A fine local historian died the other day. Craig Miner taught history for four decades at Wichita State University and wrote forty books … many of them about Kansas and the Wichita area. I’ve read several of his books and interviewed Miner a few years back. It was a personal pleasure to talk with someone who truly valued history.

All the books I read are non-fiction … mostly history and some current events or politics. I’m currently reading a book about the Comanche Indians, the most brutal of the tribes and the finest horseback warriors in the world. They ranged from southern Kansas to Mexico … dominating a huge area. It’s a fascinating part of history I haven’t explored before.

I use the word “explore” because that’s the way I look at history … a means to explore the past. I’ve recently read books about the Cuban missile crisis, the Berlin airlift, and the Battle of Britain.

I’ll continue to “explore” the past, with a nod to the fine work of the late Craig Miner. Thanks for your passion for history, Professor Miner.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Sir Winston Churchill:

“History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.”

At a town hall meeting a woman told President Obama she was “exhausted” defending the president to his critics. The president has not solved the nation’s problems and this woman wants to know why. The president did not have a good answer.

Did the woman vote for Obama because she really believed he would somehow make everything terrific in 18 months?

The woman told the president she holds a management-level job in the Veterans Affairs Department, her husband has a job, and their two kids are in private schools.

Why the heck is she complaining?

The U-S-A has piled up some big problems over the past several years and no “sugar daddy” or “nanny” in the White House is going to solve them. It takes a concerted effort by private individuals and responsible government officials to even make these challenges less serious.

The president is challenged by a supporter who’s doing quite well during tough times. Instead of complaining to Obama, she ought to get down on her knees and thank God for what she has.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Cicero:

“Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others.”

These guys are considered experts, so I guess we should trust their opinion that the recession ended more than a year ago … in June of 2009. That comes from the National Bureau of Economic Research’s Business Cycle Dating Committee. They say the downturn started in December of 2007, making it the longest recession since World War Two, at 18 months. We had 16-month recessions beginning in March of 1973 and July 1981.

Economic output plunged 4.1% during our most recent recession … the biggest post-war drop. Seven million jobs disappeared. That’s the biggest reason no one knew the recession was over; the jobs have not come back … or at least not fast enough.

There have been ten recessions in my lifetime … 7 during my working years … averaging 11 months in length.

There is still so much uncertainty at the consumer level and the business level. Should we make this purchase? Should we expand our services? Should we hire more workers?

Until our confidence comes back, it seems to me the recession is not really over yet.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Bourke Cockran:

“Underlying the whole scheme of civilization is the confidence men have in each other, confidence in their integrity, confidence in their honesty, confidence in their future.”

Machinists Union members at Cessna made their feelings known in last Saturday’s vote on a new seven-year contract; they didn’t like it but they need the paycheck.

It wasn’t mentioned prominently, but there is a cost-of-living wage adjustment every year … something that is a relic of the past for many American workers. There is also $3,500 in lump sum bonus payments and more in performance-based bonuses; again, something largely unknown in the workplace. Union members are concerned about job security, something I have not enjoyed for a single day in more than 40 years as a broadcaster. The union does not care for a switch in health care plans that could cost their members a lot of money in higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. Many  employees consider that routine.

Union members seem to realize that Cessna C-E-O Jack Pelton is accurate when he paints a business climate fraught with peril and uncertainty.

Unfortunately, in today’s business world employees are at the mercy of what ever employers offer. It seems we are all lucky to have a job.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Second Thessalonians:

 “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.”

I don’t receive many positive emails, frankly. Most of our listeners take time to type up a message when they are angry about something we’ve said on the air, or failed to say, or some perceived factual error that has offended them. Often the irritated emailer is upset because he or she heard something that offended them, whether it was true or not. Emailers seem to like to rant, rave, and vent when they correspond with us.

Ted Woodward and I received a refreshingly positive email recently, complimenting our Steve & Ted in the Morning Show. The man wrote that he wanted to thank us for our “news, positive outlook, and humor to start each of my mornings”. He wrote: “To top it off, your values shine through in your broadcast like a lighthouse on a hill, surrounded by worldly shock jocks who will say anything for a laugh at anyone’s expense. You touch more lives than you will ever know, and you TRULY make a difference in the world”.

That makes all the nasty emails almost tolerable.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Homer:

“Do restrain the haughty spirit in thy breast, for better far is gentle courtesy.”

I believe there are many, many reasons to be proud of our nation. Our poverty is not one of them.

Last week’s Census Bureau report was alarming. The U.S. poverty rate climbed to 14.3% last year. That’s nearly 44 million people, or about one in seven Americans. The figures are higher for minorities and children living in poverty, defined as an income of about $21,000 for a family of four.

The report also finds 16.7% of Americans do NOT have health care coverage … nearly 51 million people.

The state with the highest poverty rate is Mississippi at 23%. The lowest rate: New Hampshire at 7.8%.

Higher poverty rates are not surprising during the nation’s greatest economic downturn since the Great Depression. But I still find the rates appalling for the most powerful economy on Earth.

I’ve never really been poor, but I’ve been darn close to it. It’s no fun.

We need a robust economy creating jobs. That is the best answer to high poverty rates.

-0-

Our thought for today is from John F. Kennedy:

“If a free society cannot help the many who are poor, it cannot save the few who are rich.”

The forecasters all said we had a “slight chance” for thunderstorms last Wednesday afternoon. We were in for a big surprise!

It all boiled up around 4:30 with severe thunderstorm warnings for several counties, including Sedgwick. I drove to the northwest part of the county and encountered heavy rain and hail the size of hen eggs … up to about tennis ball size. Eventually I made my way to south Wichita and into Haysville, providing updates on Operation StormWatch all the while.

I saw many downed tree limbs, some of them quite large … and a lot of street flooding in Wichita. Other storm chasers spotted funnel clouds and even a couple of tornadoes in the area.

Three hours of severe weather alerts is quite rare in this area. May 10^th our Operation StormWatch was on the air two hours. In my 40 years on the air, I don’t believe I have ever reported such storms in mid September. The spring/summer storm season in central Kansas usually runs from March until the end of June.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Kin Hubbard:

“Don’t knock the weather. If it didn’t change once in a while, nine out of ten people couldn’t start a conversation.”

Cessna C-E-O Jack Pelton says the contract offered to Wichita Machinists Union members is fair, given the challenges the company faces in the economy and in the industry. But the union leadership encourages its members to turn down the contract and vote to strike. The decision to strike will come if two-thirds of the members say “no” to the offer.

It’s a seven-year deal, offering a $2,500 lump-sum bonus in January and a $1,000 bonus in 2012. It retains the pension plan and improves benefits by $2, to $57 per month per year of service. It includes no general increase in wages the first four years and one percent in each of the last three years for some workers. There’s a yearly performance bonus plan of 2 to 4 percent of base wages if target goals are met.

The union’s biggest concern is a switch to United Health Care, which the union claims will cost its members thousands of dollars a year in higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses.

Cessna employees have a tough decision tomorrow.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Agnes de Mille:

“No trumpets sound when the important decisions of your life are made. Destiny is made known silently.”

The Machinists Union represents thousands of workers in Wichita’s aircraft plants, and their representatives are negotiating new contracts at Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft. From what we’ve heard so far, the companies are looking for ways to save more money in their labor costs … and that will probably mean leaner offers to their employees.

In the background of these important negotiations are a global economy in which people are not buying as many airplanes as before, and a national economy that has cities and states competing for businesses and jobs. Union District 70 president Steve Rooney said recently that Louisiana has “tripled its offer” to Hawker Beechcraft.

It seems to me our economy will improve when Americans start buying things again. The Wichita economy is largely dependent on people making things … such as airplanes and parts for airplanes. Try to imagine Wichita without the aircraft manufacturing. It’s frightening … but it’s a nightmare that could become real.

We need to keep those jobs right here, if at all possible.

-0-

Our thought for today is from Franklin P. Jones:

 “Most people like hard work, particularly when they are paying for it.”

When politicians argue that they support tax cuts, the issue may not be so simple. Congress is going to be asked whether tax cuts enacted during the Bush administration ought to be allowed to expire as scheduled next year.

A recent Gallup Poll indicates that 37% of the respondents favor keeping the cuts in place for all taxpayers. 44% said the cuts ought to remain in place for anyone making less than $250,000 … and expire for those making more than that. 15% said Congress ought to let the tax cuts expire for all taxpayers.

Americans obviously have mixed feelings about those Bush tax cuts. My wife and I fall into a group that … if our income tax was cut … we didn’t realize any gain in our take-home pay or our end-of-the-year return. Notta! Nothing!

Some argue that a lower rate for those making over a quarter-of-a-million dollars helps the economy. If that’s true, why are we going through the toughest economic times since the Great Depression?

-0-

Our thought for today is from Arthur Godfrey:

“I’m proud to be paying taxes in the United States. The only thing is I could be just as proud for half the money.”