Sermon of The Week; Fr. Kevin Dooley: St. Paul's Church, Evansville, Wi. ----On Presence, On Showing up, vs. words.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
On Being Debt Free, Deleveraging, and being open to debt and keeping the economy going
And the preacher rose and lifted his hands in the air.
"You must renounce debt and the eternal woe of high credit card debt---it is the epitome of hell.
Then he paused.
"You must listen to your leaders when they tell you to keep the economy going and charge this Christmas and keep folks employed. "
Every one in the congregation paused, reflected....and then smiled quietly.
"You must renounce debt and the eternal woe of high credit card debt---it is the epitome of hell.
Then he paused.
"You must listen to your leaders when they tell you to keep the economy going and charge this Christmas and keep folks employed. "
Every one in the congregation paused, reflected....and then smiled quietly.
Monday, November 24, 2008
Reflection: Is Michigan just a lost Historic District?
Last week something remarkable happened---our US Congress asked the automakers to draw up a business plan that showed how saving the current industry made business sense----that action made the CEO's scurry to their private jets and head back to Michigan.
The bottom line of of the recent events might be that only a bankruptcy court can void the necessary contracts, void the compensation programs for the current ineffective executive staff, and fashion a new vision, of what a non-gasoline based, green, eco-friendly, and sustainable auto industry might look like.
Recently both the auto workers UAW heads and the company heads were heard to mutter, "Not me, Mom" just like two kids in kindergarten-----the situation is way beyond the blame game. It is about painful and quick change, and it will happen soon.
One pundit was heard to mutter lately that maybe one should create a giant historical museum, under the Smithsonian I presume, and mothball a giant area of Detroit for the lost historical site---and bring tourists to see it. Of course they would pay admission. Recently in our fair city, the notion of looking for lost historical districts has gained fashion---the idea is that if one assumes that one is of value and an esteemed destination that people have forgotten to visit---then it follows that one must search for a lost historical district to preserve as a major area of economic development. Hence---maybe we should just mothball Detroit---and place the new high tech automobile development somewhere far, far away where labor and management can begin again...fresh.
The bottom line of of the recent events might be that only a bankruptcy court can void the necessary contracts, void the compensation programs for the current ineffective executive staff, and fashion a new vision, of what a non-gasoline based, green, eco-friendly, and sustainable auto industry might look like.
Recently both the auto workers UAW heads and the company heads were heard to mutter, "Not me, Mom" just like two kids in kindergarten-----the situation is way beyond the blame game. It is about painful and quick change, and it will happen soon.
One pundit was heard to mutter lately that maybe one should create a giant historical museum, under the Smithsonian I presume, and mothball a giant area of Detroit for the lost historical site---and bring tourists to see it. Of course they would pay admission. Recently in our fair city, the notion of looking for lost historical districts has gained fashion---the idea is that if one assumes that one is of value and an esteemed destination that people have forgotten to visit---then it follows that one must search for a lost historical district to preserve as a major area of economic development. Hence---maybe we should just mothball Detroit---and place the new high tech automobile development somewhere far, far away where labor and management can begin again...fresh.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Thursday, November 13, 2008
"Fear of Capital Gains Taxes and other...irrational....fears"
Have you heard anyone who has been worried about capital gains taxes lately?
One of the general strategies of the neocons, was to wait till a crisis occurs .....and then put in the solution column one of the tried and true programs that has been in the wings of the neocon library. Cutting capital gains taxes has always been one of them. The next time you hear someone talk of this ...simply pause and break into laughter.
One of the general strategies of the neocons, was to wait till a crisis occurs .....and then put in the solution column one of the tried and true programs that has been in the wings of the neocon library. Cutting capital gains taxes has always been one of them. The next time you hear someone talk of this ...simply pause and break into laughter.
Help---We've Fallen....and Can't Get UP"-----
Some years ago, one of the hot gifts was a hand held device that seniors could use if they fell and could not get to the phone......the notion of falling and being left alone to die is a giant fear. In the t.v. ads there was a woman who said, "Help, I've fallen and can't get up." The ad was pretty effective. After all----fear is about 10-20 times more powerful an emotion that greed, and in time of crisis, fear is the emotion that comes to the forefront.
Even in the economic crisis the US faces ----we seem to be a nation that has fallen....and can't get up....or at least face the obvious-----that when one reviews the lack of dicipline and regulation of the complicated security products that were allowed to go to market---simply bailing out the present trillions, and adding to the leverage will not solve anything if the government does not send a strong signal that there will be a basis of our currency, and that we will not simply move to hyperinflation to bail us out till the next larger crash-----after all, this is all sounding like an old Howard Ruff book, "How to prosper during the coming Bad years."---it was 1979....and the news is sounding like one of his books.
Even in the economic crisis the US faces ----we seem to be a nation that has fallen....and can't get up....or at least face the obvious-----that when one reviews the lack of dicipline and regulation of the complicated security products that were allowed to go to market---simply bailing out the present trillions, and adding to the leverage will not solve anything if the government does not send a strong signal that there will be a basis of our currency, and that we will not simply move to hyperinflation to bail us out till the next larger crash-----after all, this is all sounding like an old Howard Ruff book, "How to prosper during the coming Bad years."---it was 1979....and the news is sounding like one of his books.
"All I Want In LIfe Is My FULL List Price" and other songs"----- A true story.
Back in the early 1980's, one of the most colorful Sales Trainers who covered the national scene was Don Sheehan----Don was a former Dale Carnegie sales star, the top in the nation at one time, who went on his own, and ran what he called "Don Sheehans Courses."
In addition to teaching selling skills, Don, also held Saturday seminars on such things as "Group Selling" etc. He distributed a special packed cassette bundle of 60 cassettes, and even though it has been over 20 years or so, I still have a few cassettes that I still treasure.
In one of the sessions, Don would ask the room of ...well, mostly men, to stand around in a circle. Then... he asked everyone to hold hands....and sing "All I want in life is my FULL LIST PRICE" and go around in a circle singing it. Once you did this for a minute or so on a cold Saturday morn, the memory of the lesson lasts a lifetime. It was the serious recession of 1982---and Don taught that in times of recession, the key to business success was not cutting prices, but being a price leader---offer extras to the service. Be the best in the line of business you were in....but never cut prices just because one felt uncomfortable about the possibility of rejection. VALUE was the key element to focus on,,,and to tell the customer all the advantages of the product.
In the Christmas of 2008 season, as coupons and discounting has reached a fearish pace in all kinds of retailers to the point of market confusion----those seminars of Don Sheehan have come back in my memory. As he used to say, 'Nobody ever survived in business by being the cheapest---it is the sure way to go out of business."
In addition to teaching selling skills, Don, also held Saturday seminars on such things as "Group Selling" etc. He distributed a special packed cassette bundle of 60 cassettes, and even though it has been over 20 years or so, I still have a few cassettes that I still treasure.
In one of the sessions, Don would ask the room of ...well, mostly men, to stand around in a circle. Then... he asked everyone to hold hands....and sing "All I want in life is my FULL LIST PRICE" and go around in a circle singing it. Once you did this for a minute or so on a cold Saturday morn, the memory of the lesson lasts a lifetime. It was the serious recession of 1982---and Don taught that in times of recession, the key to business success was not cutting prices, but being a price leader---offer extras to the service. Be the best in the line of business you were in....but never cut prices just because one felt uncomfortable about the possibility of rejection. VALUE was the key element to focus on,,,and to tell the customer all the advantages of the product.
In the Christmas of 2008 season, as coupons and discounting has reached a fearish pace in all kinds of retailers to the point of market confusion----those seminars of Don Sheehan have come back in my memory. As he used to say, 'Nobody ever survived in business by being the cheapest---it is the sure way to go out of business."
Everybody loves Capital Formation....But nobody wants to SAVE.
Recently I have been reading some local articles in our fair city about economic development---and it seems whenever those two words are uttered, "economic development", it is very necessary to hold a meeting, share lunch with hundreds, and put on a seminar or two, or three or three hundred to examine all the possibilities. And of course generate the support paperwork documenting all the effort of those seminars and meetings for the folks that write minutes so that in the final accounting of things, folks will know undisputedly that the governmental folks..well...did their best.
One recent article noted a key difference----that capital formation and simply spending money on infrastructure is different--yes. Spending on infrastructure just develops infrastructure and prepares a backdrop to the drama of the actual job creation---which requires capital. Let us say we want to develop a job that pays 30M per year. With interest rates of 3%, what would it take in terms of capital to have enough cash on hand to generate the income to afford the salary, much less the goods or services to be provided. The way I calculate it, it would be a million dollars in capital to provide 30M in income to assure the salary paid. ...for one person employed.
Maybe the math is too conservative....maybe you can find an investment that is guaranteed that produces better than 3% guaranteed---more power to you. The point is that capital formation is required to pay salaries. Everybody loves capital formation.
At the same time. Here is the mystery. Nobody loves to SAVE. Nobody in America is saving. All the piggybanks are broken it seems.
So---what is the conclusion? After all the ranting about job formation, job development, job, job job.......it is all hot air if the powers that be want to spend on infrastructure but never allow the citizens the disposable income or the incentive to save. Without the reality of saving----all the paperwork, all the meetings....yes all those wonderful sharing of feelings and lunches----are just a waste of time.
One recent article noted a key difference----that capital formation and simply spending money on infrastructure is different--yes. Spending on infrastructure just develops infrastructure and prepares a backdrop to the drama of the actual job creation---which requires capital. Let us say we want to develop a job that pays 30M per year. With interest rates of 3%, what would it take in terms of capital to have enough cash on hand to generate the income to afford the salary, much less the goods or services to be provided. The way I calculate it, it would be a million dollars in capital to provide 30M in income to assure the salary paid. ...for one person employed.
Maybe the math is too conservative....maybe you can find an investment that is guaranteed that produces better than 3% guaranteed---more power to you. The point is that capital formation is required to pay salaries. Everybody loves capital formation.
At the same time. Here is the mystery. Nobody loves to SAVE. Nobody in America is saving. All the piggybanks are broken it seems.
So---what is the conclusion? After all the ranting about job formation, job development, job, job job.......it is all hot air if the powers that be want to spend on infrastructure but never allow the citizens the disposable income or the incentive to save. Without the reality of saving----all the paperwork, all the meetings....yes all those wonderful sharing of feelings and lunches----are just a waste of time.
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