Article "Senate hopeful John James slams Dem leadership in major cities: 'Hold politicians accountable, not statues'

The article "Senate hopeful John James slams Dem leadership in major cities: 'Hold politicians accountable, not statues' came out yesterday. While the article is written with political campaigns in mind I would like to make a single point about this article that makes sense. I'm not blaming Democrats or Republicans but the general foot dragging on justice in general.

Most of my life I believed in the old concepts of Justice, the shield, and the idealism that people are willing to do whats right each and every time. Over the years as I grew up I quickly learned that these are just ideas left to cartoons and little kids but when it comes to true life situations Justice is way more contingent..

The money you make, your political connections, your title, your education, your race, your religion, your value systems and more non-essential factors make their way into the decision of justice.

We have become an uglier society in some ways. At the root of all societies are a people who collectively work together to create governance and protect themselves. They invent/vote on laws and rules to help govern their daily activities and ensure that bad people don't take advantages of good people so that everyone can survive.

Over the decades we start to forget that we are the same society. We start to view others as worth of less justice and some worthy of more. We are teaching our kids value systems in the school books and cartoons that have not thing to do with the multiple societies brewing in our midst. This is our politicians fault and I'm not seeing it falling squarely on any political party or individual.

If we want this Republic to survive we will need to start thinking of all of society as part of the same family with the same rules and same opportunities. People who commit crimes don't get a free pass because they know the judge, have friends in the police department, or because the victims are seen as the "other". While justice doesn't always mean criminal prosecution, it does mean that people are held accountable and in turn they are saves from themselves, protect society, and encourage the Republic to be strong with the same shared sense of values.

At least that encouraging a stronger society is the American thing to do. We should not accept a lie to our children and we should not accept a less than we could be to our futures. At what point can we say the Justice system no longer serves the function of Justice? We should start making changes way before that point.

Nelson, J. (July 14th, 2020). Senate hopeful John James slams Dem leadership in major cities: 'Hold politicians accountable, not statues. Fox News. https://www.foxnews.com/media/john-james-blasts-democrat-cities-leaders

Dallas Federal Reserve President Robert Kaplan Indicates 2021 Strong Growth

Federal Research Robert Kaplan believes that 2021 we should see growth. I suspected that our third and fourth quarters will see significant upward swing assuming we don't have another large relapse. You can read about some of these April projections HERE.  I still want to see the numbers coming out for 3Q and 4Q this year. It is equally likely that because of this resurgence we can see this upward swing move a month or two to the right in a delay.

He indicates that we should wear masks. We can say that masks will help and further drilling into where these cases are rising and why. The video talks about indoor events and that is likely a contributor. There may be others and we are getting smarter about this virus. Obviously a cure would be the best case.

Below was my little graph....I want to see how close or far I am. According to my projection it will be Q1/2021 where we beat the previous economy but upswings would start to be noticeable toward the end of Q3 and really rise Q4. Next year we may have a powerful economy and a few years after, perhaps an even stronger economy, when the digital GDP and innovation/adaptation take hold. Watch the video.....

The Importance of Accountability-Law Enforcement and Crime

Holding people accountable is necessary for a justice system to function properly. Without it we must also wonder what the essential purpose of the system is and whether or not it will function as intended in the future. Most officers I have met are very good people but they are people and some have personality flaws that come out in their daily work life. Accountability is important in the law enforcement institution as it is in other institutions as well.

People think everything is about getting someone in trouble. That isn't the truth. Sometimes holding people accountable is about allowing the system to confront bad actors, find out what their motives were and then ensure that such behaviors don't happen again. It becomes a way to discover and improve.

Think of it this way. You have a child who takes your quarters out of your jar and even though you know he is doing it you don't say anything. A few quarters turn into many quarters and then you have a problem because that turns into dollars and that turns into other people's dollars.

Responsible parents confront their child, have him tell the truth, make him do some work to pay back the money, and use the opportunity to teach them about theft. Yet if you say nothing and do nothing then you are partly responsible if that child grows up to steal other people's money. Your blind eye led to greater crimes.

The same can be said for law enforcement and crime. If a criminal does harmful actions and isn't held accountable in some way then they will feel empowered to do it again. Perhaps it isn't a criminal but it is a law enforcement officer themselves that needs to be held accountable.

We are not talking about misinterpretation or a mistake but intention to intimidate and do harm. Like the other example, if we let them take quarters and never say anything lets not be surprised if that turns into other's money? At what point does the system start to self-correct and help itself.

Accountability isn't always punishment. It is about bringing to light bad things and it is about encouraging others to report such behaviors faster so they can be snipped out quickly. We don't always do this because we don't want to upset the apple cart. Yet, the more a culture of silence takes hold the further out of sync the system is with societal values.

Its difficult to be reasonable when there is an abundance of radicals. There are so many people who love police and so many people who hate them. I love them and I want them to be the great system they were intended to be. They have a seat at the table in making our country powerful and they have a direct influence on people's lives. We must not tarnish their reputation with ineptitude and inaction.

I may run for politics someday but I will run off of truth and the need to be as honest as I can to make our country function as it should. Perhaps I only play a small part but It is something our nation longs for just at a time when people fear change. It needs leaders that can think divergently and see both sides of an argument before making decisions and proposing laws. Maybe there is little room for such people, or maybe I don't have the personal strength to deal with it everyday, but I can start walking slowly in that direction and see what happens.

Executive Order 2020-36 (COVID-19)-Employers Should be Aware of Orders

If you own a business and someone gets sick or is suspected to be sick/risk of COVID you will want to stay up on the current orders/law in Michigan and the rules employers must follow with EE.

The executive order below is taken from....https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/0,9309,7-387-90499_90705-524136--,00.html

EXECUTIVE ORDER

No. 2020-36

Protecting workers who stay home, stay safe

when they or their close contacts are sick
 

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is a respiratory disease that can result in serious illness or death. It is caused by a new strain of coronavirus not previously identified in humans and easily spread from person to person. There is currently no approved vaccine or antiviral treatment for this disease.

On March 10, 2020, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services identified the first two presumptive-positive cases of COVID-19 in Michigan. On that same day, I issued Executive Order 2020-4. This order declared a state of emergency across the state of Michigan under section 1 of article 5 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, the Emergency Management Act, 1976 PA 390, as amended, MCL 30.401-.421, and the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945, 1945 PA 302, as amended, MCL 10.31-.33.

In the three weeks that followed, the virus spread across Michigan, bringing deaths in the hundreds, confirmed cases in the thousands, and deep disruption to this state’s economy, homes, and educational, civic, social, and religious institutions. In response to the widespread and severe health, economic, and social harms posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, I issued Executive Order 2020-33 on April 1, 2020. This order expanded on Executive Order 2020-4 and declared both a state of emergency and a state of disaster across the state of Michigan under section 1 of article 5 of the Michigan Constitution of 1963, the Emergency Management Act, and the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945.

The Emergency Management Act vests the governor with broad powers and duties to “cop[e] with dangers to this state or the people of this state presented by a disaster or emergency,” which the governor may implement through “executive orders, proclamations, and directives having the force and effect of law.” MCL 30.403(1)-(2). Similarly, the Emergency Powers of the Governor Act of 1945 provides that, after declaring a state of emergency, “the governor may promulgate reasonable orders, rules, and regulations as he or she considers necessary to protect life and property or to bring the emergency situation within the affected area under control.” MCL 10.31(1).

 

  

To suppress the spread of COVID-19, protect this state’s critical health care resources from rapid depletion, and prevent needless deaths, I issued Executive Order 2020-21, ordering all people in Michigan to stay home and stay safe. This order limited gatherings and travel, and required all workers who are not necessary to sustain or protect life to stay home. Slowing the aggressively persistent spread of this destructive virus, however, requires more. Individuals permitted to go to work under Executive Order 2020-21 must stay home when they or their close contacts are sick—and they must not be punished for doing so. Accordingly, it is reasonable and necessary to provide certain protections against workplace discrimination to such individuals, to ensure they can do what is now most needed from them to protect the health and safety of this state and its residents.

Acting under the Michigan Constitution of 1963 and Michigan law, I order the following:

1. It is the public policy of this state that an employer shall not discharge, discipline, or otherwise retaliate against an employee for staying home when he or she is at particular risk of infecting others with COVID-19. To effectuate that policy:

1. Employers are prohibited from discharging, disciplining, or otherwise retaliating against an employee described in sections 2 or 3 of this order for staying home from work for the periods described in those sections.

2. Employers must treat such an employee as if he or she were taking medical leave under the Paid Medical Leave Act, 2018 PA 338, as amended, MCL 408.961 et seq.

1. To the extent that the employee has no paid leave, the leave may be unpaid. Employers are permitted, but not required, to debit any hours that an employee described in sections 2 or 3 of this order stays home from work from the employee’s accrued leave.

2. The length of such leave is not limited by the amount of leave that an employee has accrued under MCL 408.963 and must extend, whether paid or unpaid, as long as the employee remains away from work within the time periods described in sections 2 or 3 of this order.

3. Employers are prohibited from discharging, disciplining, or retaliating against an employee described in sections 2 or 3 of this order for failing to comply with a requirement to document that the employee or the individual with whom the employee has had close contact has one or more of the principal symptoms of COVID-19.

4. Nothing in this section shall be taken to prevent an employer from discharging or disciplining an employee:

1. Who is allowed to return to work under sections 2 or 3 of this order but declines to do so;

2. With the employee’s consent; or

3. For any other reason that is not unlawful.

5. The director of the Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity shall have authority to enforce this order in the same manner and to the same extent as the director enforces the Paid Medical Leave Act under section 7 of that act, MCL 408.967. In addition, the director shall refer all credible complaints of violations to the relevant licensing authority.

2. Subject to the exceptions in section 5 of this order, it is the public policy of this state that any and all individuals who test positive for COVID-19 or who display one or more of the principal symptoms of COVID-19 should remain in their home or place of residence, even if they are otherwise permitted to leave under Executive Order 2020-21 or any executive order that may follow it, until:

1. three days have passed since their symptoms have resolved, and

2. seven days have passed since their symptoms first appeared or since they were swabbed for the test that yielded the positive result.

This section will cease to apply to anyone who, after showing symptoms, receives a negative COVID-19 test.

3. Subject to the exceptions in section 5 of this order, it is the public policy of this state that any and all people who have had close contact with an individual who tests positive for COVID-19 or with an individual who displays one or more of the principal symptoms of COVID-19 should remain in their home or place of residence, even if they are otherwise permitted to leave under Executive Order 2020-21 or any executive order that may follow it, until either 14 days have passed since the last close contact with the sick or symptomatic individual, or the symptomatic individual receives a negative COVID-19 test.

This section does not apply to the following classes of workers, provided that their employers’ rules governing occupational health allow them to go to work:

1. Health care professionals.

2. Workers at a health care facility, as defined in section 7(d) of this order.

3. First responders (e.g., police officers, fire fighters, paramedics).

4. Child protective service employees.

5. Workers at child caring institutions, as defined in section 1 of Public Act 116 of 1973, MCL 722.111.

6. Workers at correctional facilities.

4. An individual described in sections 2 or 3 of this order who returns to work prior to the periods specified in sections 2 or 3, respectively, shall not be entitled to the protections against discharge, discipline, or retaliation provided under section 1 of this order.

5. It is the public policy of this state that individuals described in sections 2 and 3 of this order should leave the home or place of residence only:

1. To the extent absolutely necessary to obtain food, medicine, medical care, or supplies that are needed to sustain or protect life, where such food, medicine, medical care, or supplies cannot be obtained via delivery. All food, medicine, and supplies should be picked up at the curbside to the fullest extent possible.

2. To engage in outdoor activity, including walking, hiking, running, cycling, or any other recreational activity consistent with remaining at least six feet from people from outside their household.

6. It is the public policy of this state that if an individual described in sections 2 and 3 of this order leaves the home, he or she should wear some form of covering over their nose and mouth, such as a homemade mask, scarf, bandana, or handkerchief, but that supplies of N95 masks and surgical masks should generally be reserved, for now, for health care professionals, first responders (e.g., police officers, fire fighters, paramedics), and other critical workers.

7. For purposes of this order:

1. “The principal symptoms of COVID-19” are fever, atypical cough, or atypical shortness of breath.

2. “Employer” means the same as it does in section 2(f) of the Paid Medical Leave Act, MCL 408.962(f), except that it shall also include employers with fewer than 50 employees.

3. “Close contact” means being within approximately six feet of an individual for a prolonged period of time. Close contact can occur, for example, while caring for, living with, visiting, or sharing a health care waiting room with an individual.

4. “Health care facility” means the following facilities, including those which may operate under shared or joint ownership:

1. The entities listed in section 20106(1) of the Public Health Code, 1978 PA 368, as amended MCL 333.20106(1).

2. State-owned hospitals and surgical centers.

3. State-operated outpatient facilities.

4. State-operated veterans facilities.

5. Entities used as surge capacity by any of the entities listed in subdivisions (1)-(4) of this subsection.

8. Nothing in this order shall be taken to diminish or relax the restrictions on leaving the home established in Executive Order 2020-21 or any executive order that may follow it.

9. Nothing in this order shall be taken to create a private right of action against an employer for failing to comply with section 1 of this order or against an individual for acting contrary to the public policies of sections 2, 3, 5, or 6 of this order.

10. This order is effective immediately and continues until the end of the declared states of emergency and disaster.

Given under my hand and the Great Seal of the State of Michigan.

White House on Supporting Police-Mostly Good but More Work Needed

The following video is on police and the support of police. It is necessary to make a difference in distinction between support and turning a blind eye to problems. We should support police and help them in their jobs but we should also push the system become better. We need them and we we need them to do their jobs very well without bias or immunity toward crimes. Lets call it a 60/20/20 or a 70/15/15 split where 60% of police do a great job, 20% are in need of additional training and 20% might need to be removed/or never hired.

Yet we do know that there are bad apples and we need to remove those bad apples. When a police officer commits crimes and isn't held accountable for those crimes that is a problem because not only does it tarnish all of the good officers but also damages trust in the justice system itself. Supporting police helps provide them with training, mental health support, and removal when behaviors are intentionally inappropriate and/orcorrupt. Supporting police is about supporting positive change that draws communities together to create a more effective system that helps in recruitment, investigations, and law enforcement in a way that helps people the most.

I can say that I support the police and believe most do a very good job but I must also accept the need for change and the need to investigate and remove bad apples for the improvement of the entire system that reduces costs and improves outcomes. Moving oneself over and away from the system allows for a better birds eye that ensure the system better self-corrects and adjusts when needed while still serving its essential function.

The Justice System is Connected to Social Stability and Economic Growth

Let's say for a minute there is no Justice system or we have a system that is inherently corrupt like many other nations. Crimes are not investigated, innocent go to jail, there is "protected" class, and money determines who receives justice or not. This would be a society that would continue to decline and see impoverishment as the underpinnings of trust that create future investment are torn away.

We see this connection between corruption and lack of economic growth repeatedly in literature. I will write more about investment and justice in the future in my economic theory.  Those countries that have the most corrupt Justice System also have more violence, poverty, lack investment, and have damaged all of the people in society. They have become their own worst enemy and don't have the insight to reverse course or make adjustments.

Our economic system is based on trust. Trust in the dollar, trust in each other, and trust in a shared sense of purpose. We invest in places we know that if someone steals money they will be held accountable and where there is social stability because people know the difference between right and wrong. We put our effort into systems that we know the rich don't walk and the poor don't go to jail just because of the dollars they throw at the case or how the system is designed.

Profit and philosopher came to warn people about the necessity of doing the right thing focused on the greater good of society and not their individuals needs. From Socrates drinking the hemlock potion to Jesus being nailed to a cross their lessons don't sink in even though we claim a system based on values. We read, learn, and then discard. We are not really talking about religion or religious examples so much as the esoteric truth of life.

In the American system people bring forward evidence and then a ruling is made that seeks to create justice. However, sometimes that justice is skewed by false beliefs, the role of big money and lawyers, the protection of officials from prosecution, racism/bigotry, and corruption. We have a responsibility to keep the system as pure as we can to create trust in the population but also in the business community; they aren't mutually exclusive.

When a system begins to derail and the stakeholders don't push it to go back toward the truth then we have shortened our own futures. Investors won't put their money into a system they feel doesn't have fair play. We are no longer in a world where we all look the same and come from the same background. The Justice system has responsibility to toward doing the right thing each and every time or be in part responsible for a collapsed economy and a society that lost its belief in the system.

Beach Pictures Point Loma