During the change of command ceremony on Tuesday, Col. Amanda Gladney thanked those who helped make her two year leadership over the 88th Air Base successful.

“To the men and women of the mighty 88th, you are the best period,” Gladney said.

“Over the past two years you have moved mountains. Thank you for caring for each other, and taking care of this mission.”

The mantel was then passed to Col. Cassie Barlow, who was then presented with her first salute as leader of the 88th Airbase Wing.

She also praised the men and women now under her command.

“I am proud to be your coach, your cheerleader, your mentor, and your confidant. I look forward to being a member of your team, and serving with you as we continue the tradition of excellence that you have established.”

Barlow previously served as Director of Manpower and Personnel of the North American Aerospace Defense Command and United States Northern Command, headquartered at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.

The 88th Air Base wing is one of the largest and most complex wings in the Air force. It includes a major acquisition center, research and development labs, a major command headquarters, an air lift wing, and the National Museum of the US Air Force-the world’s largest military air museum.

Wright-Patterson is home to more than 27,000 employees and is the largest single-site employer in the state of Ohio.

Governor Strickland signed the Ohio Core initiative into law January 2007, even though the legislation was initially the brainchild of former Governor Bob Taft and Republican members of the Ohio Legislature.

Ohio Core calls for a more demanding high-school curriculum stressing more instruction in English, math and science. Ohio CORE will require all students pass Algebra 2, and students must pass an 11th grade college and workforce prep exam to graduate.

The idea behind the legislation is to make Ohio students more competitive in the global, knowledge-based economy. We have all seen the stats on how kids in the United States are falling behind children in other countries in their knowledge of math and science. Consequently, at least 47 states including Ohio, are in the process of either revamping their high school graduation or state college admission requirements. With the establishment of Ohio CORE, our state has done both.

The initiative’s other purpose is to strengthen the link between high school performance and state college admission. Once Ohio CORE is in place six years from now, 10 of the 13 state colleges, including Ohio State University, will not admit students who fail to meet the Ohio CORE requirements.

After I left the focus group, I began to think about just how school districts like Columbus, and small rural districts, will have to set this whole plan in motion. Yes, our kids need to be better prepared to face the ebb and flow of the 21st century global economy.

However, Ohio CORE needs more than just students working harder for it to succeed. Teachers and administrators will need to be re-trained, classrooms will need to be re-tooled in order to update their technology, companies will need to provide hands-on learning experiences, and parents will need to play a vital role in partnership with their schools. Above all, mechanisms for poor families will need to be created that will provide support so low-income children will not fall between the cracks. These approaches will not just need resources from the school districts, but also from community organizations and volunteers.

Ohio CORE puts a tall order on all of us. Whether you agree or not that Ohio CORE will fix our failing education system, the Legislature has mandated that our schools will make it happen. I urge you to learn more about Ohio CORE and to voice your opinion on its merit now. Do not wait until 2014 our children have already waited too long for us to get involved in shaping the future of education in Ohio.

Although being a cool black man sort of came in vogue with Denzel Washington and Will Smith, they are the personification of a Hollywood dream. The new coolness goes beyond listening to the latest hip-hop song or dressing a certain way. All of a sudden, it is cool to be a serious Black family man.

The coolest of the cool, President Obama, has a great deal to do with the ascent of this trend. During his campaign, he showed the world that being a black man goes beyond the images we see of movie, rap and sports stars. Even within the black community, we were fascinated and puzzled by this guy bi-racial, funny name, raised in Hawaii, lived in Indonesia and he surfs too? What kind of brother is he?

And since Election Day, he has become a marketing bonanza for American business generating books, bobble heads, commemorative coins and newspaper editions. I even heard that Larry King’s four-year old son thinks Obama is so cool that he now wants to be black.

All this media frenzy is great, but I wonder where all this hype will lead? I know everyone is holding up the President as an example of what any child black or white, can do if they study and work hard. But while our president’s influence is very positive, he will also challenge us to learn more about each other by looking beyond the stereotypes.

In this same media, there are still stories of un-cool black men–in prison or caught up in the cycle of violence and drug abuse.

But now we see more stories on the achievements of black men beyond the usual Black History month chronicles. We see more of the new cool black man–as the medical, science or business expert on talk shows. And we see stories about black family men struggling, along with their white and Latino counterparts, to take care of their loved ones during these rough times.

In spite of the doom and gloom we are all feeling-we are all struggling together as Americans trying to make sense of the present in order to build a better future for ourselves and our children.

Call me crazy, but that is a sign of progress to me. Regardless of what the media thinks, coolness is not a black or white thing. Coolness wrapped our unique American spirit, will help all of us weather the rocky road ahead. We can all get what the kids call “cool points” just for working hard to stay in the game.

I was one of the students that graduated from college thanks to these grants. I was only the second person in my family to graduate from college and the first to get an advanced degree. Pell believed that educational opportunity should be within the reach of any person willing to work for it. These grants also meant that those of us who graduated from college by the early eighties did not have large student loan debt as we began our careers.

Current college students are not as fortunate. Now, most students start their professional life with major student loan and credit card debt. According to a recent USA Today article, a growing number of students have $20,000 or more in student-loan debt.

Some of you may feel little sympathy for these young folks when you see them lining up to buy the latest techie gizmo or video game. But unless you have a kid in college like I do, you may not know that college costs have skyrocketed.

Average annual tuition at public four-year colleges and universities was almost $6,000 in 2006, up 268% from 1976, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Although total federal student aid has grown dramatically, so has the number of people attending college.

A College Board survey found that 67% of high school graduates enrolled in college in 2004 compared to only 49% in 1972. As a result, student grants cover only 39% of college costs, compared with nearly 80% in the mid-1970′s.

Now add in a highly competitive job market, rising housing and food costs, increased debt from loans and credit cards, and you can see that twenty-something’s face major financial hurdles when they graduate.

This debt-for-diploma system is strangling young people right when they are starting out in life. And it is creating frustration because no matter what they do, many believe they will not be able to match their parents standard of living.

I do not think Senator Pell or anyone else could foresee these challenges thirty years ago. President-elect Obama, who was also Pell grant recipient, will be working on plans that will promote public service in exchange for tuition help, as well as increasing student aid funding.

As we continue to tell our children that a college education is a key to success, we have got to keep the door open for students from low-income families.

Like Senator Pell, I believe it is vital to our nation that we continue to invest in the future of our young people by making college more affordable–and less of a life-time financial burden that threatens to suffocate the future of not only the college grads, but our country’s future as well.

Rosa Park’s arrest was the final straw for Montgomery’s black community that led to the boycott–and catapulted the new minister of Dexter Avenue Baptist Church onto the national and world stage — Rev. Martin Luther King.

Parks, who was a seamstress and secretary of the local NAACP, did not set out that day to change the world. She’s quoted as saying that,” I did not get on the bus to get arrested; I got on the bus to go home.”

Wow, just thinking about how she must have felt that day gives me goosebumps. She was just tired and wanted to sit down—and then she lands in jail.

It’s hard for many people to imagine the daily indignities of segregation in the south–and in the north. Even though Ms. Rosa’s act happened a couple of years before I was born, I do have memories of segregation that have never left me.

I grew up in Memphis in the 1960′s. I still remember sitting in the balcony of the movie theater, not knowing that’s where black people had to sit. Another memory comes from the time my mother took me to a department store restroom. You could still see the word “colored” bleeding through the freshly painted bathroom door.

What strikes me now is not sitting in the balcony or the faint imprint of a word on the door, but the fact that my mother and her peers still followed those ingrained rules, despite the fact that segregation was outlawed. It took a while for them to really believe it was really safe to take advantage of their new equality and freedom.

Fast-forward fifty-three years later to the election of Barack Obama as our 44th president. As we wrap up 2008, all of us, black, white, yellow and brown, are looking forward to better times in 2009. Since the election of Barack Obama, there is an electric excitement in the air. Everyone I know, even some my republican friends, are giddy with expectation. Who will be in the Obama cabinet? Can he stop the downward spiral of the economy? What kind a puppy will Malia and Sasha get?

Barack Obama would not be possible without that act of defiance on December 1, 1955. Thank you Rosa Parks for showing us that you do not have to be rich or famous to change the world you just have to be strong enough to seize the opportunity to fight injustice–when you just want to go home.

With the current economic meltdown, and a very uncertain future looming, fear has now become our new best friend. The constant bombardment of bad financial news means we are bellying up to the bar with fear, and its faithful sidekick, anxiety. Now, add political attack ads to the mix, and you’ve now got a delicious fear cocktail shaken and stirred.

There’s no calm quarter, even when you try to escape into the fantasy of your favorite TV show. This political season, fear is being used with great aplomb. During commercial breaks, we are told if candidate X is elected instead of candidate Y, every calamity—from higher taxes to terrorist boogey men will plague our nation, state and local school board.

We have seen the upshot of all this political fear mongering. Rabid supporters are shouting venom about the other guy–despite the pleas for civil discourse from their own candidate. It’s even escalated to a misguided supporter faking what she claimed was a politically-inspired physical attack.

And of course, the biggest fear elephant in the room is the possible election of America’s first black president. There is a low level buzz of fear and anxiety in some whites that the election of Barack Obama will embolden all black people who will now seek revenge and punish white folks for every racial slight we’ve ever experienced. It reminds me of the title of a 1990′s rap album Fear of a Black Planet. Trust me, black people don’t have time for this type of nonsense like you, we’re trying to keep our jobs and businesses, our homes, and save for our children’s future.

There is fear in the black community too. Fear that even a Harvard educated black man, who has demonstrated racial crossover appeal, cannot reach this highest pinnacle of power. Some, who are still smarting from the results of the 2000 presidential election, believe the fix is already in to rob Obama. And the greatest unspoken fear is that some sicko will use violence to extinguish our hope.

No matter who is elected, the new president will have to slay the fear monster. He will have to tackle fear by inspiring us to see that all of us, even when we disagree with each other, love our country. He will need the courage to ask us for shared sacrifice and encourage a rededication to American ingenuity that will put the wheels back on our economic engine.

All of us have to work on breaking the clutches of fear. With all the financial and spiritual turmoil our country is experiencing, it’s clear we have to work together to figure out a way to overcome our fear of the present, future-and each other.

Even in the 1950′s I am sure most Americans were not as giddy about taxes as Ms. Hepburn was, but that line always makes me laugh. I also laugh when political candidates pull out that old chestnut about promising not to raise taxes. But are taxes really the scourge we make them out to be? Before you start yelling at the radio consider this:

I look at our government’s budget like my own household budget. I have a certain amount of revenue coming in and a certain amount going out for expenses.

I could do what President Bush suggested when we got our tax rebate–spend money like a true patriot. How about getting a flashy car and a house that I cannot afford to jumpstart the economy? Next, my neighbor needs my help to buy a snow blower for our community snow defense project, so I kick some cash in. And the kid down the street needs me to buy candy to benefit the school band and well I guess you get the point. Now I am seriously into deficit spending and the republic of Jerolyn needs to borrow money from a foreign neighbor or—raise taxes.

It is easy to see that with all the demands we make on local, state and federal government, how can it run without tax revenue? Our tax dollars not only support our military, schools, fire and police protection, road and bridge construction they also provide support for the arts, day care subsidies so low-income mothers can work, and a host of programs and services most of us take for granted.

The problem is that we cannot agree on what government services are important. You may say let the moms stay home with their kids to save the daycare subsidy, but who is going to serve your greasy burgers and chili fries? Forget about tax support for the arts. But what happens when the mayor tries to attract that new company with 2,000 new jobs to our city and the only cultural activity we have to offer is cable TV?

Our economy is in a shambles and the answer from the Republicans is to make the Bush tax cuts permanent. And the Democrats are promising tax relief to the middle class. Nevertheless, some one has to put money into the kitty to help reduce government debt and fuel public investment that will drive private sector growth.

Sure, we have to hold our public servants accountable on how our tax money is used. However, we cannot get out of our current economic mess with quick fixes like tax rebates and lower corporate taxes. A comprehensive overhaul of our tax policy needs happen under the next president’s watch–policies that not only encourages business investment, but also provide tax relief to middle class families.

Life is not like the movies. We may not love to pay taxes. But we have to press our leaders for answers longer than a read my lips no new taxes sound byte. We have to find a way to strike a balance between investment, growth –and tax relief.

For those of you who are not familiar with National Night Out, it is a nationwide event that helps raise awareness about how residents work together to reduce crime and drug use in their neighborhoods.

Columbus neighborhoods started participating in National Night Out over 20 years ago by simply encouraging people turn on their porch lights and go out to meet their neighbors during the 8:00 pm hour.

Back in the day, I worked for a few organizations that targeted services to central city neighborhoods. Many of these groups organized National Night Out events to draw attention their other community safety initiatives like after school programs. These after-school and other youth programs provide education and recreational activities that keep kids out of trouble. But planned federal funding cuts may jeopardize many after-school programs.

According to the national advocacy group, Fight Crime: Raise Kids, Congress is considering a proposal to cut federal funds for after-school programs by 40 percent, from $1 billion a year to $600 million. They also say that these reductions will result in about a half million children across the country losing access to after-school programs. The group predicts crime will increase, costing taxpayers and crime victims $2.4 billion dollars.

The Fight Crime: Raise Kids organization, whose members include law enforcement agencies and educators, estimates ten million children are currently left unsupervised after school each year. Studies show that after-school hours are the prime time for juvenile crime. Reducing access to high-quality afterschool programs could cause more than a half a million children to be at-risk of getting involved with juvenile crime and other risky behaviors.

Law enforcement and education experts agree that quality after-school programs have been shown to decrease crime, drug use and teen pregnancy. By giving students opportunities for academic enrichment, safe fun and community service, these initiatives increase high school graduation rates and college enrollment of the young people they serve.

Locally, the City of Columbus created the Capital Kids after school program in 2000. Capital Kids, which operates from four city recreation centers, combines homework help, recreational activities and parental involvement.

As we approach a new school year, it is not clear how federal and city budget woes will affect not only the Capital Kids, but other neighborhood-based programs as well.

Let us hope that these programs continue receive the support they need. These kids, and the neighborhoods served by after school and other safety programs, need the same encouragement experienced annually during National Night Out everyday.

During my walks with Bear over the years, I have passed quite a few homes that have fell victim to families not being able to make mortgage payments. The high number of foreclosures in our neighborhood was a pre-curser for the current mortgage crisis.

Most of us were first-time homebuyers when we moved to the neighborhood over ten years ago. So adjusting to all of that new financial responsibility was bound to create a few casualties.

Seeing that family was a sign of hope for my neighborhood. Several homes that were empty just a year ago are now filled with families making memories and making plans for a bright future.

However, despite any good news that may happen to the family next door, we are in the midst of a national anxiety attack according to media polls. A recent Pew Research Center survey says that over sixty-eight percent of Americans think the country is on the wrong track.

The same study says Americans are more pessimistic about the government’s ability to solve problems than they were in 1974 which was at the height of Watergate scandal and the end of the Vietnam War.

Yikes! We should take a collective cleansing breathe. If I recall correctly, we the people–are the government. We cannot keep blaming politicians since we are the ones that elect them. We have to take responsibility for the political and public policy choices we have made in this country over the past 30 years.

The reason our country is struggling is in 250 million bathroom mirrors. Love of our country, with all its warts, means adjusting to a new kind of patriotism. We have to be willing to education ourselves beyond our political comfort zones. This means taking our heads out of the sand to read more, listen more and–think more about where we want our country to be 10 years from now. Then we can really begin to hold our elected officials accountable for choices they make.

Sure, we are struggling with high gas and food prices and other economic troubles. But I believe the future is brighter than what we have all been feeling lately. If we really reflect on the meaning of July 4, we will remember that our country was built on tackling impossible problems, overcoming adversity with hard work, and creating new beginnings.

I saw a new beginning for a family during my Independence Day walk in my neighborhood that gave me hope. I bet if you look hard enough, there are some new beginnings in your neighborhood too.

This new lingo and 4 dollar a gallon gas, clearly illustrate a new reality: the line that divides the middle class and the working poor is blurring fast.

More middle class families find themselves struggling with the same problems of the poor–job loss, higher food and gas prices.

More middle income folks are learning to navigate unfamiliar territory in order to keep afloat. They are filing unemployment claims, seeking utility payment assistance, and even getting help from food pantries. Local pantries are experiencing increased demands on their dwindling resources from families who used to fit comfortably in the middle of the economic spectrum.

With the loss of high-paying, blue-collar jobs over the last 40 years, the number of people struggling financially has steadily increased across the state. Last week, the plight of Ohio’s working poor was spotlighted in a report released by Columbus’ Community Research Partners, a think tank that monitors socioeconomic trends.

According to their research, nearly one and a half million Ohioans live in poverty, which translates into the highest portion of our population living in poverty since 1964. These working poor have low wage jobs they simply don’t earn enough to cover their family’s basic needs. Their stagnation is intertwined with low high school graduation rates, regional economic downturns, and the vicious cycle of generational poverty.

And contrary to your image of a poor person, poverty affects Ohioans of every age, race and household type. As a matter of fact, sixty-six percent of Ohio’s poor are white.

In a retro-shout out to President Lyndon Johnson, Governor Strickland is rolling out his own war on poverty. In addition to the billion dollar economic stimulus package he’s pushing, he has now created an anti-poverty task force. Its mission is to come up with what Strickland calls immediate and pragmatic policy changes that will reduce the number of Ohioans living in poverty. Preliminary recommendations from the task force may come as early as this fall.

As a veteran of the non-profit service army, I’ve witnessed many federal, state and local attempts to tackle this stickiest of issues. A major mistake made by well-meaning social service professionals is not including poor people in the planning and development of anti-poverty programs.

While it’s easy to dismiss input from the poor, I am convinced this is one of the main reasons most of anti-poverty initiatives have failed. Just because someone is poor, does not mean they are not savvy. The normal we know what’s best for you approach will not work.

Including poor folks in the planning could help create more sustainable and results-oriented anti-poverty programs. Strickland’s task force can look to non-profit housing and community development programs for examples of how citizen participation increases neighborhood-level success.

Let’s hope that the social service and other coalitions working on new solutions figure out a way to include the knowledge and experiences of the poor and middle-class.

We will not be able to totally eliminate poverty, but empowering citizens to be a part of the solution could help policymakers finally find short and long-term answers to reducing poverty in Ohio.