Tag: huffpost

Surviving a Broken World

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We just went through the season of celebration, but, really, is there anything to celebrate? There are hundreds of thousands of refugees crossing the Mediterranean and Aegean seas, fleeing war, persecution and violence in Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and many other countries. The indiscriminate terrorist attacks killing 130 people in Paris were so senseless, as was the loss of 224 lives in the Russian plane crash in Egypt. [W]e continue to have mass killings in our own country; [i]n the three years since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings, [which claimed] 27 people, [including] 20 […] children, another 340 Americans have died in mass shooting incidents. Any of us with young kids or grandchildren have trouble explaining why our modern day world is so violent and unhappy.

This constant bad news has got to be taking a toll on our younger generation, who has instant access to information with their daily exposure to the Internet and smartphones. Add to this the [number of] kids who live in poverty, and you have to question whether the upcoming generations are going to be better off than their parents. According to USA Today, 22% of children in the United States live below the poverty line, which is a higher percentage than during the Great Recession; [by contrast], in 2008, 18% of kids were in poverty. [I]n this great country of ours, poverty is highly unequal, with 39% of African-American children, 37% of [Native American] children and 33% of Hispanics living in poverty. The U.S. Department of Human and Health Services’ official poverty line is [an income of] $23,624 [annually] for a family with two adults and two children.

The Annie E. Casey Foundation found 18.7 million [U.S.] kids, or one in four, live in low-income households, which are defined as families using more than 30% of their pre-tax income for housing. [C]hildren raised in low-income households may get insufficient food and nutrients, which can negatively impact physical development. When children go to school hungry, they are [also] unable to focus [on] learning, [while] inadequate housing can expose children to toxins or other health hazards.

For any parent, juggling work, child care and transportation is challenging. Add in the stress of struggling to pay the bills, [and] parents battling with low income[s] have a higher risk of depression, substance abuse and domestic violence, which can affect a child’s social and emotional development. On top of this, 54% of our kids do not attend preschool, 66% of our fourth graders are not proficient in reading, and 66% of our eighth graders are not proficient in math. By ignoring the needs of these 18.7 million kids, we have a formula for the next generation to fail.

This failure for our society to improve itself has already begun. Bloomberg Business just reported that our middle class—[defined as a] family of three [that] has a minimum income of $41,869—has lost their majority status in the United States [for] the first time since 1970. Over 120.8 million adult Americans live in middle-class households, [including] 51 million [considered higher]-income and 70.3 million […] lower-[income]. The middle class holds 43% of U.S. aggregate income, which also is the smallest share since 1970. Generations have grown up with the goal of becoming middle-class. What do we tell our newest generation?

We need to worry about our kids, [a]nd we need to help them deal with the world around them. […] Each of us can’t teach 18.7 million kids, so we must rely on caring organizations to work with those who need the most help. There are great organizations we can contribute to like Save the Children and the Children’s Defense Fund, [both of which] help these less-fortunate kids. Communities in Schools help students while in school, and the Boys & Girls Clubs of America help create a safe place to learn and grow. […]

Children should be growing up [and] worrying [only] about playing and exercising and eating the right foods so they can become stronger and smarter. Our over-connected technology world, though, throws a wrench into the traditional way Americans have raised their kids for generations. Many times, our children know before we [do] about the tragedies afflicting this world because of their instant connection[s] to computers and cellphones. We can’t protect them from this anymore. We also can’t rely on our government to do it alone, because it is such a huge task that is getting worse as each new year unfolds.

We all make personal New Year’s resolutions, like “exercise more,” “lose weight,” and “spend more time with family and friends.” As a country, our resolution for this year needs to be “help all of our children.” Our children are our hope to change this broken world.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/surviving-a-broken-world_b_8811312.html

Our Country Should Be Proud of Its Military

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Why does our military get such a bum rap in the news, where all we read about are homeless veterans, veteran suicides and how much our veterans’ hospitals have let us down? Our military is the most professional organization on Earth, and we do not give them credit for how good they really are in keeping all of us safe.

Our military is made up of all volunteers, but that was not always the case. According to the Encyclopedia Britannica, General George Washington requested the central government be given the power to conscript soldiers for the Revolutionary War, which was a power previously reserved for the individual colonies. Despite the clear need for troops, the Continental Congress turned down Washington’s request. During the Civil War, President Lincoln imposed a draft [that] provoked riots in New York and many other cities. Our first peacetime draft took place in September 1940, and this draft supplied two-thirds of the Americans who fought in World War II. The draft lapsed in 1947 but was reinstated 15 months later for the Cold War. The draft became a casualty of its own unpopularity during the Vietnam War, where draftees made up only 25% of the U.S. military but accounted for more than half of the Army’s battle deaths. In 1973, the draft law expired when Congress refused to extend it.

Last month, I had the privilege of spending a day with the U.S. Army Recruiting Command based out of Fort Knox, Ky., while attending the Kiwanis Summit. I talked with recruiters from all over the country and was totally impressed with their professionalism [and their] commitment to their cause. […] Any one of these soldiers could become a leader in the business world. […] Like I learned in my visit, according to Business Insider, our military force is smart; […] 43% of active-duty officers have a bachelor’s degree, and 39% […] have advanced degrees. [T]he military is [also] very employable in the private sector, according to USA Today. The unemployment rate for [veterans of the wars in] Iraq and Afghanistan […] was 4.6% in October, lower than the national average of 5%, proving that the skills learned in the military do translate back into civilian life. […] This is the lowest unemployment rate for this brave group since October 2007, two months before the recession began. […]

Congress finally came to its senses when they passed the $607 billion Defense Policy Bill last month. It raises the Pentagon’s base budget by 7.7%, which offsets the sequestration that was put in place in 2011. This will allow for a 1.3% pay increase for service members and the setting up of a new retirement plan option for troops, similar to a 401(k) style retirement, according to Politico. What is fascinating about this whole process is the bill passed the Senate 91 [to] three. […] This overwhelming support for our military shows how meaningful a job they do to keep us safe. […]

The transition from military life to civilian life is not easy for all of our heroes, and it can be especially taxing on their families. That is when we, as ordinary citizens, need to step in to lend a helping hand or donate to a cause that works. If you own a business, we all need to make a real effort to hire a veteran, [o]r, if you are not an employer, you can still help by donating to Hire Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to creating job opportunities for veterans and their spouses. Another great organization to donate to is Welcome Back Veterans, which was created to help returning veterans. One of my personal favorites is Soldiers’ Angels. […]

In 1945, we had 12 million active military personnel, and today, we have 1.3 million, all [of whom] have volunteered to keep the peace. They are our friends [and] family, and [they are the] bravest in our communities. Volunteering is a hard decision to make. It pulls these soldiers away from their towns, their pals and their support systems. Every day, they are in harm’s way. If we can continue to support our service members of today, it will only strengthen our military for tomorrow.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/our-country-should-be-pro_b_8582036.html

Shouldn’t We Be Helping Those at Home First?

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The United States spends $30 billion a year on official development assistance overseas, according to Oxfam America. […] We have foreign aid [to protect] our national security with [the] hopes it will reduce [the] poverty and injustice that fuel social tensions and [destabilize] countries. It also helps with our own economic interests, because aid can support the generation of demand for U.S. goods, which builds stable trading partners. [Additionally], based on the morality of our country, [providing aid is] “the right thing to do,” because it may help advance human rights and, in turn, democracy. Anyone picking up a newspaper over the last couple of months has […] to question if our aid has made countries more stable, brought democracy to the rest of the world or created a larger demand for U.S.-made goods.

Last year, we spent $14.4 billion to support Title 1, [otherwise known as] the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), [which] provides resources to schools situated in low-income communities. […] This is down from the previous year […] because of the government cut in funds due to our ongoing “sequestration.” Childhood poverty in the United States stands at 21.1%, [or the equivalent of 15.5 million children]—more than one in five. […] The National Education Association says that to reach all eligible children in poverty, Title 1 needs $45 billion. What a coincidence that Title 1 is $30 billion short of helping our kids at home—the same amount of dollars we are shipping overseas.

Title 1 support is so important to the future of America and what makes a school successful. According to Newsweek and the research done by Harvard professor Roland Fryer, Jr., strictly controlled environments foster success in students. Five principles are reflected in successful schools: frequent teacher feedback, the use of data to guide classroom instruction, frequent and high-quality tutoring, extended school days and years, and a school culture of high expectations. Title 1’s funding goal is “to ensure that all children have a fair, equal and significant opportunity to obtain a high-quality education and reach proficiency on state academic achievement standards.” [Effectively], Title 1 funds are to be used to improve curriculum, instructional activities, counseling [and] parental involvement, [as well as] increase staff and program improvement.

No kid in America should go hungry, and our government does have a federally subsidized school lunch program. According to NewAmerica.org, this program supports student nutrition in over 101,000 schools and provide[s] free and reduced-price […] meals to low-income children before school, during school, after school and over the summer. […]

In September, the Children’s Defense Fund released the latest data about poverty, stating there are 46.7 million poor people in America, [33% of which] are children, [making them] the poorest age group. […] Children of color […] are disproportionately poor; […] 37% of black children and 32% of Hispanic children [fall into this category], [compared to] 12% of [Caucasian] kids. The younger the children, the poorer they are, with 25% of kids under age five considered poor—and these are the [strongest] years [for] brain development.

We have to be realistic. The government only has so much money to spend to continue to operate. Our legislatures scared us in September by averting a government shutdown and approved temporary spending measures to keep federal agencies operating through December 11. Much like we have trouble balancing our checkbooks and prioritizing where we spend our own money, our government is having that problem on a massive scale and continues to kick the can down the road. […] So until our leaders get their acts together, it falls back on individuals to help the poor, the hungry and the disadvantaged in this country.

Luckily, there are several nonprofits […] we can turn to with our donations and volunteer[ing efforts]. The Children’s Defense Fund is a strong and effective independent voice for all children in America. The Salvation Army, in their mission for “doing the most good,” feed, clothe and comfort those in the most need. The Gospel Rescue Missions provide social services to help the less fortunate. […]

The numbers of those in need in America are staggering. Our government has no more money to allocate to additional programs, so it must move its dollars around rather than hoping to collect more taxes. This country needs to look to help itself first. What would happen if we took all of this foreign aid and poured it into lifting [up] our own struggling citizens?

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/shouldnt-we-be-helping-th_b_8401336.html

America’s Fascination with Cats

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Last month, I was watching my hometown baseball team, the Arizona Diamondbacks, play the San Francisco Giants, [a]nd when it came time to throw out the first pitch, it was thrown out by Grumpy Cat, an Internet celebrity cat known for her grumpy facial expressions. […]

This is not the first time a cat has thrown out the first pitch at a ballgame. Last year, Tara the Cat, who was made famous in a YouTube video that [showed her saving] a four-year-old boy from a dog attack in Bakersfield, Calif., threw out the first pitch at the minor league Bakersfield Blaze baseball game. Obviously, these cats don’t have the paw strength to reach home plate, so to have these cats honored in this esteemed American tradition says a lot about our respect for these pets.

Domesticated cats have a long and rich history, according to the Smithsonian. Cats were first domesticated 12,000 years ago in the Middle East as people abandoned their nomadic lifestyle and settled permanently to [farm] and [store] grain, which attracted rodents. The wildcats preyed on the rodents and stuck around these early towns. In Egypt, the African wildcat was domesticated to control the vermin that was harming the crops and causing diseases. These cats controlled the rat population, reducing deaths, and allowed a larger supply of food for the poor. Because they changed the quality of life for Egyptians, cats became sacred creatures representing life and associated with the goddesses Bast, Isis and Pasht. If an Egyptian killed a cat, they were immediately given the death penalty.

Egyptian traders brought cats to Europe, Greece and the Romans. All of these civilizations used the cats to control the pest population, and the King of Wales also made killing a cat punishable by death, [b]ut during the Middle Ages, cats were associated with superstitions and witchcraft, sin, and Satan. When the plague started in 1348, […] rulers ordered the killing of cats that were thought to carry the devil’s disease. Ironically, because of the mass killing of cats, the rodent population exploded and worsened the spread of disease. The mass killing of cats costs millions of lives in Europe.

Cats were [then] used on ships to control the rodent population, and when Christopher Columbus discovered America, cats on board […] his ship were left behind and flourished to become the American Shorthair cat. Fast forward to today, and in the 1990s, cats overtook the dog as the world’s most common pet, where there are now 500 million domestic cats worldwide!

[A]ccording to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), there are 86 million owned cats [in the United States today], compared to 78 million dogs. Thirty-nine percent of American households own a dog, [however], compared to 33 percent owning cats. […] A total of 70 million U.S. homes—or 63%—own at least one companion animal. There are 54,000 veterinarians [nationwide] taking care of these animals, which is a 55% increase […] in just the last 15 years!

[I]n 2012, the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis started the Internet Cat Video Film Festival to showcase the best in cat videos. They receive 10,000 submissions annually of one-minute videos and pick the top 70, which are [then] shown at the film festival. When over 10,000 people showed up for this event, it became so popular that it has led to international tours of the program, and they had their 2015 edition launch a couple of months ago. We noticed on our Facebook page that every time we post a picture of a cat, it is liked or shared thousands of times, [s]o if so many of us take the time to smile, laugh and gush about cats, why are so many of them in trouble?

There are over 5,000 animal shelters nationwide, according to [the] Statistic Brain [Research Institute]. Five million animals enter these shelters, and 3.5 million are euthanized. Sixty percent of dogs are euthanized, and 70% of cats entering shelters are euthanized. Only 2% of the cats are actually returned to their owners. Two billion dollars of taxpayer money is used annually to round up, house, kill and dispose of homeless animals.

October 29th is National Cat Day, which has now been celebrated for 10 years. For those of us who love animals, we should not just be rejoicing only one day this month, because it is our duty every day to help these defenseless animals who have no voice for themselves. There are plenty of concerned organizations that need our support to help reduce the staggering amount of neglected pets. Donate to great nonprofits like the ASPCA, the Humane Society, the American Humane Association, or […] find a shelter near you through the Shelter Pet Project. […] If you cannot support these helpless animals with money, donate your time to help care for them at the shelters. All shelters welcome people who will feed, walk and groom these ignored cats.

Cats provide therapeutic benefits for many of life’s invisible scars. They help us socially and emotionally. The unconditional love cats give us transcends work issues, family conflicts and death. Cats don’t care about the color of your skin, whether you can read or not, or if you are missing a limb. […] Donate to cat shelters and organizations that care for these innocent animals. Volunteer at your local shelter to help cats cope with being alone. No one wants to be alone, and your simple act of kindness goes a long way for cats that can’t speak up for themselves.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/americas-fascination-with_b_8230420.html

Cold & Forgotten: How We Can Help the Homeless

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As we begin to enter […] fall, [charitable] organizations like churches, the Salvation Army, the United Way and the American Red Cross are beginning [to finalize] their plans to help the homeless in their communities [through the winter]. This is a tradition that Americans have repeated for decades.

Most cities and government agencies are making a real effort to help the homeless, but they can’t keep up with the demand. Ironically, many cities have passed laws banning sleeping in parks and other public places, [s]o when a town does not have enough beds for the homeless, where can they sleep?

Boise, Idaho, [officials] created such a ban on sleeping in public places. A case was brought against the city by homeless plaintiffs who were convicted under the Boise ordinances that criminalize sleeping or camping in public. According to The Idaho Statesman, the U.S. Department of Justice jumped into the suit and sided with the plaintiffs by arguing that criminalizing public sleeping where there is insufficient shelter space unconstitutionally punishes them for being homeless. The government cites the Eighth Amendment, which disallows cruel and unusual punishments to our citizens. In its filing, the Justice Department said, “[E]nforcing these ordinances is poor public policy, because pushing homeless individuals into the criminal justice system does nothing to break the cycle of poverty or prevent homelessness in the future.”

Boise is not alone. […] When there are 578,424 homeless people on any given night this year (401,501 in shelters and 177,373 sleep unsheltered), of which 49,933 are veterans, cities simply can’t keep up. For veterans, stepping back onto American soil isn’t the end of the battle—it’s the beginning of another battle for stability in housing, finances, health and support systems that too easily ends in homelessness. In June, the Department of Veterans Affairs launched the Homeless Veteran Community Employment Services program, which aims to help veterans exiting homelessness and those on the brink of homelessness gain stability and long-term employment. Let’s hope it takes off quickly.

We know that homelessness cannot be solved by the government alone; [t]his is a major problem that affects all of our communities. There are many ways the average citizen can help, [whether] by donating or volunteering. The Covenant House opens up its doors to help homeless youth. Stand up for Kids helps homeless street kids. Support Homeless Veterans works to get these forgotten heroes off the streets. […]

With the limitless potential that the homeless have to make a lasting positive contribution to our communities, we cheat not only them but ourselves by not allocating dollars, either in the taxes we collect or the disposable income we can spare, to helping them. If we ever found ourselves in that situation, wouldn’t we want someone to do the same for us? Together, we can work to get the homeless back on their feet.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/cold-and-forgotten-how-we_b_8050064.html

Has America Given up on Arts Education?

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Here we are heading into another school year, and, once again, communities all across America are struggling with funding cutbacks that affect teachers, school programs and school facilities. Much like marketing is the first department to be cut back when a business has to downsize, the arts-education departments are the first to lose funding when schools are in trouble. This is evident just by looking at the history of our government’s National Endowment for the Arts program; in 1992, we were funding it at $176 million a year, and now it’s only $146 million. Contrary to what many of our political leaders think, the arts in school are essential to creating the innovative workforce of tomorrow.

Arts education is one way to help develop critical and creative thinking, according to PBS. For instance, music education may improve skills like reading, writing and foreign language learning, because it trains auditory skills. It takes discipline to learn to play an instrument, which increases concentration skills. Making music involves more than the voice or fingers—a child taps into multiple skillsets using their ears and eyes, as well as small and large muscles. Music also helps kids visualize various elements that should go together, much like the thinking they would use in solving a math problem. Solving these multistep problems prepares children for careers in architecture, engineering and technology.

A study at the University of Kansas showed elementary schools that had superior music-education programs scored 22% higher in English and 20% higher in math on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs. Theater participation where students recreate stories may strengthen memory and verbal skills, and, because it involves roleplaying with others, may help in understanding the viewpoints of others in real life. Creating art and […] visiting museums [both] boost analytical thinking by teaching students to notice details in paintings, which may help train them to consider details in their future.

Research by the NEA found that at-risk students who have access to the arts show better academic results, [have] better workforce opportunities and [demonstrate] more civic engagement. They found that low socioeconomic status (SES) students who had a history of arts involvement in the eighth grade were more likely to have plans to earn a college education. […] These SES eighth-graders were nearly 30% more likely to read a newspaper and volunteered at a rate of […] 20% [more] than that of the other students.

In […] Arizona, a model program by the Tucson Unified School District known as Opening Minds Through the Arts (OMA) was inspired by the ongoing research into brain development and music. [The] program […] integrates arts education with core curriculum from Kindergarten through eighth grade. OMA uses instrumental music, opera, dance, theater and visual arts to help teach reading, writing, math and science. Each school has an Arts Integration Specialist and a team of seven artists working alongside classroom teachers, adapting each lesson to support teaching of core content and knowledge. In addition, the children learn to play the recorder, violin, a wind instrument and keyboard. The OMA program employs 26 artists from the Tucson Symphony Orchestra, Arizona Opera Company and [the] University of Arizona’s School of Music who teach 30-minute twice-weekly classes for 36 weeks of the school year. The quality of this program and the documented student achievement results [have] gained national recognition from the U.S. Department of Education, Harvard Project Zero and the Arts Education Partnership.

Innovation is needed in today’s competitive workforce. Innovation relies on a broad mix of skills [and] several types of people, [primarily] scientists, developers [and] entrepreneurs. Skills by job group obviously are different, but certain skillsets overlap most innovative jobs. Technical skills need content and procedural knowledge, thinking and creative skills question ideas and find solutions to problems, and social and behavioral skills involve communication, collaboration and persistence. These jobs all need a skillset that pulls in knowledge from several different experiences. Having kids exposed to music, drama, dance, choir, [the] performing arts, literary arts, media arts and visual arts starts them on the path to innovative thinking.

We know most school districts have arts on the back burner. What can adults passionate about the arts do to help? If you love the arts, you can volunteer in the schools sharing your enthusiasm for music, performing arts or the visual arts. If you don’t have the time to volunteer, there are several organizations that will take your donations to help students. The Afterschool Alliance enriches kids when school is over. The Scholastic Art & Writing program encourages students on a local level [by holding] exhibitions of [their] work. Americans for the Arts works on advancing the arts and art education. The Arts Integration Solutions’ mission is to transform the education system by bringing the classroom practice of arts integration to every child. […]

Arts education matters. People exposed to the arts play a significant role in the continued innovation of the United States. The arts are an essential part of our heritage and vital in what makes us human and separates us from other creatures. Our lives are infused with the arts as we listen to music, watch TV dramas and comedies, read fiction, attend museums [and] theaters, and watch the dance of “The Nutcracker.” Our lives and our children’s lives would truly be empty without the arts.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/has-america-given-up-on-a_b_7860710.html

How Do We Include All Kids?

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If an American family has an exceptionally bright child, we can usually figure out how to surround them with the right educational opportunities to help them excel. The National Association for Gifted Children estimates there are three million gifted children currently in U.S. classrooms. According to this group’s definition, these are children “who demonstrate or show the potential for high performance, and it is our responsibility to provide the optimal educational experience to fully develop the talents of as many children as possible for the benefit of the individual and the community.”

But what is happening to the psyches of our better students when everyone becomes the valedictorian, considered the best in their high school? The Tahoe Daily Tribune just did a feature story where, of the 70 graduates from North Tahoe High School, 18 were declared valedictorians and one was salutatorian. The Columbus Dispatch reports that 20% of all graduating seniors in Dublin’s three high schools became valedictorians—that’s 222 valedictorians! When I went to high school many, many years ago, we were all chasing the top student in my class, […] and no one could catch up to his intellect, so he deserved to be our only valedictorian. How did all our kids get so smart that so many now share in top honors? Are our children smarter than we were, or has our society changed how we measure success, and is that change really for the better?

U.S. News just reported that 24% of American 15-year-olds cannot successfully complete basic math and science tasks. They estimate that if the U.S. educational system could get these students to understand the basics of math and science, the economic gains over the working lives of these students would add up to more than $27 trillion. This report goes on to say that “improved skills do not automatically require more money, just more focus. As a result, the world is no longer divided into rich and well-educated countries and poor and badly educated ones. With the right policies, countries can break out of the cycle of rewarding the best and penalizing the rest.”

The Supreme Court unanimously underscored the idea of equal education opportunities for all in “Brown v. Board of Education” 61 years ago. The court said, “Education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. It is the very foundation of good citizenship. It is the principal instrument in awakening the child to cultural values, preparing for later training and adjusting normally to the U.S. environment. Education is a right that must be made available to all on equal terms.”

So how do we help our schools lift up the 24% of Americans needing the basic skills and the other students not standing on the stage as valedictorians? One way is to volunteer your time or donate to tutor organizations that help those in need. If you can’t find a local organization to help with tutoring, A List Education has a strong list of organizations that help tutor those who require the most help. Junior Achievement, whose mission is to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy, can use our help. They impacted 4.5 million U.S. students in 197,000 classrooms last year and can use additional volunteers and donations. […]

During the tough economic times since 2008, national, state and local governments have failed to adequately and fairly resource our schools. Budgets, staff and updated equipment have been sacrificed because we have not been able to adequately fund these schools. If the economy had not tanked, it would be a different story, but we have to deal with reality where we just don’t have the money to lift the kids who need it most. We need a school system that prepares all of our students for the ever-changing opportunities our economy offers, and that is why we all need to work on the local level to make educational funding the priority of all upcoming budgets; [o]therwise, we are just cheating our future. While we will always have valedictorians, those students who need the most help will become greater than 24% of our population.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/how-do-we-include-all-kid_b_7641156.html

Is Small Business for Me?

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There are 28 million small businesses in the United States, according to the [U.S. Small Business Administration, or] SBA. [These businesses] created 63% of new private-sector jobs [last year] and [account for] 42% of private-sector payroll[s]. Headlines are grabbed by young entrepreneurs who are starting high-tech companies, but, in reality, people over 50 own 51% of small businesses, while those […] under 35 own [just] 16%. [Additionally], On Strategy reports that 66% of new businesses survive for at least two years, 50% make it at least four years, 40% make it to six years, and one-third make it to 10 years.

[W]hy do new businesses fail at such a high rate?

  • Running out of money too quickly. When starting a business, you need to plan as if you had no sales for six months and have that money sitting in the bank to cover all the startup issues. Before the recession, business owners could borrow against the equity in their homes, but we don’t have that same home equity in 2015. New business startups are rolling the dice and not having as much in the bank, hoping they won’t have to face this issue. Established small businesses also face cashflow issues, because […] their clients are paying slower, so payrolls get missed and lights go off.
  • Overconfidence in their product. […] If you don’t test [your] market first or you are not keeping up with the trends, there is a good chance customers won’t purchase your goods.
  • Poor pricing strategy where [the] competition may have a cheaper solution. If you must lower your price, there still needs to be enough margin to pay the bills.

Other reasons for business failures include an over-dependence on one customer. This country is littered with manufacturing startups that were thrilled to get Walmart as a customer. They put too many eggs in one basket, and when Walmart decided to go overseas to knock [out] their products [for less], [these startups] soon went out of business, [especially] if Walmart accounted for more than 50% of their sales. Small-business owners do not know how to say “No.” Some small-business owners promise the world, but going after all the business at one time drains your cash and profitability, and you may lose sight of quality, delivery time and followthrough. If you miss the mark with an inferior product or late delivery, your customers will put you out of business.

Many of my relatives […] are in a family business. According to the Curchin Group, 70% of family businesses never get past the first generation, 85% don’t make it past the second generation, and 97% never get past the third generation, leaving only 3% of family businesses making it to the fourth generation. There are all kinds of reasons for the death of family businesses, but, in reality, they are not much different than what happens in real life. According to The Globe and Mail, over half of family businesses do not have a succession plan. Entrepreneurs are hesitant to place their passion into the hands of others, and so they lack the plan to create a business roadmap. Internal family conflict—where not everyone has the loyalty to go in one direction—causes breakups. Generational conflict—where there is a disagreement in core values and business missions and where the next generation rejects established methods and the entrepreneurial vision—can bring down a business.

So the odds seem against you whether you want to open your own business or join your relatives in their business. It is much safer to join a big business, work hard and get your gold watch, [b]ut the Bureau of Labor Statistics recently reported that the average person born between 1957 [and] 1964 has held 12 different jobs, [a]nd Forbes reports that 91% of those born between 1977 [and] 1997 expect to stay in a job for less than three years, which means they will have 15 [to] 20 different jobs over their lifetime. [I]s taking a chance and opening your own business any different than working for a big business?

If you want to take the plunge into opening a business, America is there to help. One way is through a new program, Big Ideas for Small Business, [which] was launched last year by the National League of Cities in partnership with the City of Chicago’s Innovation Delivery Team. They have produced a toolkit that helps local leaders create ecosystems [to] support small-business growth with city resources and provides business owners with access to new sources of capital. Another resource is SCORE (Service Corps of Retired Executives), […] whose mission is to foster small-business communities through mentoring and education. […] The NFIB (National Federation of Independent Businesses) […] is [also] a great resource for information and interaction with other small businesses.

This alarming failure rate of small businesses is a concern to every community. For our cities to recently jump in and realize this is a local issue that must be solved reinforces that these entrepreneurs are not in this battle alone—they have their village looking out for them. This is a good start to reverse our small business death trend, [b]ut it also takes individuals in our communities spending in small businesses. […]

America has been great since our independence, because, on the back[s] of small businesses, we have built an exceptional agricultural, industrial and intellectual powerhouse economy. We can’t afford to let these small businesses die, because just about every impressive economic accomplishment in our country started in the mind of an entrepreneur.

Original article here: https://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/is-small-business-for-me_b_7309902.html

Death of Honor

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This month is full of celebrations honoring our military. May 1 is Loyalty Day, which started in the 1920s to counter the rise of communism. […] May 8 is V-E Day (Victory-in-Europe Day), which commemorates the end of fighting in Europe during World War II. Military Spouse Day is also on May 8 this year, and it celebrates the silent heroes of our military. Armed Forces Day, created to honor all branches of the service, is on May 16. Lastly, Memorial Day is on May 25, and it’s dedicated to the military men and women who gave their lives for our country.

According to the National World War II Museum, […] World War II was the deadliest military conflict in history, [with 15 million battlefield deaths]. Add to this the 45 million civilian deaths and 60 million people who were lost in this war, and you have the current combined population of California and New York.

In World War I, according to PBS, there were 10 million battlefield deaths and 7 million civilian deaths. In this war, the U.S. mobilized 4.3 million people and lost 126,000. The last surviving American veteran of World War I, Frank Buckles, died at the age of 110 on Feb. 27, 2011.

According to the National Archives, 9 million military personnel served during the Vietnam War, and we lost 58,156 Americans. More recently, 650,000 served in the Gulf War from August 1990 to July 1991. Since 2001, between the [wars in] Afghanistan and Iraq, over 2.5 million Americans were deployed, and 6,800 […] died.

Currently, according to The Washington Post, there are 22 million veterans in the United States. Out of these, 92% have at least a high school diploma, and 26% have a bachelor’s degree. Veterans own 9% of all U.S. businesses and employ 5.8 million people.

In theory, Americans have not forgotten about these brave heroes. Since last year, the government has been working on cleaning up the Veterans Affairs’ (VA) hospitals that veterans depend on for help. The VA is working on helping homeless veterans, according to the National Coalition for Homeless Veterans, [with the number of veterans spending their nights on the street falling from] 57,849 [one year ago] to 49,933 [today]. [Still], the underlying causes of homelessness—shortage of affordable housing, lingering effects of post-traumatic stress disorder and substance abuse—remain.

In addition to veteran homelessness, 22 veterans take their own lives every day. Reasons for this could be the difficulties of readjusting to civilian life, lack of civilian work experience and combat injuries. There’s also the added pressure that 90% of military spouses are underemployed and earn 38% less than their civilian counterparts while also being 30% more likely to be unemployed.

Poorly performing VA hospitals, homeless veterans on the streets and veterans who do not want to live—how did we let this happen to the heroes who keep us the freest country [in the world]? Most of our citizens join the military because of their pride for this country. No matter the generation or the war, America’s military has always been determined, tough and proud to do their duty. These fighters are sustained by not only the bonds shared within their units, but [by] the love and strength they draw from those at home—their families, spouses, children, parents and communities. It is time for our communities to step up and help veterans in need.

Besides celebrating our military with these special days in May, we must all do more than just wave the American flag or take the day off and watch the parade. We have to help and embrace our veterans so the transition from military life to civilian life is not as painful. If you own a business, you can make a real effort to hire veterans, [o]r, if you’re not an employer, you can still help by donating to Hire Heroes, a nonprofit dedicated to creating job opportunities for veterans and their spouses. Another great [way] to donate [is through the Welcome Back Veterans initiative], which was created to help returning veterans. One of my personal favorites is Soldiers’ Angels, and you can donate directly on their site.

In 1945, we had 12 million active military personnel, and today, we have 1.4 million (not including active reservists). They are our friends, family and the bravest in our communities. These are men and women who sacrificed everything for us, [so] shouldn’t we do the same for them? If we take care of our service members today, it can only strengthen our military for tomorrow.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/death-of-honor_b_7073908.html

Can’t Blame the Teachers for Getting Us into This Mess

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In today’s America, why would anyone ever want to become a teacher? The budgets for our classrooms dwindle each year, and teachers continue to take money out of their own pockets to provide their students with supplies. The schools are getting older, and fewer new schools are being built annually. Based on the school shootings over the last few years, teachers must now worry every day about the security of students and themselves. All of this seems to eclipse why teachers wanted to teach in the first place.

In spite of the pressure on teachers, according to the National Center for Educational Statistics, public schools employed 3.1 million teachers this year. There were 284,000 new teachers joining public schools compared with 222,000 a decade ago. Thankfully, the spirit to teach has not been lost on our newest college graduates. Why teachers choose to teach can be a very personal decision, but common themes include giving back, being a caring adult in a child’s life, proving one person can make the difference and inspiring students.

This year, 49.8 million students attended public elementary and secondary schools. There are 13,600 public school districts with 98,300 schools between them. We will spend $619 billion on our schools, which works out to $12,281 per student, [a]nd 3 million students will graduate from public schools [in 2015].

It does pay to stay in school. Today’s working adults ages 25 to 34 with a bachelor’s degree earn $46,900 [annually on average], while those with an associate’s degree earn $35,700 [per year]. High-school graduates earn $30,000 [annually], and [the average drops to] $22,900 [per year] for those without a high-school diploma.

The fact that the United States is ranked 14th [in the world when it comes to education], according to Pearson, is a real wake-up call. […] South Korea is ranked first, followed by Japan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Finland, the United Kingdom and Canada. Pearson found that the top-ranked countries offer teachers higher status in society and have a culture emphasizing education. Society’s attitude about education and its underlying moral purpose seem to be stronger in the top-rated countries—[a]nd to think that just three decades ago, the United States was ranked first in the world.

It continues to amaze me that people want to become teachers. New teachers make around $36,000 [annually] and can earn $58,000 [per year] after 20 years, so striking it rich does not seem to be a reason to pursue this career. There are so many stories about teachers helping others that remind us that there is spirit within these individuals that the rest of us don’t possess.

ABC News had a story about Lindsey Painter, a first-grade teacher in New Braunfels, Texas, who is donating her kidney to one of her students. The Arizona Republic reported about a Phoenix fifth-grade teacher, Reid DeSpiegelaere, who helped the school’s families when their rent was increased. Many of the families were immigrants from war-torn countries who could hardly pay their current rent and were very connected to the school, teachers and staff. DeSpiegelaere organized the effort to find the families other places to live in the district. “In modern education, especially in this area, we need consistency,” DeSpiegelaere said.

Schools are the heartbeat of our community, [a]nd it isn’t only teachers who mold our kids, as People reports. Charles Clark is a janitor in Euless, Texas, and for 26 years, has been mentoring poor and fatherless kids. Trinity High School’s 2,400 students name Clark as the most influential person at their school, and he has hundreds of thank-you letters from students.

With what is going on in Congress, it is very unlikely that our schools will be receiving additional funding in the near future. Add to this the fact that teachers this year took an average of $513 out of their own pockets for classroom supplies, food for hungry kids in their classrooms, instructional materials, and books for their students, and we have a no-win situation for students and teachers. It is up to concerned citizens and parents to make a difference and give teachers well-deserved help.

The National Teachers Assistance Organization gathers donations for professional assistance for teachers. At Donors Choose, public school teachers post classroom project requests, and you can donate to the project that most inspires you. At Start Donating, they match donors with teachers in need of supplies. […]

It takes an entire village to bring quality education to the next generation. We have the teachers and the staff already in place. Painter shows us that teachers truly do care about their students. DeSpiegelaere reminds us that for a school to be successful, it must care about the neighborhood. […] Clark teaches us that all of us, whether we are teachers or not, mold our community. As teachers finish this school year and start to prepare for the next, it is up to our [legislators], community leaders, parents and ordinary citizens to support our kids before it is too late.

Original article here: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marc-joseph/cant-blame-the-teachers-f_b_6904132.html