Over the years, I have been invited to speak to numerous service groups, church groups and political organizations within the community of Terre Haute. After sharing a few of my own thoughts and ideas, I always take the opportunity to answer questions from the crowd. I look forward to these question and answer sessions. In fact, it’s my favorite part of the meeting.
I like hearing what friends and neighbors have on their minds and I like sharing ideas with them on subjects they feel strongly about. Often, a question or a comment from the crowd will spark a meaningful dialogue or allow me to address a subject that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to address otherwise.
Politics is the art of listening to the concerns of your friends and neighbors and finding a way to create better conditions for them. The way to tell if a politician or public servant is interested in more than his own advancement is to watch closely his interactions with others in the community. Does he like it when people ask him questions? Does he address concerns from the old and the young? Does he visit groups that aren’t promising him campaign funds or support? Is he involved?
My most recent opportunity to speak was to a senior citizen group at Maplewood Christian Church. Seniors have a unique perspective when it comes to seeing the big picture. Having lived long enough to see a number of changes, and get a sense of the direction our country is heading in, they can often anticipate coming storms.
Listening to the concerns and questions of our seniors is a good way for this younger generation to prevent future storms from catching them unprepared. Those who forget their history are doomed to repeat it. Those who ignore their elders are ignoring the testimony of eyewitnesses to that history.
Having lived through The Great Depression, World War II, Vietnam and Ronald Reagan’s economy, I guess I could be considered a senior myself although I certainly don’t feel that old. When speaking to others in my age bracket, it becomes obvious that many of us share the same concerns.
One of the main things many are concerned about is losing their children and grandchildren. I’m not necessarily speaking about losing them in the war. The fear is that our young people will be forced to move all over the country in search of job opportunities. These young people will be forced to live in faraway cities with no family there to support them.
Many of our full-time jobs in the private sector are being sent overseas. A recent example being IBM’s decision to send 10,000 more jobs to India this past month. Meanwhile, the largest areas of growth in employment are in government jobs. We need more social workers, more welfare workers and more staff to work at the unemployment offices. Over half of Americans now work for the government. It’s beginning to look a lot like communism. At least, we seem to be heading in that direction.
The state has become our largest employer. In some communities, the military becomes the only option for a decent wage for many. Our young people either have to move across the country to find a job, and settle for one far beneath their qualifications at that, work for the government, or volunteer to be sent to Iraq.
Putting our future in the hands of corporate America is like putting the fox in charge of the henhouse. It’s corporate America’s job to make money just like it’s a kid’s job to raid the candy jar. Our government seems to be asleep at the gate while corporate America is making off with our future. Waiting until the next crisis or the next great economic depression would be irresponsible. Our government must take action today to produce legislation that will protect American workers and regulate foreign investment.
There should be an even playing field between American labor and their foreign labor competitors. If American companies are going to do business abroad, they should be required to abide by American standards for wages and benefits. If a company is willing to do that, then we’ll know for sure that they are interested in the growth of foreign economies instead of merely interested in taking advantage of slave labor.
It is the responsibility of our leaders to prevent catastrophes. Even the best effort to handle a catastrophe with courage and efficiency is a failure when compared to prevention. Steps must be taken by this generation before it’s too late. Reverse the trend now. Rebuild the strength of this great nation now. Stand up for the American working man and his freedom. Do it now!
Wherever private opportunity is taken away and replaced by government service or employment, be it mandatory or a necessity created by decreasing our opportunities elsewhere, liberty will soon be replaced by servitude. Safeguarding the freedom of the American worker is safeguarding Democracy. America is often hailed as the land of opportunity. Let’s keep it that way!
Pete Chalos, a longtime teacher, coach and public servant in Vigo County, was mayor of Terre Haute for 16 years. Send e-mail to pchalos@netscape.com.
Pete Chalos
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February 15, 2006
Pete Chalos: Lack of opportunity raises concerns for future
- Pete Chalos
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- Pete Chalos: Fluoridation removal should be on local agenda Last year, 11 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee unions, representing over 7,000 environmental and public health professionals, called for a moratorium on drinking water fluoridation programs across the country. I wrote a two-part commentary exploring the evidence that inspired the letter these professionals sent to the U.S. Congress.
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Pete Chalos: Traditional family unit has served America well
Much has been said concerning the institution of marriage this past few years. Elements of our society have been trying their best to redefine marriage. Every American tradition associated with raising a family has been questioned by some group or another. Some feel the rules concerning marriage and family have changed because our society has taken progressive leaps beyond any society the world has ever known. Others feel we are losing touch with the time-tested wisdom of our fathers and the tradition this great nation was founded upon.
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Pete Chalos: Never too soon to pay attention to 2008 election
The next presidential election is already a hot topic of discussion in the press and we aren’t even close to the election year yet. Everyone is interested in finding out which candidate will have an edge come 2008.
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Pete Chalos: Community needs leadership from best and brightest
What does it take to win an election? Last week, we saw the climax of months of hard work and well-organized campaigning. Some candidates had been preparing to run for several months or even a few years. Spouses, children, family, friends and colleagues had been organizing, recruiting and promoting before most voters were even aware an election was coming up. It takes a lot of time and effort and a great deal of commitment to win an election.
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Pete Chalos: A community must invest in itself to improve itself
This month, the Terre Haute City Council voted in favor of the proposed tax increment finance (TIF) district on Indiana 46, passing it 6-3. Council members Jim Chalos, Rich Dunkin, Chuck Miles, Todd Nation, Shelva Warner and Cliff Lambert voted for the resolution.
This evening, the Vigo County Redevelopment Commission is going to conduct a public hearing concerning the details of the resolution, outlining the specifics. Upon their confirmation, the resolution will go back to the Terre Haute City Council for adoption on May 11. -
Pete Chalos: In Iraq, we must get job done, then get out
You can call it what you want to call it but what is happening right now in the country of Iraq is a civil war. Fancy words like “insurgency” aren’t fooling anyone. You’ve got two sides fighting over the fate of a country. That is a civil war.
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Pete Chalos: America must maintain high standards of immigration
My father John Chalos arrived from Greece at Ellis Island in 1910 for the purpose of working in Seattle. He ended up losing his ticket while the train was stopped in Terre Haute.
- Pete Chalos: Your vote counts in numerous and hidden ways
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Pete Chalos: State has moved too quickly on Major Moves initiative
The reason the government builds fire stations, roads, sidewalks and parks is to accommodate the general public. No single private citizen can afford to build all of these facilities on his own so we all chip in and pay taxes. As a result, we all end up benefiting from the use of the facilities. Government facilities are built for the public and they belong to the public. That’s the basic premise of a tax-supported Democratic society. Government by the people and for the people.
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Pete Chalos: City’s leaders, citizens must be willing to support progress
We live in an extremely competitive society. From early childhood, we are taught the difference between winning and losing. In some families, more time is spent learning the difference between winning and losing than the difference between right and wrong.
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Pete Chalos: The future of elderly care in America
This past month, my family and I have been reviewing all available options for the future care of me and my wife Ulla. At 78 years old, I am finding that I can no longer take care of myself and my wife the way I once could. In truth, it’s been quite a while since I’ve been able to do so on my own, but learning to accept and admit it has been a difficult process.
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Pete Chalos: China poised to become next big economic, military power
“If the Americans draw their missiles and position-guided ammunition onto the target zone on China’s territory, I think we will have to respond with nuclear weapons. … If the Americans are determined to interfere, we will be determined to respond. … We Chinese will prepare ourselves for the destruction of all of the cities east of Xian. Of course, the Americans will have to be prepared that hundreds of cities will be destroyed by the Chinese.”
This statement was made a few months ago to members of the press by General Zhu Chenghu of the People’s Liberation Army, also a professor at China’s National Defense University, concerning U.S. opposition to China’s threats to invade Taiwan. -
Pete Chalos: Women’s basketball flourishing in the Valley
This month, the ISU women’s basketball team recorded its 18th straight win. The victory also marked the milestone 100th career win for ISU women’s head coach Jim Wiedie. He and Edith Godleski are the only two women’s basketball coaches to achieve that mark in ISU history. Local golf enthusiasts may remember Edith from her impressive record in local golf tournaments.
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Pete Chalos: Lack of opportunity raises concerns for future
Over the years, I have been invited to speak to numerous service groups, church groups and political organizations within the community of Terre Haute. After sharing a few of my own thoughts and ideas, I always take the opportunity to answer questions from the crowd. I look forward to these question and answer sessions. In fact, it’s my favorite part of the meeting.
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Pete Chalos: Diligent oversight of utilities an important mission
At the end of January, ExxonMobil Corp. revealed record-breaking profits, the highest quarterly profits ever reported by a public company in the history of America. Exxon’s annual profit was $36.13 billion. That’s a 42 percent rise since last year.
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Pete Chalos: Major Moves plan could be major disaster for Indiana
The governor is at it again. First, he closed down license branches in rural areas, forcing many Indiana citizens to take a day off from work and drive long distances in order to get anything done concerning their license or picture identification (which he made a requirement for voter registration). Then he established an Inspector General to act as his own personal prosecutor (along with a staff of lawyers in every Indiana county). Then he crammed his plan for daylight-saving time down our throats.
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Pete Chalos: Use baseball classic to unite us, not further divide us
No sound is more exciting than the crack of a baseball bat hitting the ball. It’s quite an experience to watch your favorite team score that winning run in the bottom of the ninth or pull off a double-play to ensure their victory. The crowd roars and stands to its feet.
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Pete Chalos: This nation needs purpose, trusted leaders to show the way
Just like individuals, nations need goals. In the 29th chapter of the book of Proverbs it is written, “Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In the absence of a unified sense of purpose, progress is replaced with unrest. Like any nation, America needs a national vision, a national direction and national goals.
- Don’t get duped, be skeptical and ask smart questions
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