Personal site of journalist, baker, and storyteller Tony Ganzer.
My colleagues at WDR3 asked me to compare the cities of Cologne and Phoenix in terms of classical appreciation. It is not an easy task, but this report attempts to make the comparison fair and accurately. In short, Europeans are much more willing to pay for cultural activities through taxes, whereas American organizations hope the locals will pick up the tab.
English translation below
Continue reading “What is Classical Music worth to us?”
When the clock hits 11:11 on the 11 of November, Cologne becomes a party city, and costumed party-goers lose nearly all inhibitions until they drop. I ventured into the crowds and produced a short report with observations and musings from the belly of the beast. One thing was clear…there was much I had never seen nor experienced before. The report was spontaneous and impromptu, though still hopefully understandable.
**Translation provided by Katie Ganzer.
Continue reading “An American at Karneval”
Immigration is a big topic in Germany, and WDR (Westdeutscher Rundfunk) asked for my views as a journalist and American. I applied my reporting and experience to produce a short commentary. (English version included.)
Continue reading “The German Immigration Debate”
The United States Senate is now looking into a sweeping piece of energy legislation which narrowly passed through the House of Representatives last month. The bill proposes wide-scale changes to the U-S energy system, including among other things adding a cap and trade system on carbon emissions, and allotting funds for major investment in clean technologies. But as the U-S tries to position itself in the renewable energy market, it may find fierce competition from German companies already setting up shop state-side. This is especially true in one of the sunniest states, Arizona . Tony Ganzer reports.
Read a print version of this story here.
Continue reading “German Firms Poised to Profit in the U.S.”
With a struggling economy, it seems people are tightening belts and rethinking budget plans. Lawmakers and city leaders are still trying to hash out exactly how to deal with budget shortfalls, and more Arizonans are trying to weather the storm with a state unemployment rate of nearly 7 percent. The push for fiscal prudence has also made it to Arizona’s independent and private schools, though so far those schools are fairing well.. KJZZ’s Tony Ganzer reports.
Continue reading “Private Education in Tough Times”
Now, the next story in our series about raising kids in Arizona. Today the focus is on parents, and the importance of supervision around water. Earlier this week, a family in Glendale lost track of a 1-year-old boy, who then fell into a pond. Rescuers revived the boy, but some first responders say situations like that in Glendale happen all too often, and some medical professionals are trying to change that. KJZZ’s Tony Ganzer reports.
Continue reading “Raising Kids: Water Safety”
All this week we’re looking at renewable energy in Arizona, and hearing how one world leader in the industry, Germany, is doing business. Some observers see Arizona’s progress in the renewable energy game slow-going, motivated mostly by tax incentives for companies and customers to go “green.” As KJZZ’s Tony Ganzer reports, the tax structure and policy in Europe is much more aggressive, but may not be the answer for Arizona.
Continue reading “Part 3: Energy Lessons from Others?”