Grow? I already am.
February 18, 2010
Senator Retires, and Voters, Too, Grow Dismayed
By SUSAN SAULNY
HAMMOND, Ind. — Brent Kruse, a retired railroad conductor, says he is an independent-minded, loosely affiliated Democrat who “votes for the man, not the party.” In the last presidential election, he said, he flirted with the idea of casting a ballot for a Republican, Mike Huckabee, the former governor of Arkansas, before throwing his support behind Barack Obama. Senator Evan Bayh of Indiana was part of the reason Mr. Kruse chose Mr. Obama.
“This is a Republican state and he’s a Democrat, so that tells you what people think of him,” said Mr. Kruse, 69. “He’s been a very good man for this state, and I do wish he had stuck it out.”
Of all the elected officials, political analysts, and party bosses across the country who were stunned by Mr. Bayh’s announcement on Monday that he would not seek re-election to a third term, perhaps no group was left more flabbergasted than Mr. Bayh’s constituents, particularly here in the working-class towns of northwest and central Indiana that helped make it a blue state — at least temporarily — in 2008.
Now, with Mr. Bayh planning to leave Congress, citing his disillusionment with unyielding partisanship and legislative gridlock, a good bit of disillusionment has settled on Indiana, too.
“This shocked me. Honest to God, it did,” Mr. Kruse said. “I did not see it coming. And every time we lose a good Democrat, it hurts the system as far as getting anything done.”
Mr. Bayh, 54, a centrist former governor and son of a former senator, was among those Mr. Obama considered for vice president. He campaigned across the state for Mr. Obama, introducing him time and again, and the personal touch from such a respected local figure seemed to help turn the tide for the Democrats. What will happen here in the next presidential cycle is anyone’s guess now, as is the more pressing Congressional primary this spring.
“It’s very disappointing that someone so dedicated has reached the point that he’s disenchanted with politics,” said Vivian Sallie, 59, a television executive in South Bend, who described herself as a longtime supporter of Mr. Bayh. “I feel let down by the situation our country is in. I feel that it’s our state’s loss and a loss for the country.”
JoAnna Clay, a homemaker in South Bend, added: “It’s a really sad situation. He was the voice for a lot of us, and you got the feeling that he really cared. I think there are not many people in Washington who really care, and that’s the problem. They’d rather fight. But he got tired of fighting. There’s definitely some discouragement here,” she said.
Kate Blakely, a cafe manager from Mishawaka, struggled with the timing of the announcement, just days before Mr. Bayh was scheduled to film a campaign commercial at her workplace. “One day he was coming, and the next thing we heard, everything was off,” said Ms. Blakely, 25. “It just seemed kind of random.”
And Tyler Bergin, who works in sales for a cellular company, said he also found it hard to accept Mr. Bayh’s timing. “I can’t understand why he stepped down,” Mr. Bergin said. “It’s unfortunate. If he didn’t want to run again, I guess it’s his choice. He doesn’t owe us anything. But,” Mr. Bergin, 28, continued, “it was not a very good strategic move because it leaves the seat open at such a bad time for the Democrats.”
Excellent point.
The filing deadline to qualify for the ballot was Tuesday, and, left with one day to scramble, Democrats failed to submit the petitions needed to qualify for the Senate race, meaning that no Democrat will be on the primary ballot. Instead, party leaders will pick a general-election contender later this year.
Was he sticking it to the party?
Barrett Berry, the chairman of a nonprofit economic development group in South Bend, said he was troubled that Mr. Bayh’s decision did not leave time for anyone to run for the seat. “I’m going to be loyal, but I am bothered that he didn’t give others the opportunity,” Mr. Berry said, echoing concerns of other Indiana Democrats.
Meanwhile, five Republicans qualified for the primary, among them former Senator Daniel R. Coats, Mr. Bayh’s predecessor. Republicans expressed optimism about recapturing a seat in a state that traditionally leans to the right and about possibly adding an Indiana example to a national narrative that shows Democrats struggling to hold on to their majorities in the House and Senate in the 15 months since Mr. Obama’s election.
“I had a very positive reaction to his decision,” said Ben vonBergen, 18, as he sipped coffee with a friend, Mike Houghtaling, 35, who also seemed pleased. “Sometimes I get the impression that elected officials are just trying to hold on to their jobs,” said Mr. Houghtaling, who works at a camp for underprivileged children in South Bend and describes himself as politically conservative. “If he really wanted to see change, I’m glad he did something about it” by not running.
Mr. Houghtaling said he shared a sense of frustration about Washington and could understand Mr. Bayh’s personal dilemma about being an unhappy participant in a dysfunctional system, particularly as Democratic leaders pushed over the past year for big-budget legislation. (Mr. Bayh had grown increasingly isolated as he warned Democratic leaders that costly legislation was bothering independent voters.) “The problem for me,” Mr. Houghtaling said, “is that Republicans tax and spend as much as anyone. It’s frustrating.”
For her part, Ms. Clay, 22, said she used to see Mr. Bayh as part of the solution, but not anymore. “True enough, if he felt like nothing was getting done,” she said, “then he should have stayed to get things done.”
Showing posts with label Indiana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Indiana. Show all posts
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Orville Redenbacher's Popcorn Partner
From its launch in 1970 at Chicago's Marshall Field's, Orville Redenbacher's Gourmet Popping Corn went on to capture a third of the market for unpopped popcorn. Messrs. Bowman and Redenbacher sold the brand in 1976 to Hunt-Wesson Foods Inc., with Mr. Redenbacher tagging along as the reality-based spokesman.
It is today owned by ConAgra Foods Inc., and is still the nation's top seller, according to the Snack Food Association. Americans now consume about one billion pounds of popcorn annually, says the Popcorn Institute, up from one-third that much in 1970.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Ex-G.M. Workers Try to Reboot Their Lives
Robert Phelps, right, in a culinary class. He worked at Lear, an auto supplier, in Janesville for 13 years before being laid off. 
JANESVILLE, Wis.— Kevin Corkhill grew up in a time and place where manufacturing was king. But ever since he was laid off from the gargantuan General Motors plant here, Mr. Corkhill seems bewildered by what the future holds.
He still has not decided whether to try to transfer to another G.M. plant, change occupations or return to school. Visiting the local United Automobile Workers hall recently, Mr. Corkhill stopped by a musty display case to show his 8-year-old son a black-and-white photograph inside — it was Mr. Corkhill’s grandfather carrying an artillery shell made at the plant during World War II.
“My grandfather worked here, and my father worked here,” he said. “The one thing my father told me is you work hard to make things better for the next generation, but now I worry we won’t be able to do that anymore.”
He turned his head to hide his tears from his son.
In this city, the loss of the 90-year-old G.M. plant and its 2,500 jobs has created a swirling mixture of anger, confusion, worry and hurt, underscoring how the recession is raising anxiety among workers nationwide. Combined with the shuttering of several nearby suppliers, the G.M. closing meant a loss of 4,000 jobs in this city of 64,000.
Their union contract has given these workers more relief than many.
With few local employers hiring, more than 1,000 of those laid off have returned to school, seeking to reboot their lives by studying welding, nursing, cooking and other fields, thanks, in part, to the contract’s tuition assistance.
The contract also provides a substantial financial cushion: 48 weeks of unemployment benefits at three-quarters pay, and health insurance. But when that runs out, it will be hard for them to find jobs paying close to the $28 an hour they averaged assembling Chevy Tahoes and Suburbans and GMC Yukons.
“We found that 76 percent of the laid-off people we’ve worked with made $20 or more an hour,” said Robert T. Borremans, executive director of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, which helps retrain and find jobs for laid-off workers. “There aren’t many $20-an-hour jobs in the area. If people need that much to maintain their lifestyle, they’ll need to look elsewhere.”
The hope is that things will be better a year from now. “What surprises me is how resilient and optimistic a lot of people have been,” said Mr. Borremans, whose agency nearly fills a shuttered Kmart. “They’re willing to work and rebuild.”
Many are moving on. Kimberly Pope, after 30 years at G.M., where she worked as an electrician, has applied to train as a radiology technician. Bill Truman, a laid-off truck driver for a G.M. supplier, is planning to study logistics and warehouse management. Diane Kudrna, one of 800 workers at the recently shuttered Lear factory here that made S.U.V. seats, has become a $12.50-an-hour veterinarian’s assistant.
And Robert Phelps, after 13 years at Lear, has plunged into a two-year culinary program at Blackhawk Technical College, eager to pursue his long-deferred dream of opening his own restaurant or catering service. Returning to school became financially possible, he said, only because his wife recently landed a job as a secretary for the school district.
“Things happen for a reason,” Mr. Phelps said. “I strongly feel there was some intervention here. The plant shutdown opened up a lot of doors for me.”
Blackhawk Tech’s enrollment has jumped by 1,800 over last year, a 23 percent increase.
“One-third to one-half of the people laid off will come our way,” said Eric Larson, the school’s president. “They’re looking for short-term education that will lead to high-wage jobs. My concern is, ‘Will the jobs be there once we get them retrained?’ ”
John Beckord’s job is to help make sure there are jobs. As the president of Forward Janesville, an economic development agency, he is optimistic, boasting that Janesville is centrally located between Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis and has a hard-working, well-educated work force. Janesville just spent $72 million renovating its two high schools, and there are three state colleges within 10 miles.
“You have an eager local government that is willing to roll out the red carpet for companies, not the red tape,” Mr. Beckord said.
That may not be enough to attract business in a downturn. For that reason, many workers with 20 or more years at G.M. are trying to transfer to other G.M. plants and reach 30 years, which would entitle them to a full pension of $36,000 a year. Problem is, beleaguered G.M. is hiring few transfers.
Workers fear their generous safety net will prove inadequate if the recession is long and deep. What will happen to their families if they cannot find new jobs before their benefits run out?
Some pray that before their 48 weeks of unemployment benefits run out, G.M. will reopen the plant, enabling them to return to their jobs.
Others call that a pipe dream; Mr. Borremans termed it “reality avoidance.”
Mr. Corkhill, the grandson of the World War II veteran, had hoped to transfer to another plant, but has become pessimistic about his chances. To make ends meet, he has eliminated his telephone landline and cut back on premium cable television.
“I’m very angry about the whole economic picture,” he said.
The mood was far different last February when a candidate named Barack Obama campaigned at the plant, trumpeting a $150 billion jobs plan and saying that with some retooling and federal aid, “this plant will be here for another 100 years.”
But soon oil prices soared, the economy swooned and a 40 percent drop in S.U.V. sales sealed the plant’s fate.
Ms. Pope, the former G.M. electrician — proud that she sent her two children to Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin — worries now that “there won’t be opportunities for people like myself to make a middle-class income because the industrial base is so eroded. The jobs that pay $25, $30 an hour where you can afford to help your kids through college and not worry about money, those jobs are becoming more and more scarce. G.M. gave me a wonderful opportunity and my kids a wonderful opportunity, and I don’t see those opportunities around anymore.”
That is why Andy Richardson, president of the U.A.W. local here, and a 24-year G.M. man, hopes to transfer to another plant. He plans to move without his family — his wife has a good job at a credit union, his two daughters are star athletes, and he thinks selling their house would be impossible.
“I want to be able to come back on weekends or every other weekend,” he said. “I’ll miss my family.”
He hopes to transfer no more than five hours away, perhaps to Fort Wayne, Ind., or to Lansing, Mich. He, too, tried to hide his tears.
JANESVILLE, Wis.— Kevin Corkhill grew up in a time and place where manufacturing was king. But ever since he was laid off from the gargantuan General Motors plant here, Mr. Corkhill seems bewildered by what the future holds.
He still has not decided whether to try to transfer to another G.M. plant, change occupations or return to school. Visiting the local United Automobile Workers hall recently, Mr. Corkhill stopped by a musty display case to show his 8-year-old son a black-and-white photograph inside — it was Mr. Corkhill’s grandfather carrying an artillery shell made at the plant during World War II.
“My grandfather worked here, and my father worked here,” he said. “The one thing my father told me is you work hard to make things better for the next generation, but now I worry we won’t be able to do that anymore.”
He turned his head to hide his tears from his son.
In this city, the loss of the 90-year-old G.M. plant and its 2,500 jobs has created a swirling mixture of anger, confusion, worry and hurt, underscoring how the recession is raising anxiety among workers nationwide. Combined with the shuttering of several nearby suppliers, the G.M. closing meant a loss of 4,000 jobs in this city of 64,000.
Their union contract has given these workers more relief than many.
With few local employers hiring, more than 1,000 of those laid off have returned to school, seeking to reboot their lives by studying welding, nursing, cooking and other fields, thanks, in part, to the contract’s tuition assistance.
The contract also provides a substantial financial cushion: 48 weeks of unemployment benefits at three-quarters pay, and health insurance. But when that runs out, it will be hard for them to find jobs paying close to the $28 an hour they averaged assembling Chevy Tahoes and Suburbans and GMC Yukons.
“We found that 76 percent of the laid-off people we’ve worked with made $20 or more an hour,” said Robert T. Borremans, executive director of the Southwest Wisconsin Workforce Development Board, which helps retrain and find jobs for laid-off workers. “There aren’t many $20-an-hour jobs in the area. If people need that much to maintain their lifestyle, they’ll need to look elsewhere.”
The hope is that things will be better a year from now. “What surprises me is how resilient and optimistic a lot of people have been,” said Mr. Borremans, whose agency nearly fills a shuttered Kmart. “They’re willing to work and rebuild.”
Many are moving on. Kimberly Pope, after 30 years at G.M., where she worked as an electrician, has applied to train as a radiology technician. Bill Truman, a laid-off truck driver for a G.M. supplier, is planning to study logistics and warehouse management. Diane Kudrna, one of 800 workers at the recently shuttered Lear factory here that made S.U.V. seats, has become a $12.50-an-hour veterinarian’s assistant.
And Robert Phelps, after 13 years at Lear, has plunged into a two-year culinary program at Blackhawk Technical College, eager to pursue his long-deferred dream of opening his own restaurant or catering service. Returning to school became financially possible, he said, only because his wife recently landed a job as a secretary for the school district.
“Things happen for a reason,” Mr. Phelps said. “I strongly feel there was some intervention here. The plant shutdown opened up a lot of doors for me.”
Blackhawk Tech’s enrollment has jumped by 1,800 over last year, a 23 percent increase.
“One-third to one-half of the people laid off will come our way,” said Eric Larson, the school’s president. “They’re looking for short-term education that will lead to high-wage jobs. My concern is, ‘Will the jobs be there once we get them retrained?’ ”
John Beckord’s job is to help make sure there are jobs. As the president of Forward Janesville, an economic development agency, he is optimistic, boasting that Janesville is centrally located between Milwaukee, Chicago and Minneapolis and has a hard-working, well-educated work force. Janesville just spent $72 million renovating its two high schools, and there are three state colleges within 10 miles.
“You have an eager local government that is willing to roll out the red carpet for companies, not the red tape,” Mr. Beckord said.
That may not be enough to attract business in a downturn. For that reason, many workers with 20 or more years at G.M. are trying to transfer to other G.M. plants and reach 30 years, which would entitle them to a full pension of $36,000 a year. Problem is, beleaguered G.M. is hiring few transfers.
Workers fear their generous safety net will prove inadequate if the recession is long and deep. What will happen to their families if they cannot find new jobs before their benefits run out?
Some pray that before their 48 weeks of unemployment benefits run out, G.M. will reopen the plant, enabling them to return to their jobs.
Others call that a pipe dream; Mr. Borremans termed it “reality avoidance.”
Mr. Corkhill, the grandson of the World War II veteran, had hoped to transfer to another plant, but has become pessimistic about his chances. To make ends meet, he has eliminated his telephone landline and cut back on premium cable television.
“I’m very angry about the whole economic picture,” he said.
The mood was far different last February when a candidate named Barack Obama campaigned at the plant, trumpeting a $150 billion jobs plan and saying that with some retooling and federal aid, “this plant will be here for another 100 years.”
But soon oil prices soared, the economy swooned and a 40 percent drop in S.U.V. sales sealed the plant’s fate.
Ms. Pope, the former G.M. electrician — proud that she sent her two children to Marquette University and the University of Wisconsin — worries now that “there won’t be opportunities for people like myself to make a middle-class income because the industrial base is so eroded. The jobs that pay $25, $30 an hour where you can afford to help your kids through college and not worry about money, those jobs are becoming more and more scarce. G.M. gave me a wonderful opportunity and my kids a wonderful opportunity, and I don’t see those opportunities around anymore.”
That is why Andy Richardson, president of the U.A.W. local here, and a 24-year G.M. man, hopes to transfer to another plant. He plans to move without his family — his wife has a good job at a credit union, his two daughters are star athletes, and he thinks selling their house would be impossible.
“I want to be able to come back on weekends or every other weekend,” he said. “I’ll miss my family.”
He hopes to transfer no more than five hours away, perhaps to Fort Wayne, Ind., or to Lansing, Mich. He, too, tried to hide his tears.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
First results are in ...
Corriere de la Sera, Italian newspaper (MIlan) has this headline:
O, wait; this is further elucidation: Le primissime previsioni con exit poll sono state diffuse da Fox News. Il repubblicano sarebbe in testa in Ohio, con il 51% dei voti, contro il 47% del senatore democratico. Che invece guiderebbe la corsa in Virginia, con il 58% dei voti contro il 39%..
Fox News? Fair and balanced? It shows 2.352% of precints reporting in Indiana, 2.316% in Kentucky. A mite early, methinks.
Obama in Indiana, McCain in Kentucky
O, wait; this is further elucidation: Le primissime previsioni con exit poll sono state diffuse da Fox News. Il repubblicano sarebbe in testa in Ohio, con il 51% dei voti, contro il 47% del senatore democratico. Che invece guiderebbe la corsa in Virginia, con il 58% dei voti contro il 39%..
Fox News? Fair and balanced? It shows 2.352% of precints reporting in Indiana, 2.316% in Kentucky. A mite early, methinks.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Endorsement of Obama Points Up Clinton’s Obstacles
Clinton quitting isn't in the cards. The Clinton campaign showed resolve in the face of the developments, rallying supporters and donors and enlisting prominent surrogates to fight back. Mrs. Clinton told aides that she would not be “bullied out” of the race.
Developments are the Casey endorsement of Obama, and the Senator Lahey exhortation that Clinton quit the race.
In a conversation with two Democratic allies, she compared the situation to the “big boys” trying to bully a woman, according to interviews with them.
Speak of projection: her campaign is the one wielding the cudgel. And just three days ago Bubba was quoted as saying "If a politician doesn't wanna get beat up, he shouldn't run for office." Or she.
Some of her associates said Indiana [May 6] was now a must-win state for her. A defeat there would make it even more mathematically improbable that she would win the nomination and undercut any boost she might achieve from a victory in Pennsylvania. Some of her associates said Indiana was now a must-win state for her. A defeat there would make it even more mathematically improbable that she would win the nomination and undercut any boost she might achieve from a victory in Pennsylvania.
I don't see her quitting.
Developments are the Casey endorsement of Obama, and the Senator Lahey exhortation that Clinton quit the race.
In a conversation with two Democratic allies, she compared the situation to the “big boys” trying to bully a woman, according to interviews with them.
Speak of projection: her campaign is the one wielding the cudgel. And just three days ago Bubba was quoted as saying "If a politician doesn't wanna get beat up, he shouldn't run for office." Or she.
Some of her associates said Indiana [May 6] was now a must-win state for her. A defeat there would make it even more mathematically improbable that she would win the nomination and undercut any boost she might achieve from a victory in Pennsylvania. Some of her associates said Indiana was now a must-win state for her. A defeat there would make it even more mathematically improbable that she would win the nomination and undercut any boost she might achieve from a victory in Pennsylvania.
I don't see her quitting.
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