Archive for September 4th, 2010

September 4th, 2010

Saturday political update

by DickH

An Eileen Donoghue flier arrived in today’s mail. “A proven track record of job creation” was the theme of this piece, with a testimonial from the president of a company she once assisted in a “major” way that now has 50 employees in Lowell. The local newspaper also has profiles of Donoghue and Chris Doherty. The Donoghue story has the former mayor and city councilor saying that partnerships among business, government and non-profits made Lowell successful while she was in office and that if elected state senator, she’ll bring that same way of thinking to Beacon Hill. Donoghue also said that many people she’s talked to while going door-to-door feel that state government has not shared the pain and cutbacks that they have experienced in their personal lives. She says state government must become more efficient and act more like the private sector and not always look to new revenue as a response to budget shortfalls.

In his newspaper profile, Chris Doherty says the he sees the office of state senator as a “natural progression” of his job as an assistant district attorney. Doherty also said that he gained valuable experience working on economic development projects from his earlier employment as an aide to then Congressman Marty Meehan.

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September 4th, 2010

Creative Economy Thought for the Week

by PaulM

Following is a quote from a former director of Canada’s national arts agency. I would differ slightly in saying what he did because artists don’t have a monopoly on dreaming or creativity. Engineers, scientists, teachers, nurses, detectives, parents, soldiers, public administrators—people in all positions in life, old and young, are capable of dreaming or being creative and they do so every day. Imagination, innovation, ingenuity, and invention are other terms for creative activity. We do need to cultivate creativity, recognize its value, and honor it when it produces good results. In emphasizing and encouraging creativity artists can be leaders because they are so comfortable in the creativity zone. Creativity is a byproduct of freedom, of liberty.—PM

 

You don’t go into the arts if you’re pessimistic. I used to visit a lot of schools. I’d always tell the kids that there would be no planes today if there hadn’t been somebody, somewhere, who was dreaming of flying. It always starts with a dream. And artists are the ones who are dreaming. We need dreams—in the arts, in business and politics. Because dreams are vision, and people need a vision.”

—Roch Carrier, author, former director of the Canada Arts Council (interview with Maclean’s magazine, 1996)

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September 4th, 2010

Obama Oval Office Speech: Mission Not Accomplished by Marjorie Arons-Barron

by Tony

The entry below is being cross posted from Marjorie Arons-Barron’s own blog.

President Obama’s Oval Office address, just the second he has made in his half term, was dramatically underwhelming. There was nothing new and little, if anything, that was emotionally stirring. We knew that our combat troops had been removed from Iraq, as he had pledged as a candidate. But we also know that Iraq’s democracy is fragile, it has yet to form a representative government, and the capacity of Iraq’s security forces to defend the unstable peace is tenuous at best. What will happen to the 50,000 “non-combat” troops we left there if sporadic episodes of violence flare into widespread conflagration?

In advance of the speech, the White House had smartly said this was not a “victory lap.” No version of Bush era “Mission Accomplished” banner here. Last night on CNN, David Gergen likened the theme of the Iraq announcement as “getting the monkey off our back.”

The President praised former President George W. Bush for being a “patriot” and supporting our troops but didn’t concede the surge might have helped strategically. Mostly, Obama talked about it’s being “time to turn the page.” He spoke about our partnership with Iraq in moving ahead, but we’re hardly “outta there.” He also spoke about partnering in Afghanistan and restated his commitment to begin withdrawing from that country, starting next summer, based on conditions “on the ground.” No cause for optimism there either.

He also threw in a few lines about how our influence abroad must be anchored at home, by dealing with education, our dependence on foreign oil, the need for nurturing innovation and entrepreneurship. But these seemed to be throw-away lines, sprinkling them in the speech like raisins in a rice pudding.

As The Washington Post’s Richard Cohen pointed out, the theme lacked punch. Said Cohen of the address, “The best that can be said for it is that it suited the Iraq war itself. Like the war, it should not have been undertaken.”

The President’s body language was tight; he had no energy, no passion, and no unified driving message. We expect more from Oval Office speeches to the nation. We certainly expect more from Barack Obama.

Please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.

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