ECONOMICS, JUSTICE, LABOR, AND DEMOCRACY!

Politics /

This country’s economic prosperity was – and still is – built on the backs of workers. That included people enslaved and those barely paid or unpaid (e.g., farm workers, home health and domestic workers, caregivers); as well as those whose land was taken through violence and/or trickery. Without workers, there is no economic engine. It’s possible to live in a world where people’s work is justly compensated, their needs are being met; where resources are shared fairly, and activities are undertaken sustainably. That’s not the world we live in – yet. In Capitalism, the means of production are largely privately owned and run to make a profit. In Socialism, the means of production, their administration, and the distribution of goods and services are owned collectively and/or by the government. The US has facets of both systems. Yet do you sometimes feel you’re watching “Capitalism Gone Wild”? Per the conservative Rand Corporation, US government policies have shifted $50 Trillion from the bottom 90% to the top 1% since 1975. While wages and subsidies to workers have increased lately due to the pandemic, this has been a drop in the bucket compared to the egregious situation of workers since 1975. It seems reasonable that the capital invested in the means of production requires enough of a return to cover set-up, maintenance, and replacement of assets plus a fair return for the use of the money. However, squeezing out as much profit as possible, and using those profits to ensure still more profits, has resulted in both the extreme concentration of wealth – worldwide as well as in the US – and an extreme concentration of political power. Thus lobbying, political contributions, and close-knit relationships between the politicians and the wealthy/capitalists (with overlap), all results in the elected and appointed decision-makers catering to the largest corporations and capitalists. It’s been called “Government of, for, and by the Corporations.” Labor is vital. During the pandemic, our much-lauded “essential workers”- OFTEN VERY POORLY COMPENSATED – risked their lives to do their jobs. Others care for children, the elderly, and people with disabilities without any pay. Meanwhile, a CEO today makes 300 times (you read that right) more than a worker. This is the reason for unions. Dolores Huerta said, “I think organized labor is a necessary part of democracy. Organized labor is the only way to have a fair distribution of wealth.”   Labor unions enlist our shared power! That power brought us the 40-hour work week, social security, the New Deal (Works Progress Administration, Rural Electrification Act, etc.), fairer wages, benefits, certain environmental and worker safety protections, and more, as well as a push-back against privatization of public goods/needs/services. It also models the power we need to enlist together as people –Democracy – to make sure that people’s needs are covered before billionaires’ excess profits to use in political donations and lobbying campaigns soliciting corporate welfare (aka tax breaks) and favorable legislation for the corporation(s). Many thanks to working people!! Solidaridad, Victory, Healing, Peace, and Love!! And Happy Labor Day!! Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books & Poems Business Community Education Entertainment español Food & Culture Health Interviews Military & Veterans Peace People Politics A TRAGEDY July 4, 2023/No Comments LEADING TO AN ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN (a Community Responders Pilot and a Peace Ship for a Nuclear-Free Future) Hola, mis Amigos!!  Read More CAMP PEACEPRINTS 2023: HEALTHY LIVES MATTER June 4, 2023/No Comments ¡Hola, Amigos! Pronto sera el tiempo por los ninos para ir a campamentos de verano. We are excited to present Read More EMBRACING BUFFALO / HEALING MOMENTS May 10, 2023/No Comments EMBRACING BUFFALO / HEALING MOMENTS “No podemos dejar que la gente abra brechas entre nosotros… porque solo hay una raza Read More Load More End of Content.

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BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS

People /

BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS One thing about lasting friendships, especially with those whom we consider our elders in the community, is that sometimes we can’t even remember how we met them. At some point, you grew fond of them, and they are more like family members. You may refer to them as brother or sister, or your children refer to them as uncles/tips, aunts/titi, Baba/grandpa, or Ummi/grandma. Upon reflecting on this I chose to honor Brother Kamau R. E. Fields to shine the community spotlight.  I found this article very challenging to prepare and write. As many other people as possible, I have pre-written what I wrote and followed it by having them review and edit. But with Brother Kamau, I wanted to try something different. Because his life experience is so extensive, I asked him to share what he wanted the community to remember of him. He shared this list with me: Buffalo Media Maker, Buffalo ComeUnity Worker, Father, Friend, Teacher, Thinker, East High School, and UB Alumni. This thing might help you know him a bit, but I needed something to CAPTURE you, my readers. I want you to FEEL the ESSENCE of Brother Kamau thru my article. I was driving Brother Kamau home not long ago when he told me of the time student riots broke out in the 70s while he was at UB. He and Brother Alberto O. Cappas shared neighboring offices; one that mainly Puerto Rican students used for organizing (which didn’t have an official name yet), and one that the Black Student Union used for organizing as well.  There was one student named Jameel Hassan (Harlem Prep, NYC), who helped Cappas decide on the name PODER (Puerto Rican Organization for Dignity, Elevation, & Responsibility) for the organization, as it means Power in Spanish. Kamau also remembered that during the student riots, the two organizations decided to bring down the wall that separated the two offices! In a way, symbolically and physically, taking down an imagined barrier that divided so-called brown and black students. I dare even to say similar artificial barriers exist even today! I see it repeatedly play out in our so-called “Black” & “Brown” organizations or agencies.  This division is blatant but ignored. While I can’t quite pinpoint it precisely, I sense it has a tinge of politics attached. Correct me, elders, if I’m wrong. One thing is for sure and two is for certain. I would like to see a reunion of these two student organizations. Kamau could only give me just a snippet of what he remembered at UB in the 1970s. He remarked that he has told Alberto that this story needs to eventually be told in full. As this article is limited, I would want to explore other options for getting that story out and hope to interview others who can shed more light on what they remembered. A symposium that can highlight the struggles during the 1970s and how we are different and/or the same to this day. I challenge the readers to appeal to others that may have been influential during this time to get this story to the forefront. This history is important and I for one long to know it so that maybe I can help further tear down the artificial barriers between our communities.  Brother Kamau has a poem and in it, he repeats “Working Together Works” which is so on point. Then he had another thing he says quite often when you are expressing a trial you are facing: “Hurt people, HURT PEOPLE!” Read that 3 times.  I’ll invite you to close your eyes and imagine just for a moment taking these two simple quotes to heart and mind. Then do that every single day. Imagine that these things can truly shift your perspective on all that troubles us as a community of many different cultures and backgrounds. Try it, you might like it! Read More From This Writer All Post Food Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development People BREAKING COMMUNITY BARRIERS September 13, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More LISTEN TO THE CHILD August 13, 2022/No Comments LISTEN TO THE CHILD Asheem Ali is a talented Homeschooled 10-year-old that keeps his momma (Me!) & older sister, AAliyah Read More “HEALING DIFFERENTLY” June 13, 2022/No Comments “HEALING DIFFERENTLY” At first, glance, if you haven’t met her and I’m not around you’ll be apt to begin a Read More Load More End of Content.

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EMBRACE STREAMING

Business /

EMBRACE STREAMING “Change your perspective and reality changes” — Aristoteles Last month we talked about one of the biggest questions the executives are asking:  “How do we keep people from quitting without paying them more?” You could argue better workload etc. but those can also be quantified as pay, I want to propose a more creative solution that will please both sides. The first one was to encourage work from home. This time we will talk about Embrace Streamlining. There is an archaic idea that the worker must always suffer at work. The owners of this idea will not admit it, but their actions speak louder than words and they will try to hide it behind “Not a good look” or “It doesn’t look professional.” These people got away with it at a time of abundance when after the loss caused by such bad practices, you still were able to make a profit. It is from simple things, such as not letting cashiers sit while working to making sick leave worse than the disease itself, such as asking for a doctor’s note — from a job that does not provide health insurance. I have a simple principle as a manager and a teammate. Trust above all else; if I cannot trust you to do your job to the best of your ability, at a pace that you know how to choose, then that is not a thing that can be fixed without a major shake-up and only that person can fix it. Bosses must be able to fundamentally trust that their workers can do their job after being trained and slowly let go of the leash and let people work to the best of their ability. These “Cruelty is the point” practices are not only deplorable ethically they are also harmful financially. Exponentially so the higher skill and responsibility levels involved. Effectively, this paradigm shift can let people optimize their work to not only provide better performance but also make it more consistent. Sure, there will be crunch times, but I am yet to meet an artist or developer that would not perform crunch for a project they care for. I think management needs to learn to trust their workers and workers live up to that trust. The other part of this process is embracing improvements, automation, and comforts. If you find a way to do a job better or more comfortably and the management resists their silly reasoning, then it is time to look elsewhere for the worker and time to understand this potential improvement. The days of low-efficiency businesses are dying as we are in a more receding tide of the economy. Read More From This Writer All Post Art Books Business Culture Education Entertainment Food Government Health Interviews Lower West Side Business & Economic Development Medical Military & Veterans Our Community Peace People Sports Who We Are EMBRACE STREAMING September 13, 2022/No Comments POST TITLE (CAPITAL) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus Read More STRUGGLING WITH BASIC ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES August 13, 2022/No Comments STRUGGLING WITH BASIC ECONOMIC PRINCIPLES In the wake of continued “The Great Resignation” companies are still struggling with basic economic Read More UNDERSTANDING  EMOTIONAL CURRENCY July 13, 2022/No Comments UNDERSTANDING EMOTIONAL CURRENCY The idea that our emotional capacity has limits is not a new concept but anyone who has Read More Load More End of Content.

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