They hold all the headlines, their scandal is all the rage, and behind the Beatles, they’re the most controversial export of the UK: British Petroleum.

Only recently did the company decide to shorten the title to BP – I would avoid petroleum labels as well – conveniently opening up the door for a witty, self-promoting “BP” slogan: Beyond Petroleum.

Opponents have toyed with Beyond Preposterous and Beyond Pretentious to characterize BP’s motives, but I would rather mock the actions resulting from these motives.

BP has long been the champion of green-washing efforts by appearing to be an environmentally friendly company, through advertisements or donations directed toward alternative energy programs, while continuing to drive on the one-lane road of petroleum dependency.

It seems as if BP dreams beyond petroleum but can’t quite seem to get past petroleum. To them, there is no need for action; they’ve got plenty of words.

The company has branded itself the “global leader in clean energy production,” and surprisingly, there is some truth in the statement.

BP is the world’s third largest producer of solar panels – a great title, but the state of solar technology production reveals how worthless the title actually is.

They hoist up their bronze medal while less than 1 percent of the world’s energy usage comes from solar photovoltaic technology. On top of that, 93 percent of their 2008 investments went into oil- and gas-related practices.

Yes, they are a “global leader in clean energy production,” but only in comparison to our shortsighted, uniform energy economy. It’s hard to knock on them for making the claim, since it’s technically true, but I don’t admire the manipulation.

And don’t miss the obvious statement here: “global” leader. Not just a global leader in supplying the product, but a global leader in providing jobs.

After receiving a multi million dollar grant from the Department of Energy to fund alternative energy production, BP decided to scoot into cheaper areas.

After shutting down their Maryland solar plant, they decided to set up shop in India and China for a more profitable production process.

I guess outsourcing is a necessary action to be a “global leader.” The move makes things cheaper and more efficient for BP, but leaves America in the dust – losing out in the energy race windfall. Once again, one can’t blame the reason, but one can’t respect the decision.

While who was at fault for the current disaster is debatable, BP doesn’t hold an admirable track record to defend their innocence.

A refinery explosion in Texas in 2004 killed 15 workers, and BP was fined an exorbitant amount of money on the basis that they “failed to correct potential hazards.”

Two years later, a BP-managed pipeline in Alaska ruptured, pouring out nearly 300,000 gallons of oil. Deemed negligent and ignorant to the corroded and leaking pipelines, BP was slapped with more fines.

In 2007, BP was in violation of improper training for their workers. But the investigation was conducted by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) – the same service that is currently tied to the lack of safety precautions on the Deepwater Horizon Rig – so, I’ll give BP a freebie on this one.

Obviously, BP has quite a few skeletons in the closet. And even though this spill will end up being BP’s call to shame, this may be the one tragedy that may not even be their fault.

With the blowout preventer failing to cap the well – which would have prevented the explosion and the current leakage – one can make sense of BP placing blame on Transocean Ltd., since Transocean ultimately owns and manufactured the rig.

But the drilling operation, and all the safety protocols that come with it, is the responsibility of BP and the aforementioned Minerals Management Service.

It may have been BP, MMS or even both, but the relationship between the two has not delivered encouraging results. It has been reported that MMS exempted BP from the environmental and safety review for the rig. Was it bribery? A favor owed? This claim could easily diminish any credibility BP has left.

Sure, they may have ignored safety protocols due to lack of awareness or concern, but to avoid the mandatory review outright? Now, that is beyond preposterous.

It would be ignorant to think BP is the only company involved in corruption with regulatory organizations – and dare I say, the federal committees – but this report is cause for a broader concern.

It’s obvious the oil companies control all the strings with their ability to bribe, lobby and lie their way out of any scandal.

The present tragedy should reveal BP’s scarred past and expose the comprehensive lack of federal oversight and corrupted compliance within the oil industry.

Nevertheless, if the formerly listed practices and activities haven’t discredited BP’s values in your view, then I would hope the spill is verification.

No longer can BP shadow its actions; we’ve seen the smoking gun.

– Armand Resto is an Oregon State U. junior in environmental science.

I am going to use this last column of the year to reflect on some issues that come up every year, either in my classroom or my column.

It is clear after teaching human sexuality for 15 years here at Oregon State U. that many of my students received, at best, an inadequate sexuality education in high school or at home, and at worst, no sexuality education to speak of.

Most of my students will tell me they heard plenty about plumbing (“This is a penis; this is a vagina; this is how you make a baby”), diseases (AIDS; sexually transmitted infections) and abstinence.

Worst of all, many received the information via scare tactics. By that, I mean they were told all the negative consequences of sexual activity – and it stopped there. Few students tell me they learned sex is a wonderful expression of love, that it usually feels really good, and that it can be very fun.

I challenge someone to disagree with those three things. I know there is more to sex than those three things, but rarely are those three things expressed in K-12 sex education.

What students didn’t get was sexuality education. What I mean by “sexuality education” is acknowledging the existence of behaviors beyond the obvious and the stereotypical. Many of my students come into my class with a very limited idea of what sex is and how it plays out.

Many think sex equals penile-vaginal intercourse in the missionary position (man on top), and anything else is abnormal, unnatural, perverted, sick, immoral or wrong – when, in fact, most adults participate in a variety of sexual acts.

In high school, they didn’t hear about homosexual love relationships, anal sex, masturbation, sex after age 60, women with high sex drives or men with low sex drives. I am not saying the teacher has to approve of, or condone, these activities, but students have a right to know they exist and they have a right to be fully informed.

Knowledge is power – it is what gives us the power to make informed decisions. Research shows that a sex education program consisting of plumbing, disease and scare tactics produces an uninformed, sex-guilty young adult who lacks confidence. This type of individual makes the poorest contraceptive choices.

This is also the college student who is least likely to take my course. The end result is someone who is the most likely candidate for an unplanned, unwanted pregnancy.

I spend an enormous amount of time in my class trying to get students to broaden their ideas about what it means to be a man or a woman in a sexual relationship, to broaden their ideas about what “sex” itself is, and to have a sense of diversity when thinking about individuals who make choices about sexual activity.

In a way, it is no fault of their own that some of my students behave immaturely in class, talking, laughing, and making rude, inconsiderate or judgmental comments. What troubles me is that many of these comments are directed at people when it is simply the behaviors that bother them.

It is sort of a “throw the baby out with the bath water” syndrome in that they reject the person for the behavior when they should simply express disapproval of the behavior itself.

For example, they label people who enjoy anal sex as immoral instead of labeling anal sex as an immoral act (and I’m not suggesting that is or is not immoral). Or, students have labeled the people who patronize adult stores as perverts, sickos and dirty old men, instead of saying they don’t like the products purchased by these individuals.

Students have even gone so far as to label the people who work at adult stores as white trash simply because of their place of employment. It is this sort of limited thinking that results in prejudice, discrimination and intolerance. Remember OSU’s motto: “Open minds. Open doors.”

Have a great summer and be safe!

– Kathy Greaves, Ph.D., is a senior instructor at Oregon State U. in the department of human development and family sciences.

An Ohio U. football player left town on a Greyhound bus and did not appear in court on a felony charge yesterday after police began investigating him for breaking into a home over the weekend.

Athens Police Department officers attempted to arrest Melvin J. Payne, a defensive lineman from Mobile, Ala., over the weekend but Payne was not at his dorm room in Weld House residence hall, according to court documents.

Officers investigating the incident discovered that Payne left Athens on a Greyhound bus, which carried him out of APD jurisdiction, according to the documents.

Officers do not know where Payne was going.

Athens County Municipal Court Judge William Grim issued a second search warrant for Payne after his absence in court. Bail is set at $25,000 and he cannot pay 10 percent of the bail to get out of jail, according to the documents.

Payne faces a second-degree felony trespassing charge for allegedly breaking into 159 Mill St. Saturday night through an unlocked door.

A sleeping resident woke up when a man forcibly entered his bedroom. When the resident yelled, the suspect fled and ran through a glass door, leaving behind a trail of blood, according to a previous article in The Post.

Payne received treatment for his injuries at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital. He told hospital staff his injuries resulted from being stabbed outside Weld, according to the documents.

The only life you’ve ever known has ended. The people you’ve seen every day are now people you see sometimes.  The things you did every day are now things you used to do.  Times are changing.

You’re going to get a lot of advice.  Most of it probably won’t stick, but I’m going to give you one more piece.

Be yourself. Stay true to you. Watch out for number one.

It’s cliché.  You’ve heard it a million times.  There’s no scientific evidence or scholarly journal to prove that it’s true.  But it is.  You’ve got to be yourself.
Many moons ago, when I first ventured out on my own, I was excited to become a new person.  I was going to be cool, hang out with cool people and do cool things.  All my bad habits were going to melt away, and I would be reinvented.

I took a poetry class when I was 19.  It was a longer class and on breaks several students would wander outside for a smoke.  I liked those students.  We talked in class and seemed to click. I always went outside with them, feeling awkward that I wasn’t smoking.

Halfway through the semester, I showed up with a pack of Marlboro Ultra Light 100s. My classmates looked at me.  One of them, Ben, laughed and said he was going to hell.

Five years later, I’m still trying to shake the habit.  I have body spray in my car so I don’t smell like an ashtray when I go places, I’ll brave the cold when I have a nic-fit, and I’m in denial about the very real danger of cancer.

And here’s the real kicker: My classmates didn’t care if I smoked. They already liked me.

If I had accepted that I was a likable person, I’d be a non-smoker right now.  I would have more money in the bank and a longer life expectancy.

I would have had I been myself.

Now, don’t get me wrong.  Healthy changes are always good.  Having goals to eat breakfast in the morning or to study Spanish every day aren’t compromising your identity.  Eggs in the a.m. aren’t a cornerstone of who you are. Sometimes, the restrictions college puts on you are going to make you feel like you’re losing your identity.  But don’t confuse not wanting to do something with who you are.  This is higher education and much will be expected of you. Take care of the responsibilities you’ve signed up for as an undergraduate, but don’t be afraid to question.

If you’ve been raised liberal but have ideas you feel are conservative – research that.  If you have been raised Christian and are curious about Buddhism, Google it. Love Library, located two buildings west of the Union, houses thousands of books. Don’t be afraid to read them. This is college, after all.  This is a place for growth and change.  A place where you find yourself and hopefully become comfortable and confident in your unique perspective – not a place to be buried by falsehoods or someone else’s expectations. It’s okay to question.

Don’t feel pressured by anyone or any idea that you should be a certain way.

You’re young and impressionable (even if you think you aren’t), and there are people who want to take advantage of that. Many businesses and organizations are eager to swoop in when fresh meat comes along, because they know the fresh meat is eager to belong.  Clubs and jobs are great ways to meet people when you don’t know anyone, but be careful.  Don’t pigeonhole yourself or close yourself off from other experiences and people in a misguided effort to do the opposite. Try joining a club in your major or become involved with the new Multicultural Center. You can build valuable connections which will help you with your education and introduce you to a wide range of people – without compromising your “youness.”

When preparing for this column, I consulted a friend.  I asked him what he thought about being an incoming freshman.  He had this to say: “College is like a do-over. Any of the pre-conceived notions people may have fairly or unfairly had about you in high school that affected the way people perceived you in your day-to-day life … don’t exist anymore.”

It’s true. If you were unpopular at your high school, no one here knows.  More importantly, no one cares. The same goes for being popular or nearly any other social stigma of which you may have been a victim.  The wonderful thing about college is that everyone is different, but you’ll undoubtedly be able to find people like you.

Listen to me when I say you don’t have to listen to me.  You’re going to make a ton of mistakes.  You’re going to try to fit in and sometimes it will work, but sometimes it won’t. Please, though, try to remember who you are.  You’re the only constant in your life, and if you turn your back on yourself, no one else will be able to see you either.

Despite having a million things to worry about, the “Freshman 15” seems to be the one concept that terrifies incoming students. The myth is that the start of college brings with it a near automatic and inescapable weight gain.

U. Nebraska Health Center Marketing Coordinator Jennifer Snyder says many dietitians shy away from the term because it sends a poor message and shifts emphasis from health and wellness, placing it instead on only weight.

“It has negative connotations, that when you come to school you’re automatically going to gain 15 pounds…puts that mindset that you will have to do a lot to keep that from happening, which is not necessarily healthy,” Snyder said.

The truth is many students do gain weight when they come to college, and women are more likely than men to be affected. Coming to college is a dramatic change in lifestyle, but there are seven simple tips that will help incoming students adjust and maintain (or create) healthier lifestyles. “Now is the perfect time to create a healthy lifestyle and make great choices,” Synder said.

Sleep.

What seems like the easiest thing for students to do to maintain healthiness is often the first thing college students disregard.

“Most students do not get that much sleep because you’re either working late, you’re taking classes that are tougher than what you were used to, you have to study more than you did in high school,” Snyder said. “Socially, you’re on your own, you’re staying out later … all of those things factor into not getting enough sleep.”

Students are encouraged to get involved in school, which is the way to get the most out of the college experience, but if that involvement is not managed, it can take a toll on sleep patterns which can affect the rest of the body, resulting in weight gain or fatigue.

“It seems like once you start not taking care of your body and giving it the rest it needs other things start happening,” Snyder said.

Choices and Time Management.

If students just think about their decisions and how they will be affected, it is more likely to remain strong and healthy. It is often the first time incoming freshmen are away from parents’ guidance and making their own decisions, which sometimes leads to poorly made ones.

“Students tend to be really busy and really involved,” Snyder said. “I think time management is as big an issue as anything. if you can’t manage your time, you fall behind in class, you might start worrying about everything, you get sick, it’s just a snowball.”

The dining halls have a bad reputation for having terrible food, but they are actually required to put nutrition facts on all the dishes, making it easy for students to choose healthy alternatives while eating there. Paying attention to what and how much is being eaten will help strengthen your body by providing it with the necessary nutrients.

Weird eating hours.

Beyond eating a balanced meal, it is very important to set a regular schedule for eating, or at the very least, avoid eating in the middle of the night. Whether due to drinking then making impulsive decisions, or simply pulling an all-nighter studying and taking a food break, eating a pizza a 2 a.m. is never a good idea. It makes it harder for your metabolism to be active when food is consumed late in the evening, and throws off the body’s natural scheduling.

Setting a schedule to remain active.

The campus recreation center has many options for physical activity. The increased amount of walking on campus causes many students to actually lose weight when they come to college, but for some students used to rigorous training in high school sports, the activity might be a decrease from what they were doing before. Either way, actually scheduling time to work out will increase the odds that students stick to a regimen.

“The giant weight room at the Rec can be intimidating, but the truth is “people really aren’t looking at you,” Snyder said. “They’re not really watching you, so just do your thing and don’t worry about what you look like.”

There are alternatives to the weight room for those still intimidated. Group classes can help motivation and guide students into healthy, beneficial activity. Also, additional rooms like the Super Circuit at the Rec can help take away the intimidation factor by providing a smaller space to work in with a standardized routine. Intramural sports, from basketball to broomball, are another great way to remain active, and also help incoming freshmen meet other students.

Have a work out buddy.

“If you have someone you’re working out with, it makes you more accountable, because you don’t want to let that other person down,” Snyder said. “It is easier to let yourself down than someone else.”

Students will be more likely to try new things, such as the classes, the swimming pool or the climbing wall, with a friend to cushion the awkwardness.

Opportunity for change.

“When you’re in college, that is when a lot of healthy or not so healthy habits begin,” Snyder said. “It’s easier to change your ways when you’re 19 or 20 than when you’re 50. It’s a time for you to figure out who you want to be and what you want to be.”  This is often the first chance students have to really make their own decisions, and that should include an awareness for their health and wellness. Making it a conscious decision and actively trying to make better decisions will help students avoid weight gain and become healthier overall.

Avoid alcohol.

Not only does drinking increase the intake of calories in short periods of time at odd hours, it also encourages bad decisions.

“If you’re drinking, that’s when you order the pizza at 2 in the morning,” Snyder said. Beer and other alcohol are full of calories and, combined with the bad food choices that result, can slow the body down immediately. Students will also be less likely to work out if they’re hung over. Alcohol can have a quick and substantial impact on incoming freshmen who might control themselves less in college because they can more freely make their own decisions.

Alcohol companies are marketing to younger drinkers through ad campaigns with more social media, according to a report released last week.

The report, put out by the Center for Digital Democracy and the Berkeley Media Studies Group, said in one example, Heineken targeted Puerto Rican youth in a new digital marketing campaign. The end result allowed members of an online world to buy virtual furnishings for digital apartments, among other things, through “heikens”, instead of real-world money. This digital money was earned by playing games on the company’s website or on Facebook. The report said the company ended the campaign with an estimated response of 10,000 new Heineken consumers.

CDD Director Jeff Chester, who co-authored the report, said more people should be made aware of this issue.

“The recent privacy backlash against Facebook and Google Buzz, for example, illustrates how the issue of digital marketing and the need for safeguards is becoming a more visible and populist issue,” Chester said.

Karen Farris, a spokeswoman for the Missouri Youth Adult Alliance said underage consumers are frequently exposed to alcohol industry advertising.

“The alcohol industry spends billions of dollars promoting their products to people under 21,” she said. “Youth are exposed to apparel, music and advertisements.”

Rather than directly reaching out to minors, alcohol companies and advertisers frequently advertise their products with images of men and women who appear to be in their mid-twenties. Along with playing a chart-topping tune to play in the background of the commercial, the messages promote good times, humor and friendship.

The reach of the Internet also creates problems in terms of monitoring an alcohol company’s efforts to target a younger audience. Having such a broad marketing platform makes enforcing laws and other legal implications on an alcohol company that much more difficult.

“College students make decisions about what to drink for a variety of different reasons,” Masters said. “It’s not the only reason they drink, but it’s an issue.”

Masters said alcohol advertising is regulated on a state-by-state basis and Missouri’s laws on such advertising do not cover the Internet. She said this creates a “gray area” which confuses local brewers who are trying not to target the wrong consumers.

“What we’ve seen in Missouri and Columbia is that it’s a disservice to bar owners who are trying to do the right thing,” she said.

Chester and the other collaborators had a few recommendations on how to put a stop to these marketing practices. The report called for investigating the techniques being used to create ads that are designed to foster “immersive” and subconscious messages, including the use of “neuromarketing” techniques designed to influence or measure subconscious responses.

Another recommendation called for closer investigations in the activities of advertisers that conduct business with alcohol companies.

“The regulation of online marketing is done at the federal level by the FTC and also with state attorneys-general,” Chester said. “They can bring the necessary legal and enforcement action.”

Farris said local advocacy organizations like MYAA also support those recommendations.

“Making people more aware and increasing education regarding this matter would definitely be beneficial,” Farris said. “MYAA will continue to advocate and educate regarding this matter.”

The atmosphere in the Intercontinental Hotel in Kansas City could be volatile Thursday, with Big 12 commissioner Dan Beebe ready to push members to confirm their commitment to the conference at this week’s Big 12 meetings.

In an interview with the Kansas City Star, Athletic Director Mike Alden confirmed conference expansion is on the agenda for Thursday, making it apparent Beebe is ready to enforce an ultimatum he has alluded to over the past few weeks.

ESPN writer David Ubben said there is not much Beebe can do to accelerate the possible expansion process, despite his call for confirmation from Big 12 members.

“I don’t think they have the leverage to enforce an ultimatum,” Ubben said. “First of all, they’re not going to kick Nebraska and Missouri out, that’s just not going to happen, and even if they do enforce stricter penalties for leaving, that’s still not going to be enough to get them not to go.”

Beebe’s statement comes after a flurry of reports over the past month and a half claiming the Big Ten has made offers to Missouri and Nebraska and speculation Colorado could soon be headed for the Pac-10. While these rumors have pushed Beebe to try and accelerate the confirmation process, Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany said he has no intention to expedite expansion on his end.

“I’m not sure that the Big Ten is necessarily in a huge rush (to make a decision) and they’re the ones holding all the cards at this point,” Gabe DeArmond of PowerMizzou.com and InsideSTL.com said. “There’s really not a definite timetable on it at this point.”

The last time Delany seriously considered expanding the conference was in 1999, when Notre Dame publicly rejected his offer. This time around, Delany said he will not announce to the public that offers have been made until he is assured schools will accept them.

“The only time you are going to hear that (the Big Ten) is extending any offers, is when they know these offers are going to be accepted,” ESPN senior writer Bruce Feldman said. “(Delany) is a proud guy. He really values the image of the Big Ten brand and I do not think he is going to let anybody walk all over it and not cast it in the best light.”

Delany’s approach doesn’t bode well for Beebe and the Big 12. When he made the original announcement, Delany said the conference was embarking on a 12-to-18-month process. If it’s not until this time next year, nearly 18 months after the original announcement, Beebe could have a much smaller selection of replacement schools and, as a result, could be faced with a much weaker conference. Should the Pac-10 and SEC choose to expand as well, there is the possibility of the Big 12 Conference dissolving.

“I don’t think you’re immediately going to see a break up of the Big 12,” DeArmond said. “But if things start going on in the SEC response and the Pac-10 maybe looks at more than just Colorado and Utah, then 5 years down the road you could be in a scenario where the Big 12 isn’t around anymore.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Pawlenty sounded off on a number of controversial topics last Thursday in an interview with “Meet the Press” host David Gregory at U. Minnesota.

The focus was on Pawlenty’s views and his possible 2012 presidential bid.

Pawlenty said he supports the Tea Party movement and said those involved are “mostly folks who are average Americans who want the country and the government to return to American common sense.”

The interview in Ted Mann Concert Hall was the show’s first stop on its “Across America” tour.

Pawlenty also defended his recent decision not to apply for up to $175 million in federal Race to the Top education funding, saying he believes strongly in the program, but Minnesota would not have been competitive nationally unless the Legislature passed K-12 education reform.

“They, in my view, bowed to the teacher unions … and are more interested in hugging them than dealing with reforming education in real, effective ways in Minnesota,” he said.

‘Meet the Press’

The University was selected to start the “Across America” tour because of a personal recommendation made by former Minnesota U.S. Rep. Vin Weber and was organized by the Humphrey Institute for Public Affairs’ Center for the Study of Politics and Governance.

“It’s wonderful for the University of Minnesota to be profiled on the premiere public affairs news show in the country,” Larry Jacobs, the center’s director, said. “We were the first place selected and they said we set the bar high.”

The University was selected on three criteria, according to “Meet the Press” Executive Producer Betsy Fischer.

For one, NBC had a strong Minnesota affiliate in KARE 11. Also, the program was looking for a university to host a public forum. The third criteria — and most important — was that Pawlenty was willing to make himself available.

“We wanted someplace where we had an interesting political figure, and we had that in Tim Pawlenty,” Fischer said.

The University was selected because it is easy to work with, Jacobs said.

“For them it was like make-believe,” he said. “They came to town and everything was set up.”

The 40-minute interview was followed by a 20-minute question and answer segment when a dozen audience members asked Pawlenty about issues ranging from gay marriage to the state budget deficit.

“Gov. Pawlenty did quite well,” Jacobs said. “It was hard not to be impressed.”

Immigration

The governor voiced support for Arizona’s new immigration law, which allows police to check the immigration status of those they suspect have entered the country illegally.

However, he said media coverage has mischaracterized the new law. Pawlenty denied that the law is an invitation to commit unlawful racial profiling.

Health care reform

When asked if he would repeal the new federal health care reform, Pawlenty said he would.

“I don’t like ‘Obamacare,’ ” he said, calling the reform “one of the most misguided pieces of legislation in the modern history of the country.”

Pawlenty said he was concerned over the health care law, which he said reflects 1940s thinking that comes from a one-size-fits-all bureaucracy in Washington, D.C. He said the system should “look more like an iPhone.”

He claimed the law will be a failure if the intention was to reduce health care spending.

“All they did is expand access to a broken system,” he said.

Oil spill and AIG

Some of the conversation focused on the federal government’s handling of the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, which Pawlenty criticized.

He said it’s too early to place blame, adding that “we need to hold this administration and BP accountable. But as we do that, we need to make sure we have good information and good facts.”

The crisis is likely to reveal shortfalls in the current administration’s reaction, he said.

“Why did they rely just on BP early on to tell us what the volume of the leak was?” Pawlenty asked. “Why didn’t we independently verify that using government sources?”

He said he is glad that President Barack Obama is “assuming responsibility and accountability,” though the government should have reacted more quickly.

Obama promised Tuesday “to investigate what went wrong” as he appointed former Florida Senator and Gov. Bob Graham and former Environmental Protection Agency Administrator William Reilly to lead an inquiry to investigate the nature of the oil spill, which he called “the worst oil spill in the U.S. history.”

Economy

Gregory asked Pawlenty whether he would give the Obama administration credit if the economy recovers.

“You can’t put this much money into the economy in the near term and not have it have some effect,” Pawlenty said. “But what I would suggest to you is its phony effect.”

Gregory pressed on, asking, “if there is a continued job growth on the pace we have seen so far this year, do you think that is a phony turnaround?”

Pawlenty said growth is not worth the price of potential national bankruptcy, adding that America will be buried in debt and may go the way of Greece.

Gregory responded that it’s fallacious to assume the country will go bankrupt.

“Unlike Greece, the United States can print its own currency,” he said.

Gregory prodded Pawlenty to name one painful choice that he would make in order to cut the deficit and bring the fiscal house in better order for the federal government.

“You are talking to somebody who, with the exception of military veterans, public safety and K-12 schools, has cut everything,” Pawlenty said.

“I like his conviction, his courage,” said Paul Hamilton, a Coon Rapids, Minn., financial consultant and self-proclaimed Democrat who was in the audience.

“I don’t like his policy, but that is a personal choice,” he said. “That is why we have a democracy.”

Gregory asked Pawlenty how champions of small government legitimize situations like the banking crisis and the recent oil disaster, in which the government can play a big role.

“We need a limited and effective government,” Pawlenty said. “So you have to prioritize and focus what you do, and those things that you do do, you need to do well.”

‘Creeping tyranny’

When asked about the “creeping tyranny” of the federal government under Obama — a term Pawlenty used in a speech in May — he responded, “The more the government does, the more it usurps traditional space in the private economy.”

The government’s method of taking money from citizens — using it for management and oversight and then reinserting a portion of it back into the economy — is not efficient, he said.

He said it also extinguishes entrepreneurial spirit, individual responsibility and the need for innovation.

“It is a form of tyranny,” he said. “It’s not an overstatement to say that.”

When asked if he would ever raise taxes, Pawlenty said, “The people of Minnesota know the answer to that: No.”

New Hampshire trip

Pawlenty announced last Tuesday that he will attend the Strafford County Republican Committee summer picnic in Dover, N.H., on July 10.

This will be Pawlenty’s third trip to New Hampshire — the first state to hold a presidential primary — since he announced he would not run for a third gubernatorial term.

Pawlenty is rumored to be a potential 2012 Republican Party presidential candidate. He has long evaded questions about his potential candidacy — and did so again Thursday — but said he would decide early in 2011.

A survey conducted by Rasmussen Reports in March found that 49 percent of the 500 Minnesota voters interviewed would not vote for Pawlenty for president in 2012. Another 35 percent said they would, and the final 16 percent were unsure.

The poll also found that Pawlenty holds a 22 percent job approval rating, while Obama’s is at 36 percent.

Pawlenty was happy to participate in the event, Brian McClung, Pawlenty’s spokesman, said.

“He appreciates chances to have longer discussions,” he said, “as so much of the political news coverage these days is a 10-second sound bite on the news or a 140-character tweet from a reporter.”

The show aired Sunday and is available online.

Billboards usually serve the purpose of informing the public of a particular message, whether it is an advertisement for a business or political campaign. Billboards do not usually address the president of the United States directly. That is what one controversial billboard in Buffalo, New York has recently done, drawing attention from the entire nation.

The billboard in question reads, “Dear Mr. President, I Need a Freakin’ Job. Period.” and includes a photo of four college students. According to a CBS news release, the sign is part of the “I Need a Freakin’ Job Movement,” which was started by businessman Jeff Baker, who lost his own small business 15 months ago. INAFJ’s website, www.inafj.org, states that the purpose of the movement is to give voice to the millions of people affected by the high unemployment numbers in America. Their mission statement says, “As families suffer, our political leadership seems content with their dysfunctional posturing. Together we can set the record straight, or at least just make fun of it.”

Regardless of various opinions on the appropriateness of the sign, there is a fundamental message conveyed which transcends party lines: America needs jobs. Our nation was built on the muscle of manufacturing; we were once an industrial giant of the world, where jobs were available to those who wanted to work. And yet, as the nation comfortably enjoyed that success, we became lazy and less willing to work long hours in difficult positions. The bottom line? Many manufacturing jobs are leaving. Countries around the world are increasing their industrialism and exporting to us most, if not all, of the goods we consume daily. This is definite cause for concern.

President Obama continues to state that those in the government are working diligently to combat the unemployment rate, with an estimated 290,000 jobs added to the work force in April, as maintained by the Labor Department. However, of those “added jobs,” no one is really sure what they are, and whether they are the kinds of jobs necessary for stability.  Even so, those without work reached a rate of 9.9 percent in the same month, according to the Washington Post, certainly breaking Obama’s promise that the unemployment rate would not exceed 8 percent.

Despite the current heavy divide between the Democrat and Republican parties, the message about jobs rings loudly for both. Americans are not looking for rhetoric or political dispute, they just want employment. The future of the economy depends on a working America, and the people want their voices heard. We must return to a country where our focus is once again on industry, and begin to build not only the economy, but morale. The only way to do that is by putting people back to work.

The billboard in New York clearly demonstrates the feelings of many Americans. While its message is simple and direct, it has a profound effect. It addresses Washington and those in power straightforwardly, asking them to remember their focus. While other tasks are important and deserving of attention, the fact remains that nothing else matters unless the American people are working. Therefore, jobs need to be the number one priority.

Controversial though it may be, the “I Need a Freakin’ Job” billboard serves its purpose.  It represents a feeling that Americans’ needs and wishes are being disregarded by their leaders and it places responsibility on those representatives to put aside any political agenda and serve the people. Ultimately, this is what our nation is all about. The New York billboard says one thing: Dear Mr. President, when the American people speak, listen. Period.