Workplace – Page 2 – Gary Bennett Publishing

Primary Day: Tales from the Front Lines

By Gary Bennett

Being an election judge, or maybe more accurately a “poll worker”, is not for the faint of heart. Don’t get me wrong, it’s tiring but great. I love to help people, and it is fascinating to watch the democratic process at work. This is about the only way I get to use my long-ago Poly Sci degree except for the occasional opinion piece in this paper.

I’m in the middle of a four-year term as an election judge, our official title, and performed those duties at a local elementary school on Primary Day, July 19, 2022.

The day is certainly long. My day began at 6 am as our team prepared the school for the polls to open at 7. The first thing I noticed was how hot it was in the gym. No one had bothered to turn on the air conditioning. I can’t blame anyone. How could they have foreseen that it might be hot in the middle of July? I’m not complaining because after we scrambled to come up with about 20 fans, we nosed the room temperature down from 80 degrees to about 78 when the polls closed at 8 pm. I can only come to the conclusion that Governor Hogan must have vetoed air conditioning when he vetoed counting mail-in ballots before Primary Day.

I wish I could say I was a volunteer, but that is not true. You may not realize that poll workers are paid. Of course, for some inexplicable reason, we are told not to expect our paychecks until September at the earliest. No one exactly knows why. I believe the state may be waiting for some of us to die. After all, our team averaged about 70 years of age. And, may God bless our two chief judges, one a democrat and one a republican. Both had been through the election wars for over 30 years now. What type of personality deficiency would cause such a condition? I asked them but got only grunts.

At least turnout was pretty light, which gave me plenty of time for observation. We only ran about 1,000 people through our polling place, and I interacted without almost all of them. I either selected and gave out the proper ballots, helped people vote while being careful to look away, or helped people scan their ballots into the mysterious ballot scanner.

About two-thirds of the voters were registered republicans. Not quite one-third were democrats. This figures. We know that democrats hate crowds and tend to vote by mail so they can vote grandma’s ballot, too. Just kidding? A small number were independents, there to vote in the school board race. The independents, 50 or so, were almost always 20-somethings. They may have had it with the two big parties. That’s what one told me.

A lot of people came with youngsters in tow. Most of them were republicans. Democrats seemed to be happier than republicans, many of which you’d have to describe as grumpy. Maybe the presence of their children had something to do with that. Many republicans were quite wary of the process, especially the vote scanner. More than one asked how I can be sure their vote was actually counted. I can’t.

I got pretty good at guessing the party affiliation of people as they walked in the door. For men, the shorter the hair, bigger the bellies, and frownier the faces meant they were republicans. For women it was a little harder. The younger the women and the tattoo-ier they were usually meant they were democrats. Nearly 100 percent of all blacks were democrats.

More folks than you might imagine made mistakes on the ballots and had to start over. They mostly voted for more candidates in a contest than they were allowed. I’m sorry to report, mistake-makers were mostly republicans. Who can blame them? The more republicans, the better, right? A couple of other folks had trouble finding their way out of the small gym. Their votes still counted.

One young man brought a blank ballot to the scanning station. That is fine, of course. I’m told some folks do that as protest. That begs the question, of course, why don’t they just stay home and save the trouble? Turns out he was confused and hadn’t even voted yet. He was a republican.

One person came in with a sample ballot to consult and was disappointed that it was not for his precinct. Another wondered where all the good candidates were. Turned out he was a democrat and wanted to vote for republicans. After voting, he changed his party affiliation, which one can do.

A few people were indignant that the touchscreen software forced them to look at the names of all people vying for the republican nomination for governor before they could vote for Dan Cox. I saw the same thing in 2020 for Donald Trump. You don’t want to be a candidate on the second page. Just ask Kelly Schulz.

One person erroneously voted for a few of the so-called Education, Not Indoctrination school board candidates and came back for a new ballot. Her exact quote was “I didn’t mean to vote for these idiots.” The most predominant voting literature carried in and consulted was the “apple” ballot supplied by the teacher’s union. Next was some literature from the firefighter’s union extolling the virtues of their preferred candidates.

People are determined to vote. One person, bless her heart, asked for info on all the candidates because she didn’t know anything about them. “I don’t want to vote for just the best names,” she said. When told we didn’t have any literature to give her and were not allowed to do so anyway, she departed and came back to vote a few hours later. One can only surmise she finally did her research which makes you wonder what rock she may have been living under all these months. Another asked me for recommendations on who to vote for, which I did not and could not provide.

As I trudged home at the end of the day at 10 pm, (yes, the polls closed at 8 but it took two hours to tear things down and get the gym back into shape) I couldn’t help but smile. As imperfect as we are, at least we all get our say. Oh, and cell phones are actually illegal in the polling place. You might as well outlaw oxygen.

So You’re Newly Retired. Now What?

By Gary Bennett

Ellen Bennett helps her grandson, Logan, prepare for kindergarten next fall.

This article appears in the February 23rd, 2022, edition of the Frederick News Post.

As we begin to reach our 60s and beyond, most of us can begin to see the end of our working days on the horizon. It can be a sweet picture: wide open, unhurried days with long walks and longer lunches. It’s going to be great, right?

Maybe not.

Without a plan for retirement, these unhurried days can quickly become boring — or worse, detrimental to our health. Most experts agree we need to keep our mind, body and spirit active in retirement.

I retired on Jan. 1, 2020, just before the pandemic began, after a long publishing and marketing career at associations in Baltimore and Washington, D.C. My wife, Ellen, followed me eight months later after an equally long career as a nurse. After two intense but rewarding careers, we were more than ready to retire at age 62.

Our plan for retirement was easy. We wanted to help as many people as we could for as long as we could.

With that in mind, here is our recipe for a happy retirement that allows us to enjoy an active lifestyle while helping others. We realize this pace is not for everyone, but if you ever find yourself bored, pick out one of two of our suggestions and give them a try.

FIND A NEW JOB

This may sound counter-intuitive, but more and more retirees are doing it, and we did as well. We found new jobs.

Three days a week, from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., we serve as caregivers to our two pre-school grandsons. We are exhausted by day’s end but can’t help smiling as we talk over each eventful day.

If there is any way you can swing it, we highly recommend you give this a try. We save our son- and daughter-in-law mountains of money, provide love and peace of mind and — the best part — get the privilege of having front-row seats to the wondrous, daily reality show of children growing up.

Logan, Gary and Gavin Bennett and grand-dog Chloe enjoy the water table.

This is a great “job,” but it wasn’t quite enough for me, so I got a second job delivering prescriptions two or three days a week for Whitesell’s, a local pharmacy. The hours are great (roughly 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.), so I get to have a few leisurely mornings. Along with helping other people by bringing them something that makes them feel better, I get to be my own boss, drive around town in a sporty Ford Focus and get a little sunshine and exercise, too.

Of course, you don’t need me to tell you that the job market is red hot right now, even for seniors. If you try, you can find a part-time job that you will like or perhaps love. Top jobs for seniors according to AARP are teacher’s aide, coach/referee, tour guide, retail salesperson, tax preparer and consultant.

VOLUNTEER

My wife and I also take advantage of the wonderful world of volunteering. Frederick County is special in this regard. Endless opportunities await if you have a sincere desire to make a difference.

I began volunteering shortly after retirement by becoming an English tutor for the Literacy Council of Frederick County. They showed me the ropes, provided teaching materials and paired me with two Spanish-speaking sisters with a strong desire to learn English. The Literacy Council always needs tutors, and I can guarantee that if you give this a try, you will find it immensely rewarding.

Gary Bennett working with one of his English students at the Urbana library.

If you have a little more time, we recommend membership in any of Frederick’s fine service clubs. Each has a slightly different focus but all want to make Frederick County a better place to live and work. Ellen and I joined the Lions. Others include the Elks, Kiwanis, Moose, Jaycees and Rotary.

At Lions, Ellen used her nursing knowledge to start a used medical equipment lending program that serves Frederick County citizens in need with wheelchairs, walkers, bedside commodes and other medical equipment free of charge. She runs this program out of our garage, although we are looking for more permanent space.

Ellen Bennett checks her inventory of used medical equipment for loaning out.

I created an annual Lions event called Canines on the Creek that brings the community together around a fun pet costume contest that raises money for Leader Dogs for the Blind. I also help lead an event called Roar Like a Lion that creates care packages for houseless individuals.

Other volunteer opportunities in the area:

• Frederick County Food Bank, where we stock shelves and help clients choose food. We include our 16-year-old grandson in this endeavor.

• Frederick County Adopt-a-Road program that puts citizens in charge of occasional trash pick-up on stretches of county highways. This activity provides great exercise while doing something good for your neighborhood.

Gary Bennett at the beginning of a two-mile stretch of road the Bennetts have adopted.

• Meals on Wheels, which allows Ellen to use her nursing skills to provide periodic client assessments, and I make deliveries.

• Local homeowner’s association, where we have both served as officers.

• Local election judge, in which I’m currently serving a four-year term and looking forward to the 2022 elections.

• Downtown Frederick Partnership, where we have assisted with Bring a Broom Saturday, Thursday evening Concerts on the Creek and the annual Fire In Ice event.

• American Red Cross, where we have become frequent blood and platelet donors.

• A local church, where we work on our spirituality, make friends and help others. We attend First Baptist Church on Bowers Road and are so glad we do.

KEEP YOUR BODY MOVING

It doesn’t have to be all work, work, work. Frederick County offers many free and low-cost diversions. Ellen and I participate in as many as we can.

Our favorite is the senior exercise classes held at the William R. Talley Recreation Center. They are held daily in the morning, although the best we can do is about once a week. Frederick’s Senior Rec Council also provides opportunities in various sports including hiking, biking, bowling, basketball and softball.

CONTINUE LEARNING

We’ve also taken advantage of Frederick Community College’s Institute for Learning in Retirement. This program offers classes in interesting subjects such as history, politics and languages. Ellen and I have taken several courses, my favorite being Hiking the Appalachian Trail, which helped get me on the trail.

Gary Bennett, right, with Brad Petersen, Frederick Community Action Agency.

I Was a Census Taker in the Age of Trump and COVID

By Gary Bennett

My official Bureau of Census badge. Yes, I was proud to be a temporary G-man.

As seen in the Frederick News-Post, Monday, Oct. 22, 2020.

I don’t have a death wish, but I’m always interested in new experiences so being a census taker or “enumerator” in Census Bureau parlance sounded interesting and appealed to my sense of civic duty. And sure, the $21 an hour plus mileage didn’t hurt either. 240,000 of my fellow U.S. citizens joined me as an enumerator in 2020, down by about half from 2010 due to COVID-19.

It is pretty tough work. Not only because of political roadblocks and the current health crisis, but because most people just don’t want to talk to someone knocking at their door. Often times I was sent far from Frederick to work in unfamiliar communities that didn’t have enough census takers. I worked in everything from the blazing hot sun to pouring rain. Census takers are pushed hard by the full-time supervisors, always encouraging us to work fast, “close” cases, and not take no for an answer.

Initially, the work started easy enough—leaving ‘notice of visit’ flyers to those not at home and talking to agreeable people who legitimately overlooked completing the census.

These Notices of Visists are surprisingly effective at getting people to do the census online.

Soon, though, the work became much harder. The remaining people were evasive and not so agreeable. Many claimed to have already done the census online. Census officials assured us this was not the case and encouraged us to keep pushing. I was never sure who to believe. I did push ahead and performed reasonably well, talking many people into doing the census ‘again’ with me because they obviously wanted their voice to be heard. After enumerating these hesitant folks, however, the work became almost impossible. The people left to count obviously didn’t want to be counted. Many were belligerent and threatening.

My most memorable difficult case consisted of residents of a ramshackle townhouse community in Poolesville. I should have known I was in trouble when I read the notes from a fellow enumerator’s previous visit to the address. “I think the people at this place might be crazy. When I knocked on the door, they knocked back even harder.” I was intrigued. No one had enumerated this house and I wanted to be the one who did!

I logged more than 500 miles as a census worker over 6 weeks.

I had an ace in the hole. Census enumerators were allowed to use “proxies” to enumerate hard to complete addresses. Proxies are nearby neighbors who have at least a little information about their neighbors and are willing to tell you what they know. Unfortunately, it was equally clear in the notes that nearby neighbors might not be so willing to comment on these people either. “I don’t want to get involved,” “I’ve never talked to those people,” “They are not very friendly,” read some of the additional notes.

Undeterred, I strode up to the house and knocked. No answer. I knocked again, but this time I could hear people talking behind the door. When I peeked in, a mom and two kids stared back. When I knocked and peeked in a third time they were hiding behind some curtains. As I began to step away to find a neighbor, the man of the house pulled into his parking space. “Get your ass off my property right now and don’t come back or I’ll remove you myself,” he threatened. I assured him I had every right to be on his property, that I was with the Census Bureau and just wanted to know how many people lived at his place. He repeated his threat again as he began to get out of his van. Discretion being the better part of valor, I began to depart. To my relief, he got back in his van and left. As he did, I made sure he saw me walk up to his next-door neighbor’s house. I hoped he knew that we would be talking about him. I finally did get the information I needed and closed the case.

This was my worst brush with a hostile citizen, but there were others nearly as worrisome. One person railed about the poor use of his tax money that kept sending people to his house when he told us over and over that he has done the survey already. Two people were upset that Trump wanted to deport them even though they were here legally. An older gentleman offered “I’ve never done the census in my life. Maryland has been gerrymandered to death. That’s why I’m moving.” One young fellow at a new development used his Ring doorbell to size me up and said “You people need to quit hounding us. Nobody cares about this crap.” And, as I left one proxy who provided info on his townhouse neighbor, I could see the neighbor running out of his home and berating the proxy for provided any information at all.

The census app was extremely intuitive and well done. It guided our conversations as we entered data and completed the census with citizens on the fly.

It wasn’t all bad, though. One nice older gentleman in Dickerson wanted to talk about how the census helped us during the Revolutionary War. One fellow came running out of his house to give me a bottle of water. One little girl did the same with a popsicle at the behest of her dad. One scantily clad woman answered the door and made no effort to cover up. We didn’t cover that in training.

I am not sure why so many people were upset about completing the census, but I suspect it didn’t help that the president chose to make the census political and that a public health crisis was raging at the time. Completing a decennial census is in the Constitution.

Even so, the presidential attacks came in waves. First, Trump directed his Commerce secretary to add a citizenship question to the survey after months of planning and testing and just before the instrument was to be rolled out. That ploy lost in the courts. Next, he directed other federal agencies to share data with the Census Bureau so that “no undocumented aliens would be counted.” This was despite the fact the Constitution calls for the counting of every person residing in the country regardless of legal status. This one lost in the courts, too. And finally, he required the Census Bureau to finish field operations by September 30. This was after his own Commerce Department requested a three-month extension to December 31 in order to accommodate complications caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The House even passed a bill mandating the three-month extension, but it died in the Senate as most things do now. Again, the courts had to come to the rescue. A federal judge recently issued a restraining order halting the winding down of operations in September and resetting it to October 31. Census enumerators were finally directed to cease work on October 5.

I was never really worried about COVID-19, but perhaps I should have been. All enumerators were issued masks and required to wear them. But it did not occur to many of my interviewees to don them while standing face-to-face at close quarters with a stranger for ten minutes. I can’t say that I blame them. After all, they were responding spur of the moment from their own homes. As I write this, I have been a former census enumerator for over two weeks and feel fine. I might be lucky. I worked for the Census Bureau for about six weeks and had over 500 brief contacts and about 250 full interviews with strangers. I was very appreciative to those few who did wear a mask but could never bring myself to ask them to go get one. Respondents, however, were not shy about citing COVID-19 to keep me away. That excuse was used 20 times with me.

Despite a late start because of COVID and political interference, most parts of America are doing well. As of late August, about 65 percent of households had self-reported. An additional 30 percent have been enumerated by personal interviews from folks like me. The remaining five percent will be completed by the very best census enumerators, full-time census employees, and data from publicly available sources. By the time you read this, America will be very near to 100 percent complete.

Maryland is well above average among U.S. states, and Frederick County is in the top tier of reporting counties in Maryland. The latest data show Maryland at number 10 of the 50 states, D.C., and Puerto Rico in self reporting at 70.3 percent. Minnesota leads the way at 75 percent. Portions of the south including Arkansas, South Carolina, Mississippi, Louisiana, and West Virginia bring up the rear, averaging between 55 and 60 percent. Average education levels within states mirror census response. A spokesperson for the Census Bureau cites lack of knowledge about the importance and safety of the census for people not responding. As of September 15, 98.1 percent of residences in Fredrick County have been completed, placing us among the top five Maryland counties.

Our conspicuous census bags helped to identify us as we stood on porches.

A Personal Story: Why Defunding the Police is Probably a Very Good Idea

“Defund the Police” does not mean to eliminate the police. It means to reallocate some resources.

Before I tell my story I’m hopeful that we can agree that ‘defunding the police’ does not mean eliminating the police. That is a poor choice of words and self-defeating. If that’s what your preferred talk show host is insisting, you may need to expand your horizons on the news you consume. No one is advocating for that. Not Biden, not BLM. ‘Defund the police’ simply means reallocating a portion of the police budget to other professionals or societal programs that are better suited to handle certain nonviolent situations.

Here’s my story. It is sad and embarrassing, and I hate to talk about it. I almost never do in any detail, but it seems necessary, especially now. If this is something you haven’t considered, I hope you will now. My story is not unique. You may have a similar one.

I am the healthcare and financial power of attorney for a desperately mentally ill extended family member. They have been diagnosed with schizophrenia for well over 30 years, and I having been trying to help this person for well over 20 of them. I’ve been to the hospital with this person more times than I can remember. Hospitalization is the only way this person will even begin to take their prescribed medicine. Once out of the hospital, this person will stop taking their medicine, get progressively worse and the vicious cycle repeats. This is terribly sad and frustrating. I am told by various psychiatrists that my extended family member has no personal insight into their disease. They don’t know they are sick. They only know that the prescribed narcotics make them feel bad, and they don’t need them anyway.

I’m usually able to talk this person into going to the hospital. When I can, everything is fine. But, on some occasions, this person is so bad that I cannot get them to the hospital by myself. I am just not able to handle them alone when the sickness turns them into a loud, angry and uncooperative stranger. So, I call 911 and ask for an ambulance. I only do this when this person truly needs emergency psychiatric treatment. I’ve been coached to know the signs. On every single occasion I’ve called for an ambulance, even when I specifically say this person is not a danger to themself or others, two city (not Frederick) police officers accompany the ambulance. When they arrive, they see and hear a haggard, shouting, angry mess of a human being. They immediately take over. The ambulance technicians always yield to the cops.

I’m sorry to say that the cops have never, ever been helpful in these types of situations.

I don’t know if their training just does not cover mentally ill people (seems unlikely) or if their instincts just kick in and take over when threatened. And I can assure you my mentally ill family member indeed threatens them loudly and does not tire easily. This person threatens me, too, but I know they don’t mean it. The police officers do not know this. Try explaining that to two police officers who are being cursed and yelled at. Eventually, the ambulance technicians are able to take over and talk my family member into going to the hospital. More than once I’ve told the police officers softly and kindly that they are probably not needed in this type of situation. They tell me police policy keeps them returning. I admit that time constraints have kept me away from looking into this policy to any degree. Even if I had the time, I would not be sure where to start.

For my family member’s last episode, which occurred late last year, two police officers spent a total of 12 person-hours – six hours each – trying to assist. The time commitment was similar for my family member’s other hospitalizations. The officers were nice enough and tried to be helpful, but they were just not equipped to help. Their time would have been much better spent patrolling the streets and responding to reports of real crime. They must realize that, too.

Please multiply my experience by the hundreds of other non-violent issues police must respond to each week like drunkenness, drug overdoses, underage parties, you name it. Police should not be handling these types of things. I have seen that firsthand. We are expecting too much of them. This must play a part in their stress and eventual burning out and acting out.

And that is why we should take some of the police budget money away and allocate it to counselors, social workers, EMTs, nurses, and other professionals who can better handle these nonviolent situations. I would think that most police would agree with that.

Mental illnes is not pretty and police have a dificult time handling such cases.

One Man’s Journey to Understanding White Privilege

by Gary Bennett

As seen in the Frederick News Post, June 22, 2020

The events of the past few weeks have got me thinking about the term ‘white privilege.’ What does that mean? I’m white but I don’t feel especially privileged. Oh, but I am, and if you are white, you are privileged, too, whether you think so or not.

White privilege is a term that has been around for quite a while but current events have brought it roaring back. White privilege means that white people, either directly or indirectly, have benefitted from the systematic minimization of blacks and other minorities. Whites in this country have the freedom to move, buy, work, play and speak freely without fear of retribution that blacks do not enjoy. Just like the coronavirus, cancer, or heart disease, white privilege can’t be seen, but it is there.

You may say that, “No, I have not done that. I have nothing against minorities.” But I say that if you simply go on with your tidy life and pity those ‘other’ people because you think you are smarter or have worked harder than them to reach your middle-class place in society, then you should think again.

Consider this: Do you look back fondly on your childhood? Did your school seem to have everything it needed? Did you have the opportunity to go to college if you wanted whether you followed that path or not? Did you have some help from friends or family to land that first job? Did the ability to go to college or trade school lead to that first job? Did you have help qualifying for that mortgage you needed to buy your first home? Did a policeman give you a break on that stupid thing you did as a teenager? Did you learn about police brutality through news reports instead of experiencing it first-hand or by second-hand accounts? If you get pulled over for speeding, do you feel confident nothing bad will happen?

If you answered yes to most of these, or even just some of these, then you are the beneficiary of white privilege. How do I know? Because most black people cannot answer yes to any of these questions. And because they can’t, it weighs down their lives in ways we can’t begin to imagine. One black friend told me it’s like pulling along a ten-pound weight everywhere you go with no chance of getting rid of it.

It took me a long time to learn this.

I grew up in Allegany County in far western Maryland in the 60’s and 70’s. It was and still is 92 percent white. Nearby Garrett County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia are 99 percent and 96 percent white respectively. My high school, believe it or not, was 100 percent white. Growing up in this rural area, I had a better chance of interacting with a bear than a black person.

My first real exposure to black people came in college. Even then, Frostburg State University was only 30 percent black. I wish I could say I had some black friends in college, but I really can’t recall any. There was one person I tutored named Reggie that I liked a lot. He was fun and eager to learn. I do remember Reggie and his friends had some customs and cultural habits that were unfamiliar to me and a little bit scary. I didn’t try to understand or get close. I didn’t have to. I went on my merry way.

I didn’t get to know many black people until I began my career in publishing and associations in the early 80’s. I have mostly worked in the Baltimore and Washington DC areas (60 percent and 50 percent black respectively) until I recently ended my career. I’ve also spent a considerable amount of time in most major U.S. cities. Because of my work situation, I got to know many, many black people. In fact, as I think about it, I’ve worked side by side with many more black people than whites over the years.

A constant in my professional life was cross-departmental ‘work teams’. And one thing was certain, no one cared a whit about the racial makeup of these teams. You either got along and got the job done or you didn’t. And if you didn’t, you had to explain why. And believe me, no one would have accepted cultural differences as the reason.

After a steep learning curve, I can say without hesitation that my black teammates turned out to be some of my favorite colleagues and the best people to work with. They had the same work concerns as you or I. The same desire to do well and make a solid contribution. One thing they had that I didn’t was the deeply ingrained need to always be “on.” You see, they could not afford to coast during a meeting or turn work in late. No, that would be professional suicide and only the whites could get away with that. I shake my head now because I remember white colleagues getting away with this time and again. It didn’t seem so bad at the time.

My black colleagues also had many personal concerns that I was not privy to.

More than once I overheard their anguished complaints over the safety of their children, the lack of resources in their schools, the lack of jobs for their friends, not feeling safe when taking a walk in their own neighborhood or driving while black in the wrong neighborhood. Sure, they were the lucky ones, raising themselves up to middle class or better. But, as I grew to learn, they were the exceptions. Their neighbor, with just as much talent as them, couldn’t find a job or get their kids into a better school. None of them wanted a hand out or even a hand up as the saying goes. They simply wanted white folks to figuratively get their knees off their necks, to just give them a chance. I now know white privilege for what it is – the lack of undue obstacles in my way.

I learned this lesson, but it bothers me that many don’t or won’t.

Those that never get out of their mostly white home towns and counties will never be able to learn this first-hand. Of course, their lack of experience and understanding does not hold them back from spouting hurtful and uninformed opinions. That is why you see the fixation on the relatively few looters, the “whataboutism” of violence against cops by criminals (sad but predictable), the crocodile tears of the effect of coronavirus on these large crowds of protesters and worries about reimagining how public safety and police departments should work instead of on the central issues of the day: racial injustice and police brutality.

This lack of first-hand knowledge isn’t just true for rural western Maryland, but all over this great country of ours. Large swaths of citizens have separated themselves from ones not like themselves or at least have taken no tangible steps to get to know them. It’s not really their fault they haven’t been exposed to black folks, but I do believe if they really want to understand their anguish, they have to work harder to educate themselves.

Police officers are no different from the rest of society in this regard. They bring their own implicit and explicit biases to work just like we do. They no doubt prefer faces that look more like themselves. But unlike other professions, they quite often have split-second, life and death decisions to make. That can’t be easy. But if they have chosen this profession, we must demand better of them. The armed forces have mostly done it right. Blacks and other minorities have a very good chance to make a name for themselves. Instead of surplus equipment of war, police agencies all over the country would be better off taking the military’s recruitment and integration practices to heart.

It seems clear the country is finally in the early stages of moving toward a more just future, and those who don’t understand that and grasp at the vestiges of a bygone era risk being left behind and on the wrong side of history.

All I Want for Labor Day is an Increase in the Federal Minimum Wage

By Gary Bennett

As seen in the Frederick News-Post Monday, September 2, 2019

Labor Day has been the poor step-sister of federal holidays for a while now. Most people know it as the defacto last day of summer – one last chance for a picnic and pool party. But it wasn’t always that way. The creation of Labor Day in the late 1800’s was a big deal and the logical result of the labor movement that paralleled the industrial revolution. It paid homage to the men and women who built this country.

There is no doubt that the country needed labor to be more assertive in the early days. The labor movement of the late 1800s addressed vexing issues such as extremely low pay, unsafe working conditions, 12- and 15-hour workdays, 7-day workweeks, and most harrowing of all, child labor. Because so much labor was needed to power the industrial revolution, workers soon gained the upper hand with management and did not shy away from demanding more money, less hours, and an end to child labor. The first strike was called by workers of the Pullman Palace Car Company in 1894 and was an unmitigated success for labor. Soon, strikes all over the country led to the end of child labor, increased wages, a 40-hour work week, and the advent of overtime pay. The old saying is absolutely true that if you enjoy your weekends, you have labor unions to thank.

But today, only about 10% of all workers are covered by unions. Most of us are “at will” employees, meaning we can be fired for any reason or no reason at all. There are many reasons for this shift including deregulation of many industries, technological advances, restructuring and plant closings, and the availability of more and better foreign goods. So, what would the founders of Labor Day and Grover Cleveland, the democratic president who signed it into law, think about the current state of relations between labor and management? I think they would be surprised that the pendulum has swung so far in the favor of management.

Nothing drives this point home as much as the debate over an increase in the federal minimum wage. With the passage of The Fair Labor Standards Act in 1938, the U.S. minimum wage was initially set at 25 cents per hour for covered workers. Since then, it has been raised 22 separate times, most recently in July 2009 to $7.25 an hour. The U.S. minimum wage has not been raised since 2009, the longest time the U.S. has gone without a minimum wage increase. It took a democrat in the White House and a democratic Congress in both houses to get this accomplished in 2009. It is also true that the federal minimum wage has not kept pace with inflation. Its peak was in 1968 when the minimum wage was $1.60 per hour. That is worth $11.39 in 2017 dollars. Since then, the minimum wage’s real value has been in decline.

On July 18 of this year, the Raise the Wage Act passed the U.S House of Representatives, a bill that would double the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour in increments by 2025. President Trump does not support this measure, and with the dynamics of the republican-led Senate being what they are, it is extremely unlikely it will be considered any time soon. But the measure is important politically as a precursor as to what could happen with a democratic president and Congress in 2021.

It is difficult to argue that all Americans should not be paid at least a living wage that will pull them out of poverty. The main argument against raising the federal minimum wage is the threat of job loss as labor becomes too expensive especially for small business. Putting aside the fact that federal minimum wage laws have always included exemptions for small business (I remember I made 90 cents per hour at a small local theater chain in 1979 when the federal minimum swage was $2.30), job loss has just not happened in an appreciable way over the long history of the minimum wage. A large body of research that looked at 138 minimum wage increases at the federal and state levels between 1979 and 2016 found they basically had no effect on low-wage jobs. More and more nonpartisan economists and business owners have increasingly accepted that some level of minimum wage can work well, coming at a minimal cost to jobs. Most importantly, most Americans, including republicans, support an increase in the minimum wage.

When you combine these facts with the estimation of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office that 1.3 million people will be lifted above the federal poverty level by 2025 with the $15 minimum wage, it is difficult to understand why we haven’t moved in this direction already. Political scorekeeping is one reason, of course, but another is the possibility that the same number – 1.3 million people – could lose their jobs. Past research is one thing, but the U.S. has never contemplated doubling the minimum wage is such a short period of time. The CBO acknowledges they are not sure what will happen, also saying that job loss could be zero. Nowhere in their analysis, however, do they talk about businesses failing because of paying an increased minimum wage. That position thrown about by politicians and pundits is pure hyperbole, has not happened in the past, and should not be believed by educated citizens.

Of course, most states have their own minimum wage laws. There is a strong argument to make that states are better equipped to set these wage floors because labor and job conditions from state to state vary so much. Five southern states have felt it unnecessary to set a state minimum wage at all – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina – and have fought vociferously to end federal minimum wages protections. Two states – Wyoming and Georgia – have minimum wage rates below federal levels so they must adhere to the federal rate. Fourteen states have laws that set the minimum wage at the federal level. Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia set their rates higher than the federal rate. Currently, Massachusetts and Washington state have the highest minimum wage rate at $11.00 per hour.

What about progressive Maryland? Earlier this year, Maryland became just the sixth state to raise the minimum wage to $15 per hour. Maryland’s current minimum wage is $10.10, and the new policy will gradually raise the wage floor to $15 by 2025. The law was passed by the General Assembly overriding the veto of Governor Hogan. The new law will benefit about 573,000 workers in Maryland who currently earn less than $15 – about 22% of the state’s workforce, according to the National Employment Law Project.

In my view an increase in the federal minimum wage is long overdue. An economy that has been growing steadily since our recovery from the Great Recession of 2008 should benefit everyone. When the economy grows and unemployment is low and labor is tight, wages should increase. That has not been the case. Hence, the debate rages over the wealth gap between rich and poor, white and black, immigrants and longer-term Americans, and management and labor.

A handy measuring stick for the wealth gap in 2019 is the CEO pay ratio, which many corporations now have to disclose as a public-owned company. It measures the compensation earned by “average workers” to their chief executive officer. Since it is so new, historical comparisons can’t be made. But the ratios are striking, ranging from 100-to-1 to sometimes topping 1,000-to-1 at companies like Walmart and McDonalds. You may argue that entry level-type jobs at these companies were meant to be just that – entry level – and not meant to last long term. I would argue these types of jobs are fast becoming the only types of jobs that can be found in a certain segment of our population in this outsourced, gig economy we find ourselves in.

The Peter Principal states that employees will rise in the hierarchy of a company or the economy in general until they reach a level of incompetence. Like it or not, we have to accept that for some people a job at Walmart or McDonald’s is the best they will do. Don’t they deserve a decent living wage? Free market capitalism just doesn’t do the job sometimes and needs a little help. I’ll go one step farther and say that companies that say they can’t afford to pay a living wage perhaps should not exist. And I say this as a small employer from earlier in my career who paid the federal minimum wage. Employers who pay low wages force their workers to turn to governmental safety programs at significant cost to taxpayers. Gradually phasing in a $15 minimum wage by 2025 would lift the pay of tens of millions of workers, reverse decades of growing pay inequity, bring new customers into markets they couldn’t afford until now, reduce costs associated with employee turnover, and lessen dependence on social safety nets. It’s time the Senate and president act.

The World According to Good Office Etiquette

By Gary Bennett

With apologies to kindergarten graduates everywhere, I offer the following thoughts on good manners and self preservation tips learned over a lifetime working in an office setting. When you learn to play and work well with strangers, it is easy to apply these to the rest of your life.

Return messages within 24 hours. I am always very careful to follow this one even if it is to say that I received your message and will get back to you soon. It is just common courtesy. But, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had to follow up just to see if someone had even gotten my message, and that’s if I even remember to do so. This lack of carefulness is seeping more and more into the consumer marketplace. It’s very difficult to reach a live human being these days, which necessitates leaving a message. Response is generally so low one has to wonder if anyone is even monitoring these messages. When my message is not returned in a timely manner, I can only assume that you have more than enough business and don’t need mine.

Ask for and return favors. This is a difficult one to get used to and may seem counter-intuitive. But, helping others and asking for help is evidence of higher level thinking and your supervisor will take notice. Trust me, the boss will be impressed if you pull in others and share the credit.

Don’t keep to yourself but get out there and join the fray. In many office jobs, it’s easy to keep to yourself and do it yourself. But if this is your strategy for going along and getting along, it won’t work. Eventually you will be seen as someone who doesn’t get enough accomplished and doesn’t know what is going on.

Introduce new people and welcome them aboard. Sounds easy, right? You’d be surprised how often this doesn’t happen. Hiring managers usually mean well but introductions is one of those things that tend to get put off until later. Imagine how well this would work when new people move into your neighborhood. The involved real estate agent could bring around the new neighbor and introduce them. This completely removes the awkwardness of introducing yourself.

Don’t shy away from tough assignments. We’re all busy, but I’ve found that those who take on the tough assignments and give it a good try and even ultimately FAIL end up in better stead than those who perform well on the easy stuff.

Dispense with jargon and abbreviations Using industry jargon, abbreviations and acronyms makes us look smart and like an insider, but it is the easy way out. It takes extra time and thought to use full and correct wording, but it will pay dividends in the long run because understanding is increased, which promotes the ability to solve the issue. I don’t know how many times I’ve been accosted with jargon from everyone from the property management person to a government bureaucrat trying to help me. Yes, I know you know your business, but I don’t.

Be willing to say you are sorry. This may not work in matters of love, but it works everywhere else.When you provide a right answer to the wrong question or forget that attachment, just own up to it. Apologize for costing someone else some extra time even if small. It’s not a sign of weakness and you won’t be looked down upon. Over time you’ll be seen as someone who takes ownership of mistakes and is not insecure. A person I volunteer for sent an email without the referenced attachment. When I asked for the attachment, it would have been so nice to get a quick “oops – sorry!” Instead all I got was the attachment and no acknowledgement of my time at all. Disappointing.

Be on time. This is a simple one but one that is almost always abused in direct proportion to one’s level in an organization, Yes, everyone knows you’re busy and double-booked but everyone has a job to do and their time is important, too. Chronically showing up late for meetings is a blatant show of disrespect or worse. Don’t do it. Just manage your time better.

Don’t blow off small talk as a waste of time. Because I perceive myself to be a hard worker, I’ve had a tough time with this one. But you learn over time that people don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. Go ahead and ask about that ailing mom or how that special casserole turned out. It won’t cost you much time and you’ll be seen as a caring team player. My insurance broker is a master at constructive small talk and I am loyal because of that.

Don’t keep someone waiting who wishes to do business. There are limits to everything and if someone is waiting to talk business with you, the small talk will have to wait. It’s been more than once that I’ve been kept waiting in a store or business with my wallet out and ready to pay while two employees shoot the breeze oblivious to my presence. This tends to leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Don’t be a vocal martyr. No one wants to hear how you are working late or through lunch to tackle a tough assignment. Just do it. People will notice. You don’t want to hear how your stump removal person just can’t get to you because it is “crazy busy” right now.

Toot your own horn but not too loudly. There is an art to this one. You have to advertise a bit to get ahead but you shouldn’t have to be obnoxious about it. Why do you think the best law firms and financial planners barely advertise at all?

These 12 tips work well for me but I am under no illusion they are universal or will work for you. What are your tips? Leave lessons learned from your workplace as a comment to this article on fredericknewspost.com.