John Huntsman

By Bob Gaydos

While seven of the usual suspects were in Las Vegas engaged in an all-out food fight centering around Mitt Romney, the only Republican presidential candidate who doesn’t come off as a cartoon of him or her self was in New Hampshire appealing to the reasonableness of the voters of the Granite State.

Poor Jon Huntsman. His campaign is just about out of money. He is polling about 7 percent among potential Republican voters. And yet he insists on trying to run a campaign grounded in what most people would regard as reality. He doesn’t stand a chance, not in the Mad Hatter tea party that is today’s GOP.

Huntsman was really in trouble from day one of his campaign and the fact that he is a Mormon was the least of his intra-party challenges. A staunch right-to-life, pro-gun, fiscally conservative former governor of Utah, Huntsman has also been an outspoken opponent of the war in Afghanistan, favors civil unions for same-sex couples, almost enacted a mandated health care plan in Utah and believes scientists who say the earth is heating up and that it is a problem.

Recognizing that some of those positions differ from some of the louder elements of his party, Huntsman nevertheless threw his hat in the ring, saying, “It’s OK — you’ve got to be who you are and march forward. Some people will like it. And I believe that in the end people will look at the totality of what it is you stand for, the totality of what you’ve done, and then make an informed decision.”

Yeah, well, sorry about that, Jon. That reasonable-sounding approach to campaigning is probably Huntsman’s most serious disconnect from the reality of Republican politics today. If you do not adopt the orthodoxy of the outspoken, pro-religion, anti-government extreme right wing GOP minority these days, you do not get their primary support — be it votes or dollars. It has led front-runner Mitt Romney, another Mormon former governor, to come across as a hypocrite. Romney has reversed his position on every possible issue since becoming a candidate — and a wooden one at that.

It’s what happened to John McCain in 2008 when he captured the GOP nomination. Huntsman was one of McCain’s national campaign chairmen, so he saw how swallowing one’s principles is the key to success in the modern GOP. Yet there was Huntsman in New Hampshire Tuesday telling a Washington Post writer, “I believe in evolution and trust scientists on global warming. Call me crazy.”

We’ll leave that for Rick Santorum, Jon.

Huntsman’s boycott of the Las Vegas debate — a statement about Nevada’s jumping in line ahead of the traditional first-in-the-nation New Hampshire primary — was accompanied by another moderate-sounding broadside in the Wall Street Journal.

In an opinion page article, Huntsman said President Barack Obama’s Wall Street reforms did not solve the problem of “too-big-to-fail” banks. Noting that, three years after the financial crisis, “the six largest American financial institutions are significantly bigger than they were before the crisis,” he said imposing a tax on these large institutions would be one way to lower the risk of a future bailout by taxpayers.

Well of course it would, Jon. That’s why the rest of your Republican would-be presidents oppose it. But I bet you’d get a warmer reception for the idea with the Occupy Wall Street crowd.

That’s Huntsman’s problem. He can see when the emperor is naked and can’t stop himself from saying so. That, and the fact that he actually worked for Obama as ambassador to China.

This, too, is regarded as a negative in some Republican circles — the fact that he was deemed qualified to handle one of the key U.S. diplomatic postings of the 21st century, by a president of the opposing party. Yet a pizza huckster with no government or foreign policy experience ranks among the leaders in the GOP primary polls based largely on a campaign that sounds like a TV ad: 999. One large pie with two toppings. Pickup only.

Huntsman says he hopes to convince the traditionally independent voters of New Hampshire to accept his reasonable brand of conservatism — the way they did for McCain in 2000 — then carry that victory to triumph in South Carolina.

Here again, I think Huntsman has lost touch with reality. If I’m one of the other seven candidates — say Rick Perry — I’m digging out Huntsman’s answer to a question at a GOP debate at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley, California on Sept. 7:

“Q: You have said the party is in danger of becoming anti-science. Who on this stage is anti-science?

“A: Listen, when you make comments that fly in the face of what 98 out of 100 climate scientists have said, when you call into question the science of evolution, all I’m saying is that, in order for the Republican Party to win, we can’t run from science. We can’t run from mainstream conservative philosophy. We’ve got to win voters; to reach out and bring in independents.”

Yeah, that’ll play well with the Bob Jones University crowd.

bob@zestoforange.com

Rick Perry

By Jeffrey Page

More than a week has passed since a reporter in New Hampshire asked if he agreed with the slander uttered by one of his great supporters against the Mormons in general and Mitt Romney in particular.

It was the Rev. Robert Jeffress, the spiritual leader of the 10,000 members of the First Baptist Church of Dallas, who said Mormons are not Christians. He went on to say that Mormonism isn’t even a religion but a cult. They said that about Christianity once, didn’t they?

Perry had the opportunity to smack down a bigot like Jeffress. He could have been valiant. He could have been courageous.

Instead, when the reporter asked straight out if he agreed with Jeffress’ thinking, Perry responded with a pathetic “No” and let it go at that.

Gutless.

Jeffress sounds like just another nut job. Still, he’s loudly in Perry’s corner and so, millions of Catholics, Buddhists, Jews, Muslims, main line Protestants, and Mormons waited – and continue to wait – for him to say something meaningful.

They didn’t have to wait long for Jeffress. He ran a piece in the Washington Post this week defending his position about the Mormons, and basically informing us that if we don’t like what he has to say, it’s tough. You may not like what he had to say, but he was more forthright than Perry who is still answering one syllable at a time.

What a candidate for president of the United States of America owes the people is a statement along the lines of: “Rev. Jeffress should repudiate his comments just as I repudiate him.”

But Perry just slunk away even though Jeffress’ bigotry is not new. I picked up an item from CNN that reported some of his other observations. Jews, gay people, Muslims and Mormons, Jeffress has said, are bound to spend eternity in hell. Islam, Jeffress has said, encourages pedophilia. The reason to keep gay people out of the military is because, Jeffress has said, 70 percent of all gay people have AIDS.

He didn’t cite his sources.

Which brings us to the Republican candidates’ debate Tuesday night this week in Las Vegas. When the subject of Rev. Jeffress’ views rose, Perry said: “He has his opinion. I don’t agree with him. I said so.”

Maybe back home, where he’s been governor for the last 11 years, Perry can slough off Jeffress’ prehistoric views with 15 syllables of Texas twaddle or a nice, easy, second rendition of “No.”

But to ignore the rest of America and its splendid diversity is to invite the electoral disaster Perry deserves.

jeffrey@zestoforange.com

By Shawn Dell Joyce
Many local businesses are discovering the benefits of taking the Ten Percent Challenge and lowering their energy use and cost by ten percent before the winter rise in energy costs. One of those businesses is Al Valk’s Garage in Walden.

Valk says: “As a small business in a struggling economy we have been researching all the rising costs of doing business, insurance, taxes, licenses, fuel electric, etc. Our electric bills for last July through August were $960.00, and with the winter season just around the corner, our electric bills will more than double. The idea of the Ten Percent Challenge is real to us; because of the rising costs of doing business, we are trying for more.”

Valk contacted his utility, New York State Electric & Gas, and had an audit through their in house energy audit program called Enerpath (www.enerpath.com). NYSEG sent an auditor to Valk’s Garage and recommended that he replace the old, out-dated fluorescent fixtures and bulbs with more efficient newer ones. The work has not yet been completed, but Valk has been assured that it will be in the next few months and will start saving him more than $113 per year, and $566 in the next five years in spite of rising energy costs. Valks’ current annual lighting expense is $371 per year, and one simple lighting upgrade of 24 bulbs and fixtures, which will cost $1,025, will pay for itself in 42 months and give a return on investment of 28 percent. Icing on the cake is that NYSEG kicked in more than $600 towards Valk’s lighting upgrade, reducing his costs to just over $300.

While Valk reduced his electric bill by more than 30 percent with one simple upgrade, he’s not stopping there. “We plan on resealing all the 17 overhead garage doors,” notes Valk, as well as having all the “heating units serviced and cleaned, with a possible upgrade on a heating unit – if money is available.”

Valk thinks the Ten Percent Challenge makes good business sense. “The challenge equals smart business management, says Valk. “We must pay attention to all costs of doing business and living expenses to survive.”

If you want to save 10 percent on your home or business energy costs, watch for news about future Ten Percent Challenge meetings such as the one scheduled for earlier this week in Walden. Sign up and find out how your home or business can do something positive for your bottom line and the community.

Already taken the Ten Percent Challenge? Email me and tell me what you did to save and I’ll write about you in a future column. ShawnDellJoyce@gmail.com

Shawn Dell Joyce is the director of the Wallkill River School in Montgomery, one of the flagship businesses of the Ten Percent Challenge, along with the Wallkill Valley Times. Keep following her column to see how other local businesses are joining the Ten Percent Challenge.

Black Dirt Overlook

By Carrie Jacobson
At the end of this week, I am heading to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, to get away, to see something new, to paint.

Since my job at the Record was eliminated, I’ve been able to take a lengthy painting trip every year. This year, I haven’t had the chance. The others have been three to four weeks, marathons of painting and discovery, exhausting and exhilarating and filled with energy to last me through the year.

This won’t be as long, but my hunger for it will give me in depth what I will be missing in length.

I do feel a little odd leaving New England at the height of autumn — but the colors aren’t bright enough to hold me — and I have seen this before. My eyes need something new.

I think all our eyes need something new, even if it is just for a glance, just for a moment. We need to look away, go away, see afar or microscopically close — and then, the middle distance looks fresh again.

I will do my best to remember to post a painting from North Carolina for next week’s Zest!

If you are interested in “Black Dirt Overlook,” which is oil on canvas, 18×36, please email me at carrieBjacobson@gmail.com

By Jason Poggioli
Last week an iconic figure of the technological age passed away, sparking dozens upon dozens of articles, memorials, essays, and remembrances. Everyone seems to have an opinion about Steve Jobs, ranging from hate to love, but hate ir love, it’s undeniable that he had a huge impact in the world of computer technology.

It’s difficult to know if Steve Jobs was the kind of man you’d like to have a beer with. Most accounts paint the picture of an extremely arrogant, yet intelligent man, who did not suffer fools easily. He was known for being a micromanager of design details, one time famously returning a newly designed iPod to the drawing board at the last minute because the headphones didn’t make a satisfying “click” when plugging them into the jack. Regardless, he led Apple through its most prosperous times to date, at one point raising it to be the most valuable company in the world, above even the giant among giants, Exxon-Mobil.

His career reads like a ready-made Hollywood success, failure, then success again story – the very essence of the American dream. Steve was an adopted child from a fairly ordinary middle-class family. After co-founding Apple with Steve Wozniak in a garage, his company rose to contend with the likes of IBM until he was ousted by the board of directors in the mid-80’s. Feeling betrayed, Steve founded another technology company, called NeXT, as well as acquiring the computer graphics division of LucasFilm which would become Pixar Animation Studios. After heading up the team that would bring us the classic movie “Toy Story,” the first film entirely in CGI, NeXT was purchased by Apple in 1996 and Steve found himself back where he started.

It’s undeniable that Steve Jobs was obsessed with elevating computer technology and to the status of the “every man’s tool.” Apple was always focused on creating not just a device for businessmen and nerdy hobbyists, but to create a machine that was as simple to use as a toaster and infinitely more versatile – a true computerized appliance. The products of Apple embodied this idea by revolutionizing existing technology rather than inventing them from scratch. There were already MP3 players on the market, but the iPod and iTunes took the concept to an entirely new level. There were already smartphones on the market, but the iPhone made them beautiful and powerful. The idea of a tablet computer was already prevalent, but the iPad was the first to occupy that niche successfully.

Less is known about his personal life although he was married with children including having fathered a child in his early years, out of wedlock, and whom he denied was his for many years. A glimpse into how he thought about life can be found in his Stanford commencement address from 2005, which is a beautiful and heartfelt speech that I strongly encourage you to read. In it, he explains how he learned the importance of bringing together technical science and artistic beauty to make a superior product. He also implores us to find what they love and to chase it unapologetically.

Perhaps the most poignant insight into Steve Jobs’ character can be glimpsed when, just a few weeks before his death, he explained why he had authorized a public biography of himself – to be published in two weeks – after years of leading a private, secluded life.

“I wanted my kids to know me,” Jobs was quoted as telling his biographer. “I wasn’t always there for them and I wanted them to know why, and to understand what I did.”

Mitt Romney, GOP's default favorite flavor

By Bob Gaydos

Don’t look now, but the flavor of the week for all those frustrated, angry, eager-for-change Republicans is … vanilla.

Not cherry vanilla or even vanilla bean. And no, sorry Mr. Cain, despite all the high-profile attention you’ve been getting from the media of late, not “black walnut with substance.” Plain old vanilla, aka Mitt Romney, is looking more and more like what he has acted like from the beginning of the tortuous Republican presidential primary process — the eventual GOP nominee.

That won’t be because he has captured the imagination of the party faithful (whoever they may be), but because none of the other colorful, imaginative GOP candidates has offered anything close to a resume that screams. “Pick me! I know how to do the job.”

The anyone-but-Romney crown within the GOP had a rough couple of weeks as two of their more prominent, colorful potential candidates both opted not to run. Chris Christie, the larger-than-life governor of New Jersey, who likes to beat up on teachers, has regularly insisted he was not a presidential candidate, but apparently felt obligated to consider the pleas to run one more time when all the vanilla-haters in the GOP begged him. Mr. Rocky Road said thanks, but no, once again.

And Sarah Palin, the hot fudge sundae who has been running away from political office ever since she was John McCain’s partner on the 2008 losing ticket, proved she is smarter than a lot of folks (me included) give her credit for, by saying she’s not running for president either. Clearly, it’s much easier to travel around the country on a spiffy bus, picking up hefty speaking fees than having to campaign for office, never mind actually governing that country.

On her way out, Palin tagged Cain (erroneously calling him “Herb,” not Herman) as the next flavor of the week because Minnesota Rep. Michelle Bachmann, a make-up-your own-sundae candidate, had fallen out of favor when Texas Gov. Rick Perry jumped into the race. But Perry quickly went from being the favorite anti-Romney candidate to melted butter pecan after terrible debate performances. Apparently even Republicans have lost a taste for affable Texans who don’t know what they’re talking about.

That leaves Rick Santorum hanging around, even though almost nobody’s buying what he’s selling, along with Newt Gingrich, and no one’s going to buy any ice cream called Newt. And of course, Ron Paul, the Libertarian in Republican clothing, is still in the race. He’ll never drop out and could even get flavor of the week some time, but when he goes all soft-serve on the wars in Afghanistan and against drugs the GOP hardliners will go soft-serve on him. But mostly, it will be because they’re not sure what flavor he really is.

This, we are told, leaves Republicans with Cain and Romney. Republicans love colorful, tough-talking, no-nonsense businessmen who are convinced they know how to do what the “professional politicians” don’t. Ross Perot. Donald Trump. Steve Forbes. They made their fortunes in business (the latter two with the help of Daddy) and, by golly, they could do it in the White House, too. Or so they said.

But they couldn’t get the nomination because they couldn’t do what politicians have to do in order to succeed — understand the concerns of all the people and work with those who hold different views for the greater good. It is not just a matter of telling employees what to do in order to improve the bottom line. It is more a matter of improving all citizens’ bottom lines and, by the way, getting along with the rest of the world.

Perot ran as an independent, and a paranoid one at that. Trump was always just a TV act looking for ratings. Forbes proposed a flat tax on all Americans and said that would straighten out all our problems, not just the budget. He never got why that was unfair to those who were not born rich.

Cain has a version of this with his 9-9-9- plan. He also doesn’t understand why a 9 percent national sales tax on everyone disproportionately hurts those without a lot of money. Plus, it’s a tax, isn’t it? How is that Republican? He’s a black man who likes the up-by-your-own-bootstraps argument, which endears him to a lot of Republicans. Of course, he had parents who worked very hard to get him and his brother into college, where they could get the education to help them succeed. And for those who joke that President Obama (who never saw his father after age 10) never even delivered a pizza, Cain didn’t start at the bottom at Godfather’s Pizza; he came in as the boss and made it a success before selling it.

But Romney is also an incredibly successful businessman, who was also governor of Massachusetts and the guiding force behind the 2002 Winter Olympics in St. Lake City. He has had to deal with differing opinions and learn about compromising and raising revenues to keep things running. He even got a health plan passed for the good of all Massachusetts citizens. Unfortunately for him, these are seen as negatives by people who belong to one of the many vocal factions driving Republican politics these days, including the tea party folks. They dominate public debate and straw polls.

So Romney, who might really be more Neopolitan ice cream (vanilla, chocolate and strawberry), has stuck to plain vanilla until now so as not to seriously offend any of those factions and lose the nomination. (See: John McCain in 2008.) In return, they have accused him of being a member of a cult, because he is a Mormon, and two-faced, because he won’t absolutely, positively toe the line on not taxing the rich. At the Republican candidates debate Tuesday, Romney said, “I’m not worried about rich people. They are doing just fine.”

Geez, Mitt, that sounds almost vanilla bean. Or Democratic.

bob@zestoforange.com

Photography by Rich Gigli

Stone Arch Bridge, N.Y.

The Autumn by Elizabeth Barrett Browning

Go, sit upon the lofty hill,
And turn your eyes around,
Where waving woods and waters wild
Do hymn an autumn sound.
The summer sun is faint on them —
The summer flowers depart —
Sit still — as all transform’d to stone,
Except your musing heart.

 By Michael Kaufman

Rep. Nan Hayworth has been making the rounds lately, touring local areas ravaged by the recent storms and proclaiming her commitment to fight for the funding needed to repair the damage. This is a shameless exhibition of damage control on her part. Hayworth is still feeling the heat from remarks she made in the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Irene, wherein she cast her lot with Eric Cantor and other leading Republicans in Congress, who said aid would only be forthcoming if funds were cut elsewhere in the federal budget to make up for it. 

When her comments caused the uproar they merited among her constituents, Hayworth quickly backtracked. Rather than apologize or admit she was wrong, however, she claimed her remarks had been “misinterpreted.” Since then her few remaining local admirers, including Warwick Town Supervisor Michael Sweeton, have rallied to her defense, blaming the media for distorting her position. 

The reality is that Hayworth, like most of her fellow members of Congress, are out of touch with the problems faced by growing numbers of their constituents. Rising health care costs do not affect them. They have good-paying jobs and benefits that any trade union in the private or public sector would give their eye teeth to get for its members.  They have enough money to pay the rent (often for multiple cushy dwellings), buy food, pay for medicine, dine in expensive restaurants, take nice vacations, etc. 

Alas, Hayworth and other Congress members are not the only ones who are out of touch. The October issue of the AARP Bulletin shows just how far that organization has lost touch with the seniors it supposedly represents, many of whom are now living in dire straits. A full-page editorial titled, “Small Steps, Big Dividends,” urges seniors to do their part to help “trim the deficit” by taking these five steps:

1. Cut 150 calories a day from your diet. “Start by eating less,” writes editor Jim Toedtman. “The national eating binge has consequences, starting with diabetes.” Evidently, Toedtman is unaware that many seniors are already eating less because they don’t have enough money to buy food.
2. Pay your debts. Can’t argue with him there. But it sort of goes without saying that if you don’t have enough money to buy food you might not be in such a great position to pay your debts right now, either.
3. Walk a mile a day. “Or walk, or swim, or try any aerobic exercise that burns calories and strengthens the heart.” This will reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and save a lot of money in health care costs. Of course, this is a wonderful idea for anyone healthy enough to do it. Toedtman forgot to add that before you start on any exercise program you should consult with your doctor. This is especially true for seniors, who are at higher risk of dropping dead from the exercise if they aren’t in tip-top shape. And someone has to pay for that doctor visit.
4. Plan to work an extra year or two. Words almost fail me on this one.  It is hard enough for young people to find jobs nowadays. Ask any of the recent college graduates you know. Where are the jobs for seniors? And by the way, this is something that needs to be taken into account when people start talking about increasing the age of eligibility to collect Social Security benefits. Yes, people are living longer—but employers aren’t hiring older workers. Unless that changes, raising the age limit will simply create more poor old folks.
5. Give Uncle Sam a gift. “Others do,” says Toedtman.  “Here’s the point. Everyone has a stake in this fiscal challenge, and the longer we ignore it, the greater the cataclysm awaiting us.  This is not just a Washington problem. It requires a combination of common sense and forceful action. Citizens can lead the way.” 

But for many seniors and other Americans the cataclysm has already arrived. And citizens are, in fact, leading the way at Occupy Wall Street and similar activities across the country. I wouldn’t expect Nan Hayworth to be there. But AARP should be.  

Michael can be reached at Michael@zestoforange.com.

By Shawn Dell Joyce
With stocks plummeting, home heating prices soaring and money tight, many people look toward winter with fear and trepidation. One of the best ways to alleviate this fear is to take positive action like having a home energy audit.

Almost half of our energy use goes into heating and cooling our homes. We are already paying an average of 20 percent higher home heating costs, so any way you can reduce your costs will pay for it. A professional home energy audit costs $100 to $300, but through the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA), homeowners can get this service for free.

If you take out the loan and make the improvements, the money you save on your electric bill easily covers the loan payment, often with plenty left over. If you plan to go solar, or incorporate some form of renewable energy into your home, the same program will pay for half the installed cost. www.getenergysmart.org

Having a trained eye look at your home is invaluable. My auditor spotted right away that my furnace was operating at 80 percent efficiency despite just being serviced. He also found some leaky and uninsulated ductwork.

The blower door is a tool that auditors use to test your home’s envelope. They install a powerful fan that fits exactly into an open outer door. The air is sucked out of your house causing negative air pressure. The auditor walks around with a hand held smoke machine and points out the major gaps and leaks, usually around doors and window frames. If added together, all these gaps and leaks can equal a huge hole in your wall.

Here are a few ways my home energy audit saved us money and reduced our energy use:

–Just by caulking all the gaps and leaks, we could cut almost $1,000 from our annual heating and cooling bills. Even if we hired a contractor to do this and had to pay $4,500 for caulking, we would make that investment back in under 5 years. You can’t get a rate of return that good on the stock market right now.

–One of the most obvious leaks in any home is an uninsulated attic and basement. We were losing much of our heat right though the roof of our house. A modest investment of about $1,500 added six more inches of insulation in our attic and made a considerable difference in how warm the house feels, and how much energy we use to heat it. We reinsulated many of our outside walls at the same time, and were able to cut our home heating costs dramatically last year.

–If you have an uninsulated basement, insulating exposed crawl spaces, ceilings and walls could save you as much as $800 annually, depending on the size of your house. Again, if you paid someone to do it, you would make a return on your investment in under five years. 

–Switching out your incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent or LED lights can save you an immediate 20 percent reduction on your electric bill. The more bulbs you replace, the greater your savings.

–About 14 percent of our home energy use is spent on keeping water hot at all times. Buying an on-demand water heater will save you the cost of that new water heater in about 2 to 3 years.

–Appliances and cooking can account for 33 percent of our home energy use. If you replace older appliances with Energy Star Rated appliances, you can save about $100 per year, per appliance on average. These savings help to offset the cost of the new appliance over the years.

–Replacing windows can be expensive, making the payback period much longer. In my case, we would save $30 to $50 annually with a payback period of 10 years. We opted instead to invest in window inserts to use during the winter. An immediate action you can take is to cover every window with clear plastic window sheeting from your local hardware store. It curbs heat transfer, and will save energy.

Sign up for the Ten Percent Challenge and have a home energy audit. Tell me what you did to reduce your energy usage by 10 percent or more, and I’ll write about you. Next week, we’ll hear from some local businesses that had energy audits and reduced their energy bills by more than 10 percent.

Shawn@zestoforange.com

By Russ Layne
3 a.m., Thursday, Oct. 6. 43 degrees. I had been preparing myself emotionally. But did I really want to make the trip to Wall Street? Especially on a weekday, when I’d have to grapple with rush-hour traffic? Don’t misunderstand: Under certain circumstances I enjoy being among the throngs – at music festivals and peace demonstrations, for example. But I had been following what was transpiring down in the Financial District and felt the tug.

The day before, I went to the local health food store to buy a case of chocolate bars for the folks who had already been sleeping and living in Zuccotti Park, two blocks from Wall Street. There were no chocolate bars so the owner recommended tasty new protein bars. I revealed that the protein bars were not for me, but were headed to Wall Street. Not for the bankers but for the folks who could not get jobs, who perhaps had lost their homes. These bars were for the people camping out in the cold, committed to a more equitable economic system, I told her.

“Here, another box on me as my contribution,” she said. There you go, I said to myself. This movement is impacting a lot more people than I thought. Her single action alone gave more purpose to my mission.

I beat the rush-hour traffic and parked at the PATH station in Harrison, N.J. By 4:30 a.m. I was climbing the long staircase out of the World Trade Center station. Chilly. Forty-eight degrees. Yet there were more people out and about than I was likely to find in downtown Warwick, but by Manhattan standards, it was quiet, serene.

At Zuccotti Park, I saw hundreds of people wrapped in sleeping bags on the pavement, some covered with tarps, but no tents. Virtually everyone was asleep save for a few individuals holding down the information desk and the kitchen. In an adjoining area, some people were working the electronic communications systems. On the street, for at least one entire block, mainstream media trucks were parked bumper to bumper. And, surrounding the park were lots of unsmiling patrolmen who looked bored.

As I delivered the protein bars, I had a spirited conversation with a member of the kitchen help. He talked about the inspiring march and rally the previous day that drew thousands of participants. It helped re-fuel the impetus to “stay the course.” We had a good laugh over his choice of words, recalling that President George W. Bush was wont to use them. I was impressed with his ability to clearly articulate his assessment of the economic crisis. I wish Fox or CNN would have interviewed him.

With time to spare before participating in a planned noon march, I went back to the information desk and made a monetary contribution and became engaged in another sobering conversation. The person to whom I handed my money was a recent graduate from a New Jersey university who had expected to be a school teacher. Our conversation started with how our country’s wealth was totally lopsided. “Sixty percent of the wealth to 1 percent of the population; the rest for the other 99 percent,” he said. We chuckled when he mentioned trickle-down economics.

On a more serious note, there’s no joy among young adults such as himself, who can’t find work. “I applied to 42 school districts,” he said.

I winced. I’m a recent retiree from the Paterson, N.J. school system and despite chronic labor unrest during my 36-year tenure, I always had work. My research indicates that last year, New Jersey lost more than 6,000 teaching positions, ranking it fifth among all states in public education job losses.

Meanwhile, many of the organizational meetings were scheduled for 11 a.m. in Zuccotti Park. So to escape the now bustling streets of the Financial District, I sought refuge in the timeworn cemetery of Trinity Church two blocks away. There I came across the grave of Alexander Hamilton, the founder of Paterson. I paused and reflected on the conversation I’d had with the aspiring teacher. Had it not been for the financial meltdown, caused by institutions that now surrounded me, that young educator might very well be gainfully employed.

Later in the day, I was filled with the hope and optimism that once again – as had happened during the Vietnam War – it would be the young people to wake us to our feelings of powerlessness and become the real catalysts for change in America.