Daily Archives: August 9, 2021

TOKYO -- Japan's restaurant industry experienced a series of transformative events in 1971.

The biggest by far was the opening of the first McDonald's restaurant in Japan at the Mitsukoshi department store in Tokyo's Ginza district on July 20. The restaurant was built in 39 hours of frenzied work that began with the removal of display windows immediately after the store's closing at 6 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, and continued through Monday, Mitsukoshi's regular holiday.

"Daily sales reach 1 million yen ($2,800 at the time) and the outlet is filled with customers day in, day out," boasted Den Fujita, founder of McDonald's Japan (now Japan McDonald's Holdings), to media at the time.

Big words, but the real figure is said to be less than 300,000 yen. Yes, there were crowds in front of the restaurant, but most came simply to gawk. The throngs had no idea how to place an order, or even how to eat hamburgers, which they had never seen.

But Fujita's little lie created quite a buzz for the burger joint. The restaurant eventually became the talk of the town and was soon bustling with diners.

Ray Kroc, de facto founder of the U.S. McDonald's chain, attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the Ginza restaurant, but he was uneasy. The American side was opposed to opening an outlet in the upscale shopping district and repeatedly told Fujita not to.

Kroc said that choosing a downtown location was "nonsense," as McDonald's restaurants in the U.S. were in the suburbs where customers mostly arrived in cars. "You're right, Ray," said the accommodating Fujita. "We'll open our first restaurant on a suburban road near the coast of Chigasaki [in Kanagawa Prefecture]."

But Fujita was hardly keen on debuting in out-of-the-way Chigasaki. Years later, he explained why: "Foreign cultures and customs don't become popular unless they take root in the center of a country. In Japan, it's Ginza."

It was his belief and he was not to be dissuaded, even if it involved a little trickery.

Fujita got his start in sundries business in 1950 when he was a University of Tokyo student. He expanded it from jewelry to high-end imported apparel and was a pioneer of the foreign brand business in Japan. Having forged ties with Mitsukoshi as the sales agent for French fashion house Christian Dior, Fujita realized that the Ginza store's power to influence came from its standing as the center of Japanese fashion. He logically assumed that the best place to debut a foreign brand -- albeit one selling cheap hamburgers rather than luxury clothing -- would be in Ginza.

But it was not without a stroke of luck that the store actually debuted in Ginza. The Chigasaki outlet had almost been completed when local authorities balked at issuing a business permit, making it impossible to open the restaurant on July 20 during Kroc's visit. Fujita conveniently failed to inform the U.S. side of this development and secretly hurried preparations for the Ginza opening.

It was not until Kroc arrived in Japan on July 18 that Fujita informed the American that the Ginza restaurant would be the first McDonald's outlet in the country. But there were no signs of a McDonald's at Mitsukoshi. Shocked, Kroc canceled sightseeing in Tokyo and retreated to his luxury hotel room. He attended the opening ceremony with Fujita two days later, but how he must have felt is not hard to guess.

A common misconception that holds true to this day is that McDonald's in Japan was a hit from the get-go. But the next two restaurants that opened in Tokyo days after the Ginza opening fared poorly, briefly forcing the company to freeze expansion. Still, Fujita told employees: "You know, we're not selling hamburgers, we're selling fashion."

He leveraged Ginza's vehicle-free zone on weekends, installing colorful trash cans so young people could eat burgers and fries as they stood and chatted around the bins. Eating while standing was frowned on in Japan, but Fujita promoted it as cool to attract youth who were eager to embrace American culture. The media took notice, helping McDonald's gain traction.

The kanji for Fujita's given name, Den, is a combination of the kanji for "mouth" and "ten," which looks like a cross when written. Legend has it that his Christian mother chose the name in the hope that god would protect her son. Another explanation is that the kanji is a combination of "mouth" and "x" to ensure that Den would never suffer a slip of the tongue.

Whatever the origins, his bluff on Kroc seems to have inspired divine intervention.

Another fast-food giant, Kentucky Fried Chicken, arrived in Japan one year before McDonald's. Following the success of a prototype shop at Osaka Expo, KFC and Mitsubishi Corp. jointly established Kentucky Fried Chicken Japan (now KFC Holdings Japan) in 1970. The first restaurant opened in November that year in Nagoya, where chicken dishes had always been a local favorite. Not so KFC, whose grand opening was an unmitigated disaster. The restaurant was located on a suburban road as instructed by the U.S. company, a decision that failed to sit well with Japanese consumers.

Mitsubishi began to cut back on supplying the new restaurants with chicken, as poor sales forced the chain to use its capital to stay afloat and increased its credit risk. Takeshi Okawara, who later became the company's president, was the manager of the first restaurant after joining KFC Japan from Dai Nippon Printing -- the company that was supplying product packaging at the time. He used his own connections to arrange an appointment with Sumitomo Corp., begging the trading house to sign a contract to procure chicken. He claimed that KFC Japan had the backing of Mitsubishi.

Though not an outright lie, it was a brilliant bluff because Mitsubishi was about to pull out of the joint venture.

Okawara then approached another trading house, Marubeni, to hedge risks. He asked the company to join, saying Mitsubishi and Sumitomo were already on board. Marubeni agreed. Then he told Mitsubishi that the other two were going to be the suppliers and asked what it would like to do. Mitsubishi agreed to continue the contract.

The three trading houses not only supported the fast-food chain but also helped with the vertical integration of the poultry industry, from raising chickens and growing feed to processing meat and distribution. The effort significantly changed the chicken industry in Japan and is credited with cultivating Japan's appetite for chicken.

But even after stabilizing its supply chains, KFC Japan struggled with its first three restaurants. Okawara remained cheerful, telling employees that they were "going to get rich and spend their days drinking martinis and wearing tuxedos while lounging around a beautiful Hawaiian sea."

A silly motivational pitch some might say, but he instilled confidence in his teams. KFC in the U.S. adopted a franchise system and was called "the world's biggest billionaire maker." Years later, KFC's founding members in Japan had a drink in Hawaii to celebrate their success.

KFC Japan finally gained a foothold with its fourth restaurant, which opened in the Tor Road shopping street in Kobe in April 1971. The city's traditional openness to Western culture helped. After that, the chain opened an outlet in Tokyo's Aoyama district, renowned for its many embassies. This location goes down in the history of Japan's restaurant industry as the birthplace of the "Kentucky Fried Chicken at Christmas" custom.

It began with a request from a nearby Christian kindergarten, which said it would buy fried chicken on Christmas Eve if the outlet would send someone dressed as Santa Claus. The kindergarten teachers were mostly short women who could never be mistaken for Santa Claus. Okawara, who had become head of marketing, accepted the request and became Santa for a day.

After several annual visits to the kindergarten, the media took notice. When a reporter asked whether it was an American custom to eat fried chicken on Christmas, Okawara replied in the affirmative, igniting a fried chicken boom in Japan. This was again another little lie as Americans generally prefer turkey to chicken during the Christmas season.

As U.S. fast-food giants were trying to gain a foothold in Japan in the autumn of 1971, Atsushi Sakurada, former chairman of the popular Mos Burger restaurant chain operated by Mos Food Services, was selling rice balls in a van along the Koshu highway, which links Tokyo with Yamanashi.

McDonald's was much talked about at the time. Satoshi Sakurada -- Atsushi's uncle and the company founder -- had worked in the U.S. and had a hunch that the fast-food business was going to be big. He came up with the idea of selling rice balls in a van. But the venture ended within days as police warned him that he was violating traffic laws.

But the rice balls formed the basis of the homegrown hamburger chain. "There's a Japanese word teate (placing a hand on something)," Satoshi said when he recalled the company's early years. "By shaping rice balls with your hands, you are imbuing the food with power. That's why we stick to preparing food by hand.

"McDonald's and KFC had capital, but we started by bringing together all the money we had. So homemade dishes were all we could offer," he explained. This strategy led to megahits, including soy sauce teriyaki burgers and rice burgers.

The founders of the three fast-food chains had different management philosophies. For Fujita, "might is right" is the golden rule. Okawara aims for "marketing that doesn't lose," while Sakurada's credo is "fail and learn."

Over the past 50 years, the three giants have had their share of ups and downs, sometimes being driven to the edge of failure. But they have all managed to come back. They believe in the dishes their founders developed and have kept updating them to lure back customers who had stopped coming.

Today, the restaurant industry is bearing the brunt of the COVID-19 fallout. But the three chains were among the first to focus on take-away and delivery services to meet the demands of a pandemic-ravaged environment. They also started to digitize before the pandemic, helping accelerate order processing and improve marketing.

In the early years of the Japanese fast-food business, the three founders were confident in what was then a bewildering market, and they all experienced failure. But they overcame the odds with their mental toughness and business dexterity, occasionally accompanied by a side of big bluffs and little lies.

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Big bluffs and little lies: behind the rise of fast food in Japan - Nikkei Asia

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Suze Orman was working as a waitress and making $400 a month at 29 years old. She then decided to take a chance on a major career change and landed a job as a broker for Merrill Lynch.

Having been on both ends of the financial spectrum, Orman knows what it takes to make the leap from broke to wealthy, and is now one of the most respected voices in personal finance -- as well as a New York Times bestselling author with more than 25 million books in circulation. According to Celebrity Net Worth, she is worth some $75 million, indicating that shes followed her own financial advice for saving, investing and preparing for retirement.

Read More: 25 Secrets Every Rich Person KnowsFind Out: Here's How Much You Need To Earn To Be 'Rich' in Every State

As any self-made millionaire will tell you, going from rags to riches takes hard work. It also calls for tons of tried and true personal finance strategies to maintain and build financial success.

Last updated: July 23, 2021

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Living within your needs but below your means is the golden rule of the Suze Orman budget. Although food and shelter are needs, you might be spending too much on these essentials.

"How much you choose to spend on your basic needs is a squishy number dependent on the choices you make," Orman wrote in a blog post on her website. "For example, a mortgage lender may tell you that you will qualify for a $250,000 mortgage. But if you can find a great home that meets your familys needs and it costs $195,000 you will save a lot of money that can be used for other important goals. The $195,000 home fits your needs."

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"Leasing is a horrible financial move," Orman wrote in a blog post. "It is the auto industrys way to get you to buy a car you cant really afford. (...) The big problem is that when you lease theres the temptation to keep leasing forever. So every three years the standard lease length you turn in your car and lease another. That means you are signing on for never-ending monthly car payments."

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Orman explained that buying is better because once you pay off your loan, you have that extra monthly payment to build your emergency fund, contribute to a retirement account, save for a home down payment or meet another financial goal.

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The difference in the cost of paying for food delivery instead of cooking or hopping in an Uber instead of taking the bus might seem small, but the expense of always taking the convenient option will add up over time.

It adds up big time, Orman told CNBC. Stop leasing cars, stop eating out, stop doing the (thing) thats wasting your money and makes your life easier, because in the long run its going to make it harder.

See: The 16 Craziest Things These Billionaires Spend Their Money on

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"I wouldnt buy a cup of coffee anywhere, ever and I can afford it because I would not insult myself by wasting money that way, Orman told CNBC.

She believes that $3 spent daily on coffee is better off going into a retirement fund or used to meet other savings goals. For example, if you spend $100 a month on coffee and put that money into an IRA instead, that would grow to about $1 million after 40 years given a 12% rate of return.

You need to think about it as: You are peeing $1 million down the drain as you are drinking that coffee, Orman said. Do you really want to do that? No.

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"There is no more expensive form of bondage than spending more than you have and paying interest of 15% or more on your credit card," Orman wrote in a blog post.

She recommends paying for everything with a prepaid debit card or a debit card that is tied to a checking account that does not have overdraft coverage.

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"Make paying back your student loan the very first bill you pay," Orman wrote on her Facebook page. "It is more important that you make your student loan payments on time each month than any other (bill). Student loans are the one debt that by law cannot be wiped out in bankruptcy. And the (government) has all sorts of ways to get the money you owe including taking it directly out of your paycheck. Don't fall behind on your student loan debt."

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"Debt is bondage," Orman told CNBC. "You will never, ever, ever have financial freedom if you have debt."

Not only is it expensive to carry debt, but it can also negatively impact the choices you make in your career.

"When you are in debt, you feel it," Orman said. "Your boss can feel that. You render yourself powerless. You walk into an interview and you need that job because you have to pay for your debt."

Thats a problem because "powerlessness repels people," she said.

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It's easy to spend your entire paycheck when it all goes into your checking account. To counter this, Orman recommends setting up a regular automatic deposit into your savings account.

"It can be $10 a month, $200 or $1,000," she wrote on her blog. "All I insist is that you make this automatic. That is a proven way to stay committed to a savings goal. Having money zapped from your checking account into your savings accounts is free too. The set it and forget it approach is how you will reach your savings goals."

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Having a healthy emergency fund is essential to ensure you're financially protected when "what ifs" strike. Orman said that having eight months worth of living expenses is what everyone should strive for.

"I know thats a lot, but I want you and your loved ones to be OK if you were ever laid off, or sick for an extended period of time," she wrote in a blog post. "Sure, it could take years to reach your eight-month goal. Thats totally okay. The important issue is that you are starting to save today and so every month you will be moving closer to your goal."

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If your gut is telling you a financial decision is a bad one, don't ignore the signs. Orman gave this example to CNBC: "A friend, relative, loved one will approach you saying, I need to borrow $5,000. Youll think, I dont want to and yet you say Okay.' Think twice before you say 'yes' if your gut is saying 'no.'"

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Orman told CNBC that it's a bad idea to co-sign a loan for a friend or family member. If they default on the loan or pay it late, you will be financially responsible. This means your money and your credit score will be on the line.

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I know a lot of you think the key to wealth is buying a home, paying it off and owning your own home outright, Orman told CNBC. "Sometimes, depending on where you live, it makes sense to simply rent.

This is especially true if you live in an expensive area, she said. If you do, consider renting and investing any extra income you have in the stock market. Eventually, you may save enough that buying a home is more financially feasible.

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Orman told CNBC that the biggest mistake she sees young investors make is buying stock in a company because it's cool or trendy.

With this strategy, maybe youll hit it right, maybe youll hit it wrong, she said.

Orman suggested investing a set amount each month into an index fund or ETF instead of picking individual stocks.

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Your investment portfolio should have a good mix of stocks and bonds and include low-cost index mutual funds or ETFs, Orman wrote in a blog post. Once you have the right mix, there's nothing you should do aside from contributing regularly and reviewing your portfolio annually.

"All you really need to do is check your account once a year to see if you need to make any changes to bring your overall allocation back to your target," she wrote. "Other than that, sit tight. Especially when the stock market hits a rough period and everyone is freaking out about a bear market. Not you. Because you are going to remind yourself how patience pays off."

Orman cited Morningstar data showing that someone who was invested in U.S. stocks from 2000 through 2017 earned an annualized return of 7.3%, even though there were two major bear markets during that time.

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"I have long recommended that you base your retirement planning on living to at least 90; to be even safer planning to age 95 is even smarter," Orman wrote in a Facebook post. "Anyone who makes it to age 65 basically has a 50-50 chance of still being alive in his or her mid-80s. And living into your 90s is not nearly as rare as you may think."

Orman added that not being financially prepared to live into your 90s is "a very costly mistake."

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Mutual funds and ETFs charge an expense ratio, which is an annual fee that is deducted from your fund's performance. Keeping this fee low will protect you in down markets.

"If your portfolio is full of investments that charge 1% or more, I am telling you that the best move to make today and that will pay off for the rest of your life is to focus on lowering your costs," Orman wrote in a blog post. "Paying less in fees means keeping more of your money growing for your future. And thats extra important for the times when market returns are low, or even negative."

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When you leave a job, you have the option of keeping your retirement account in the old 401(k) plan, but Orman suggests either converting it to an IRA or rolling it over into your new company's 401(k) if they allow.

"Does this take a little bit of time and paperwork? Sure. But it can be more than worth your time if you have money sitting in funds that charge annual expenses of 0.25% or more," Orman wrote in a blog post. "Thats because there are plenty of low-cost index mutual funds and exchange traded funds (ETFs) that charge as little as 0.10%-0.25% in annual expenses. And that can mean big savings."

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Orman also recommends reading the fine print in your 401(k) plan and going with the option that costs the least money. "While you are limited to the funds offered within your plans lineup, its in your power to choose the lowest cost options," she wrote in a blog post.

Saving on fees this way could save you a lot of money in the long term.

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"In my opinion, if you have a good (financial advisor), theyre worth their weight in gold, Orman told CNBC. However, it's important to note that not every advisor is worthy of your trust.

Dont think that theyre always going to have your best interest at heart, because probably they have their own best interest at heart," she said.

It's best to work with a fiduciary, who is legally obligated to act in your best interest. And before working with anyone, vet them by asking questions like, "How are you compensated for our working together? and What other services do you provide to me?

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Not only does exercising and living a healthy lifestyle improve your quality of life, but it can also save you money in the long term.

"A married 65-year-old couple with just typical prescription drug costs in retirement that wants to have a high confidence they will be able to handle their retirement medical expenses is projected to need nearly $150,000 less over their lifetime than a couple with very high prescription drug costs," Orman wrote in a blog post. "I hope thats ample motivation to get you moving a bit."

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In her book "Women & Money," Orman explains why saving for retirement has to take precedence over paying for your children's college education: Your children can take out loans for college, but you cannot take out loans for retirement. That means that if you haven't saved enough for your retirement, you will ultimately become a financial burden to your kids.

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"Paying off all your debts before you retire is the ticket to a more secure retirement," Orman wrote in a blog post. "Your bills will be lower, which is what you want when you are going to be living on a fixed income. Besides, theres the emotional benefit. If your living costs are lower because the mortgage and home equity loan are paid off, and you dont have credit card debt nagging at your conscience your stress level is going to be lower. And isnt that what you deserve in retirement?"

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"Delaying Social Security can be the most precious tool in your retirement planning kit," Orman told AARP in an interview. "Delaying your Social Security start date until age 70 entitles you to a monthly payout thats more than 75% higher than your age-62 benefit. Thats a whole lot more money to support a much older you."

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"Think of a reverse mortgage as a last-resort emergency fund in retirement, not a primary piece of your retirement plan from day one," Orman wrote in her book "The Money Class."

"If money is so tight at age 62 that you think you need a reverse mortgage, my concern is what happens at age 72 or 82? If you tap all your home equity through a reverse at 62 and then at 72 you realize you cant really afford the home, you will have to sell the home, and you may end up giving most or all of the sale price back to the lender to settle up."

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When it comes to estate planning, Orman recommends you have the following documents prepared:

"If you die with no will or trust in place, the courts will follow state law to disburse your assets no matter what you may have once promised your sister or told your spouse," Orman wrote in O, The Oprah Magazine.

"If you die with only a will in place, the courts will have to give the document a stamp of approval before divvying up your estate. This is known as probate, and the cost of this necessary judicial step can eat up more than 5% of your estate's value and ensnare your heirs for a year or longer in a legal tangle. You can avoid bequeathing that heartache and headache to your loved ones by setting up the essential documents so that when you die, your assets go exactly where you want, as quickly as you want, with the least amount of expense."

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Orman may be raking in millions, but her insights can be used by any American in any income category. It's easy to get into the thinking that you don't make enough money to require investment strategies and other personal finance know-how, but this just isn't true.

"It does not matter how much money you make," Orman wrote on her blog in March. "Being powerful with money is all about making smart choices. You can make $35,000 and be far more money-smart than someone who makes $350,000."

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Nicole Spector contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Suze Ormans Top 26 Tips That Will Save You From Financial Disaster

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Suze Ormans Top 26 Tips That Will Save You From Financial Disaster - Yahoo Finance

It must have been a remarkable sight. A dozen representatives from the worlds great religions, swathed in the dress of their faiths and their cultures, walked hand-in-hand into a Chicago hall on a late summer day 128 years ago as 4,000 participants looked on.

Even in a nation promising freedom of religion with some glimpses of diversity, the scenes from the 1893 World Parliament of Religions had to have been captivating.

There were Bahais and Jains and Zoroastrians and Muslims from faraway lands, along with followers of Confucius and Laotzu and something called yoga.

A Hindu swami from India, his head wrapped in a turban, dazzled the audience with his impassioned call for an end to religious bigotry and violence.

I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honor of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal, Swami Vivekananda intoned.

It was not a perfect meeting. There were complaints that Christians dominated it and that American Indian spirituality was largely ignored. But history would look back with at least one proclamation: the roots of the interfaith movement, with pledges from religions to work together in respect and harmony, had been planted.

This evening, as San Diego embarks on an annual, mostly virtual, Interfaith Awareness Week, it is a movement that remains a work in progress.

We havent all quite heard the bell toll, acknowledges Karen Koblentz, president of the San Dieguito Interfaith Ministerial Association.

Still, she adds, I think the strides we have made are enormously successful.

In San Diego County, and in many other parts of the country, there are a variety of interfaith coalitions working together to address such issues as hunger, homelessness, immigration, health care, equal rights and simply understanding each others faith.

And certainly, the religious landscape has changed dramatically.

Many of the religions that took the stage in Chicago now have houses of worship and other gathering places nestled under San Diegos palm trees, along city streets and in our canyons and hillsides. Christians still account for the majority 68 percent of the countys population, while other faiths constitute a respectable 5 percent. The ever-growing nones those with no official religious affiliation make up the rest.

But there also are deep divisions, from the religiously charged debates over homosexuality, abortion and racism to the elephant in the room segments of Christianity who believe their religion is the right one and others need to be converted.

The scenes of some rioters carrying Christian flags and banners exalting Jesus as they stormed the nations Capitol on Jan. 6 were a visceral reminder that our ongoing us-against-them polarization has spilled over into our faiths.

I think the consequences of not being inclusive is exactly what we have, says Koblentz, who is a member of Seaside Center for Spiritual Living in Encinitas, which follows a metaphysical, multi-religious philosophy known as Science of Mind.

She suggests we dwell less on our differences and more on our common humanity.

We all want the same thing. We want peace, we want safety, food and shelter and freedom to worship as we choose without repercussion.

Interreligious unity doesnt mean giving up on your particular religion, she adds. It simply means respecting others as equals.

So how can we go about creating a template for this unity? Koblentz believes we already have one: the Golden Rule, an almost universally embraced directive to treat others the way we want to be treated. If we did that, she says, we would not do some of the things, we would not think some of the things, we would not say some of the things. We would honor others as ourselves.

When Bobo Elliott, a member of the Manzanita Band of the Kumeyaay Nation in San Diego, speaks at Monday evenings program about Domination Decoded, he will revisit what happens when followers of one religion impose themselves on the native inhabitants.

In his case: when European explorers began establishing Catholic missions and subduing the Indigenous people under the pretext of religious and national domination.

When the Spanish mission system got here and started imposing their beliefs onto our people, that was the problem, says Elliott. Centuries later, the damage is still being felt. It ripped and stole many people away from us, and now they dont want any part of us.

Elliott, who is the nephew of the late Leroy Elliott, who led the Manzanita people for 18 years until his passing in 2015, was attracted to the interfaith movement because of its commitment to respect all traditions without promoting one over the other.

We all come from the earth, says Elliott, who describes himself as more spiritual than religious. And unity is possible, he adds, if we can all realize that we are all one just in different shapes and sizes.

The Rev. J. Lee Hill, Jr., a United Church of Christ minister and a leader in the local interfaith movement, argues that weve become so diverse religiously that a fundamental literacy about these faiths is crucial.

What do you call a Sikh place of worship? Is it a good idea to invite your Muslim neighbor over for lunch during Ramadan? If a co-worker has a Shiva figurine on his desk, hes probably what religion? Answers: gurdwara, no, Hindu.

Being able to have arudimentary kind of understandingof faith, and different faith traditions, will help us build a more diverse and just society, says Hill, who is senior pastor of Christian Fellowship Congregational Church in San Diegos Emerald Hills community.

But can there be unity when some Christians feel they must convert others in order to to save their souls?

He answers by suggesting that we look at the Great Commission verse in the New Testament a little differently. Perhaps Jesus hope in calling for followers to make disciples of others also was about making converts dedicated to a loving and fair world.

And if each of us saw God in every person, regardless of creed, then wed see that we are all part of the human family, Hill adds. We have the same hopes and dreams and desires out of life. And when we come together in our diversity, we begin to do the hard work of bringing justice and healing into our world.

But traditional evangelicals remain leery.

Other religions do not believe in the same God, cautions the conservative values group Focus on the Family. As one pastor put it on that organizations website: Lets not forget what our call really is. If you dont share the truth of salvation, have you really loved your neighbor?

There have been six other Parliaments of the Worlds Religions, as they are now called, with an average attendance of about 8,000 people. The next one, scheduled for October, will be a virtual event because of COVID-19.

Koblentz, of the San Dieguito interfaith group, knows that some people dont want to participate and she says she respects their choice.

I think you allow them to walk away, she adds. You gather with those who are willing to have the experience. In politics and religion, I think we need to abandon the idea that unity means oneness.

Instead, when she envisions a healthy interfaith community, she thinks of a tapestry with all the hues and the bumps and the shadows.

Which brings us back to the notion of a work in progress.

We stand shoulder to shoulder for things we support collectively and respect those other things that we may not find resonance with us, Koblentz says. I think thats the only way we can do it.

Sponsored by the Poway Interfaith Team (POINT), the opening ceremony begins at 6:30 p.m. today and events continue through Friday, mostly on Zoom. For details and links, or the World Interfaith Networks website.

Dolbee is the former religion and ethics editor of The San Diego Union-Tribune and former president of Religion News Association. Email: sandidolbeecolumns@gmail.com.

Link:

As Interfaith Awareness Week begins, a realization that we're all one but not the same - The San Diego Union-Tribune

Republican gubernatorial candidates John Cox, Kevin Faulconer, Kevin Kiley and Doug Ose participate in a debate Aug. 4 at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda. Gov. Gavin Newsom faces a Sept. 14 recall election that could remove him from office. (Marcio Jose Sanchez / Associated Press)

Former San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer looked and sounded like he could be an OK Republican governor. He could handle the job.

The three other Republican candidates competing in last weeks debate among gubernatorial wannabes also made some good policy points.

Two little-known Sacramento area contenders former Rep. Doug Ose and Assemblyman Kevin Kiley performed above most experts expectations, I suspect. Yes, it was a low bar. But both were articulate, to the point and clearly knowledgeable.

None of the candidates put on a clown show. Rancho Santa Fe businessman John Cox left his attention-grabbing campaign prop, a live Kodiak bear, at home.

Of course, if youre a true-blue Democrat who abhors the prospect of a Republican capturing the California governors office even if youre not wild about Gov. Gavin Newsom theres no GOP contender who will please you.

Democratic voters outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1 in California. And polls show they overwhelmingly oppose the GOP-led attempt to recall Newsom.

But that matters only if Democrats actually vote. And many dont give a rip about the Sept. 14 recall election, polls indicate. Republicans, meanwhile, are excited about the prospect of ousting a liberal Democratic governor and ending one-party rule in Sacramento.

Turnout is likely to be far higher among Republicans than Democrats and No Party Preference voters, reports Mark DiCamillo, poll director at the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies.

Thats why a recent IGS poll found the contest to be surprisingly close among likely voters: 47% for the recall and 50% against, a statistical dead heat.

Newsom is still favored to win. But its no longer inconceivable that the Democrat could be dumped and a Republican would wind up as governor. Thats what made the low-profile GOP debate important.

The only loser in the face-off held at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda was the replacement candidate leading in the polls: conservative Los Angeles-based radio talk show host Larry Elder. He refused to debate.

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One of the first rules of politics is to show up.

And to win a competitive contest, youve got to compete including in debates.

Elders excuse was that he wants to debate only Newsom not participate in a circular firing squad in which Republicans wound one another.

But virtually all bullets were fired at Newsom. The only significant shot at a Republican was Ose calling Faulconer a plastic man for his homelessness policy in San Diego.

Faulconer said he reduced street encampments by double digits and the city found shelter and treatment for many. Ose claimed many homeless people merely moved into nearby communities.

Pretty tame stuff.

Had Elder been onstage, he probably would have taken guff about his political inexperience. But celebrity governors Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger deftly handled such attacks: They were citizen politicians running against the corrupt political establishment.

Elder missed a golden opportunity to distinguish himself from the other Republicans especially the moderate Faulconer and rally his conservative base, not only to his candidacy but to turn out en masse for the recall.

Elder may have lacked confidence in his knowledge of state issues at least the details compared with the four who debated. But details are overrated in campaign debates. Voters mostly just want to size up the candidates demeanor and positions.

Newsom also could have benefited from participating in the debate. He was invited but didnt respond.

Joining the debate would have violated conventional wisdom that says a political target doesnt voluntarily stand before a firing squad while also drawing more public attention to his opponents.

But Newsom could have touted his record, which the public seems confused about, and slapped down some of his opponents hyperbole and falsehoods. One example: Faulconers claim that Newsom supports the defund the police movement. He doesnt.

The debates best line was delivered by Ose. Asked how hed handle the huge backlog of jobless benefit claims at Newsoms troubled Employment Development Department, where frustrated applicants have been unable to reach civil servants, Ose replied:

Answer the phone. Just answer the damn phone.

The most insensitive comment was uttered by Cox. After asserting that people once infected by COVID-19 have antibodies and dont need to be vaccinated, he added:

This disease is an awful one. I had it very early on. But its 99.9% survivable by people who are in decent health who arent elderly.

Well, whoopee-do. What about the rest of us who arent in decent health or are elderly?

Everybody needs to get the shot.

But Cox also had one of the wiser observations: Climate change may or may not be causing wildfires, but weve got to deal with it.

Im sick of Newsom persistently blaming wildfires on climate change another version of not on my shift. Inept forest management by the state and federal governments also is a big culprit. They can deal with that a lot faster than reversing climate change.

Kiley had the most refreshing, good government promise. Asked whom hed appoint to replace 88-year-old Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein if she leaves office before her term expires in 2024, the legislator replied:

I wouldnt make an appointment at all. Id leave it up to the voters.

Of course, its highly likely that would lead to the election of a Democrat and probably Kileys recall by fellow Republicans.

Faulconer focused on denouncing Newsom and wisely avoided making grandiose commitments. For example, he wouldnt be pressed into promising to prevent schools from mandating student masks. Ill look into doing it, he said.

Faulconer quickly pivoted when asked whether he still supported former President Trump after voting for him last year.

What happened on Jan. 6 was abhorrent to our country, Faulconer replied, referring to the deadly Capitol insurrection inspired by Trump.

He immediately added: What Gavin Newsom wants to do is to make this all about Donald Trump.

Hes right.

Pressed whether he would welcome Trumps endorsement, Faulconer had a Reaganesque answer:

I would proudly take the support of any Republican or Democrat who wants to get rid of Gavin Newsom and make California a better state.

Voters need more debates with Elder competing.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.

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One of the first rules of politics is to show up. Larry Elder broke it with the recall debate - Yahoo News