The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 136, No. 48, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 15, 2013 Page: 4 of 12
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Page 4A — The Gilmer Mirror, Gilmer, Texas June 15,2013
STSEI
Initiative seeks to help employ veterans
The Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) has an-
nounced the State of Texas Soldier Employment Initiative
(STSEI), developed in partnership with the Texas Veter-
ans Commission (TVC) as part of a $750,000 U.S. Depart-
ment of Labor (DOL) funded pilot project to help return-
ing U.S. Army veterans find employment prior to separat-
ing from the service, particularly in growing industries in
Texas such as the medical, energy and technology fields.
“Texas is home to 450,000 Iraq and Afghanistan veter-
ans and TWC recognizes this exceptional group of indi-
viduals by supporting a variety of workforce programs
to help them transition to civilian life,” said TWC Chair-
man Andres Alcantar. “We are proud to develop this
pilot project that can serve as an example to other states
and help our heroes gain employment.”
As part of the initiative, TWC and TVC representa-
tives will work with military, community and employer
organizations, including the Army Career and Alumni
Program and the Transitional Assistance Program, to
identify areas of need for veteran employment services
and implement data sharing among partners to increase
program efficiencies and avoid overlap of services.
STSEI dedicated staff also will create a computer data-
base service that will consider a soldier’s wide range of
knowledge and translate that experience into skills state-
ments understood and validated by civilian employers.
“The Texas Veterans Commission is pleased to partner
with the Texas Workforce Commission for this initiative
to help our soldiers and veterans find meaningful employ-
ment that fits their professional needs,” said TVC Executive
Director Thomas Palladino. “All STSEI representatives are
veterans themselves, and there is immense value in veterans
being served and assisted by fellow veterans to provide high-
quality employment services that those military service
men and women have earned by defending our country.”
STSEI representatives will be located in four workforce
development board areas that provide services to communi-
ties near Fort Hood in Killeen, Fort Bliss in El Paso, Camp
Mabry in Austin and Ellington Air Field in Houston. The
STSEI will enhance existing outreach efforts on specific
populations of veterans, including active duty soldiers
within 90 days of separation from the Army; Texas Army
National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers returning from
deployment; veterans already separated from the military
and currently receiving Army Unemployment Compensa-
tion for Ex-Service Members (UCX); and veterans of other
service branches who also are receiving military UCX.
Texas veterans and service members have answered the
call to serve our nation in large numbers, and we owe them
a debt of gratitude and service,” said TWC Commissioner
Representing Labor Ronny Congleton. “The creation of the
State of Texas Soldier Employment Initiative will help give
veterans credit for their years of training and experience,
and help accelerate their reemployment to civilian careers.”
Texas was one of four states chosen for this project due
to its high population of Army veterans and its history of
active collaboration with DOL and the Army to improve
veterans’ access to employment. Georgia, Illinois and North
Carolina also were selected to participate in this project.
“TWC is proud to be a partner in providing workforce
opportunities for our deserving heroes as they begin
planning their transition into the civilian workforce.
Texas has many growing industries and our strong
economic performance creates excellent employment
opportunities,” said TWC Commissioner Representing
Employers Hope Andrade.
For more information about veteran services avail-
able through the Texas Workforce System, visit Vets.
Texasworkforce. org.
Obama speaks with forked
TONGUE ON SURVEILLANCE
By SHELDON RICHMAN
IT’S BAD ENOUGH the federal government spies on us.
Must it insult our intelligence too?
The government’s response to Edward Snowden’s leaks
about the National Security Agency’s secret monitoring of
the Internet and collection of our telephone logs is a mass of
contradictions. Officials have said the disclosures are (1) old
news, (2) grossly inaccurate, and (3) a blow to
national security. It’s hard to see how any two
of these can be true, much less all three.
Can’t they at least get their story straight? If
they can’t do better than that, why should we have
confidence in anything else that they do?
Snowden exposed the government’s indis-
criminate snooping because, among other things,
it violates the Fourth Amendment protection
against unreasonable searches and he had no other recourse.
Directorof Nationallntelligence James Clapper says Snowden
should have used established channels to raise his concerns, but
there are no effective channels. Members of the congressional
intelligence committees are prohibited from telling the public
what they learn from their briefings. Two members of the Senate
committee, Ron Wyden and Mark Udall, for years have warned
— without disclosing secrets — that the Obama administration
is interpreting the Patriot Act and related laws far more broadly
than was ever intended by those who voted for those pieces of
legislation. Their warnings have made no difference.
A court challenge wasn’t open to Snowden either. Glenn
Greenwald, who published Snowden’s leaks in the Guardian,
notes that for years the ACLU has tried to challenge the surveil-
lance programs in court on Fourth Amendment grounds, but the
Obama administration has blocked the effort by arguing that the
ACLU has no standing to bring the suit. It’s a classic Catch-22.
Since the surveillance is secret, no one can know if he has been
spied on. But if no one knows, no one can go into court claim-
ing to be a victim, and the government will argue that therefore
the plaintiff has no standing to challenge the surveillance. Well
played, Obama administration.
THE ADMINISTRATION should not be allowed to get
away with the specious claim that telling its secrets to a few
privileged members of Congress is equivalent to informing the
people. It is not. It’s merely one branch of government telling
some people in another branch. Calling those politicians “our
representatives” is highly misleading. In what sense do they
actually represent us?
Equally specious is the assertion that the NS A can’t monitor
particular people without court authorization. The secret FISA
court is a rubber stamp.
When Obama ran for president in 2008, he said Americans
shouldn’t have to choose between privacy and security. Now he
says that “one of the things that we’re going to have to discuss
and debate is how are we striking this balance between the need
to keep the American people safe and our concerns about privacy?
Because there are some tradeoffs involved.”
See RICHMAN, Page 5A
Courtesy Photo
IN 1962 Upshur
Rural celebrat-
ed 25 years of
service with an
annual meeting
held in the
open air at the
new Buckeye
Stadium on
Bradford St.
As had
become the
tradition, the
electric
cooperative
had a long
table full of
electrical
appliances to
be given away
to members as
door prizes.
1 had hrcc Dads
By MALU BRADFORD
BEYONCE
I GREW UP believing I had
three daddies. I thought it was
normal to have more than one
daddy. I had my “real” dad,
my other dad, and a close
family friend
who I called
dad. I thought
a dad was a
man who re-
ally loved you
and you loved
him. Of course, I was only
three or four at the time.
Out of the blue one day,
I asked my third dad, Mr.
Moore,“You’re not my real
daddy are you?” He said no,
but he loved me just like I was
his daughter. My biggest con-
cern was what I was supposed
to call him because I only knew
him by the name daddy. I still
remember that day. It was an
awkward feeling. I was so sad
and confused that he wasn’t
my daddy.
When I was in junior high, I
joined a school group for chil-
dren of divorced parents. We
would eat lunch together once
or twice a month. I remember
some people shar i ng their stories
of how their dads weren’t in the
picture now that they had got-
ten divorced. I remember a girl
crying once about how much
shemissedherdad. Whatreally
stood out to me was how hurt
she was that she felt like she
didn’t have a father anymore.
I AM so happy that my son
has a great dad. I hope he is
lucky to feel so much love from
his uncles that he feels likes he
has more than one dad. I think
all children should have a father
figure they can go to, trust and
rely on. Even if that person is
not their “real” dad.
Itdoesn’ttakemuchtobeafa-
therfigureto someone. Ithinkthe
reason I thought Mr. Moore was
my dadbecausehe was always so
happy to see me. He always took
the time to give me a big hug and
kiss. I remember him teaching
me to use my knuckles to figure
out which months had 30 or 31
days. One of my best memories
with Mr. Moore was he had a
Tootsie Roll bank. I was in love
with that bank. Everyone once
in awhile, he would tell me put
your hands out and whatever
you catch, you can keep. I still
to this day can’t have a Tootsie
Roll without thinking about my
third dad, Mr. Moore.
THIS FATHER’S DAY, if
youseeachildinneedof afather
figure, step up. It doesn’t take
much but will make a world of
difference in that child’s life.
I wish I could tell you that
all three of my dads danced at
my wedding. My “real” dad did.
However, my other two dads
died long ago. I think about both
of them often, especially on Fa-
ther’s Day. Don’t forget about
the dads who aren’tyour “real”
dad this Father’s Day. Make
sure you give them a call, invite
them over for barbeque, or send
them a card. Most importantly,
let them know you appreciate
them even if they are not your
“real” dad.
© 2013, MoLu Bradford Bey once,
All Rights Reserved.
You may reach MaLu Brad-
ford Beyonce at malubeyonce@
gmail.com
Jobs are only part of the answer
By ALLAN SHEAHEN
THE CURRENTunemploy-
ment rate of 7.6 percent means
close to 20 million Americans
remain unemployed or under-
employed.
Nobody states the obvious
truth: that the
marketplace
has changed
and there will
never again
be enough
jobs for ev-
eryone who
wants one
- no matter
who is in the
White House or in Congress.
Fifty years ago, economists
predicted that automation and
technology would displace
thousands of workers a year.
Now we even have robots doing
human work.
Job losses will only get
worse as the 21st century
progresses. Global capital will
continue to move jobs to places
on the planet that have the low-
estlabor costs. Technology will
continue to improve, eliminat-
ing countless jobs.
There is no evidence to back
up the claim that we can create
jobs for everyone who wants
one. To rely on jobs and eco-
nomic growth does not work. We
have to get rid of the myth that
“welfare-to-work” will solve the
problems of unemployment,
poverty, and homelessness.
“Work” and jobs are not the
answer to ending poverty. This
has been the hardest concept
for us to understand. It’s the
hardest concept to sell to citi-
zens and policy makers. To end
poverty and to achieve true
economic freedom, we need to
break the link between work
and income.
Job creation is a completely
wrong approach because the
world doesn’t need everyone
to have a job in order to produce
what is needed for us to live a
decent, comfortable life.
Weneed to re-think the whole
concept of having a job.
When we say we need more
jobs, what we really mean is we
need is more money to live on.
BASIC INCOME GUARANTEE
One answer is to establish a
basic income guarantee (BIG),
enough at least to get by on -
just above the poverty level - for
everyone. Each of us could then
try to find work to earn more.
A basic income would pro-
vide economic freedom and
income security to everyone.
We’d have the freedom to work
less if we wanted to, or work
the same amount and save or
spend that money.
It would provide a direct
stimulus to the economy, which
would help create more jobs.
In 1972, Democratic Presi-
dential candidate and Senator
George McGovern knew the
economy was changing. He
proposed a $1000 annual “de-
mogrant” for every American.
The grant would act as a kind
of cushion against the loss of a
job or other misfortune.
We could pay for a Basic
Income Guarantee by eliminat-
ing most of the 20th-century
programs like unemployment
insurance, welfare, Social Se-
curity, Section 8 housing, etc.,
and by having the wealthy pay
their fair share in taxes.
Billionaire Warren Buffett
admits he pays a lower tax
rate than his secretary. Mitt
Romney said he paid only 13.9
percent in federal income tax
in 2010, despite earning $22 mil-
lion. Average-income Ameri-
cans pay about 20 percent.
A BIG would be cheaper
than a jobs program. President
Obama’s 2009 stimulus plan
promised to create 3 to 4 mil-
lion jobs at a cost of $862 billion.
That’s over $200,000 per job.
Such a basic income would
recognize thatwithproductivity
as high as it is today, too many
workers get in each other’s
way. Those who don’t have to
work shouldn’t be required to
do so. Instead, they can create,
do volunteer service, or work
at low-paying jobs which are
still socially needed, such as
teaching or the arts.
Think of it as the opposite
of trickle-down economics,
where we give huge tax breaks
to the rich in the false hope
that something will trickle
down to the rest of us.
NOT A NEW IDEA
Basic income is not a new
idea. It’s been debated among
policymakers in several na-
tions since the 1970s. Econo-
mist Milton Fri edman said: “We
should replace the ragbag of
specific welfareprogramswitha
single comprehensive program
of income supplements in cash
- a negative income tax.”
TheReverendMartinLuther
King, Jr., said: “I am convinced
that the simplest solution to
poverty is to abolish it directly
by a guaranteed income.”
BIG’s most recent Ameri-
can advocate is welfare critic
Charles Murray. In his book:
In Our Hands, Murray agrees
with Friedman and King, and
proposes a $10,000 yearly grant
paid to every adult. Murray
and others argue it would save
money. There would be no
bureaucracy to support and
no red tape to manage.
Opponents claim we
shouldn’t pay people not to
work. But the duty to pursue
work is based on the mistaken
assumption that there is work
to be had.
Inthepost-industrialage, the
USA will provide ever fewer op-
portunitiesforlow-skilled work-
ers. Policies in pursuit of full
employment make no sense.
BASIC INCOME CAN WORK
In 1982, the state of Alaska be-
gan distributing money from
state oil revenues to every
resident. The Alaska Perma-
nent Fund gives about $1000 to
$2000 each year to every man,
woman, and child in the state.
In 2012, the amount fell to $878.
There are no work require-
ments. The grant has reduced
poverty and the inequality of
income in Alaska.
A 10-year, 7800-family, U.S.
government test of a basic
income in the 1970s found
that most people would con-
tinue to work, even when their
incomes were guaranteed.
A test in Manitoba, Canada
produced similar results.
In 2005, Brazil created a ba-
sic income for the most needy.
When fully implemented,
the plan will ensure that all
Brazilians, regardless of their
origin, race, sex, age, social or
economic status, will have a
monetary income enough to
meet their basic needs.
A 2-year, basic income pilot
program just concluded in
Otjivero, Namibia. Each of 930
villagers received 1000 Namib-
ian dollars (US$12.40) each
month. Malnutritition rates of
children under five fell from 42
percent to zero. Droupout rates
atthe school fell from 40 percent
to almost zero. It led to an in-
crease in small businesses.
Most Americans are six
months from poverty. Middle-
class people who worked all
their lives, then lost their jobs
and saw their unemployment
benefits expire, are now sleeping
in parks and under bridges.
America hasn’t seen full em-
ploymentin decades. Evenafull-
time job at the minimum wage
can’t lift a family of three from
poverty. Millions of Americans
- children, the aged, the disabled
- are unable to work.
A basic income guarantee
would be like an insurance
policy. It would give each of us
the assurance that, no matter
what happened, we and our
families wouldn’t starve.
Allan Sheahen is the author
of the new book, Basic Income
Guarantee: Your Right to Eco-
nomic Security. He is a board
member of the U.S. Basic Income
Guarantee (USBIG) Network,
email: alsheahen@prodigy.
net. Web sites: www.basicin-
comeguarantee.com, www.usbig.
net, www.basicincome.org.
Fast Food Advertising
Doesn’t Workon Me
By JIM “PAPPY” MOORE
IF FAST FOOD advertis-
ing worked, my purchases at
such establishments would
be very different. I don’t
care for the Whataburger
marketing, but their burger
^^_^_^_is my choice
Jamong fast
Bfood restau-
I rants. They
outshine
jmt hamburgers
^ML^^Hfrom Sonic,
Jack in the
Box, Wendy’s, Burger King,
and McDonald’s. I get mine
all the way, with jalapenos
and bacon added, mustard
and mayonnaise. That’s
slurping good, and a com-
plete meal. It’s all my major
food groups: bacon, beef,
jalapenos, onions, pickles,
tomatoes, bun and condi-
ments.
Each fast food chain has
something I like on their
menu. If I’m pulling into
McDonald’s, I’m there to
get a sausage biscuit. Theirs
is the best. The biscuit is
not undercooked. It has a
nice butter flavor to it. The
sausage is uniform in size
and consistency, and tasty.
I don’t care for their com-
mercials.
Wendy’s makes the best
chili of the burger chains.
Theirs is a good, hearty
chili and a good meal if one
is hungry now and plans to
eat again in a few hours. But
what is it with the crackers?
I want to meet the executive
at Wendy’s who said “four
crackers is enough for a
bowl of chili!” Must I al-
ways ask for more crackers,
Wendy’s?
Wendy’s also makes a
nice dessert treat called a
Frosty, a delicious chocolate
ice cream like treat. I don’t
know what it’s made of and
don’t care. I will eat a Frosty
if given the chance. Wendy’s
has a fairly new direction in
their commercials, with a
red haired “Wendy” as their
emblem. She’s pleasant and
joyful, and that communi-
cates well.
I love Jack in the Box
commercials. They are the
among funniest commer-
cials on television. But it
comes back to the menu and
values. If I’m pulling into
Jack in the Box, I’m probably
buying their Spicy Chicken
Sandwich. It’s kind of pricey,
but it is very tasty.
A trip to Jack in the Box
often includes my obliga-
tory purchase of some tacos.
They’re not awesome tacos,
but they are two for a dol-
lar! I’ll take four! At that
price I can’t afford not to
eat them.
Sonic has a foot long Co-
ney that is delicious. The
price is right and it is a meal.
It’s really a foot long or bet-
ter. With mustard, chili and
onions. I don’t know how
many calories I cut by not
having cheese on it, but I like
to pretend it is two hundred
calories.
Sonic has a chicken strips
meal that is a decent meal.
If you’re there after 8 pm,
you may have to get their
milk shakes at half price. At
four dollars, I can turn down
their eight hundred calories
of chocolate milk shake, but
at two dollars, I’m a buyer!
Sonic has managed to enter
the “funny” competition in
its commercials with two
goofy guys talking about
the menu.
Of all the burger commer-
cials, Burger King’s appeal
the least to me. I can eat a
Whopper every couple of
months, and do. Something
about the sauce they put on
them and the grilled flavor
of the burger. I don’t want it
most of the time, but several
times a year I’ll buy one and
enjoy it. The King is kind
of creepy, though. Might be
time for a totally new ap-
proach to selling those.
Hey, wait a minute. Maybe
television advertising does
work on me.
©2013, Jim “Pappy”Moore,
All Rights Reserved.
Jim “Pappy” Moore is a
native son of East Texas who
still makes thepiney woods his
home, oaktreefm58@juno.com
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Overton, Mac. The Gilmer Mirror (Gilmer, Tex.), Vol. 136, No. 48, Ed. 1 Saturday, June 15, 2013, newspaper, June 15, 2013; Gilmer, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth650945/m1/4/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Upshur County Library.