OPINION/ FORUM
Chronicle
Ernest H. Pitt PuhiisherCo-Founder
Elaine Pitt Business Manager
Michael A. Pitt Marketing
T. Kevin Walker Managing Editor
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The late, great Bill White.
Serving
Others is the
Ultimate Gift
We at The Chronicle are deeply saddened by the news of
the passing of William G. White Jr., the man for whom the
Central YMCA was recently named.
White, 79. was a local resident who saw service to others
as part of his purpose here on earth. Though he enjoyed a
successful and lucrative career as a bank executive. White
never forgot about those who were less fortunate than him
self.
He championed the merits of YMCAs, which offer a vari
ety of important services to people of all income brackets.
both in America and
abroad. He never relented
in his work of establishing
fine facilities that serve the
greater good.
Here in Winston-Salem,
we are fortunate to have
many local residents who.
like White, do for others
because they care about the
plight of their fellow man
and woman. Open any edi
tion of The Chronicle, and
you're likely to find dozens
of residents who are work
ing to improve the lives of
people who are in need of a
little help, hope and encour
agement.
Names like Ciat
Shabazz, Tracy Maxwell,
Nan Griswold, Keith
Grandberry and many more
have become synonymous with the work of serve those in
need, as have churches like Wentz Memorial. Center Grove
Baptist. Agape Faith. Piney Grove and the list goes on and
on ...
Countless others whose names may not be as familiar are
working tirelessly in their respective communities to bring
about positive change, as well.
It seems that anywhere there is pain or destitution in this
community, there are people willing to lend a hand. and.
we're proud to note, many of them look like us.
In the age of change, on the cusp of the Obama
Administration, things that have long been out of reach sud
denly seem possible.
As you reach for the stars in your professional and per
sonal lives, we urge you also to dedicate your time and
unique talents to helping others. It is said that the reward is
far greater for those who give than it is for those who
receive, and we believe this to be true.
In this Season of Giving, and in the lean months that will
surely follow it, let's not forget those who need us most.
Regardless of our situations, we all have something tp bring
to the table.
^ God bless you anctyotfrs this holiday season!
File Photo
Volunteers at Piney Grove
Baptist feed the hungry during
a recent dinner.
Wo the ones on
tHe naii^htv list
l-eally ^et a
lump of coal ill
iiieii * stocking ?
MAf?guuj?s w3C
Letter to the Editor
Economy will be
my main concern
To the Editor:
As I prepare to become
governor, I will continue to
focus on the critical issues
facing our state, and the
economy is at the top of my
list. That's why I'm reaching
out to leaders and citizens to
ensure that North Carolina is
focused on the challenges
the global economic crisis
has caused for us like jobs
lost and home foreclosures.
? 1 have held economic
roundtables with community
and business ? leaders in
Raleigh, Charlotte,
Greensboro and Greenville
focused on jobs and the
economy.
? I met with President
elect Obama and Governors
from the 50 states to discuss'
a federal economic stimulus
package. I urged President
elect Obama to make sure
that the stimulus package
focuses on creating jobs and
providing relief to strug
gling families. As I wrote in
an op-ed for the Charlotte
Observer: ?
. . JVow is the time to take
advantage of low interest
rates, and reduced construc
tion costs, to invest in our
3 infrastructure and to posi
tion North Carolina for
future prosperity. Doing so
now will create jobs, stimu
late the economy, and pro;
vide relief to North
Carolina 's families.
When I call upon the
president-elect' and
Congress to provide quick,
aggressive action to assist
North Carolina and other
stares in this economic cri
sis, I expect the federal gov
ernment, through our tax
dollars, to partner with
states for the future. Federal
money should he invested at
the state level, where it's
most needed and where it
can do the most good. ...
?
? Additionally. I have
Jheld 14 open public forums
on the topics of aging, com
merce. corrections, crime
control, cultural resources,
environment, education,
energy, health, administra
tion, mental health, military,
revenue and trafisportation.
These forums were moderat
ed by professional facilita
tors and produced a series of
recommendations on each
topic.
In these critical times
when many of our families
are struggling to make ends
meet, I want you to know
I'm not going to wait until I
take the oath of office on
January 1 Oth to focus on
what needs to be done to
help turn around our state's
economy and keep our peo
ple working.
I also know that not all
the best ideas come from
government. Please share
with me your ideas at our
online suggestion box:
b e v p e r -
due .com/suggestionbox .
Governor-Elect Bev.
Perdue
Bev Perdue
Automakers held to double-standard
George
Curry
Guest
Columnist
Nothing has been more
interesting to watch in recent
months than the contrast
between the way Congress has
treated the Big Three U.S. auto
manufacturers seeking a
bridge loan to keep their trou
bled industry afloat and the
overly generous handouts used
to reward Wall Street greed.
Considering the different
constituents, one would have
thought the most hostility
would have been directed at
the fat cats on Wall Street,
many of whom profited by
betting that some mortgage
backed investments would go
belly up. But that hasn't been
the case.
When CEOs of General
Motors, Ford and Chrysler
flew to Washington on corpo
rate jets to make a plea for
help, windbags in Congress
stepped over one another try
ing to express the most out
rage. Nevermind that some of
those legislators have them
selves flown on corporate jets,
neve* mind that they have
traveled free on military jets,
never mind that they enjoy
health benefits and other perks
far beyond the reach of most
Americans. It was the equiva
lent of Jesse James complain
ing about the crimes of Frank
James.
Whether you believe that
the U.S. auto industry should
receive a loan or feel they
should be forced into bank
ruptcy in order to reorganize, it
should be noted that car manu
facturers and Wall Street were
seeking two markedly differ
ent forms of federal assistance.
The Big Three were asking for
a loan while Wall Street was
seeking - and got ? a handout.
PRNewsFoto/Chrvslcr LLC
Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli at a 2007 event.
The Bush administration,
after being given a $700 bil
lion pot to pretty much spend
as it wants, has evidently
adopted the motto: No Bank
Left Behind. Take the case of
Citigroup, Inc. It recently
received a $20 billion infusion
of cash from the feds and a
guarantee of $306 billion
against its high-risk assets.
That's on top of a previous $25
billion the federal government
had doled out to Citigroup. In
exchange, the federal govern
ment will receive preferred
stock shares with an 8 percent
dividend.
We're in the middle of pro
viding nearly $1 trillion to
Wall Street yet no one has
talked about Wall Street exec
utives' use of corporate jets, or
their coming up with an
acceptable plan before receiv
ing the money or removing the
inept leaders that plunged the
industry into this morass.
The heated debate over
helping the U.S. auto industry
has not been advanced by
sloppy news reporting.
As Media Matters, the
watchdog group. notes:
"Several media outlets have
used data that combines the
average cost of current wages
and benefits and future bene
fits to falsely assert or suggest
that autoworkers make $70 or
more per hour. But, as analysts
and some media outlets have
noted, the figure includes not
only future retirement benefits
for current workers, but also
benefits paid to current
retirees."
Dean Baker, co-director of
Center for Economic and
Policy Research in
Washington, wrote on his
blog, "The New York Times
told readers that GM's
autoworkers are paid $70 an
hour (including health care
and pension). This is not true.
The base pay is about $28 an
hour. If health care cost per
worker avefage $12,000 per
year, that adds in another $6 an
hour. If the pension payment
takes up 25 percent of base pay
(an extremely high pension),
that gets you another $7 an
hour, bringing the total to $41
an hour. That's decent pay, but
still a long way from $70 an
hour."
Most of those opposed to
helping the Big Three support
ed the Wall Street bailout plan.
That's the same group that
railed against welfare for the
needy but voted to support
corporate welfare for the
greedy.
4 RepuUican lawmakers
have strongly objected to
granting a loan to U.S. car
makers. Senators Richard
Shelby of Alabama and Bob
Corker of Tennessee have been
helping lead that effort..
While they oppose loans to
Detroit, they didn't object to
taxpayers in their respective
states subsidizing foreign
automakers. According to
Good Jobs First, a non-profit
group that monitors corporate
subsidies, more than $3.5 bil
lion has been used to subsidize
foreign manufacturers that
built plants in the U.S.
Alabama, for example,
used $258 million to subsidize
the Mercedes-Benz plant in
Vance.. $252 million to sup
port Hyundai in Montgomery.
$248 million help Honda in
Lincoln, and $30 million to
assist Toyota in Huntsville.
Corker, the former mayor
of Chattanooga, Tenn., neg
lected to point out that
Tennessee gave up $577 mil
lion in subsidies to encourage
Volkswagen to build a plant in
his hometown and $233 mil
lion to Nissan in Smyrma and
another $200 million to them
in Decherd, Tenn.
"As elected officials
debate aid for the Big 3, tax
payers have the right to know
the full extent of government
involvement in America's auto
industry," said Greg LeRoy,
executive director of Good
Jobs First. "And while pro
posed federal aid to the Big 3
would take the form of a loan,
the vast majority of subsidies
to foreign auto plants were
taxpayer gifts such as property
and sales tax exemptions,
income tax credits, infrastruc
ture aid. land discounts, and
training grants."
George E. Curry, former
editor-in-chief of Emerge mag
azine and the NNPA News
Service, is a keynote speaker,
moderator, and media coach.
He can he reached through his
Weh site,
www.georgecurry.com. ^