Delta County Board of Commissioners Meeting (10/1/2024): The Possibilities

Two important conceps came out of this meeting. 

1.) 360 degree reviews that often lead to a more holistic view of perceptions. If your trying to improve something taking the time to understand fully makes sense. 

2.) If Delta County get the new land ill it would bring up to half billion in investment. A mention on the infrastructure and it is true that Delta County has multiple methods of receiving this trash and can make an excellent case with the land and underutilized shipping. Remember that these rail lines and docks are already here so they would need be enhanced. One might also consider encouraging ship building because that might lead to at least 5 legs of a cluster Billerud, Land Fill, Small Batch Manufacturing, Ship Building, and Tourism/Entrepreneurship. Attract interest in Skilled Trades to the local college as a potential 6th and you have some things that can work off of the same fundamentals and support each other. The Energy sector might also consider feeding multiple industries. 

The Hypothetical Story that Models Hate, Corruption and Extremism (Concluding)

If you have been reading the blog for a while you will know that we have been discussing a hypothetical example of hate, corruption and extremism that helps us learn about how these behaviors might function in our society from a minority's viewpoint. This thought experiment is helping to create a new model of these behaviors so we can improve the development of our economy and communities. While we are starting the process of discussing conclusions what we learned from this theoretical explorative interactives is to keep in mind that nothing is truly conclusive. We do sort of get to see a birds eye view the possibilities and how they may influence our environment.

It is a mixed bag with the majority of people doing the right thing within example institutions and some people misusing their roles within institutions for personal, social, financial and ideological gain. We are human beings and as human beings we are subject to many different social, financial, and psychological influences that skew our decision making process and warp our value systems. Most want what is best for everyone and seem to understand intuitively the need for positive social exchanges (peace lovers) and those who want division (segregationists).  We also find those who higher levels of commitment to our ideals (loyal truth tellers) and we have those who miscue our values for influence (disloyal manipulators)

Consider the positives and negatives......

Positives:  Most people in our society, communities, and institutions seek to do the right thing. They can be easily swayed by bias and rumors but ultimately have a desire to uphold their personal and national values. They are not inherently limited by bigotry and have empathy over each people. Good citizens, good administrators, and good souls who believe in the sacrifices of history even if they were not directly aware or experienced them. They will correct when they know wrong doing has been done and in turn want the best positive outcomes for the most amount of people. If you work hard with the right people you can succeed. Patriotism is by merit and ones character even if there is some unintentional bias at times. They can see themselves in the mirror and change when needed.  Most would agree that society's needs are first before their own.

Negatives: There are people who do not care about their fellow citizens and when placed in roles of authority will soon violate those roles for personal preference, ideological, racial, religious, and social beliefs. The importance of the sanctity of their position seems not to factor into their decisions making other than how it influences their agendas. There are few to no backstops even when behaviors are clearly immoral or illegal. A level of disrespect toward our American values and the sacrifices that people of present and past have made on their behalf. Being capable and high performing doesn't guarantee opportunities even if earned where such biased inviduals are put in charge of societal or organizational affairs.  Patriotism is clearly defined by race, religion, and ideology and much less on merit or actual behaviors. They can't see themselves in the mirror and won't change due to lack of awareness. Most would put themselves first and the social, ideological, political (any identity) groups that helps them achieve their goals.

The issue is not that there are good or bad people in the world, patriotic and unpatriotic people, or people who do or do not take their oaths seriously. The issue is that there are few backstops when these things occur and perpetrators are sometimes rewarded and encouraged depending on who is the perpetrator/victim and who is judging the behavior. Hate, corruption, and extremism is a disease in our society (any society) and could grow without commitment to our shared values. The end result of those who damage our human capital and create segregationist outcomes is as of yet fully unknown. Current behaviors indicate we will likely continue to grow but poor values of some impact our communities health now and for the near future. Finding ways to curb their detracting/divisionary behaviors may lead to faster national growth as more people engage.

There is no end conclusion as of yet but I would say mostly good and that likely will lead to a helpful and positive future for all of us (universal democracy). There are risk factors involved by those who do not share those commitments and that may mean some bumpy risks into the future (backsliding democracy). My opinion is that we should judge people on merit and not on factors that do not fall into alignment with what makes us who we are and who we ideally strive to be (i.e. American social contracts and universal values.). Our success or failure is based on your choices (our collective choices) each and everyday so it is imperitive we make choices that resonate with ourselves and the next generation's needs to ensure that bright future. It is a duty to be a better person. Don't fail in your journey of self development because its not just about you! (If you can see that then you already started your journey. Good luck. A door opens for you!. The Road Less Traveled.)

*This is a hypothetical example for learning purposes. It is a thought experiment on freedom of speech, freedom of religion, Constitution, and human/civil rights.  Take with a grain of salt.

Reading and Studying Like a PhD Student: When to Use Speed Reading?

Reading is part of graduate school and one should expect to do a lot of it. Also, part of graduate school is pooling lots of information and truncating that down into something that can be clearly and concisely articulated in a sentence or two. Thus, writing well is another component of successful education. Over the years some graduate students have learned to speed read and understand whole volumes of work in a few short hours. You lose a little of the deeper flavor but you can process the essential points fairly fast. Reading for content and context requires much more focus. 

Understanding the breadth of information on speed read level can work if one is still able to zoom in on specific pieces of information that help solve the problem at hand. The advent of research libraries and search engines that didn't exist when many of us went to graduate school makes the need to learn how to process information more quickly and efficiently through learned filters. Executives must make decisions based on an overabundance of data. Speed Reading

San Diego City Council Seeks National Crisis Designation on Tijuanna River Pollution

We have a hard time with budgets, some have argued it may not be wise to spend outside the country when we struggle with problems we face right here at home. It is important for us to think about our priorities and what is going to provide the most long term value for our nation and communities. Sometimes many other factors outside the health of our country and the next generation get involved in the decision making process and that costs a lot of people over time (There are all types of other factors in most decisions people make regardless of their occupation and position. The best of us can differentiate between what we want and what is the best for everyone.). 

Let us invest money on and for American soil as most Americans would agree morally to solve local pollution issues and domestic concerns. We might consider further enhancing the value of that money by studying ecological and natural disasters to prevent them in the future. We need to put ourselves first and that can be a tough thing to do with competing influences.

San Diego City Council asks federal government to declare national crisis in Tijuana River

I have friends that live near the border and they are tired of the smell, the closed beaches, and the general pollution. Property values are not as high as they could be and because of the issues people are not vacationing there as much as they should which hurts businesses. Solving this problem helps us make a commitment to tackling pollution and improving quality of life on both sides of the border. As we seek to balance our budgets let us consider who are the beneficiaries, what the return on that value is, and the long term impact of resolving problems. 

Tijuana River Valley Cross-Border Research and Future Vision

Source

$3 Taco Surrounded by Multimillon Dollar Homes (Income Disparity)

Sitting in a nearly empty restaurant in one of the nicest locations in the area I ordered two tacos as a light lunch. I was picking up my dog Chewy some dried dog food made from a local business at $18 for 5 lbs. Lamb and rice mix about 1.5X what you might pay for a generic version but on par with a reasonable brand. Well, I figured if he gets something nice to eat I might as well also eat so I purchased two reasonably priced tacos at $4.50. They seemed to taste better with the fresh cut grass and floral scent. A lady walks by fashionably dressed with her Pomeranian out of the same boutique pet store I was just in and glances over (Maybe she is hungry 🤷).

The atmosphere was superb and the homes I saw driving there were multimillions of dollars. The type that you would see movie stars, CEO's and famous politicians walk out of as they jump into their new BMW or Mercedes (My friend has one and he complains about the price). For some reason I felt like in my Dickie carpenter jeans and middle class sports car I was going to be pulled over but no one bothered me.

 I was at a gorgeous place where the manicured small downtown was built in Euro French style for just the right purchasers. They weren't as nice as the homes I gawked at on the way here but certainly they were still near the million dollar price. I thought to myself what the price of an apartment in the area and figured they likely didn't have any and I do not have a real reason to check (Not in the market. Working on my cabin that is almost paid off. Its rustic with some furniture I made, fireplace, a few pieces of my art on the wall, snow shoes, and history but I feel comfortable.). A perfect neighborhood that any striver in society would more than love to grow up in, dine in, walk around in. A good place to raise kids I suspect because they have their own school (I went to a religious boarding school and that changed my life. Been chasing the elusive deeper meanings of life for a long time. What is profound to me might be useless to another person.)

I can't even imagine how things would have been different if I had the chances some of these people had. They consider me gifted but mostly I'm just a misfit with high intelligence, good values,  respectful of different types of people and pretty much beat out every obsticle in my life except the unknown ones yet to come; I think I can get them too! (Rational optimist. Most of life is in your head to just be postive about.). However, I maxed out my environment and that is where the problem of inequality lays. The best and brightest are limited by their environments. We lose much of their human capital because few poeple have insight into lives different than their own and their own world view.

Environment might mean education, investment knowledge, crime, grueling poverty, bigotry, pollution and all the other things that they have to overcome. Once they do overcome those things they are often still blocked from making it to the next leg because they don't have the right social connections. While I'm as sophisticated as any well read, educated, traveled, high class gentleman/gentlelady for the most part my old firefighter scuffed up watch I wear reminds me of the multiple worlds I belong (Reading classics, interpreting scientific studies, do-it-yourself jobs, and an occassional midnight emergency). I guess I am like many fellow Americans striving: limited but diligent. Do the best I can for community and country. Most doors closed but every once in a while even the little guy can find one unlocked. You just have to see it and education, business, and making your world a better place will get you there....it might not be what you expect. The childhood mystery replaced through exposure as one finds the commonalities of all people within our country and perhaps the world (The rich buy shirts for $50, I buy for $20, sometimes $10 off the discount rack, and a few of us only get used. We all still wear shirts and want to look good. Doesn't get more connected than that!)

The waiter gave me a $6.50 bill which amounts to $3 a taco plus tax (I was surprised myself and when I inquired he said its "Just for you my friend.". I retorted, "Taco Tuesday special?" He smiled as though he was caught in a servers' hustle. I served before too and guess I'm still serving in some ways.). Cheaper than I might find in the ghetto and/or the poor rural countryside where I have one time or another resided in both. Some of my friends do live in the ghetto and some do live in countryside trailers. Each with limited opportunities. Even a few friends live in neighborhods just like this with resort style views; no need to judge as they all good people. I took another sip of water and wondered where the approximate 50 cent tax went (If I had a pen and paper I might reorganize some of that to create net positives so we can maximize our hard earned collective dollars. Then will throw it in the trash as a partially solved puzzle no one else is willing to read anway.). I left a pretty good tip because I'm aware. Hang in there my fellow peeps. Income Inequality in the U.S. You may also want to read about Your Not Upper Class-Until..

“The unexamined life is not worth living. There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance” -Socrates

It Appears the Economy Improved Since Covid. Now What?

Healthy economies are important and when those healthy economies improve the lives of our citizens and further the entrpreneurial spirit and business climate we have a strong combination. It is improtant to remember that we must produce and return manufacturing to this country in order to further our long term health. The report below indicates that income and manufacturing are strengthening and that is helpful in our development. 

Source

The average American deserves improved lives. That isn't to buy more junk they don't need but to increase their savings and further spur personal investment. That requires a commitment to the average Amercican and our essential American values that seeks to raise all of us. The economy appears at the moment so far from the pandemic to be healthy but what we do with that is important. 

The hope is that the U.S. bumps up to a new economic platform and some of the adaptations that occured because COVID encourage faster transactions not only at the top but also at other levels of the economy. Assuming that something like this has happened and is in the process of happenning then we have to make some tough choices on what to do if revenue does increase. Why waist good opportunities to reorient?

I think that it is helpful to spend that money in the U.S. improving our infrastructure, schools, and solving problems domestically. International humanitary aid is another one that I believe is helpful for the world at large. Each produces net returns that strengthen long term growth (i.e. reduced benefit and good will). For example, there has been a sewage problem in San Diego where entire beach communities are impacted but we haven't found a way to fix it yet. These are the issues where I would reinvest. Understanding the Tijuana River Sewage Crisis – An Overview of Causes and Consequences

Revisions Show US Economy Grew Faster, 2021–23, Boosting Real Incomes

Firefighters At Risk of Prostrate Cancer Study Shows

Firefighters are exposed to all types of risks beyond just the fire. That could include stress, injury during training, heart attacks and now prostrate cancer. This interesting research helps to show that firefighers are 1.21X at a higher risk of prostate cancer compared to the general population due to being exposed to PFAS. Research shows altered regulation of genes linked to prostate cancer among firefighters

I'm a supporter of firefighting and do this activity from time to time. I will be doing this more often in the near future as I have been doing some traveling but help my community as best I can. It is certainly better than sitting home and eating potato chips and watching reruns on Netflix/Hulu. It takes some time to learn the ropes and I'm a low boil learner. 😕

Firefighters are needed more now than ever before considering the impact of forest fires and natural disasters. Training can be long but rewarding. Rural firefighters often must deal with environmental variables that requires experience. They must also deal with the issue of future health risks related to their activities. 

It found the video on this study that I thought was helpful. I will include more information on firefighting in general because its an excellent occupation that deserves more respect and encouragement. As we move forward into a world of possible less resources, assuming we don't bump up into the next economic platform and embrace fiscal solvencey, we will need people to get involved. 

Interesting study....