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FSC Helps Beavercreek Teen Cope With Bipolar Disorder

In Uncategorized on May 30, 2011 at 3:16 pm

BEAVERCREEK – For parents, there is possibly no more frustrating and painful an experience than helplessly watching their children struggle with an illness. Terri and Bill Spatz, of Beavercreek, know those feelings all too well.

A couple of years ago, their youngest son, 13-year-old Brandon, was feeling ill, experiencing pain, shortness of breath, and uncontrollable bursts of emotion. Overcome with anxiety, Brandon told his parents that kids were bullying him at school and he became more anxious and tempestuous as time passed.

“When he was in sixth grade he had so many anxieties that he actually started having what we found out later were panic attacks,” his mother explains. “He would wake up in the morning and my husband would call me at work and have me talk to him. He was just in a panicked state.”

“During his first two panic attacks, we ended up at the emergency room,” Terri says. “We had just come back from a restaurant and we thought he was having an allergic reaction to his food. The last thing on your mind is that your child would have some kind of mental illness.”

Brandon’s parents spent a lot of time taking him to medical doctors to rule out a physical cause of his behavioral issues and physical pain. Eventually, Brandon was referred to a psychiatrist and a counselor and started treatment for what was identified as bipolar disorder.

It was in the middle of a particularly bad panic attack that Terri called the Family Solutions Center (FSC) crisis hotline and was impressed with the people she dealt with there. “The real problem was that there was not a lot of coordination between all of us,” Terry says. “The school counselor, the psychological counselor and the psychiatrist weren’t really communicating with each other. The staff at FSC really brought everything together.”

Formerly Integrated Youth Services, the Family Solutions Center (FSC) Youth Services is part of TCN Behavioral Health Services, Inc., a non-profit contract agency of the Mental Health & Recovery Board of Clark, Greene, and Madison County located in Xenia. The facility provides services for children and adolescents who are suffering from depression, anxiety, conduct disorders, behavioral and substance abuse issues, autism and family or parental problems.

Tom Otto is the director of the Family Solutions Center Youth Services program. “We provide mental health, alcohol and drug, and psychiatric treatment for the youth of Greene County,” he says. “The youth recovery program is an intensive acute clinical treatment program designed to stabilize severe mental health problems in clients from 6 to18 years old.”

In his seventh grade year, Brandon was placed in the FSC’s partial hospitalization program. He spent part of his time in the residential care facility and part at home, where he received a regular combination of treatments including behavioral, interpersonal and drug therapy.

“He spent about 12 weeks in the partial hospitalization program and responded very positively,” Terri says. “While he was there he felt like he had some support.”

Soon it was time to get Brandon back into school. He was enrolled at the Greene County Learning Center, a public facility serving children with emotional or behavioral issues preventing them from being successful in their home school environment.

The goal was to help Brandon achieve academically while learning to cope with his challenges so he could eventually return to the local public school system. He will be attending Beavercreek High School this fall.

Though dealing with his illness will be a lifelong endeavor with its ups and downs, Terri says that, overall, Brandon is doing well. “We were relieved that there was help out there and people who understand and care about what families are dealing with. Brandon likes going to school now. He likes the people who are helping him and we’re thankful these services are available.”

The Family Solutions Center is located at 1321 Research Park Drive in Beavercreek. For more information contact TCN Behavioral Health Services, Inc. by calling (937) 376-8701.

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Beavercreek Chiropractic Clinic Hosts Professional Workshop

In Uncategorized on May 30, 2011 at 3:13 pm

BEAVERCREEK – On Friday May 20th a group of seventeen doctors of chiropractic representing nine states met at Beavercreek Chiropractic for a professional workshop. Known as the Chiropractic Golden Circle, the organization meets three times a year in what Dr. Greg Palkowski, chairman for the meeting, calls a brain trust format.

Chiropractic physicians are highly specialized in the treatment of injuries and disorders related to the musculoskeletal system but also deal with muscle strain, injuries of the extremities as well as arthritis and sinus and allergy conditions. Besides the many hours of continuing education required by state licensing bodies, the members of the Chiropractic Golden Circle stay current by sharing information.

“Our mission is to exchange ideas and help fellow members grow with the greater intention of better serving their patients and the public,” says Palkowski, director of Beavercreek Chiropractic Clinic.

During the session, each participant gives a 15 minute presentation on a wide range of topics including healthcare legislation, chiropractic philosophy and science and the latest in electronic medical record keeping. Of course, for an organization like the Circle to be successful, fellowship is as important as business success.

“The organization is as much fraternal as professional,” Palkowski says, noting the important role played by acts of interpersonal support and communication. “We want work together to achieve the highest possible level of health and personal potential and use that knowledge in caring for our patients.”

Beavercreek Chiropractic Clinic is located at 1654 Mardon Drive in Beavercreek. More information is available by calling (937) 426-9265 or visit http://www.beavercreekchiro.com.

Bin Laden Is Dead. Now What?

In Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, Uncategorized on May 2, 2011 at 3:37 pm

Commentary By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

As the free world celebrates the final demise of Osama Bin Laden, it’s important to keep the victory in perspective. The death of this vicious murderer signals neither the end of global terrorism nor the collapse of Al Qaeda.

Security has been increased at air ports and military bases around the country and the world in preparation for possible retaliatory strikes against the United States. Officials at the Department of Homeland Security did not immediately raise the terror threat level, but are telling the media that they are keeping a, “heightened state of vigilance.”

Once the jubilation settles down, Americans will be saying, “Ok, we got him, now what?” Good question. The answer is that there is no answer. When Adolf Hitler was confirmed dead, the world celebrated. Needless to say, Hitler killed millions more than Bin Laden, but the sentimental comparison is similar.

The difference was that Hitler, for all of his madness, was the leader of a definable government. Once Berlin fell and Hitler was dead, the healing could begin. German citizens could begin rebuilding their country and try to undo the horrors he’d laid at their feet.

Bin Laden, on the other hand, was the leader of an ideal more so than an organization. His murderous followers firmly believe in the fanatical ideas that he preached, most notably that the United States and its allies are the evil scourge of the world and should be eradicated.

There is no doubt that they will continue his efforts undaunted by his death. If anything, he’s now a martyr to them, possibly fueling their fanaticism even further.

The so-called “War on Terror” is not over, by any stretch of the imagination, but the world can breathe for a minute while a stunned Al Qaeda regroups. American and Allied forces will continue their efforts to smoke out the remaining leaders of the organization and fight for freedom and the safety of all the world’s people.

Every free citizen of the world should be mindful of the level of destruction of which crazed fanatics like Bin Laden are capable. It can all happen again. Government leaders should be careful who they befriend. Where will the next threat come from – a terror group, or an organized government?

Instead of airplanes into buildings, the next attack could be nuclear bombs that wipe out an entire city. Intelligence agencies are working hard to stop these actions before they even get out of the planning stages. So far, they’ve managed to stay ahead of the terrorists, but America must not let her guard down for even a moment.

National security is still of the utmost importance. Every day, terror groups are recruiting new members and global intelligence organizations will do everything possible to keep them under surveillance.

In the meantime, how will the death of the world’s most notorious terrorist affect the daily lives of average Americans? With the possible exception of crackpot conspiracy theorists who believe the U.S. government arranged the 9/11 attacks, most Americans will be celebrating Bin Laden’s death. But it is unlikely that there will be any dramatic change to day-to-day activities.

Alabama will continue its tornado recovery efforts. Congress will maintain bickering across the aisle about budget cuts and party objectives. Commuters will worry about rising gas prices and shrinking paychecks.

Kids will be rushed off to school in the morning and those who have been struggling to find work will do their best to remain hopeful and diligent. Life goes on.

What’s next? Only time will tell. Celebrations will continue for a time, but, eventually, people will become complaisant once again. Osama Bin Laden’s death may yield a false sense of security, but the very nature of the enemy behests vigilance and consistency.

Massive Barn Fire In Xenia Township

In Local News, Media, State News, Uncategorized on May 2, 2011 at 9:39 am

Photos By Pam Suske and Shawn Keller

This massive barn fire on Gultice Road in Xenia broke out sometime around 7 p.m. on Sunday, May 1st. Xenia and New Jasper Township fire departments worked for several hours to get the fire under control. Greene County Sheriff’s deputies kept the road closed off to traffic until later in the evening. There is no word yet on the cause of the fire.

Aviation History Begins In Greene County

In Economy, Local News, Senior Lifestyle, State News, Uncategorized on April 29, 2011 at 2:58 pm

By Gery L. Deer

(FAIRBORN) – For those looking to save money on vacation this season, consider staying closer to home. Day and weekend trips to local attractions can save hundreds and provide a fun, educational experience for the whole family. The Dayton area offers many such locations and many are free to visit.

One particular jewel in the Gem city’s historic crown is the Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park. Comprised of multiple attractions, the park system includes homes and workshops of the Wright Brothers as well as related figures including poet Paul Lawrence Dunbar.

Most of the sites are located in or near Dayton proper, but, apart from the work done at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, most of the actual flying and development actually took place in Greene County.

Perched atop a hill at the corner of SR 444 and Kauffman Avenue in Fairborn is the Wright Memorial. The hill overlooks Huffman Prairie, where the two aviators developed many of the innovations of powered flight following their success at Kitty Hawk in 1903.

At the Huffman Flying Field Interpretive Center at Wright Patterson Air Force Base, visitors can see exhibits and films about the importance of the area to modern aviation.

Upon completing their experiments in North Carolina, Wilbur and Orville returned to Dayton to find a suitable location to perfect their new aircraft. A Dayton area banker named Torrence Huffman owned a field situated about eight miles northeast of the city where he kept horses and cattle.

Huffman offered the field to the aviators on the sole condition that they keep the gates closed so that his livestock would remain in the pasture. Huffman Prairie, as it later became known, was flat, open and bordered along the north by the Urbana Electric Railway system.

The trolley depot at Simms Station, near the prairie, allowed for easy transport of tools and equipment. The Wrights had no way of knowing that less than a decade later, this would become location of the world’s first airport and aviation school.

From 1904 until 1905, the Wright Brothers had developed a flying machine capable of controlled, sustainable flight, but the task had not been without its problems. The tree line surrounding the field often created unpredictable wind drafts, thus making take off and landing problematic for the fledgling airplanes. At the end of 1905, the men moved from the site and did not return until 1910 when they built a permanent hangar and aviation school after obtaining a patent for their new invention.

Today the field is part of the national park in their honor and now situated at the end of one of the busiest military runways in the world at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Flying over Huffman Prairie, the birthplace of modern aeronautics, are some of the largest and most complex flying machines ever devised by mankind.

As a tribute to the accomplishments of the Wright Brothers, the Wright Memorial was erected in the middle of a 27-acre parcel of land in 1940. Originally planned for construction in 1913, the project was put on hold because of the great flood of that year.

In 1938, a revised plan was undertaken on land owned by the newly-formed Miami Conservancy District. Overlooking the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, the memorial was dedicated on August 19, 1940, Orville Wright’s 69th birthday.

Though Wilbur had passed on, his brother and several of their flying students were on hand for the ceremony. The site today includes the monument and plaza, a scenic overlook, a series of Native American burial mounds and an interpretive center.

The monument is a 17-foot obelisk made of pink, North Carolina granite. The material was taken from the same quarry as that used in the Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kitty Hawk.

A bronze plaque on the face of the monument notes the accomplishments and dedication of the monument, while four smaller ones adorn columns at the entrances to the plaza area. Each plaque commemorates an historic attribute of the site including its prehistoric significance. Surrounding the monument is a circular plaza.

The site was also important to the Native Americans known as the Adena, who lived in the region between B.C. 500 and 200 A.D. Several burial mounds of various sizes are easily spotted by even the most amateur archeologist. In 1974, The Wright Brothers Hill Mound Group was placed on the National Register of Historic Places for its archeological significance.

The Wright Memorial and Huffman Prairie Flying Field Interpretive Center is located at 2380 Memorial Road, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Visitation hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily. Hours are extended to 6 p.m. daily from Memorial to Labor Day and the facility is closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

In addition to the Wright Memorial, there are several other Wright-related sites in the Dayton area including the Huffman Prairie Flying Field, The Wright Brothers Aviation Center, the Wright Cycle Company, and the Wright-Dunbar Interpretive Center.

The sites are easy to find and most are free to visit, including the Wright Memorial, or require a minimal donation. For more information visit the U.S. National Parks Service website http://www.nps.gov/daav or call the Huffman Prairie Interpretive Center at (937) 937-425-0008.

Greene County Combined Health District Celebrates Women’s Health Week with Workshop

In Uncategorized on April 27, 2011 at 1:24 pm

(XENIA, OH) The Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) is celebrating Women’s Health Week, May 8 – 14, 2011, with a self-defense workshop. The workshop is scheduled for Tuesday, May 10th from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will be held at the Greene County Media Room, 541 Ledbetter Road in Xenia. The title of the workshop is Empower U: A Women’s Self-Defense Workshop and it will be offered free of charge to women and young girls in the Greene County area.

This workshop will empower women and young girls, ages 13 and older, in the art of personal protection as well as educate them about violence prevention. The workshop is designed to help women enhance their skills, confidence and situational awareness regarding personal safety. Perfect for mothers and daughters to attend together, this workshop will include a Xenia Police Officer to provide tips and techniques on staying safe and professional Martial Arts instructors to provide some hands-on experience.

There is no cost to attend the workshop, however, registration is required and space is limited. For questions or to register, please call 937-374-5669 or email lfox. This workshop is made possible by a grant from the Ohio Department of Health, Office of Healthy Ohio, Bureau of Health Promotion and Risk Reduction, Violence and Injury Prevention Program, and Wright State University Center for Healthy Communities AHEC Region 5.

A Royal Pain For British Taxpayers

In Uncategorized on April 18, 2011 at 4:04 pm

By Gery L. Deer

Deer In Headlines

As Prince William prepares to take Kate Middleton as his first wife (insert sarcasm here), the English people, as well as their cousins across the pond, are going gaga over the impending nuptials. American news outlets are flooded with stories about the marriage, covering everything from bachelor party rumors to details about Kate’s secret wedding gown.

Choking on the torrential barrage of media coverage surrounding these spoiled rich kids I struggle to understand how the people of Great Britain could go along with paying for this nonsense. In a country as engulfed by recession as America has been over the last few years, the English citizens should be enraged that their tax money is going to pay for such a lavish waste, particularly at a time when unemployment in that nation hovers just below an all-time high.

At the end of March 2011, the jobless rate in the United Kingdom stood at 7.9-percent, up only a small margin from record numbers recorded last September. Though there is a tight lid on exactly how much the royal wedding will cost the taxpayers, latest estimates put the figure at 50 million pounds, or around 81 million dollars. Other estimates report the cost to be much higher, closer to 100 million pounds.

Americans are frequently infuriated by congressional overspending, or the expenses of the White House for state dinners and the like. Imagine, however, if each of us were required to help pay for Sasha Obama’s prom dress or Malia’s Ivy League education? I don’t know about anyone else, but I’d make sure they heard about it at the voting booth – to say nothing about this column.

Money is hard to come by these days both here and abroad, a problem to which the royal family is oblivious. How could they possibly understand the plight of what they call commoners? They have never had to work or earn a penny of what they get.

Each member of this over-privileged family is given an extravagant lifestyle on the backs of their subjects, for no other reason than that they were born into it. Even sending the young princes off to military service is little more than a pointless publicity stunt to quell the naysayers.

Monarchies had their day once but it’s time they were left in storybooks. My ancestors here in the Colonies took great losses to kick them out of this country some two and a half centuries ago. No longer can the world’s citizens afford to hold on high some useless individual who has the nerve to think that half-millennia of inbreeding makes them better than those over whom they rule.

The very idea of royalty is utter nonsense in the first place. Royal families came to power by war, murder and force. Their pure, blue blood is tainted with death and pain. And, while the centuries have left the British monarchy pretty much impotent, one of their few remaining powers is the ability to hoard and squander the money of the people.

Strip away their excessive and ornate exteriors and they are just ordinary human beings, frail and useless if dropped into the daily lives of the working person. Skilled at nothing but the etiquette of shameless artificial humility and inflated pomp and circumstance, the royal family should be required to live by a more modest standard. The same could be said of the self-appointed elite of this country as well.

As was apparent with Princess Diana through her tireless charitable efforts, much good can be done from such a seat of influence and power. We can only hope that her offspring will have as good a heart and as perceptive an understanding of the struggles of those who looked up to her.

If the monarchy’s staggering fiscal waste is not scaled back over the years, the citizens will be the ones who will have to take action. Change starts with just a few, determined citizens. Perhaps it is time for Robin Hood to make an appearance once more – in both nations. Something has to be done for the British people, as here in America, because in this day and age, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting left behind.

Columnist Gery L. Deer is a freelance business writer based in Jamestown, Ohio. More at http://www.gerydeer.com

Muddy Victories For Dayton Rugby Men And Women

In Uncategorized on April 11, 2011 at 10:06 am

DAYTON – The Dayton Area Rugby Club (DARC) men’s team, the Flying Pigs, took home a 30 to 5 victory in Saturday’s Midwest Rugby Football Union quarterfinal playoff game. Plowing through a steady rain on a mud-soaked field, the guys took out Iowa’s Bremmer County Bucks.

Setting the stage for the day were the DARC women who took their game into the second half before it was called on account of lightning. Nevertheless, they managed a significant lead over Bowling Green State University, 42 to 0, to take home the win.

After a soaking victory over Iowa, the Flying Pigs head to Madison, Wisconsin on April 30th to take on the Chicago Blaze in the next round of playoffs. There is more great rugby action at Eastwood Park again next week, however, as the DARC hosts a tournament of local colleges. The 2011 President’s Cup begins at 9 a.m. on Saturday April 16th. The University of Dayton women’s team kicks off the day against the ladies of Miami University, followed by the DARC Women head-to-head with Ohio Northern University.

The Women’s Championship game starts at 11 a.m., with the Women’s Consolation game finishing up the women’s lineup at noon. Then the Flying Pigs hit the field at 1 p.m. to face the Cleveland Rovers.

The DARC is a not-for-profit organization founded in the 1980’s and dedicated to promoting the sport of rugby. Local rugby matches are free to spectators everyone involved is interested in talking to people who want to learn more about the game. Learn more about rugby online at http://www.daytonrugby.com or call the Dayton Area Rugby Club at (937) 640-3023.

Beavercreek Firm Builds Xenia Home Using Green Technology

In Business, Economy, Local News, Media, State News, Uncategorized on March 16, 2011 at 9:32 am

In an effort to meet the growing demand for environmentally friendly, more energy efficient homes, designers have developed cost-saving heating and cooling systems, appliances and electrical systems. Until now, however, those improvements have been used in standard stick-framed homes where the energy savings can escape, literally, right through the walls.

Just south of Xenia in the Wright Cycle Estates, Beaver-Vu Construction and Waterproofing is building a home using new technology that marries the insulating properties of a polymer with the strength of concrete. Located at 2230 Schwinn Ave., the project is making use of Insulated Concrete Forms, or ICF, which combines polystyrene foam with reinforced concrete.

Used in the foundation and walls of the home, ICF offers greater energy efficiency (equivalent to R 22 insulation), as well as increased fire and storm resistance.  ICF can be used in the walls of slab foundations, crawl spaces, basements, and the living area creating a healthier living environment by reducing excess noise and eliminating moisture problems common to traditional construction techniques.

Marty Walling is the vice president of Beaver-Vu Construction, based in Beavercreek, Ohio. He recently became one of a select group of professional builders nationwide to earn the Certified Green Professional (CGP) designation and is an authority in the new, continuously insulating technology.

“An ICF home is extremely energy efficient because it is air-tight,” Walling says. “No joints exist in the exterior wall envelope, or between walls and floors. This prevents conditioned air leaking from the interior to the exterior of the home. Energy savings from reduced air infiltration are obvious when compared to the large amount of heating and cooling losses experienced in traditionally built houses.”

Walling says that the idea of building an ICF-structured home had interested him for some time, but he was skeptical of the quality and design of available materials. “I investigated Nudura Insulated Concrete Forms which has a local distributor, Holdfast Technologies,” Walling says. “After attending one of their informational seminars, I felt their materials met all the criteria I was looking for.” Almost as important was the choice of location for this unique project.

For Walling there was no better location than Xenia, Ohio. He chose Xenia because of his long history with the Wright Cycle Estates development and to help promote one of the benefits of ICF construction: its inherent resistance to high winds, up to 250 miles per hour.

“We own building lots at Wright Cycle Estates and over the years we’ve heard endless comments regarding Xenia’s tornadic history,” Walling said. “Sometimes serious questions were raised regarding safe rooms within slab construction. So, if we were going to build this project anyway, why not make the most logical choice for the location.” As one might expect, increased energy efficiency and structural integrity comes with a higher price tag.

Until the ICF technology is more widely used, construction may be more expensive than that of traditional wood-framed homes. According to Walling, however, the expense is negligible.

“Depending on the build, construction costs using the new technology can be anywhere from 5 to 10 percent higher.” He added that the long-term benefits such as reduced sound transmission, greater fire and moisture resistance and overall energy savings would far outweigh any initial expense and insists that ICF is a good investment in the Miami Valley.

The ICF home project is expected to be completed in late March and will be on the market and available for tours early in April. A public open house is planned as well to give people a chance to see, first hand, how this new building technology can benefit future homeowners. For more information on this project, contact Marty Walling at Beaver-Vu Construction by calling (937) 426-4455 or go online to http://www.beaver-vu.com.

 

 

 

Public Employee Protests Just The Beginning

In Business, Economy, Jobs, Local News, Media, National News, Opinion, Politics, State News, Uncategorized on February 28, 2011 at 8:35 pm

By Gery L. Deer

DEER IN HEADLINES

A serious uprising is currently in progress against several state legislatures around the country. In capitol buildings around the country public employees are protesting en mass in response to a proposed bill that, among other things, would limit their collective bargaining power.

When Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced that there would be an immediate vote on the bill, thousands of teachers, firefighters, nurses and other public workers descended on the capitol and entrenched themselves in dissent.

A similar bill has been introduced in other states, including Ohio, resulting in the same kinds of resistance. In an unprecedented and brilliant political publicity stunt former Ohio Governor Ted Strickland joined the protestors on Thursday, even donning their red-colored clothing. The red clothing is an effort by union members to steer opinion away from the belief that unions are purely democratic organizations.

While protests flare, the democratic members of the Wisconsin legislature fled the state in an effort to stall the vote. Both states are in a serious budget deficit and their republican legislative members are insisting that correcting the disproportionate benefit investment requirements between the public and private sector employees would help to shore up state coffers.

In addition, the Ohio bill would replace negotiated salaries for teachers with merit raises, which is how wage increases are granted in the majority of private sector jobs. Limiting the power of unions to engage in collective bargaining activities on behalf of public employees has sparked rage across the country, and now the Tea Party movement has jumped into the fight, showing the instability and unfocused actions of its organizers.

The Tea Party’s involvement in the collective bargaining debate serves only to contradict its own foundation. The Tea Party movement began because certain groups of conservative Americans were unhappy with the ways in which their legislative representatives were handling their interests in Washington, in effect, limiting their collective bargaining strength.

The point of a union is to work on behalf of its members to bargain with employers for the best possible working conditions and benefits. Representation of a group of constituents, whether they are made up of voters or union members, is essentially the same concept. In Ohio, Governor John Kasich is not only supporting the current bill but also wants even further union limitations.

If balancing the budget is really the problem, perhaps unions and legislators should do a better job at bargaining in the first place. Some salaries for public workers seem totally off balance with the position. The idea that anyone in a public school system, for example, makes a six-figure income should infuriate people more than anything else.

Consider the superintendent of Dayton Public Schools whose salary, as of July 2010, was $150,000. Why? The Ohio governor earns only $145,000, and that’s only the 14th highest in the country. How does running a school system possibly warrant more money than overseeing the operations of an entire state?

Besides the collective bargaining argument, there is also the debate as to whether public workers should be required to contribute as much to their retirement and healthcare plans as their private sector counterparts. The answer to this is a resounding yes. There is no reason that public employees should have their health care or retirement over-subsidized by the taxpayer when those same constituents already provide their paychecks.

Some teachers are underpaid and some are making too much, as do firefighters, police officers and health care providers. But in the end, they are taxpayers too and they should appreciate that everyone else has to ante up for their benefits and forcing the public to pay the majority of it is unreasonable.

There is no question that that there may be inherent union corruption and their power should be reasonably limited to work for the good of lower level employees, not to boost overinflated benefits of a few. Sadly, unions are still a necessary evil in the continuing effort to ensure fair labor practices whether public or private.  That said, if the governors of these troubled states are paying attention, there are only two words to keep in mind: remember Egypt.

Columnist Gery L. Deer is a freelance journalist and business writer based in Jamestown. Read more at http://www.gerydeer.com