Up and Coming Weekly is a weekly publication in Fayetteville, NC and Fort Bragg, NC area offering local news, views, arts, entertainment and community event and business information.
Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/45019
STAFF bbowman@upandcomingweekly.com editor@upandcomingweekly.com ASSOCIATE PUBLISHERS Janice Burton Joy Crowe stephanie@upandcomingweekly.com hal@upandcomingweekly.com Michelle Schumacher michelle@upandcomingweekly.com OFFICE MANAGER Laurel Handforth officemanager@ upandcomingweekly.com ACCOUNTING Mary Catherine Thompson accounting@upandcomingweekly.com GRAPHIC DESIGNER Alicia Miller art@upandcomingweekly.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS D.G. Mar tin, Pitt Dick ey, Margaret Dickson, John Hood, Jhana Lewis, Erinn Crider, Karen Poppele, Heath- er Griffi ths, Beth Solzsmon-Carpenter–––––––––––– Up & Coming Weekly www.upandcomingweekly.com 208 Rowan Street P.O. Box 53461 Fayetteville, NC 28305 PHONE: (910) 484-6200 FAX: (910) 484-9218 Up & Coming Weekly is a "Quality of Life" publication with local features, news and infor- mation on what's happening in and around the Fayetteville/Cumberland County community. Up & Coming Weekly is published weekly on Wednesdays. Up & Coming Weekly welcomes manuscripts, photographs and artwork for publication consideration, but assumes no responsibility for them. We cannot accept responsibility for the return of unsolicited manuscripts or material. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher. The publisher reserves the right to edit or reject copy submitted for publication. Up & Coming Weekly is free of charge and distributed at indoor and outdoor locations throughout Fayetteville, Fort Bragg, Pope Air Force Base, Hope Mills and Spring Lake. Readers are limited to one copy per per- son. Subscriptions can be purchased for $30 for six months or $60 for 12 months, delivered weekly by first class mail. ©2007 by F&B Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use of editorial or advertisements without permission is strictly prohibited. MARKETING/SALES Hal Nunn ASSOCIATE EDITOR Stephanie Crider PUBLISHER Bill Bowman INSIDE PUBLISHER'S PEN by BILL BOWMAN Occupy Wall Street, the current movement du jour, is bringing together tens of thousands of protesters. Unfortunately, the only thing this diverse group is coming together on is that they are victims of a rotten economy and incompetent, irresponsible and failed government leadership at all levels. Oh yeah, it's sad, but true. In our own community hundreds of Fayetteville/Cumberland County residents stood in long lines for hours last week at a job fair held by the Cumberland County Department of Social Services at the Crown Center. This event served as a dismal reminder of what comes from ineffective and failed government policies and blatant incompetence and dishonesty. The constant sound bites of rhetoric about the nation's $14 trillion dollar debt, the 25 million out-of-work Americans and the prospects of increasing taxes to raise enough money to pay our bills ring hollow, when the most serious concerns are ignored. Concerns like the gross Medicaid/ Medicare fraud that totals billions. Solyndra's $535 million dollar bankruptcy and loss of taxpayers money. We can't forget my all time favorite example of Protesters rail against Wall Street while embracing the corporate culture as seen by name-brand camping gear and communications devices. government incompetence — the covert hair-brained operation of Fast and Furious which placed hundreds of lethal weapons into the hands of criminals and gangsters who are currently using them not only to commit crimes, but to actually kill Americans. No wonder people are angry. Targeting Wall Street, capitalism and rich people is easy. The sad truth is most of the protesters have little or no knowledge of local, state or national affairs or of how economics really work. Their time and passion is so misplaced. Our nation was built on capitalism and through the blood, sweat and tears of true risk-taking entrepreneurs. How can this reality be ignored by protesters wearing $110 tennis shoes, Old Navy hoodies and Gap jeans while communicating on cell phones and entertaining themselves with iPads, iPods and iPhones? Where is the logic? My suggestion to these folks, and the 35 people who rallied Fayetteville's Weather Forecast October 21 Thursday October 20 Saturday October 22 Fayetteville's Weather Forecast Friday locally around the Fayetteville Market House last week, is to fi rst become responsible for their own actions and well being. Take control of their futures and realize that the redistribution of wealth is not the answer to their problems. The second thing they need to do is fi nd a job. Only 4.3 percent of the unemployed have college educations. Maybe they should get educated. Third, stop blaming everyone else. The realization that our nation was built on a foundation of hard work, free enterprise and capitalism will eventually prove them silly. Locally, we have plenty of examples of people who exercised their talents, worked hard, took their chances and succeeded in participating in the American Dream; The late Bobby McCoy, M.J. Soffee, and Putt Putt Golf creator and founder Don Clayton immediately come to mind. Some of these amazing, hard working, dedicated risk-takers I see everyday are Ralph Huff of H&H Homes, Ron Darden of Darden & Miranda Insurance Company, Mike Karaman of Karaman Communications, Jimmy Townsend of Townsend Real Estate, Jim Pittman of Fast Signs, Bill and Mary Mathews of M & M Leather, Don Price of Lafayette Ford and Holly Whitney of Legends Pub on Bragg Boulevard. Entrepreneurs and risk-takers everyone, and, not a "silver spoon" to be found anywhere. My list could go on and on but you get the point. The system works. It is the government that is broken. It is our government at all levels that has fostered programs and policies that cripple all Americans, not just the poor and working middle class. Only we can fi x this problem and the solution is to get involved with the process. Vote in the upcoming election and let your voice be heard. This is where and how justice will be done. Not on Wall Street and not by protesting ambiguities where each fruitless day only showcases and defi nes the hypocrisy of the uninformed. Vote, work, educate. If you never earn a million dollars, your pride, dignity and happiness will bring you wealth beyond compare. Thank you for reading Up & Coming Weekly. BILL BOWMAN, Publisher, Up & Coming Weekly, COMMENTS? editor@upandcomingweekly.com CalCall 910.354.1679l 910.354.1679 Sunday October 23 Monday October 24 Calendar ........................................... 12 Concert Connection ........................ 15 TV ..................................................... 17 Movie Review .................................. 18 Free Wheelin' Feelin' ....................... 19 Horoscopes/Advice Goddess ......... 20 Classifieds ........................................ 22 Games .............................................. 21 Where Is the Logic in Occupying Wall Street? Tuesday October 25 High 68° Low 44° Sunny High 70° Low 45° Partly Cloudy 4 UCW OCTOBER 19-25, 2011 High 72° Low 51° Mostly Sunny Forecast available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. High 72° Low 49° Partly Cloudy High 71º Low 47º Mostly Sunny High 73º Low 49º Mostly Sunny WWW.UPANDCOMINGWEEKLY.COM 24 / 7