As I was searching the web the other day, I came upon an image of Alan Greenspan. There he was with an introspective smile as former President George W. Bush placed the Presidential Medal of Freedom on his shoulders. Looking back, I think the most meaningful contribution Alan Greenspan made to the U.S. was his acknowledgement that a deregulated free-market is flawed.
This week President Obama awarded Dolores Huerta, a woman 82 years of age, the same Presidential Medal of Freedom. The two personalities and life achievements could not be more contrasting. Greenspan was raised in Washington Heights, an established neighborhood near Manhattan. Huerta called Stockton, a California farming community her home. Dolores Huerta learned the meaning of disparity; after receiving her teaching credentials in the 1950s and spending time in the classroom, she said, “I couldn’t stand seeing kids come to class hungry and needing shoes. I thought I could do more by organizing farm workers than by trying to teach their hungry children.”
Alan Greenspan went from Washington Heights to the heights of Washington where wall-street investors revered him in a god-like manner. Dolores Huerta, in her effort to raise awareness of the deplorable working conditions of thousands of farm workers, endured severe beatings by police after which she was handcuffed and jailed. Ms. Huerta persevered and is today credited for delivering a long list of civil acts that contribute to the betterment of society including co-founding the National Farm Workers Association.
I am proud of Dolores Huerta, I am proud of President Obama and I am proud of the U.S. for honoring people like Dolores Huerta with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Suzanne Jones
Mesa
Leon Ceniceros posted at 10:16 am on Mon, Jun 4, 2012.
Let's see, Folks, here we have our Hawaiian (??????) born, Liberal Democrat President awarding the Nation's Highest Civilian Medal to an avowed............OPEN-BORDER, SOCIALIST = DELORES HUERTA.
WHO'S NEXT....A POSTHUMOUS AWARD TO ....KARL MARX, CHE GUEVARA...WHY NOT ........FIDEL CASTRO OR HUGO CHAVEZ.........TOO ???
fae4now posted at 1:15 pm on Mon, Jun 4, 2012.
Thank you Ms. Jones for drawing attention to the selfless contributions of Ms. Huerta on behalf of hardworking people who are nonetheless poor. Sad but true that the ranks of the working poor are growing in this country daily from all industries save perhaps Wall Street.
Union bashing is quite popular these days. In the 80's I worked in a union shop amid much union busting and dwindling membership. I am still haunted by words spoken by our locals then President. She said " Give it about 20 years." After all the give backs to the company, benefit slashing and wage freezes the workers will wake up again and realize that unions were the only ones looking out for them against the brutish tactics of corporations who will continue to score record profits - at workers' expense!
I think the wake up call is coming.
truth posted at 3:31 pm on Mon, Jun 4, 2012.
But the numbers, unlike Romney, don't lie. Set aside the first part of the 2009 fiscal year-which began 4 months before Obama took office, with a budget largely set by the previous congress-and federal spending has only increased by 1.4% during Obama's tenure. That's the lowest spending increase of any president since Dwight Eisenhower. The 2009 budget that George W. Bush handed Obama spent $3.52 trillion; under Obama in 2010 federal spending actually fell to, $3.46 trillion. Obama's 2013 budget calls for $3.58 trillion, very close to what the government spent in 2009 contrast that record with Bush's 7.3% increase in spending during his first term or Ronald Reagan's 8.7% increase during his first term. The bottom line: The famous "Obama spending binge never happened." MarketWatch.com
Cerulean posted at 9:03 pm on Mon, Jun 4, 2012.
fae4now and truth [smile][thumbup]
Accuracy posted at 8:45 am on Tue, Jun 5, 2012.
President Obama honored 13 men and women this year with the highest civilian honor, the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Dolores Clara Fernandez Huerta, an icon of California's farm labor Latina movement, was one of 13 honorees who President Obama honored. Maybe a high profile for Huerta that Suzanne Jones is proud of – and another November election gimmick by Obama to convince Latinos he's in their corner again.