Day: October 17, 2011

Over the past few months, at least one person has left this blog permanently, or so it appears.  That person  felt that Elena and I had questionable integrity.  At issue was calling a supervisor who we have taken strong issue with, a racist.  Elena and I felt those labels were unacceptable and said so.  The person left in a huff saying he/she questioned the integrity of the blog.  That’s ok.  People do what they have to do.  We did.  Even though we have often taken issue with this one supervisor, we don’t necessarily think he is a racist nor do we want him called one on this blog.  That standard has to be upheld by us and us alone.  The buck stops here.

Was that decision censorship?  You betcha.  And that is our responsibility.  Most publications whether print, internet, major newspaper, blog  or school newspaper answer to someone and have some set standards. 

Most folks always think it is the other guy who is stepping off the curb.   We have never made any bones about being independent moderates.  The kind of blog we have set as our goal welcomes everyone without making any person feel out of place or more importantly, uncomfortable.  Achieving that goal calls for some sacrifice on everyone’s part.  First off, Moonhowlings is not a free for all.  There are liberals, moderates, and conservatives; Independents, Democrats, Republicans, and all varieties in between  who come to this blog.  That makes the job harder.  You have to weigh what you say to make sure you aren’t making someone else uncomfortable.  We won’t always be successful but that is the stated goal. 

That goes for Elena and me also.  Do you  think we have really said how we feel about a lot of things?  Not even close.  We have often called each other to get  help watering down what we want to say.  Diplomacy isn’t easy, at least for me.  Elena is more diplomatic than I am. 

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Let’s try another open thread.  Please think about your words and if they are hurtful to others. 

Meet investigative reporter  Ellen Schultz:

Time after time, loyal  modest income employees have watched their retirement pensions disappear before their eyes because companies restructure or lie about ‘unsustainability.’   Sometimes the funds have been descimated by giving high paid executive millions in golden parachute deals. 

USA Today had an in-depth review of this novel yesterday. 

Journalist Ellen Schultz has been writing about such shameful behavior for a long time, mostly in The Wall Street Journal. Now she has pulled together the copious, irrefutable evidence between the covers of a book. It is shocking, and demoralizing. But will members of Congress and federal agency regulators stop what Schultz calls “retirement heists”? Probably not, unless voters make it clear the incumbents will lose their jobs unless something changes. Unfortunately, voters are rarely if ever that organized, no matter how much they have been cheated by corporate chieftains.

As congress turns a blind eye to this rape of the American worker, Schultz exposes more:

Schultz opens the book with a look at the December 2010 annual outlook investor meeting sponsored by General Electricand CEO Jeffrey Immelt. (She could have focused on another corporation and another chief executive just as effectively, because the pension heists are so numerous.)

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