Is This the New Normal?

I am watching Sunday morning news reports while reading Google computer generated news items and, as the scramble of images fires up my brain, I wonder: Is the ugliness of today and media presentations the sign of a new "normal"?

President Obama is faced with another budget showdown on September 30 if our legislators cannot agree on another budget extension. That means another "a-ha!" moment for seniors who wonder if social security checks will be issued October 1.

And that is not the best part....

President Obama has trumpeted that the challenge facing our country is the choice of taxing our millionaires and billionaires...or making seniors pay more for Medicare. "Its simple math..." he says.

The issues going on behind the scenes break down to scaling back tax subsidies, letting Bush tax cuts expire, or making the investments tax a flat 15%. Presently, many wealthy investors manage to pay much less or even zero dollars as they take advantage of tax breaks and deductions. The Republican alternative is to cut back on seniors' Medicare and Social Security benefits while keeping billionaires tax structure status quo.

Has anyone heard about the protests in Wall Street this week? Protests so large that 80 people were brutally arrested in just one day? There seems to be a media blackout about volatility in the heart of our New York financial district. There are hundreds of protesters, living in the streets, until their point is made. We are covering the events in Syria and Arab countries more thoroughly than we are in New York City.

What is going on here? Do any of you remember the protests of the sixties? I do. I remember Kruschev pounding his shoe at the UN. We were huddled in the Student Center at Rutgers at the time and were sure that a bomb was going to be launched at any minute. I remember protests about the Vietnam war. Getting married and dropping out of school meant that my husband was deferred from being drafted in that ill devised entry which cost thousands of American lives. I remember Kent University and the Black Freedom movement, I remember Michael Luther King before he became charismatic Martin Luther King and the symbol of African American justice in America. I remember those protests and the media coverage that let the rest of the world understand their messages.

So how come there is no coverage about this protest in New York? This "Occupy Wall Street" protest is intended to bring attention to their desperation: "We are the 99 percent...getting kicked out of our homes...forced to choose between groceries...medical care...getting nothing while the other one percent is getting everything."

Some protesters have joined ranks as college graduates with hefty tuition bills, over a hundred thousand dollars, with no job opportunities in sight. Others have lost homes and find the tent city accommodations on the street to be their "normal".

Wall Street has become demonized, but more importantly, what was once viewed as an engine of our capitalist economy is now facing transparency, regulation, more bankruptcies, for a new reality. These 21st century protestors march for the same human basic needs as those in France and Russia a hundred years ago.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Lets hope this is not the new "Normal".

Seniors vote.

Trenton Fog

That mist rolling in off the Delaware River has settled over Trenton's City Hall like that bluish black cloud that follows the actor in the ad. Instead of "feel-good" snake oil, Mayor Mack has got to take some hard medicine.

The latest police director is reported in the Trentonian to be considering a hike. Isn't there anyone in these four wards who is willing and qualified to take on the police department responsibilitiy?

The difference between a city Chief of Police and a Police Director is traditionally one of accountability. The Chief of Police is a rank of the Police Department. The Police Director is a civilian, who may be a former career police officer, but in a city with diversity issues is expected to interface between officers and civilians.

It seems to me that this city will not fill the shoes left by the dismissal of Irving Bradley, Jr. for a long, long, time. This is a position that requires brains and finess as well as a degree of integrity which should both reflect the mores of the administration and the pinnacle of police policy.

So how is it that Mayor Mack has such a hard time filling this job? He got more than he bargained for when Ernie Williams put his foot down. He has not been able to convince the DCA of the suitability of most of his potential hires. Why should we be surprised that this latest Police Director appointee is about to take a hike....

My sinking feelings are matched only by the hole in the boat that is Trenton.

I think that it is time to print more recall petitions. Getting signatures to recall this Mayor one of the last things we will be able to do without holding our noses.

Rock that boat!

Trenton rocks...

Grandparents Day is September 11

This Sunday, September 11, 2011, is the tenth anniversary of terrorist attacks against the United States. While we stop to remember those who died in the Twin Towers in New York, Flight 93, or the Pentagon, we should also stop to honor those who are still with us, our Grandparents.

Television coverage today showed the faces of children who lost their mothers and fathers in the dust and horror of those crumbling buildings. Their faces were full of hope and steadfast love in spite of their legacy.

In that horror, when a huge chunk was torn from a nation's heart, grandparents stepped up. It was both privilege and responsibility to insure that those children were given the support to become the people we see before us today.

The events of 9/11 resonated with all of us. After the dust settled and the thousands of lost lives were tallied, grandparents were there. Collectively we put our arms around the stricken, some of us rememembering World War II, some of us remembering the Korean Conflict, some of us remembering the War in Vietnam....

We held you in arms that had been emptied also from those wars...so we wept with you.

We know pain; we feel pain. May our children's children never again have to feel that boundless and unequaled pain from losing a beloved child... or grandchild, husband or lover in another wartime conflict. So grandparents were there.

Grandparents are unique and the Mercer County Freeholders agreed!

Many people are not aware of this, but Mercer County has created a special spot to meditate or picnic at closeby Mercer County Park. It has been dedicated as "Grandparents Grove" with beautiful picnic tables just off the marina area. There are lovely views and lots of activity. The tree colors at the lake are going to be changing to red and gold soon. so bring your camera.

Grandparents Day Quotes:

"No cowboy was ever faster on the draw than a grandparent pulling a baby picture out of a wallet." Author unknown...
A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart." Author unknown...
"Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting." Author unknown.

This weekend, we should spend some time with our grandchildren, or even our own grandparents, and say "Thank you."

Grandparents are always there for their families and for the community.

Revere, Respect and Remember.

Grandparents rock!

Burglars Masquerade as Emergency Responders

This is a news flash from the Artfull Codger!

Ewing Township Police have confirmed that there is a team of burglars, pretending to be storm emergency electrical workers, who are preying on senior citizens.

Two Hispanic males presented at the victim's home communicating in Spanish over hand held phones. One was wearing a reflector vest and convinced the homeowner to check for storm damage in the back yard. When the homeowner realized the other male had remained in the house, she went back only to see the him running out of the home and over the fields. The first man then took off. Several items of jewelry and personal items were stolen.

We seniors are thankful for the help and rescue efforts of our electrical service providers as they attempt to bring customers back on line after Hurricane Irene.

However we must remain vigilant.

Do not let anyone into your home or on your property unless you have seen identification. These perpetrators are professional and believable and out to strip you of anything that can be disposed of quickly.

Keep your local police department hot line number at your phone. I cannot emphasize this too much. The local 9-1-1 line goes directly to the New Jersey State Police and you will lose time in a police emergency.

Keep 9-1-1 for medical emergencies like bleeding, breathing, and poisoning.

Be aware.

Be safe.

Seniors rock.

Comcast Subsidies: Are Seniors Next?

Comcast was required recently to make some public relations enhancements in exchange for the Warner Brothers purchase agreement. In the Philadelphia viewing area, the result was that Comcast will service any low income household with school age children for less than ten dollars a month.

About five years ago, under Governor Corzine, New Jersey instituted a tax on cable companies which was to be put into a fund to provide a television subsidy to low income seniors and disabled residents.

When the fund got to $9.2 million, it was put into the General Fund by present Governor Christie and siphoned off to offset the State's budget deficit.

The end result is that many New Jersey senior citizens and disabled residents have had to drop service since they do not have enough discretionary income to cover the cost of cable television.

The government mandate to switch from analog to digital signal a year ago has not been a good thing for low income residents. It was enormous market potential for cable and network providers. Each digital channel can be broken up into many sub-channels so advertising and the variety of programming is potentially extremely profitable.

The hapless low income person who cannot afford to update electronics cannot use the present digital broadcast signal. The only options are to purchase a expensive digital receiver or to sign on with a cable provider.

This is a good time for Comcast to lead the way and make up the difference.

For those New Jersey residents who have been caught short by present Social Security freezes, a subsidy like that proposed for Philadelphia subscribers would mean being able to follow news, weather and emergency reports and, for many elders, would likely be their only form of entertainment.

Seniors rock.

Good Night, Irene

Here's how to describe the day after hurricane Irene: that feeling of dampness, like trying to wiggle into a wet sweatshirt left in the dryer on a tumble cycle instead of perma-press; and the smell...pungent and doggie, mildewy musty and limberger cheese, with so much humidity that water condenses in a droplet at the end of your nose.

This is the kind of stuff you won't find on the Channel 6 news reports. No fancy videos, just moist misery that comes from being surrounded by so much water: Water in the bathtub, water in the sink, water hanging in the air, water bashing against windows when hurricane winds gust past, water-water everywhere, coming down the Delaware in dangerous cascades making folks leave Trenton's Island community once more for safety.

On the one hand we are safe. On the other, Trenton is still waiting for the other shoe to drop. Flood crests are expected at record or near record levels well into tomorrow.

Governor Christie is scheduled for an update tomorrow, Monday, so resuming activites throughout much of New Jersey will probably wait until after his official update and the flood crest emergency is over.

During emergencies such as this one, the urge to find information drives members of the community to share their latest updates with whomever they come into contact. This primitive sharing is part of our social beast persona of course. However, sometimes unreliable sources and inaccurate information can lead to gossip.

Over the past 24 hours, several rumors have flourished in Trenton. Channel 6 unwittingly promoted one about the Trenton Water Company shutting down service "at 9 o'clock" and panicked residents started filling bathtubs.

Calls to authorities resulted in assurances that water was fine and in good supply, but the rumor persisted.

Channel 6, Philly, had a face/book I-pad "app" accessibility that let just about anybody post updates and someone posted a water company shutoff for Trenton. The commentators picked up on it as news.

Saturday night, it took Mayor Tony Mack and his personal interview over Channel 6 to correct the situation.

Today there was an early morning rumor that everyone in Trenton had to boil water...which was also unverified and so hopefully people will ignore that also for now.

The Trenton Police Department assures us that if there are any important changes in Trenton's Water Company service the Mayor's Office will use reverse 9-1-1 to notify residents of the emergency.

We must not spread rumors. Like the game of gossip, what starts out as a simple thought is bound to change each time it is repeated until it morphs into a fact with a life of its own although dead wrong.

The City of Trenton website for city affairs maintains updates on storm developments. That is much more reliable than gossip.

One more thing, those 500 seniors in Atlantic City who stayed behind and refused to be evacuated are doing just fine. I bet some of them are positioned to be the first AC residents into favorite casinos when the Boardwalk night-life re-opens tonight.

Seniors rock!

Hurricane More Than Another Life Lesson

August was a bumpy month. I blasted through a concentrated biology course, was invited to an honors course this fall semester, bought my books, and just when I thought I could get a breather, we had an earthquake.

Now for heaven's sake. That was supposed to be a "once-in-a-life-time event" for the east coast, but then came news of hurricane Irene. Irene has a heck of a press agent and trumps the 5.9 earthquake with "not since 1903 has a hurricane hit New Jersey"!

I think I am out of adrenalin. Yep. Matter of fact here is my laid-back mental checklist:

Fill the bathtub so you can flush the john, find those fifteen year old matches left over from the nanny's wedding so I can light the centerpiece candles from both daughters' weddings,(I have been lugging them around for almost twenty years just because I could not bear to throw them out), run the fridge temperature up to high, fill my tea kettle with tap water, fill bottles to drink and water the kittycat...round up canned ravioli and evaporated milk, go to People's Bakery for a week's supply of torpedo rolls, check out the supply of peanut butter and jelly, change batteries in my flashlights, locate bandaids and antiseptic, surgical tape and duct tape...and of course my new text books.

Worse case scenario, I can study.

I hear that there are 600 seniors in Atlantic City who do not want to leave their high rise housing. Since they are talking about their walking down many many flights of stairs, I can identify with them. If they have comfort issues, like diapering or accessiblity, they may opt to stay in a part of their apartment where they feel they can cocoon.

I hope that they are safe. Let us not forget that seniors have life experience that has gotten them this far.

Some of the persons in our society today have a tendency to label everyone for convenience or reduce individuals to statistics.

Just maybe these folks feel their collective histories give them an advantage over a younger population that has become accustomed to "services". Give these folks room, please, to determine their own fate.

Well, here comes Irene. Stay safe.

Seniors rock.