I woke up to today’s usual screaming headlines about the presidential race and my head started to thump.

Our country is captivated by a race centered around two candidates — and of course Sarah Palin (Gosh darn it!) — who most of us will probably never meet. We think we somehow know them because we’re battered by constant advertising and news coverage. We think they somehow care about us.

So it was kind of refreshing on a recent Sunday when the doorbell rang while I was at my sister’s home in North Plainfield and, when I opened the door, I found a pleasant looking man holding a flyer in his hand.

“I’m running for mayor,” he told me.

I looked behind him and saw no entourage. He said another member of his team who is running for a council seat was a few doors away.

My sister Sula, who’s lived in her home for decades, joined us as we stood in the sun outside her doorway on a street lined with neatly maintained homes in a diverse neighborhood where working class families reside. Just down the street, some kids were raking the leaves that blanketed their lawn.

We had just returned from a local eatery where we joined a long line of Latinos waited patiently to pick up rotisserie chicken, chicharron, rice and beans, maduros and other items. Inside Sula’s house, other family members were already enjoying the food along with my sister Alicia’s famous flan that we all swear is the best flan in the whole world (well, actually second best if you count the flan that our beloved mother used to make).

Sula and I spoke for some time with the mayoral candidate who seemed like he was in no rush. He outlined his experience and asked politely if he could put a sign on her lawn. He promised he’d be back the day after the election to pick it up. I noted he didn’t say someone from his campaign would be back.

For just a brief moment, I felt like I was back in time, circa “Leave it to Beaver”.

This is America, I thought to myself.

A few days after that Sunday encounter, I was part of a lively discussion about the importance of having Latinos’ voices ring out loud and clear in today’s world. We spoke about how our culture may be a factor in why many Latinos prefer — in public arenas including the workplace — to not voice strong opinions.

Are we just too polite for our own good? Is it fear that keeps us from uttering what we’re really thinking? Does it have anything to do with memories of getting slapped as children because we dared to voice what was on our young minds?

One young woman spoke about growing up in Cuba. She described living with restrictions on speech and in other areas of their lives. She said she still is marveling at the freedom her family now enjoys in New Jersey. Her words made a big impression on us and reminded us about the choices we have here in the U.S.

We can choose to stay quiet. We can choose to tell it like it is.

We can choose to make a difference in all of our lives and have our voices heard on Nov. 4th.

This is America. Our America. And it’s made a little sweeter thanks to Alicia’s famous flan.

Recently a conservative group, Let Freedom Ring, Inc. started airing an anti-Obama message titled “Small Business - Mad Mike”. It shows a man on a farm speaking before a camera in a candid interview. While the ad is referring to questions about tax policy by Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama, there is a question as to whether there is there another message in this ad. Allow me to explain.

First, the name of the 527 Group that sponsored the ad, Let Freedom Ring, Inc. The phrase “Let Freedom Ring” was coined by the famous “I Have a Dream” speech by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King during the March on Washington, which took place on August 28, 1963. Is there a reason that this 527 Group named itself “Let Freedom Ring, Inc.” for the purpose of running an anti-Obama ad? You be the judge.

Second, the “Mad Mike” message. In the ad, Mad Mike talks about how his business would be affected if Barack Obama is elected president and he does it in an increasingly angry tone as the commercial progresses. During the interview, Mad Mike says “People, like Obama . . .,” “People, like Obama . . .”, “People, like Obama . . .” After saying those phrases three times, he ends the message by saying “They say they know . . . but they don’t . . .” Notice that the message talks not only about Barack Obama but also about “people.” Mad Mike doesn’t refer to Obama as “he” but instead as “they” which implies an inference to a group of people instead of one individual.

So my question to Mad Mike (and Let Freedom Ring, Inc.) is this: to whom are you referring to when you say “people” and “they”? Is the political ad message reminiscent of a speech by 1992 Presidential Candidate H. Ross Perot when he spoke before the NAACP Annual Convention in July 1992 and told an all-African-American audience “You people,” “You people,” “You people”? You be the judge.

Whether it was on purpose or unintentional by Mad Mike, his message may send different viewers a different kind of message. When you combine Mad Mike’s angry tone, his “People, like Obama . . .” message, and the end message that says “Let Freedom Ring paid for and was responsible for the content of this ad,” it equates to a political message that may insinuate a topic other than tax policy.

See the TV commercial ad for yourself and you be the judge. You can view the ad by visiting http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tM0xlkkBccY or go to YouTube and search “Small Business – Mad Mike”.

Alert! Alert! The forecast for this season is chanting: “Change is coming! Change is coming! Change is coming!” as the candidates step up to the plate and promise that they are the ones that can bring about that change. Let’s take a closer look.

Barack Obama has been promising change since the start of his campaign. “Because real change isn’t another four years of defending lobbyists who don’t represent real Americans – it’s standing with working Americans who have seen their jobs disappear and their wages decline and their hope for the future slip further and further away. That’s the change we can offer in 2008.”

He pledges to stop new nuclear weapons development, crack down on al Qaeda, boost international aid, outlaw discrimination agauinst transsexuals, and even supply health care to every American. Short list right?

John McCain promised it in his speech as well. “ We need to change the way the goverment does almost everything,” he said at the Republican Convention in September. His list is short too: he pledges to end dependence on Middle Eastern oil, restore people’s trust in goverment, help smokers quit, protect doctors from lawsuits, and even combat hunger nationwide! Talk about unrealistic ambition! Geesh…

This is the promise of politics. Something is always wrong with the way the country is. Presidents always promise to get things moving again, once they are in power. It’s their sales pitch to paint the perfect world. “ We will clean the corruption.” “We will better the economy.” “We will bring world peace.” Is this a pageant or something?

The funny thing about all this, is that change is really coming this time. If we look at history, the promise of change is always the motivating factor that has impacted groups of people to vote for a leader. But what can transpire from a man promising change to a malcontent electorate is not always great. Remember Adolf Hitler?

I am no history scholar, but based on what I do know, the truth is that no form of government has brought about any real change. Somehow they have all been cursed with corruption or other type of conniving scheme.

One article put it best: “ The next American president will face a drastically altered economic landscape. His term could well be consumed with trying to survive the vortex of trends sucking the economy down.”

I think things are going to get worse. In fact, prayer might be the only solution for the woes and foes that the next president will face. To make matters worse, my heart is not beating faster for neither candidates. Both have failed to steal it.

November 4th is looking very interesting right now.

This November 4th, many of us will have an opportunity that we as people with disabilities and family members of people with disabilities cannot pass up. We have within our hands a mandate to change the face of this nation’s capitol.

Why a mandate you ask? Because we as a group cannot afford four more years of poverty and indifference from those we “supposedly” put into office. We must not tolerate the cold shoulder we received from the Bush Administration when it came to issues of housing, employment, stem cell research, and civil liberties violations. Everyone I know is poorer today than they were eight years ago and they are enraged. Enraged at the lengths to which people with disabilities are suffering at the hands of politicians too rich to feel their pain.

You may be thinking, “Sarah Palin understands my needs as a person with a disability; she has a son with Down syndrome and a nephew with autism.” However, that does not qualify her to run a country! I know many mothers of children with special needs who are more qualified than she is. The argument that she will protect our interest as a group is weak and full of holes. Let me list a few:

Mrs. Palin is new to disability culture and history, as new as her child is old. I have had a disability for 25 years but my mother does not ever claim to understand the “special needs” I have. Many mothers of children with disabilities would tell Mrs. Palin, “You haven’t seen anything yet.”

How do I know? Because I have heard from parents of schoolchildren who are teased until they cry about their “special needs.” Because they have asked me, “If she is so talented why won’t anyone give her a job?” Because I don’t know what to say to the immigrant mother of a 17-year-old autistic child who will not qualify for health care in a year.

Mrs. Palin recently proved in an interview that she is too rich to care about the average person with a disability. In an interview on Colorado News 9 on Oct. 21, she stated that she was against Amendment 51, which seeks to raise the sales tax by one cent on every $10 spent in each of the next two years.

The money would go to help the roughly 12,000 kids and adults in Colorado who currently are on a wait list to receive state services such as home nursing care and job training. They suffer from autism, Down syndrome and mental retardation.
Mrs. Palin said “that there must be an alternative to raising taxes,” in contrast to Colorado’s former First Lady, a Republican who supports the amendment. Besides never having visited Russia, she obviously has never visited a developmental center.

Last, Mrs. Palin, like many politicians before her, thinks she has a chip she can cash at our table. People with disabilities are not a commodity one cashes in every four years. They are part of America’s promise for a better future and inclusion regardless of your place on the economic ladder. Don’t be fooled into thinking this election is about an innocent little boy in Alaska. It is not! It is about those 12,000 kids in Colorado who in the estimation of “some” are not worth one cent on every $10.

Your vote. Your Choice. Your Future.

http://www.thisabled.com/

On Sunday, former Secretary of State Colin Powell ended his political silence by endorsing Senator Barack Obama for President of the United States. I felt like a proud American when I saw the eloquent endorsement message by one of the most respected leaders in the U.S.

If you listen to Secretary Powell’s interview on NBC’s Meet The Press, he expressed his wish for “transformational leadership” and said that Obama would be the best person to execute that new leadership. He also expressed his concerns with the “narrowing” of the Republican Party’s ideology and he questioned the decision by Senator John McCain to name Alaska Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate given her clear lack of knowledge on foreign isses.

I was particularly impressed with the fact that Secretary Powell addressed an issue that few people would talk about: the issue of religion and politics. Republicans have been trying to falsely label Barack Obama as a Muslim, even though everybody knows that Obama is a Christian. But Powell went even further on the topic, saying, “What if he were a Muslim?” He questioned the Republican ideological message that if you are born in the U.S.A. and you are Muslim American, that you are not welcomed in the American political process. Powell cited an example of a Muslim American who died in Iraq serving in our nation’s armed forces.

I agree with Powell. It bothers me that Republicans would have reservations supporting an American running for public office simply because that person is a Muslim American. Remember the brouhaha by Republicans over the election of Keith Ellison, the first Muslim American elected to Congress in 2006? There are millions of American Muslims and they love America just as much as we do. Unfortunately for the Republican Party, they are portraying themselves more and more as the party that does not welcome religious, racial, and cultural diversity.

I think this was a courageous endorsement by Powell. It was also clear that this did not come easy for him because he is considered to be a statesman and not a politician. He knows both Obama and McCain well and had many reasons to endorse either candidates. However, as the Republican Party has turned further to the “right” politically, centrists-right Republicans such as Powell were left out. The Republicans’ loss is the Democrats’ gain.

If you don’t think this endorsement by Powell is a major game-changer, consider this poll. Last August, there was a Fox News poll that showed that registered voters by nearly two to one said a Powell endorsement would make them more likely rather than less likely to vote for Obama (35 percent more likely vs. 19 percent less so). The same Fox News poll showed a 76 percent overall favorable opinion of Powell vs. 13 percent unfavorable.

I salute Powell’s endorsement of Obama because he, of all people, understands that we need to be an inclusive country, a platform that the Republican Party has done a poor job in promoting.

French poet Paul Valery once wrote, “The problem with our present times is that our future isn’t what it used to be.” Valery understood that our perception of present conditions is forged by how we perceive our future.

Today, our perception of our future is made uncertain by turmoil in the financial markets, an economic slowdown and rising unemployment. And because we live in a region where the financial services sector is so concentrated, it is natural for us to be less optimistic about our economic prospects than we were two years ago.

Under these circumstances it has become commonplace for analysts to question whether the Finance Insurance and Real Estate (FIRE) sectors in the New York Metropolitan Area will emerge in tact after the current financial storm. Because of a number of important demographic, historical and economic reasons, we believe that the New York Metro economy and FIRE sector will prove to be more resilient than they may appear to be from today’s vantage point.

While we all have been intently focused on the turmoil in the financial markets, of greater concern are the underpinnings of the economy. Job creation is considered to be a major indicator of economic health. We need to add about 100,000 new jobs a month to keep pace with population growth. However, the US economy has lost an average of 84,000 jobs every month since December 2007.

For the 12-month period ending August 2008, private sector employment in New York City rose by 31,000, or 1.0 percent, to 3,196,100 total jobs. The manufacturing (-6,700) and financial activities (-5,300) sectors lost the most jobs over the year. Although the crises at Lehman Brothers and AIG appear to be working out so as to avoid immediate large-scale layoffs, the continued financial sector turmoil guarantees that job losses on Wall Street will climb rapidly over the next few months.

For the 12-month period ending August 2008, New Jersey private sector employment declined by 12,100 private sector jobs, to 3,455,900 total private sector jobs. The state saw its largest declines in construction (-4,800), manufacturing (-10,500) and financial services (-9,500).

What is striking about these numbers is that New York City and New Jersey employ about the same number of people (New Jersey employs about 300,000 more). An important point that we tend to overlook is the extent to which New Jersey’s and New York City’s economies – and commercial real estate markets – are intertwined.

Through the third quarter of 2008, the commercial and industrial real estate markets have appeared to show signs of weakening but not of breaking. In New York City, 2008 leasing activity reached 15.7 million square feet at the end of September, as compared to 18.3 million square feet at that time last year. The overall vacancy rate has risen during the past 12 months, to 7.4 percent from 5.7 percent. Still, the number of large deals (100,000+ square feet) through the first three quarters of 2008 was up compared to last year, from 17 to 28, and Class A rents continue to climb – up to $92.57 per square foot in Midtown.

In New Jersey, office leasing in the state’s northern and central counties totaled 6.8 million square feet at the end of the third quarter, as compared to 7.6 million square feet at that time last year. The overall vacancy rate was up, from 16.4 percent to 17.8 percent. In Northern & Central New Jersey combined, the number of large deals (100,000+ square feet) through the first three quarters of 2008 was down compared to last year, from 27 to 14. Class A rents have held steady, registering at $30.02 per square foot at the end of September 2007 and at $30.09 per square foot today.

AGGLOMERATION ECONOMIES AND URBANIZATION

For 200 years, New York City has been the largest city in the U.S. and continues to outperform most cities in the world. New York is one of the few major cities in the United States with a larger population today than it had fifty years ago. And its economy remains robust.

In absolute terms, NYC’s $1.13 trillion is second only to Tokyo’s (GDP of $1.19 trillion) among all cities. There are only 14 countries in the world with bigger economies than New York City’s. And though the city has a reputation for a high cost of living, the average New Yorker can buy more than counterparts in London, Paris, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

The basic concept of “agglomeration economies” is that production is facilitated when there is a clustering of economic activity. The existence of agglomeration economies is central to the explanation of how cities increase in size and population. This concentration of economic activity in urban centers is the reason for their existence.

They can persist and grow throughout time, only if their advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

The tendency of a critical mass of people to attract more people to a region is the central idea of urban economics, and nowhere is that idea more obvious than in New York. Its initial advantage as a port attracted manufacturing and services to cater to the mercantile firms and to take advantage of low shipping costs. Scale matters because it allows producers to save on the costs of supplying goods and services.

Stock markets tend to be few in each country, often unique, and located in the largest cities. Typically, much of the economic activity relating to the stock market takes place in large cities. These facts suggest that agglomeration economies are as important in the financial markets as they are in manufacturing. In other words, productivity is enhanced for stock market workers and firms located in a large city.

The attraction of finance and business services to New York reflects the city’s advantages in facilitating interaction and in spreading information and innovation. By some estimates, transportation costs for goods have declined by as much as 95 percent over the 20th century; but there has been no comparable reduction in the cost of moving people.

Another factor that will serve to sustain New York and densely populated New Jersey is the global trend toward urbanization. This trend is as old as civilization itself but has accelerated with the industrial revolution of the 19th century and has further accelerated during the last 50 years. Within the next five years, half the population of the world will, for the first time, live in cities.

While cities can generate concentrations of poverty, crime, pollution and congestion, on balance, people lead more successful lives in cities. Cities are important not only as economic centers, but also as centers of culture, art, information and innovation. Cities prosper and grow because, on balance, their advantages outweigh their disadvantages.

At times, citizens and policy-makers in New Jersey tend to underestimate the importance of New York City to our state’s prosperity and well-being. We often view New York as a competitor. It is important that we behave as if the future of NJ is inextricably bound to that of NYC, because it is.

The good news is that with a $1.13 trillion economy, significant agglomeration economies, and critical mass, New York will thrive in the 21st Century and beyond. It behooves the region to harness the forces that have allowed New York City be a dominant actor in the world’s urban and financial stage.

I got a call this afternoon from my younger brother Carlos. After some chit-chat, he tells me he just saved a life.

Whaaatttt???

He said that as he was driving back to his home after running an errand, he spotted a car parked on a ramp just off Route 22 in Bridgewater. Smoke and flames were coming up from the front wheel area of the car.

And there was an elderly man just sitting in the driver’s seat.

Now my brother is one of the most hard-working people I know on this earth. He’s an artist at heart but that doesn’t pay the bills. So he has a full-time job with a trash-hauling company and works at odds and ends so he can make a living and – maybe someday – have the time to paint and create and do all those types of things that artists do.

And despite all the work he puts in, he’s found the time since 1991 to be a proud member of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary where he’s picked up some lifesaving skills. In fact, he’ll be going out on patrol with the Coast Guard Auxiliary this Saturday.

Carlos was home today working on the roof when he realized he needed some more wood and headed to the store. As he drove back, he spotted the burning car.

He stopped – as did another vehicle with a few men. He saw the flames starting to go further up the car and realized the whole vehicle would be on fire within minutes.

And yet the car’s occupant – who looked around 90 – didn’t budge. He just looked forward and appeared dazed.

My brother’s training, which calls for rescue first and then seek help, kicked in. As the other men blocked traffic from coming down the road in case the car exploded, he ran and pulled the unbuckled man out.

Carlos said the man was frail and thin, weighing perhaps 90 pounds “if he was lucky.” He gently and slowly walked the man to safety, and then called 911.

“He could only walk a few inches at a time,” said Carlos, who asked the man if he had driven on a flat tire and received an affirmative response.

Emergency personnel responded quickly and took over, and Carlos went home.

He later called the police station and was relieved to find out that the man hadn’t suffered smoke inhalation. He had been heading to a local hospital where he had an appointment. We both wondered why the man was traveling alone.

But there are a lot of people traveling alone out there. In fact, we have another family member driving cross country as we speak, heading back to New Jersey. According to what doctors told him six months ago, he shouldn’t even be around much less driving across the country. But that’s another story.

I’m proud to call my brother Carlos a hero.

And Carlos, one more thing: Sorry for all the times I told you we found you in a garbage can.

Last week was one of the most historic weeks of the centuries; Republicans failed to vote on the famous $700-billion Wall Street bailout plan as the Dow Jones experienced one of its worst weeks in seven years, only to celebrate the approval of the bailout plan days later. Indecision and confusion were in the air. To top it off, we had the anticipated debate between Sarah Palin and Joe Biden, which was very impressive. Biden seemed prepared and was more direct with his responses while Palin held her own and brought back the hope to the Republican party.

As a result of such an exciting week, I am anticipating tonight’s debate. The back and forth bickering between Obama and McCain has been very entertaining, but I am particularly interested to see how well they balance their ability to clearly answer the question while being responsive to the people. This of course means that they will need to show that they are capable of capturing the essence of what is really being asked. I really don’t know what to expect. This is a great opportunity for both candidates to reinforce why they are the better choice.

With only a few weeks from the election, America is at the edge of its seat trying to predict what is going to happen. Some people are still swaying back and forth, seeing promised changes from both parties. Who will win? Will there really be change? How will our new President have an impact on the world?

I guess we will have a better idea tonight at Round Two of the Presidential Debates!

Sarah Palin’s performance at last night’s VP Debate was very impressive. She held her own against an experienced US Senator. She was effective at putting Joe Biden on the defensive early and often. And like the proverbial pit bull, she held on tight to message with confidence, attacked hard on topics she wanted to cover and did not let go for the entire 90 minutes. Frankly, she owned the first few moments of the debate. I guess practicing by the creek really does work.

McCain should be proud of her performance. I was proud she did not fall on her face. I was glad they both kept me intrigued for the entire time. I can’t say that about last week’s debate. And I was thrilled Biden fought back and addressed some of her false attacks because when someone clearly lies about you, you set the record straight. Period. Obama should do the same.

But she also got away with a lot. She did not address McCain’s role in deregulation policies as a direct cause for the financial crisis but blamed predatory lenders only. She did not address McCain’s plan to tax our health benefits, not one word. Oh and by the way she wants to expand the power and role of the vice president. Why wasn’t she asked to explain? What would she do with this increased power? I’d be interested in knowing prior to the election. And I think others would as well.

So is it enough? She did enough to clean up her image. She did enough to at least show she can hold her own. But to win the election? To change the game? I guess it depends on where the majority stands. Substance or style. Issues or likeability.

I just can’t wait for tonight’s debate! Like many of you, I will be glued to my TV, snacks and drink in hand, rooting for my second favorite Senator. I am so impressed with Joe Biden. I watched his interview with Tom Brokaw weeks ago on “Meet the Press.” He is just brilliant. The depth and breadth of his foreign policy knowledge and the thoughtful manner in which he explained the Iran/Afghanistan conflict.

Much has been made of Palin’s lack of qualifications and knowledge of foreign policy, even lack of knowledge regarding issues that are her supposed strength, energy. And, honestly, its been so much fun watching the SNL skits. But make no mistake, she is a formidable debater. This is not a one on one interview, a conversation about issues where it’s obvious she gets nervous and cannot articulate her thoughts. Or even worse, its clear she just does not know the answers. My guess is that tonight will be the most scripted we ever see her. A 2-minute monologue essentially. The moderator (and that’s another story) cannot interrupt, giving her (and Biden for that matter) full reign to give her prepared mini-speech.

Its gonna be a fun and interesting night. I’ll give you my thoughts tomorrow.