‘Last Man Standing’: Meet Tim Allen’s dad and bro!

by Lynette Rice

One of the co-stars from the Oscar-nominated film The Descendants and a tough guy from Discovery’s Deadliest Catch (Dirty Jobs) will show up on Last Man Standing this season to play members of Mike Baxter’s (Tim Allen) extended family.

EW has learned exclusively that Robert Forster, who played George Clooney’s father-in-law in the Alexander Payne film, will transition to the small screen to play Grandpa Baxter on the ABC comedy. He’ll show up on Feb. 21.

Also on tap to play a member of the Baxter clan is Mike Rowe, best known for hosting Catch and unscripted shows like Dirty Jobs. He’ll play Mike’s brother.

And just to mix things up, Frankie Muniz will show in the same episode as a bank loan officer. Where you been, Malcolm?

Read more on EW.com - HERE

Anybody ever see the movie “Paint Your Wagon?” It’s a musical and it has Clint Eastwood singing. What more could you possibly want? It’s the story of a boom town during the gold rush. After the town was built and the gold in the mines were running dry, a bunch of prospectors dug tunnels under everything so they could collect the falling gold dust from the saloons and shops. You can imagine what happens next with all those tunnels. Any mention of gold has me thinking about “Paint Your Wagon” that and “Goldfinger” and Willy Wonka and the golden ticket. Oh, and Jason and Argonauts and the golden fleece. Let me stop there. Here’s some info about going back to the gold standard that some politico types are supporting in this election cycle. What say you?

IN A FOCUS ON GOLD, HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

By Floyd Norris writing for the New York Times

As it was in 1980, could it be again in 2012? Newt Gingrich vows a study of returning to the gold standard. The 1980 presidential election was fought by a Democratic incumbent weakened by a poor economy amid worries that the United States had lost its ability to compete in the world. Gold prices had risen to unprecedented levels as the election approached, and the Republican nominee hinted he might propose a return to a gold standard.

That Republican, Ronald Reagan, won the election and soon appointed a commission to study the role of gold in monetary systems. To gold bugs, it appeared to be the best chance in decades to move the country toward gold and away from what they like to call “fiat money,” a currency anchored by nothing more than government dictates.

Last month, Newt Gingrich, seeking to widen his support in the days leading up to the South Carolina primary, promised that he would appoint a new gold commission. “Part of our approach ought to be to re-establish something Ronald Reagan did in 1981 and that is to have a commission on gold to look at the whole concept of how do we get back to hard money,” he said in a speech
“Hard money is a discipline,” he added. “It is very important for us to understand in finance that the entire contraption that has been built up over the last thirty or forty years has so much paper in it, so much debt, so much leverage, that we probably have a fifteen- or twenty-year period of working our way out of it. And yet, the alternative is to get sicker and sicker and sicker.”

That call may have helped him in South Carolina, where he scored a victory over Mitt Romney, but it did not do much for him in Florida, where he finished a distant second in this week’s primary. His strategy now is to present himself as the only conservative with a chance, and thereby persuade supporters of Rick Santorum and Ron Paul to unite behind him. Support for a gold standard is a major part of Mr. Paul’s platform.

Mr. Gingrich, it should be noted, did not promise to support a gold standard, only to appoint a commission. If he is serious about following Mr. Reagan’s precedent, there may be little chance of a move to gold even if Mr. Gingrich does win the Republican nomination and the November election. In office, Mr. Reagan showed no inclination to buck the collected wisdom of most economists, whether Keynesian or monetarist.

The 1980 Republican platform denounced “the severing of the dollar’s’s link with real commodities in the 1960s and 1970s,” which it blamed for inflation. “One of the most urgent tasks in the period ahead will be the restoration of a dependable monetary standard,” it added.

As Anna Schwartz, an economist who served as the gold commission’s staff director, later wrote, that section could be seen as a “veiled reference to a prospective return to a gold standard.”
Under a gold standard, the dollar would be valued at a certain number of grams of gold, and the government would be ready to buy or sell gold to anyone based on that value.

The commission’s report was delayed and when finally released called for a continuance of the monetary status quo, albeit with the possible issuance of American gold coins to compete with the South African krugerrand. The platform plank turned out to have no real meaning, and gold bugs were outraged.

The commission, Murray N. Rothbard, a libertarian economist, later complained, was “overwhelmingly packed with lifelong opponents of gold who buried any call for a hard currency.” Ms. Schwartz noted that Treasury Secretary Donald T. Regan, who was the commission’s chairman, and Murray Weidenbaum, a member who was Mr. Reagan’s top economic adviser, “did not tip their hands until the final two meetings of the commission.”

Mr. Gingrich did send a signal that his commission would be different. He said the co-chairmen would be Lewis Lehrman, the author of a recent book titled “The True Gold Standard,” and James Grant, the editor of Grant’s Interest Rate Observer.

“The fundamental conclusions of a Lehrman-Grant commission to consider a gold standard may be foregone: We’re for it,” Mr. Grant wrote in the latest issue of his publication.
Mr. Lehrman, in fact, was one of the two dissenters to the Reagan commission report. The other dissenter was a Texas congressman named Ron Paul.

More than almost any other dispute in economics, gold often seems to be a matter of theology. To supporters, gold has been money for thousands of years, and a return to it is the only way to keep politicians from debasing currencies. To most current economists, gold is a commodity, subject to the normal fluctuations of supply and demand. To them, the supply of money should be controlled based on economic principles. With a gold standard, the amount of gold available to back money could grow only at the same rate that gold stocks increased, something that depends on mining successes, not on the needs of an economy.

Read the rest from the New York Times

Hire a vet. Big fan of that. Looks like I’m/we’re not the only ones: According to the new stats the overall unemployment rate for veterans dropped a very nice 6% over the last year. That’s a marked improvement but there is still a ways to go. In an effort to keep this trend going, President Obama is getting out in front of a new conservation program that will put veterans at the head of the role call list. If you’re a vet and have found a new gig, let us know! We like those stories a lot!

VETERAN UNEMPLOYMENT RATE FALLS AS OBAMA ANNOUNCES NEW JOB PROGRAM

From the AP – WASHINGTON — In an effort to cut the unemployment rate among veterans, President Barack Obama is calling for a new conservation program that would put veterans to work rebuilding trails, roads and levees on public lands.

The president also will seek more grant money for programs that allow local communities to hire more police officers and firefighters.
Obama’s announcement comes as new job numbers for January showed promising signs for improving veteran unemployment. According to the report released Friday, unemployment among veterans returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan fell more than six percent, from 15.2 percent to 9.1 percent, over the last year. The overall rate for veterans fell from 9.9 percent to 7.5 percent over the same period, which now places them below the national rate of 8.3 percent.

On Friday, the president built off the latest news jobs report.

“Let’s get more cops on the beat, let’s get more rangers in the parks, let’s get more firefighters on call, and in the process, we’re going to put more veterans back to work,” Obama said Friday at a fire station in Arlington, Va., that was one of the first to respond to the attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001.

“They’ve already risked their lives defending America. They should have the opportunity to rebuild America,” he said.

The efforts, which Obama first announced in his State of the Union address last week, are particularly geared to those veterans who served after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said the Civilian Conservation Corps that operated during the 1930s could be viewed as a model for what the administration will try to accomplish through its”Veterans Jobs Corps.” He said that the administration will propose spending $1 billion over five years that would be used to put an estimated 20,000 veterans to work restoring habitat and eradicating invasive species, among other activities.

“When one looks back at the legacy of the Civilian Conservation Corps, we take great comfort that those who take on these kinds of activities will leave a lasting legacy for the United States,” Salazar said.

The backdrop of presidential politics is also playing a role in the Obama administration’s new efforts. Several states that will be heavily contested in November have a significant military presence. Veterans will be evaluating specific ways the next White House administration intends to help them.

Communities that hire veterans to work as police and firefighters will be given preference in the grants competition. Obama will also seek to increase spending for the grants programs. He is proposing an additional $4 billion for the Community Oriented Policing Services program, or COPS. He will propose an additional $1 billion for the firefighter grants.

The administration will also propose a training program designed to help veterans wanting to start their own small businesses.
With GOP lawmakers stressing the need to cut government spending, it remains to be seen how far the proposals will go in a deeply divided Congress. Many conservatives have in the past voted to cut spending for the COPS program, while Obama is calling for a major expansion.

Obama said the end of the war in Iraq could help finance the work programs.

“Congress should take the money that we’re no longer spending on war, use half of it to pay down our debt, and use the rest to do some nation-building here at home,” he said.
Rep. Jeff Miller, the Republican chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, voiced skepticism. He said he wanted the administration to work with Congress on getting businesses to hire more.

“Short-term spending and temporary programs have failed and are not the solution,” Miller said.

Congress also has been focusing on the problem of unemployment among veterans. A House subcommittee on Thursday examined the unemployment rate for those who serve in the National Guard or Reserves. Witnesses estimated that about 1 out of every 5 returning guardsmen is unemployed.

Theodore Daywalt, CEO and president of a jobs board called VetJobs, told lawmakers that veterans who totally separate from the military are for the most part finding work, even in today’s economic environment.

“But if a veteran remains active in the National Guard, they are having a difficult time finding meaningful employment due to the constant call-ups and deployment schedules,” Daywalt said in his written testimony.

Daywalt said some employers have become wary of hiring someone who is called up for as many as 24 months at a time. And the difficulty in finding work has led some guardsmen to volunteer for second or third deployments. He also predicted that the unemployment problem for guardsmen and reservists could get worse as the military downsizes because it will result in more competition when openings do occur.

About 160,000 troops leave active duty annually, and some 95,000 members of the National Guard and Reserves join them. The Labor Department already operates some jobs programs to help troops with the transition to civilian life. For example, there are employee workshops that help vets with advice on job searches and labor market conditions. The department also provides grants to states that in turn hire workers to conduct job training workshops and reach out to employers on behalf of vets.

There is a whole of goobly-goop statistics put out by the Bureau of Labor about “annual adjustments to the population controls,” “persons marginally attached to the labor force,” and “discouraged workers.” Can we all agree that unless you’ve got a job you’re discouraged and unattached to work? So, who got hired for what?

Starting off the list were 70,000 folks punching the proverbial time clock for professional and business services. Of that group, around 13,000 were hired to number crunch in accounting and bookkeeping departments. You have my sympathy. Another 7,000 were hired for architectural and engineering services. Connect the dots there: If there are 7,000 more architects then there’s got to be a lot more construction projects heading our way.

If these numbers have you wanting to pop the champagne cork you’ll be covered thanks to the 44,000 new workers in the leisure and hospitality area. Bottom line: we’re all doing a lot more dining out. Hey, be kind to your servers… they are still working for tips!

The health care industry added 31,000 more workers in January with 13,000 of those hospitals and ambulatory care services. This is a great number because as more people enter into the healthcare system it looks like we’ll have the staff standing by to take care of everyone.

Retail employment numbers are also looking strong in many areas. Department stores added 19,000, personal care stores added 7,000 and automobile dealers added 7,000. That’s another great connect the dot opportunity: If there are 7,000 more automobile dealers then more folks are buying cars which means more work all throughout the country.

That brings us to another important number: New hires for manufacturing. Here we’ve got 50,000 more workers. You know all that talk about buying 3.00 worth of American products adds one job? Its working but we can do way better.

Construction added 21,000 more “dirty jobs” to its field. There were also 10,000 more added to the mining industry. As for government employment there was little change. In other words, no significant loses or increases. However, over the last 12 months this sector has shed 276,000 jobs. You want smaller government, you got it!

If you’re part of this new wave of new hires, let us know. Nothing beats a great first day on the new job story!

— Meyer

BOISE — There are plenty of jobs here in Idaho and across the nation that can’t be filled because there’s not enough skilled welders, electricians, or technicians to fill them. Trades are the biggest gap in the skills gap.

But why? Why aren’t more young people interested in getting into the trades? We tried to find out.

Our first stop was at Mountain View High School in Meridian. The seniors we talked to want to go into careers like marketing, engineering, and medicine, but don’t necessarily have their eyes on the trades.

“Oh no, that is just not my expertise at all,” said Melanie Miller.

“I don’t think I could do that for a full-time job,” said Taylor Hart. “I don’t know if I’d enjoy doing it as much. It’s still interesting though.”

“I’m not afraid to get my hands dirty because I do like doing that. But as a profession day in and day out, I don’t think I’d enjoy that,” said Travis Dowdle.

Some high schoolers are interested in going into the trades, most of whom in this area take classes at the Dehryl A. Dennis Professional Technical Education Center. Students in any Boise, Meridian, or Kuna high school can take classes here, which gives them hands-on experience and preps them for a possible career in the trades.

T.J. Long is a senior at Borah High School who takes classes in heavy duty diesel. He wants to open his own diesel or restoration shop.

“I’ve been in the advanced classes a lot growing up. So when I tell them I’m going into diesel it surprises people,” said Long. “Originally I was planning on engineering. But I decided to go with what I liked better.”

Cole Rogers, also a senior at Borah, originally took classes at the center to help him maintain his own truck. But his classes grew into something more.

“Now I’m getting all these career opportunities and it’s really helped me out as in how I feel about my future and what I’m going to do with my life,” said Rogers.

There’s nothing wrong with the fact that many students don’t think they’d enjoy the trades, like T.J. and Cole do. However, Mike Rowe, Dirty Jobs star and national advocate for closing the skills gap, says there’s a bigger problem than just the perception of skilled trades.

“It’s a mentality gap,” said Rowe. “It’s not just a shortage of skills but a shortage of will to learn the skills.”

But perhaps if more kids tried the skills, a few more would see them as enjoyable.

Tanner Cleveland is a sophomore at Borah and takes welding classes. He sees welding as a backup plan to a possible career in music but he understands the appeal of working with your hands.

“Welding is pretty cool,” said Cleveland. “You feel good when you actually pass a weld off and you get a sign off sheet and everything.”

Not everyone should go into the trades. Rowe himself said he couldn’t weld a straight line so he fell back on a career in music and TV. But he says he took a tradesman’s work ethic with him and never stopped learning new skills in his entertainment career.

“That’s what I tried to do,” said Rowe. “I tried to look at showbiz the way my grandfather looked at carpentry and electric.”

That could be the key to closing the skills gap, which Rowe calls a symptom of America’s dysfunctional relationship with all work, not just the trades. He doesn’t want to force kids into the trades, but wants to help more of them to understand something that the students we talked to seemed to already get.

“No matter what you choose you do, you can approach it as a tradesman,” said Rowe. “There’s nothing inherently good or bad about learning a trade. What’s really for sale is the decision to approach work with that ethic. Apply it to whatever you want.”

Visit the KTVB.com website – HERE

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Creating jobs: What can a governor do?

By Pamela M. Prah – Stateline.org
The Bellingham Herald

With unemployment stuck at stubbornly high rates in many states, it’s no surprise that governors in 2012 are talking a lot about the need to create jobs. But while some governors are outlining lofty, sweeping promises, Maine Gov. Paul LePage cut to the chase.

“As governor,” the Republican said in his state of the state address last week, “I cannot directly create private-sector jobs.”

LePage’s point-blank phrasing sums up how Republicans are approaching the jobs question in the states this year – and their deep philosophical difference with how Democrats are viewing it.

LePage, the governor from the Republican class of 2010 who is most closely associated with the tea party movement, went on to pitch a tax cut to go on top of another tax cut that already passed last year. Doing so would help improve the business climate, LePage said, and that, more than any direct government action, is the linchpin for creating more jobs. “We can develop policies that will encourage businesses to expand and create opportunities here in Maine,” LePage said.

At least a dozen other Republican governors this year have proposed cutting taxes, with many of the plans directed specifically at helping businesses. Another of them is New Mexico’s Susanna Martinez, who sounded a lot like LePage when she proposed to exempt nearly half of her state’s small businesses from the gross receipts tax. “I’ve long said government doesn’t create jobs,” she said in her own state of the state. “It doesn’t – small businesses do.”

Democrats, meanwhile, are sounding confident that they can, in fact, create jobs. In particular, they’re talking about doing this by increasing spending on construction projects. Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton is a good example. Dayton is pitching a $775 million “jobs proposal” that promises to create 21,700 jobs by repairing bridges, renovating the state capitol building, expanding the Rochester Mayo Civic Center building and upgrading college facilities statewide, including the University of Minnesota. Dayton believes the bond-funded projects not only would directly put people to work but also “give Minnesota the assets to attract business.”

Read the complete article and more from bellinghamherald.com – HERE

Every four years representatives from around the world gather to compete in the Olympic games. For three weeks the world is captivated by the athletes and their amazing prowess. Then everybody packs up and goes home. Before the torch is lit, there will be thousands of looky-loos jostling for a seat and a place to stay. As a result, some delightful examples of free enterprise landlords have decided to kick out their tenants so that can charge 15 times the rent for the duration of the Olympics. Don’t you just love it when folks embrace the sense of community inspired by the games?

OLYMPIC HOUSING CRUNCH: LONDON LANDLORDS EVICT TENANTS TO GOUGE TOURISTS

By Marian Smith, msnbc.com

LONDON — Landlords in Britain’s capital are evicting tenants so they can cash in on this summer’s Olympic Games by charging tourists many times the usual rent.
Homes in the east London boroughs where many events are to be held are fetching between five and 15 times their typical rates as properties are rebranded as short-term “Olympic lets.” Some landlords are also enforcing expensive “penalty” clauses for tenants who want to remain during the gathering of the world’s top athletes.
Rent controls are almost non-existent in Britain and some Londoners told msnbc.com that the looming increase in housing costs will leave them with no choice but to leave the city for the summer.

While the Olympic Village will house some 22,000 athletes along with 6,000 coaches and officials, countless tourists, athletes’ families, journalists and sponsors will be left to jostle with 7.8 million residents for places to sleep. The accommodation crunch is expected to be so severe that some residents are planning to rent out their backyards to campers during the Games – which begin July 27.

“We’re [seeing] landlords beginning to evict their tenants,” Antonia Bance, head of campaigns for housing charity Shelter, told msnbc.com. “Lots of letting agents are writing clauses into contracts being signed saying you can live here with the exception of this period [during the Olympics].”

Those who are evicted or displaced by huge rent increases – as well as other tenants looking to move in July and August – will struggle to find affordable alternatives due to the temporary influx of tourists paying higher rates, experts say.

“It’s all to do with supply and demand, and there’s a shortage of stock,” Matthew Martin, Greater London area lettings director for real estate agency Your-Move, told msnbc.com.
As the summer approaches, he said, “there are going to be opportunists … people are going to pay an extortionate amount.”

‘I don’t think it’s right’

Shelter’s Bance described the case of a couple in the Newham area who will be renting out the three-bedroom house they own in a former public housing project for 15,000 pounds ($23,600) for three weeks. The average rental price of a three-bedroom property in the borough is 1,189 pounds ($1,870) per month.

In the Dalston neighborhood, one-bedroom apartments that normally fetch around 300 pounds ($475) per week are now being advertised at 1,625 pounds ($2,575) per week.
And in Kentish Town, which is a 25-minute train journey from the new Olympic Stadium, a five-bedroom home is being advertised at 10,000 pounds ($15,845) per week during the Games.
It is difficult to know how many Londoners will be priced out of the city as landlords woo Olympic visitors, but interviews with property experts, real estate agents, tenants, prospective landlords and tourism-industry specialists suggest it will not be an isolated problem.

Read the rest here.