Commentary: Support Junior Achievement, they support your business

It is really all about the kids. Junior achievement has been helping the business community for 54 years and you might not have known it.

J.A. programs train our youth in business topics such as economics, international trade, how communities work and how their careers can have a noble purpose by reviewing their values. There are plenty of organizations in Colorado Springs that are worthy of business community support, but if you think about it, shouldn't Junior Achievement be high on every business' list to support?

After all, aren't we, the local business community, going to benefit down the road from a work force with a background in making critical economic and management decisions? J.A. programs run the gamut, teaching courses from kindergarten through high school, and also after class programs.

In full disclosure, I am on the board of Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado and work with them as much as I can. The J.A. Gala is scheduled for May 10, with a silent auction, live auction -- you know the drill.

I encourage you to participate, donate something, buy a table or buy tickets for you and your spouse or significant other. Some day you might be glad you supported J.A. when you hire that perfect employee, or maybe you already have employed someone that Junior Achievement had an effect on earlier in their life.

With 17 programs, 1,450 class rooms and 30,000 kids being served, Junior Achievement has had an impact on our business community, whether you have known it or not.

Call Betsy Kuecker at 636-2474, ext. 23, to help Junior Achievement of Southern Colorado.

Have I told you about how a multi-use youth sports stadium could benefit the Springs? It really is all about the kids.

No apologies

My column last week garnered quite a response (Where do I get my paperwork to switch to being a Democrat?). As you can read on the facing page, most people agreed with me.

That is an unscientific way to think that we might have turned the corner from our far-right conservative reputation.

There were some high-level Republicans that responded and agreed that the El Paso County Republican Party has disenfranchised them. Some even admitted to voting strictly Democrat recently. Of course, they did not want that to be published, and I can respect that.

To be fair, if you far-right Republicans need to learn "how to handle negative information," "find and register voters," "build an effective grassroots campaign" and learn the various sundries of politics, there is a school for you.

The Colorado Family Institute must not read my column because they sent me a mailing about The Leadership Institute, for conservatives who want to win. I am thinking the El Paso County Republican Party will need a bit of "schooling."

The world could very well pass them by. If you have to learn how to run a campaign (and I would be one since I am apolitical) look them up. Sorry, I won't give them a blatant plug.

Junior Achievement deserves a plug, they are better for our community.

United Way reaches goal

Congratulations to Pikes Peak United Way for making its goal and bringing in more than $5.6 million for the 2007 campaign.

While the campaign increases revenue every year for PPUW and its 42 partner agencies, the amount is still less than cities of comparable size to Colorado Springs. But that is fodder for another column about how we can attract the headquarters of a large corporation.

Lon Matejczyk is publisher of the Colorado Springs Business Journal. He can be reached at Lon.Matejczyk@csbj.com or 329-5202.

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