The national mood remains anxious, worried.  We have millions of Americans out of work, many of them Baby Boomers who've seen what they worked for these past 30 years disappear:  a predictable career, financial security, home equity, retirement savings. The foundation they've worked so hard to build seems to have collapsed before their very eyes.

"They feel lost. They see hedge-funders and investment bankers as having hijacked the American Dream from the middle class," says Peter Weddle, former CEO of Job Bank USA, Inc., and author of A Multitude of Hope: A Novel About Rediscovering the American Dream (www.AMultitudeofHope.com).

"Boomers - and all working Americans, for that matter - feel as if all of the opportunity has been sucked out of the land of opportunity, and they don't know how or even if they can succeed in this changed world."

But America is still the leader of the global economy and its future is as bright as it ever was, Weddle says. Why? Because Americans are individually prone to innovation and creativity, and collectively, the most diverse pool of workers in the world, he says.

"For all the unresolved immigration issues we have in the United States, we still have the best workforce on the planet.  Our diversity gives us a huge advantage over the competition in the global economy," Weddle says. "We have every kind of talent the world has to offer, while other countries such as China, India and Japan have very homogenous cultures so everyone basically brings the same talent to the table."

That talent, however, is being wasted.  The U.S. workplace has become an investor-driven market, a place where workers are treated as disposable cogs who are costs to be minimized rather than capabilities to be maximized on-the-job, Weddle says. The only way out, therefore, is something he calls "economic disobedience."  If every American stands up and demands their right to be employed as a person of talent - and if they then elevate that talent and bring it to work with them - they can reclaim the American Dream, Weddle says.

He sees Baby Boomers already beginning to do this. The number of 50- to 64-year-olds enrolled in college jumped 17 percent from 2007 to 2009, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

"These are the people who see this time as a moment of liberation - a chance to reinvigorate their talent so they can perform at their peak on-the-job," Weddle says. "And that self-reliance and individual determination is how our country will recapture its mojo."

A national human resources expert, Weddle says people don't necessarily have to go back to school or reinvent themselves. But they do need to identify their talent - their innate capacity for excellence - and take a proactive approach to integrating it into their career.

"It may be a gift for getting things organized, for resolving conflicts, for explaining complex topics in simple terms," he says. "Every single one of us has a talent and when we apply it at work, our job satisfaction - and our pay - goes up.

"Instead of work being a four-letter word, it becomes something to get excited about and to feel good about. We rekindle our self-confidence, self-respect and determination and we produce an economic revolution that restores democratic capitalism."

About Peter Weddle

Peter Weddle, a former recruiter and human resource consultant, is the CEO of the International Association of Employment Web Sites, a trade organization. He has written or edited more than two dozen non-fiction books regarding careers and employment; "A Multitude of Hope" is his first work of fiction. Weddle is the founder and former CEO of Job Bank USA, Inc., one of the largest electronic employment services companies in the United States.

MOLINE/QUAD CITIES -- Bruce Carter, Director of Aviation for the Quad City International Airport (QCIA) accepted an award yesterday at the Illinois Aviation Conference in St. Charles, Illinois, for "Illinois Primary Airport of the Year."  The award was presented by Dr. Susan Shea, Director, Division of Aeronautics.  The Quad City International Airport was selected out of all airports in the State of Illinois.

Many recent accomplishments led to the QCIA being selected.  Dr. Susan Shea says "The Division of Aeronautics enjoys a fantastic working relationship with the Quad City International Airport.  The Runway 9/27 Reconstruction / Taxiway P project was a complex, multi-year endeavor that required an incredible level of communication and coordination.  The success of this project is a perfect example of our longstanding partnership with QCIA and would not have been possible without the cooperation of Director Carter and his dedicated staff."

"It's a very exciting time to be accepting this award," says Bruce Carter, Director of Aviation.  We would not have received this award if it wasn't for the hard work of all of the MAA employees, the airport authority board members, and all of the tenants.  The partnership we have with the Division of Aeronautics and the FAA is critical to the infrastructure improvements we have made over the last several years, and months," Carter adds.

WASHINGTON, May 24, 2012 – A top USDA Rural Development official this week met with local leaders and business owners in the Midwest to highlight rural small business accomplishments and observe "National Small Business Week".

"We know that to build a strong foundation for our country, we must continue to invest in rural communities and small businesses that create new economic opportunities for those who call rural America home," said John Padalino, Acting Administrator of USDA Rural Development's Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS). "We've seen continued growth in rural business development and the Obama Administration will continue working to strengthen local economies throughout the country."

Padalino met this week with business leaders in Iowa and South Dakota and highlighted ways RBS business and cooperative programs help improve rural economic conditions by providing guaranteed loans and development grants for projects that help create and save jobs.

Nationally, from 2009 through 2011, RBS provided 12,214 guaranteed loans, direct loans and grants that assisted more than 50,000 businesses and helped create or save more than 266,000 jobs.

For example, Morris Manufacturing and Sales Corporation, a family-owned automotive parts manufacturer, had to lay off 100 of its 135 employees when two major automakers closed down production and reorganized. With the assistance from USDA Rural Development, Morris Manufacturing located in Brazil, Ind. secured four B&I loan guarantees totaling $10.2 million, which it used to restructure debt and purchase new equipment. As a direct result of these loans, the company rehired its laid off workers, built a new production facility, expanded its product line, and hired over 60 new employees.

The Montana Wagyu Cattle Company is a family-owned and operated business that raises cattle and provides USDA Grade-A beef and specialty beef products to restaurants, stores, and consumers throughout the region. In 2009, the company used their $49,900 Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) to grow and expand their business by selling products over the internet.

Today, the company sells and ships custom-ordered cuts of beef (steaks, roasts, and specialty cuts) to consumers and businesses all over the United States.

In 2010, Ecotrust of Portland, Oregon, used their $249,340 Rural Business Opportunity Grant to market their FoodHub internet website - an online directory and marketplace that connects regional farmers, grocers, restaurants, and wholesales - to food producers and buyers. The FoodHub website helps agricultural producers tap into the growing local foods market by shortening the supply chain between producers, sellers, and consumers. The RBOG will also be used to provide training and assistance to businesses that want to sell through the website.

In June 2010, 550 companies used FoodHub. Today, almost 3,600 businesses in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, and California use FoodHub to market their products.

Since taking office, President Obama's Administration has taken historic steps to improve the lives of rural Americans, put people back to work and build thriving economies in rural communities. From proposing the American Jobs Act to establishing the first-ever White House Rural Council - chaired by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack - the President is committed to using Federal resources more efficiently to foster sustainable economic prosperity and ensure the government is a strong partner for businesses, entrepreneurs and working families in rural communities.

USDA, through its Rural Development mission area, administers and manages housing, business and community infrastructure and facility programs through a national network of state and local offices. Rural Development has an active portfolio of more than $165 billion in loans and loan guarantees. These programs are designed to improve the economic stability of rural communities, businesses, residents, farmers and ranchers, and to improve the quality of life in rural areas.

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USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. To file a complaint of discrimination, write: USDA, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (866) 632-9992 (Toll-free Customer Service), (800) 877-8339 (Local or Federal relay), (866) 377-8642 (Relay voice users).

Simon welcomes new JALC president, calls for budget reform to protect education funding

CARTERVILLE - May 24, 2012. Lt. Governor Sheila Simon welcomed incoming John A. Logan College President Mike Dreith on Thursday and urged lawmakers to make pension and Medicaid reforms that will protect higher education funding.

Without major changes, health care for the poor and retirement benefits for public employees will continue to eat up more of the state's general revenue dollars, squeezing out funding for education, law enforcement and other expenses, Simon said prior to a public reception for Dreith alongside retiring JALC President Bob Mees.

"Runaway Medicaid and pension costs could squeeze out education funding if major reforms are not enacted this spring," said Simon, who serves as Governor Quinn's point person on education reform. "When President Dreith takes over on July 1, we want John A. Logan College to know its state dollars will be paid on time and in full so its students receive the best education possible."

Fast-growing public pension and Medicaid costs could eat up 50 percent of state general revenue spending in FY2014 without major reforms. That could limit the state's ability to fund education and public safety, threaten the state's credit rating and hurt the long-term sustainability of the health care and retirement systems, Simon said. On Monday, legislation supported by Governor Quinn was filed to restructure Illinois' Medicaid system.

"The state's budget crisis must be resolved, with input from educators across the state, to maintain and improve the quality of higher education in Illinois," said Mees, who will retire from the JALC presidency on June 30.

Students who qualify for state tuition assistance, whether they pay to study microbiology or welding, could also feel the squeeze, Simon said. In the past decade, the buying power of the state's Monetary Award Program (MAP) has fallen from covering the full tuition and fees at public community colleges and universities, to covering about half. For every student who received partial assistance from MAP this year, another qualified applicant was denied due to lack of funds.

"We need to invest in students and schools if we expect to reach our state's big goal: 60 percent of our working-age adults holding a degree or certificate by 2025," Simon said.  "It's time to put politics aside and work together on budget reforms that will put Illinois on solid financial footing for years to come."