Foundation Journal

Many people perceive the information technology field as impervious to downturns in the economy or employment levels, but the current economic crisis has caused many long-time tech workers to lose their jobs along with other skilled workers. Through my work as an information technology manager at an area food bank I work with volunteers and part-time technology workers. I came to the food bank three years ago after getting laid off after working 15 years at an area technology firm serving a large trucking company that once employed 70,000 people, but downsized to 35,000 workers. To help these workers who are helping the food bank, I am interested in their job seeking experience. Here's a brief profile of an unemployed systems administrator who is volunteering with the food bank while looking for work. What type of computer or technology work do you do? Worked 18 years performing systems administration for Linux systems on blade servers with SAN-attached storage. Started wit

Why are full-time workers at McDonald's on 350 Highway in Raytown not paid for holidays or provided vacation pay?

Finally! The city of Lee's Summit, Missouri took a responsible approach to trash service by replacing an all-you-can-dump-with-no-free-recycling-option to a "volume-based" approach similar to the successful service used in Kansas City, Missouri. After the service is changed, then those residents who have paid $2.50 per month to trash companies like Deffenbaugh can rely on the new service for free recycling, plus get the satisfaction that waste will be reduced and recycling increased. ...the City Council directed city staff to issue the state-required two-year notice to all solid waste haulers providing services in the City that the City is considering implementation of a comprehensive, citywide, solid waste program.  The program currently proposed by city staff includes volume-based pricing for residential trash service with unlimited, curbside recycling at no additional fee .  Under this proposed program, residents would only pay for the amount of trash they discard ;

When did bowling alleys like this one on 350 Highway in Raytown start closing? (Laurel Lanes closed a couple months ago)

While enjoying a bluegrass/rockabilly musical performance with friends Saturday evening, I had a conversation with a friendly couple from Putnam County in north Missouri. It did not take long before the woman outlined how the federal government was responsible for the downturn in the US economy, as well as for over-regulating farming. In short, she blamed the federal government for all the ills of society. The outspoken woman described the couple's difficulty in maintaining a trucking business, mentioning the economic conditions and excessive government regulations as the cause of their troubles. They also discussed the economic conditions for residents in Unionville, Missouri, a rural town with a population of 3000. I shared how my wife's family had relied on income from a small diary farm and row crops, while both her parents worked full-time jobs in meat-packing and state mental health facilities. They quickly blamed the federal government for programs that prevented farme

A report highlighted on Huffington Post showed KC ranked #8 among "The U.S. Cities Hit Hardest By The Recession". The full report based on a study by the Brookings Institute and the London School of Economics focused on two key indicators -- employment gains and income growth -- of a cities health or resilience during the recession. The global financial crisis of the late 2000s precipitated an economic downturn of such magnitude and reach that many now refer to the period as the “Great Recession.” According to the International Monetary Fund, global economic output, which had grown at an annual rate of 3.2 percent from 1993 to 2007, actually shrank by 2 percent from 2008 to 2009. A precarious economic recovery is now underway. Kansas City's employment rate dropped 2.8% during the 2007-2009 recession and another 2.8% during the 2009-2010 period the authors describe as "recovery". The chart shows Kansas City ranked among cities around the world, but #8 a

What ever happened to the art of the sign like this one on 350 Highway in Raytown?