The South Offers More than a Place to Retire for Baby Boomers

What do Abilene, TX, Asheville, NC, Athens, GA, Blacksburg, VA and Cape Coral, FL all have in common?  Forbes has named these cities among the Top Ten Best Places to Retire in 2015.  And, in case you don't now your geography, all of these cities are located in the South.

But there's even more good news about the South according to the results of a newly released Harris Poll. More people below the Mason-Dixon line have a positive attitude about the future of the job market.

Here's how it breaks down according to the Harris Poll:

·  Positive attitudes toward regional job markets are strongest in the South and the West (34% each, vs. 29% in the Midwest and 23% in the East).

·  Easterners are the most pessimistic about the job market in their region, with 46% describing it as bad (vs. 38% each in the Midwest and South, and 33% in the West).

Additionally, men (35%) are more likely than women (27%) to rate the job market in their region positively.

Millennials are more likely than their elders to anticipate that the job market will improve in their region (31%, vs. 24% Gen Xers, 22% baby Boomers and 25% Matures).

Meanwhile, according to figures released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics earlier this year, the African American unemployment rate was 10.4 percent, compared to the white unemployment rate of 4.7 percent and national average of 5.5 percent.

  

Why Do Republicans Have to Be Asked to Embrace Diversity

As a veteran journalist, I try real hard not to get caught up into the political arena but, the truth of the matter is, no matter how objective we tell you we are about the subject, we all still have OPINIONS.  And  those opinions come shining through in some form or fashion.  No one---and let me repeat that---no one is purely objective when it comes to anything.

With that being said, I recently read an interesting article in the Tampa Bay Times, where GOP presidential contender Jeb Bush is quoted as asking his fellow republicans to embrace diversity if they expect to win the Presidency.

Here's my question:  why does anyone from either party have to make such a plea?  If you are running for President of the United States of America, you should automatically be thinking "diversity" and "inclusiveness."  The President doesn't represent some of the people---although Donald Trump might have you believe that.

The major problem with the republican party is they have been so focused of appeasing their constituents (and donors) only.  They have blinders on and refuse to see the entire country--the good, bad, ugly, sexism, classism and racism that exists, along with homophobia.  But republicans weren't always like that.  In my history class I learned that southern Democrats (or Dixicrats) were the true racist political party so perhaps BOTH parties need a lesson or two on diversity.  Or perhaps, we need to revamp the entire two-party political system which, in this journalist's opinion, is a joke.

I do think Jeb makes a great point when he says, "Republicans will never win the presidency if they don't campaign in every nook and cranny of the country."  That means going into the inner cities, addressing the police shootings, showing empathy for poverty and having a PLAN to deal with those issues.

But I can't help but question the irony here:  When Jeb was making his remarks, he was speaking to a predominately older white audience in North New Hampshire.

Where's the diversity Jeb?

To read the entire article about Jeb Bush asking the GOP to embrace diversity click here:  GOP Diversity?

And the Survey Says Blacks are Living the American Dream

There's a new survey out that says:

"MORE THAN 80 PERCENT OF AFRICAN AMERICANS, ASIANS AND LATINOS SAY THEY ARE EITHER LIVING THE AMERICAN DREAM OR BELIEVE THEY CAN."

The poll was conducted by Burson-Marsteller and and Penn Schoen Berland.

Wow!  Really?  All I can say is I was NOT polled and neither were any of my friends.  You would think that with 80 percent making this kind of statement that someone I know would've been a part of this survey.

Oh, but wait a minute.  Asians and Latinos are also included in this 80 percent so who knows how many of "us" were actually polled.  If you ask 10 blacks and 8 say YES---that means 80 percent agree.  In this case, less than 2000 people (including whites) were surveyed in a country that has a population of more than 300 million. Of course, they don't tell you exactly how many of each race were polled so the numbers can't truly reflect the overall attitude of any one race.

That's the problem with polling.  Surveys can be slanted any way to make a point.  This poll certainly gives the impression that minorities in this country are so "darn-tootin' happy" that they live in the land of milk and honey where opportunity flows freely and there's no discrimination. Funny, that question wasn't asked in the polling.  

Other parts of the survey revealed:

• Only 51 percent of white Americans say they are living the American dream or believe they still can. 
• Americans age 51-64, especially white Americans, say they are feeling more negative than any other age group.

Now THAT part of the survey is what I do believe!

Meanwhile click here to read more about the survey:  AMERICAN DREAM