Is Mayor Bloomberg blinded by politics?
"It’s been widely reported that New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg has banned all clergy and prayer at the upcoming ten year anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. ..." READ MORE
The picture that hung on my grandmother's wall
"As a very young boy I remember going to my Grandparents home in New Richmond. The old house is no longer standing but it once stood behind where Frisch’s Restaurant is today. It was a very old two story house with a large front porch. Today, we refer to this type of house as having character but there was always one thing special that caught my eye when visiting and it wasn’t the architecture style of the house. It was simply a picture of a man in a uniform that was hanging in the front room." FULL STORY
We’re all in a Ball of Confusion
Read more HERE
It's important to test your mettle
"Theodore Roosevelt once said, “Life brings sorrows and joys alike. It is what a man does with them, not what they do to him, that is the true test of his mettle.”Mettle can be defined in numerous ways and tested at many levels during life’s unpredictable and bumpy journey. ..." READ MORE
What would Jefferson think?
"Independence Day, the Fourth of July, recently came and went and as with most of the national holidays more attention and interest was given to the benefits of a three-day weekend than for what it truly means..." READ HERE
Extreme disrespect displayed by NBC
"...I truly never get tired of hearing the Pledge of Allegiance and it always brings a warm, proud and grateful sense of being an American. ..." READ MORE
Clermont County Veterans' Services Stimulus Package
"...Bare said his office brings a stimulus package to the county through the aggressive efforts of the CCVSO to generate federal dollars. “Our office is bringing millions of federal dollars into Clermont County; for every dollar spent by the county, we are bringing in 33.5 dollars from the federal government to provide veterans’ assistance.” In 2010, Bare said that CCVSO requested $1,547,043 from the county and generated $47,273,782 from the federal government. ..." READ MORE
Time to Wake the Sleeping Giant
Calling All Veterans!
Danny Bare addresses VA Backlog CLICK HERE
View the video interview with Kathy Lehr CLICK HERE
HIRE A VETERAN
ATTENTION EMPLOYERS
As many of the returning veterans begin their civilian life they find a new enemy that is very devastating both financially and emotionally. The new enemy is unemployment! Imagine coming back from a tour(s) of duty in Iraq or Afghanistan to discover your financial situation has been turned upside down and you are desperate to find an employment opportunity that will support your family while building a future. The situation is significantly compounded when some of those same veterans have a service related disability. Clermont County is one of the most patriotic communities in the United States for which we are all very proud. Our county has approximately 16,000 veterans from WWII to our present wars with Iraq and Afghanistan. Our community is doing an outstanding job of warmly welcoming home our warriors but when the parades stop and the daily routine and responsibilities of civilian life begin those same veterans need and deserve continued support and consideration. This is where I would ask all employers to consider making the extra effort to hire a veteran. The reported unemployment rate for the United States is somewhere in the range of 10%. Statistics indicate unemployment among the youngest Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, those ages 20-24 are in the 15% range. In my judgment this adds insult to injury when considering many of these young men and women have put their lives on hold while defending our freedoms. This is best summarized by the old saying of "give a hand up not a hand out".
Yes, some of these veterans will require training and some reasonable level of patience but we should also remember the amount of time and effort they have already given to serve our country and in many cases under very hostile and dangerous conditions. Surely we can offer those same veterans the opportunity to help rebuild their lives. This would serve as a long term thank you for their service and be a true act of patriotism at the home front. As importantly, finding a job would help veterans establish a much needed sense of self worth and personal growth they richly deserve.
Iraq and Afghanistan veterans enter the workforce at a disadvantage, says Justin Brown, a Veteran of Foreign Wars specialist in veterans’ economic issues. "If you served in the military, you’re disconnected from the civilian workforce, you don’t have contacts that a civilian person may have," he says.
Your organization depends on reliable, resilient human capital. Veterans of America’s armed forces have the skills, training, and character to meet your toughest challenges for today and tomorrow. That’s why hiring veterans is not just goodwill, it’s just good business. I would like to offer some good reasons to hire a veteran.
1. Accelerated learning curve
2. Security Clearances
3. Ability to work as a team member and team leader
4. Ability to get along with and work with all types of people
5. Efficient performance under pressure
6. Respect for procedures
7. Technology and globalization
8. Integrity
9. Conscious of health and safety standards
10. Triumph over adversity
11. Drug Free
12. Systematic Planning and Organization
13. Ability to conform to rules and structure
14. Flexibility and Adaptability
15. Self-Direction
16. Educated
17. Initiative
18. Work Habits
19. Standards of Quality and Commitment to Excellence
20. Global Outlook
21. Client and Service-Oriented
22. Concerned About the Community and Family Environment
During World War II our country pulled together to protect our freedoms since most citizens were impacted by a family member serving in the war. After the war our country continued to work together and prospered greatly. That generation is now referred to as the greatest generation. On the other hand during the 60’s and 70’s our country became split for many reasons and in particular because of the Vietnam War. The split, through no fault of those brave men and women that served in the United States Armed Forces, created an
unstable and negative situation for many Vietnam veterans as they returned to civilian life. This was in the face of over 58,000 hero’s that made the ultimate sacrifice. With that said, and with history being the best teacher, we have another great opportunity to positively contribute to the very fiber that makes our country great by taking real action towards employment opportunities for our military veterans. To put this into perspective, the creed of the Vietnam Veterans of America is "Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans Abandon Another".
Although our economy is presently at a very low point and hiring is minimal it may actually be a good time to take a close look at your future hiring policies. When the economy begins to turn around I would sincerely ask that you be positioned to include the recruitment and hiring of our brave military veterans within your business culture. Another way of looking at the situation is since our country is blessed to be protected by an all volunteer military, it only makes since we the citizens should also take the same pro-active stance when those men and women return to civilian life.