| Sep 23, 2015 | Economy / BusinessI recently had the occasion to fly first class. As a poet and director of a small non-profit organization, this was a rare treat indeed. So why couldn’t I enjoy myself? It started with the warm nuts. I’d settled in with my free cocktail, having mastered the...
| Jul 29, 2015 | Economy / BusinessWho will take care of grandma? It’s a question we need to answer. As baby boomers grow older, the elderly population — seniors who are 80 and older — will increase almost 200 percent by 2050. Our long-term care system isn’t ready. Studies show that older Americans...
| Jul 1, 2015 | Economy / BusinessFlorida’s Disney World bills itself “the happiest place on Earth.” But last year, some Disney World employees made so little they became homeless. Meanwhile, Disney paid CEO Robert Iger $46.5 million. That amounts to a stunning $248 a minute if he works 60...
| Jun 17, 2015 | Food / FarmingIn 2008 Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein declared: “There are parts of government that can be run like a business and should be run like a business.” For the first time, the Senate had voted to privatize the restaurants and other food services on the...
| Mar 4, 2015 | Economy / BusinessOnce, I indirectly forced a neighbor to drive far out of her way for a head of broccoli. I think she’s forgiven me, but I’m not sure the love is still the same. She was kindly caring for my child and running errands when she turned toward Wal-Mart for a...