Hi we’re on the road again back in the USA this time we’ve picked Kokomo, a small factory town in Indiana to mark the 100th day of the Obama presidency on Wednesday the 29th. We’ll be looking at different policies of the Obama administration and how they worked for the people of Kokomo.
Kokomo is a big auto town, the Chrysler and GM plants there are two of the biggest employers. For World Have Your Say we’ll be in UAW Local 292 a union for GM and Delphi electronics auto workers. We’ll also be going around town all day broadcasting fro different World Service programs so listen out for us on Newshour, The World Today and if you’re in the USA World Update.
We’ll be visiting Community First Bank, a locally founded Kokomo bank, Kokomo high school, Kokomo Opalescent glass company and many other local businesses to give you a feel of the town and what their feelings are towards the Obama presidency,. If you’d like to participate in the discussion or have any questions for them start posting them here. Also check out the trip’s web-page on our BBC website, you’ll be able to follow us around and also see photos of all the people we’re speaking to.
On Thursday the 30th and Friday the 1st of May we’ll be in Indianapolis doing two world Have Your Say shows with WFYI. On Friday we’ll be at the Anthenaeum Theatre so if you’re Indianapolis you’re more than welcome to stop by and take part in the program. We look forward to seeing you there.
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BBC World Have Your Say 
“Fatty, Fatty 2×4 can’t get through the bathroom door!” Nice little poem?
I am overweight, however I can tell you that I don’t eat half as much as I did and a pre-adullesent to early twenties. I also don’t play sports on a regular bases anymore. The combination of bad eating habits and no exercise is about 85% of my problem. bad eatting habits such as eating before bed, and ice cream addition. These are the personal, controlable issues with my weight. I don’t need to have people protected from my exsistance. I also work more than 40 hours every week, volunteer at church and in the community. Treat other humans with respect, and talk to their pets. So, who is dead weight now.
Where we are in history has given birth to a version of Orwell’s 1984 thought police. Your personal responsibility ends at my nose. Because, I am an American my personal space is a grid of 60 cm in every direction, from the center of my body. Our infamous 2 foot zone we think we have. If you don’t like my physical appearance you don’t have to look at me. People need to surrender the bigotry of every kind that makes them feel better than someone else. You have a right to keep your opinion to your self, or live with my opinion of you when I respond.
Oh yea, don’t get you feelings hurt when I tell you I think your a biggot. Now there is a dirty word!
I agree with most of Frank’s sentiments. We need to treat everyone with respect and dignity as humans. There is definite biggotry when it comes to people of size. However, I am also a firm believer in individual accountability. Frank admits much of his condition is due to bad personal habits. There are so many resources out there now to become more physically fit (notice how I did NOT say “lose weight, because a lot of weightloss methods are NOT healthy).
I do get upset with people who blaims their size on “genetics” or “metabolism”. The american population is getting bigger due to poor eating habits and lack of activity, not because our genes are changing. My main issue is that these habits are affecting America’s health, especially heart disease and diabetes. I work 40 hrs+ a week but take the effort to make healthy choices at the store and get a little exercise in. I do not think my healthcare costs should be going up because of other people’s poor choices. If everyone just ate a little less and moved a little more, then the world would be a healthier place.
I am also in the US, trying to get a handle on Obama’s first 100 days and unfortunately cut off from listening to WHYS, which is not sent here in Dallas, Texas.
I certainly do appreciate Obama’s stressing of clarity and transparency in government. I think that it is the single most important feature of his style so far and the feature which will proave to be the hallmark of the 21st Century, I hope. Because of the internet and people being able to access so much information now, we should all be able to become responsible citizens.
This also is a great challenge to leaders, who have to tell the truth or get caught in lies.
I think that it was a major descision to allow the CIA files on torture to be publicized and I hope that a lot of other people are like me and do not believe that responsible governments should support torture in any way or form.
Great to see you guys coming here! Would be lovely to have you stop by the animal shelter but I realize you have a busy schedule to keep.
I am enthusiastic for changes that will come with this administration, but as far as I am concerned there have been no noticable effects thus far. Same dwindling factory town, slowly spiraling downward, going the way of Detroit. Let’s hope something BIG happens here soon! I keep hearing D.C. chatter about clean energy technologies, but I would like results before yet another factory shuts down!
I hope that the WHYS will have a great time in Kokomo, Indiana and also, please do an excellent reports on the story….
~Dennis Junior~
Welcome to Kokomo-
While I certainly hope that you have a good visit an get to talk to a diversity of people, I am afraid that many will be disappointed that much of the hope that boiled here during pre-election days when the candidates were visiting has transformed into cynicism. I have been writing about this same subject on my blog- you can look for entries that start with “life in a dying town” for the series. I am hoping to catch up with you at some point during your visit.
http://roguepuppet.blogspot.com/2009/03/tales-from-dying-town-leveraging-social.html
BTW,
There are no GM plants in Kokomo any more. Delphi used to be a part of GM ( back when it was Delphi Delco Electronics), but they have been an independent company for over a decade now. They are a supplier to GM and to many many other auto makers.
I am originally from Kokomo, but now live in Georgia. I worry about my hometown. Most of my family still lives there, so I have high hopes that a solution is found to keep Kokomo alive, whether it’s the auto industry or some new form of business brought to town.
-Tyler