Author: Robert I. Grundfest

I am a teacher, writer, voice-over artist and rationally opinionated observer of American and international society. While my job is to entertain and engage, my purpose is always to start a conversation.

On Wealth, Inequality Rules

So I’m perusing through the news and I see this article about a Pew Research study on median wealth in the United States and how the Great Recession impacted household worth. It is a stunning indictment of our fiscal, social and moral progress as a nation. If there’s anyone out there who needs a basic… Continue reading On Wealth, Inequality Rules

Is It Just Me?

Is it just me, or does it still not feel like the holidays yet? Perhaps the warmish, wet weather we’ve had here in the Northeast is partly to blame, or maybe it’s that the calendar has jammed the buying season into one less week this year because of a late Thanksgiving. Yes, yes, Chanukah, for… Continue reading Is It Just Me?

The Real Scare

Ain’t nobody does scary like the Republicans. Even Democrats, who’ve been scaring the elderly for years saying that the GOP would cut their Medicare, can’t hold a candle to the right wing fright machine once it gets enough cheap American gasoline inside it. This week was a banner week for scary, and it’s going to… Continue reading The Real Scare

The Political Muddle

If the sentiments expressed in this article in the New York Times today is any indication, then the Democrats are in deep trouble in the November Senate elections. President Obama still has his fans, but even people who voted for him are losing some faith that he can lead the country out of its present… Continue reading The Political Muddle

The Attack On History

I suppose that many Americans will see the report that the school board in Jefferson County, Colorado has decided not to blatantly impose its view of United States history on the district’s students as a victory for common sense and educational policy. For those who need a refresher, here’s the basic idea, from the article:… Continue reading The Attack On History

Senate Sense

I have gone on record as saying that the Democrats will somehow come out of the midterm elections still controlling the Senate, if only because Vice president Joe Biden will be the deciding vote in a 50-50 chamber. That was last week. And a new spate of polls has the left in a bit of… Continue reading Senate Sense

Go Home

I came across this article by Fred Barnes in The Weekly Standard because I happened to be trolling around right wing sites and thought he had a provocative, interesting idea. I also found a site that castigated Progressives for Palin Derangement Syndrome. You know, that knee-jerk negative reaction the left has whenever Palins’s name comes… Continue reading Go Home

From Summer to Serious

I’ve always found it interesting when the calendar changes to the day after Labor Day and the country gets serious. The rest of the world doesn’t know from this holiday and I’m sure there’s a great deal of literature on how the calendar affects world affairs. Thus, here we are. The world continues to be… Continue reading From Summer to Serious

In Education, Teachers Must Lead the Way

Aside from the December holiday season, the back-to-school late August and early September rush has the most profound effects on the United States. Shopping patterns change, traffic gets worse, and the general tenor of every community shifts to accommodate the children and adults who work in education. Welcome to this year’s edition. Some things have… Continue reading In Education, Teachers Must Lead the Way

Pension Outrage

Last year, my personal investments provided over a 19% return and I paid no investment or broker fees. Under Chris Christie’s dysfunctional fiscal management, the New Jersey Public Pension fund returned 15.9% (2014) but paid $398.7 million dollars in fees (fiscal 2013). Since his term in office began in 2009, the pension fund had paid… Continue reading Pension Outrage