A LIFETIME OF MUSIC

“Woh-uh-oh, listen to the music…All the time.” The Doobie Brothers

This year’s Grammy Awards brought back some great memories. Watching an 80-year-old Joni Mitchell perform her iconic 1969 song Both Sides Now took me back to my college dorm room, where there was always a record playing in the background. A few days later, I sat down to watch the documentary Echo in the Canyon, which tells the story of the music scene in Los Angeles’ Laurel Canyon in the mid-1960s. The music of Mitchell, The Byrds, The Beach Boys, The Mamas and the Papas, Buffalo Springfield and more is brought to life through interviews and video recordings.

Tracey Chapman’s Grammy rendition of Fast Car, a song from 1988, brought tears to my eyes. Chapman and this masterpiece were both rediscovered for a new generation by an admiring country singer, Luke Combs. The song, which speaks of escaping poverty and alcoholism, compelled me as a young lawyer to consider the world outside my busy, self-serving orbit.

Since the 1960s, the methods of delivering music have gone through as many transformations as the mediums for researching information. I have readily adopted and as quickly discarded scratchy vinyl albums, eight track tapes, cassette tapes, boom boxes, iPods, compact discs, and now streaming music through my vehicle, phone, and computer. Technology has continued to advance and made it easier to keep music close-at-hand in our mobile society. I can now play almost any song at a moment’s notice.

Music like art and literature is cumulative. Each new generation builds on the performers that came before. All young music lovers go through a similar transformation from the passive acceptance of the music favored by their parents to an active cultivation of their own tastes. In my experience, music has helped define and formulate a sense of self for each generation.

Identifying as a rock & roll fan, punk music devotee, country music follower, metal-head, Goth lifestyle promoter, or Swiftee gives a young adult an anchor. It is an association with others of similar age, while figuring out how to fit into a complex world. I have known teenagers who seemed to hate all music except for irritating loud noise shared with like-minded close friends. For the most part, these individuals all became functioning adults after their generation was taken over by the next one.

Rock & roll, or more to the point, classic rock, defines my favorite genre of music. Many other forms of music have brought me great joy, including symphonic performances. However, classic rock songs are the music embedded in my memory, stored and remembered unconsciously.

My first concert was at Princeton University in 1967. My mother took us to see Arlo Guthrie perform Alice’s Restaurant.  She probably favored the anti-Vietnam war theme, as we were pacifists and members of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers).

As a teenager, I was not a fan of pop radio. My group of like-minded New Jersey companions would listen to the underground FM stations from New York City and Philadelphia. The long compositions of Cream, Yes, The Moody Blues, Procol Harum, and Pink Floyd would entertain us for hours.

The summer between my 1969 high school graduation and college, I attended what would become the generation-defining concert held in Bethel, New York. Woodstock introduced me to a radical music culture I had not yet considered, wrapped in progressive political and sexual views. The bands that performed at Woodstock that memorable August weekend have remained among my favorites.

My best friend at Swarthmore College was a Beatles fan who taught me a great deal about the band’s experimentation in recording techniques. We would gather around a phonograph and play Beatles songs backwards, searching for hidden messages. When a close High School friend returned from Vietnam, he introduced me to progressive rock and Genesis. Again, hours were spent listening to cryptic lyrics, searching for hidden meaning.

In law school, my roommate was immersed in a type of music, art rock, with which I was not familiar. I learned to appreciate Peter Gabriel’s solo work, Roxy Music and similar groups.

I never would have developed a taste for Seattle Grunge music but for time spent in a rehabilitation facility to treat my alcoholism in the late 1990s. For several weeks, I was surrounded by twenty somethings recovering from opioid addiction who loudly played nothing but Nirvana and Pearl Jam. I learned to appreciate Grunge, and it is now included in my music library.

In my later years, I have come to believe that the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra is one of the greatest gifts that our area has to offer. Two hours of classical music presented by world-class performers is a magical experience. Ironically, the PSO has now taken up performing symphonic versions of classic rock albums to help pay the bills.

Given my age and music biases, many of the young performers at the Grammys failed to impress me. I am hopeful that new albums by the Rolling Stones, Hackney Diamonds, and Peter Gabriel, i/o, will gain recognition next year, but octogenarian rock musicians may no longer move the awards needle.

I am convinced that all music has its place. It connects people and their values. It furnishes a platform for the underrepresented. It supplies a window into diverse cultures. For me, it has provided a life of youthful adventure, enjoyment, and continued entertainment.

 

  

 

THE PRINT NEWS MEDIA APOCALYPSE

No one should be surprised that the local print newspaper you are reading is becoming as rare as the typewriter or the touch-tone telephone. Chances are high that those you know under age thirty have never read any print news media, saved an article for a non-existent scrapbook, pored over a baseball box score, or finished a printed crossword puzzle. There are signs that 2024 could sound the death knell for many print newspapers and magazines.

Traditionally, the news business was cyclical, dipping during economic downturns and improving on the upswing. Not so in recent years.  Statistics show that there was an average of 2.5 newspaper closures each week in 2023. According to a Northwestern University study released in November, since 2005, the U.S. has lost one-third of its newspapers. The same study found that more than half of all American counties are now “news deserts” with limited access to news about their communities.

Of greater concern to career journalists, the news media industry has lost two-thirds of its staff. Each print newspaper and magazine, struggling to stay afloat, has been forced to do more with fewer employees. At the beginning of February, the National Press Club in New York City decided to encourage networking by offering a free taco night to show its support for the hundreds of recently laid off journalists. Unfortunately, even in our booming economy, few job openings are available.

Nationally, employees at the Los Angeles Times, the Washington Post, New York Daily News, and Conde Nast magazine have all participated in walkouts to protest their managements’ business plans. The employer response was often more layoffs. Time Magazine is in trouble, and the venerable Sports Illustrated Company appears near bankruptcy.

Several years ago, there was optimism that the large national newspapers would be saved when they were bought up by concerned billionaires. A commentary in the New York Times recently reminded us of an old joke in the news business: “If you want to make a small fortune, start with a large one.” In 2013, Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, purchased the Washington Post. In 2018, tech billionaire Dr. Patrick Soon-Shiog bought The Los Angeles Times. Also in 2018, Marc Benioff, who started the software giant, Salesforce purchased Time magazine. All three publications are hemorrhaging millions of dollars, and their future is bleak. Clearly, relying on deep pocket owners to indefinitely cover expenses is not a long-term solution.

Why has the print media fallen so far so fast? Ad revenue and circulation have plunged and gravitated to on-line sources. The Columbia Journalism Review points out that Millennials and younger Americans have grown up with the internet and never found it necessary to read print for their news source. Overall, the increasing use of focused internet search functions like Google has changed how many Americans obtain their news. Even among older, lifelong print readers, there is a vicious cycle of the print media cutting content to save money resulting in further loss of circulation.

What is the cost to society and our civic health if local newspapers disappear?  Newspapers have always played an important role in both educating and nurturing local communities.  At all levels of our democratic republic there is a constant struggle between government and its citizens to keep democracy on track. Unbiased newspapers show neither fear nor favor in providing accurate information and insisting on accountability.

Hypothetically, consider an important and contentious Washington County commissioner’s meeting with no news reporter in attendance. The two majority commissioners publish a glowing, one-sided report on Facebook, lacking accurate information and balance. The public is left uninformed about an issue that affects every citizen.

Local news organizations are able to take matters of national importance like health care, gun control, or the opioid crisis and give them local context.  Lives may be saved and disasters averted through investigative reporting. Citizens are encouraged to become involved in important volunteer work through local human-interest stories.

What is the cost to “getting the story straight” if journalism disappears as a profession? Remember that reputable journalism has always been considered “the first rough draft of history.” With artificial intelligence (AI) this fact is critical.  AI requires the constant updating of new and accurate information from independent sources to remain a dependable and helpful tool. The work products of well-trained human journalists are indispensable to keep inferior data from taking over the AI networks.

It would be short sighted to believe that the old business model for the print media will keep them afloat in the coming decade. Older readers need to be patient as newspapers and magazines move on-line, change content, and modify their advertising campaigns. These revisions attract the attention of the younger readers the print media needs to survive.

For those of you, like me, who love to get newsprint on their fingers while drinking their morning coffee, we need to offer our support. First, pay for your subscription with pride, knowing you are keeping a cornerstone of democracy alive. Second, advertise your business and community events in its pages. Lastly, stop complaining about occasional typos or lack of coverage. Most newspaper staffs have been cut in half. The journalists that continue to bring you the news are doing so while working increased hours with reduced pay.

We owe them our gratitude and the occasional letter to the editor when they brighten our day.

 

 

 

THE IMPACT OF EQUITABLE SCHOOL FUNDING ON THE WASHINGTON SCHOOL DISTRICT

In 2023, the Pennsylvania Commonwealth Court issued its long awaited opinion that found our state’s system of public education to be unconstitutional. In a 786-page opinion, the court held that the state had not adequately funded schools in poor communities, failing its constitutional obligation to educate young people. Shortly thereafter, Pennsylvania’s General Assembly began its work to recommend a more equitable method for distributing state funds to the public schools.

A 15-member commission was formed to determine how to bring into compliance the formula that distributes state aid to Pennsylvania’s school districts. On January 11, the commission issued its report. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, “The report calls for an increase of $200 million in basic education funding — currently set at about $7.8 billion — in each of the next few years. Separately, it supports major “adequacy” investments that would gradually increase annual spending statewide over a seven-year period by a total of $5.4 billion.”

The City of Washington School District (WSD) is a small urban district where 82 percent of the students are considered economically disadvantaged.  I recently sat down with district Superintendent, George Lammay, to ask how the court opinion and commission findings could make a difference.

Lammay pointed me toward an insider’s view recently published by the Pennsylvania School Boards Association (PSBA). The Association reveals that only about 37 percent of Pennsylvania education revenues come from the state, one of the lowest in the nation. However, in addressing the question of inequality in education, the PSBA makes a point that Lammay returned to repeatedly, “When we look at school districts individually, we see a very diverse picture.”

Clearly, a cookie cutter approach that only compares the “haves” to the “have nots” is not the answer. The final funding formula should also reward or at least not harm positive district performances and forward looking budgetary decisions under the existing system.

Superintendent Lammay agrees with the PSBA that three factors have the greatest negative impact on public school budgets; pensions, charter/cyber school tuition, and special education. The PSBA determined, “The costs for these three items has increased by $6.2 billion over the last decade while the state revenue to address these mandated costs has only increased by $2.2 billion.

Lammay echoed PSBA in suggesting new funding solutions for all three mandates that are decimating local school district budgets. First, because pension obligations are part of a relatively uniform system across the Commonwealth, the legislature should act quickly to authorize an increase in state funds to pay for them.

Second, the mandate that provides for charter schools, particularly cyber schools, is broken and should be revised. Any family can choose for a K-12 student to receive all instruction online, at home and free-of-charge from private companies that provide this service. The cost is paid for out of per-pupil funds from the local district’s budget.

A study of cyber schools in Pennsylvania, conducted by the Brookings Institute, found that, “Cyber school students tend to score lower on year-end-tests. In Pennsylvania there is evidence of knowledge loss (negative growth scores) from fourth to eighth grade among many cyber students.”

Cyber schools have also been a disaster for local school budgets. The $1.5 million annual expense for the WSD leaves the district with tough choices on where to cut education programs.

According to the PSBA, “The 26-year-old funding mechanism for charter schools, particularly when it comes to cyber charter school tuition, results in districts overpaying. The formula is based on the district’s expenses and bears no relationship to the cyber school’s costs.”

Third, is the mandated costs for special education students. Similar to cyber schools the payment structure is based on individual school expenses rather than the cost to provide the services and should be reformed.  Lammay points out that overall in the WSD 30 percent of the students have a variety of special needs where the expenses per child are much greater than for a regular student.

Returning to the PSBA’s published views on funding public education, there are a number of less impactful but still important factors the state legislature should consider, including the following: 1. Mental health and school safety must be a primary funding consideration. 2. There are literally hundreds of smaller unfunded legislative mandates that when taken as a whole are expensive and place undue pressure on school districts to perform. Many of these mandates should be scaled back so that resources can be reallocated without appropriating more funds. 3. The existing "hold harmless" policy is a financing mechanism that ensures school districts do not receive less funding than the previous year. If this provision is eliminated under the new formula, it should be done gradually. 4. School infrastructure should receive special consideration so that districts are not forced to choose between maintaining buildings and educating students. 5. The legislature should not mandate district mergers. Sharing of services could be a better solution to save money.

While the WSD welcomes a fair funding formula, the Superintendent does not believe that the district is a candidate for merger. Washington’s long history of meeting the needs of students from diverse backgrounds and of outstanding  community support deserve to be continued as a stand-alone district. When the new funding formula is adopted, Lammay is confident that the district will continue to hold its own for years to come.

 

 

 

 

 

A YEAR OF SEVENTY-SIX WORLWIDE ELECTIONS

“The stability of democracies depends on the possibility of elections to be destabilizing.” The New Yorker, Talk of the Town, 1/15/24

Now that the domestic election season has begun, Americans are focused on the 2024 presidential campaign. There is little drama left in the primaries and a rerun of the 2020 Biden-Trump contest seems inevitable.

For those looking for different election events to expand their worldview, the Economist magazine and many other print news outlets point out that in 2024 a new international record will be set in exercising the right to vote. Seventy-six nations are going to the ballot box to choose new leaders. Countries with more than half the world’s population, over four billion people, will send their citizens to the polls.

According to the analysis in the Economist, “In the most democratic countries, such as Britain, the election may cause a substantial change in policy. In Russia, one of the least democratic, the vote is unlikely to weaken Vladimir Putin’s grip on power.” With this important contrast in mind, my commentary will take a look at some of the more noteworthy election events in 2024.

Taiwan. On January 13, Taiwan hosted the first of many critical elections in 2024. The results could reshape the global political order. The current Vice President Lai Ching-te of the ruling Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) defeated two other candidates. Mr. Lai has long been an advocate of Taiwanese independence from China and does not support the mainland’s “one country-two systems” formula. Mr. Lai is a lightning rod, and his election could worsen the growing threat of Chinese military action against Taiwan. A moderating factor is the divided government where the Taiwanese legislature favors policies more acceptable to China.

Indonesia.  In the most populous country in South-East Asia, elections are scheduled in February. It is the world’s largest single day election. When the votes are counted a president and vice president, along with nearly 20,000 representatives, will be elected to national, provincial, and district parliaments from a pool of a quarter-million candidates. Indonesia’s young democracy is fragile. Political observers are concerned that illiberal meddling in election policies by the country’s old guard elites may cause irreparable harm to democracy.

Ukraine.  Under the Ukrainian Constitution, presidential elections are scheduled for March 2024. However, also under Ukrainian law, elections cannot occur because a declaration of martial law is in place. While 80 percent of Ukrainian voters do not want an election until the war is over, there are reasons to remove martial law and attempt a wartime election. Far right American Republicans are using the absence of voting as an excuse to suspend military aid to Ukraine. Moreover, holding a fair election under difficult circumstances would be well received by the European Union and NATO.

India. In May, Indian voters go to the polls. India’s ruling BJP political party, the world’s largest with 180 million members, is expected to carry the incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi to victory.  In a recent survey, 78 percent of Indians approved of Mr. Modi’s job performance.

Two factors account for Modi’s popularity. First, his government’s economic program consists of ramped up investments in the public distribution of private goods, toilets, bank accounts, and electricity connections. Second is the steady march toward Hindu nationalism in which the strong central rule of a Hindu party and its leader brings about the rebirth of a “golden Hindu age.”  If Modi continues on this path, the future will be difficult for Muslims and others who value a pluralistic state with freedom of expression.

Mexico. On June 2, the 2024 presidential elections will mark a milestone in Mexico’s history. For the first time, a woman will likely be selected to lead the country.  Mexico’s incumbent president Andrés Manuel López Obrador has chosen former Mexico City Mayor Claudia Shinebaum Pardo as his successor. It appears that Ms. Sheinbaum would continue the strategy of minimal confrontation with organized crime, a policy that has come to be known as “hugs, not bullets.” Her election would leave the U.S. and Mexico far apart on important issues like controlling immigration and illegal drugs.

Britain. Sometime in the second half of 2024, British voters will cast their verdict after 13 years of chaotic conservative rule by the Tory government. In an ironic turn of events, British conservatives are now battling each other for control of the right. They have lost their grip on the Trump-like populism that previously slashed through established party lines on issues that kept them in power like leaving the European Union.

While the rest of Europe moves toward electing populist candidates based on concerns on the economy, immigration, and distrust of elites, Britain is poised to place a moderate left leaning Labor administration in charge. The Labor candidate, Keir Starmer, has laid out five missions: to boost house-building, job creation, economic growth; the reduction of consumer energy bills through the creation of a publicly owned Great British Energy; to create a National Health Service fit for the future; to tackle crime/antisocial behavior; and to reform childcare and education systems.

Important June elections in the European Parliament and the 18 contests in Africa are also worth examining. While many 2024 elections are no guarantee of democracy, representative government cannot exist without them. On the other hand, elections that are free but not fair can quickly turn liberty into oppression.