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The Milwaukee Times Weekly Paper
Thursday, October 17, 2013 - Wednesday, October 23 , 2013
An NCON Publication
Editorials
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN The Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper Louvenia Johnson Luther Golden Nathan Conyers (1981-2008) (1981-2005) (1981- ) Lynda J. Jackson-Conyers, Publisher Ruthe Eleanor Latta, Editorial Page Editor
Discovering my true self in Africa
By Tony Farrell
A vision for rural African prosperity When Jonas Yogo, the Burkinabe farmer, first took me to his farm nearby Po, at first glance it seemed like almost nothing at all - just a piece of mostly barren land with poor soil and a couple of small buildings in the middle. I couldn’t imagine anything growing in that sandy, red soil – except for the scattered trees that were already there and well established. Like almost everywhere else in the rural areas, a donkey or goat here or there was grazing on nitrogen fixing weeds such as clover. Jonas began to explain to me that this was his prize property that he had been farming for 18 years. He said the time I had arrived was too early for the planting, and that’s why there were no crops growing yet. So Jonas pointed out to me areas where he grows maize and cowpeas, his two primary crops. Continuing, he explained that he grows them for seed which he sells to other farmers for them to grow their crops. “Seed producers do very good business here,” he told me. I learned that he cross-breeds maize and cowpeas to produce hybrid varieties better suited for their environment. As we walked the perimeter of the farm, he showed me the massive dug-out rainwater catchment he called “the dam,” which has enough clay on the bottom and a large enough size that it does not dry out even in the 8 to 9 month dry season. He also showed me a nearby area that had the beginnings of a small building. “I will have 20,000 chickens here,” he said. Further walking around the perimeter of the 100 acre flatland, we came upon a large 1 kilowatt solar array and a huge water tank that was 50 feet up in the air, set above a well dug into the ground. “This area is going to be vegetable production with drip irrigation,” he said, “but for now the well has pipes that run 2 kilometers to the nearby area and supplies 10,000 people with clean drinking water.” Instead of hoarding his own water resource, he was readily sharing it. Instantly, he was my hero. Then he took me back into an area with more trees, with a really nice small, va-
cant building. “This is all my land too,” he said, “and I am going to hire a cattle farmer who will live here and raise 200 cattle.” Back in the city of Po, Jonas took me to the new home he was building, which was two stories tall and made out of concrete. He had been working on it for five years and spent about $ 50,000 so far, and had about $ 10,000 left in order to finish it. “I am going to live on the bottom, and I am building the top for you and your family,” he told me. Jonas’ bold and sincere invitation left me speechless. Little did I know then, I was going to soon again not only be left speechless, but also with uncontrollable tears rolling down my cheeks. To be continued next week with, “God sent the Angel I asked Him for” Tony Farrell started his current business venture, Farrell Marketing Technology LLC, in April of 2011. Over his lengthy career as an information technology entrepreneur, he has worked on tens of thousands of computers and helped dozens of business to have smooth running, efficient computer infrastructure and great looking web sites that generate more business through search engine optimization. In February 2012, Tony began intensive organic farming on a small scale in his living room, including vermicomposting and aquaponics systems, and he completed Growing Power’s Commercial Urban Agriculture program in May 2012. Tony is currently enrolled in the Milwaukee-based Victory Garden Initiative’s Food Leader Certificate Program and Permaculture Design Certificate Program and is building a local for-profit microgreen production business called Farmer Tony’s Mission Greens. Tony recently returned from a three week agricultural mission trip to Burkina Faso, marking his first foray into international work. This series tells the story of that journey. Tony welcomes comments and feedback, and he may be contacted through his personal email address tony@farrellfamily.org
Rebuilding our Community
By Dr. Andrew Calhoun, Ed.D. Special for the Milwaukee Times
When it matters most “I have never felt that anything really mattered but the satisfaction of knowing that you stood for the things in which you believed and had done the very best you could.” These were the word spoken by Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt, wife of President Franklin D. Roosevelt, during the height of World War II (8 Nov. 1944). Mrs. Roosevelt became a catalyst for change and played a pivotal role in civil and human rights. As the longest serving First Lady (3 terms), she made it a habit to improve the social conditions of all Americans, regardless of race, religion and socioeconomic status. This was not done along political lines, but rather as matters of the heart and to what we call being decent and in order. She stood to make America better, to live up to its creed and to ensure that all Ameri-
cans get a fair chance. Over the past decade or two, it appears that much of what she stood for has been lost. It has also been lost due to the fact that so many people today are only concerned about what is in it for them and not for “good” of the greater society. At the heart of what is really being lost is that so much of what happens in Washington, DC affects all Americans. In so many ways, nearly every aspect of our society depends on our national government to work and to work well. This is especially true for the most vulnerable of our society, who depends and need access to medical care, education, food and shelter. The ongoing diversions and miscues of our elected officials in the federal government over the past five years has been something truly for
the record books and you just wonder how in the world some of them were elected in the first place. It is just astonishing to see and hear about all the political games, maneuvers and the disregard for fair treatment of those locked in poverty; the disabled, returning veterans; seniors; children, and the working poor. The essence of America and our way of life continues to not be forged through one’s political affiliation, wealth and influence, but rather through the blood and sweat of the average American who is invested in the pursuit of living a better life for themselves and their family. So... it's time to get back to work! Dr. Andrew Calhoun, can be contacted at andrewiiicalhoun@ gmail.com, Twitter #AC53, or call 414-571-5015.
Hey, Washington! Don’t bargain away our hard-earned Social Security benefits Dear Editor, For all the talk about Social Security, one thing you never hear is the vital role it plays as an engine of the U.S. economy. Yet Social Security benefits do more than keep millions of families afloat and help middle-class workers stay independent after decades of labor. Those payments also fuel a vast amount of economic activity in Wisconsin and throughout the nation, providing an economic benefit that helps us all. In fact, Social Security’s $762-billion in benefits sparked almost $1.4-trillion in total spending last year, according to a new analysis by AARP’s Public Policy Institute. That includes $28-billion of spending in Wisconsin alone. Overall, each dollar in Social Security benefits generates about two dollars in spending, the study found. Impressive as the state data are, the national figures are remarkable. The $1.4-trillion in U.S. economic activity driven by Social Security meant about 9.2 million jobs in 2012, including 195,000 jobs in Wisconsin. That’s an economic benefit worth applauding. Social Security is becoming even more essential as a growing number of older Americans struggle to stay financially secure in a weak job market, with meager savings
Lisa Lamkins
and no employer pension to help with the monthly bills. We already knew that Social Security accounts for about half the income of typical seniors, and substantially more than that for millions. But AARP’s analysis (Continued pg. 14)
The Milwaukee Times Weekly Newspaper NCON Publications welcomes letters to the editor, as a response to subjects reported or analyzed in the newspaper or on other issues of interest to the community. All letters must be legible, and contain a signature and a phone number. Submissions must be received by Friday to be considered for the following Thursday’s publication.
Publisher/President Lynda J. Jackson-Conyers Marketing Manager & Assistant to the President George Neal Graphic Artists William Gooden Michelle Anibas
Founders Louvenia Johnson Nathan Conyers Luther Golden Accounting Terry Taylor Printing Manager Angel Reyes
The Milwaukee Times email address: miltimes@gmail.com The Milwaukee Times Weekly newspaper is published each Thursday at 1936 N. MLK Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53212 Telephone: 414-263-5088 • Fax: 414-263-4445 Email: miltimes@gmail.com