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EXTRAORDINARY SOLUTIONS COMMUNITY COLLEGES RESCUE CALIFORNIA’S STRANDED WORKERS BY DR. EDWARD C. ORTELL CITRUS COLLEGE GOVERNING BOARD MEMBER
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WHERE IS BARRON TRUMP?
Demented Donald Trump idiotically insists local school boards should illegally force your vulnerable children back into crowded classrooms unsafely as the Trump-caused COVID-19 catastrophe only continues to get worse, while on permanent vacation Trump golfs endlessly at the taxpayers’ expense. Delusional Donald continues to claim the coronavirus will simply “...disappear, one day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear...” as some sort of sick, psychotic rationalization for his Russiancontrolled regime’s intentional inaction during this deadly pandemic. Vladimir Putin and his pathetic puppet Trump aren’t fooling anyone other than Jim Jones Trump’s Orange Kool-Aid drinkers and their greedy, hypocritical charlatan pastors in their private jets. Over 170,000 Americans are dead due to the Republican Party’s ongoing criminal negligence and purposefully incompetent cruelty. On November 3, the American people will finally render their political and constitutional judgment against Orange Julius Caesar in a landslide defeat for the GOP of historic proportions. Adios, Trump! And if the GOP’s dimwitted, draft-dodging version of Julius Caesar follows through on his tyrannical, terroristic threats to sabotage and/or cancel this November’s presidential election, the American republic’s defenders will respond appropriately in the remaining days of traitor Trump’s pathological presidency. (Perhaps the Orange emperor has never read William Shakespeare’s play about this subject?) Speaking of Shakespeare, where in the world is the Tangerine Tyrant’s 14-year-old son Barron Trump—a sad, tragic, unloved Shakespearean character if there ever was one. Considering the virtual blackout of almost all news coverage of President Trumptanic’s troubled relationship with his youngest son, Barron, isn’t it time for the craven corporate media to highlight the highly relevant fact that Barron will not be returning to school in person this year like your children, but Barron Trump will instead stay safe at home and attend class online? Jake Pickering
SAFE AND SOUND
Is it democratic that one man can prevent bipartisan legislation passed by the House not be acted upon by the senate? Over 275 bipartisan bills are sitting in the grave site of the Grim Reaper. Many of these bills are strongly supported by Republicans like the “impeachment and replacement of the president” that was supported by 71% of the Republicans. Here are a few relevant bills buried in McConnell’s graveyard. • The Safe Act, which is a bill to help states build a support system for safe, reliable elections. Why would the senate not support this important bill? • The Equality Act that has received so much needed attention and is vital to our efforts at the very least to begin to take this American issue seriously. Of course, this is not a Republican goal. • Raise Wages Act. Wages have been flat for four years due to President Trump’s overt actions to support corporations and businesses over American workers. Although Trump has claimed workers are his top priority like many other promises, he has taken actions to do the opposite. Like gun violence also proposed by our frightened children, Trump promised action but never accomplished a thing. Now, he and Mr. Barr are trying to eliminate Obamacare. Finally, as we continue to amass over 5.1 million virus cases and our death toll keeps rising—to 169,000 now—our president claims, “It will disappear.” It is my wish that he will disappear after the fall election! Dr. Richard A. French Pasadena
4 PASADENA WEEKLY | 08.20.20
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ho are California’s “stranded workers”? According to leaders in higher education, they are the state’s 2.5 million working adults who have graduated from high school but have not earned a postsecondary degree or any type of vocational certification. The more important question, however, is why they are considered “stranded.” Data from California Competes, a nonpartisan research and Dr. Edward C. Ortell, policy group, show 41% of this racially diverse Governing Board Member, group are parents; more than half work full time; Citrus College. and 58% earn less than $25,000 annually. In other words, they do not have the financial means, the time or the necessary information to pursue higher education options that could help them break the cycle in which they are trapped. Today’s high-tech workplace requires advanced training and a new set of skills across all industries. Workers employed in low-wage, entry level jobs have little hope of advancing to the next level in their careers without acquiring additional training and new skills. COVID-19 has further changed the workplace in sudden and dramatic ways. Jobs once thought accessible only to workers who could commute to and from the workplace each day are now being done entirely online. Other employers are using technologies that combine commuting and working from home. As we emerge from the pandemic, much of the new workplace model will remain, given its convenience, flexibility and cost-saving advantages. And much of it will require new skills. A recent study by the Strada Education Network indicated that nondegree programs have the highest level of interest among Americans who desire career advancement. According to Andrew Hanson, director of research for Strada, “…Americans are telling us they’re interested in immediate opportunities to develop their skills.” Stranded workers need look no further than their local community college to quickly acquire new skills. Citrus College offers skill awards and certificates of achievement in 30 disciplines or programs. The college has also partnered with ED4Career to deliver online career training and certification in a variety of fields. Students can enroll in this program at any time, and courses can be accessed 24/7. New students can tap into counselors, financial aid information and other services at citruscollege.edu. Extraordinarily difficult times such as these require extraordinary solutions. Community colleges continue to prove they are able to step up quickly and help students across all educational levels find a program that will maximize their employment opportunities and provide a pathway to a better life. n Professor emeritus at Pasadena City College and former executive director of the Pasadena Education Association, Dr. Edward C. Ortell is the senior governing board member at Citrus College. He has served on the California Community College Trustees (CCCT) state board of directors and 11 terms as president of the Citrus College Board of Trustees.
CARTOON
Photo courtesy Dr. Edward C. Ortell
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