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Stephen James
F L I N T O I D
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Hanging around my old home town again, for the last 9 months, I’ve been hearing the same mantra over and over again. I can’t do it till I get a GRANT!
Hmmm. So, I’m thinking about what grants are and what they do.
Government and philanthropic grants are a great way to stimulate the economy, helps create needed organizations and creates some jobs. Yet, when you think about it, government grants should only be available till the economy finds its equilibrium.
See, the trouble with grant money is, that you become dependant on it. Your job might even depend on ‘em continuing. That dependency could even influence whom you vote for politically.
Shoot, many politician pride themselves on bring home the “bacon” and many voters rate a politician on how much of our tax money they get out of Washington and back into our hands. This might be rightly so but, it also helps to keep the grant business in business, and you have to understand it’s BIG business.
Those in charge of granting grants, especially those philanthropic groups that have been given the right to administer government grants, have a lot of power and that power can influence how our communities’ economy and governments are run. Once you start suckling on that sow's tat it’s hard to get weaned from it.
The WEANING: We’re doing a good job in Flint of getting grants for training programs, spending lot of money keeping those offices staffed, giving them paper work to be pushed and even getting some people educated along the way. But what comes next?
Entrepreneurship! Look, Flint is full of brain power. We’ve got U of M, Kettering, Mott College, Baker etc. Of course the brain power that is being produced here is being exported to other states to fill their job needs. That’s crap!
It’s simple. Flint’s number one product is BRAINS and our number one export is….. BRAINS. We’ve got to find ways to keep those BRAINS engaged here!
If anything needs a grant here in Flint it’s the start up to an entrepreneur college and programs that gets the brainiacks meeting the risk takers. Can you see what that will cause?
Smart people with technical ideas (with no business experience or want of business experience due to their going to get a job anyhow), coming together with the folks that have the drive and know how to start new businesses and enterprises, plus we already have a trained LABOR force ready to put the sweat behind the construction of physical needs.
What will happen then? Brains and Risk Takers come together, start a business. That business needs buildings built, floors swept, and office clerks etc etc. so that makes more people working, more tax dollars collected, policemen, firemen back on the job etc. etc.
But I can’t start without a GRANT!
Dear banks and lending companies, you’ve screwed up bad! The government is about to replace you with its own form of lending institute. It’s going to take your job away cuz you forgotten what you are soposta do. Take on loans for qualified applicants and help them….help them and guide them to success. You need your “lendees” to succeeded cause then you get your money back and you get to lend that extra money to lots of others so that you can keep your fat profit margins and stock holders happy!
Crap, you guys forget that “we the people” are the ones whose money you’re using and we the people are the ones living outside your front doors. It’s not about the Chinese (Bless their hearts) or stock swap schemes or spending all your time figuring out how to create fees or loop-holes to screw over someone’s bank account or mortgage! Get back to basics.
Bottom line! I am not against grants, grant makers, or the idea of grants, just that we need to think about how dependent we can become on them.
By the way, I might be starting a new web dating site that matches Brainiacks with Entrepreneurs. Maybe I’ll call it “Job Creation for Flint!” of “Finding Flint’s Flintapreneurs”!
That is, if I can get a grant to start it.
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant
Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building will always be a top priority for today's organizations. Building effective teamwork through leading edge corporate and organizational team building programs is one of “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe” (Corporate Team Training) greatest capabilities! And we make it so much FUN! CONTACT US AT: Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com Phone: 810-618-7517 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/thestephenjamescomedytroupe
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com |
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:06 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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| The entitlement mentality is alive and well in Flint. |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:18 am |
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Dave Starr
F L I N T O I D
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Can I get a grant to upgrade my security system?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siOEEOTjGqM |
_________________
I used to care, but I take a pill for that now.
Pushing buttons sure can be fun.
When a lion wants to go somewhere, he doesn’t worry about how many hyenas are in the way.
Paddle faster, I hear banjos. |
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:28 am |
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Crowfeeder
F L I N T O I D
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Flint will continue to spiral downward until the streets are safe and the schools give a quality education.
Money via grants is simply wasted unless there is leadership with a plan,common sense and an agenda that puts citizens.students,and Flints long term future above all else.
I think that the tipping point has been passed and that State takeover would be in the best interest of the people of Flint. |
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 9:57 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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| Flint may be "loaded with brains" but not in the areas that count like city hall. Dave your right the entitlement mentality is a way of life. |
_________________
"If you like your current healthcare you can keep it, Period"!!
Barack Hussein Obama--- multiple times. |
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 11:25 am |
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lacyw
F L I N T O I D
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Grants are great in the way that they can help an entity or an individual improve their way of life if they are applied correctly. I know grant writing can be an involved process, but I also strongly support any institution that issues grants to force the entity making the request prove they have a plan in place to become self supporting with a stated time line and actions they are willing to take to become so.
That said, the grant money should also be applied in increments. For example: The grant is approved, the issuers should say to the recipients: "Here is x amount of dollars to begin step A of your plan, when you get to step B, then we can discuss how much more you will get depending on the progress made toward becoming self sufficient. This grant is not your personal piggy bank, use it wisely or don't expect any more." Demanding a plan for solvency would be like saying this, only a little nicer.
This would give the issuer more control over the money and rather than trying to demand it back later, they can stop the funds in their tracks and apply them toward a project that has a stable plan and is following the guidelines.
Nobody likes wasting money, maybe not even those that issue grants. |
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 12:39 pm |
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DELETED
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:11 pm |
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DELETED
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Mon Jul 19, 2010 7:12 pm |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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Flint's resident "Rhodes Scholar" is over his head and drowning fast. Word is he has asked former contributors into his office ( can anyone say illegal) to request money to fight the recall, and many have refused. No one understands who he is listening to and several politicians have said publicly they are staying away from him.
Walling, Eason and their misfit friends they are placing in the grants division are going to destroy that department. They put the safety of the city last in their efforts to create ill conceived economic development plans together.
The power brokers of the city put together a summit about 3 years ago showing how targeted development in some neighborhoods would benefit the whole city. Even they did not anticipate the worsening economic situation in the State and in Flint. Walling and Eason put together a plan for the NSP money that spreads it too thin over vast areas of the north end like putting a band aid over a bleeding artery. This band aid approach won't work.
Projections are state revenue sharing will decline even more. Vacant homes will increase, as they are increasing now, and will lower revenue even more. The Board of Revue met yesterday and heard poverty cases. Expect them to continue to increase. |
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Wed Jul 21, 2010 7:36 am |
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DELETED
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Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:20 am |
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untanglingwebs
El Supremo
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[quote="TheDonSupporter"]
My larger dream would be that Flint would become a New Urbanist development. If you have never looked at such developments, I invite you to do so. To become such a location would undoubtedly put us back on the map of role models for this country.
/quote]
Flint started the new urbanism style development over 3 years ago. However under walling and Eason this concept is slipping away. I have discussed this concept many times. |
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Wed Jul 21, 2010 6:14 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Let me lay it down for you so you can understand.
If we didn't get the money, someone else would. Bring on all the dollars we can get Dale! Keep fighting for us here in Flint.
I love PORK!
quote:
TheDonSupporter schreef:
Good Point Dave! All the money that is supposedly FREE that Dale Kildee gives us only helps us want more. It's like a crack whore wanting more.
quote:
Dave Starr schreef:
The entitlement mentality is alive and well in Flint.
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Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:04 pm |
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Ryan Eashoo
F L I N T O I D
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Stephen thanks for saying what nobody has been willing to say!
quote:
Stephen James schreef:
Hanging around my old home town again, for the last 9 months, I’ve been hearing the same mantra over and over again. I can’t do it till I get a GRANT!
Hmmm. So, I’m thinking about what grants are and what they do.
Government and philanthropic grants are a great way to stimulate the economy, helps create needed organizations and creates some jobs. Yet, when you think about it, government grants should only be available till the economy finds its equilibrium.
See, the trouble with grant money is, that you become dependant on it. Your job might even depend on ‘em continuing. That dependency could even influence whom you vote for politically.
Shoot, many politician pride themselves on bring home the “bacon” and many voters rate a politician on how much of our tax money they get out of Washington and back into our hands. This might be rightly so but, it also helps to keep the grant business in business, and you have to understand it’s BIG business.
Those in charge of granting grants, especially those philanthropic groups that have been given the right to administer government grants, have a lot of power and that power can influence how our communities’ economy and governments are run. Once you start suckling on that sow's tat it’s hard to get weaned from it.
The WEANING: We’re doing a good job in Flint of getting grants for training programs, spending lot of money keeping those offices staffed, giving them paper work to be pushed and even getting some people educated along the way. But what comes next?
Entrepreneurship! Look, Flint is full of brain power. We’ve got U of M, Kettering, Mott College, Baker etc. Of course the brain power that is being produced here is being exported to other states to fill their job needs. That’s crap!
It’s simple. Flint’s number one product is BRAINS and our number one export is….. BRAINS. We’ve got to find ways to keep those BRAINS engaged here!
If anything needs a grant here in Flint it’s the start up to an entrepreneur college and programs that gets the brainiacks meeting the risk takers. Can you see what that will cause?
Smart people with technical ideas (with no business experience or want of business experience due to their going to get a job anyhow), coming together with the folks that have the drive and know how to start new businesses and enterprises, plus we already have a trained LABOR force ready to put the sweat behind the construction of physical needs.
What will happen then? Brains and Risk Takers come together, start a business. That business needs buildings built, floors swept, and office clerks etc etc. so that makes more people working, more tax dollars collected, policemen, firemen back on the job etc. etc.
But I can’t start without a GRANT!
Dear banks and lending companies, you’ve screwed up bad! The government is about to replace you with its own form of lending institute. It’s going to take your job away cuz you forgotten what you are soposta do. Take on loans for qualified applicants and help them….help them and guide them to success. You need your “lendees” to succeeded cause then you get your money back and you get to lend that extra money to lots of others so that you can keep your fat profit margins and stock holders happy!
Crap, you guys forget that “we the people” are the ones whose money you’re using and we the people are the ones living outside your front doors. It’s not about the Chinese (Bless their hearts) or stock swap schemes or spending all your time figuring out how to create fees or loop-holes to screw over someone’s bank account or mortgage! Get back to basics.
Bottom line! I am not against grants, grant makers, or the idea of grants, just that we need to think about how dependent we can become on them.
By the way, I might be starting a new web dating site that matches Brainiacks with Entrepreneurs. Maybe I’ll call it “Job Creation for Flint!” of “Finding Flint’s Flintapreneurs”!
That is, if I can get a grant to start it.
Stephen James Comedy Improv & Human Resource Training Consultant
Flint, Michigan.
If you’re looking to re-energize your Sales Force, inspire your Marketing Department or to encourage your Board to think “Out of the Box”, “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe Corporate Team Building” will work together with you in delivering the message you want to give! Team Building will always be a top priority for today's organizations. Building effective teamwork through leading edge corporate and organizational team building programs is one of “The Stephen James Comedy Troupe” (Corporate Team Training) greatest capabilities! And we make it so much FUN! CONTACT US AT: Email: stephenjamescomedy@gmail.com Phone: 810-618-7517 Website: http://sites.google.com/site/thestephenjamescomedytroupe
Funny Business is a humorous look at some serious issues your business or organizations have to address. http://funnybusinessbystephenjames.blogspot.com
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_________________
Flint Michigan Resident, Tax Payer, Flint Nutt - Local REALTOR - Activist. www.FlintTown.com |
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Thu Jul 22, 2010 5:05 pm |
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