Ward on Words

About a year ago, the WSJ posted a story about a very, very bold prediction : the folks over at GM were predicting 2010 would be a "profitable year" for the company. It was a very bold prediction because GM had not seen a profit since 2004. 2009 saw the forced exit of its leader, Rick Wagoner, a man who'd occupied various positions in the C-suite at GM for nearly 20 years. Under his leadership, GM ended up a recipient of a massive and unpopular government bailout, and then filed for bankruptcy soon after. So for a company that had been so buffeted by terrible leadership and the headwinds of our grim economy, its prediction of profitability in 2010 seemed a bit of a reach. But apparently, its predictions of success have become reality. According to a story in the Wall Street Journal , GM posted its "strongest annual performance in more than a decade" in 2010. And a profit of $4.7 billion. However, they're not out of the woods yet. Higher gas prices...

If you need yet another reason to understand why healthcare reform is desperately needed, check out this story in today's Chicago Tribune with this alarming headline: Illinois Blue Cross settles allegations that it denied sick kids coverage. Here's what happened, according to the Trib: "The cost of the medical care, which included so-called private-duty nurses for sick children and other ill patients, should have been covered by Illinois Blue Cross, but instead was shifted to Medicaid at a cost of nearly $12 million, prosecutors said. The claims were denied based on 'internal, undisclosed guidelines that were more restrictive than the language provided to patients in plan policy materials,' Madigan’s office said." As a result of the lawsuit, the company will "pay $25 million to settle allegations that it denied coverage to sick children in need of nursing care by 'fraudulently' shifting their claims to Illinois’ Medicaid program, state and...

As Richard M. Daley wraps up his reign, one thing is certain. The city's population shrank dramatically during his tenure. According to the 2010 census, Chicago's population is the lowest its been since 1920, the year Prohibition was enacted. A key factor in the decline: black flight. The next mayor of "the city that works" may want to think about investing outside of the Loop - in ways that revitalize the neighborhoods. Education and affordable housing are two key areas to explore. The population decline of Chicago is the most read story in the WSJ online edition today . The Chicago Tribune and the Sun-Times also cover the story.

If you watched the Superbowl, you probably saw the Chrysler ad (AKA one of two Eminem Superbowl ads.) If not, you can watch it here: Beautifully filmed, beautifully edited, it's a love song to Detroit. Told by Eminem. And it starts with a question: What does this city know about luxury? And I've got some stats that indicate the answer would be "not much." The lead in a 2009 Wall Street Journal story goes like this: They call this the Motor City, but you have to leave town to buy a Chrysler or a Jeep. The Journal goes on to note that Borders had just closed its last Detroit store, and that Starbucks, "known for saturating U.S. cities with its storefronts, has only four left in this city of 900,000 after closures last summer." The story then points out that there are no national grocery stores in Detroit. That was then, in 2009. What about now? Well, the good news is that unemployment decreased in 2010 (according to preliminary data) to just 1...

Yesterday, much to the disappointment of my young children (who wanted to watch Horton Hears a Who on FX), I commandeered the remote and switched over to the Superbowl pregame show. I realize the pregame show goes on for much of the day, but we switched over at 5pm (CST) - just in time to watch Colin Powell and someone from the NFL school us on the Declaration of Independence . Huh? What's that got to do with football? Why we needed such a civics lesson just moments before the start of Superbowl XLV, I'm not quite sure. The video was filled with stirring music, employed bunches of people (mostly men) to recite bits and pieces of the Declaration of Independence, used a range of locations as backdrop for the speakers, and included lots of people in military garb. [It was at this time that my children demanded (unsuccessfully) a return to Horton Hears a Who .] Yes, the Superbowl is part of the American fabric. Though I watch few football games throughout the year, even I ...