Veterans, Generator, Finance Procedures and More!-Delta County Board of Commissioners (Feb. 20, 24):

One way to learn about governance is to simply watch and reflect on the issues that are at play and how they eventually come to understanding and resolution. The meetings are moving forward and people are getting things done! That doesn't mean everyone is going to be happy but big things like airport crisis and a few other lingering issues seem to have more clarity and a light at the end of the tunnel. 

There will likely be issues coming forward on solar panels and the electric grid. These are highly debated topics depending on one's political perspective (I would say personal perspective but many times people don't think deeply about the positives and negatives so they let others define their importance for them and they become political versus development discussions.). My personal opinion is that if you can find a way to create local backups of energy with a direct benefit to the community without significant blight or environmental impact than these are ideas to explore (i.e. size of farms was an issue debated in past.)

Think strategy over politics when deciding important issues. Don't even listen to me! Just listen to the different sides and various perspectives and come to your own conclusions. Once you do that you can then decide what to support, not support, or cast a vote (Let us teach others interested in learning how things are done more on a local level). At that point you truly own your thoughts and choices so collective decisions get better and more accurate because it taps our collective brain power experiences (Sorry, getting philosophical 😬)

back to the meeting.....

This meeting also discussed helping veterans, electric back up, finance committee approval, locked gates, policies and the like. A few questions arose. Some clarification on attorneys. Finance policy seemed to be a leading discussion and debate. There are areas in this realm that need additional discussion to settle raised concerns by community members.

Sometimes policies and procedures can gain support by explaining them and the evidence used to come to a conclusion. I suspect that this is related to people's ability to understand the meaning of the policy and why it exists. Watching different meetings teaches you about what does and doesn't work well. I found this research you might be interested in  Communicating the Effectiveness of Policies.

The county and town has an opportunity to do something unique and interesting but that will require commitment to economic opportunity and quality of life enhancements. The area is becoming known as a vacation and investment destination and it is helpful if people orient their thinking toward those goals. That includes ensuring a level of infrastructure self-sufficiency.

Deloitte’s Gen Z and Millennial 2023: Findings and Implications

Gen Z and Millennials are different from prior generations because they have deeply embedded values learned from the trials and tribulations of those who came before them. They also may not have the same opportunities so things will change. Thus, with more thoughtful leadership at the top we can fully engage the next batch of American workers, inventors, and social advocates.

This generation has seen some improvement in their perceptions of employers and they do so based on their unique needs. The report highlights how companies can engage these groups for employment if they to maximize their human talent contributions and influence of positive values of improving society.

(Different generations bring different values. During our generation we wobbled on certain challenges but this generation has the making of one that will reorient to a higher standard of societal values and improve human capital competitiveness.)

The following optimistic leaning information was quoted as highlights from the Deloitte 2023 Gen Z and Millennial Survey 

-Gen Zs and millennials believe employers have made progress in a number of areas since pre-pandemic times.

-This year, approximately one-third of Gen Zs and millennials in full- or part-time work reported that they are very satisfied with their work/life balance, compared to only one in five in 2019.

-Satisfaction with workplace flexibility is also on the rise. There has been a steady increase in satisfaction with employers’ efforts around DEI since 2019. And respondents are now more likely to be very satisfied with their organization’s societal impact.

-More Gen Zs (19%) and millennials (17%) now strongly agree that large companies are taking substantive action to protect the environment, a slight improvement since 2019.

-While these positive trends show Gen Zs and millennials are slightly more satisfied with their own employers, they are not convinced that business more broadly is having a positive impact.

The Hypothetical Feather Party Supports a Reasonable Federal Spending Deal!

The Federal Budget is a big deal and is important for the nation as a whole. The debate between the parties has led to some interesting discussions on what is the best way forward. In general, we know that we must pass a budget in a way that leads to a fiscally stronger nation. How that is going to happen is part of the discussion. The Hypothetical Feather Party comes out in support of a reasonable budget.

Consider the article below to understand the situation better.

Showdown Federal Spending '24

Furthermore, If you read read this research on how cutting expenses versus raising taxes is more beneficial you will also notice it mentions raising revenue but not into specific detail (A problem not easy to define and unique to each nation.). IMF Climbing out of Debt '18

The point that is important here is that cutting through removing waste reduces the cost burden while seeking net positives through focused industry-government coordination can increase revenue by enhancing investment environments. 

If done in the right way, the Hypothetical Feather Party feels it could be an economic policy that encourages innovation and broader industry adaptations that improve U.S. mid and long term fundamental competitiveness.

A couple of bullet points to think about:

1.) Cut wasted expenditures that don't have ROI/return/impact as measured by their purposes (Possible approach to consider is to fund for 90 days resizing programs at current levels and wind back by percentage to the appropriate level over time increments to allow for healthy program adjustments. i.e. only those areas that need adjustment. There may be some where one might wind up if they are functioning well. Put the money where it creates benefits.).

2.) Realign programs to maximize effectiveness and consider removing/revamping programs not effective (A few focuses: 1.) Program effectiveness to mission/purpose, 2.) Improve net positives to economy GDP, 3.) Enhancing citizen quality of life/opportunities)

3.) Create net positives to attract investment and industry adaptations that help multiple societal sectors (i.e. invest in innovation and their platforms)

Hypothetical Feather Party Statement: If the two leading parties get close to a balanced budget we will support. Our ideology is the health of the nation and we owe no loyalty to anything but that; not even to our own party. (The Hypothetical Feather Party HFP supports decisions that help the next generation in over the horizon strategies.  A Strategic management Process '23)

The Hypothetical Feather Party is used for illustrative purposes on how a larger independent voter block wrapped into a loose affiliation can lead to political lubricant that improves national decision making and performance outcomes. If you want to read about the example you can at 'Hypothetical Feather Party (HFP)'. (HFP doesn't exist so please don't argue with it! 😆)

(Stay tuned because we might discuss our leading primary candidates Mr. Snuffleupagus vs Oscar the Grouch! Its getting heated in the primary, as they just sat for lunch discussed their shared commitment to the betterment of their nation and how no matter who wins they will do the best they can to be helpful.

 Constructive dialogue and active listening skills were used to understand what each side wanted and they could agree "in theory" that a pathway to fulfill both is likely. Candidates felt energized by the new perspective they learned from each other as a pathway to improving society. 

Oscar was a little grouchy because he felt he should have thought of some of the ideas Mr. Snuffleupagus thought of but he felt he could improve if he was more reflective. He want's to be better at doing the best for everyone.

Best yet, the both agreed to not push the lunch bill on each other and decided to split the responsibility. They initially jumped to solve the problem but then realized compromise was better so both parties got something. A radical notion? 😲)

Impressive 75 Year Old Granny Becomes Firefighter

Volunteer firefighters are the backbone of our fire protection services nationally. They put in a lot of work and it can be challenging. Not running 3 miles with 60 lbs and gear challenging but still challenging. I have seen training where you are blindfolded in full gear and can't stand up but must find and drag a victim out of a fire. That is heavy!

Likewise, If you are a climate change challenger get into the game and join your local volunteer firefighting team might do you and your community some good.

Hats off to the trained firefighter because she sets the standard for others. She has no excuses, so you should have none either. 

What is Court Misconduct? The Importance of Justice

I'm a supporter of the justice system so much that I hope it gets better at catching bad guys/gals and protecting our streets. I also help it removes systemic bigotries and ensures that each of its pieces acts with integrity. That doesn't mean that most don't but it means that when there is intentional misconduct there are few backstops and that has longer term logical consequences. Judge Misconduct 

Most people can understand mistakes and know that they come with the territory where one must make choices over imperfect information. However, intentional mistakes or repeated mistakes have no recourse for the victims they create. Poor decisions are one thing but consistently poor is another. Its a type of choice. Corruption Index

As always I support what I think is in the best interest of society. If these behaviors are occurring they should be corrected and if they are not corrected then we should consider other options and laws to ensure they are corrected. The point being that systems rise in trust when they are doing the right things and decline when they are not. Court Trust Stats.

If there is declining trust then we should find ways to restore and that comes with focus on the spirit of the law and the social artifacts we collectively believe in. 

Dale Carnegie Survey on Creating a Culture of High Performing Teams

Effective teams make a difference in the success and failure of an organization. It makes no difference if we are discussing business or government. Teams are about using our human assets to overcome challenges to further missions. When everyone is focused and have goal commitment you will find the vision becoming closer to reality.

A Leadership Imperative: Creating a Culture of High-Performing Teams '23

1. High-performance” starts with defining a clear purpose and vision.

2. Focus on closing perception gaps regarding productivity, satisfaction, and culture between leaders and employees.

3. Successfully cultivating high-performing teams includes understanding what makes a team satisfied.

4. High-performing teams communicate effectively.

5. Adaptability is more than a buzzword for high-performing teams. It’s an individual mindset, shared culture, and an action plan.

6. Collaboration and cross-functionality are essential.

(Here is a side note. If you don't start with selecting the right personalities to be on a team then they are unlikely to go very far as ulterior motives, conflicts, toxic behaviors, etc. derail group performance. There is a difference between those who challenge teams with beneficial disagreements and those who are destructive and hamper progress. When you have obstructionists on a team with goals different than the professed mission/goal then few things will likely get passed/done and those that do won't be as good as the products of teams with healthier dynamics.)

 

The Importance of Human and Civil Rights to Society and to Our Opportunities

There are places where we are still struggling with basic understanding of right over wrong or the purpose and intent of our laws. Not to mention a nation built on freedom and civil rights. While some confusion may be possible on the technicalities of the law, there should be little to no confusion on their intent. No matter our knowledge level, we should not support behaviors that run against the grain of justice and our social contracts. A greater and higher level of insight and commitment to our ideals is needed if we wish to maximize our intellectual and diverse talents. 

Let me give you a hypothetical example to consider and mull over while grocery shopping, watching tv or browsing the net. In between the spaces that fill our lives. Its hypothetical for discussion purposes only.......

A family was targeted because someone wanted to protect a crime and enrich off of hate. They spread bigoted rumors, utilized close connections with a corrupt group of officials, and possibly put the family on a target list for a larger network of extremists. They pulled over kids, negligent in protecting against elder abuse, attempted arrests of minorities on religious holidays to signal acceptable religions. One could create a list that could go on, and on, like the energizer bunny (Seriously they are dark souls out there in the world creating problems for others. I'm sure we all met a few of them in our lifetimes.).

To further the hypothetical example, complaints by others from the past and the present came forward to be quickly discarded and silenced by the same officials that were causing the problem. Good officials became muted in fear of being rejected and disliked because of an environment of toxicity (Hate Group Map)The seeds to human atrocity were sewn into the soil and attempts to water that choking weed of hate were normalized and encouraged. 

One primary issue one could think about is that there are a lot of people complaining and not a lot of solutions or attempts to fix those problems. The rise is due in part to current hyper-politics and its gamesmanship with rights that have become subject for party debate to score points to increase political donations. It has little to do with the needs of the nation and typically works in opposition. The big picture and security of the country relies on the best and brightest coming forward to further the nation's central mission and values (party neutral comment).

Let me say one of the reasons why I do not support bigotry and extremism is because it inherently illogical bias to the point that it not only robs the victims but also the rest of the society that are still reaching for democracy and human freedom. Worse! It robes the next generation in the same way a bad parent might harm their own kids; except all these kids belong to us as a society. It is unfair to put our ideological and moral failures onto the next generation (Good thing they amazingly are sociologically more mature than ours. Gen Z and Millennial Cross Party Concerns '23). This is where logic and soul searching might work together.

Places where these things happen and there are no attempts to hold the initiators accountable means we are giving up on some of these time honored generational to generational values. Discarded them as of no particular importance to those who see them as obstacles and not guidance. Most of society still believes in rights and their oaths but some might be providing more lip service than substance. Life, liberty and pursuit happiness are more important today than at any other time in history; save two. Our loyalties to the Constitution and human rights are not political football for the connected class or reality tv politics where genuine leadership would make more sense. Why is it hard to prosecute hate crimes?

Going forward I believe examples like this help remind us that we have a lot of work still to do as a nation to maximize our options and outcomes. We have an untapped goldmine of talent in one of the largest most diverse generations to take the helm of our democratic republic. It is incumbent on every American citizen to support moral conscious and the most strategic paths forward to prepare for change. We should make sacred the Constitutional protections as one of the central artifacts of democracy and act and live by it.

Keep in mind that any group can violate the rights of another group. Some groups have historically shown various forms of bigotries against Blacks/African American but certainly could be any out-group members. Out group status is dependent on the particular power dynamics and demographics that make up of a group and its environmental context. It is intuitive as a nation of minorities that we tackle behaviors that intentionally run afoul of our needs and legacies. duh!

The article below is an interesting one because it ties class and race together. It may be one reason why hate groups go insanely angry when someone they perceive as less human, having less rights, less American, acts as though they have realized value and confirm people should be judged on merit. Outperform hate groups and you might find a car outside your house, community members stalked, and general disdain for the rights of "the other" (As defined by their mirror. Mirror Neurons 👆 and the mirrors of Jungian Shadow Projection Sorry, theoretical dribble, bribble...)....

Understanding the U.S. Economy for Racial Healing

Me, I believe if you treat people as valuable members, you provide a vision for a shared future, embrace central universal American values, and point a finger to the pathway where the greatest strategic place can be found ( Axis Mundi poem on knowledge) . We are strongest as a nation when we use our exceptional human talents to help people be the best they can be for the maximum benefit of society as a whole (Broad based capitalism as defined by opportunities for financial and personal growth throughout all demographics. A persons character, skills, and grit should determine where they end up. A merit approach. Streets of Gold).