monday’s meeting at Huntington City Hall at 1:30 p.m.
“It’s been a long time to get to this point,” Nate Randolph, board member and architect for Edward Tucker's Architects Inc., said about the elections held June 15.
Randolph was elected president of HURA, replacing Dr. Phil W. Carter Jr. Carter, a professor in the department of social work at Marshall University, appeared to be caught off guard by the decision and politely declined nominations for every other office on the board.
After each office had been voted on and approved, Carter quietly stepped down to allow Randolph to finish the meeting. As Carter took his seat with the rest of the members, Diane Mufson, a psychologist with roughly two to three years on the board, said Carter had done “a masterful job (as president).”
The other chosen officers were Brandi Jacobs-Jones for vice president, Mufson for secretary and Herb Stanley for treasurer.
Once the talk about offices was over, the board began its discussion about the Federal Reserve Account, local savings account and land bank authority, which took up the rest of the meeting that ran about an hour.
The board received a statement from a bank it previously had an account with, stating that the account had $500,000 in it. The board members knew they had removed all the money but Jacobs-Jones contacted the Federal Reserve to clarify the validity of the statement. As the members suspected, they did not really have $500,000 in an account. The statement was explaining that the board was insured for that much at the bank.
Mufson later mentioned to the other board members that Chase Bank, where HURA currently banks, charges a fee for little or no activity in their account and requested they create an account with a local bank. After discussion on how to go about choosing a bank, the members agreed that they would change banks. Jacobs-Jones said she would work with the purchasing department to create a Request for Proposal for local banks to bid on.
The biggest discussion of the meeting involved the Land Bank Authority. HURA and the Huntington Municipal Development Authority are both being considered for the Land Bank. Jacobs-Jones removed herself from the majority of the discussion, because of a potential conflict of interest since she is also involved with HMDA.
The Land Bank Authority takes control of houses that are considered abandoned by owners that do not pay their tax liens within 18 months. This also allows homeowners who have the intention of paying the lien, to not lose their house, Randolph said.
The idea of having the Land Bank Authority, a five-year program, is that it would allow the opportunity to create more projects similar to that on Artisan Avenue, where several houses have been torn down and new ones rebuilt to make the area look more presentable, Randolph said. He also said HURA would be the better candidate for the Land Bank because it has been more successful than HMDA.
“HURA has been residentially driven,” Randolph said. “HMDA has traditionally ventured more into the real estate agency.” He also referred to the Kinetic Park project that the HMDA has not completed.
The other members also agreed with Randolph, that HURA would do a better job. “My belief is that HURA is the entity to take leadership,” Carter said.
If HURA is chosen for the Land Bank, the board will have to hire staff or contract people to help keep up with the properties included in the authority, Jacobs-Jones said. Although the question about how much came up, it was unknown at the time. Stanley said that the Land Bank would be a challenge but he thinks it would be interesting to see how it develops.
“It’s going to be a monitoring process the first couple years,” Randolph said. There are less than 200 houses in the area that are designated as dilapidated housing, he said. However, there may be more houses than this.
Carter mentioned an idea to conduct a conference or workshop in Huntington on Land Banks. This would allow other areas that have Land Banks to give advice to people in Huntington, as well as vice versa. Jacobs-Jones questioned the idea because of potential expenses if the board chose to hold such a conference, such as travel accommodations.
Currently, the courthouse deals with abandoned houses and tax liens. Once the Land Bank is started in the area, the houses will no longer go through courthouse, which allows other companies to purchase the houses and gain interest off them. Some of these businesses allow the housing to remain in its current state of dilapidation.
The City Council will make the final decision on which board will take the Land Bank Authority.
Months after elections were initially scheduled to be held, HURA finally had enough members in attendance to hold the election at Monday’s meeting at Huntington City Hall at 1:30 p.m.
“It’s been a long time to get to this point,” Nate Randolph, board member and architect for Edward Tucker's Architects Inc., said about the elections held June 15.
Randolph was elected president of HURA, replacing Dr. Phil W. Carter Jr. Carter, a professor in the department of social work at Marshall University, appeared to be caught off guard by the decision and politely declined nominations for every other office on the board.
After each office had been voted on and approved, Carter quietly stepped down to allow Randolph to finish the meeting. As Carter took his seat with the rest of the members, Diane Mufson, a psychologist with roughly two to three years on the board, said Carter had done “a masterful job (as president).”
The other chosen officers were Brandi Jacobs-Jones for vice president, Mufson for secretary and Herb Stanley for treasurer.
Once the talk about offices was over, the board began its discussion about the Federal Reserve Account, local savings account and land bank authority, which took up the rest of the meeting that ran about an hour.
The board received a statement from a bank it previously had an account with, stating that the account had $500,000 in it. The board members knew they had removed all the money but Jacobs-Jones contacted the Federal Reserve to clarify the validity of the statement. As the members suspected, they did not really have $500,000 in an account. The statement was explaining that the board was insured for that much at the bank.
Mufson later mentioned to the other board members that Chase Bank, where HURA currently banks, charges a fee for little or no activity in their account and requested they create an account with a local bank. After discussion on how to go about choosing a bank, the members agreed that they would change banks. Jacobs-Jones said she would work with the purchasing department to create a Request for Proposal for local banks to bid on.
The biggest discussion of the meeting involved the Land Bank Authority. HURA and the Huntington Municipal Development Authority are both being considered for the Land Bank. Jacobs-Jones removed herself from the majority of the discussion, because of a potential conflict of interest since she is also involved with HMDA.
The Land Bank Authority takes control of houses that are considered abandoned by owners that do not pay their tax liens within 18 months. This also allows homeowners who have the intention of paying the lien, to not lose their house, Randolph said.
The idea of having the Land Bank Authority, a five-year program, is that it would allow the opportunity to create more projects similar to that on Artisan Avenue, where several houses have been torn down and new ones rebuilt to make the area look more presentable, Randolph said. He also said HURA would be the better candidate for the Land Bank because it has been more successful than HMDA.
“HURA has been residentially driven,” Randolph said. “HMDA has traditionally ventured more into the real estate agency.” He also referred to the Kinetic Park project that the HMDA has not completed.
The other members also agreed with Randolph, that HURA would do a better job. “My belief is that HURA is the entity to take leadership,” Carter said.
If HURA is chosen for the Land Bank, the board will have to hire staff or contract people to help keep up with the properties included in the authority, Jacobs-Jones said. Although the question about how much came up, it was unknown at the time. Stanley said that the Land Bank would be a challenge but he thinks it would be interesting to see how it develops.
“It’s going to be a monitoring process the first couple years,” Randolph said. There are less than 200 houses in the area that are designated as dilapidated housing, he said. However, there may be more houses than this.
Carter mentioned an idea to conduct a conference or workshop in Huntington on Land Banks. This would allow other areas that have Land Banks to give advice to people in Huntington, as well as vice versa. Jacobs-Jones questioned the idea because of potential expenses if the board chose to hold such a conference, such as travel accommodations.
Currently, the courthouse deals with abandoned houses and tax liens. Once the Land Bank is started in the area, the houses will no longer go through courthouse, which allows other companies to purchase the houses and gain interest off them. Some of these businesses allow the housing to remain in its current state of dilapidation.
The City Council will make the final decision on which board will take the Land Bank Authority.
Friday, June 12, 2009
Huntington Urban Renewal Authority meeting
The May 2009 Voucher Schedule, Artisan Avenue Redevelopment Project and the election of officers are among the several topics to be discussed at the Huntington Urban Renewal Authority meeting. These topics will be followed by discussion of the Federal Reserve account and local checking and savings accounts.
The monthly meeting will be held at Monday at 1:30 p.m. at the Huntington City Hall in the Mayor’s Conference Room. Seven members make up the board.
Full Agenda:
1. Call to order
2. Pledge of Allegiance
3. Roll Call
4. Approval of the minutes of the regular meeting of the board on May 18, 2009
5. Approval of May 2009 Voucher Schedule
6. Election of Officers
7. Charles Holley, Director of Development & Planning to update Board on Artisan Avenue Redevelopment Project.
8. New Business
9. Unfinished Business
a. Federal Reserve Account
b. Local Checking/Savings account
c. July Meeting
10. Adjournment
Check back Monday for more information about the HURA meeting.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
U.S. Continues to Face Issues with Foreign Distrust
Updated version of column, including my professor's corrections.
Past presidents have dealt with communism, terrorism, nationalism and several other factors. Now that the deadliest part of the Iraq War seems to be over, since the fall of Saddam Hussein on April 9, 2003, Obama seems to be picking up all the pieces that President George W. Bush left in the Middle East. Every president seems to have the same goal when it comes to relations with other countries. Spread peace, as well as democracy of course. However, not all presidents have followed through with their promises of peace. (Note: The first version of the article read that the Iraq War was over. That's far from the truth. The idea was meant to be that the worse part of the war seems to be over because today's casualties are no where near those that occurred at the beginning of the war.)
Former President George W. Bush compared the Iraq War and Cold War in a speech directed to the Military Officers Association of America, according to The Christian Science Monitor. "Bin Laden and his terrorist allies have made their intentions as clear as Lenin and Hitler before them," Bush said.
When Ronald Reagan presented his speech at the Berlin Wall during the Cold War on June 12, 1987, his advisers were cautious about the content of his speech and the impact that it would have, according to TIME Magazine. On the way to the location, his advisers were still undecided, especially about one of his advisers', Peter Robinson's, addition to the speech, “Tear down this wall.”
TIME Magazine also reported that TASS, the Soviet news agency, referred to his speech as "openly provocative, war-mongering.” At the time, the speech sounded provocative to many German citizens, as well as other country leaders, as though Reagan was doing more than just challenging Gorbachev to get rid of the wall. However, when listened to today, it does not seem as off the wall as history has portrayed.
In the end, Reagan decided that the full speech needed to be said no matter how “provocative” his advisers believed it to be. He told them that reading the full context of the speech was “the right thing to do,” according to History Net . Obviously, Reagan made a good decision to go against his advisers and challenge Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev to tear down the wall.
Two years after Reagan's initial speech in May 1989, Gorbachev visited West Germany and said that Moscow would no longer try to stop democracy from converting in the outlying states, according to the Cold War Museum Website. On August 9, 1989, Günter Schabowski, leader of East Berlin’s communist party, said that citizens of Germany could begin to travel abroad from East to West Germany and vice versa.
Several presidents have traveled to Berlin, before and after Reagan's speech. President John F. Kennedy traveled to Berlin during a tense time but Reagan seemed to have a better impact on getting something jump started because he had the guts to be forward with what he wanted Gorbachev to do. Barack Obama also traveled to Berlin. He went as a senator, not as president. News Week Magazine named Obama’s biggest threat at the time as “anti-Americanism, not the Soviets...he had no wall to point to, or enemy to call by name.” (Note to readers: I realize that I brought Kennedy back from the dead to visit Berlin AFTER Reagan's speech. That did not happen, at least not to anyone's knowledge.)
Obama may not have been faced with an enemy at the time, but after taking presidency, he has since travelled abroad to spread his message to less trusting countries. His trip to Cairo University in Egypt received mixed reviews from Muslims, such as calling the speech unrealistic.
Obama’s speech was made during a time when there are fewer believers as far as having trust in what other leaders say they will do during their time of rule. According to the NPR Website, Iran’s supreme leader reacted to Obama’s speech at Cairo, saying that his words could not erase the “hatred” of the U.S.
Today’s situation for Obama is not the same as those that previous presidents have dealt with. Reagan experienced countries feuding over communism and democracy, not necessarily terrorist attacks made upon America itself. He now has the importance of gaining trust from other countries in order to stop terrorism and help bring peace into the Middle East.
This needed trust is similar to that American soldiers are trying to gain while helping bring peace in countries such as Iraq. Some Iraqi citizens have trust in the U.S. and believe that the soldiers have helped them but others view the former Iraq war and continuous battles today, as unnecessary or as though it’s causing more damage than what was already being done during Saddam Hussein’s rule.
The war has already taken place, so that cannot be undone. Obama has no choice but to move on from now and what has happened in the past and find a way to regain trust, spread peace and stop the hatred that many Muslims feel toward the United States. That task could become a very tough and lengthy issue for the president.
Guardian News, a newspaper based out of the U.K., had a headline that read “Barack Obama in Cairo: The speech that no other president could make.” The article mentioned that Obama “showed understanding, if not always acceptance, of what one might call the Arab and Muslim narrative.” Not all former presidents had the personal knowledge about whatever issue they faced, as Obama does about the Muslim community.
During the presidential campaign, Obama’s affiliation with Muslims was often mentioned by opposing parties trying to cause Americans distrust Obama and not vote for him. Those same affiliations may be what help bring Americans and Muslims to peace, if he can continue to show interest in the Muslim community.
In a way, Obama seems to have the same perspective on speeches as Reagan. As stated earlier, Reagan read the full content of his speech at the Berlin Wall because he thought it was needed. Now, Obama’s speech at Cairo University is being referred to as “truth-telling,” instead of trying to sugar-coat problems that the world is facing.
One of the reasons Obama is going to have a rough time gaining back the Muslim trust most likely has a direct connection to George W. Bush’s response after 9/11. In his speech the day after 9/11 occurred, Bush said the United States respected the Muslim faith and the people of Afghanistan. The Muslims might still have trust in the United States, if American solders had not bombed Middle East countries, killing some innocent Middle East citizens. Hostility was obviously going to rise, along with the tension as soon as Bush made that decision.
After Reagan’s speech, there were the usual positive and negative responses that presidents usually receive after speeches, but within the next two years, the Berlin Wall had fallen and changes were in full swing. Changes do not always occur that quickly after presidents announce their plans for the future.
For example, it took years after 9/11 for changes to start being made. Even now, going on eight years later, soldiers are still in the Middle East. That was not the case with Bush’s comments and promises that he made to Americans, Muslims and other nations during his presidency in regards to the war on terrorism.
The Middle East is reluctant to trust in Obama’s promises because the tension stayed high between the Middle East and America throughout the entire ending of Bush’s presidency and everything he promised to do, was not always followed through with. Obama now faces the challenge of picking up where Bush left off and holding his word to the Muslim community.
It seems as though the Muslims may find faith in Obama since they do not have the same past with him, as they do with Bush. No matter what reactions Obama has received from his speech at Cairo University, no one can say what the future holds for the United States and its foreign relations with Muslims. Chances are, he has a better chance at forming a trusting relationship and peace with the Middle East than Bush, just because of his Muslim background.
The tactics used in the Cold War and goals that Reagan made to bring peace to other countries during his presidency are similar to those that Obama looks to be following. Only the future can show whether or not the invisible barrier and tension between the United States and the Middle East will fall just like the Berlin Wall.
The Middle East is reluctant to trust in Obama’s promises because the tension stayed high between the Middle East and America throughout the entire ending of Bush’s presidency and everything he promised to do, was not always followed through with. Obama now faces the challenge of picking up where Bush left off and holding his word to the Muslim community.
It seems as though the Muslims may find faith in Obama since they do not have the same past with him, as they do with Bush. No matter what reactions Obama has received from his speech at Cairo University, no one can say what the future holds for the United States and its foreign relations with Muslims. Chances are, he has a better chance at forming a trusting relationship and peace with the Middle East than Bush, just because of his Muslim background.
The tactics used in the Cold War and goals that Reagan made to bring peace to other countries during his presidency are similar to those that Obama looks to be following. Only the future can show whether or not the invisible barrier and tension between the United States and the Middle East will fall just like the Berlin Wall.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Presidential Trips Abroad
After researching Ronald Reagan, Richard Nixon and President Barack Obama's speeches, I found that several reactions that the speeches had in common, as well as differences among them. The following is information found thus far.
When Ronald Reagan presented his speech at the Berlin Wall on June 12, 1987, people were afraid of what he might say. He was known to say what he wanted, as opposed to what his advisers thought he should. On the way through Berlin, he overruled his advisers about what he was going to say and decided that what he wanted to say was “the right thing to do.” The advisers, as well as others, thought it was too provocative and thought it may cause more negative reactions, rather than good. Peter Robinson was on his team of advisers and he is the one credited for adding, “tear down this wall,” into Reagan’s speech, against the other’s advice.
This was the ending to the Cold War.
The following is the line he spoke at the Brandenburg Gate aimed at the Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev that his advisers were especially against:
"General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization: Come here to this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate! Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall!"
As a result of Reagan’s speech, changes began in Berlin. Gorbachev visited West Germany in May 1989 and said Moscow would no longer try to stop democracy from converting in the outlying states. The end of the Cold War began on June 13, 1990, just 3 years after Reagan’s speech. However, his speech is known for beginning the fall of the Berlin Wall.
Obama's speech at Cairo University had both positive and negative reactions but not the same impact that Reagan's had as far as spreading peace and diplomacy. Reagan's speech helped start the falling of the Berlin Wall, as well as end the Cold War.
According to the NPR Website, Iran’s supreme leader reacted to Obama’s speech at Cairo, saying that his words could not erase the “hatred” of the U.S. Some of the Muslims that attended the speech said it was misleading and not realistic.
Sources:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,964707,00.html
http://www.patriotpost.us/opinion/jeff-jacoby/2009/06/08/obamas-missed-opportunity-in-cairo.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/02/25/obama-speech-to-congress_n_169726.html
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=104967625
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/1821104.stm
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Gas Price Outline
Story Outline: Gas Prices Cause Distress for Truck Drivers.
Methods: The most reliable way to get information pertaining to this topic is to contact the businesses themselves, or to even go to truck stations. I also plan to search the Internet and for information on the actual costs of gasoline and the changes over the past few months or years.
Sources: I will contact a few drivers that I know are being affected and the local truck stations. The local stations are TravelCenters of America, Go-Mart, both located in the Teays Valley area, Oliver Fuels & Oils Inc. and the station located right off the Nitro exit. AAA would be the main source online to find the costs of gasoline.
Presentation: This will be a one-part article that begins with the overall affect that gas prices have had on truck drivers and then lead into what changes the drivers are making. The affect that this has on consumers will most likely be the closing of the article.
Follow-up: The affect that is being made on consumers from this situation may change in the future with regards to how much truck drivers continue to be affected with the prices.
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