An Open Letter to Washington

As the markets plunge and investors continue to worry and the economy continues to flounder I believe every politician in Washington needs to look in the mirror and ask themselves are they acting for the good of their constituency of are they acting based of their political beliefs and egos. In the past few months it has become increasingly obvious that these people just don't get it! They continue to bicker along party lines and make decisions or non-decisions that are holding the economy and the people of the U.S. hostage. I believe it's time to take politics out of the equation and bring some people together that might actually be able to come up with some ideas to get us out of this mess.

We need to best business minds in the country to come together and develop solutions that can move U.S. business forward and get the economy moving again And I'm not talking about a bunch of corporate CEO's from huge companies, as some of them are the reason we're in this debacle in the first place. I'm talking about those individuals that grow companies small and large alike, thought leaders that through their work, experience and research have first hand experience in growing business. And all options are on the table, it befuddles me how Congress can't seem to get past the fact that as with any business in order to be profitable you not only must cut spending but you also must raise revenue, and that may mean raising taxes but it also means cutting some programs that we simply can't afford anymore. And we need to streamline the process so that decisions are made quickly and implemented with speed to get things going again. And we need to give this group the clout that they need to implement the ideas they come up with. As Congress put together the Group of Six and they came up with ideas they obviously didn't give them any clout because their ideas, which by the way were in many ways pretty good, got swept aside. Again because of partisan politics.

As an entreprenuer and business coach I've worked on and witnessed first hand spectacular business growth and what happens when people focus on a problem and implement a game plan to solve the problems, and I've witnessed this in good economies and bad. We need people that have an idea of what it takes for business success, people that have studied business for years like Tom Peters, innovation leaders like Steve Jobs, investors in successful companies like Warren Buffet and successful entrepreneurs that understand what it takes to grow companies. We need to implement some of the same strategies in our government that we implement in building successful companies. And most important we need to take partisan politics out of the equation. I'm not sure the politicians, I hesitate calling them leaders because that's the farthest thing from what they are doing right now, are going to agree but it's time that they get the hell out of the way and let people who know what they're doing come up with ideas to grow the economy and fix the problem. The quickest fix to the whole mess is growth and I mean significant growth and who better to come up with ideas to do that then those that have already done it in their own businesses!!

It's time Washington realizes that they aren't getting the job done so let someone else help them get it done!

An Inspirational Story

Here are two true stories that provide an inspiring example of how making the right decision can have a far reaching impact on the legacy we leave behind…worth the read!

STORY NUMBER ONE Many years ago, Al Capone virtually owned Chicago. Capone wasn't famous for anything heroic. He was notorious for enmeshing the windy city in everything from bootlegged booze and prostitution to murder.

Capone had a lawyer nicknamed "Easy Eddie." He was Capone's lawyer for a good reason. Eddie was very good! In fact, Eddie's skill at legal maneuvering kept Big Al out of jail for a long time.

To show his appreciation, Capone paid him very well. Not only was the money big, but Eddie got special dividends, as well. For instance, he and his family occupied a fenced-in mansion with live-in help and all of the conveniences of the day. The estate was so large that it filled an entire Chicago City block.

Eddie lived the high life of the Chicago mob and gave little consideration to the atrocity that went on around him.

Eddie did have one soft spot, however. He had a son that he loved dearly. Eddie saw to it that his young son had clothes, cars, and a good education. Nothing was withheld. Price was no object. And, despite his involvement with organized crime, Eddie even tried to teach him right from wrong. Eddie wanted his son to be a better man than he was.

Yet, with all his wealth and influence, there were two things he couldn't give his son; he couldn't pass on a good name or a good example. One day, Easy Eddie reached a difficult decision. Easy Eddie wanted to rectify wrongs he had done.

He decided he would go to the authorities and tell the truth about Al "Scarface" Capone, clean up his tarnished name, and offer his son some semblance of integrity. To do this, he would have to testify against The Mob, and he knew that the cost would be great. But, he testified.

Within the year, Easy Eddie's life ended in a blaze of gunfire on a lonely Chicago Street. But in his eyes, he had given his son the greatest gift he had to offer, at the greatest price he could ever pay. Police removed from his pockets a rosary, a crucifix, a religious medallion, and a poem clipped from a magazine.

The poem read:

"The clock of life is wound but once, and no man has the power to tell just when the hands will stop, at late or early hour. Now is the only time you own. Live, love, toil with a will. Place no faith in time. For the clock may soon be still."

Now read on to story number two…

STORY NUMBER TWO

World War II produced many heroes. One such man was Lieutenant Commander Butch O'Hare.

He was a fighter pilot assigned to the aircraft carrier Lexington in the South Pacific.

One day his entire squadron was sent on a mission. After he was airborne, he looked at his fuel gauge and realized that someone had forgotten to top off his fuel tank. He would not have enough fuel to complete his mission and get back to his ship. His flight leader told him to return to the carrier. Reluctantly, he dropped out of formation and headed back to the fleet. As he was returning to the mother ship, he saw something that turned his blood cold; a squadron of Japanese aircraft was speeding its way toward the American fleet. The American fighters were gone on a sortie, and the fleet was all but defenseless. He couldn't reach his squadron and bring them back in time to save the fleet. Nor could he warn the fleet of the approaching danger. There was only one thing to do. He must somehow divert them from the fleet.

Laying aside all thoughts of personal safety, he dived into the formation of Japanese planes. Wing-mounted 50 calibers blazed as he charged in, attacking one surprised enemy plane and then another. Butch wove in and out of the now broken formation and fired at as many planes as possible until all his ammunition was finally spent. Undaunted, he continued the assault. He dove at the planes, trying to clip a wing or tail in hopes of damaging as many enemy planes as possible, rendering them unfit to fly.

Finally, the exasperated Japanese squadron took off in another direction.

Deeply relieved, Butch O'Hare and his tattered fighter limped back to the carrier. Upon arrival, he reported in and related the event surrounding his return. The film from the gun-camera mounted on his plane told the tale. It showed the extent of Butch's daring attempt to protect his fleet. He had, in fact, destroyed five enemy aircraft.

This took place on February 20, 1942, and for that action Butch became the Navy's first Ace of W.W.II, and the first Naval Aviator to win the Congressional Medal of Honor.

A year later Butch was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29. His home town would not allow the memory of this WW II hero to fade, and today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named in tribute to the courage of this great man.

So, the next time you find yourself at O'Hare International, give some thought to visiting Butch's memorial displaying his statue and his Medal of Honor. It's located between Terminals 1 and 2.

SO WHAT DO THESE TWO STORIES HAVE TO DO WITH EACH OTHER?

Butch O'Hare was "Easy Eddie's" son.