1/4/2009

Happy New Year, Fox Family!

I know that my salutation is a little late, but I have been busy (as you may have seen), filling in for two of my favorite people in Charlotte television: Anna Kooiman and Mark Mathis.

Let me say here that I had a LOT of fun filling in for them during their holiday vacations. The team at FNR is filled with talented, fun, and personable professionals.

Thanks, Anna and Mark, for allowing me the opportunity to fill in for you during your time off. You didn't have to share your seats with me, but you did and  allowed me to be comfortable in sharing an experience with Charlotte that you create everyday.

I am looking forward to keeping up with you on Fox News Rising along with the other outlets that I can be seen on.

When in Columbia, catch me on WGCV 620 AM. 

When in Augusta, GA, catch me on People and Issues on Fox Radio with Helen Blocker-Adams.

Talk to you soon!

1/4/2009

"...In the Empire State, there is growing resentment from a pool of candidates towards the empirical presence of the Kennedy name...(a)s an Ivy-League attorney with strikingly-little political experience – seeks to gain one of the most powerful seats in Washington (sound familiar?), a growing number within the media, the government, and the New York voting bloc have come to question the qualifications of Ms. Kennedy, who seeks appointment on the strength of a family name and support of a like-minded politician for the White House..."

Please turn into Fox News Rising on Monday and catch "Musical Seats", my latest commentary. I'll be on at 6:15 AM and 7:15 AM.

Looking forward to a fantastic and successful 2009 with you and me, working together to bring politics back to the people.

TCNGB

On one of the New Year's Eve specials, they were asking members of Congress what their goals were for 2009.  I was very surprised with how few of them mentioned the economy in any fashion.  I think they need to work on fixing the economy first.  I think it is clearly the biggest issue facing our country right now, and that seems to be reflected in the vast majority of polls.  But Congress just doesn't seem to get it.

Unfortunately, with the many band-aid bailouts that were passed in 2008, Congress seemed unwilling to even consider the long-term effects of what they were doing.  They didn't provide adequate methods for oversight or regulation of how the bailout money was spent.  And since the money was handed out, there have been a lot of news stories about how some of that money was wasted.  It doesn't seem logical to me that wasting additional taxpayer money will create long-term growth for the economy.

Mitch McConnell, the Republican Minority Leader in the Senate, has been one of the few Congressional representatives who is talking about fixing the economy every chance he gets.  He is making two key points.  The first is that we don't waste any additional tax dollars.  The second point is that any economic stimulus/recovery plan needs to be well thought out.  I strongly agree with both of those points.  We need to make sure that any short-term fix doesn't have major negative long-term consequences.

One of the areas I am most concerned about is the power that President-elect Obama and the large Democratic majority in Congress will have to repay political favors.  Repaying those favors may come at the expense of truly fixing the economy.  For instance, labor unions spent well over $300 million to help elect Obama and strengthen the Democratic majority in Congress.  Now it seems the unions expect to get repaid for their support by having Congress quickly pass the Employee Free Choice Act, also known as the "Card Check" bill.

This bill would take away secret ballot elections in businesses where unions want to organize.  I have no problems with unions when the workers decide on their own to form one.  Especially in business sectors involving dangerous materials or processes, unions can serve a great purpose to protect worker safety.  But it doesn't seem to make any sense to take away the workers' right to decide whether to unionize in a secret ballot election.  Just as people were intimidated and coerced to vote certain ways in political elections in the early days of this country, the same thing would happen to workers who weren't able to keep their votes secret.  It would effectively stifle a lot of the debate because people with dissenting viewpoints would be opening themselves up to retaliation.

Plus, the fear of harassment could lead to "push-button" unions in a lot of businesses that really don't require them - like very small businesses.  Small businesses have always been the driving force of job growth and this bill could stifle them under excessive regulations.  And that would really hurt the long-term prospects for the economy.  I saw that the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce is working to make sure everyone knows about the potential negative effects of this bill.  I encourage the other readers to sign their petition or directly contact their Congressional representative and ask them to protect worker privacy, fix the economy first, and fix the economy in the right way to ensure long-term growth.  Here's a link to the petition and some more information about the bill - http://friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?id=1
78

http://nocheckpoints.com/

 

get police checkpoint notifications on your cell! it's simple

12/28/2008

 

Hello, fine people! Happy Holidays to you and yours.

 

Now, for many of us, it's either going to be a good - or great - holiday because of the company that we keep. Maybe for others, it's because of the things that we got over the course of the end of the year for Christmas or some other holiday that you may celebrate. It may even be a birthday that you celebrate during this time of year; (my niece Amara turned 4 on the 25th...Happy Birthday Ms. Amara Noelle!!)

 

For me, this holiday season was made because of the coolest thing that I saw today.

 

People talk about "random acts of kindness", but to be true with you, I don't believe in them. It's not because I don't believe in acts of kindness, but because I don't believe that they're random. They just aren't. We belong to the human chain, not the human race. We don't always compete against each other, but we are always link together, and our chain is only as strong as the weakest link.

 

I saw two young gentlemen help an older, sacred, and sick lady find her way home after she dangerously crossed a busy highway, got disoriented, and began shaking like a leaf. Now, because she has family that she could go back to after she got home, we knew that she would be ok; (the guys apparently knew her family and knew exactly where she lived.)

 

They got her calm after she was shaking like a leaf. They got her chocolate milk from the store even though she had no money and was in need for something to drink at her house. They kept her safe even though they had things to do (like work) and places to go (again, like work.)

 

This frightened, shaking old lady was calm enough to blow kisses and say thank you to the others helping her as she was driving away.

 

People ask me how cool it is to see Anna Kooiman do her thing, work with Mark Mathis, or watch the production of a fun television show from behind the scenes. And, to be fair, it is cool - very cool, in fact, and I am thankful each time I'm here. However, what was the coolest thing for me to see today was not starting off the last week of 2008 on Fox News Rising. The coolest thing was seeing that decency, respect for elders, and kindness will never go out of style.

 

The more things change...thank God that the more some things stay the same.

 

TCNGB

 

 

Merry Christmas!!

 

 

With me filling in for Mark this week, I have been involved in all of the Christmas planning, Christmas choruses, and Christmas stories on Fox News Rising this week.

 

 

In the spirit of that – and Christmas – I was thinking about the 12 things I think about each time I get a chance to share time with you. I guess it’s kinda like the 12 Days of Christmas...even though I’ll only be on the air for 7 days for Christmas J

 

 

My 12 Things

 

 

1. Pray – Believe it or not, I pray everyday before and after I go on the air. You may not see it, but I’m sure that there are times when Anna and Mark see me bless myself each day right before I go on camera; (I am a lifelong Catholic – one that’s not perfect, just forgiven.)

    

2. Laugh – It’s hard to believe that the son of a steel mill worker gets a chance to be on a cool, high-definition television set with a cast of talented people at Fox Charlotte. I chuckle to myself and say, “wow, this is pretty cool.”

    

3. Smile – Heck, it’s television. I better smile, right? Again, it’s very easy to do with the buddies that I’m with in the morning.

    

4. Remember – Namely, I remember who I am. I am the guy that cleans the rest rooms at K-Mart. I am the guy that cuts lunchmeat at the supermarket. I am the guy sweeping and mopping floors to support his newborn. I am the guy cleaning up at the Y. When you see me on Fox Charlotte, you see me because I always remember that I was those people...and I still am.

    

5. Absorb – I try to take in the experience and relate everything that I see and hear (well, maybe not everything!) so that you can be as much of a part of the Fox News Rising experience as possible.

    

6. Learn – I am constantly learning more about how people of different backgrounds and interests are tied together. It’s something that I usually encounter in my endeavors in politics, but the FNR brings even more awareness.

    

7. Have fun – That’s not hard to do working with this crew. Truly, using the word “work” is not appropriate when I get a chance to hang out with funny, smart, lovely people. Others should be so fortunate!

    

8. Enjoy – Although I get nervous every time I’m on the air (it’s like sports – you get used to it, but the butterflies never quite leave), I always remind myself that it is a privilege to be with the FNR crew, so I make it a point to enjoy the time there.

    

9. Support – I have an obligation to shine light on those trying to better our world and, therefore, whether I have a chance to, I try to highlight the best of our youth, our volunteers, and those making a difference. As I said after Election Day – I have my pen to write more history...and I support those that carry theirs with them as well.

    

10. Walk – That is, take a walk in your shoes. What are the things that you would think or say that I could think or say on TV? When I trip up on the air, can I show a human side that you can relate to? I always want to be that guy because people admire folks that they look up to, but they are inspired to move by people that they can relate to. In these tough times, we need movement and inspiration sparked by relationships. Hopefully, you can relate to me – in agreement and disagreement. It’s time for us to move – forward.

     

11. Be first – A simple one – I always try to be the first one on the set, if I can. Why? I don’t know. Between the puzzle of putting my mic on through my tie to the desire to capture some of the ambiance of the set before the show begins, I just feel that I need to be dressed and on set first. It goes back to my youth and my sports days, I guess. Plus, it’s the memories of talking to the team (both in front of and behind the cameras) before the show that I will share with my children and grandchildren in days long removed from now.

     

12. Appreciate – Each day is a chance to make the world better. Each day is a chance to connect to good people. Each day is a chance to make a difference. God gives me a chance to do it on the air as well as out in the community. I appreciate that gift. Hopefully, we can share that gift together.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

See you on FNR!

TCNGB - Lenny

I have a son, Adam, who is deaf, visually impaired and has cerebral palsy. In 1993 we set up a trust for him and as part of the trust we put 200,000.00 in Core States trust dept. to invest for Adam. This money was to be used for the benefit of Adam. Since then First Union bought Core States, then Wachovia bought First Union. The value of the investment was as high as 400,000.00 before Wachovia took over. Adam turned 18 on April 2, 2008. On his 18th birthday he was suppose to have the money from that account turned over to him, unless someone proved by way of a hearing that he was incompetent. That didn't happen and we were given a schedule from Wachovia saying by April 25 they would file a final accounting and then when that was approved they would release the money to Adam by June 2. We never heard from them, even when we called them on a weekly basis to find out where Adam's money was. In April after Adam turned 18, Adam wrote Wachovia a letter via fax, stating he wanted them to put his money in a safe account where he wouldn't loose any more money. We never received a response. In July we received a court order stating Wachovia was saying Adam was incompetent and before the money was turned over to him he would have to have an evaluation performed by a psychiatrist that Wachovia chose. That court order also said the final accounting was approved. Adam nor us were ever given a copy of this final account and given a date for the hearing. According to state and federal law that couldn't happen without a hearing to discuss either issue. In that final account Wachovia had charged and paid over 100,000.00 in legal fees while Adam only received 20,000.00 from this account. We received a letter from Wachovia saying if we fought any of the final accounting the legal fees taken out of Adam's money would be higher, so don't fight it. When we went to a lawyer to see about fighting the competency, we were told that could cost over 30,000.00 to fight it and even if we win Wachovia will take all the cost from Adam's account. So, even if Adam proves he is component he looses because he has to pay even Wachovia's legal bill. So instead we asked the Judge to have the money turned over to the trustees of Adam's trust instead of directly to Adam. On October 2 the Judge signed an order telling Wachovia to do a final accounting and turn the money over to the Trustees. For over 60 days we never heard anything from Wachovia even though the Trustees contacted Wachovia and left messages with their counsel many times during the 60 days. So, the Trustees then asked the Judge again to order Wachovia to give the accounting and turn the money over to the Trustees in 10 days. The 10th day was Dec 15. Again that didn't happen. Wachovia on Dec 17, gave us the final accounting and it is now worth only 76,000.00. Plus they are charging another 9200.00 in legal fees from Adam's money.
 
In the last 3 years Adam has needed new wheelchairs. He wanted to go to college. He was suppose to have physical and occupational therapies 2 times a week. He even went weeks with out diapers because every time we asked Wachovia for money to help pay for these things they told us no. Their reason was this money needed to last Adam's lifetime. Yet they took their 100's of thousands of fees out.
 
Last year we went to welfare to try and get enough money to at least buy diapers and food but we were denied because Adam had this Trust even though we weren't getting anything from it.
 
This is just a little bit of the whole story but I think it shows how desperate Wachovia was to hold on to money. To the point that a severely disabled child was denied even his basic needs while they poorly invested and charged as much as they could from Adam's money. No wonder they were forced out of business.
 

We've all seen amazing stories about lawsuit abuse.  People suing businesses because they spilled a hot drink on themselves, or because they were overweight, or because they didn't exercise common sense when using the products made by the business.  But this week I heard about an example of lawsuit abuse that beats all the rest.  It is one of the most incredible stories I've seen all year.

A couple of Canada geese took up residence outside a small pool maintenance store in Maryland.  The owners of the store tried to get the geese to leave, but their options were limited because of the Migratory Species Act.  The Act makes it illegal to disturb migratory birds, even when they aren't migrating.  So, it was illegal for the store owners to disturb the geese.  And because they weren't being disturbed, the geese stuck around.  Eventually, one of the geese honked at a shopper entering a DIFFERENT store.  The shopper was startled and fell down.  She decided to sue the pool maintenance store for damages, claiming the geese were the responsibility of the store owners.  The lawsuit was for $750,000.

I can't believe that something like that was even accepted by an attorney, much less actually go to trial.  What an incredible waste of the justice system.  Not only did it hurt the pool maintenance store, it wasted everyone's time who had to be involved with the case.  I'm sure that a lot of other cases could have benefited from having a shorter wait for a trial or more access to legal professionals who had to spend their time on this case.  You can see the entire story about the geese here - http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?
id=185 .  There's even a video where the owners of the pool maintenance store talk about their experiences.  It is such an incredible story, I don't feel like I've done it justice in words - check out the video to see it for yourself.

12/14/2008

“With recent political disappointments and their subsequent lessons – like how corruption will BLOW-GOY-YA-VICH your career – there are those much more innocent that we need to count on... remember – if we are borrowing money from our children and grandchildren to bail us out of our current mess, we will need as many viable citizens from those generations as possible to regain stability...”

With all of the proposals of budget cuts, offers to buy Senate seats, and CEO carpools in a quest for billions of dollars, some of the most needy - and future most-needed - are being overlooked by some.

I discuss why we can not fall into that trap during this bail-out frenzy in "Heroes", my editorial on Fox News Rising tomorrow morning at 6:15 AM.

Come watch the crew - Anna, Mark, Dao with news, and Tera with weather - tomorrow morning on Fox News Rising (starting at 5 AM.)

See you at 6:15 and 7:15 tomorrw morning!

TCNGB

He said so... lol

 

Empire Today

 

Has anybody else out there had a problem with Empire Today? We got  totally ripped off and lied too . They installed the cheapest wood and said it was warrantied and after only 6 months with kids and a dog its all scratched up. Guess what they won't warranty it ! They also said there was nothing they could do about it. Oh well just a warning we are in a hole now for something that they can't back up. Beware I promise you . I have pictures and receipts and will email them if you want to see them. Also, there installers installed a more expensive wood for half the price for a neighbor. Under the table that is. I would love them to explain this. But, they have no answer for that. Thanks for listening and be warned.

3845 Shopton Rd, Charlotte, NC 28217 (704) 588-6026

12/9/2008

 

"These four once stood in different corners as they duked it out for the Democratic nomination. If they don’t work together as effectively as possible, it could lead to a dangerous philosophical game of 4 Corners that would make Coach Dean Smith jealous. However, if they combine their talents in a historic fashion fitting for a historic administration, they could form the perfect square, one strong enough to use as a foundation for a better America."

This is a phrase from the Monday editorial "4 Corners" that I delivered on Fox News Rising this week. I commented on the irony of President-Elect Barack Obama selecting yet another formal rival to his Cabinet.

We are in a very unique period of time in America, and not just because of the level of crisis that we are in. Unlike the 1930s - when FDR created "The New Deal" in his attempt to stimulate a struggling American economy, we now live in the Internet Age, where information, preferences, opinions, and opposition flies around the world at the speed of light.

We know about the inside fighting between Obama and Biden (the on-the-job training comment comes to mind), Obama and the Clintons (need I say anything about this one), and even Richardson and Clinton (the former Clinton staffer in the 90s turning his support towards Obama during the primary season.) Yet, at this crucial time, it appears that people may have healed (mostly) from the tough campaign scars from 2007-2008 in order to prepare for "war": two literal wars and an economic battle to revive America's -and even the world's - prosperity.

Test #1 to see if Obama is the uniter that we have constantly heard that he is.

My thoughts? I think that he will be able to pull this off. I think that people will move lock-step with him over the course of the first 90 days of his administration, making (hopefully) strong but senisble moves to stabilitize this country economically and internationally.

Time, of course, will tell.

Watching this morning and forgot were to go register for the TV package can you tell me please.

It seems like there is more negative economic news every day.  In a recession like this, employers may cut jobs, consolidate offices, not give raises, or ask people to cut their hours/take a voluntary pay cut.  But I was recently reminded that other organizations are trying to use the economic conditions to their benefit.  Labor unions in particular are trying to strengthen their position now because they know that many people are just happy to have a job, so the individuals won't stand up to the unions.

For instance, I've been reading about the "Card Check" plan that some unions are proposing.  Basically, those unions want to take away workers' ability to choose whether or not to join a union through secret ballot elections.  In other words, the union can persuade the workers through unethical means to approve the union's wishes and they will know exactly who votes with them and who votes against them.  That just seems scary to me.  I think unions should be truly optional.  If workers decide that they want one, that's fine.  But if they decide they DON'T want one, that should be fine, too.  And the ballots should be filled out in private, with no way to identify individual votes.  Otherwise, I think workers would have to fear reprisals - like losing their job or harassment - if they don't vote the "right" way.

Unions are gathering a lot of signatures on a petition to get Congress to pass "Card Check".  Unfortunately, Congress seems so preoccupied that they appear to be passing everything, without regard to the long term effects.  I hope "Card Check" doesn't get put in the same category.  That would be disastrous.  Not only for the potential to make workers do what they don't want to do, but this could cause more unwanted unions to form in small businesses.  If that happens, any economic recovery will be slowed or stopped because the small businesses would have less flexibility to react to new opportunities because of restrictive union regulations.  If you are against the "Card Check" initiative like I am, make sure you let Congress know how you feel.  I found a petition online set up by the Friends of the United States Chamber of Commerce that we can sign.  You can go here to make your voice heard, too:
http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/takeaction/index.
cfm?ID=78

OMG!!~!! What in the world!!! absolutely NOT!! and i feel this way because parents are no longer able to discipline their own children physically anymore behind closed doors, let alone, out in public.....so why would we give this right to the teachers???!!! ABSOLUTELY NOT!!

12/2/2008

And - do - you - remember - Joe Biden’s words about Obama being tested by international players? Well, let’s just say that War Games isn’t just a movie from the 1980s anymore, at least not for the Russians off of the coast of Venezuela...

This is just a phrase from my latest editorial on Fox News Rising, titled "Indivisible." IF you missed it, you can find the text for the commentary on my personal website (www.lennymcallister.com) under "Editorials."

You can always get a chance to check out my latest views on the political world around us every Monday morning. I am on at 6:15 AM and 7:15 - 7:20 AM on Monday mornings along with Mark and Anna on the set of Fox News Rising, live and in person.

Yes, we do have a lot of things going on around us, which is why it is important to tune in, have the conversations about the events around us, and be part of the solution, not just part of the audience.

I'll be waiting for you next Monday. Listen in, form your opinion, and get involved in your governments - local, state, and federal levels.

Thanks for tuning in to Fox News Rising, where we share information, viewpoints, and smiles every morning...especially Monday morning!

 

TCNGB

11/29/2008

Now, after not being able to sleep in on Thanksgiving and Black Friday (in order to share my mornings with you on Fox News Rising), I was awakened again on Saturday morning bright and early. And why? In order to hit the hardwood. Yes, I was back out there, playing basketball on Saturday morning. This Saturday, was even more fun than normal.

I was out there with FNR's Sam Badger (producer) and Byron Wray (director.) No, you don't see them in front of the camera like you see others like Anna Kooiman or Mark Mathis, but they make the show click every bit as much.

We ended up having 3 of us from FNR and, of course, 4 McAllisters, and extended family by way of friends. Anytime you can go play ball after a wonderful Thanksgiving group prayer - well, it pretty much promises a load of fun, and it was.

On top of all of that, both Sam and Byron BOTH hit game-winners during the morning. Talk about Fox Got Game!!!!

Thanks of coming out, Sam and Byron. Gotta do it again soon.

11/22/2008

 

Thanksgiving got going early for me, even to the point where I am now recovering.

We had a wonderful gathering with extended family over in Huntersville the Saturday before Thanksgiving. It was a wonderful feast, not only because of the food, but because of the card games (Spades - and we won), football, and great conversation.

That is one of the great things about the holidays. You have a chance to connect with family and friends in a way that allows for us all to appreciate the love, kindness, and support that we get from each other. I know that each time I'm around my family and friends - my inner circle, if you will - I get that from that. That is what I had during the Thanksgiving gathering .

And as a transplanted Southerner, I had a chance to have my first taste of FRIED TURKEY Saturday night...and man was it good!!!I have to thank "West" for that treat.

With Thanksgiving over and Christmas less than a month away, how has the economy directly affected you this year?  What did you do differently and what are you planning on doing differently?

There seem to be a lot of news stories about consumers in general, but I'm interested in individual perspectives.  The news stories have suggested that holiday travel is down for the first time in years, that people are buying fewer gifts for their family, that they are giving gifts to fewer people, that people are not using credit cards to buy gifts, and that they are being more selective about which stores they shop at.  Are any of those things true for you?  Also, it seemed like the parking lots of the restaurants open Thanksgiving day were fairly empty and the crowds out shopping the day after Thanksgiving were quite a bit less than previous years.  Did anyone else notice similar things or were your experiences different?  What other changes have you noticed?

One of the things that got me thinking about this was the Friends of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website.  They have a poll up about the holidays and they are asking for personal videos about the economic slowdown affecting holiday choices.  The videos will help them know where to focus their efforts.  If you'd like to get your voice heard too, you can vote in the poll on their website and submit your video story on the page page that comes up after you vote.  Here's the link - http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/email/email4.cfm?
id=175

Cleveland Fox reporter was on Fox and Friends this AM showing how her THANK YOU GOD bracelets are popular.   The Ohio State Star players were on a segment too.

You can get them at:

http://www.thankyoubracelets.com

 Read the WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN page... which is true.