Monthly Archives: March 2020

local news

Happy Trails, Part 179: The past is vanishing

There once was a time not long after my wife and I embarked on our retirement journey that I would want to cling to the career I left behind. I would want to keep looking back on the fun I had pursuing a craft I loved and remembering the people with whom I worked and laughed.

That was then.

Now, let me be clear about something. I enjoyed many, many wonderful relationships during my 37 years as a newspaper reporter, editor and opinion writer. I have maintained many of those relationships over that span of time. These are wonderful people and I count some of them as my dearest friends on Earth.

But my last stop on my professional journey has left me with terribly mixed feelings. Not about the people with whom I worked, but about the organization I departed.

My departure from journalism was an unhappy one. You know about that already. The Amarillo Globe-News was my employer for far longer than any other newspaper during my career. I worked there for nearly 18 years.

I walked away from that job on Aug. 31, 2012. My wife and I got into our car and drove east on vacation. We spent a couple of weeks seeing dear friends and enjoying the sights of the Shenandoah Valley and all the landscape between the Texas Panhandle and our destination.

I clung for a good while to my relationships at the Globe-News. Then it all started to disappear before my eyes. Longtime colleagues left. They retired, or were “bought out,” or they moved on. The newspaper instituted a no-hire policy. The ranks of the Globe-News dwindled … and dwindled some more.

It wasn’t too many years after my own unceremonious departure that nearly the last of my colleagues had departed. The news staff had been reduced to a tiny fraction of its former size.

The company that owned the Globe-News, Morris Communications, sold its entire group of newspapers to GateHouse Media. Strange, given that Morris used to boast about its longstanding “newspaper tradition” and the “love” it had for the communities it served.

Today, the Globe-News operates out of an office in a bank tower. The building that housed the Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper is vacant. One former colleague remains on staff there; he is a sports reporter/editor, the only person covering sports in a region the newspaper used to blanket with coverage.

The executive editor splits her time between Amarillo and Lubbock, as does the director of commentary. There are two general assignment reporters, down from more than 40 individuals who used to work there.

I have moved away. I have moved on. I no longer miss the newspaper, because the organization that used to pay me no longer exists.

It’s a weird sort of out-of-body experience I am feeling these days. I am now totally disconnected from the company that once filled me with pride.

However, I have never been happier than I am at this very moment.

local news, media news

Is the president a ‘heartless imbecile’? Yes, but …

You know what they say about things that come after the word “but.” It’s likely to change the nature of what comes before it.

A gentleman I do not know personally, but who reads High Plains Blogger, took me to task for a recent post I wrote about Donald John Trump. This fellow believes I never give Trump any credit for anything.

Actually, I have. I mentioned my stated support of the president’s criminal justice reform ideas and the military strike he launched against Syria. I also mentioned the rare instances in which Trump has acted and sounded “presidential.”

My critic believes I consider Trump to be a “heartless imbecile,” to which I answered: Do I think he’s a “heartless imbecile”? Yep. I’m afraid so … until he proves me wrong. It’s possible, you know.”

Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been nothing short of disastrous. So far, he has been a heartless imbecile, but … here it comes, that could change if Trump would take just a few small steps toward decency.

He could stop blaming all the things that go wrong on his watch on everyone else. He should stop blaming President Barack Obama, for instance, for enacting measures that Trump says incorrectly have slowed down the national response to the pandemic. While he’s at it, he should take ownership of the decision he made to dismantle the National Security Council task force designed exclusively to deal with pandemics — like the one we’re enduring at this moment!

Trump could stop heaping praise on himself and taking credit he doesn’t deserve. He should focus instead solely on the problem at hand and deal forthrightly with those problems.

Trump could actually apologize for the “heartless” and “imbecilic” comments he made about the cruise ship he didn’t want to dock in Oakland, Calif., out of concern that the infected passengers on board would drive up his “numbers.” I know that’s a non-starter, given that Trump doesn’t apologize for anything.

The president needs to act presidential. That would do it. That would compel me to shed much — but not likely all — of my antipathy toward this guy.

Donald Trump needs to stop attacking the media. The men and women who report the news are simply doing their jobs. They do not work for the president and he needs to understand their role in keeping government accountable to the people who pay the bills. You and I are the bosses … not Donald Trump. He works for us.

So, there you have it. The “but” has yet to materialize. It might. I am just not going to wait for it.

business news

Wait for the next set of job-growth numbers

The way I figure it, the first Friday in April is going to be a doozy.

That is when the U.S. Department of Labor is scheduled to release its non-farm jobs report for March, which happens to be the first full month of the coronavirus pandemic that has sent jolting shockwaves throughout the nation’s economy.

The March figures likely won’t be nearly as rosy as the monthly reports have been for he past, oh, decade or so.

We’ve been adding millions of jobs annually since around 2010. Donald Trump, of course, pooh-poohed the Labor Department numbers prior to the time he became president. He called them “cooked up” figures; he said there was no way we were adding to payrolls so dramatically during the Obama administration.

It all changed when he took office in January 2017. Then the numbers became like The Gospels to him.

What will might happen on April 3 when the Labor Department releases its next set of numbers? They might reveal a net loss of jobs in March. Why? The reason is obvious: Businesses have been forced to shutter themselves as states, counties and cities issue directives limiting crowd sizes. The federal government response to date has been spotty … and that’s the kindest description I can use.

How might the president react to crappy jobs numbers in March? I am guessing he’s going to find a way to blame it all on President Obama. Or on China. Or on the Deep State. Or perhaps on Martians who landed on Earth and kidnapped employees and flew them into outer space.

I am guessing, too, that Donald Trump will go ballistic. He’ll suffer a form of apoplexy not seen since, oh, when he learned that his inaugural crowd was nowhere near the size of the one that cheered the inauguration of Barack Obama.

These are troubling times. We in for more pain before it gets better. As for the president, he’ll have to deal with the bad news that is sure to arrive.

Sports news

How can Olympics go on as planned?

I need to stipulate that I don’t have a dog in this proverbial fight, but I need to say it anyway: It looks to me that the 2020 Summer Olympics might carry too big a risk to the millions of spectators who will venture to Tokyo to cheer on their favorite athletes.

You know what I’m talkin’ about. The coronavirus pandemic.

The Japanese insist — at least for now — that the Games will go on as planned. They’re going to gather in the Olympic stadium on July 24 and watch the opening ceremonies. Then a Japanese athlete will light the torch and the Games will go on until Aug. 9.

That’s the plan. Is it feasible? Is it wise? Does it put too many people in potentially mortal danger of catching the coronavirus?

I have serious doubts.

To be candid, I am acquainted only with one person who plans to travel to Tokyo. Her daughter throws the javelin and will compete for the U.S. team. The family plans to fly to Tokyo and cheer her on.

I am going to pray that these folks — along with everyone else crammed into the stadium — don’t expose themselves to the virus.

There’s travel, too. Airlines are reducing services. Cruise ships might be able to dock, but are they any safer? Hah!

I just don’t know about the wisdom of proceeding as if it’s all OK.

Postpone it a year? I guess that would work. The Japanese can keep the venues spruced up until it’s safe to stage the Olympics.

A major disruption in the Olympics has precedent. They canceled the Games during World Wars I and II; the United States led a boycott of the 1980 Games in Moscow; the Soviet Union returned the “favor” for the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

It seems to me that a global pandemic that might kill many thousands of human beings is sufficient cause to at minimum delay the Games … or cancel them altogether.

Sports news

Be patient, sports fans

Those of us who enjoy watching sports activities — and are fortunate to stay healthy during this pandemic crisis — need to suck it up and be patient.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has issued a strict crackdown on gatherings of 10 or more people. Activities of all stripes have been postpone or canceled. Sports teams are put on hold. The governor’s order extends to at least April 3, although I wouldn’t bet my last dollar that he will lift the restriction on that date.

Baseball’s season is put on hold. That means Major League Baseball won’t commence hardball. Nor will MLB’s farm teams, the minor league franchises that flourish in smaller to mid-size communities around the nation.

Listen up, Amarillo Sod Poodles fans: That means you, too.

The Sod Poodles finished their initial season in 2019 with a Texas League title. They whetted the appetites of their thousands of fans who packed Hodgetown at every home game.

They likely will have to wait to resume their cheers.

Sigh. I’m with you, ladies and gentlemen. I wish you could settle into your Hodgetown seats on time, but this crisis compels us to be patient and to do our part to help “flatten the curve” of new cases of coronavirus.

Our sporting appetite will be fulfilled in due course. None of us knows when our government can declare some semblance of victory over the deadly virus. I hope it is soon. So, too, do sports fans in every community from coast to coast to coast.

economic news

It was inevitable, one should suppose, that crisis would produce scandal

I suppose it was expected, that we shouldn’t be surprised at the news flying out of Washington, D.C.

The world is reeling from a deadly pandemic. Now we hear that some members of the U.S. Senate sought to take advantage of their power, their influence, their access to classified information to — allegedly! — score huge profits.

What is it about crises that they seem to attract this kind of potentially scandalous behavior?

We are saluting the heroes and Good Samaritans among us who are performing acts of kindness, empathy and care for those who need help coping with the coronavirus.

It’s also good to condemn those who potentially could use their influence to (a) mislead the public regarding the severity of the crisis and (b) profit from their misdirection.

Several senators allegedly have sought to do profit from the confusion and chaos brought by the pandemic.

One of them allegedly is Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr, R-N.C. He attended a classified meeting in January where he and other senators were told of the dangers that the coming pandemic posed to the economy, as well as to people’s health. Burr then soft-pedaled the threat, telling the public that all would be just fine.

Meanwhile, he allegedly sold millions of dollars of stock just prior to the stock market’s shocking collapse. Do you get it? Sen. Burr got his while the gettin’ was still good, leaving millions of other Americans in the lurch while their retirement accounts were flushed away as investors started to panic.

Is this how it’s supposed to go? Of course not! It’s just a sickening symptom — again, allegedly — of behavior that those in power too often exhibit.

There needs to be a full, frontal investigation into what Burr and some other senators knew and when they knew it. If they are determined to have committed illegal acts, they need to be prosecuted aggressively … for violating their sacred public trust.

None of us should be surprised that this scandal has been revealed.

medical news

Witnessing a heartwarming reaction to pandemic crisis

My heart is filling up with good feelings as I watch the news … all of which is dealing these days with the coronavirus pandemic and the impact it is having on human beings around the globe.

I am sure you all have noticed the same thing that has not escaped my attention, which is the huge number of public service announcements from corporate sponsors declaring the same thing: If you’re in trouble and you cannot cope with the crisis, we’re hear to help.

Now, to be sure I fully understand that these messages aren’t entirely altruistic. Automakers are offering “interest free” financing for seven years if you buy one of their products, for example. Still, one of the underlying messages is that the pandemic affects everyone and that we all should draw strength from our neighbors and our family members, all of whom are being forced to make changes in their lives.

By all means I hope this won’t be a long-term disruption of people’s routines. I am not even sure how I would define “long-term,” whether it’s weeks or months or — God forbid — even years.

However, the PSAs and the messages of comfort from Corporate America do fill me with hope as well as a good measure of resolve to do my part to stem the outbreak.

As the saying goes: We’re all in this together.

national news

When given a chance to lead, Trump chooses to attack

I can’t let this story go, but I likely will do so after I finish this brief blog post.

Donald Trump performed a most disgraceful act today in the White House briefing room. When given a chance to show presidential leadership, he exhibited un-presidential petulance.

NBC News’s Peter Alexander to explain to Americans what he would say that would bring comfort to them as we do battle against the coronavirus pandemic. “I would say that you’re a terrible reporter,” Trump snapped.

Utterly, profoundly and unequivocally hideous.

As Politico reported: “What the president did to Peter Alexander is reprehensible,” CNN anchor John King declared after Friday’s press conference.

“It was striking that this came, this, forgive me, bullshit attack on fake news came just moments after the secretary of State said the American people have to be careful about where they get their information and go to sources they can trust.”

It’s too much to ask that Donald Trump ever learn how to behave in moments of crisis. We are in that moment now. The nation is full of citizens who are frightened, out of sorts, anxious and worried. They need the president to give them comfort and to tell them the truth at every turn. They are getting none of it.

Americans deserve far better than what we’re receiving from this individual who is a president in name only.

national news

This won’t happen, but it’s worth asking for it

We need to see the stock trades of President Trump and his family in the month of February.

This is a tweet fired off just a day ago by David Frum, a former speechwriter for President George W. Bush and, yes, a noted critic of Donald John Trump.

Frum has raised a legitimate issue with regard to the pandemic virus and the scandal that has erupted in the U.S. Senate regarding senators who sold stock in companies in which they were invested on the eve of the stock market collapse.

You see, the senators allegedly had inside knowledge of what was about to happen, so they — again, allegedly — dumped the stock at a huge profit before it lost a ton of its value.

They were engaging in happy talk about the market and everyone’s retirement accounts. Except they allegedly knew the bottom was about to collapse on the market’s value.

Hmm. Didn’t Donald Trump also engage in that kind of low-balling of the coronavirus pandemic threat? Um, yeah, I believe he did.

Hence, we have David Frum raising the pertinent issue regarding the Trump family’s investments. The public’s ability to see such activity is likely to be fought hammer and tong by Trump, just as he has fought like hell to keep his tax returns away from public review.

medical news, national news

Oh, how POTUS could have answered that question

Donald John Trump’s ineptitude as president of the United States was on full display today as he excoriated a reporter for asking him a simple, straightforward and totally relevant question.

Trump’s tenure as president is being pummeled by the federal government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

So, at a White House briefing today, Trump took a question from NBC News’s Peter Alexander, who asked the president what he would say to Americans that would comfort them in this time of trial and anxiety in the face of this pandemic.

“I would say that you’re a terrible reporter,” Trump told Alexander.

Wow! Isn’t that simply special?

There he stood at the podium. A reporter asked him to deliver a statement that could lend an air of confidence in the government’s response to the pandemic. Trump then decided to reignite his war against the media, the press that the U.S. Constitution protects against government interference or coercion.

How might Donald Trump have answered the question in a way that could serve a legitimate and valid purpose? Hmm. Let’s try this:

I would tell Americans that your government is working diligently to fix the things that are wrong with its response. We’re trying our best to protect you. We all took an oath to protect Americans against the forces that would do us harm. This “force” is invisible, but it’s an enemy that needs to be destroyed and I, as your president, will commit my waking hours to fulfilling that mission.

Did the president go there? Oh, no! Not even close!

He was given a grooved fastball straight down the middle of the plate … and he whiffed! He threw his bat into the crowd. He did far more harm than good by going after a serious journalist who was doing his job.

I’m going to say this for as long as I am able: Donald Trump is unfit at every level imaginable to be president of the United States.