Now Someone Else Has To Tell Retirees No
Wall Street Journal; January 29, 2007; page B1, column 2.

Yet another article on the lengths companies go to avoid making good on the promises they made to their employees. In this latest scheme, they form a trust, dump in some cash, and walk away; leaving the employees to figure the rest out for themselves. They are not even required to fully fund the trust based on their current obligations. CEOs buy multimillion dollar homes with their bonuses while the rank and file struggles to make do with the frank'n'beans existence they're stuck with.

Native Americans On Trial Often Go Without Counsel
Wall Street Journal; February 1, 2007; page A1, column 4.

Reportedly, Native Americans brought to court in a tribal court are NOT guaranteed access to legal counsel. Apparently, when the legal elements separating the governance of Native Americans and the rest of us were being ironed out, someone overlooked the fact that the right of legal counsel is a right guaranteed in the Constitution. And, unfortunately, since Native American tribes are considered sovereign nations (thus not subject to all the benefits of the Bill of Rights), Native American defendants are not covered. And, the WSJ reporter was told that the reason that the tribes have not provided public defenders is that they don't have the money. Does anyone but me find it interesting that Native American casinos rake in billions and yet they cannot afford to provide their own people with something as basic as legal representation? Do all the casinos have spiffy law firms on retainer?

Wal-Mart Cuts Taxes By Paying Rent To Itself
Wall Street Journal, February 1, 2007, page A1, column 3.

Sam never missed a trick, eh? Here is an article on how Wal-Mart has been paying itself rent in 25 states and avoiding the state taxes on the billions in rent involved. The scheme involves Wal-Mart paying rent to a Real Estate Investment Trust that Wal-Mart owns. But because of the REIT rules, Wal-Mart avoids paying the taxes on that rent. Pretty neat scheme. According to the article, the Feds closed this loophole years ago but the states are just catching on.

Wealth A Top Priority For Today's Youth
Elmira Star-Gazette; January 26, 2007; page C1 column 2.

A recent AP article by Martha Irvine talked about the materialistic children of today. If you are a regular Oprah viewer, you might remember a recent episode when asked about her motives for building in a school in South Africa rather than here in the US, she replied that [essentially] the South African children would appreciate it more and make better use of her gift! And, sadly, I believe she is correct!

She doesn't go "there" specifically, but the problem as I see it is the gradual but highly effective efforts of liberals in replacing the American Dream of our forefathers with the Its-All-About-Me attitude in the last several generations. As the social elite removed ethics, morals, respect and the Bible from our schools and everyday life, the whole nation has suffered (ie, rampant porn, degradation of women, callousness toward life, divorce, casual sex, ...).

A young man is quoted in Irvine's article as saying, "To be completely honest, I don't even appreciate everything I have sometimes. Yes, I have a nice apartment, a great job, a great degree, great clothing. But I feel empty inside rather often." His response was to run off and amuse himself with a whole new activity. Me, myself and I. If he cared to listen I could tell him that his new pastime won't fill that void either. That void is meant for a specific person ... and, no, I am not going to preach at him ... this is something that he has to come to grips with for himself.

But as a temporary filler, perhaps volunteering at a local shelter or Salvation Army branch might be a far better use of his obvious skills. Done with the proper attitude of humility, it could start him on the road of understanding what is really important in this life: caring for one's fellow man.