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North Carolina and Cannabis Legalization

constantin poindexter, carlyle poindexter, surety one, suretyone.com, cannabis, marijuana

I read with interest a recent report in the News & Observer by Mr. Doran about the Elon University marijuana legalization poll. Legalization of cannabis and cannabinoid products should be a priority for the North Carolina General Assembly among its manifold fiscal, social and justice reform legislative efforts.

Prosecution of marijuana and related offenses has disproportionately affected minorities and the poor. Serious convictions for non-violent offenses that nullify a defendant’s civil rights and effectively disqualify him or her from professional licenses and job opportunities offer no benefit to our community. Statutory oddities such as the possession of rolling paper which carries a more severe penalty than that of possession of marijuana itself are evidence of stupid law making at best, and discrimination at worst. In what system would a prosecutor allow a guilty plea to a weapon possession charge and dismiss the accompanying homicide? Ridiculous. Only sixteen states still enforce a strict prohibition of cannabis, North Carolina among them. A few of these are currently considering decriminalization and/or legalization. From a criminal justice perspective, we are dead wrong on our failure to open a serious legislative debate on cannabis.

Legal use of cannabis for medical purposes should raise no argument whatsoever. Other than the prejudicial effects of inhaling anything that produces smoke, there is no medical evidence that cannabis harms the human body any more than the use or abuse of any substance. In fact, there is a body of evidence that the positive effects of prescribed cannabis to reduce pain and increase appetite far outweigh the negatives, allowing patients to enjoy an improved quality of life without the risk of the dangerous spiral of opiate addiction. The prohibition of cannabis use by individuals with terminal illnesses is absolutely indefensible.

From a social impact perspective, opponents of marijuana legalization often recycle the tired argument that it is a “gateway drug”, that by allowing adult use somehow cannabis consumers will turn into crack, heroin or methamphetamine addicts. Again, evidence does not support that argument. Like any reasonable adult, I am not enthusiastic about my airline pilot, brain surgeon or my children’s school bus driver smoking marijuana then immediately engaging in their occupations but we don’t allow them to do so with alcohol or prescription drugs either. There is an equivalency here. Likewise, justifications of prohibition based on the supposition that marijuana users will engage in actions under the influence that they otherwise would not, or somehow evolve into dastardly delinquents committing crimes to support their habit fall flat.

Fiscally, legalization is a responsible action. I can speak with some authority. Since legalization of cannabis in California under Proposition 215 over a decade ago to date, I have affixed my signature to approximately eight thousand surety bonds required by over a dozen state regulators that guarantee the conduct of those cannabis licensees. Those licensees have become significant revenue generators. In 2019, cannabis sales generated a tax revenue to the State of California in the amount of $629.3 million. Over the lifetime of the program the revenue number is $1.03 billion. Washington as a comparison by population similar to that of North Carolina enjoyed a 2019 tax collection of $395.5 million, $1.33 billion over the life of its cannabis program. The revenue is of course but part of the fiscal picture, as the end of simple possession and paraphernalia prosecutions have saved criminal justice systems countless millions of dollars.

I don’t use cannabis. I’m just not interested but neither am I interested in smoking cigarettes. My choice doesn’t mean that responsible adults should not make their own informed decisions about cannabis use. Legalize it for adults, tax it and penalize irresponsible and illegal cultivation and distribution. Not doing so after consideration of the successful government-regulated cannabis experiments in three-quarters of U.S. states puts North Carolina on the wrong side of history.

~Constantin Poindexter, CEO Surety One, Inc.

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MLK Day, a Moment for Thankfulness

mlk, martin luther king

Today is a special occasion, special because of a man and his universal message of freedom, hope and faith in humankind. This day marks more than the birth date of a man that stood for equal rights for black Americans. It honors the themes of Dr. King’s timeless call for equality among men, a call for America to live up to those ideals expressed by the founding fathers in the Declaration of Independence and a method to reach that goal without violence.

Dr. King believed. Dr. King had faith and reminded us of the fatherhood of God, and the universal brotherhood of man. He declared that a truly free  and just society judges a man by the “content of his character rather than the color of his skin.” Though white supremacists, law enforcement and even the U.S. intelligence community conspired to silence his voice, he persevered. Against all odds, he kept walking and preaching. The fear that must have pervaded folks that joined him in his long walks across the southern part of America, the death and injury inflicted upon him and his followers, the resistance of certain members of white America are and have always been a national disgrace.

I have a dream. I have a dream that the hate will end, that fairness and goodwill between ALL races and ethnicities of America will inevitably prevail.  Thank you, Dr. King.

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La Caridad es el Amor Manifestado

constantin poindexter, constantin poindexter charity, carlyle poindexter, surety one, surety one inc, charity, caridad;

El amor: def. nombre masculino; Sentimiento de vivo afecto e inclinación hacia una persona o cosa a la que se  le desea todo lo bueno. “el amor al prójimo; abrazó al bebé con gran amor; nunca ocultó su amor a la patria; el amor de la gloria lo llevó hasta el heroísmo”

Sentimiento de intensa atracción emocional y sexual hacia una persona con la que se desea compartir una vida en común.
“amor platónico; me gustan las canciones de amor; no puedo expresar con palabras el amor que siento por ti; le escribió una carta de amor”

La definición común, todos la sabemos, ¿pero es el amor solamente un sentimiento? Por supuesto que no. Es una acción, un comportamiento. Someto para la consideración las palabras sabias del R.H. Carlos Ayón Calderón, “la Caridad, desde es la más importante de las virtudes teologales y sobre todas las virtudes cardinales que, expresa el Amor Verdadero cuando el hombre ama a su prójimo por el amor a Dios. La Caridad (y la Misericordia, su hermana) tienen la aprobación del cielo y la tierra, que ambas bendicen tanto al que da como a aquel que la recibe.” En esto, de acuerdo estoy y recomiendo particularmente la ampliación del sentido de la palabra “Amor”. La definición común no le hace justicia a nadie, perdiendo en visto lo que quiere decir nuestro creador.

Que por medio de la escalera de Jacobo alcanzamos la salvación. Los peldaños de la escalera son fé, esperanza y caridad, el último siendo el más importante, la practica de la cual enriquece, como dijo Ayón, el/la practicate tanto como el/la recipiente.

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Duke Cancer Center for Kids

constantin, constantin poindexter, constantin poindexter salcedo, carlyle poindexter;

Per Duke Pediatric Cancer, “Although pediatric cancers are less common than  adult malignancies, the impact of cancer on children and their families is nothing short of devastating. Over the past 40 years, cooperative research efforts (primarily through the Children’s Oncology Group) have resulted in dramatic increases in cure rates for most pediatric cancers. Nevertheless, substantial numbers of children with cancer still succumb to their disease, and even larger numbers of pediatric patients suffer significant long-term late effects because of the intensity of the therapies required to achieve cure. Research into the pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying pediatric tumors is essential to develop novel therapeutic approaches that will yield higher rates of cure and fewer side effects.

I humbly request that you follow my lead and give to this most worthy institution. I did and Surety One, Inc. matched. Check with your employer as it may be on a matching program as well! visit them here.

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Bienvenida ~ un Poema de Mario Benedetti

constantin poindexter, carlyle poindexter, charity, caridad, amor, love

Se me ocurre que vas a llegar distinta

no exactamente más linda

ni más fuerte

ni más dócil

ni más cauta

tan solo que vas a llegar distinta

como si esta temporada de no verme

te hubiera sorprendido a vos también

quizá porque sabes

cómo te pienso y te enumero

después de todo la nostalgia existe

aunque no lloremos en los andenes fantasmales

ni sobre las almohadas de candor

ni bajo el cielo opaco

yo nostalgio

tu nostalgias

y cómo me revienta que él nostalgie

tu rostro es la vanguardia

tal vez llega primero

porque lo pinto en las paredes

con trazos invisibles y seguros

no olvides que tu rostro

me mira como pueblo

sonríe y rabia y canta

como pueblo

y eso te da una lumbre

inapagable

ahora no tengo dudas

vas a llegar distinta y con señales

con nuevas

con hondura

con franqueza

sé que voy a quererte sin preguntas

sé que vas a quererme sin respuestas.

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Why Charity?

constantin poindexter, carlyle poindexter, surety one, surety one, inc., suretyone.com, charity, caridad;

Its covering is no less than the clouded canopy, or starry-decked heaven, where we wish to at last to arrive, by the aid of that theological ladder which came to Jacob in a vision, he saw extending from earth to heaven; the three principal rounds of which are FAITH, HOPE, and CHARITY. The allegorical ladder admonishes us to have faith in God, hope in immortality, and charity towards all men (and women). The most important rung of the ladder is CHARITY. Faith may be lost in sight, hope ends in fruition, but charity extends beyond the grave, through the boundless realms of time.

Why is charity relevant and why is it incumbent on every able person to offer it in his or her own way? I’ll elaborate later, however for the moment I will leave this most eloquent reasoning courtesy of the General Ahiman Rezón of our Brotherhood albeit with a change or two to enhance its universal applicability. The words are not my own however the sentiment certainly is.

Charity is the brightest gem that can adorn our lives on this earth. Happy is the man  who has sowed in his breast the seeds of benevolence, the produce of which is love and peace He envieth not his neighbor. He listeneth not to a tale, when reported by slander. Revenge or malice has no place in his breast. He forgives the injuries of men and endeavors to blot them from his recollection. The objects of true charity among us are those individuals that aid and succor those persons who are incapable of extricating themselves from misfortunes in their journey through life, relief and support of those industrious individuals who by inevitable accidents and acts of providence have fallen into ruin,  widow left survivors of their husbands, by whose labors they subsisted,  orphans in tender years left naked to the world, and the elderly whose spirits are exhausted, whose arms are unbraced by time and thereby rendered unable to procure for themselves that sustenance they could accomplish in their youthful days.

From each person according to his or her capacity to the cause of charity should be a natural inclination. It is incumbent on us ALL to contribute to the relieve of those that for whatever reason find themselves in situations much less privileged than our own.

~ Constantin Poindexter, CEO of Surety One, Inc.

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A Dual Purpose for Establishing an Enterprise.

constantin poindexter, carlyle poindexter, surety one, surety one, inc., suretyone.com;

I have spent a quarter of a century building businesses, largely my own but offering a contribution of my humble expertise when it has been requested. Twenty five years ago I was a recent university graduate and a neophyte to the business world so naturally I collected books, magazines, white papers, . . . i.e., whatever I could put my hands on that would (hopefully) support the success of my enterprises. One of the first was a collection of work by Peter Drucker. While some of his wisdom is timeless, I found that there were some major gaps in his thinking.  His definition of “business purpose”, is inadequate.

“Because the purpose of business is to create a customer, the business enterprise has two–and only two–basic functions: marketing and innovation.”, wrote Drucker. A business that grows and remains relevant for many years must have another purpose, . . . to serve a social good. Creating economic value for an enterprise’s owners, employees and the departments of revenue is not “serving a social good”. So what is it?

How do we determine the true “purpose” of a business to ensure that it is one with enduring value? There is a special (albeit very old) tool for uncovering the root of the question. The technique is called the “Five Whys”.  Start with what your enterprise offers, then ask “why”, until you have dug down to the core purpose or “root” of the cause that your business supports. Ex., . . .

  • We offer financial services to people!
  • Why? Because those people need them.
  • Why? Because without them they cannot budget, save, prepare for the future, etc.
  • Why would they need to do those things? To live a healthy life, provide for themselves and their families, to save for kids’ college and prepare for a dignified and happy retirement.

So, in the example above we didn’t need to ask “why” five times to arrive at our need. What is the business purpose? It certainly isn’t to “sell financial services” and if that is ALL that it is, then the enterprise wouldn’t last. It serves no social good. We see however that there is more. Looking deeper we perceive a different answer to this example. “What is the business’s purpose? To help people live a healthy life, provide for themselves and their families, to save for kids’ college and prepare for a dignified and happy retirement.”

Keep this “dual purpose” in mind as you develop a business plan. Without the “social good” element as fundamentally equal to the “to market and sell something” one, a business is doomed to failure.

~ Constantin Poindexter, CEO of Surety One, Inc.

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Haitianos Entre Nosotros

constantin, constantin poindexter, constantin poindexter salcedo, republica dominicana, santo domingo

Según las cifras del Departmento de Seguridad Nacional (DHS por sus siglas en inglés), durante el mes de enero del presente año, los EEUU deportaron 2,185 nacionales haitianos hacía su país. ¿Por qué es entonces que el gobierno americano condena le repatriación de haitianos ilegales por la República Dominicana? ¿Acaso nuestra soberanía y el respeto por nuestras leyes tienen menos valor que las de nuestro vecino al norte?

El haitiano NO ES de ni parte de nuestra cultura. Es irrelevante que compartimos una isla y mucho menos que Almagro y su estirpe en la ONU imaginan una fusión de los dos pueblos. No hablamos patois aquí y  no hemos olvidado los atropellos de los haitianos durante su ocupación de nuestra tierra. Fusión. Jamás NUNCA aceptaremos una pendejada de semejante jaez. Fue un acto demasiado bondadoso la Ley 169-14 que oferta una vía legal para habitar en la Dominicana el haitiano. Los que no se aventajan de dicha ley merecen ser deportados sin demora. Igual, tampoco podemos tolerar que mujeres haitianas embarazadas entren el territorio nacional con el único fin de dar a luz. O sea para parir niños “ancla” que gozan de ciudadanía (cosa en contra del TC) o para aprovechar del sistema de salud dominicano, irregular es IRREGULAR y el aprovechmiento es otro atropello haitiano. La República Dominicana tiene sus propios problemas graves con la pobreza, falta de oportunidad educativa y profesional. No queremos NI PODEMOS encargarnos de Haiti

Danilo, manos a la obra, señor.

 

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Insurance Firms Benefit When Women Lead

constantin, constantin poindexter, constantin poindexter, salcedo, insurance, puerto rico, liderazgo

The insurance industry employs about 2.7 million people in the United States alone. Women comprise about sixty percent of the industry. When insiders consider the history of insurance, many of us think of the Lloyd’s Coffee House in London, where groups of men gathered to discuss and later insure the ships that passed through maritime ports. By the early 1700s, Lloyd’s had become a thriving center for ocean marine insurance. It was however not until the mid-1800s that Lloyd’s considered opening itself to women’s participation.

A recent speech given by Inga Beale, Lloyd’s current CEO, describes her experience in insurance like this: “When I started my career in insurance over thirty years ago in London, I was one of very few females in the ‘City’ (the financial district of London) and women were not allowed to wear trousers!” While Beale believes that much has changed in thirty years, women still make up only a small percentage of the top tier management roles in the industry.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, women entrepreneurs now own one-third of the world’s businesses. A recent report by several big names in insurance estimates that spending on insurance by women will grow to between $1.45 trillion and $1.7 trillion by 2030, with half of those expenditures coming from ten emerging economies. Many of today’s female business owners are aware and sensitive to this fact. They look beyond the producer or broker that they work with to ask, “Does this insurer truly embrace and promote diversity?”

While many consider insurance a male-dominated industry, according to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics about sixty percent of the industry’s employees in the United States are female. Although this is a significant percentage a 2012 study conducted by Saint Joseph’s University Academy of Risk Management and Insurance found women held only six percent of the top C-suite positions and 12.5 percent of board seats in the 100 insurers studied. Eighty five percent of the companies had no female representation in their top management positions and twenty eight percent had no women on their boards.

In a recent poll conducted by the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation (IICF), 98 percent of both male and female respondents felt there was gender bias in the industry. Though this may be true, women are slowly inching their way into positions of power. Companies that interface daily with customers, such as insurance brokers and individual producers, tend to advocate and further gender diversity. Further, as women increasingly become entrepreneurs or buy businesses, they may seek female insurance professionals to assist them with their risk management needs. A recent American Express study of businesses in the United States revealed that there were nearly 9.1 million women-owned businesses in 2014. These enterprises employed 7.9 million workers with over $1.4 trillion in revenues. The industry cannot afford to ignore gender. The Harvard Business Review in 2009 estimated women made the decision in sixty percent of motor vehicle purchases. This is just one example of women’s significant influence on consumer buying power. Insurance coverage decisions will not be an exception.

A significant concern facing insurance carriers and brokerages is the aging demographic of today’s insurance professionals. Two recent studies found that the average age of insurance producers and brokers is between 56 and 59 years of age. Adjusters, who handle the industry’s claims are also aging with an average age of over forty. Young women are entering the industry in high numbers however to retain the “best and brightest” among these new entrants the industry must create incentives for this more diverse candidate pool.

The insurance sector has not been deaf to the diversity issue. It has responded with efforts to increase the number of women in management and support the development of talented women in the industry. In 2013, the Insurance Industry Charitable Foundation began the ‘Women in Insurance Conference Series’. The IICF holds regional forums focused primarily on female participation. The forums provide venues for participants to learn and network within insurance professionals. Leadership, business best practices and gender issues are the central topics. The forums also provide an opportunity for women businesspersons to meet other women who hold power positions in insurance.

Inga Beale advised women in her Lloyd’s speech, “Be bold! I’ve learned in my own career that quietly getting on with work is just not enough. Three elements are essential for your career development…PIE – that is Performance, Image and Exposure.” Further, “we know that to progress we must “Perform” and most firms around the world measure and give feedback on people’s performance at work. But there’s also the ‘Image’ element, how others perceive you, how you come across in business situations. Then there is the ‘Exposure’ piece, which is equally important for your career progression, It means getting exposure to the right people and situations within your organization and outside of your organization.” This is good counsel for businesswomen desiring to advance.

The pathway to deeper gender diversity and inclusivity in the sector continues to evolve at its own pace. As one insurance professional said recently, the women who enter the insurance industry today will not rise to the C-suite overnight. It will take time and hard work to change the industry’s entrenched management thinking that may, when deciding whom to promote, overlook women in favor of possibly less-qualified men. Many industry females feel they lack opportunities for advancement and confront significant obstacles to promotional opportunities. Through proper preparation and mentorship, assigning women to key roles where they gain valuable experience, having the opportunity to meet the right people in the right places, and as Inga Beale said, “encouraging women to continue their insurance education”, we will see more women break into the ranks of senior management.

~ Constantin Poindexter

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Evidencia de una Dictadura Incipiente

nicolas maduro, venezuela, despota, satrape

La hemos visto, el mundo la reconoce pero un gran porcentaje del pueblo venezolano aún no cree. Venezuela definitivamente va rumbo a la dictadura. Nicolás Maduro ha intentado de arropar su satrapismo con el abrigo de la “Revolución Bolivariana” pero cualquier persona con hasta un chin de cerebro rechaza tales declaraciones falsas de tamaño disparate. ¿Necesita una lista de las características de una dictadura? ¡Ojo!

1.) Restricción e inevitable control de los medios de comunicación para que las voces populares sólo habla en pro del gobierno.

2.) Politizar los cuerpos castrenses y la judicatura.

3.) Iniciar vigilancia y eventuo arresto de toda figura opositora política, desplegando los recursos del gobierno para tal fin.

4.) Nombrando colaboradores fieles a puestos jurídicos importantes (la procuraduría, suprema, etc.).

5.) Aplicación desigual de las leyes, tácitamente sino abiertamente entregándole impunidad a grupos violentos que apoyan el dicator mientras encarcelan y procuran los del grupo opositor por los mismos actos.

6.) El fomento de miedo entre la gente y señalamiento del grupo opositora como el origen de todo mal, estilo “chivo expiatorio”. Los culpables son “enemigos internos”. ¿Solución? Expedir decretos que limitan los derechos civiles y/o que imponen “leymarcial”

7.) El rechazo de cada voto popular, plebiscito, sondeo, etc., que va en contra del gobierno, alegando mayormente que son resultado de fraud o “irregularidad”.

8.) El nombramiento de militares de alto arraigo a puestos importantes civiles.

9.) El fomento de alianzas formales con otros dictadores y regímenes despóticos.

Ha sonado la señal que le democracia he muerto, así que difícil es entender cómo Maduro retiene su popularidad. Rezemos que el pueblo venezolano recupere el sentido común y obliguen el retiro de su payaso. Lamentablemente, si la historia sirve de guía sabemos bien que el porvenir de Venezuela incluye un cambio violento.