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Evolve or die: More occupations are becoming extinct.

In Economy, history, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Technology, Uncategorized on November 6, 2013 at 5:45 pm

Deer In Headlines

By Gery L. Deer

What would you do if, not just your particular job, but your entire occupation was no longer needed – ever again? There are on dozens of job categories that are either slowly becoming unnecessary or have already suffered the fate of mechanized extinction.

operatorsAlready gone are the ice and milk delivery man (they were just men back in the day), the telephone operator, record player repairman, elevator operators, professional typists, and a host of others. Those occupational positions feeling the Grim Reaper nipping at their heels may include the gas station attendant, the postal delivery worker, video store clerk, department store sales person, newspaper delivery workers (the paper boy), travel agents and the old-fashioned barber.

Oddly enough even newspaper columnists, like yours truly, are fading away. Modern publishers can use syndicated filler columns or hire “bloggers” who often possess little or no journalistic experience – and pay pennies for the material if anything. Most of my freelancing colleagues have adapted to commercial writing or do as I have, by taking on a wider variety of work to earn a living.

Printing press operator jobs, once abundant in the Dayton, Ohio region are now all but gone. The more publications move toward fully electronic versions, the fewer press jobs there will be and the skill will be in higher demand with those companies still rolling out ink and paper.

As time passes, some of these occupations will have to either evolve into other forms or go the way of the door-to-door vacuum cleaner salesman. Librarians, for example, may have been headed towards obscurity but now manage a variety of media, both on the shelf and online. But others may not be able to adapt to serve alternative functions and will simply die out, like the salaeratus maker (that’s someone from the 1800s who made baking soda). See what you can learn from Deer In Headlines?

So what is to be learned from all of this professional progression? Clearly, more education is going to be necessary and the market will adapt to the need. New types of jobs will be created as others fade away.

But are there any jobs unlikely to be replaced by technological breakthrough? Oddly, anyone who is required to create, build and repair that technology has a goldmine ahead of them. Let’s face it, the nerds rule the world and they’re not going anywhere! There are whole television shows about them now.

Incidentally, it isn’t merely technology that causes occupational evolution, but the economy and changes across a business sector, particularly where several types of industries overlap. Consolidation of responsibilities combined with changes in technology can result in the need for more highly-trained workers, but requiring fewer to do the same jobs.

Doctors and nurses will probably always be required, even though patients will pay more to see them less. Hospitals are in a constant state of change as well. Budget cuts and lack of necessity have long-since done away with the helpful but redundant “orderly” position. Today, nursing and medical assistants have taken the place of orderlies, having more education and medical training that can serve a larger need than merely as a gurney driver.

On-air radio professionals, once called “disc jockeys,” have had to evolve as well. Digital media and station automation have made these jobs scarce, but those who are surviving are evolving through other types of media like Internet-based entertainment and even creating their own online listenership.

Whatever the job, workers should make an effort to stay ahead of the game through personal enrichment, continued education and, above all, keep an open mind. Those people who are very resistant, even defiant, toward technology will have a much harder time adapting.

The bottom line here is that occupational evolution is a necessity of any economy. As technology changes and America continues its slow but steady recovery from recession, more workers will be needed while some jobs disappear because they’re just obsolete. *

Gery L. Deer is an independent columnist and business contributor to WDTN-TV2’s “Living Dayton” program. Learn more at http://www.deerinheadlines.com

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Referral marketing organization to hold visitors day November 14

In Business, Dayton Ohio News, Economy, Education, Jobs, Local News, News Media, Uncategorized on October 24, 2013 at 7:00 am

097DAYTON, OH – The Greater Dayton Professionals Chapter of Business Network International (BNI), will hold a visitors day event from 7:30 am to 9:30 am on Thursday, November 14, at the Event Connections, 4140 Linden Avenue in Dayton. The free, no-obligation networking event is open to all entrepreneurs, business managers and sales professionals in the Dayton/Miami Valley region.

The Greater Dayton Professionals BNI Chapter is one of the oldest of 23 in the Miami Valley region. Founded in 1985 by professional networking guru Dr. Ivan Misner, BNI has more than 6,400 chapters world-wide.  According to the leadership team of the Greater Dayton Professionals chapter, BNI’s purpose is to help members create a wide-reaching, profitable referral network free of internal competition, something unavailable from chamber organizations or service clubs.

Along with the open networking opportunity, each participant will have the chance to introduce themselves to the group and give a one-minute sales presentation. Many of the Greater Dayton Professionals BNI members will feature table displays and there will be a special presentation on referral-based marketing by BNI Executive Director Darrel Bender.

Gery L. Deer, of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing, is the vice president and public relations coordinator for the chapter. “We are interested in meeting highly motivated, professional business leaders who want to increase their sales as much as 30-percent from referral marketing,” Deer says. “This event provides our visitors with the opportunity to observe the process first-hand and see the success achieved by our members.” He also added that so far in 2013, his chapter has passed between them nearly a half-million dollars in closed business.

Using the organizational philosophy called “Givers Gain” members trade in fully-qualified, outside referrals rather than open-ended, unchecked leads. “In order to pass a referral to another member of our chapter, the giver is required to have already communicated with the subject beforehand,” Deer explains. “Qualifying the referral in this way before passing it, rather than giving random leads is what separates BNI from other organizations and nearly assures a closed sale.”

At present, the Greater Dayton Professionals BNI Chapter is looking for applicants to fill a host of classifications including mortgage broker, banker, health insurance provider, property title agency and more.  Visitors to the chapter are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards and invite others to accompany them to the event.

A brief visitor orientation will be held immediately following the business meeting. For more information go online to http://www.greaterdaytonpros.com or contact chapter public relations coordinator, Gery L. Deer, at (937) 902-4857 or email gdeer@gldenterprises.net.

Vanessa Freeman interviews GDP-BNI VP Gery Deer and President Justine Kangas about upcoming visitors day. http://www.wdtn.com/living-dayton/business-network-international

Vanessa Freeman interviews GDP-BNI VP Gery Deer and President Justine Kangas about upcoming visitors day. 

Editor’s Note: Click to view the  LIVING DAYTON interview with Greater Dayton Professionals Chapter President Justine Kangas, of Manning & Associates CPAs and PR Consultant Gery L. Deer discussing the visitors day and the future growth of her BNI chapter. 

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Reduce spending, the deficit and congress

In Economy, Education, Jobs, National News, Opinion, Politics on October 16, 2013 at 12:38 pm

DIH LOGOHow long can the national debt continue to increase before it finally collapses under its own weight? Congress seems to think it’s indefinite but when the debt is growing twice as fast as the economy, the country’s financial stability is so compromised it’s making the rest of the world nervous.

Just like having a credit card with an over-extended balance that racks up fees and penalties when defaults occur, the federal deficit grows exponentially with time. Even knocking a few billion off here and there won’t make much of a difference if the economy remains as stagnant as it has in the last several years. America cannot simply keep borrowing more money to cover debt that should have been reduced far earlier.

Photo Courtesy USA Today - www.usatoday.com

Photo Courtesy USA Today – http://www.usatoday.com

Unfortunately, that’s exactly what it means to raise the debt ceiling. But continually increasing the amount of money the country is allowed to borrow will only add to the problem. Amid the congressional battles and strong-arming is a dance that averts the actual problem – the only way to reduce the deficit is to cut spending – period. That’s a tall order when all congress seems to want to do is sit by and watch the country hemorrhage money.

As the government shutdown enters a third week, congress is no closer to a solution than it was on October 1st. Government employees are still either furloughed or working without pay. Sure, they’ve been promised back pay, but how does that help when a family has mouths to feed and an upside-down mortgage to pay?

The real question is, apart from the small percentage of Americans who work for the federal government, who has really noticed the shutdown? Many experts say, very few. There are even those who say the park and memorial closures were done more as a publicity stunt to elicit public outrage towards the Republicans than to save money.

Looking at it objectively, that actually makes sense considering that government workers will receive back-pay for any and all days missed on furlough or unpaid time. If the shutdown of national parks services was really because “there was no money to pay them due to the fiscal crisis” during the shutdown, why would there be back pay to offer?

It has also been suggested that the shutdown has exposed another inherently expensive issue within the federal government – redundant or unnecessary employees. Excluding the military from the discussion for the moment, a certain level of redundancy is necessary for various reasons, but there is such a thing as overkill, even at the federal level. That overkill could be costing the taxpayers billions spent on unneeded civilian, contracted and other extraneous personnel.

After all, if you were running a small business and hired six employees when three would have sufficed, your business would soon be in financial distress. After a period of time, even large companies feel the effects of that kind of waste. It’s entirely possible that the government hires many more people than it needs (yeah – shocking, right?). This happens for a number of reasons from bad accounting to nepotism, but it does happen.

Which brings back the original point – Reduce spending and the deficit will come down. Clearly there are cuts that could be made without affecting the government’s overall operation or causing widespread layoffs. Reducing congressional salaries and perks would be a great place to start – particularly their perks. But the shutdown is proving that there are other areas of waste to be addressed. The trick is going to be finding the ones that are genuinely wasteful compared to those that need to be funded.

The difficulty exists in coming to an agreement about what needs to be cut and how much. Different sides have opposing ideas about the definition of “necessary” and required. Eventually they’ll have to come to some common ground and work it all out, but for now things still seem stalled.

The president’s approval rating, according to the Associated Press, is down to 37-percent and congress still lags behind at less than 20-percent. If people re-elect any of these people to congress they have only themselves to blame when this all happens again.

 

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Not without honor, except at home

In Economy, Entertainment, Jobs, Local News, Opinion, State News, Uncategorized on October 9, 2013 at 9:45 am

DIH LOGOIn the Bible, the book of Mark, chapter 6, verse 4, Jesus says, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town, among his relatives and in his own home.” The quote refers to the question of Jesus’s work being rejected in his own hometown. That was a couple of thousand years ago but, sadly, this same lack of local support and recognition is still rampant today.

We are constantly barraged by the pleadings by civic and business organizations encouraging us to “buy local.” But, when push comes to shove, even these organizations utilize outside resources more often than not.

The best examples of this kind of behavior are evident in the entertainment industry. I know dozens of performing artists, from musicians to specialty acts, who never seem to get work in their own home areas.

Most make a good living but will always have to travel, which is, of course, somewhat of a necessity for securing regular pay in that kind of business. At the same time, most of them offer much lower fees to work closer to home and yet are rarely taken up on the option in favor of “outside” help.

Someone out there is probably saying, “Well, maybe they’re just not very good.” There is an ignorance surrounding the concept that if someone chooses to remain in their home region, they must be less than expert at their particular job. If not, they’d have been moved to relocate due to excessive demand – untrue.

If these folks are as untalented as that statement implies, why would they have the opportunity to do so much elsewhere? An entertainer or other professional tends to earn far more money on jobs where travel and extended booking time is necessary than if they do a single project in their own community. So why would they be paid more and requested so often out of the region if their talents are less than ideal? The logic there makes no sense.

Take the country singing group, The Statler Brothers, for example. From the 1960s through the early 2000’s, these Staunton, Virginia boys sold millions of records, performed all over the world and yet never relocated from their home town. For more than 25 years, they even did an annual 4th of July concert there to raise money for local charities. And they’re not the only story like this.

Ignorance of local talent is not limited to the entertainment world, however. Other professionals are frequently dismissed in their own communities as well; that is unless they achieve some wider attention and suddenly discover people stacked like cordwood on their coattails.

The point here is that, regardless of the product or service needed, if civic and business organizations are going to practice what they preach, they need to utilize more local talent, and not just the big players on the block. Sadly, with so much “good-old-boy” nepotism at play, without some folks stepping outside the proverbial clique, this is unlikely to change anytime soon. When people do make the effort to connect with local providers, they tend to expect a lot of freebies or slashed pricing. That’s not only unfair, it’s downright disrespectful.

For example, say a chamber of commerce wants to hire a local printer to help with event materials for a charity fundraiser. Often, the organizers want to exchange the work for advertising or sponsorship credits rather than paying the printer’s quoted rates.

In most cases, local business will offer some kind of discount or even an exchange if given the opportunity, but it is disrespectful for the organizers to expect it. Your cause is not the reason the business owner opened his doors. Be prepared to pay for their services.

It would be great if small businesses, local entertainers and other professionals were more appreciated and supported in their home regions. The long term rewards to the community could be unimaginable.

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Saving our downtowns, one megamall at a time

In Business, Dayton Ohio News, Economy, history, Jobs, Local News, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized on September 25, 2013 at 9:37 am

DIH LOGOLast week I covered a story for the local newspaper about a business that has been in downtown Xenia, Ohio for more than 70 years. To celebrate, the chamber of commerce held a ribbon cutting attended by the usual fare of friends, associates and dignitaries, all wanting either to sincerely congratulate the proprietors or mug their way into the photo op. Whatever their reasons for attending, it was refreshing to see people taking an interest in a small town’s revitalization.

Every day local governments offer tax breaks and other perks designed to attract new businesses to settle in their region, the obvious benefits to which are jobs and tax revenue. A good idea, of course, but while they’re building new strip malls on one end of town, the downtown sits empty and abandoned leaving the same government officials to puzzle over what to do with empty, decaying buildings.

So why not provide more incentive for businesses to locate in existing downtown areas before adding more sprawl? For those already there, encourage them to stay rather than making it easier for them to move into the latest strip mall.

Some communities sprang up from joined housing developments but for those like Xenia, Bellbrook, Jamestown and Fairborn, there is history, culture and charm still to be reclaimed. It’s truly puzzling why there is not more incentive to do what Xenia’s business owners are doing very well – revitalize and rejuvenate the downtown.

mall interiorMost confusing of all is the approval by local governments of sprawling mega-malls like The Greene, in Kettering, or is it Beavercreek? I’m not sure even they know where they are located. The brick walkways and old-fashioned street lights illuminating an array of sidewalk cafes and specialty shops were designed to look just like old downtown shopping squares that have long since been abandoned.

While they might add something to the local job market, these monster malls with their fake skylines, congested parking lots and Segway-riding rent-a-cops, do little to enhance the community. The sad thing is, eventually, the buildings go out of style and repulse new customers after a dozen years or so.

When Beavercreek’s Mall at Fairfield Commons first opened, it was all the rage; no more driving all the way out to Centerville or northwest Dayton to shop at an indoor mall. Today, there are huge unoccupied spaces in all of the indoor retail behemoths as businesses either shut down or move into newly-designed malls.

Believe it or not, “If you build it, they will come,” applies far more to retail sales than it ever did to a cornfield baseball diamond, so build it downtown. No matter where you put the temples of American gluttony and materialism people will find them and go to worship the almighty Abercrombie.

City governments should do more to help property owners attract major tenants to the old downtown areas, particularly big mall-style anchor stores. It would only take a couple of them to generate more interest from others and grow revenue for the property owners and the municipality.

Over the next month or so, small town politicians will be scrambling to win over your vote. Ask them the same questions posed here. If we really want to save our downtown areas, we have to start at the government level.

Instead of spending time and money worrying about ridiculous issues like whether a store’s sign is wood or plastic, how about making it easier and more attractive for businesses to locate in the downtown areas? It really is that easy.

A civic ambassador with a high-level business background in national retail sales could help to develop a plan of action and take it to companies like Macy’s and Abercrombie. Show them that it’s possible to create the genuine version of the fake atmosphere so popular at the outdoor malls. If it’s done properly, it would bring people downtown again to shop, eat and socialize.

Small business cannot support such efforts without a few major players in the ballgame. If there are to be more 70-year old businesses downtown, there needs to be a downtown for them to be in.

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Jamestown business celebrates 15 years with televised ribbon cutting

In Business, Economy, Entertainment, Jobs, Local News, television, Uncategorized on September 3, 2013 at 6:39 pm
Deer In Headlines author and Living Dayton business contributor, Gery L. Deer in the "Stafford Jewelers Diamond Room" at WDTN.

Deer In Headlines author and Living Dayton business contributor, Gery L. Deer in the “Stafford Jewelers Diamond Room” at WDTN.

DAYTON, OH – On Thursday, September 5th, GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing in Jamestown will celebrate 15 years in business with a televised ribbon cutting event on the set of the WDTN-TV2 daytime talk show, Living Dayton. Viewers can see the program live on Dayton channel 2 or streaming online at http://www.livingdaytontv.com.

In March of 1998, Gery L. Deer, of Jamestown, started the business from the spare bedroom of a London, Ohio apartment. Originally called GLD Enterprises & Productions, the company had two areas of focus: on-site computer support and entertainment development. It later expanded into variety talent placement and commercial public relations services.

The name and focus have changed slightly over time and today GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing specializes in communications services for all types and sizes of business including commercial copywriting, public relations and marketing consulting. The company also has two separate divisions for IT support and entertainment development, each serving a limited and exclusive clientele.

In addition to the anniversary celebration, the firm is also launching a totally re-designed website at www.gldenterprises.net and recognizing the addition of its first outside sales and business development specialist. Karen Schroeder joined up in August to help develop house account projects and provide a liaison to the growing community of women-owned companies in the area.

An award-nominated freelance writer and entrepreneur for more than two decades, Deer has also served as the on-air business expert to the Living Dayton program since it started in February of 2012. His educational background is in engineering and writing, but he learned his business sense from his family’s entrepreneurial history.

GLD_Enterprises_ol“We’ve had to make a great many adjustments to the business over the years to keep going, sometimes even altering it into a part-time status,” Deer says. “But this is an important milestone for us and the local economy, particularly since we hire so many other freelance professionals, from graphics artists to research analysts.”

Deer says his company is one of the most streamlined independent businesses in the area. “We do everything we can to save money, get the most from our efforts and act as a partner to our customers in their long-term success,” he says. “We are grateful that we have such a loyal clientele and we hope the next 15 years give us the opportunity to help more Miami Valley businesses succeed and grow.”

More information about GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing and the televised event is available online at www.gldenterprises.net or by calling (937) 902-4857.

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Beavercreek company celebrates second straight year of growth with grand opening of new location

In Business, Economy, Jobs, Local News, Technology, Uncategorized on July 9, 2013 at 3:54 pm
It was only a year ago that CT Beavercreek moved into their first commercial location on N. Fairfield Road. Now, expansion requires a change. (Photo by Gery L. Deer - The Jamestown Comet)

It was only a year ago that CT Beavercreek moved into their first commercial location on N. Fairfield Road. Now, expansion requires a change. (Photo by Gery L. Deer – The Jamestown Comet)

BEAVERCREEK, OH – It was only one year ago that Computer Troubleshooters of Beavercreek (CTB) moved from the home of owners Cliff and Genevieve Brust to their first commercial office on N. Fairfield Road. Thanks to the continued support and patronage of Beavercreek and the surrounding communities, CTB is growing again, expanding services and moving to a larger, storefront location at 3792 Dayton-Xenia Rd. Beavercreek, Ohio 45432.

Click to view the video clip from WDTN – Living Dayton.

To celebrate these great milestones, Computer Troubleshooters invites the public to attend an open house and ribbon cutting ceremony at the new location on Tuesday, July 16, from 4PM until 7PM. Visitors will enjoy free refreshments, door prizes and the formal ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for 4:30PM, hosted by the Beavercreek Chamber of Commerce.

Part of an international network of independently owned franchises, Computer Troubleshooters provides complete information technology (IT) support for residential and commercial clients. Services range from basic computer repair and managed business services to cloud computing for advanced medical documentation.

CTB President Cliff Brust is excited about the continued growth of his company. “We’ve been fortunate to find success in the Beavercreek area and we hope to continue to grow and improve to meet the ever-changing needs of our customers,” he says.

As technology changes, computer support companies have to make the constant effort to keep up through continued education, the addition of new services and increased expertise with current devices and software. According to Brust, CTB is doing just that by enhancing their product and service lines.

“Along with our state-of-the-art IT support services and computer sales, we are now offering customized training classes, technology recycling, digital photography and computer accessories,” Brust adds.

CTB’s new location is west of N. Fairfield Rd., situated between Knollwood Garden Center and Capitol Dry Cleaners. To attend the open house and ribbon cutting ceremony, RSVP by calling Genevieve Brust at (937) 458-2000 or email gbrust@comptroub.com. Further information about Computer Troubleshooters of Beavercreek is available online at www.ctbeavercreek.com.

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Acclaimed author and writing guru to present “commercial” writing workshop

In Books, Education, Entertainment, Jobs, Local News, Media, Uncategorized on June 24, 2013 at 5:46 pm
Author, writing guru Peter Bowerman.

Author, writing guru Peter Bowerman.

Cincinnati, OH – On Wednesday, July 24th, aspiring professional writers in western and southwestern Ohio have the opportunity to meet and learn from “commercial” freelancing guru Peter Bowerman, author of The Well-Fed Writer series of books.

From 6:30 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at School Outfitters (3736 Regent Ave., Cincinnati), Bowerman will present a workshop entitled The Well-Fed Writer: Exploring the World of Lucrative ($50-125+/hour)“Commercial” Freelancing. Admission is $10 per person, cash only at the door and open to the public. The event is sponsored by the Cincinnati Copywriting and Content Professionals, and Western Ohio Writers Association.

In 1993, after a 15-year career in sales and marketing, Bowerman turned his sights to freelance commercial writing (writing for businesses and for hourly rates of $50-125+). With no industry experience, previous paid writing experience or writing background, he built a commercial freelancing business in Atlanta, Georgia from fantasy to full-time in less than four months.

He has published more than 300 articles and editorials, leads seminars on writing and is a professional coach for both commercial freelancing business start-up and self-publishing endeavors.

Bowerman has self-published his five books (three Well-Fed Writer titles, including the quadruple-award-winning 2010 edition; and two in The Well-Fed Self-Publisher series, including the brand-new 2013 update of the 2007 original). His five books have yielded 70,000 copies in print and a full-time living since 2001 (all the how-detail of which is chronicled in TWFSP).

In this 90-minute workshop, Bowerman will explain what commercial writing is, why the field makes sense now, how to build a portfolio, where the work is, what to charge, and more.

According to the founder of the Cincinnati Copywriting and Content Professionals, Alexandria Webb, “I started this group to provide copywriters and content professionals—whether novice or veteran, freelance, in-house, or with an agency — in the Cincinnati area with networking, support, and educational opportunities like this one.”

The Western Ohio Writers Association  is based in Greene County and provides networking and educational opportunities to writers in southwest-central Ohio. Participants attend monthly critique sessions to hone their writing skills through peer feedback, networking opportunities and educational presentations.

Gery L. Deer, professional freelance writer, owner of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing and director of the Western Ohio Writers Association, noted, “Our organization is about education and enhancing the skills and opportunities available to writers in our area. Professional career support, like Mr. Bowerman’s workshop, is an important part of that mission.”

Those interested in attending are asked to RSVP online at http://bit.ly/195D0FP

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Greater Dayton Professionals BNI hosts visitors day April 18

In Business, Economy, Education, Jobs, Local News, sociology, Uncategorized on April 1, 2013 at 1:47 pm

RIVERSIDE, OH – Members of the Greater Dayton Professionals Chapter of Business Network International (BNI) are hosting a Visitors Day meeting beginning at 7:30 a.m. until 9:30 a.m., Thursday April 18th at The Event Connection, 4140 Linden Ave. in Dayton. Reservations are requested but not required.

BNI is a professional networking organization whose primary purpose is to establish mutually beneficial business relationships resulting in the active exchange of qualified referrals. At more than 6,000 chapters in 51 countries, BNI is the largest organization of its kind. Last year, BNI members generated more than $3.3 billion dollars in closed business.

The Greater Dayton Professionals Chapter of BNI is currently looking for applicants to fill a variety of positions including attorneys, home healthcare providers and electricians, to name a few. In addition to this no cost, no obligation networking opportunity, visitors will be provided a special presentation about the advantages of word-of-mouth, referral marketing presented by BNI Executive Director Jim Weghorst and Assistant Director Sheryl Wagner.

“Last year, members in our chapter exchanged more than a half-million dollars in sales resulting from their participation,” says long-time BNI member Gery L. Deer, the chapter’s secretary treasurer, public relations coordinator and creative director of GLD Enterprises Commercial Writing. “The BNI structure helps members develop or expand a network of professional connections which can grow well beyond the core group to unrealized potential customers.”

“BNI allows only one person per professional category to join each chapter,” Deer says. “The exclusivity of the member’s position eliminates the problem of internal competition so common within other types of networking groups.”

Seating is first come, first served, but reservations are available by calling chapter president Justine Kangas at (937) 898-3167. Visitors are encouraged to bring plenty of business cards and be prepared to stay after the meeting for a short follow-up session. For more information visit the chapter website, www.greaterdaytonpros.com.

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Avoiding sequestration may depend on back room deals

In Business, Economy, Jobs, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on March 8, 2013 at 9:38 am

DEER IN HEADLINES

By Gery L. Deer

Over the last several weeks, political bloggers and cable news talking heads have tormented their mush-brained followers with frightening tales of the pending budget sequestration. As the media spreads yet another horror story of fiscal disintegration, the real efforts to solve these problems probably won’t be broadcast by CSPAN or anyone else for that matter. Actually, it’s unlikely anyone will know how the deals were actually reached or by whom.

Washington seems to be consumed in a cloud of congestion caused and perpetuated by power-hungry narcissists who go relatively untouched by their own actions. More than $85 billion will be cut reaching virtually every part of government infrastructure from soup to nuts.

For those not schooled in political fiscal jargon, sequestration probably sounds less like an economic term and more like something a proctologist might diagnose. Instead the word refers to a series of pre-arranged and unilateral budget cuts to government agencies. The plan was laid out as part of the Budget Control Act of 2011which extended the government’s ability to borrow money.

Preventing the process from going forward is essential if the recent economic growth in the country is to continue. Despite exaggerated job growth numbers, the economy really is improving, albeit at a snail’s pace for those down in the real world. As the clock ticks down to the self-imposed fiscal doomsday, all sides profess that progress is being made but officials never sound too optimistic.

Somewhere in Washington, however, in some dark, smoke-filled room, lesser known but equally powerful political operatives are working the real deals that will settle the budget crisis. These quiet, back-room bargains are a mainstay of politics at every level of government and are often where the real work gets done.

Bob Greene is a noted Washington journalist, author and CNN contributing writer. In a recent CNN.com editorial, he mentions a South Michigan Avenue hotel in Chicago called the Blackstone. More than a century old, the Blackstone was where the political phrase “smoke-filled room” originated, referring to the back-room deals made by politicians to hammer out solutions to issues out of view of the public and the press.

Greene writes, “In 1920, Warren G. Harding was chosen as the Republican candidate for president by a group of leaders meeting there to hammer out a consensus, even as the official convention was in session in a different part of town. A wire-service reporter wrote that the choice had been worked out “in a smoke-filled room,” and it became part of the language.”

Put another way, there are two things no one wants to see made – sausages and laws. The fact is, for the most part, the public only sees what Washington wants exposed. Even though most government buildings are now smoke-free, there are still plenty of back room deals and, oddly, that’s probably how it should happen.

Sometimes legislators and their associates are charged to get the job done and keep the public out of it, that’s why there are elected representatives of the people. But for the last few years, very little of substance has been accomplished because of a Washington steeped in a self-induced state of perpetual crisis.

Millions of Americans will be affected by sequestration if a deal cannot be reached soon. Yet, a bitter irony surrounds the group of people who go unaffected by the cuts – congress and the president. While layoffs and furloughs create havoc for millions of families, Mr. Obama, Mr. Boehner and the rest of their Beltway buds sleep comfortably in luxury unwilling to give an inch of political ground.

Whatever they might say during election season, a more disconnected group of legislators never existed. Stocked with millionaires drawing six-figure salaries, federal leaders have no comprehension of how their actions affect their tax-paying benefactors.  The only thing left to do now is hope the smoke-filled room has an “occupied” sign on the door.

 

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