Yesterday was my older brother Larry’s 72 birthday. Since his early days at EMU, Larry has been involved at the grass root level of politics. Unlike so many, he does it as a volunteer. The amount of time he and his wife Geri volunteer for their political beliefs is nothing short of amazing. The work they have done in the last 4 years to successfully eliminate gerimandering in Michigan is something they should be very proud. Larry is truly a grass root volunteer. He is the type of person who does the day to day work that most people do not want to do but is necessary for campaigns to be successful. I always look forward to getting his take on the political environment before and after elections. This year was no exception.
Congress is finally back in session for the remainder of the year. It is imperative that they get some sort of stimulus bill done by December 31, 2020 when the current relief bill runs out. Individuals, who can least afford it, are hurting badly, Small businesses, especially restaraunts and bars, are closing for good. States and municipalities are suffering. States and municipalities must balance their budgets so their options for providing relief are very limited at best. Only the federal government can run a deficit, which in times like these makes them the only government entity capable of providing the broad level of relief which is needed. The Democrats want a $3 billion package and the Republicans want a $2 billion package, each with different priorities on how it should be spent. For the sake of the country don’t be afraid to compromise. Half a loaf is better than no loaf at all.
The Michigan Wolverines basketball team hopefully learned a very valuable lesson last night in their overtime win against Oakland University. It doesn’t matter how much you are favored or how much more talented you are, you need to come to play when you are taking on a Greg Kampe coached team. His teams are well coached and they will never be intimidated. In a normal season, they take on anyone no matter how good. They usually have one of the toughest non-conference schedules in the country. He has been doing this at OU for 37 years. Only Mike Krzyzewski at Duke and Jim Boeheim at Syracuse have been with their universities longer than Kampe.
Today marks the 8th month since I started writing this blog. Over time I have found that 7 days a week is too much, so I have reduced it to 5 days unless I am more or less motivated. I have tried my best to share my thoughts without being overly biased, which is not always easy. I have tried to share personal touches and to recognize my perception of good and bad leadership. I have learned many lessons and I have recieved much feedback, both for and against my thoughts. It is has been a fun journey that I hope to continue. I hope you have enjoyed it with me. In the meantime, if you have suggestions on how to make it better feel free to let me know.
“Being with a woman all night never hurt no professional baseball player. It’s staying up all night looking for a woman that does him in.”, Casey Stengel, NY Yankees Manager, who managed some of the great baseball characters of all time.
Tom, I really enjoy this…I understand that 7 days/week is too much. Thanks for doing it.