New Legislation to Name the Gaylord VA Community Based Outreach Clinic (CBOC) to Honor Veteran Steve Andrews

The life we build for ourselves today is built off of the hard work and sacrifice of those who served their country. There are many ways to serve one's nation of which the military is one. You will notice the military members often come with a deep seated need to help the communities thrive. Honoring those sacrifices should serve as a reminder and example to others the ways in which they may serve their communities as well. We should seek to lead by example!

The following was taken from Bergman press release on email..... 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  February 24, 2021 CONTACT: James Hogge 231-944-7633

Bergman Introduces Legislation to Name New Gaylord VA Clinic in Honor of Navy Corpsman Steve Andrews

Washington - Today, Rep. Jack Bergman introduced legislation to name the new Gaylord VA Community Based Outreach Clinic (CBOC) in honor of the late Steve Andrews. Andrews was a beloved member of the Gaylord community and a state legislator representing the 106th District, having previously served our Nation overseas at the U.S. Navy Hospital in Guam and as a medic in the 1st Marine Division and Marine 1st Force Reconnaissance Company in Vietnam. Rep. Bergman stated, "Corpsman Steve Andrews lived a life dedicated to service and to his fellow countrymen. It is my hope that our plan to designate the new CBOC in Gaylord – a place where we heal those who made incredible sacrifices for our Nation-- in his honor will be a small tribute to his legacy of service to our Northern Michigan community and the United States.” Steve Andrews entered the U.S. Navy in 1967 as a Hospital Corpsman then subsequently served at the U.S. Naval Hospital on Guam and as a medic with the 1st Marine Division and Marine 1st Force Reconnaissance Company in Vietnam. For his actions in combat in Vietnam and for saving the lives of countless Marines, he was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal and received the Purple Heart. Following his military service, Steve worked as an entrepreneur and was later elected to the Michigan House of Representatives, representing Northern Michigan's 106th District. Steve served Northern Michigan for two terms and then turned his efforts to building his family and business. Steve coached and was a father figure to thousands of kids in baseball, football and more. He additionally served on the board of trustees of North Central Michigan College and was president of the Petoskey Regional Chamber of Commerce.  The new Gaylord VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic (CBOC) located at 2782 S. Otsego Avenue, officially opened its doors on Monday, August 24, 2020. The 18,362 square foot CBOC provides outpatient primary care, mental health, telehealth, laboratory services, home based primary care, women’s health and whole health.

bergman.house.gov

Federal Reserve Jerome Powell Discusses Treasury Yields, SLR Exclusion, and Plans on Economic Recovery

 Federal Reserve Jerome Powell discusses bond yields on economy recovering from COVID slowdowns. 

1.)  Fed to announce SLR Exclusion: Regulatory Capital Rule: Temporary Exclusion of U.S. Treasury Securities and Deposits at Federal Reserve Banks From the Supplementary Leverage Ratio for Depository Institutions

2.) Increase in Treasury Yields in Broader Economy: Fed looks at financial conditions and they believe that yields are moving up because it is a statement of confidence on the recovery of the economy.

3. Message Jerome Powell wants to send? Unemployment is like 20% for lower income levels so the Fed will be flexible in its choices as information comes in. Expect advanced warnings for monetary changes.

Venture Capital Collaboration Determines Market Emergence Strategies (Delta County as an Example)

Investment interest is like the clang of champagne glasses 🥂to the entrepreneurial class. "What is an idea if there is no market demand?" they may have learned from hard years of torturous failure (Sounds brutal 😨). Entrepreneurs see problems while Venture Capitalists (VC) see marketable solutions. The dream and the dollars makes a marriage of convenience between the two.  With financial mentorship, start-ups have a chance to be acquired by a parent companies that are in need innovative products and ideas. Those who think they "got what it takes" to build their own empires can always throw their javelins into IPO ring.

Prior research indicates start-ups do well when they work within an innovative environment with other like minded people. What we don't know is how collaborating among venture-capitalists (VC) impacts the outcome of start-ups as they emerge on the global market. Investment interest will form the structure of the blossom. 

The researchers analyzed 11,000 U.S. start-ups on Crunchbase backed by venture-capital (VC) firms to determine how they are related IPO (Wang, Pahnke & McDonald, 2021). What they found was... 

1. Jointly funded start-ups by knowledgeable VC (focused) are more likely to exit by acquisition (bought out by the bigger firm). 

2. Start Ups funded by less knowledgeable VCs are likely to be IPOs.

Why are investment strategies important to government? When these start-ups are purposeful (tied to an industry) and connect with investors (interested sources of capital) they have opportunities for faster growth which in turn impacts things like jobs, taxes, opportunities, etc... A few examples of what might apply hypothetically to a place like Delta County:

1.) Space/Military Industry: Utilizing existing( and attracting new) small batch SME manufacturers for specialized production for key clients (skills will spill over to other SME in the area). A specialized cluster forms within a larger cluster.

2. Outdoor Manufacturing: Outdoor manufacturers are looking for new ideas and are willing to invest in micro tourist manufacturers that have unique products (i.e. snow shoes, arrows, skis, bikes, etc..). Small manufacturing also brings tourists which feeds ideas and brand awareness.

3. A Relationship?: Start-ups feed innovation and local skills in a way that leads to improved development in multiple industries (i.e. outdoor gear, military equipment, custom space equipment/parts, metals research, etc...) When industries develop together they build off of each other's strengths, ideas, and resources.

The research provides some justification that encouraging investments will have an impact on the type of businesses that grow within the area. In this example, focused investors (knowledgeable) in Delta County will be looking at specific products while unfocused venture capitalists will be seeking profitability through IPO. The spill over between different types of businesses can enhance both of them through focusing on specific products for investment and allowing related businesses to find related market needs (variability that keeps a cluster adjusting).

{I'm working on a theoretical concept using Delta County MI as an example to attract entrepreneurs to utilize local facilities (SME and/or tourism/outdoor related micro manufacturing), attract venture capital investors, and bring those start-ups to market competitiveness (value for acquisition, IPO, private venture on s, m, l batch production). The model seeks to foster quick development through innovative clustering that creates a wider utility of capital (all kinds) to enhance (and create new) export oriented industries. ...(or something like that 🤔👀).HERE.}

Wang, D., Pahnke, E. & McDonald, R. (January 20, 2021). The Past Is Prologue? Venture-Capital Syndicates’ Collaborative Experience and Start-Up Exits. Academy of Management Journal-Press. Retreived 02-21-21 https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2019.1312

Capital Riots Senate Hearing Live-The Need to Update Data Infrastructure?

The Senate Hearing will provide greater insight into the situation that emerged on January 6th, 2021 at the capital and what other factors may be associated with the sacking of one of the securest buildings in the world. Leading up to this situation you could hear the rhetoric developing into a crescendo between both parties; the vote becoming a battle line. What might have caught everyone off guard is how easy it was for a single spark to ignite the kindling that burst into violence. Avoiding that in the future will require Republican (I'm assuming it doesn't need to be broken into Trump and "Old Guard" Republicans) and Democrat action.

As a nation we should keep a watchful eye out for hate behavior so that it doesn't light a match to a much more destructive fire that engulfs the whole house. This is one of the many reasons why its important to adjust state laws to detect and redirect early signs of hate behavior before people coordinate. Michigan has an opportunity to lead the charge if lawmakers find the adjustments important (Its our elected officials responsibility to pass laws that they feel are in the best interest of their state and country). 

I also wonder if there are international actors involved that have the historical skills and the social media ability to spark insurrections in other countries? (👀🤔 😬) Also one might want to know if there was any collusion of stolen information from multiple agents/actors filming with their cell phones documents as they ransacked offices trying to find "proof" of wrongdoing. It almost looks like a strategy to broadcast, capture and reorganize.  American data is way too exposed to foreign entities and smart people who know how to put that data into a framework/method that risks long term national security. Updating our digital infrastructure to better secure data could help maintain national competitiveness on multiple economic, security, and social fronts.

Biden: People We Lost From Covid-19 Were ‘Extraordinary’

All life is precious in its own right. Some know it early and some will never know it! We often think our own lives and needs (our friends, our families, our group) have value but some of us gain the blessing to come to a broader awareness of the patterns of life. We are important on an individual and a collective level; but not for the reasons we think. Statistics can sometimes masks the behavior that happens in real life to people struggling to cope with loss. Statistics provides the high level numbers to make big decisions, but its the nano things are what makes the biggest differences.

Rugged and Remote Digital Nomads Drawn to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan

The U.P. is known for its rugged beauty, green forests and clear waters. One could stand, coffee in hand, looking over miles of untouched forest and within 10 minutes be at the center of city to get a hot refill. From fresh fallen snow to the biggest fish catch of the day it is this outdoor charm that draws vacationers. Market changes in digital infrastructure increases appeal of "connected" rural vacation areas as it spawns a whole new generation of professionals who desperately crave work-life balance.  Digital nomads are interested in post-COVID hot spots that provide outdoor hobbies with the digital capacity they need to be higher performers.

Few places offer better opportunities to gaze for a minute under a canvas of stars while still competing on the ever moving global market. Inspiration comes from things as simple as an apple falling off a tree or the splendor of deer jumping through them. 

In Delta County you work by solar from your favorite campsite or sit in your downtown café. Straddling the physical and virtual world lets you reap the benefits of both. After riding the snow covered back country, a few simple pleasures like sitting next to fireplace catching up on work are needed respites (checking Facebook, stocks, news or whatever.)

Left is Mo and right is his girlfriend.

Delta County received $18.5 million in broadband expansion which will enhance high speed access and improve the appeal of the area  to the digital economy (Article and Document). Firms that have interest in designing and manufacturing specialty products might find the costs of local production black line ready and the reach of global connectivity enticing.

"Economic Explosions" in 2021-Possibility Seems Likely!

Theory is only as good as it is useful and it is as only useful as it is predictive (or explanative). I've have been engage in theory play on a digital cluster model of economic innovation through understanding cross company transactions. Generic projections were in the ball park but still off by the end of 2020 GDP by 3.5% (April 2020 GDP Contracts 1st Q of 2020-Is It a Short Lived Shock and Digital GDP Recovery?)   COVID pushed digital transformation forward quickly in turn causing forced adaptation (Nov, 2019 Digital GDP on Government's Mind. Can We Maximize Growth Through Cluster Development?) leaving behind lots of small and medium size businesses (increased bankruptcies) that couldn't adapt quick enough (unable to scale digitally).

GDP was 3.5% lower (lots of reasons but one plausible explanation is from a re-emergences of COVID and lockdowns). 2021 and somewhere around 2023-24 would be big wins for the U.S. economy as adaptation strategies kick in (I'm not the expert but I have a few ideas on post-covid rebound transactional innovative clusters).  There were some natural economic changes with COVID that haven't been fully realized as we gain a new level of homeostasis ( March 2020 How the Economy Might Change After COVID-19?)

This is likely the time we want to really push digital, energy, and export infrastructure to create innovative new companies and advanced manufacturing that can price out and beat out Chinese competitors through our cultural spirit of innovation. 

Managing Director Art Hogan  of National Securities Corporation is an expert on market predictions and he believes there is going to be "economic explosions" in 2021. Its helpful to follow market leaders to see if what you believe is in line with what they believe. Sometimes they let you know little bits and pieces of their projection strategies.