Biden delivers remarks at the National Veterans Day

Where we are today was built on the sacrifices of the past. There were people who heard the the call of a greater cause and marched with courage to enact those beliefs. Without their courage we cannot have or maintain our freedoms in the way in which we experience them today. The best way to keep the sacrifices of the past in solemn memory of today is to live those freedoms in real time to ensure the generational torch is bright. With effort we can still inspire other nations and people to light their lamps as well. 

US and China Release Joint declaration on Climate Action

The U.S. and China release announcement indicating they will work together to tackle climate change issues. This is important because they are the two largest economies in the world and influence the business expectations and resource activities for everyone else. In other words, if you have the two largest economies seeing eye-to-eye on the health of the planet that is a positive thing. Makes no difference if someone believes in climate change or not...keeping our environment clean is important part of good stewardship of the planet (A cross cultural value that will have support within backgrounds of both cultures.).

Yet...the proof is always in the pudding. So let us see what is actually whipped together and how it tastes during a future palate pairing. Until then....you can always read up on the different type of masks, hazards, smoke, Covid-19, etc...HERE.. The way things have been going....yikes!😬.....we might need multiples masks for different hazards  (As a backup strategy someone might want to work on small portable clean air masks for most known hazards. Could be useful for firefighters, construction workers, military, space, COVID, etc...  Hopefully, they are not made in coal charged factories. 🏭  We will see. 😷🤷 )

The article in Sierra Magazine also provided an air quality website called AirNow.gov. I looked up my hometown of Escanaba and didn't find any sensors directly in town but I did find one near Rhinelander Wisconsin HERE.  That is about an hour away and I have some ancestors from the area. It has an Ozone rating of 32 which is pretty good. Perhaps Delta County would like to put an air quality sensor up and tout its clean air and outdoor activities to tourists? 💰✈️🚶🏻🌲

The Soft Approach to Hate Accountability-A Nation Still in the Making!

United We Stand Photo

Hate is one of those things that will seriously damage our ability to compete in the next era where we have no option but to maximize our diverse benefits. There are those in our communities and in government that  support (either intentionally or unintentionally) hate through turning a "blind eye" and failing to take legitimate concerns seriously. The good news is that a simple majority of people continue to believe in a nation where race, religion, ethnic identity, etc... have no value next to skill and ability. 

Of course if we choose our employees and leaders based on their actual skill we might be pleasantly surprised when a movement takes hold that creates positive economic and social opportunities. It is helpful to build social expectations where people are judged on their character as a person and their ability to perform certain tasks in society versus their racial and/or religious affiliation. 

That would be an ideal society invented by "idealists" wouldn't it? One in which people are treated fairly, the law is designed to uphold our values and on a social level we expect people to emulate certain basic principles we all share in agreement. There is a moral compass and purpose to our decisions. Those who work hard can achieve on their own merit without being blocked by the "well connected" (A truer form of Capitalism takes hold.).

I suspect at that point we would be a place where human performance is unchained from the false social expectations of the past and into a more collaborative effort to secure all of our futures (Fantasyland I guess...but our country did start with such an ideal in mind). Agreement that we shall stand as one to face the future before us and thwart those who desire to tear us apart (Domestic or Foreign). It is a commitment to our ideals that will save us.

Before we can truly tackle hate we should come too understand its contagious nature and the deep desperation that incubates the disease. Hate at its very root is mental health based in the inability to differentiate between perception and reality. The good of some is discounted in order to focus on the bad (or intentionally characterizing the "bad") leading to miscued quick heuristic judgements and social expectations that damages not only the recipients but also the health of the nation as a whole. 

Worse then the rage hate supporters conjure with the magic wand of misinformation and misdirection is the hidden rage they feel about themselves (If you can rage without good cause or immediate danger that comes from self hate and the distortion in perception it creates). Their identity becomes anchored to being better than "others". In essence, if they don't succeed in subjugating and belittling in one incident they will seek more scapegoats in future incidents (Why the "blind eye" isn't a wise policy. It solves little and many times makes problems bigger. The precursors to hate can't be placated by sacrificing victims.).

With the risks our country currently faces we do not have the capacity to chase false strategies that lead to the reduction of our overall national health and resources. We should reach out to the peace and prosperity that comes from shared visions. Where voices are pulling us together you will find a greater focus on similarities while those who want to pull us apart will highlight our differences (Look close enough and you will see a pattern of thinking. Choose your politicians wisely. Its not race, religion or party specific). 

One path will lead to international market mastery and renewed national vitality while the other will lead to the bottom of the ash heap of history. The easy route might look inviting but each society that walked that path quickly declined and most cease to exist today. All great societies must change and adapt to new  international "realities" or will be led by the sweet sound of rhetorical hyperbole into a delusion that greatness is found through little more than tough talk and clicking of heels (The path to social upheaval.) 

National power comes from focusing on maximizing the benefits of our shared strengths. Leaders and institutions have a moral and Constitutional mandate to stand up for the essential values that makes America....American! (This is written in support of thinking beyond our differences to something bigger than ourselves). We have an ideal to uphold that has transcended generations back to the beginning. Let's not drop the torch during our generation's watch.

Two really great quotes....

“America was not built on fear. America was built on courage, on imagination and an unbeatable determination to do the job at hand.”

President Harry S. Truman

“America is another name for opportunity. Our whole history appears like a last effort of divine providence on behalf of the human race.”

Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson

Thursday November 04, 2021 Regular City Council Meeting

Escanaba Marina

Escanaba November 4th, 2021 City Council meeting is a sign off for those who are leaving and new members will come next time. That is how the process works. People are elected for a time and then new people are elected. It is that collective sharing of knowledge that is important. New mayors and city council bring new ideas and it takes time to learn how the admin process works. That is why in any team you want a mix of old and new members. New ideas mixed with wisdom of how things play out in the implementation process. 

There is some interesting literature in the journal of State and Local Government Review on leadership and council membership. The researchers surveyed city council members on interpersonal relations, leadership, staff competence, and conflict. What they found was "....interpersonal relationships between members of council and the mayor’s leadership ability are significantly related to perceptions of council effectiveness." (Nelson, Gabris, & Davis, 2011, para 1). 

Escanaba Beach

The most effective councils seemed to do the following in a way that led to additional communication and I suspect in turn better resources management through utilizing staff well (the study didn't go into that but could be a contributing factor in perceptions of effectiveness.)

1. regenerative interpersonal relationships

2. run meetings with integrity and create linkages to professional staff

Escanaba Park

(Thinking about the world of politics. It may be important for new people to build off of what was spearheaded by prior administrations. Sometimes you might need to radically change things and sometimes it is better to build on prior efforts. There is often a feeling that when someone is new they need to change lots of things to show change. Sometimes "biting off more than one can chew" can get bogged down by too much change at once. Unless its absolutely necessary it is often better to understand the current strengths of prior efforts and enhance them when its in the best interest of the community. It could save money through not having to redo prior efforts. In other words, one should take a strategic and not an emotional view of what constitutes positive change. )

Nelson, K., Gabris, G. & Davis, T. (2011). What Makes Municipal Councils Effective?: An Empirical Analysis of How Council Members Perceive Their Group Interactions and Processes. State and Local Government Review 43(3). Retrieved November 7th, 2021 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0160323X11424913

Biden Discusses Infrastructure Bill Passage

President Biden discusses infrastructure bill in the video below.  You can read the bill fact sheet HERE. I'm not going to get into all the controversy around big government spending. I'm of the mindset that if you are going to spend money you should make every penny count and create as many "net positives" as possible. The goal should always be to hedge and include business investments to maximize and stretch those dollars. If it does..."great" if it doesn't "not great". Waste in any form should be carefully watched.

In general, we should avoid government solving our problems. We should be as independent as possible and solve our problems at the closest place to community decision making. At the same time, government sets larger national policy and in turn will steer resources where leaders feel it should go (We are facing some threats right now and must do something no matter who is the president. So if we are going to spend money then lets have everyone aim for a emerging digital transformation/economic reemergence vision to maximize cross structure efforts. i.e. synergy.). 

We do need to do something to ensure we are staying competitive and what we do now will be fundamental to where we are in 10 or 20 (even 2 years and 5 years out). Most experts are under agreement that we need better infrastructure, are behind on digital development, need to update our military, etc... its now probably the time to start doing that. There are likely a number of different ways to update nationally but at this moment I think this is the leading plan offered. (As a process of watching and understanding politics and making some personal observations I think this is one of the reasons why the bill was separated from some of the other less "sellable" ideas/parts from a bi-partisan standpoint. I'm not a political expert...just watching, learning and sharing. Many would come to different conclusions I'm sure. Its a conversation of sorts.)

Here is the speech no matter which side of the discussion you are on......

IRS Announcements 401K Limit Increases to $20,500

The IRS made a few changes this year you should be aware of that will impact how much your putting away into your 401K and Roth IRA. If you haven't started doing this I suspect you need to start thinking about retirement and putting money away (Age dependent). There are no real safety nets when we look out 20 years to when many in my generation begin to retire. So...expect to take care of business now so your not stressed later (time is your friend if you start now.) 

The other day one my children received his first pay check....I gave him advice. Its not great advice but its reasonable. I heard the same thing but didn't understand its importance in my late teens. Take 10% and start putting it away every check. If you do that now he will be a wealthy man by the time he is say 50 years old. 

Far too many people wait too long to think about retirement.....and then its too late. 

I get it and I been there. Kids need things, car is broke, concerned about bills, etc..... The best way to to this in hindsight is to have it taken out right away when you get paid before you receive a penny. Life is easier when you have retirement and a savings cushion. 

I'm not an accountant so that is my disclaimer....but I think its helpful to share a few thoughts. 

IRS announces 401(k) limit increases to $20,500 

-Individuals can contribute to their 401(k) plans in 2022 has increased to $20,500, up from $19,500 for 2021 and 2020.

-Includes 401(k), 403(b), most 457 plans, and the federal government's Thrift Savings Plan.

-The limit on annual contributions to an IRA remains unchanged at $6,000.

-Roth IRA contributions income phaseouts rising to $129,000 to $144,000

Unemployment Dips to 4.6 percent and 11.6% of Society Teleworking

Delivery Robot

Good news for employment. More people moved back to work as unemployment dipped to 4.6% and  payroll rose by 531,000.  There are still people not working so there is some room for employment situation to change. At present there are 6 million people who want a job but not in the labor force and there is 1.3 million people who are prevented from working because of the pandemic. 

What is interesting is that 11.6% of workers are teleworking. Some of them have returned back to work but that constitutes a different sort of labor market. It is a virtual market where there are different work arrangements and rules that might apply. It also takes different kind of skill. 

The pandemic tested our capacity to move online quickly and some are going to return back to the normal face-to-face way of conducting business. With infrastructure improvements and increased online daily activities more and more of the population will move online thereby shifting the market into a Digital Era. That is thinking more on a long term trend.

We are also likely to find increased use of AI and robotics to deal with labor shortages. Wages should rise and so should tech investment in heavy labor jobs like warehousing, delivery, etc.... The average worker will need different kind of user tech skills that wasn't inherent in jobs of the past (...likely putting pressure on higher education.). Basic jobs will require the ability to deal with technology that includes use of tools and high tech industrial machinery. 

You can read the BLS report yourself HERE.

Operational Northern Hook: Why The Feds Should Keep Pushing

 

Despite technology 
busting corruption still relies
on reporting it.
Need a quarter? 

Detroit was a place where things couldn't get done unless you greased palms and know the right people (Ok...to be fair its not all like that...but there is a lot of incidents that raise a concern on a macro level.). It seemed to be "who you know" versus "what you know" that got things done and got you the job. People believe it has something to do with Detroit itself but that is not true. Plenty of people in Detroit, in the "burbs" and from other places seemed to think Detroit was "open for business"....dirty hands all around! 

As with all things there is a balance that must be played. When it comes to public corruption we have responsibilities to go after as much crime as we can to ensure that government is clean and centered on the will of its people. As soon as it becomes centered on the city-burb "elite", criminal networks, or any other group/system hidden from pubic view the city declines, resources dry up, and hope dissipates. Detroit made a come back and then got bogged down again by the "culture of corruption". To free the system means to clean out the root causes and find a method of bringing back our manufacturing, our innovation, and our opportunities to environments that are ready to reform to attract international interest and in turn improve opportunities (Detroit was part of the reasons I started looking at clusters.). 

I have been reading about this topic in Detroit (..and casually some of the mechanisms of the shadow market such as hiding behind intentionally antiquated bureaucratic systems and formalized/hidden social structures) on and off since 2011/12 because its a recurring bubbling theme.  You can read an interesting article, 'Feds charge fourth person in Detroit corruption investigation of towing industry'  (As a side note a free press in a country helps reduce corruption by exposing wrong doing. Its important to maximize freedom of the press to help ensure healthy exchange of ideas....and that comes with responsibilities.). 

Not 100% sure on what causes corruption in society and why it occurs more in some places and less in other places. 🤔To quench my curiosity I looked at a study called 'Causes and Effects of Corruption: What has Past Decade's Empirical Research Taught us?. Its interesting because there are some markers for corruption that are apparent and we should be able to avoid them as a society. The researcher found, "Research on this topic and the implementation of an effective regulatory policy, suitable codes of conduct, political and bureaucratic transparency, and effective anticorruption measures can help to mitigate the dissemination of corruption" (Diamon, 2017, pg. 17). Ok cool.....but then....

What I thought was of particular interest was that when you read the study you sort of get a picture of how our divisions (racial, religious, political, ideological, etc...almost any major societal difference) can be exploited by people(...and by extension countries) for gain. It doesn't matter if your in Detroit or way way up north in a small town (i.e. such as 29K disappearing) the effects of corruption can be devastating to communities and break down trust in government. Integrity and adherence by all members to certain ethical rules is important for society to function at its optimum. Any great nation must be one in which there is low corruption and high transparency to ensure continued public support and the ability to adjust as the environment requires it. See Moral Character, Whistle Blowers, Power of Being, Business Ethics

Dimant, E. (2017) Causes and Effects of Corruption: What has Past Decade's Empirical Research Taught us? A Survey January 2017. Journal of Economic Surveys 32(2) DOI:10.1111/joes.12198

Vaccine Mandate-January 4th, 2022 Deadline for Businesses over 100 Employees

The White House Released a White House Fact Sheet  and the White House Vaccine Report. There is lots of things going on around this so I'm just going to say as an employer you want to be aware of changes in legislative factors and determine how they impact your business. There are going to be some legal challenges of course but being aware of changes helps you be prepared to address them when the rules take effect. 

A couple of bullet points...1. employers with over 100 employees need vaccinations and 2. those who don't have them will need weekly negative tests. 

I will have to look closer but I'm assuming that also means online employees as well. 🤷 In the Digital Era we must now contend with two sort of different definitions of employees; ground and online with different work situations. 

I put the Fact Sheet below and highlighted a few areas.

The following is from White House Fact Sheet. 

Fact Sheet: Biden Administration Announces Details of Two Major Vaccination Policies

NOVEMBER 04, 2021•STATEMENTS AND RELEASES

New OSHA and CMS Rules Mean Two-Thirds of All Workers Now Covered by Vaccination Rules

Thanks to President Biden’s focus on getting Americans vaccinated, 70 percent of adult Americans are now fully vaccinated—up from less than one percent when the President took office. This is significant progress, made possible by a vaccinations program that made shots free and convenient for months. But more vaccinations are needed to save lives, protect the economy, and accelerate the path out of the pandemic. To that end, in July, President Biden began rolling out vaccination requirements for federal employees and contractors and calling on employers to do the same. Thousands of organizations across the country have answered the President’s call, and vaccination requirements have already helped reduce the number of unvaccinated Americans by approximately 40 percent since July.

Today, the Biden Administration is announcing the details of two policies to fight COVID-19 that will drive even more progress and result in millions of Americans getting vaccinated, protecting workers, preventing hospitalization, saving lives, and strengthening the economy.

First, the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is announcing the details of a requirement for employers with 100 or more employees to ensure each of their workers is fully vaccinated or tests for COVID-19 on at least a weekly basis. The OSHA rule will also require that these employers provide paid-time for employees to get vaccinated, and ensure all unvaccinated workers wear a face mask in the workplace. OSHA has a strong 50-year record of requiring employers to take common sense actions to prevent workers from getting sick or injured on the job. This rule will cover 84 million employees.

Second, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) at the Department of Health and Human Services is announcing the details of its requirement that health care workers at facilities participating in Medicare and Medicaid are fully vaccinated. The rule applies to more than 17 million workers at approximately 76,000 health care facilities, including hospitals and long-term care facilities.

The Administration has previously implemented policies requiring millions of federal employees and federal contractors to be fully vaccinated. To make it easy for businesses and workers to comply, the Administration is announcing today that the deadline for workers to receive their shots will be the same for the OSHA rule, the CMS rule, and the previously-announced federal contractor vaccination requirement. Employees falling under the ETS, CMS, or federal contractor rules will need to have their final vaccination dose – either their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or single dose of Johnson & Johnson – by January 4, 2022. OSHA is also clarifying that it will not apply its new rule to workplaces covered by either the CMS rule or the federal contractor vaccination requirement. And, both OSHA and CMS are making clear that their new rules preempt any inconsistent state or local laws, including laws that ban or limit an employer’s authority to require vaccination, masks, or testing.

The Administration is calling on all employers to ensure that as many of their workers are vaccinated as quickly as possible. As detailed in a recent White House report, vaccination requirements work and are good for the economy. Vaccination requirements have increased vaccination rates by more than 20 percentage points – to over 90 percent – across a wide range of businesses and organizations. According to Wall Street analysts, vaccination requirements could result in as many as 5 million American workers going back to work, and a survey of prominent, independent economists found unanimous agreement that vaccination requirements will “promote a faster and stronger economic recovery.”

Today’s announcements include:

New Vaccination Requirement for Employers With 100 or More Employees: OSHA is issuing a COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) to require employers with 100 or more employees (i.e., “covered employers”) to:

• Get Their Employees Vaccinated by January 4th and Require Unvaccinated Employees to Produce a Negative Test on at Least a Weekly Basis: All covered employers must ensure that their employees have received the necessary shots to be fully vaccinated – either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson – by January 4th. After that, all covered employers must ensure that any employees who have not received the necessary shots begin producing a verified negative test to their employer on at least a weekly basis, and they must remove from the workplace any employee who receives a positive COVID-19 test or is diagnosed with COVID-19 by a licensed health care provider. The ETS lays out the wide variety of tests that comply with the standard. Given that vaccines are safe, free, and the most effective way for workers to be protected from COVID-19 transmission at work, the ETS does not require employers to provide or pay for tests. Employers may be required to pay for testing because of other laws or collective bargaining agreements.
  
• Pay Employees for the Time it Takes to Get Vaccinated: All covered employers are required to provide paid-time for their employees to get vaccinated and, if needed, sick leave to recover from side effects experienced that keep them from working.
  
• Ensure All Unvaccinated Employees are Masked: All covered employers must ensure that unvaccinated employees wear a face mask while in the workplace.
  
• Other Requirements and Compliance Date: Employers are subject to requirements for reporting and recordkeeping that are spelled out in the detailed OSHA materials available here. While the testing requirement for unvaccinated workers will begin after January 4th, employers must be in compliance with all other requirements – such as providing paid-time for employees to get vaccinated and masking for unvaccinated workers – on December 5th. The Administration is calling on all employers to step up and make these changes as quickly as possible.

New Vaccination Requirements for Health Care Workers: CMS is requiring workers at health care facilities participating in Medicare or Medicaid to have received the necessary shots to be fully vaccinated – either two doses of Pfizer or Moderna, or one dose of Johnson & Johnson – by January 4th. The rule covers approximately 76,000 health care facilities and more than 17 million health care workers – the majority of health care workers in America – and will enhance patient safety in health care settings. The rule applies to employees regardless of whether their positions are clinical or non-clinical and includes employees, students, trainees, and volunteers who work at a covered facility that receives federal funding from Medicare or Medicaid. It also includes individuals who provide treatment or other services for the facility under contract or other arrangements. Among the facility types covered by the rule are hospitals, ambulatory surgery centers, dialysis facilities, home health agencies, and long-term care facilities. Today’s action will help provide patients assurance about the vaccination status of those delivering care, create a level playing field across health care facilities, and help to address challenges facilities have faced with staff sickness and quarantines impacting delivery of care.

Streamlining Implementation and Setting One Deadline Across Different Vaccination Requirements: The rules released today ensure employers know which requirements apply to which workplaces. Federal contractors may have some workplaces subject to requirements for federal contractors and other workplaces subject to the newly-released COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS. To make it easy for all employers to comply with the requirements, the deadline for the federal contractor vaccination requirement will be aligned with those for the CMS rule and the ETS. Employees falling under the ETS, CMS, or federal contractor rules will need to have their final vaccination dose – either their second dose of Pfizer or Moderna, or single dose of Johnson & Johnson – by January 4, 2022. This will make it easier for employers to ensure their workforce is vaccinated, safe, and healthy, and ensure that federal contractors implement their requirements on the same timeline as other employers in their industries. And, the newly-released ETS will not be applied to workplaces subject to the federal contractor requirement or CMS rule, so employers will not have to track multiple vaccination requirements for the same employees.

United We Stand (Photo)

Driving down a winding state highway I came across this old shed. Couldn't resist...I stopped and took a photo. You can tell the artist really took their time. Thought I would share incase it inspires anyone.  

United We Stand Photo