tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-301304442024-03-16T13:53:20.254-05:00FromDC2Iowa. . . because much of the content relates both to Washington, D.C., and "outside the beltway" -- the heartland, specifically Iowa -- and because after going from Iowa to Washington via Texas and California I subsequently returned, From DC 2 Iowa.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1311125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-57807647193234896082024-02-13T06:22:00.000-06:002024-02-13T06:22:11.999-06:00Welcome to FromDC2Iowa: Contents & Guide<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL37abI8T79LLjkfsUruG2APKcfP7bTquxepf3vEZsm15BNDwzWthwlrVs_Dy2YixwMjXFcFxutss6fudZ1VYnUv8CW82pSqfVHP_uj2wFkAVlJvz0-175oA4Q5w24QRkgJ56V/s1600/20190626-fromdctoiowa-header+%2528002%2529-GPJ-190626.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL37abI8T79LLjkfsUruG2APKcfP7bTquxepf3vEZsm15BNDwzWthwlrVs_Dy2YixwMjXFcFxutss6fudZ1VYnUv8CW82pSqfVHP_uj2wFkAVlJvz0-175oA4Q5w24QRkgJ56V/s320/20190626-fromdctoiowa-header+%2528002%2529-GPJ-190626.jpg" width="576" height="137" data-original-width="971" data-original-height="230" /></a></div><big><big>Over 1,000 blog posts on a variety of topics since 2006.
<br />
<b>What to do?</b>
<br />
<b>1. Old friend of the blog and repeat visitor?</b> You already know what you want to do and how to do it.
<br />
<b>2. First time visitor?</b> Here are some choices:
<br />
<b>(a) "I'm just looking."</b> See <a href="https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/p/links-to-columns-and-blogs.html" target="_blank">"Links to Columns and Blogs (2016-present),"</a> or "Latest Half-Dozen Posts (Full Text)," below.
<br />
<b>(b) Researching a Topic?</b> Scroll down right-hand column to "Google Search Nick's Blog or Website," compose key words, and follow directions. Want ideas? Visit <a href="https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/p/key-word-searches.html" target="_blank">"Key Word Searches."</a>
<br />
<b>(c) Searching by Date?</b> Scroll down right-hand column to "Blog Archive." Click on year to display months, month to display posts.
<br />
<b>(d) Who is blog's author?</b> <a href="https://nicholasjohnson.org/">Nicholas Johnson</a>.
<br />
</big></big>
<br />
<center>
<big><big>_________________________</big></big></center>
<br />
<center><b><big><big>Latest Half-Dozen Posts (Full Text)</big></big></b></center>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-50051508690715489762024-02-13T06:20:00.001-06:002024-02-13T19:40:44.377-06:00Tiny Forests' Big Benefits<big><big><big><center><b>Tiny Forests Can Have Big Benefits</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, February 13, 2024, p. A6</b></center></big>
<br>
Cedar Rapids and Iowa City have been honored Arbor Day Foundation “Tree City USA” communities for over 40 years.
<br>
<br>
We know the benefits tree projects provide – air quality, cooling, community cohesion, improved health.
<br>
<br>
The Cedar Rapids derecho on Aug. 20, 2020, made national headlines after gusts up to 140 mph destroyed or seriously damaged nearly 700,000 trees.
<br>
<br>
Current news is our share of the $1 billion Forest Service grant for local trees, ReLeaf’s plan to replace nearly 50,000 of the former trees, NOAA’s identification of our “heat islands,” and near universal community support for these projects.
<br>
<br>
We are aware that it’s getting warmer. Many days this month have been 30 degrees or more above average. We may not be aware that The Lut Desert (Iran) and Sonoran Desert (Mexico) have recorded temperatures over 175 degrees. That workers in Kuwait City and Basra, Iraq, need to start in the middle of the night and quit at 7:20 am for breakfast and home to avoid excessive heat. Or that the Sun is 16 million degrees at its core.
<br>
<br>
When Dean Martin sang that he was “praying for rain in California” it was “so the grapes will grow and they can make more wine.” If it didn’t rain he could always go back to his favorite Old Fashioned.
<br>
<br>
When Iowa farmers pray for rain no alcohol is a viable substitute. And when the hot, dry, cracked soil no longer gives birth to corn and beans, Iowa’s economy crashes along with farmers’ dreams.
<br>
<br>
Fortunately, like a new fashion industry design (think torn jeans), just when we need a comfortable breeze of good news, along comes a new approach to trees.
<br>
<br>
It’s called “tiny forests.” In 2006 Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki was honored for this contribution. In addition to Japan, they’re now popular in Europe, Asia, South America, Africa, India, Russia and the Middle East.
<br>
<br>
Here are the highlights.
<br>
<br>
Tiny forests are, well, tiny. No rigid rules on size, so think tennis court.
<br>
<br>
How do they differ from trees planted between the sidewalk and road along a city street? Tiny forests are an effort to recreate a crowded plot with naturally enriched soil, and none but indigenous shrubs, groundcover and trees fighting for the sunlight. Like a small piece of our western vacation lands.
<br>
<br>
I hear you asking – as my doctor queried when I proudly told him I’d lost five pounds – “Why would you want to do that?”
<br>
<br>
Used in urban heat islands, parks and developments as a supplement, not substitute, for other tree planting projects, they have those projects’ advantages plus many more.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Miyawaki_forest_-_9_months_after_planting.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Miyawaki_forest_-_9_months_after_planting.jpg"/></a></div><br>With three-to-six times the tree density of a young forest they grow faster – 5 to 10 feet a year. Density creates microclimates, attracting a greater variety of birds and pollinators. Rapid growth creates more carbon dioxide capture sooner. Greater cooling. Soil that reduces erosion and runoff while refilling aquifers. Weed suppression. Low or no maintenance. Need less land than scattered trees. [Photo credit: wikimedia commons; Tiny Forest <i>9 months after planting</i>!]
<br>
<br>
Sometimes major challenges have tiny solutions.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson will email you his “tiny forest” sources if you email a request to mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Cedar Rapids trees.</b>
“Forestry,” Cedar Rapids, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/residents/resident_resources/forestry.php
(“Tree City USA Recognition
The City of Cedar Rapids has been recognized as a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for more than 40 consecutive years. We have the longest consecutive record of any city in the state of Iowa.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa City trees.</b>
“Forestry,” Iowa City, https://www.icgov.org/government/departments-and-divisions/parks-and-recreation/forestry
“Tree City, USA
Iowa City is proud to have been named a Tree City USA annually since 1979. Only one city in Iowa, Cedar Rapids, has been a recipient over a longer period of time than Iowa City.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Benefits of trees.</b>
“22 Benefits of Trees,” TreePeople, https://www.treepeople.org/22-benefits-of-trees/
(sample selections: climate change, cleaner air, oxygen source, heat reduction, water control, erosion protection, noise reduction, soil improvement, beautification, physical and mental health.)
<br>
<br>
<b>Cedar Rapids derecho.</b>
“Derecho,” Cedar Rapids, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/derecho/review.php
(“On August 10, 2020, Cedar Rapids was confronted with an unprecedented disaster that impacted the entire community. . . . Recognized as the most destructive severe thunderstorm in the United States history, the derecho damaged thousands of homes and businesses. The derecho also destroyed 669,000 trees causing an enormous amount of debris.”)
<br>
<br>
Examples of national coverage:
<br>
<br>
Bryan Pietsch, Aimee Ortiz and John Schwartz, “In Derecho’s Wake, More Than 250,000 in Midwest Struggle Without Power; Residents in Iowa, Illinois and surrounding states were still without electricity days after Monday’s storms brought hurricane-force winds,” New York Times, August 13, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/13/us/derecho-iowa-storm.html
<br>
<br>
Bob Henson, “Iowa derecho in August was most costly thunderstorm disaster in U.S. history; NOAA estimates damage at $7.5 billion, higher than many hurricanes,” The Washington Post, Oct. 17, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2020/10/17/iowa-derecho-damage-cost/
(“Numerous locations clocked gusts over 110 mph.
The winds laid waste to millions of acres of crops, severely damaged or destroyed hundreds of homes, and brought down many thousands of trees.
“One could make a strong case that this is the most destructive individual thunderstorm cluster on record in terms of damage cost,” said Steve Bowen, head of catastrophe insight at the insurance broker Aon, in an email. Aon released an initial damage estimate of $5 billion for the derecho, not yet including agricultural impacts. . . .
The highest estimated gust, based on the partial destruction of an apartment complex in Cedar Rapids, was 140 mph. Gusts that strong are comparable to the peak that one would expect in an EF3 tornado or major hurricane.
Parts of five Iowa counties were struck by wind gusts estimated at 110 to 140 mph.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Forest Service grant; ReLeaf plans.</b>
Marissa Payne, “In USDA’s $1.1 billion investment in tree planting, Cedar Rapids’ ReLeaf reforestation effort awarded $6 million; Iowa communities, Department of Natural Resources receive $15.7 million through Forest Service grants,” The Gazette, Sep. 14, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/federal-government/in-usdas-1-1-billion-investment-in-tree-planting-cedar-rapids-releaf-reforestation-effort-awarde/
(“In a move to expand equitable access to trees and green spaces nationwide, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday announced an award of $6 million toward Cedar Rapids’ effort to reforest the city after the 2020 derecho toppled most of the city’s tree canopy.
Gathered at Greene Square in the heart of Cedar Rapids, federal officials shared Cedar Rapids is among 385 recipients of $1.13 billion in U.S. Forest Service grants that will help communities grow tree cover in urban spaces and provide Americans with the health benefits that trees offer. . . .
The funding . . . is intended to expand equitable access to nature while making communities more resilient to extreme heat, storm-induced flooding and other effects of the human-caused climate crisis.
Locally, Thursday’s announcement moved the city of Cedar Rapids and Trees Forever closer to the $37 million needed to fund their ReLeaf partnership to replenish the trees downed in the derecho, ReLeaf partnership to replenish the trees downed in the derecho, the costliest thunderstorm in U.S. history. The unprecedented storm wiped out more than two-thirds of Cedar Rapids’ tree canopy, about 669,000 trees. . . .
Specifically, the ReLeaf plan calls for planting about 42,000 trees on public parks and rights of way over 10 years with a focus on place-making and equitably restoring tree cover in vulnerable neighborhoods. The plan envisions trees as a means of strengthening social bonds in the community by promoting volunteerism.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>NOAA’s heat islands.</b>
“Spot the Hot,” The Hot-Heat Mapping Campaign, Cedar Rapids, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/local_government/sustainability/SpotTheHot.php
(“Residents in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City had the opportunity to serve as community scientists to gather temperature data I hottest parts of our Corridor communities as part of a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) heat island project.
The City of Cedar Rapids, along with Iowa City, recently was named one of 18 communities in the U.S. to participate in the NOAA Urban Heat Island (UHI) mapping campaign, and we received grant funding from NOAA for this project. UHIs are areas with fewer trees and more pavement to absorb heat and create heat pockets in communities, in contrast with areas that feature more trees, green spaces, and less asphalt. UHIs are detrimental to public health because of these created heat pockets.
The NOAA UHI mapping campaign engaged community volunteers to help collect data in their neighborhoods by utilizing provided sensors mounted on their vehicles; the sensors recorded temperature, humidity, time, and location.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Near universal community support.</b>
Marissa Payne, “In USDA’s $1.1 billion investment in tree planting, Cedar Rapids’ ReLeaf reforestation effort awarded $6 million; Iowa communities, Department of Natural Resources receive $15.7 million through Forest Service grants,” The Gazette, Sep. 14, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/federal-government/in-usdas-1-1-billion-investment-in-tree-planting-cedar-rapids-releaf-reforestation-effort-awarde/
(“Vilsack told reporters the combination of community leadership, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations and other partnerships behind ReLeaf Cedar Rapids made it a compelling application within the state of Iowa and a fitting location to spotlight in unveiling the grants.
‘What really struck me was how comprehensive and how excited and how passionate people are for this program in Cedar Rapids,’ . . .
The city has committed at least $1 million annually toward ReLeaf for 10 years . . .. ReLeaf has secured about $3.5 million in private support so far . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>30 degrees warmer this year.</b>
Corey Thompson, “Exceptional warmth continues, before rain and storm chance brings change,” KCRG, Feb. 6, 2024, https://www.kcrg.com/2024/02/06/exceptional-warmth-continues-before-rain-storm-chance-brings-change/
(“A warming trend continues into Wednesday and Thursday, owing to an increase in southeasterly winds. These will help to pull in those warmer highs, which head toward the upper 50s on Wednesday, and likely break through the 60-degree mark on Thursday. More records are possible on Wednesday, and we will likely wipe out records area-wide on Wednesday as highs surge toward 30 degrees or more above normal.
Cedar Rapids has never seen such warmth for so long this early in the year . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
Alan Halaly, “West’s ‘hot drought’ is unprecedented in more than 500 years,” Las Vegas Review-Journal, Feb. 1, 2024, https://www.reviewjournal.com/news/science-and-technology/wests-hot-drought-is-unprecedented-in-more-than-500-years-2991687/
Also, The Gazette, Feb. 3, 2024, p 6:
(LAS VEGAS — There’s no precedent in at least five centuries for how hot and dry the West has been in the last two decades, new research asserts using analysis of tree rings.
The study, published in late January, adds to an ever-growing slew of research that suggests human-caused climate change is warming the earth in ways never seen before. It furthers other research like one study, published last year, that showed the West’s conditions over the last 20 years are the driest in 1,200 years because of climate change.”)
<br>
<br>
Ian Livingston, "Central, eastern U.S. bask in record winter warmth; At least 350 warm-weather records have been set this week alone," Washington Post, Feb. 9, 2024, https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2024/02/09/record-high-temperatures-midwest-greatlakes-climate/
("Abnormally warm weather has [set] hundreds of records. Now some of this warmth is oozing toward the East Coast.
Already, at least 350 warm-weather records have fallen, and two more days of springlike warmth are on the way from the Great Lakes to the Mid-Atlantic. . . .
Since the beginning of February, temperatures in the nation’s northern tier have climbed to nearly 40 degrees above normal at times. . . .
So far, February is the warmest or second-warmest on record for most of the Midwest and Great Lakes regions, according to Weather Service data.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Lut & Sonoran deserts.</b>
Richard Stone, “Move over, Death Valley: These are the two hottest spots on Earth; Two places hold the record for highest surface temperatures on the planet,” Science, May 19, 2021, https://www.science.org/content/article/move-over-death-valley-these-are-two-hottest-spots-earth (“Death Valley holds the record for the highest air temperature on the planet: On 10 July 1913, temperatures at the aptly named Furnace Creek area in the California desert reached a blistering 56.7°C (134.1°F). Average summer temperatures, meanwhile, often rise above 45°C (113°F).
<br>
<br>
But when it comes to surface temperature, two spots have Death Valley beat. A new analysis of high-resolution satellite data finds the Lut Desert in Iran and the Sonoran Desert along the Mexican-U.S. border have recently reached a sizzling 80.8°C (177.4°F).
<br>
<br>
<b>Kuwait and Basra.</b>
“Extreme Heat Will Change Us; Half the world could soon face dangerous heat. We measured the daily toll it is already taking,” New York Times, Nov. 18, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/11/18/world/middleeast/extreme-heat.html (Basra and Kuwait: "By 7:22 a.m., it was too hot to keep going on the roof, so they ate breakfast in the shade and switched to indoor tasks. At 9 a.m., they quit for the day.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Sun temperature.</b>
“Sun,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
(“Sun
Sun’s diameter. 864,600 miles
Sun’s distance from Earth. 93,000,000 miles
Sun’s temperature on surface; at core.
Surface atmosphere 9,000,000 oF [8,999,540 oF]
Core 16,000,000 oF [15,700,000 oF]
A sphere that size could hold 1.3 million Earths. “Image of 1 Million Earths Inside the Sun,” Business Insider, Jan. 30, 2015, https://www.businessinsider.com/image-of-1-million-earths-inside-the-sun-2015-1)
<br>
<br>
<b>Dean Martin song.</b>
“Little Old Wine Drinker Me,” MOJIM, https://mojim.com/usy123185x45x6.htm
(“Little Old Wine Drinker Me”
<br>
<br>
I’m praying for rain in California,
So the grapes can grow
And they can make more wine”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Dean Martin’s favorite drinks.</b>
Johathan Wells, “Here’s how to drink like the Rat Pack; From Frank Sinatra’s favorite Scotch whisky to Dean Martin’s cocktail of choice, here’s how to drink like the famous entertainers,” Gentleman’s Journal, Feb. 5, 2024, https://www.thegentlemansjournal.com/article/heres-how-to-drink-like-the-rat-pack/
(“He [Dean Martin] enjoyed a frequent glass of Jack Daniel’s over ice — and even launched his own bourbon, Dino’s, in 1959 (part of a liquor line that also included a vodka and a Scotch whisky). Curiously, however, Martin preferred his Old Fashioned — a cocktail traditionally mixed with bourbon — made with Scotch.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Agriculture in Iowa’s economy.</b>
Caitlyn Lamm, “Ag is vital to Iowa’s economy,” Iowa Farm Bureau, March 30, 2022, https://www.iowafarmbureau.com/Article/Ag-is-vital-to-Iowas-economy
(“Iowa agriculture is responsible for a direct economic output of $88.3 billion and more than 315,000 jobs contributing $17.57 billion in wages, according to the sixth annual Feeding the Economy report. . . .
Iowa agriculture supports 801,000 jobs and a $204 billion economic output. Iowa agriculture also has an export value of $6.56 billion.”)
<br>
<br>
“Iowa,” Sheppard Software, https://www.sheppardsoftware.com/usaweb/snapshot/Iowa.htm
(“Economy
Farms make up about 92 percent of Iowa’s land; only Nebraska has a higher percentage of farmland. About one-third of the best farmland in the United States is located in Iowa. Most of the state’s residents are in some way dependent upon Iowa’s fertile soil and many crops.”)
<br>
<br>
“Study Measures Significance of Agriculture to Iowa Economy,” Iowa State University, Extension and Outreach, 2009, https://www.extension.iastate.edu/news/2009/oct/161501.htm
(Though a little dated, still ballpark indicators. “Production agriculture and ag-related industries directly and indirectly employ one of every six Iowans (or 17 percent of the state’s workforce), based on 2007 Census of Agriculture data. They also are responsible for adding $72.1 billion to the state’s economy, or 27 percent of the state’s total. This represents a 2 percent increase over a previous analysis . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Tiny forests – description and benefits.</b>
See generally, "Pocket Forests," Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pocket_forest
<br>
<br>
Cara Buckley, “Tiny Forests With Big Benefits; Native plants crowded onto postage-stamp-size plots have been delivering environmental benefits around the world — and, increasingly, in the U.S., New York Times, Aug. 26, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/climate/tiny-forests-climate-miyawaki.html
(“The tiny forest . . . is . . . already acting quite a bit older than its actual age, which is just shy of 2.
Its aspens are growing at twice the speed normally expected, with fragrant sumac and tulip trees racing to catch up. It has absorbed storm water without washing out, suppressed many weeds and stayed lush throughout last year’s drought. The little forest managed all this because of its enriched soil and density, and despite its diminutive size: 1,400 native shrubs and saplings, thriving in an area roughly the size of a basketball court.
<br>
<br>
Tiny forests have been planted across Europe, in Africa, throughout Asia and in South America, Russia and the Middle East. India has hundreds, and Japan, where it all began, has thousands. . . .
<br>
<br>
Healthy woodlands absorb carbon dioxide, clean the air and provide for wildlife. But these tiny forests promise even more.
They can grow as quickly as ten times the speed of conventional tree plantations, enabling them to support more birds, animals and insects, and to sequester more carbon, while requiring no weeding or watering after the first three years, their creators said. Perhaps more important for urban areas, tiny forests can help lower temperatures in places where pavement, buildings and concrete surfaces absorb and retain heat from the sun.
‘This isn’t just a simple tree-planting method,’ said Katherine Pakradouni, a native plant horticulturist . . .. ‘This is about a whole system of ecology that supports all manner of life, both above and below ground.’
<br>
<br>
[T]iny forests . . . trace their lineage to the Japanese botanist and plant ecologist Akira Miyawaki, who in 2006 won the Blue Planet Prize, considered the environmental equivalent of a Nobel award, for his method of creating fast-growing native forests. . . .
<br>
<br>
Dr. Miyawaki’s prescription involves intense soil restoration and planting many native flora close together. Multiple layers are sown — from shrub to canopy — in a dense arrangement of about three to five plantings per square meter. The plants compete for resources as they race toward the sun, while underground bacteria and fungal communities thrive. Where a natural forest could take at least a century to mature, Miyawaki forests take just a few decades, proponents say. . . .
<br>
<br>
The [Cambridge MA] Danehy Park forest cost $18,000 for the plants and soil amendments, Mr. Putnam said, while the pocket forest company, SUGi, covered the forest creators’ consulting fees of roughly $9,500. By way of comparison, a Cambridge street tree costs $1,800. . . .
<br>
<br>
The initial density is crucial to stimulating rapid growth, said Hannah Lewis, the author of “Mini-Forest Revolution. ‘It quickly creates a canopy that shades out weeds, and shelters the microclimate underneath from wind and direct sun, she said.’”)
<br>
<br>
Shubhendu Sharma, “An engineer’s vision for tiny forests, everywhere,” Ted Talks, March 2014, https://www.ted.com/talks/shubhendu_sharma_an_engineer_s_vision_for_tiny_forests_everywhere?language=en
<br>
<br>
<b>Tennis courts.</b>
“Tennis Court Dimensions & Size,” Harrod Sport, March 27, 2020, https://www.harrodsport.com/advice-and-guides/tennis-court-dimensions
(“Tennis Court Dimensions
A tennis court is 78ft (23.77m) in length. The courts used for singles matches are 27ft (8.23m) wide, while doubles courts are 36ft (10.97m) wide. The court’s service line is 21ft (6.4m) from the net. . . .
<br>
<br>
What is the total area of a tennis court?
The total area of a tennis court is usually 260.87m² –the total playing area of a doubles court. A singles court, which is often marked within the doubles court has a total playing area of 195.65m².
[Math – difference 65.22 – ½ = 32.61 - + 195.65 = 228.26
228.26 sq meters = 2456.970192 sq feet = 0.056404 acre
<br>
<br>
<b>Basketball courts.</b>
M Campbell, “Diagrams of Basketball Courts,” https://www.recunlimited.com/blog/diagrams-basketball-courts/
(“Court Dimensions:
<br>
<br>
Professional NBA and College Basketball court is 94 feet (29 m) by 50 feet (15 m). [4700 square feet])
<br>
<br>
</big><center># # #</center><big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-59492134693463774222024-01-30T06:05:00.000-06:002024-01-30T06:05:52.124-06:00Cards, Courts and Congress
<big><big><big><center><b>Court Got It Right on Chevron</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, January 30, 2024, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
Ever heard of Bryan Berg? Me neither.
<br>
<br>
Iowa State graduate and faculty member, Brian Berg, collects world records for number of playing cards in a house of cards. In 2010 he spent 44 days constructing a replica of the Venetian Macao with 218,000 cards.
<br>
<br>
Now imagine you created that playing card replica and pranksters think it cool to smash it and watch all 218,000 cards flutter down.
<br>
<br>
Why do I ask you to imagine?
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://supremecourthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/supreme-court-portrait-2022.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" src="https://supremecourthistory.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/supreme-court-portrait-2022.jpg"/></a></div><br>Because that’s the best analogy I can think of for the Supreme Court’s stretching its long arm of the law into matters the Constitution considers political. Stirring this poisonous stew, bubbling on the back burner behind the curtain, that will forever change our lives. [Photo credit: Supreme Court Historical Society. See, "SOURCES," below for names of current Justices.]
<br>
<br>
The Constitution leads with, “All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” Art. I, Sec. 1.
<br>
<br>
For the last 40 years the Court has followed its unanimous holding in the Chevron case, giving deference to “reasonable” agency interpretations of laws. (“Policy arguments . . . should be addressed to legislators or administrators, not to judges. The EPA's interpretation of the statute . . . represents a reasonable accommodation . . . and is entitled to deference.”)
<br>
<br>
Congress publishes its laws in the 60,000-page U.S. Code. Few Representatives and Senators have the time to read all of them, let alone enforce their daily administration. What do they do? They create agencies with the power to administer the laws, to write and enforce nearly 200,000 detailed regulations in 242 volumes – under Congress’ watchful eye.
<br>
<br>
This column is not a legal opinion. But it does draw on experience: Supreme Court law clerk, associate at corporate law firm, head of executive branch agency (MARAD), commissioner of regulatory commission (FCC), presidential advisor, reformer. To borrow from Joni Mitchell, “I’ve looked at Chevron from all sides now.”
<br>
<br>
My conclusion? Chevron got it right.
<br>
<br>
In 2022 four percent of the House and Senate candidates received $1 billion in political contributions. Four billion was spent on 12,000 lobbyists. Big corporations need not violate the law because they help write the law – and help select the heads of agencies. Employees move from companies to agencies and back again. Business neither deserves nor needs the Court’s help.
<br>
<br>
There are already plenty of checks on agencies’ abuses of their power. Congress writes the laws and shapes the agencies’ powers. It hears the complaints of big business – and too often yields. Congress can always change any law or agency regulation. Each agency gets annual congressional oversight by budget and oversight sub-committees.
<br>
<br>
Big corporations already have too much control over what the Constitution and prior Supreme Courts have ruled is the sole responsibility of Congress. That business keeps knocking on the Supreme Court’s door to grub for more would be as hilarious as a Kathleen Madigan stand-up routine if it were not so outrageous, dangerous, unconstitutional – and costly.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson believes, with Winston Churchill, that a constitutional democracy is the least-worst form of government. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Justices' photos</b>
"The Supreme Court -- Current Justices," Supreme Court Historical Society, "Collection of the Supreme Court of the United States," https://supremecourthistory.org/supreme-court-justices/
<br>
<br>
(Names:
<br>
<br>
"Front row, left to right — Associate Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Clarence Thomas, Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., Associate Justices Samuel A. Alito, Jr. and Elena Kagan.
<br>
<br>
Back row — Associate Justices Amy Coney Barrett, Neil M. Gorsuch, Brett M. Kavanaugh and Ketanji Brown Jackson.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Bryan Berg</b>
“Bryan Berg,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Berg (“In 2010, Berg exceeded his own record by using over 218,000 cards to construct a replica of the Venetian Macao, which took 44 days.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Constitution and Congress</b>
U.S Constitution, Art. I, Sec. 1, “The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription,” America’s Founding Documents, National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/constitution-transcript (“All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.” Art. I, Sec. 1.)
<br>
<br>
Art. I, Sec. 8 contains 18 clauses; e.g., General Welfare; Spending and Commerce; Post Offices; Copyright; Maritime, Military and War Powers
<br>
<br>
“Art. I, Sec. 8: The Congress shall have Power [Clause 1] . . .. To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.” [Clause 18.])
<br>
<br>
<b>Chevron</b>
Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. NRDC, 467 U.S. 837 (June 25, 1984), Justia, U.S. Supreme Court, https://supreme.justia.com/cases/federal/us/467/837/ (“Annotation, Primary Holding: A government agency must conform to any clear legislative statements when interpreting and applying a law, but courts will give the agency deference in ambiguous situations as long as its interpretation is reasonable.”)
(pp. 859-866. “Parsing the general terms in the text of the amended Clean Air Act -- particularly the provisions of §§ 302(j) and 111(a)(3) pertaining to the definition of "source" -- does not reveal any actual intent of Congress as to the issue in these cases. To the extent any congressional "intent" can be discerned from the statutory language, it would appear that the listing of overlapping, illustrative terms was intended to enlarge, rather than to confine, the scope of the EPA's power to regulate particular sources in order to effectuate the policies of the Clean Air Act. Similarly, the legislative history is consistent with the view that the EPA should have broad discretion in implementing the policies of the 1977 Amendments. The plantwide definition is fully consistent with the policy of allowing reasonable economic growth, and the EPA has advanced a reasonable explanation for its conclusion that the regulations serve environmental objectives as well. The fact that the EPA has from time to time changed its interpretation of the term "source" does not lead to the conclusion that no deference should be accorded the EPA's interpretation of the statute. An agency, to engage in informed rulemaking, must consider varying interpretations and the wisdom of its policy on a continuing basis. Policy arguments concerning the "bubble concept" should be addressed to legislators or administrators, not to judges. The EPA's interpretation of the statute here represents a reasonable accommodation of manifestly competing interests, and is entitled to deference.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>No authoritative list</b>
Clyde Wayne Crews Jr., “How Many Federal Agencies Exist? We Can't Drain The Swamp Until We Know,” Forbes, July 5, 2017, https://www.forbes.com/sites/waynecrews/2017/07/05/how-many-federal-agencies-exist-we-cant-drain-the-swamp-until-we-know/?sh=61f82b281aa2
(“[The] recent Sourcebook of United States Executive Agencies -- had the following to say: ‘[T]here is no authoritative list of government agencies. For example, FOIA.gov [maintained by the Department of Justice] lists 78 independent executive agencies and 174 components of the executive departments as units that comply with the Freedom of Information Act requirements imposed on every federal agency. This appears to be on the conservative end of the range of possible agency definitions. The United States Government Manual lists 96 independent executive units and 220 components of the executive departments. An even more inclusive listing comes from USA.gov, which lists 137 independent executive agencies and 268 units in the Cabinet.’ That's right: There is ‘no authoritative list of government agencies.’")
<br>
<br>
“A-Z index of U.S. government departments and agencies; Find contact information for U.S. federal government departments and agencies including websites, emails, phone numbers, addresses, and more,” USA.gov, https://www.usa.gov/agency-index .
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. Code</b>
United States Code,” House of Representatives, https://uscode.house.gov/detailed_guide.xhtml (“The United States Code ("Code") contains the general and permanent laws of the United States, arranged into 54 broad titles according to subject matter. The organization of the Code was originally established by Congress in 1926 with the enactment of the act of June 30, 1926, chapter 712.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>60,000 Pages in US Code</b>
“GPO Produces U.S. Code with New Digital Publishing Technology,” GovInfo, https://www.govinfo.gov/features/uscode-2018
(“The U.S. Code is a consolidation and codification by subject matter of the general and permanent laws of the United States, and is produced in a Main Edition every six years. The 2018 Main Edition is approximately 60,000 pages encompassing 54 volumes, and is prepared by the Office of the Law Revision Counsel.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Code of Federal Regulations</b>
Clyde Wayne Crews, “Tens of Thousands of Pages and Rules in the Federal Register,” Competitive Enterprise Institute, June 30, 2021, https://cei.org/publication/tens-of-thousands-of-pages-and-rules-in-the-federal-register-2/
(“The Expanding Code of Federal Regulations
The page count for final rules in the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) is not as dramatic as the yearly count of tens of thousands of pages in the Federal Register, but it is still considerable. In 1960, the CFR contained 22,877 pages. Since 1975 until the end of 2019, its total page count had grown from 71,224 to 185,984, including the index—a 161 percent increase. The number of CFR bound volumes stands at 242 for the past four years, compared with 133 in 1975.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Nicholas Johnson experience</b>
See, “Nicholas Johnson,” Website, nicholasjohnson.org, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/about/njbio04.html and “Nicholas Johnson, Retired Adjunct Faculty Member,” University of Iowa College of Law, “People,” https://law.uiowa.edu/people/nicholas-johnson
<br>
<br>
<b>Joni Mitchell</b>
Joni Mitchell, “Both Sides, Now,” incredible rendition by Joni Mitchell at 2022 Newport Folk Festival, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9evpH6yjxrI
<br>
<br>
“Both Sides, Now,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Both_Sides,_Now
<br>
<br>
<b>Campaign Contributions; federal, 2022</b>
“Fundraising Totals: Who Raised the Most?” Open Secrets, https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/fundraising-totals (Top 10 House Members, Top 10 (of 33 Senators running) Senators; the total raised by each, when totaled for all 20: $940,895,001). House 435, Senate 100 (one third run every two years). 435 + 33 = 468. Top 20 fundraisers represented 4.273504 percent of 468.)
<br>
<br>
<b>Registered lobbyists; spending</b>
Taylor Giorno, “Federal lobbying spending reaches $4.1 billion in 2022 — the highest since 2010,” Open Secrets, Jan. 26, 2023, https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2023/01/federal-lobbying-spending-reaches-4-1-billion-in-2022-the-highest-since-2010/ (“At least 13,784 organizations deployed 12,609 federal lobbyists throughout 2022. . . . Total federal lobbying skyrocketed to $4.1 billion in 2022, a new OpenSecrets analysis of federal lobbying disclosures found.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Winston Churchill</b>
“The worst form of Government,” International Churchill Society, Feb. 25, 2016, https://winstonchurchill.org/resources/quotes/the-worst-form-of-government/ (“Many forms of Government have been tried, and will be tried in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise. Indeed it has been said that democracy is the worst form of Government except for all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.…” Winston S Churchill, 11 November 1947)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-74666359398978663592024-01-16T07:37:00.003-06:002024-01-16T08:03:58.658-06:00Ask Your Doctor<big><big><big><center><b>Ask Your Doctor About TV Ads</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, January 16, 2024, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
It’s outrageous that Big Pharma keeps filling our living rooms with TV commercials for pharmaceuticals. Profits for Pharma, profits for TV industry, bad for your health.
<br>
<br>
All of the United Nation’s 193 countries forbid this manipulation – except the U.S. and New Zealand.
<br>
<br>
Over 7 billion people agree with me.
<br>
<br>
Why? As Elizabeth Barrett Browning once put it, “Let me count the ways.”
<br>
<br>
Examples for starters: Healthcare costs. Generics suppression.
<br>
<br>
Pressures on doctors. Costs of advertising. Unnecessary prescriptions. Off-label use. Side effects confusion.
<br>
<br>
For detail on a couple more:
<br>
<br>
1. One of the most effective ways of increasing Big Pharma’s global sales of $1.48 trillion, while decreasing Americans’ health, is to pound away on our television screens the message that only pills will enable our tiptoeing along the tulips-lined path to health. What a bucket of toenail clippings that is!
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYANtfrVAazVDH44RtYsOJIP4wqs2oNKslopTTqUKr_jcrRavscPFdY4viFPGza3CEA2whWY_dErPgYVQZOpCDlSRRa7c2dl6wWLSjHD9nNZbr8_vm772NcbRDf_XGi_PIfrcY5rbgms6wnLHNLincFWufzjMInDrCp1IixlKEE4_Ndlx0Y4yc/s1158/Jardiance%20Commercial%20-%20Screenshot%202024-01-15%20091923%20-%20.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="588" data-original-width="1158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYANtfrVAazVDH44RtYsOJIP4wqs2oNKslopTTqUKr_jcrRavscPFdY4viFPGza3CEA2whWY_dErPgYVQZOpCDlSRRa7c2dl6wWLSjHD9nNZbr8_vm772NcbRDf_XGi_PIfrcY5rbgms6wnLHNLincFWufzjMInDrCp1IixlKEE4_Ndlx0Y4yc/s320/Jardiance%20Commercial%20-%20Screenshot%202024-01-15%20091923%20-%20.png"/></a></div><br>The law requires recitation of side effects. But coming at you with the frequency of a crazed woodpecker attacking a tree, amidst the deliberate diversions of dozens of scampering squirrels on the screen? How many side effects can you remember, let alone understand -- except perhaps “can be fatal”? [Photo: screenshot of one frame of pharmaceutical TV commercial. ("Fair use" because: Not of financial benefit to blog; tiny portions of drug commercial and of blog post; not used for art, but for news reporting and commentary; product not identified.) "Can be fatal" mentioned as possible side effect in sound track, but not in scrolled text of side effects on screen.)
<br>
<br>
Google “What will reduce your chances of getting cancer, a heart attack, high blood pressure, diabetes, dementia or other serious diseases -- while increasing years of quality life?”
<br>
<br>
Notice how few answers involve pills? Notice the overlap in recommendations – regardless of the disease?
<br>
<br>
You and I hold the keys to our pill-free longevity, health and happiness. Foods like fruits and vegetables (rather than sweet grease and salty grease), movement and exercise (150 minutes a week rather than recliner hours), regular sound sleep (7-8 hours rather than all-nighters), vaccinations, weight control (track your BMI), social time (face-to-face, smart phones pocketed), stress reduction, no tobacco and little alcohol.
<br>
<br>
It's not the law, it’s your choice.
<br>
<br>
Only take what your doctor prescribes. Ignore Pharma’s pricey pills promotions. Save your money.
<br>
<br>
Create your own health.
<br>
<br>
2. Why does Big Pharma spend a billion a month advertising pills to people who can’t legally buy them?
<br>
<br>
Ever thought about that? We can’t buy this stuff without a doctor’s prescription.
<br>
<br>
It’s like manufacturers putting TV commercials for toys in children’s programs. Few children in that audience can afford them. But manufacturers profit off the free child labor that will pester parents.
<br>
<br>
Similarly, Big Pharma’s TV ads are the drug pushers’ effort to profit off free adult labor pestering doctors.
<br>
<br>
3. “It’s all about the money.”
<br>
<br>
There are many providers of products and services, capitalist competitors with prices regulated by “the market,” who well serve the public. But there are essentials, such as housing and health care, for which charging an unregulated, profit-maximizing price is unacceptable. Especially when Americans must pay for a drug 8 times the price charged in Turkey, as taxpayers pay half the total pharmaceutical research costs, and Big Pharma keeps all the profits.
<br>
<br>
In the spirit of “All the News That Fits We Print,” this is only a sample. Want more? Ask your doctor.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson was former co-director of the Iowa Institute for Health, Behavior and Environmental Policy. Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>193 countries; 191 forbid TV pharmaceutical commercials.</b>
<br>
<br>
“Who are the current members of the United Nations?” Dag Hammarskjold Library, United Nations, Dec. 5, 2023, https://ask.un.org/faq/14345 (“There are currently 193 UN Member States. Each of the Member States of the United Nations has one seat in the General Assembly.”)
<br>
<br>
Ziad F. Gellad and Kenneth W. Lyles, “Direct-to-Consumer Advertising of Pharmaceuticals,” National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3967783/ [Am. J. Med., 2007 Jun.] (“Direct-to-consumer advertising emerged from relative obscurity in 1997 to become a potent force shaping the future of health care, and the United States and New Zealand are the only countries in the world at present to allow it.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>7 billion in 191 countries (world minus U.S. and New Zealand).</b>
<br>
<br>
“World Population 1950-2024,” macriotrends, https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/WLD/world/population
(“The current population of World in 2024 is 8,118,835,999, a 0.91% increase from 2023.”)
<br>
<br>
“U.S. and World Population Clock,” U.S. Population, U.S. Census Bureau, https://www.census.gov/popclock/ (“The United States Population on Jan. 9, 2024 was: 335,921,625)
<br>
<br>
“New Zealand Population,” worldometers, https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/new-zealand-population/ (“New Zealand Population (LIVE) [Jan. 10, 2024], 5,250,254)
<br>
<br>
(US + NZ = 341,171,879)
<br>
<br>
(World – US & NZ = 7,777,664,120)
<br>
<br>
<b>Elizabeth Barrett Browning “count the ways”).</b>
<br>
<br>
Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How Do I Love Thee?” (Sonnet 43), poets.org,
https://poets.org/poem/how-do-i-love-thee-sonnet-43
(“How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach,. . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Examples for starters.</b>
<br>
<br>
See, “Reasons to oppose TV pharmaceutical commercials,” below.
<br>
<br>
<b>$1.48 trillion.</b>
<br>
<br>
“Global pharmaceutical industry - statistics & facts,” statista, https://www.statista.com/topics/1764/global-pharmaceutical-industry/ (“The market has experienced significant growth during the past two decades, and pharma revenues worldwide totaled 1.48 trillion U.S. dollars in 2022.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>FDA regulation of TV pharmaceutical commercials.</b>
<br>
<br>
“Direct-to-Consumer Prescription Drug Advertisements: Presentation of the Major Statement in a Clear, Conspicuous, and Neutral Manner in Advertisements in Television and Radio Format,” U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Nov. 21, 2023, https://www.fda.gov/about-fda/economic-impact-analyses-fda-regulations/direct-consumer-prescription-drug-advertisements-presentation-major-statement-clear-conspicuous-and (“This final rule implements a statutory requirement that in human prescription drug advertisements presented directly to consumers in television or radio format (DTC TV/radio ads), and stating the name of the drug and its conditions of use, the major statement relating to side effects and contraindications must be presented in a clear, conspicuous, and neutral manner.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Alternatives to pills.</b>
<br>
<br>
Meghan Rosen, “When it comes to physical activity, every bit counts; There’s no such thing as “the best exercise.” Rather lots of things — big and small — can help,” Science News, Jan. 2, 2024, https://www.sciencenews.org/article/physical-activity-exercise-health-benefits
<br>
<br>
Talk to your primary care physician – or browse the Mayo Clinic site (https://www.mayoclinic.org/). Mayo says “Regular exercise can help you control your weight, reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, and strengthen your bones and muscles.” https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/basics/fitness-basics/hlv-20049447
<br>
<br>
https://diet.mayoclinic.org/us/motivational-tips/weight-loss-calculator/
<br>
<br>
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/basics/sports-nutrition/hlv-20049447
<br>
<br>
“Can You Lengthen Your Life? Researchers Explore How To Stay Healthy Longer,” NIH News in Health, June 2016, https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2016/06/can-you-lengthen-your-life [https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/]
<br>
<br>
https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/
(Healthy lifestyle topics
Birth control - Healthy lifestyle topics Birth control
Consumer health - Healthy lifestyle topics Consumer health
Fitness - Healthy lifestyle topics Fitness
Nutrition and healthy eating - Healthy lifestyle topics Nutrition and healthy eating
Quit smoking - Healthy lifestyle topics Quit smoking
Sexual health - Healthy lifestyle topics Sexual health
Stress management - Healthy lifestyle topics Stress management
Weight loss - Healthy lifestyle topics Weight loss)
<br>
<br>
“Prevent Heart Disease,” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/prevention.htm (fresh fruits and vegetables; healthy weight; physical activity (150 minutes/week))
<br>
<br>
Exercise and chronic disease: Get the facts
<br>
<br>
Mayo Clinic
https://www.mayoclinic.org › in-depth › art-20046049
Exercise can improve the quality of life for people who've had cancer. It ... For people with type 2 diabetes, exercise can lower the risk of dying of heart ...
<br>
<br>
It's Never Too Late: Five Healthy Steps at Any Age
<br>
<br>
Johns Hopkins Medicine
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org › health › its-never-...
Exercise lowers your risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure ... to reduce the risk for heart disease, diabetes, some cancers and dementia.
Be Active More Often · Improve Your Diet · Challenge Your Brain
<br>
<br>
Promoting Health for Older Adults
<br>
<br>
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (.gov)
https://www.cdc.gov › publications › factsheets › pro...
Aging increases the risk of chronic diseases such as dementias, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and cancer. These are the nation's leading drivers of ...
<br>
<br>
<b>Big Pharma’s advertising budget.</b>
<br>
<br>
“Pharma advertising spending in the United States from October 2022 to January 2023,” statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1407234/pharma-ad-spend-us/ (Oct. 2022 and Nov. 2022 $1.2 billion each month; Dec. 2022 and Jan. 2023 $1.1 billion each month)
<br>
<br>
ICYMI: NEW STUDY FINDS BIG PHARMA SPENT MORE ON SALES AND MARKETING THAN R&D DURING PANDEMIC; AHIP Study Finds Top Drug Companies’ Sales and Marketing Budgets Swamp R&D Budgets,” Campaign for Sustainable Rx Pricing, https://www.csrxp.org/icymi-new-study-finds-big-pharma-spent-more-on-sales-and-marketing-than-rd-during-pandemic/ (“In case you missed it, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released a new study Wednesday that found Big Pharma continued to spend more advertising and selling its products than investing in research and development (R&D) even amid unprecedented focus on the development of new treatments as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
<br>
<br>
The study found that ‘Of the 10 drug manufacturers examined, 7 of them spent more on selling and marketing expenses than they did on research and development.’”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Reasons to oppose TV pharmaceutical commercials.</b>
<br>
<br>
“A Perilous Prescription: The Dangers of Unregulated Drug Ads;
Drug advertising policies need to be updated to protect public health,” Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health,” March 2, 2023, https://publichealth.jhu.edu/2023/the-dangers-of-unregulated-drug-ads
<br>
<br>
Natasha Parekh and William H. Shrank, “Dangers and Opportunities of Direct-to-Consumer Advertising,” J Gen Intern Med. 2018 May; 33(5): 586–587; NIH, National Library of Medicine, National Center for Biotechnology Information, May 2018, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5910355/ (“The average television viewer in the United States (US) watches as many as nine drug advertisements per day and about 16 hours per year, far exceeding the time an average individual spends with his/her primary care physician.1 Since 2012 [2013-2017], spending on drug commercials has increased by 62%, and $5 billion were spent on drug commercials last year.2 Given their ubiquity, the article by Klara, et al. in this issue of JGIM offers one more piece of evidence to indicate that this medium is not operating as intended, and to force us to consider alternatives to the status quo.3 . . . the FDA has won substantial law suits and enforced penalties against pharmaceutical companies. For example, in 2012, Glaxo Smith Kline paid $3 billion and Abbott paid $1.6 billion in penalties for miscommunicating information in DTC advertising, while Eli Lilly paid $1.4 billion and Pfizer paid $2.3 billion in 2009.5 . . . DTC ads have been shown to misinform patients by over-emphasizing treatment benefits, under-emphasizing treatment risks, and promoting drugs over healthy lifestyle choices.1, 6 DTC advertising may also lead to overutilization and inappropriate prescribing.6 . . . Patients who requested drugs received them significantly more often than those who did not, suggesting patient requests have a dramatic effect on physician prescribing.7 Furthermore, critics argue that DTC advertising can impose strains on the patient-physician relationship and limit already limited appointment time with patients.1, 6 Perhaps the most significant critique of DTC advertising is its effects on rising drug costs due to over-prescribing of both inappropriate and brand name drugs (especially when cheaper generics are available). According to the Department of Health and Human Services, prescription drug spending in the US was about $457 billion in 2015.8 . . . The authors found that among 97 advertisements reviewed by authors, the quality of data presented was low—26% provided quantitative information for efficacy and benefit, 0% provided quantitative information on risks, and 13% promoted off-label use of medications (which is banned by the FDA). . . . How can we optimize the benefits of DTC advertising in empowering and engaging patients while minimizing the attendant risks of poor-quality DTC advertising? One option supported by the American Medical Association is banning DTC advertising.9 [9. American Medical Association. AMA Calls for Ban on DTC Ads of Prescription Drugs and Medical Devices. Published November 2015. Available at: https://www.ama-assn.org/content/ama-calls-ban-direct-consumer-advertising-prescription-drugs-and-medical-devices. Accessed January 1, 2018.] It is notable that, outside of the US, DTC advertising is banned in all other countries except New Zealand.”])
<br>
<br>
<b>Examples of drugs, commercials (text and videos); Ineffective recitation of side effects.</b>
<br>
<br>
Google: 2023 TV pharmaceuticals commercials
<br>
<br>
YouTube: 2023 TV pharmaceuticals commercials
<br>
<br>
Specific YouTube search:
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=2023+TV+pharmaceuticals+commercials
<br>
<br>
Paxlovid
Jardiance (4)
Ozempic
Otezla
Chantix
Pfizer vaccine
Mounjaro
“Pharmaceutical Ads – View Full Playlist”
Dupixent
“Find Pharma Ads – Browse Our Wide Range of Results”
<br>
<br>
TIME – Deceptive Drug Ads, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C7FGtYVQMFc
<br>
<br>
<b>Amount Big Pharma spends on TV ads.</b>
<br>
<br>
Julia Faria, “Pharma and healthcare industry advertising in the U.S. - statistics & facts,” statista, Dec. 18, 2023, https://www.statista.com/topics/8415/pharma-and-healthcare-industry-advertising-in-the-us/#topicOverview (“Prescription drug expenditure in the United States from 1960 to 2021,” $378 billion in 2021; “Pharma advertising spending in the United States from October 2022 to January 2023,” each month from Oct. to Dec. of 2022, and Jan. 2023, Pharma advertising was between $1.1 and $1.2 billion per month)
<br>
<br>
TV audience can’t legally buy product (without prescription).</b>
<br>
<br>
“Prescription Medicines,” Healthy Living; Use Medicines Safely, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, https://health.gov/myhealthfinder/healthy-living/safety/use-medicines-safely
(“Prescription medicines are medicines you can get only with a prescription (order) from your doctor. You get these medicines from a pharmacy. These medicines are only safe to use if your name is on the prescription.”)
<br>
<br>
“Prescription Drugs Fast Facts,” U.S. Department of Justice, https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs5/5140/5140p.pdf
(“Yes, it is illegal to use prescription drugs without a valid prescription or to distribute them.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Advertising children’s toys to children.</b>
<br>
<br>
“Money Sense for Your Children – The Pressures of Advertising,” Areas of Interest, Extension, University of Nevada, https://extension.unr.edu/areas-of-interest.aspx (“Children and Advertising
According to the Federal Trade Commission, in 2004 children ages 2 to 11 saw 25,600 total TV ads and 2 1/4 hours of ad-supported TV a day.1 . . . Many of the things that children request are things they want because of high-pressure advertising on TV, the Internet, radio and billboards and in movies, newspapers and magazines. Children who haven’t learned to read yet can recite TV commercials.
Exposed to the highly developed sales techniques used in most media, our children are constantly pressured to buy. Advertisers specifically tailor their work based on research. Companies start early creating brand-loyal customers. Groups of 3- to 5-year-olds were able to identify logos for fast food, retail stores and TV icons when shown “flash cards.”2 Celebrities and program icons encourage youth to identify happiness with possessions and endlessly urge the buying of expensive clothes and branded foods. . . .
“But First This Important Message . . .”
Are those words familiar to you? They should be. The website for the Children’s Advertising Review Unit of the Better Business Bureau includes this comment: “It is estimated that children in this nation watch an average of 3.5 hours of television every day, the equivalent on an annual basis of a 50-day marathon of TV viewing.” Forty percent of infants are regular TV and DVD viewers, and that number jumps to 90 percent for 2-year-olds.5”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Where “the market” well serves the public.</b>
<br>
<br>
“How the U.S. Economy Works,” U.S. Department of State, https://usa.usembassy.de/etexts/oecon/chap2.htm (“There are limits to free enterprise, however. Americans have always believed that some services are better performed by public rather than private enterprise. For instance, in the United States, government is primarily responsible for the administration of justice, education (although there are many private schools and training centers), the road system, social statistical reporting, and national defense. In addition, government often is asked to intervene in the economy to correct situations in which the price system does not work. It regulates "natural monopolies," for example, and it uses antitrust laws to control or break up other business combinations that become so powerful that they can surmount market forces.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Housing prices.</b>
<br>
<br>
Mike Bebernes, “Rent control is making a comeback,” Yahoo News 360, Jan. 31, 2023, https://news.yahoo.com/rent-control-is-making-a-comeback-201559070.html (With rental prices still up significantly from where they stood before the pandemic, a growing number of cities across the country are dusting off an old solution to keep housing costs affordable: rent control.
During November’s midterm elections, voters in Santa Monica, Calif., Portland, Maine, and Orlando all approved ballot measures that would place new limits on annual rent increases. Boston’s progressive mayor recently released a rent control proposal for the city. In early January, a group of 50 Democrats in Congress sent a letter urging the Biden administration to take action to address “historically high rental costs and housing instability” in the U.S., including “anti-rent gouging” measures. . . .
But the new wave of rent control proponents . . . argue that housing has become such an unmanageable expense for millions of Americans that allowing prices to rise without any limitations is a recipe for widespread displacement, higher poverty and homelessness.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Prices for U.S. drugs in U.S. are 8 times prices in Turkey.</b>
<br>
<br>
Katharina Bucholz, “U.S. Drug Prices Sky-High in International Comparison,” Statista, Aug. 9, 2022, https://www.statista.com/chart/27932/us-prescription-drug-prices-in-international-comparison/ (“Depending on the country of comparison, U.S. residents are paying twice as much, three times as much or even more for their prescription drugs. Research by Rand Corporation has found that U.S. prescription drug prices surpass those in 32 other countries by around 150 percent on average. U.S. patients are even paying triple the price for Rx drugs as Koreans, Portuguese and Australians and 3.5 times as much as Slovakians, Greeks and residents of some of the Baltic countries. Turkey saw the cheapest prescription drug prices in the comparison, with Americans paying almost eight times as much as residents there.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Taxpayers pay half of pharmaceutical research costs.</b>
<br>
<br>
Ekaterina Galkina Cleary, Matthew J. Jackson, Edward W. Zhou, “Comparison of Research Spending on New Drug Approvals by the National Institutes of Health vs the Pharmaceutical Industry, 2010-2019,” [American Medical Association] JAMA Health Forum. 2023;4(4):e230511. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum. 2023.0511; https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama-health-forum/fullarticle/2804378
<br>
<br>
(“Conclusions and Relevance
The results of this cross-sectional study found that NIH investment in drugs approved from 2010 to 2019 was not less than investment by the pharmaceutical industry, with comparable accounting for basic and applied research, failed clinical trials, and cost of capital or discount rates. The relative scale of NIH and industry investment may provide a cost basis for calibrating the balance of social and private returns from investments in pharmaceutical innovation. . . .
<br>
<br>
In this cross-sectional study, evidence suggests the public sector makes substantial contributions to the foundational knowledge on which drug approvals are based,1,2,4,6-8,41,42 but less to patents6,9 or development.2,3,37,43 Conversely, the industry is primarily responsible for product development and sponsored more than 99% of the product launches in this data set.6
<br>
<br>
The objective of this work was to compare NIH investments in recent drug approvals with reported investment by the industry. This required an accounting for NIH spending with costs for basic research on the targets for these drugs, applied research on the approved products, phased clinical trials of failed products, and the recommended discount rates for government spending.30,31 This accounting adheres closely to methods used to estimate industry investment,19,20 while also recognizing fundamental differences in the nature of public and private sector investment in prevailing economic theories.10
<br>
<br>
These analyses suggest that NIH project costs for basic or applied research associated with the products approved from 2010 to 2019 were significantly greater than reported industry spending. Costs for the NIH were also higher than industry costs when both included spending on failed clinical trials of candidate products. Including clinical failures, NIH investment (calculated with either a 3% or 7% discount rate) was not less than industry investment calculated with a 10.5% cost of capital. Investment from the NIH calculated with clinical failures and a 3% or 7% discount rate was also not less than industry investment calculated with clinical failures, additional costs of prehuman research, and 10.5% cost of capital. These results suggest that NIH investments in pharmaceutical innovation are comparable with those made by industry.”)
<br>
<br>
Dr. Ekaterina Galkina Cleary, Dr. Matthew Jackson and Dr. Edward Zhou, “New study shows NIH investment in new drug approvals is comparable to investment by pharmaceutical industry,” Newsroom, Bentley University, https://www.bentley.edu/news/new-study-shows-nih-investment-new-drug-approvals-comparable-investment-pharmaceutical
<br>
<br>
<b>“All the news that fits we print.”</b>
<br>
<br>
“Adolph Simon Ochs,” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Adolph-Simon-Ochs#ref754367 (To set his paper apart from its more sensational competitors, Ochs adopted the slogan “All the News That’s Fit to Print” (first used October 25, 1896) and insisted on reportage that lived up to that promise.)
<br>
<br>
Judy Flander, “All The News That Fits We Print,” Personally Yours, Medium, Oct. 13, 2020, https://medium.com/personally-yours/all-the-news-that-fits-we-print-76c73e50439c
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-16538777848129179632023-12-31T06:35:00.001-06:002023-12-31T07:01:24.818-06:00New Year's and World Peace<big><big><big><center><b>New Year's and World Peace</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, December 31, 2023, p. C8</center></big>
<br>
“Back in the day” I joined friends on New Year’s Eve to help push earth into one more year. We occasionally kept at it until 1 or 2 a.m. New Year’s Day, either to make sure we’d finished the task or because we’d lost track of time.
<br>
<br>
As we aged we remained determined to stay until midnight local time, but not much beyond that.
<br>
<br>
The years rolled on and many wished to be in bed before midnight. So we switched our clocks to Eastern time, watched television’s portrayal of New York City ringing in the new year at midnight New York time, headed home an hour earlier and were in bed by 11:30 central time.
<br>
<br>
And now?
<br>
<br>
I’m reminded of Laura Bush’s stand-up routine at a press corps dinner. She interrupted President George W. Bush’s speech: “I’ve got a few things I want to say for a change. (George is) usually in bed by now. (I told him) if you really want to end tyranny in the world, you’re going to have to stay up later. Nine o’clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I’m watching ‘Desperate Housewives.’”
<br>
<br>
How many of us 90-year-olds can relate to that?
<br>
<br>
Many of the world’s cultures and religions have celebrations around the winter solstice. I’m told in Spain they eat 12 grapes. We, by contrast, welcome the yearly opportunity to overeat for the six weeks from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day. It’s just a difference in cultures.
<br>
<br>
New Year’s Day has walked a long and winding road through history, beginning with welcoming floods and the new agricultural year. Babylonians and Sumerians in Mesopotamia welcomed the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. Egyptians marked the beginning of the new year’s agriculture when the Nile flooded.
<br>
<br>
Iowa’s farmers also focus on next season’s crops -- buying from monopolists, selling to monopolists, hoping for rain without floods.
<br>
<br>
New Year’s Day celebrations interweave gods, religious beliefs, stars and planets. Though there are many calendars (e.g., Coptic, Seleucid, Egyptian, Jewish and Zodiac), our Christian calendar’s New Year’s is widely accepted.
<br>
<br>
That’s right, we are praying to a Catholic pope’s 1582 calendar. We may not understand or adopt the metric system, and our children’s math scores may be falling, but we are attracted like iron filings to a magnet with the numerical precision of 24-hour days, 52 weeks and 28-to-31-day months.
<br>
<br>
How could we use New Year’s to push 8 billion people closer toward the “world peace” Miss America contestants wish for?
<br>
<br>
With Universal Time Coordinated (UTC). Google it.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhMM0FptAOwRCC_Wixn32G4evltux2HNZhyyh9nQbd4_8_selhJMpHtHhBiWP3c1YIdlBVeixbR1tiwNQJXC-37x08QOB8ZGC2t4Fk44rVYL-govjsJzCh-CcDI5c88e5efM4TcofxKL4NuPDdWWqIqpYLdf1npyLFEVLjecmKEB9VdGHX8Qg/s1920/The_London_Fireworks_Display.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1920" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXhMM0FptAOwRCC_Wixn32G4evltux2HNZhyyh9nQbd4_8_selhJMpHtHhBiWP3c1YIdlBVeixbR1tiwNQJXC-37x08QOB8ZGC2t4Fk44rVYL-govjsJzCh-CcDI5c88e5efM4TcofxKL4NuPDdWWqIqpYLdf1npyLFEVLjecmKEB9VdGHX8Qg/s320/The_London_Fireworks_Display.jpg"/></a></div><br>
We now have 24 time zones and 24 New Year’s midnights -– further separating humans. [Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons, London fireworks, New Year's Day, 2017.]
<br>
<br>
Airlines, radio amateurs, numerous industries and the military recognize the “local” times around the planet. But to operate globally they also need an everywhere time. UTC time is London time. Noon in Iowa is 6 PM UTC.
<br>
<br>
With a UTC New Year’s the world celebrates at the same precise moment. Starting the year agreeing about something. What a concept!
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson wishes everyone a happier New Year than the year we’re leaving behind. Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>New Year’s</b>
<br>
<br>
“New Year,” Wikipedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year
<br>
<br>
<b>Laura Bush</b>
<br>
<br>
AP, “Laura Bush steals show at press corps’ dinner; First lady Laura Bush stole the show with a surprise comedy routine that ripped President Bush and brought an audience that included much of official Washington and a dash of Hollywood to a standing ovation at a dinner honoring award-winning journalists,” NBC News, April 30, 2006, . https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7693810 (““Not that old joke, not again,” she said to the delight of the audience. “I’ve been attending these dinners for years and just quietly sitting there. I’ve got a few things I want to say for a change.” [George is] usually in bed by now” and said she told him recently, “If you really want to end tyranny in the world, you’re going to have to stay up later.” She outlined a typical evening: “Nine o’clock, Mr. Excitement here is sound asleep and I’m watching ‘Desperate Housewives’.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Spain’s grapes</b>
<br>
<br>
“Twelve Grapes,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twelve_Grapes
(“The Twelve Grapes[1] (Sp. las doce uvas de la suerte, "the twelve grapes of luck") is a Spanish tradition that consists of eating a grape with each of the twelve clock bell strikes at midnight of December 31 to welcome the New Year. Each grape and clock bell strike represents each of the coming twelve months.[2]”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Mesopotamia and Egypt</b>
<br>
<br>
Evan Andrews, “1. Babylonian Akitu “5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations; Get the facts on the ways 5 ancient civilizations rang in the New Year,” History, Dec. 31, 2012, https://www.history.com/news/5-ancient-new-years-celebrations (“Following the first new moon after the vernal equinox in late March, the Babylonians of ancient Mesopotamia would honor the rebirth of the natural world with a multi-day festival called Akitu. This early New Year’s celebration dates back to around 2000 B.C., and is believed to have been deeply intertwined with religion and mythology. . . . Through these rituals the Babylonians believed the world was symbolically cleansed and recreated by the gods in preparation for the new year and the return of spring.”
<br>
<br>
Patrick J. Kiger, “How Mesopotamia Became the Cradle of Civilization;
Environmental factors helped agriculture, architecture and eventually a social order emerge for the first time in ancient Mesopotamia,” History, Nov. 10, 2020, https://www.history.com/news/how-mesopotamia-became-the-cradle-of-civilization (“Mesopotamia’s name comes from the ancient Greek word for “the land between the rivers.” That’s a reference to the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, the twin sources of water for a region that lies mostly within the borders of modern-day Iraq, but also included parts of Syria, Turkey and Iran.
The presence of those rivers had a lot to do with why Mesopotamia developed complex societies and innovations such as writing, elaborate architecture and government bureaucracies. The regular flooding along the Tigris and the Euphrates made the land around them especially fertile and ideal for growing crops for food.”)
<br>
<br>
Evan Andrews, “3. Ancient Egyptian Wepet Renpet,” “5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations; Get the facts on the ways 5 ancient civilizations rang in the New Year,” History, Dec. 4, 2023, https://www.history.com/news/5-ancient-new-years-celebrations (“Ancient Egyptian culture was closely tied to the Nile River, and it appears their New Year corresponded with its annual flood. According the Roman writer Censorinus, the Egyptian New Year was predicted when Sirius—the brightest star in the night sky—first became visible after a 70-day absence. Better known as a heliacal rising, this phenomenon typically occurred in mid-July just before the annual inundation of the Nile River, which helped ensure that farmlands remained fertile for the coming year. Egyptians celebrated this new beginning with a festival known as Wepet Renpet, which means “opening of the year.” The New Year was seen as a time of rebirth and rejuvenation, and it was honored with feasts and special religious rites.”)
<br>
<br>
Evan Andrews, “4. Lunar New Year,” “5 Ancient New Year’s Celebrations; Get the facts on the ways 5 ancient civilizations rang in the New Year,” History, Dec. 31, 2012, https://www.history.com/news/5-ancient-new-years-celebrations (“One of the oldest traditions still celebrated today is Lunar New Year (also called Chinese New Year), which is believed to have originated over 3,000 years ago during the Shang Dynasty. The holiday began as a way of celebrating the new beginnings of the spring planting season, but it later became entangled with myth and legend.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Agriculture’s monopolists</b>
<br>
<br>
“Monopolies Are Killing Our Farms,” Bemidji Pioneer, April 15, 2010, https://www.bemidjipioneer.com/opinion/monopolies-are-killing-our-farms (“Has Big Ag gotten too big? And do consumers really benefit from the low prices farmers earn for selling livestock and grain to food giants like Cargill, Smithfield, and Tyson? After two decades standing idly by while those companies and seed behemoth Monsanto swallowed their competitors, a new Department of Justice anti-trust team is vowing to bust up companies that have gotten so big they're thwarting competition. . . . [F]amily farmers and independent ranchers have watched as corporate mergers and takeovers left them with fewer buyers for their crops and animals, and fewer suppliers of basic inputs like seeds and fertilizer. . . . Smithfield's 2007 takeover of Premium Standard Farms, a merger that fattened the largest U.S. hog producer and pork packer by feeding it the country's second-largest producer and sixth-largest packer. In the Southeast, the merger left 2,500 independent hog producers with just one regional buyer. Smithfield could say to the hog farmers who weren't under contract to the company: Here's the price and, if you don't like it, good luck selling your hogs.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Varieties of New Year’s celebrations</b>
<br>
<br>
Cheyenne Buckingham and John Harrington, “26 Completely Different New Year’s Days Around the World,” 24/7 Wall St., updated Jan. 11, 2020, https://247wallst.com/special-report/2019/02/01/26-completely-different-new-years-days-around-the-world-3/ (“People all around the globe ring in the new year, but not all celebrate the same way Americans do, or even on the same day. Though people have different traditions and customs, most feel grateful for the year that passed and optimistic about the one that’s about to begin. Several New Year’s celebrations stretch across several days, like the Burmese and Thai New Year. The Chinese New Year is the longest, lasting 15 days.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Varieties of calendars</b>
<br>
<br>
Miriammne Ara Krummel, “A.D. 2022: Why Years Are Counted with a Gregorian Calendar When Most of the World is Note Christian,” Milwaukee Independent, Jan. 1, 2022, https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/syndicated/d-2022-years-counted-gregorian-calendar-world-not-christian/ (“The A.D. system, often called “C.E.” or “Common Era” time today, was introduced in Europe during the Middle Ages. It joined the world’s other temporal systems like the Coptic, Seleucid, Egyptian, Jewish and the Zodiac calendars, along with calculations based on the years of rulers’ reigns and the founding of Rome.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Near-global acceptance of Christian calendar’s New Year’s</b>
<br>
<br>
Miriammne Ara Krummel, “A.D. 2022: Why Years Are Counted with a Gregorian Calendar When Most of the World is Note Christian,” Milwaukee Independent, Jan. 1, 2022, https://www.milwaukeeindependent.com/syndicated/d-2022-years-counted-gregorian-calendar-world-not-christian/ (“On December 31, people from cultures all around the world welcomed in A.D. 2022. Few of them thought about the fact that A.D. signals “anno Domini,” Latin for “in the year of our Lord.” In A.D. temporality – the one acknowledged by most societies today – next year marks 2023 years since the purported birth of Jesus Christ. So why did we all toast this new year, given that most of the world’s nearly 8 billion people are not Christians? . . . The A.D. system, often called “C.E.” or “Common Era” time today, was introduced in Europe during the Middle Ages. It joined the world’s other temporal systems like the Coptic, Seleucid, Egyptian, Jewish and the Zodiac calendars, along with calculations based on the years of rulers’ reigns and the founding of Rome.
Latin Christendom slowly but confidently came to dominate Europe, and its year dating system then came to dominate the world, so that most countries now take A.D. for granted, at least when it comes to globalized business and government. A.D.‘s ubiquity has almost silenced other ways of thinking about time. This began during the medieval era, under the influence of educated Christian monks . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Catholic Pope’s 1582 calendar</b>
<br>
<br>
“Gregorian calendar,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar
<br>
<br>
<b>America’s rejection of metric system</b>
<br>
<br>
Why Doesn’t the U.S. Use the Metric System?” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/story/why-doesnt-the-us-use-the-metric-system
<br>
<br>
(“When they began to vet potential systems around the year 1790, the newly developed French metric system made its way to the attention of Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson. Though it was so close at hand, Jefferson, and even France until much later, decided to pass, and the U.S. adopted the British Imperial System of measurement (the one still used in the country today). Since then, the U.S. has had many opportunities to change to the metric system, the one that is used by a majority of the world and that is lauded as much more logical and simple. . . . Whenever the discussion of switching unit systems arose in Congress, the passage of a bill favoring the metric system was thwarted by big businesses and American citizens who didn’t want to go through the time-consuming and expensive hassle of changing the country’s entire infrastructure.”)
<br>
<br>
“Metric Conversion Act,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metric_Conversion_Act (“The Metric Board was abolished in 1982 by President Ronald Reagan . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Reduction in math test scores</b>
<br>
<br>
Alexander Fabino, “America's Tanking Math Scores Spark Fears of Mental Decline,” Newsweek, Dec. 5, 2023, https://www.newsweek.com/us-students-math-scores-decline-pisa-assessment-mental-health-concerns-1849812#:~:text=Despite%20stable%20performances%20in%20reading,that%20participated%20in%20the%20assessment (“Despite stable performances in reading and science, the PISA results found that U.S. students' average performance in mathematics literacy in 2022 was markedly lower than in previous cycles, falling to 26th globally in math literacy among the 81 countries and education systems that participated in the assessment.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>8 billion people</b>
<br>
<br>
“Current World Population,” worldometer, Dec. 26, 2023, https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/ (8,081,286,900 @ 8:31 AM)
<br>
<br>
<b>Miss America contestants and “world peace”</b>
<br>
<br>
Chad Gramling, “Why Do We Expect World Peace From Miss America, But Not Jesus?” 1Glories, Dec. 30, 2021, https://www.1glories.com/world-peace-miss-america-jesus/#:~:text=World%20Peace%20is%20one%20of,in%20the%20movie%20Miss%20Congeniality (“World Peace is one of just two easy answers in life. It’s the correct response when a pageant contestant is asked what she would most want to see happen during her lifetime. This response is the mocked canned answer made famous in the movie Miss Congeniality.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Universal Time Coordinated (UTC)</b>
<br>
<br>
“Coordinated Universal Time,” Wikipedia,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coordinated_Universal_Time
<br>
<br>
<b>UTC used by Airlines, radio amateurs, numerous industries and the military</b>
<br>
<br>
Jo Craven McGinty, “Major Industries Use Coordinated Universal Time. Why Doesn’t Everyone Else?; An economist and an astronomer want the world to abandon local time zones,” The Wall Street Journal, July 12, 2019, https://www.wsj.com/articles/major-industries-use-coordinated-universal-time-why-doesnt-everyone-else-11562923800
<br>
<br>
<b>Noon in Iowa is 6 PM UTC</b>
<br>
<br>
See “Universal Time Coordinated (UTC),” above
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-23848110420992133102023-12-19T06:10:00.001-06:002023-12-19T06:13:59.335-06:00E Pluribus Unum<big><big><big><center><b>E Pluribus Unum is Threatened</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, December 19, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
Pull a dollar bill from your billfold. Look at the back. Our Congress of the Confederation founders put that Great Seal on their money in 1782 before creating the United States. It’s still there.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRyK5qR0NfvLjfTYY_bhiyL-WHOfEWFjiGIgaz-JGGSEtFVZzTu97JjhrPJV4WXg-qSewEW2wx3w_UvdzoLowqdmVlhYdYu6vF-hHbDGf9eJOxFzqIJBOa_mHktgV7A3VgdGFxtMCIoBq9SkqkoU9LNaFLOtXomtIPzQba46LCWgy8LqBSLw6/s319/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20060239.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="319" data-original-width="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRyK5qR0NfvLjfTYY_bhiyL-WHOfEWFjiGIgaz-JGGSEtFVZzTu97JjhrPJV4WXg-qSewEW2wx3w_UvdzoLowqdmVlhYdYu6vF-hHbDGf9eJOxFzqIJBOa_mHktgV7A3VgdGFxtMCIoBq9SkqkoU9LNaFLOtXomtIPzQba46LCWgy8LqBSLw6/s320/Screenshot%202023-12-19%20060239.png"/></a></div><br>The superstitious recoil from hotels with a 13th floor. They favor floors numbered 11, 12, 14, 15. Our founders loved 13 – 13 states, 13 stars in the Seal, and 13 letters in E Pluribus Unum (after removing the “x” from Ex).
<br>
<br>
Did you study Latin? No? Me neither. Fifty-six percent of high school students studied Latin in 1905. Presidents John Kennedy, Richard Nixon, both Bushes and Bill Clinton did so. By 1977 only 6,000 students struggled with the national exam.
<br>
<br>
Thankfully, “Google translate” studies Latin. It reveals our money’s motto means “out of many, one.” Google is not reassuring us that while we’re out of many dollars we still have one. Google’s sharing the founders’ long shot they could blend 13 states into one United States.
<br>
<br>
But compare the founders’ challenges – 13 states and four million people – with ours: 50 states and 340 million people. People breathing in the polluted air of deliberate divisiveness and politically promoted hatred, occasionally bursting into flames of violence, leaving ashes from which authoritarian dictatorships emerge.
<br>
<br>
Some politicians and their followers shout demands that immigrants seeking asylum be sent back to their home country – and almost certain death – without a hearing. Those advocates ignore, if they ever knew, that their ancestors also immigrated to this county, often for similar reasons. Unless, that is, they’re registered members of one of America’s 574 Indian tribes.
<br>
<br>
It’s easy to notice the many differences among us -- languages, ethnicity, customs, religion, wealth, norms, appearance, and political affiliation. We sometimes forget we are 99.9 percent identical in genetic makeup and belong to the same animal species: Homo sapiens.
<br>
<br>
Those differences dissolve like fog in the sunshine when disaster strikes – floods from heavy rain, rising seas or rivers; home-destroying derechos, tornadoes and hurricanes; fires, airplane or highway disasters, mass shootings and a 9/11 or Oklahoma City bombing.
<br>
<br>
Well folks, don’t want to scare you, but we may soon find ourselves struggling with a disaster to end all disasters.
<br>
<br>
We need to realize, as we descend the waterslide of democracy into the Putin-like polluted pool of political populism, that loss of our 247-year-old democracy is upon us.
<br>
<br>
We can no longer smugly say, “It can’t happen here.” It’s already happening here. It’s no longer a matter of saving our democracy, it’s a matter of rebuilding a democracy.
<br>
<br>
Don’t whine about the things an individual Gazette subscriber can’t do – compete with billionaires’ political contributions, or knock on every Iowan’s door.
<br>
<br>
What we can create is what we do in disasters. What the Youngbloods sang in “Get Together”:
<br>
<br>
“Come on people now<br>
"Smile on your brother (and sister)<br>
"Everybody get together<br>
"Try to love one another<br>
"Right now”
<br>
<br>
Gift a stranger with a smile and “Good morning.” Pay a compliment. Do a favor.
<br>
<br>
E Pluribus Unum.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson authored the books Columns of Democracy and Test Pattern for Living. Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</big></big></center></b>
<b>E Pluribus Unum</b>
<br>
<br>
“E pluribus unum,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum (“E pluribus unum . . . – Latin for "Out of many, one . . . – is a traditional motto of the United States, appearing on the Great Seal . . . its inclusion on the seal was approved in an act of the Congress of the Confederation in 1782.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Thirteenth Floor</b>
<br>
<br>
“Thirteenth Floor,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirteenth_floor (“The thirteenth floor is a designation of a level of a multi-level building that is often omitted in countries where the number 13 is considered unlucky.[1][2] Omitting the 13th floor may take a variety of forms; the most common include denoting what would otherwise be considered the thirteenth floor as level 14, giving the thirteenth floor an alternate designation such as "12A" or "M" (the thirteenth letter of the Latin alphabet), or closing the 13th floor to public occupancy or access (e.g., by designating it as a mechanical floor).
Reasons for omitting a thirteenth floor include triskaidekaphobia on the part of the building's owner or builder, or a desire by the building owner or landlord to prevent problems that may arise with superstitious tenants, occupants, or customers. In 2002, based on an internal review of records, Dilip Rangnekar of Otis Elevators estimated that 85% of the buildings with Otis brand elevators did not have a floor named the 13th floor.[3] Early tall-building designers, fearing a fire on the 13th floor, or fearing tenants' superstitions about the rumor, decided to omit having a 13th floor listed on their elevator numbering.[3] This practice became commonplace, and eventually found its way into American mainstream culture and building design.[3]”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Latin</b>
<br>
<br>
Harry Mount, “A Vote for Latin,” New York Times, Dec. 3, 2007, https://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/opinion/03mount.html (“In 1905, 56 percent of American high school students studied Latin. By 1977, a mere 6,000 students took the National Latin Exam. . . . Of the 40 presidents since Jefferson, 31 have studied Latin, many at a high level. James Polk graduated from the University of North Carolina, in 1818, with top honors in math and classics. James Garfield taught Greek and Latin from 1856 to 1857 at what is now Hiram College in Ohio. Teddy Roosevelt studied classics at Harvard.
<br>
<br>
John F. Kennedy had Latin instruction at not one, but three prep schools. Richard Nixon showed a great aptitude for the language, coming second in the subject at Whittier High School in California in 1930. And George H. W. Bush, a Latin student at Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., was a member of the fraternity Auctoritas, Unitas, Veritas (Authority, Unity, Truth).
<br>
<br>
A particular favorite for Bill Clinton during his four years of Latin at Hot Springs High School in Arkansas was Caesar’s “Gallic War.”
<br>
<br>
Following in his father’s footsteps, George W. Bush studied Latin at Phillips Academy (the school’s mottoes: “Non Sibi” or not for self, and “Finis Origine Pendet,” the end depends on the beginning).”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Google Translate</b>
<br>
<br>
“Google Translate,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Translate (“Google Translate is a multilingual neural machine translation service developed by Google to translate text, documents and websites from one language into another. . . . In November 2016, Google transitioned its translating method to a system called neural machine translation.[13] It uses deep learning techniques to translate whole sentences at a time, which has been measured to be more accurate between English and French, German, Spanish, and Chinese.[14] No measurement results have been provided by Google researchers for GNMT from English to other languages, other languages to English, or between language pairs that do not include English. As of 2018, it translates more than 100 billion words a day.[13]”)
<br>
<br>
<b>US Population 1782</b>
<br>
<br>
Cynthia A. Kierner, “First United States Census, 1790,” Washington Library, Mount Vernon, https://www.mountvernon.org/library/digitalhistory/digital-encyclopedia/article/first-united-states-census-1790/ (“The final tally, released by the government in 1792 and also included in digest form in some almanacs and geographies, was 3,919,023 people, divided among fourteen states, Kentucky (a territory before attaining statehood in 1792), and the Southwest territories (Tennessee).10”)
<br>
<br>
<b>US Population 2023</b>
<br>
<br>
“U.S. Population 1950-2023,” macrotrends, https://www.macrotrends.net/countries/USA/united-states/population (339,996,563)
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. Ancestries</b>
<br>
<br>
“Ancestry: 2000,” U.S. Census Bureau, June 2004, https://www.census.gov/history/pdf/ancestry.pdf (“In total, 7 ancestries were reported by more than 15 million people in 2000, 37 ancestries were reported by more than 1 million people, and 92 ancestries were reported by more than 100,000 people.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Indian Tribes</b>
<br>
<br>
“Federally recognized Indian tribes and resources for Native Americans;
Find information about and resources for Native Americans and Alaska Native entities,” usagov, https://www.usa.gov/tribes# (“The federal government recognizes 574 American Indian tribes and Alaska Native entities in the U.S.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Humans share 99.9% genetic makeup</b>
<br>
<br>
James Franklin Crow, “Unequal by nature: a geneticist’s perspective on human differences,” Daedalus, Winter 2002, https://www.amacad.org/publication/unequal-nature-geneticists-perspective-human-differences (“Most of our DNA determines that we are human, rather than determining how we are different from any other person. So it is not so surprising that the DNA of any two human beings is 99.9 percent identical.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Homo sapiens</b>
<br>
<br>
“Homo sapiens,” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Homo-sapiens, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Homo-sapiens (“Homo sapiens, (Latin: “wise man”) the species to which all modern human beings belong. Homo sapiens is one of several species grouped into the genus Homo, but it is the only one that is not extinct. See also human evolution.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Lyrics to “Get Together”</b>
<br>
<br>
Chester Powers and Chester William Jr. Powers, “Get Together by The Youngbloods,” https://www.songfacts.com/lyrics/the-youngbloods/get-together (Sample from lyrics:
“If you hear the song I sing
You will understand (listen!)
You hold the key to love and fear
All in your trembling hand
Just one key unlocks them both
It's there at your command
<br>
<br>
Come on people now
Smile on your brother
Everybody get together
Try to love one another
Right now”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Examples of Iowa volunteerism</b>
<br>
<br>
“Days of Service,” “Volunteer Iowa,” https://volunteer.iowa.gov/,
(“Organizations across Iowa will plan activities that give citizens an opportunity to give back. Activities will depend on the specific project, but could range from collection drives, painting, gardening, serving or packaging meals or tutoring children, to cleaning up parks and more. The Day of Service could have partnerships with local schools, families, faith-based groups, businesses and governments to accomplish the activities or projects. Post your project online to help you reach the largest pool of potential volunteers possible!” History: “1978 —The Iowa Office on Volunteerism was established by Governor Robert D. Ray with Executive Order 33 on November 2.”)
<br>
<br>
Janet Petersen, “Iowans’ Ideas: The power of kindness,” The Gazette, Oct. 6, 2020, https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-ideas/iowans-ideas-the-power-of-kindness/ (list)
<br>
<br>
Chenue Her, “A musician and an inspiration: R.J. Hernandez to be inducted into 2023 Iowa Latino Hall of Fame; R.J. Hernandez is one of six people being inducted into the Iowa Latino Hall of Fame October,” We Are Iowa, Sept. 22, 2023, https://www.weareiowa.com/article/features/rj-hernandez-iowa-latino-hall-of-fame-inductee-2023/524-4f628393-2ed1-4786-976b-563840b0f6b4 (“Hernandez is one of many ambassadors who works with the group to educate the community on different cultures.
Since 2008, Hernandez has worked with about 24,000 participants in just about 700 sessions.
"He’s so passionate about sharing and about what he knows people will learn from him," Orton said. "And, he gets people to participate . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
“Valuing the Cultures of Our Community,” CultureALL, https://www.cultureall.org/ (“CultureALL values the cultures of our community. You’ll see us in schools, the workplace, and wherever people gather.
The experiences we provide invite Iowans to participate in cultural traditions that lead to a greater appreciation for the diversity around them. The ultimate goal of CultureALL is to elevate individuals' behaviors and attitudes to a higher level of acceptance and collaboration for the benefit of our region.
CultureALL provides various opportunities for individuals to learn more about the people they interact with on a daily basis. From programs for seniors to summer camps for children, house parties featuring ethnic flavors to unique storytelling events, multicultural events to musical performances, CultureALL welcomes you to experience and appreciate today’s diverse world.”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-82397705835451962712023-12-05T05:02:00.001-06:002023-12-05T05:02:30.098-06:00Curiosity<big><big><big><center><b>Curious About Real Intelligence</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, December 5, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
“Curiosity killed the cat”? Not our cats. They slowly walk around the water dispenser, looking, sniffing, contemplating before risking a tongue immersion.
<br>
<br>
My 86 billion neurons recall my lying on my back in the front yard of our Brown Street house, age three, curious whether wind makes trees sway, or moving trees make the wind blow.
<br>
<br>
Maybe three-year-olds should know the answer. But at least my curiosity was not risky curiosity. Young boys discovering steam tunnels under the University campus, including one that goes under the river to the hospital? Now that’s a risky curiosity.
<br>
<br>
Using bridges, not steam tunnels, we moved to the West side. Irving Weber, Iowa City’s historian, lived across the street from us with his wife, Martha, and son, Willis.
<br>
<br>
Willie and I wondered if copper wire from the roof of my house to his roof might transmit the dots and dashes of Morse Code. Our small battery only produced one “dot” and the beginning of a “dash” (letter “A”). My mother asked why we didn’t use the phone. Martha never forgot the hole we made in her roof. Modestly risky.
<br>
<br>
Could a kit-built transmitter – with 500-foot antenna -- interfere with commercial radio stations? It could. High risk (though we were unaware of the illegality). That led to an amateur radio transmitter, licensed and legal (minimal risk) and presidential appointment as an FCC commissioner.
<br>
<br>
Birds have their “territory,” we had ours – including Rock Island Railroad track. We were curious what a locomotive would do to a penny on the track. It flattened it into something we could sell for a nickel (unaware it was also a crime: 18 U.S. Code Sec. 331). Risky curiosity.
<br>
<br>
A 50-cent piece? Derail a locomotive? Young neighbors debated. Some had seen half-dollars; none possessed one. Curiosity unfulfilled.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Human_brain_NIH.png?20070723163718" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="250" data-original-width="344" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0a/Human_brain_NIH.png?20070723163718"/></a></div><br>My current curiosity involves brains of animals – including Homo sapiens, the only animal species able to talk itself into difficulties that would not otherwise exist. [Photo credit: Wikimedia commons; National Institutes of Health.]
<br>
<br>
Aside from my scholarly writing, my random curiosity is not that of an academic – discovering more and more about less and less until knowing everything about very little (Ph.D.), or less and less about more and more until knowing a little about everything (liberal arts B.A.).
<br>
<br>
Curiosity has meant I’d rather be good, mediocre or poor at many things than excel at one. Double par golf. Singing off-key. Trombone sounds only loved by moose. Playing high school basketball for a coach who said I looked like an elephant on ice.
<br>
<br>
There is no longer an “I.” Only bodies run by brains. My interest is not brains’ weight, neuron numbers and electric messaging. I want to know precisely how those neurons sense, create, store and retrieve a song, book or image from decades ago.
<br>
<br>
I agree with neurologist Jeff Hawkins: “We don't need more data, we need a good theory.”
<br>
<br>
Before we struggle with AI’s pros and cons shouldn’t we, like cats, be more curious about what neurons are doing and how they do it?
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson believes that artificial intelligence is better than none. Contact: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big>
<br>
<b>Note</b>: Of necessity, most of the “sources” for this column are from memories of my life experiences as communicated from my neurons.
<br>
<br>
As the column concludes, “we don’t need more data.” There are tens of thousands of academic articles regarding neurologists’ research and more popular articles reporting and commenting on it. As illustrated by just one of my numerous Google searches, without quotes: (Who said, with regard to knowledge of the human brain, that there is lots of data but no theory?) brought up 60 hits with enticing titles on the first Google page alone. For some reason there was no information about the total number of hits for that search.
<br>
<br>
I claim no expertise, thorough research or certification in this field. As the column suggests, "I'm just curious." However, based on what I have seen so far it seems that much of the research deals with such things as reporting the weights of various animals' brains, their number of nurons and connections, the primary functions of various locations within a human brain, and the role of electricity and chemistry in transmitting whatever it is the brain is transmitting. Whereas my primary interest is in the content of the messages, the routing details, and how they go about encoding, storing and later retrieving a sight, sound, smell or other content.
<br>
<br>
<b>18 U.S. Code Sec. 331</b>
<br>
<br>
“Chapter 17 – Coins and Currency,” U.S. Code, U.S. House,
https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim@title18/part1/chapter17&edition=prelim (“Whoever fraudulently alters, defaces, mutilates, impairs, diminishes, falsifies, scales, or lightens any of the coins coined at the mints of the United States, or any foreign coins which are by law made current or are in actual use or circulation as money within the United States; or
<br>
<br>
Whoever fraudulently possesses, passes, utters, publishes, or sells, or attempts to pass, utter, publish, or sell, or brings into the United States, any such coin, knowing the same to be altered, defaced, mutilated, impaired, diminished, falsified, scaled, or lightened—
<br>
<br>
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than five years, or both.
<br>
<br>
(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 700; July 16, 1951, ch. 226, § 1, 65 Stat. 121; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(I), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147.)”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Brain numbers research (an example)</b>
<br>
<br>
Suzana Hercularno-Houzel, “The Human Brain in Numbers: A Linearly Scaled-up Primate Brain,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, National Library of Medicine, Nov. 9, 2009, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2776484/
<br>
<br>
<b>Jeff Hawkins</b>
<br>
<br>
Jeff Hawkins, “How brain science will change computing,” TED Talks, Feb. 2003, at 5:11 and 05:53 minutes, over 1.7 million views, excerpt from https://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_hawkins_how_brain_science_will_change_computing/transcript
<br>
<br>
(“05:11
So why don't we have a good theory of brains? People have been working on it for 100 years. Let's first take a look at what normal science looks like. This is normal science. Normal science is a nice balance between theory and experimentalists. The theorist guy says, "I think this is what's going on," the experimentalist says, "You're wrong." It goes back and forth, this works in physics, this in geology. But if this is normal science, what does neuroscience look like? This is what neuroscience looks like. We have this mountain of data, which is anatomy, physiology and behavior. You can't imagine how much detail we know about brains. There were 28,000 people who went to the neuroscience conference this year, and every one of them is doing research in brains. A lot of data, but no theory. There's a little wimpy box on top there.
<br>
<br>
05:53
And theory has not played a role in any sort of grand way in the neurosciences. And it's a real shame. Now, why has this come about? If you ask neuroscientists why is this the state of affairs, first, they'll admit it. But if you ask them, they say, there's various reasons we don't have a good brain theory. Some say we still don't have enough data, we need more information, there's all these things we don't know. Well, I just told you there's data coming out of your ears. We have so much information, we don't even know how to organize it. What good is more going to do? Maybe we'll be lucky and discover some magic thing, but I don't think so. This is a symptom of the fact that we just don't have a theory. We don't need more data, we need a good theory.”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-35346045282990520022023-11-21T07:37:00.003-06:002024-02-08T07:31:54.031-06:00What Do We Want?<big><big><big><center><b>What Do We Want America to Become?</b>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, November 21, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>There are ways to extract ourselves from the Chaos Caucus and its wannabe authoritarian presidential candidate. But extractions are never painless.
<br>
<br>
As I was growing up, Republican presidents and candidates had names like Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, Bob Dole, George Bush and John McCain – and Iowa’s Herbert Hoover.
<br>
<br>
Each was, or became, aware of the essential norms and skills for governing: respect and civility (even friendship), cooperation, negotiation, and compromise.
<br>
<br>
“Insurrection” was not in their vocabulary. They accepted lost elections and generally wished the winner well.
<br>
<br>
“Tell me something I don’t know,” I hear you say, in chorus with Speaker Tip O’Neil’s one-time top aide Chris Matthews. (Those were days when the Speaker and President Reagan got along as friends -- “after 6:00 p.m.”)
<br>
<br>
OK, then. Here’s our companion challenge.
<br>
<br>
Step one. What do we want our America to be? We’ve been walking backwards through the legislative process, never defining our destination. No wonder we never reach it.
<br>
<br>
Do we want a country based on Gordon Gekko’s assertion that “greed is good” because “it’s all about the money”? A game in which whoever dies with the most toys wins? Major banks prospering by cheating customers?
<br>
<br>
Universities that charge students $23,580 for tuition, board and room, and then add 11 mandatory fees (with two for the student union) – plus $150 to watch their fellow “student-athletes” play football? A medical bill for a brief visit with the item, “Miscellaneous $2,000”? We can handle a little extra charge for an auto mechanic’s “rags,” but $2,000 worth of “miscellaneous”?!
<br>
<br>
What’s greed bought us? America’s ranking is worse than its peer nations in life expectancy, infant mortality, pregnant teens, obesity, heart and lung disease, affordable prescriptions – and happiness.
<br>
<br>
All of us who are not Native Americans have immigrants among our ancestors. Do we share their dreams today? Share what made my grandfather’s eyes wet up when he sang “God Bless America”?
<br>
<br>
Share our Declaration of Independence assertion “that all (persons) are created equal, . . . endowed with unalienable rights (of) life, liberty and pursuit of happiness”? Share the UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights' inclusion of “the right to . . . food, clothing, housing and medical care”? Share Jesus' command in Matthew 25 that we provide food, water, clothes, health care and shelter to those in need?
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzCRStPNZO1ltWjZjiNCG0hcE-9OAOuZpAIm_lCTGqV0GqDnJwMnd0sAwS6AujhmdPpqoPYi1Cubd5Y8de77ewcpy2Df_9nHqm2384HeW-j1_vYX9EGtkHA60fVTb8u7dC0FFWuP0zgmeneMmPr29W33tab5dXj5shCCE2zKsCJZHpju7jOyz/s1024/LWV-SignPeopleOverPolitics.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkzCRStPNZO1ltWjZjiNCG0hcE-9OAOuZpAIm_lCTGqV0GqDnJwMnd0sAwS6AujhmdPpqoPYi1Cubd5Y8de77ewcpy2Df_9nHqm2384HeW-j1_vYX9EGtkHA60fVTb8u7dC0FFWuP0zgmeneMmPr29W33tab5dXj5shCCE2zKsCJZHpju7jOyz/s320/LWV-SignPeopleOverPolitics.jpg"/></a></div><br>The destination choice is step one. </big>[Photo Source: League of Women Voters. If this photo is copyright and the LWV wants me to take down it, along with reference to the organization, just email mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org .]<big>
<br>
<br>
Step two is abandoning knee-jerk, discussion-ending labels such as “capitalism” and “socialism.” Address instead, “what are the goods, services and personnel necessary to create what we want America to be?”
<br>
<br>
Step three doesn’t start with a House appropriations bill. It starts with listing needed resources – and their availability. The economic impact of individuals’ and organizations’ volunteer services are estimated at billions of dollars (exceeding federal programs’ cost to taxpayers). Non-profit organizations. Schools and colleges. Public spirited businesses. Creative cost savings. And, yes, governments’ contributions.
<br>
<br>
It may not be the total solution to the Chaos Caucus, but it’s three steps closer to a destination we first need to define.
<br>
<br>
</big>Like Robert Kennedy, Nicholas Johnson “dreams of things that never were, and asks why not?” Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big>
<b>Chaos Caucus</b>
<br>
<br>
Example of use: Congresswoman Ann McLane Kuster, “Newsweek: Why the Republican Chaos Caucus and Its Government Shutdown Should Make You Mad,” Newsweek, Sep. 22, 2023, https://kuster.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=5623
<br>
<br>
<b>Wannabe authoritarian candidate</b>
<br>
<br>
Examples of use: Michael Gerson, “Trump is an authoritarian wannabe. He must never hold power again,” The Washington Post, Dec. 21, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/trump-is-an-authoritarian-wannabe-he-must-never-hold-power-again/2020/12/21/30164bd6-43d0-11eb-975c-d17b8815a66d_story.html
<br>
<br>
<b>Republican presidents and candidates</b>
<br>
<br>
“List of United States Republican Party presidential tickets,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Republican_Party_presidential_tickets
<br>
<br>
<b>Presidential norms and skills</b>
<br>
<br>
David Montgomery, “The Abnormal Presidency; Trump dramatically changed the presidency. Here’s a list of the 20 most important norms he broke — and how Biden can restore them,” The Washington Post, Nov. 10, 2020, https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2020/lifestyle/magazine/trump-presidential-norm-breaking-list/ (“To a remarkable extent, the presidency is shaped by unwritten traditions and expectations that historians and political scientists call “norms” — what political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt call the “soft guardrails” of American democracy.” For examples from the list of 20 norms here are the first three: “1 - Personally profiting from official business;” 2 - Not releasing tax returns;” and “3 - Refusing oversight”)
<br>
<br>
Steve Rubenzer, " What Makes a Good President? Psychologists assess the personality of every president in American history," American Psychological Association, Aug. 2000, https://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2000/08/presidents
<br>
<br>
<b>"Insurrection" - January 6, 2021 - 14th Amendment</b>
<br>
<br>
“The Constitution: Amendments 11-27,” America’s Founding Documents, National Archives,” Amendment XIV, Section 3, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/amendments-11-27 (“Section 3.
No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.”)
<br>
<br>
“January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6_United_States_Capitol_attack (“January 6 United States Capitol Attack,” “Methods: Demonstration; Right-wing terrorism; Civil disorder: rioting, vandalism, looting, assault, attempted bombing; Political subversion: propaganda (big lie),[10] conspiracy,[11][12] intimidation,[13] Incitement of insurrection, obstruction of official proceedings,[14] attacking a legislature”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Acceptance of lost elections</b>
<br>
<br>
Amy McKeever, “No modern presidential candidate has refused to concede. Here’s why that matters; The formal concession speech has played a vital role in even the most divisive U.S. elections, from the Civil War to Bush v. Gore,” History & Culture/News, National Geographic, Nov. 8, 2020, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/no-modern-presidential-candidate-refused-to-concede-heres-why-that-matters (“As Democrat Joe Biden led in the vote count, Trump indicated that he wouldn't concede defeat in the 2020 presidential election.” “Even though Joe Biden has secured enough votes to become president-elect of the United States, President Donald Trump has given every indication that he won’t accept the result as fair. Trump also has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power.
<br>
<br>
Both moves would be historical firsts if Trump refuses to concede even after all legal challenges are resolved. U.S. history has seen a handful of bitterly contested elections, most recently in 2000, when Democrat Al Gore called Republican George W. Bush to concede in the early hours after election night—only to call back and retract his concession when the race unexpectedly tightened up. While their first conversation was congenial, the second was tense, with Gore famously telling Bush, “You don’t have to get snippy about this.”
<br>
<br>
No presidential candidate has ever refused to concede defeat once all the votes were counted and legal challenges resolved.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Speaker Tip O'Neil</b>
<br>
<br>
“Tip O’Neil,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_O%27Neill (“[O’Neil] was an American Democratic Party politician from Massachusetts who served as the 47th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 1977 to 1987, the third-longest tenure in history and the longest uninterrupted tenure. He represented northern Boston in the House from 1953 to 1987.
<br>
<br>
<b>Chris Matthews</b>
<br>
<br>
“Chris Matthews,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Matthews (“Matthews hosted his weeknight hour-long talk show, Hardball with Chris Matthews, on America's Talking and later on MSNBC, from 1997 until March 2, 2020. . . . Matthews was a presidential speechwriter during the Carter Administration, and later worked for six years as Chief of Staff to longtime Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, playing a direct role in many key political battles with the Reagan Administration.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>O'Neil-Reagan relationship</b>
<br>
<br>
“Tip O’Neil,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tip_O%27Neill (“Privately, O'Neill and Reagan were always on cordial terms, or, as Reagan wrote in his memoirs, they were friends "after 6 p.m.". In that same memoir, when questioned by Reagan regarding a personal attack against the president that had made the paper, O'Neill explained that "before 6 p.m. it's all politics".[20])
<br>
<br>
<b>Gordon Gekko - "Greed is good"</b>
<br>
<br>
“American Rhetoric: Movie Speech; ‘Wall Street’ (1987),” American Rhetoric Movie Speeches, https://www.americanrhetoric.com/MovieSpeeches/moviespeechwallstreet.html
(“The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed – for lack of a better word – is good. Greed is right. Greed works. Greed clarifies, cuts through, and captures the essence of the evolutionary spirit. Greed, in all of its forms – greed for life, for money, for love, knowledge – has marked the upward surge of mankind. And greed – you mark my words – will not only save Teldar Paper, but that other malfunctioning corporation called the USA.”)
<br>
<br>
“Wall Street (1987 film), Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_(1987_film) (“The film tells the story of Bud Fox (C. Sheen), a young stockbroker who becomes involved with Gordon Gekko (Douglas), a wealthy, unscrupulous corporate raider. . . . The film was well received among major film critics. Douglas won the Academy Award for Best Actor, and the film has come to be seen as the archetypal portrayal of 1980s excess, with Douglas' character declaring that "greed, for lack of a better word, is good."”)
<br>
<br>
<b>It's all about the money</b>
<br>
<br>
I thought this was just an expression I used from time to time when institutions or individuals made decisions that seemed, from the outside, to ignore morality and caring, and accepting “enough” as enough; instead, putting additional profit as a goal above all others.
<br>
<br>
When I searched Google with the phrase, just on the off chance, I discovered there is actually a song with those words and my meaning. Here are the first lines.
<br>
<br>
Meja, “All ‘Bout the Money,” Genius, https://genius.com/Meja-all-bout-the-money-lyrics
(“Sometimes I find another world
Inside my mind
When I realize
The crazy things we do
It makes me feel ashamed to be alive
It makes me wanna run away and hide
<br>
<br>
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum da da dum dum
I don't think It's funny
To see us fade away
It's all 'bout the money
It's all 'bout the dum dum da da dum dum
And I think we got it all wrong anyway”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Dies with the most toys</b>
<br>
<br>
“The Most Toys,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Most_Toys
(“The Most Toys" is the 22nd episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 70th episode of the series overall. . . . The episode's title comes from a popular saying found on bumper stickers and T-shirts in the 1980s which read, "He who dies with the most toys wins."[2] The quote was originally attributed to flamboyant millionaire Malcolm Forbes.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Banks cheating customers</b>
<br>
<br>
George Morcroft, “Wells Fargo Paying $3.7 Billion For Cheating Clients and Trashing Credit Histories,” Nasdaq, Dec. 21, 2022, https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/wells-fargo-paying-$3.7-billion-for-cheating-clients-and-trashing-credit-histories (“Wells Fargo & Company (US:WFC) and its subsidiary, Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., said Tuesday that it agreed to pay $3.7 billion to resolve potential criminal and civil liability for behavior from 2002 to 2016 in which they pressured employees to meet unrealistic sales goals, which led to employees creating false accounts or selling products under false pretenses, often by creating false records or misusing customers' identities.
Wells Fargo admitted that it collected millions of dollars in fees and interest to which it was not entitled, harmed the credit ratings of certain customers, and unlawfully misused customers' sensitive personal information, including their means of identification. The settlement includes a three year deferred prosecution agreement that compels Wells to abide by certain conditions, including continuing to cooperate with government investigations and implementing reforms. The settlement also requires Wells Fargo to pay a $500 million civil penalty to the SEC and to reform its business practices.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Universities' tuition</b>
<br>
<br>
“The Office of Student Financial Aid; Undergraduate Cost for 2023-2024,” Iowa, https://financialaid.uiowa.edu/cost/undergraduate ($10,964, resident; $32,927, non-resident; Housing & Food $12,616) -- "Students who are in their first semester at the University of Iowa should add $250 (Records and Documents Fee) to the Tuition & Fees amount.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Universities' mandatory fees</b>
<br>
<br>
“Mandatory Fees,” Office of the Registrar, Iowa, https://registrar.uiowa.edu/mandatory-fees (“Students enrolled at the University of Iowa are assessed . . . mandatory fees that help pay for the facilities and services available to them. Mandatory fees are not based on an individual’s use of facilities or services.” The list includes, “Technology Fee | Student Activity, Student Services, Student Union Fees | Building Fee | Recreation Facility Fee | Arts and Cultural Events Fee | Career Services Fee | Student Health Fee | Mental Health Fee | IMU Facilities Fee (New Fall 2023) | Professional Enhancement Fee |”
<br>
<br>
“Tuition & Fees Fall 2023,” Iowa, Liberal Arts & Sciences, Undergraduate Resident, Fees per semester,” https://tuition.ais.its.uiowa.edu/rates (12 fees (see above) totaling $5,482.00)
<br>
<br>
In addition to the “mandatory fees” there is a list of over 100 fees (ranging from $15 to $55,000) charged for individual programs, “2023-24 Common and Program Specific Fees,” Office of the Registrar, University of Iowa, https://registrar.uiowa.edu/2023-24-common-and-program-specific-fees
<br>
<br>
<b>$150 - students' football fee</b>
<br>
<br>
“Student Football, Basketball Tickets Now on Sale,” May 4, 2020, https://hawkeyesports.com/news/2020/05/04/student-football-basketball-tickets-now-on-sale (“Student season tickets for University of Iowa 2020 football and 2020-21 men’s basketball will go on sale Tuesday, May 5, at 9 a.m. (CT). University of Iowa students can purchase season tickets for the seven home football games for $150. Men’s basketball season tickets are $75. The men’s basketball schedule will be released this summer. All University of Iowa students currently enrolled for the fall semester can purchase season tickets at Hawkeyesports.com/student tickets.”)
<br>
<br>
Christina Gough, “Revenue of the NCAA from television broadcast payments and licensing rights from 2012 to 2027,” Statista, March 23, 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/219608/ncaa-revenue-from-television-rights-agreement/ (chart shows it going from $666M in 2012 to the 2023 to 2027 contracts producing $873M, (2023), $873, $995, $1,020, and $1,050 in 2027” - $1 Billion!)
<br>
<br>
Felix Richter, “ U.S. College Sports Are a Billion-Dollar Game,” Statista, July 2, 2021, https://www.statista.com/chart/25236/ncaa-athletic-department-revenue/ (“Universities collectively generate billions of dollars from TV deals, sponsorships and ticket sales with total revenue generated by NCAA athletic departments in 2019 adding up to $18.9 billion.”)
<br>
<br>
“The Economics of College Sports: How Does College Football Make Money?” The Citadel, July 30, 2018, https://today.citadel.edu/economics-college-sports-college-football-make-money/ (“The answer varies depending on the team, but the answer is that the top 24 teams in at Universities in the US can gross their athletic department over $100 million per season. . . . The National College Athletic Association (NCAA) reported that over $1 billion worth of football tickets were sold between September 2016 and August of 2017 alone. . . . the average football ticket to a top Division I game runs between $100 and $450 depending on what game you want to go see. Considering the average NFL ticket runs around $90, it’s easy to see how these universities make millions off of sold-out games alone.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>"Miscellaneous: $2000"</b>
<br>
<br>
I can provide the details, if needed (name of hospital, reason for visit, possible dates), and with considerable searching perhaps a copy of the bill, but I would rather not reveal the former and cannot now put my hands on the latter.
<br>
<br>
<b>America's ranking - health issues</b>
<br>
<br>
“U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health,” National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK154469/ (“The United States is among the wealthiest nations in the world, but it is far from the healthiest. Although life expectancy and survival rates in the United States have improved dramatically over the past century, Americans live shorter lives and experience more injuries and illnesses than people in other high-income countries.” Includes list of 9 measures.)
<br>
<br>
<b>America's ranking - prescriptions' costs</b>
<br>
<br>
“How Much Does the United States Spend on Prescription Drugs Compared to Other Countries?” Peter G. Peterson Foundation, Nov. 7, 2022, https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2022/11/how-much-does-the-united-states-spend-on-prescription-drugs-compared-to-other-countries (“According to a 2021 study by the RAND Corporation, a non-profit global policy think tank, prices of prescription drugs in the U.S. are 2.4 times higher than the average prices of nine other nations (Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). That higher cost is largely related to brand-name drugs, which are 4.9 times more expensive in the U.S. than in those countries. In fact, brand-name drugs are responsible for 84 percent of total drug costs in the United States despite accounting for only 8 percent of drugs dispensed.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>America's ranking - happiness index</b>
<br>
<br>
Gianna Melilo, “US inches up to 15th on list of happiest countries; The United States worked its way up the list as several countries fell in rankings,” Changing America, The Hill, March 20, 2023, . https://thehill.com/changing-america/well-being/mental-health/3908922-us-inches-up-to-15th-on-list-of-happiest-countries/
<br>
<br>
“Happiest Countries in the World 2023,” World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/happiest-countries-in-the-world
<br>
<br>
<b>Americans' ancestors as immigrants</b>
<br>
<br>
Michael Ham, Quora, 2018, “What percent of Americans are descended from immigrants, and who exactly counts as immigrants?” https://www.quora.com/What-percent-of-Americans-are-descended-from-immigrants-and-who-exactly-counts-as-immigrants (“All Americans are descended from immigrants, speaking broadly, since Homo sapiens did not arise in the Americas. But if you’re distinguishing Native Americans from others, then a search shows that 98% of Americans are immigrants or descendants of immigrants. 5.4 million is the nation's population of American Indians and Alaska Natives, including those of more than one race. They made up about 2 percent of the total population in 2014.”)
Both sets of my grandparents were immigrants.
<br>
<br>
<b>Grandfather and "God Bless America"</b>
<br>
<br>
My mother’s father, born in 1875, came from Germany alone as a teenager. He was very proud and grateful to be an American citizen and served for many years in the Iowa Legislature. Irving Berlin’s “God Bless America” history and lyrics can be found here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/God_Bless_America
<br>
<br>
<b>Declaration of Independence</b>
<br>
<br>
“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription,” National Archives, July 4, 1776, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript (“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights</b>
<br>
<br>
“Universal Declaration of Human Rights,” United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights (“Article 25 (1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.” And others. “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a milestone document in the history of human rights. Drafted by representatives with different legal and cultural backgrounds from all regions of the world, the Declaration was proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in Paris on 10 December 1948 (General Assembly resolution 217 A) as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and all nations. It sets out, for the first time, fundamental human rights to be universally protected and it has been translated into over 500 languages.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Matthew 25</b>
<br>
<br>
"Matthew 25:35-40," English Standard Version 2016 (ESV), https://www.bible.com/bible/compare/MAT.25.35-40 ("For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me. . . . Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Economic impact of volunteers</b>
<br>
<br>
“Making volunteer work visible: supplementary measures of work in labor force statistics,” Monthly Labor Review, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, July 2020, https://www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/2020/article/making-volunteer-work-visible-supplementary-measures-of-work-in-labor-force-statistics.htm (“The Alzheimer’s Association notes that 18.4 billion hours of care annually, valued at $232 billion, are provided by family and other unpaid caregivers.50 In addition, the American Time Use Survey shows that each year 41.3 million people provide unpaid care to people ages 65 and over.51 According to an estimate prepared for the 2018 State of the World’s Volunteerism Report by the United Nations, 70 percent of global volunteer activity occurs through direct person-to-person engagement, while 30 percent takes place formally through organizations.52.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Federal program - volunteers' value exceeds budget from taxes</b>
<br>
<br>
“The Economic Value of Volunteers; Key Results from ACL [Administration for Community Living] Programs,” https://acl.gov/sites/default/files/programs/2021-09/ACL%20Volunteerism%20Study_Infographic%20August%202021.pdf
(“The value provided by OAA Title III AAA volunteers exceeded federal funding for the program.” $1.7 billion vs. $1.49 billion)
<br>
<br>
<b>Decisions Must Come Before Taxes</b>
<br>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson, “Decisions Must Come Before Taxes,” The Gazette, Jan. 3, 2018, https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2017/12/taxes-are-last-step-not-first.html
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center</big>
<br>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-18753397433787672402023-11-07T06:22:00.002-06:002023-12-05T12:35:00.107-06:00Didn't Know the Territory<big><big><big><center><b>We Didn't Know the Territory</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, November 7, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
In the movie version of Iowa’s best-known musical, “The Music Man,” the opening scene is a Rock Island Railroad passenger car filled with over a dozen salesmen bouncing down the tracks to River City, Iowa, convinced that Harold Hill “doesn’t know the territory.”
<br>
<br>
That was the passenger train I took from Iowa City to high school organizations’ meetings in Des Moines or Chicago. During the 1950s I could ride the “Katy” line directly to Austin, Texas, and back.
<br>
<br>
From the time the first train reached Iowa City on January 3, 1856, to the first American locomotive to exceed 100 mph in 1893, and our country’s 254,000 miles of track by 1916, trains were once Americans’ first choice for travel.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Rame_Eurostar_en_Savoie.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/68/Rame_Eurostar_en_Savoie.JPG"/></a></div><br>That enthusiasm continues today in over 20 countries. Their passenger trains go 124 to 221 miles per hour, starting with Japan’s “bullet train” I rode in the 1960s, up to the world’s record 357 mph French TGV on April 3, 2007. Going from city center to city center, avoiding the time and frustration of going to, through, and from airports, high speed rail is cheaper and almost as fast as flying. (Photo credit: Wikimedia.commons' photo of French TGV.)
<br>
<br>
In 1994 a group of eminent scientists warned China that relying on cars and highways was a mistake, citing the loss of cropland for feeding its people. They recommended instead rail, buses and bicycles – with the added benefits of improving climate change, air pollution, crowded highways, and transportation for those who can’t afford cars.
<br>
<br>
Today China has two-thirds of the world’s high-speed railroads.
<br>
<br>
And what do we have?
<br>
<br>
With 278 million vehicles travelling over four million miles of highways, filling up at 145,000 gas stations, using 40 million acres of farmland for roads and parking lots, we’ve created one of the biggest road networks of any country – and the primary cause of climate change.
<br>
<br>
How could Americans get so far off-track? Like some Facebook users characterize their relationship, “it’s complicated.”
<br>
<br>
In the 1920s capitalists saw the potential profits from car sales. Americans sought the prestige of the latest technology: car ownership. Teenagers sought the freedom they provided. Politicians liked the contributions and votes from government highway construction. And few cared when GM tore up the tracks in Los Angeles and opened car dealerships – ignoring the transportation needs of those who couldn’t afford cars.
<br>
<br>
Americans, once in love with passenger rail, had found a shinier new lover.
<br>
<br>
To travel America today everyone must, in effect, buy, drive and care for their own locomotive. In some congested areas cars move slower -- and at far greater cost -- than the horse and buggy they replaced. Only 20 percent of Americans can afford new cars, at $50,000. What’s your time driving worth? Add the costs of fuel; tolls, licenses and taxes; insurance; maintenance and repairs; home garages and parking elsewhere and, as attributed to the late Senator Dirksen, “You’re talking real money.”
<br>
<br>
How did it happen? Maybe we just “didn’t know the territory.”
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson, logging thousands of bicycle miles, never bought a new car. Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<i>After</i> posting this column and "sources" the following movie/documentary was brought to my attention. If you are interested in this subject I highly recommend your watching it: "Taken for a Ride - The U.S. History of the Assault on Public Transport in the Last Century," New Day Films, 1996, 56:24,
<br>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-I8GDklsN4
<br>
<br>
<b>“The Music Man” (Broadway; and movie)</b>.
<br>
<br>
“The Music Man,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Man
(“In the early summer of 1912, aboard a train leaving Rock Island, Illinois,[34] Charlie Cowell and other traveling salesmen debate whether modern conveniences are making their profession more difficult.”)
<br>
<br>
“The Music Man (1962 film),” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Music_Man_(1962_film)
<br>
<br>
Music Man opening scene; salesmen on train; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JZ9U4Cbb4wg
<br>
<br>
<b>Rock Island Railroad</b>.
<br>
<br>
“Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago%2C_Rock_Island_and_Pacific_Railroad (“The Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad . . . was also known as the Rock Island Line . . .. At the end of 1970, it operated 7,183 miles of road on 10,669 miles of track [and]] 20,557 million ton-miles of revenue freight and 118 million passenger miles. . . . The song "Rock Island Line", a spiritual from the late 1920s first recorded in 1934, was inspired by the railway. . . . Its predecessor, the Rock Island and La Salle Railroad Company, was incorporated in Illinois on February 27, 1847, and an amended charter was approved on February 7, 1851, as the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad. Construction began in Chicago on October 1, 1851, and the first train was operated on October 10, 1852, between Chicago and Joliet. Construction continued on through La Salle, and Rock Island was reached on February 22, 1854, becoming the first railroad to connect Chicago with the Mississippi River. . . . The railroad retired its last steam locomotive from service in 1953.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Trips to Des Moines and Chicago</b>.
<br>
<br>
There are no “sources” for these trips beyond memories left a few left over neurons.
<br>
<br>
<b>“Katy” Railroad</b>.
<br>
<br>
“Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missouri%E2%80%93Kansas%E2%80%93Texas_Railroad, (“ Established in 1865 under the name Union Pacific Railroad (UP), Southern Branch, it came to serve an extensive rail network in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. In 1988, it merged with the Missouri Pacific Railroad; today, it is part of UP.
<br>
<br>
In the 1890s, the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", because for a time it was the Kansas-Texas division of the Missouri Pacific Railroad and "KT" was its abbreviation in timetables as well as its stock exchange symbol. This soon evolved into the nickname "the Katy".[1]
<br>
<br>
The Katy was the first railroad to enter Texas from the north.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Train reached Iowa City January 3, 1856</b>.
<br>
<br>
Herbert L. Moeller and Hugh C. Mueller, “Building a Great Railroad System,” “Our Iowa, Its Beginning and Growth” (1938), Iowa History; An IAGenWeb Special Project, https://iagenweb.org/history/history/oibg/RR.htm (“Iowa’s First Railroad
The first railroad built in Iowa ran westward from Davenport to Iowa City, then the capital of Iowa. . . . The first train pulled into Muscatine from Davenport in November, 1855, and a great celebration was held. Two towns twenty-five miles apart were now connected by rail!
<br>
<br>
In order to get the railroad completed to Iowa City by January 1, 1856, many people who lived in that city helped the workmen. Huge bonfires were built to keep the men warm and to furnish light to work by at night. The first train arrived in Iowa City on the afternoon of January 3, 1856.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Locomotive going over 100 mph</b>.
<br>
<br>
Association of American Railroads, “Chronology of America’s Freight Railroads,” https://www.aar.org/chronology-of-americas-freight-railroads/ (“On May 10, [1893] Locomotive No. 999 of the New York Central hits 112.5 miles per hour between Batavia and Buffalo, New York — the first time a train exceeds 100 miles per hour.”) [Batavia to Buffalo is 41 miles]; https://www.trippy.com/distance/Buffalo-to-Batavia-NY ]
<br>
<br>
“High-Speed Rail Train,” Britannica, Oct. 9, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-speed-rail (“High-speed rail (HSR), passenger train that generally travels at least 200 km (124 miles) per hour and can cruise up to 355 km (221 miles) per hour, though some have reached higher speeds. More than 20 countries, largely in Asia and Europe, have high-speed rail networks. Transportation researchers have found that traveling via high-speed rail in Asia and Europe is a competitive alternative to flying for trips up to about 1,000 km (620 miles).
<br>
<br>
History
The first high-speed rail was Japan’s 515-km (320-mile) Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and Ōsaka, inaugurated in advance of the 1964 Summer Olympics. Its inauguration was greeted by widespread international acclaim, and the Shinkansen was quickly dubbed the “bullet train” for the great speed the trains obtained and for the aerodynamic bullet shape of their noses. Many innovations, such as the use of prestressed concrete ties and 1.6-km- (1-mile-) long welded sections of track, were introduced in the line’s construction.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>254,000 miles of track in 1916</b>.
<br>
<br>
“The Golden Age of American Railroading,” University of Iowa Libraries, August 1989, https://www.lib.uiowa.edu/exhibits/previous/railroad/ (“Trackage increased from 35,000 miles in 1865 to 254,000 miles in 1916, the eve of America’s entry into World War I. The first transcontinental railroad was finished on May 10, 1869, when the Union Pacific met the Central Pacific at Promontory in Utah Territory.”)
<br>
<br>
Iowa rail mileage. Adam Burns, “State Mileage Chart,” “Iowa Railroads In ‘The Hawkeye State,’” Oct. 11, 2023, https://www.american-rails.com/ia.html (1920 9,808 miles; “today” (2017, 3834 miles)
<br>
<br>
<b>Americans liked passenger rail travel</b>.
<br>
<br>
“Trains: A History,” Institute for Transportation, Iowa State University, Aug. 16, 2016, https://intrans.iastate.edu/news/trains-a-history/ (“Trains served as the most important mode of transportation during a period of time called “The Golden Age” of railroads, which lasted from the 1880s until the 1920s.”
<br>
<br>
“Passenger Train,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_train (“Travel by passenger trains in the United States began in the 1830s and became popular in the 1850s and '60s.“)
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa Plans for Passenger Rail</b>.
<br>
<br>
Although there is nothing in the column about Iowa plans for passenger railroads, and little likelihood of any plans coming to fruition, because the talk is starting up again it seemed a good idea to at least list some of the sources for those unfulfilled Iowa plans over the years. Here’s a sample:
<br>
<br>
Grant Leo Winterer, “6 northeast Iowa counties considering passenger rail line,” IPR, News of the Day, Oct. 25, 2023, https://www.iowapublicradio.org/live-updates/news-of-the-day?utm_source=Newsletters&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=IPR_Daily_Digest&utm_source=Daily+Digest+Newsletter&utm_campaign=10c91865b0-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_10_27_03_50_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-891edfcec1-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=10c91865b0&mc_eid=75556320f8#6-northeast-iowa-counties-considering-passenger-rail-line
<br>
<br>
“Iowa Rail,” Vision/Plan, Iowa Department of Transportation, https://iowadot.gov/iowarail/iowa-passenger-rail/vision-plans
<br>
<br>
“2021 Iowa State Rail Plan,” Iowa in Motion, Iowa Department of Transportation, https://iowadot.gov/iowainmotion/modal-plans/rail-transportation-plan (Chapters 1-6; Appendices A-F)
<br>
<br>
“Iowa Connections; Get on Board with Passenger Rail!” Iowa Department of Transportation, Office of Rail Transportation, Jan. 4, 2011, 21 pp. with graphics, https://publications.iowa.gov/16153/1/IowaConnections.pdf
<br>
<br>
“Iowa State Rail Plan,” Final Report, Nov. 2021, Iowa Publications Online, State Library of Iowa, https://publications.iowa.gov/43128/
<br>
<br>
Austin Wu, “A passenger rail station for Iowa City: So nice, they planned it thrice,” The Gazette, Dec. 7, 2022, https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/a-passenger-rail-station-for-iowa-city-so-nice-they-planned-it-thrice/
<br>
<br>
“Chicago to Iowa City Intercity Passenger Rail Service Project; Finding of No Significant Impact,” Federal Railroad Administration, https://railroads.dot.gov/sites/fra.dot.gov/files/fra_net/261/Chicago_to_Iowa_City_FONSI_11_16_2011.pdf
<br>
<br>
<b>20 countries with high speed rail</b>.
<br>
<br>
“High-Speed Rail Train,” Britannica, Oct. 9, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-speed-rail (“More than 20 countries, largely in Asia and Europe, have high-speed rail networks. Transportation researchers have found that traveling via high-speed rail in Asia and Europe is a competitive alternative to flying for trips up to about 1,000 km (620 miles).”
<br>
<br>
<b>124-221 mph</b>.
<br>
<br>
“High-Speed Rail Train,” Britannica, Oct. 9, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-speed-rail (“High-speed rail (HSR), passenger train that generally travels at least 200 km (124 miles) per hour and can cruise up to 355 km (221 miles) per hour, though some have reached higher speeds. More than 20 countries, largely in Asia and Europe, have high-speed rail networks. Transportation researchers have found that traveling via high-speed rail in Asia and Europe is a competitive alternative to flying for trips up to about 1,000 km (620 miles).
<br>
<br>
“Passenger Train,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passenger_train (“In most cases, high-speed rail travel is time- and cost-competitive with air travel when distances do not exceed 500 to 600 km (310 to 370 mi), as airport check-in and boarding procedures can add at least two hours to the overall transit time.[14] Also, rail operating costs over these distances may be lower when the amount of jet fuel consumed by an airliner during takeoff and climbout is taken into consideration.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Japan “bullet train.”</b>
<br>
<br>
“High-Speed Rail Train,” Britannica, Oct. 9, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-speed-rail (“History
The first high-speed rail was Japan’s 515-km (320-mile) Shinkansen line connecting Tokyo and Ōsaka, inaugurated in advance of the 1964 Summer Olympics. Its inauguration was greeted by widespread international acclaim, and the Shinkansen was quickly dubbed the “bullet train” for the great speed the trains obtained and for the aerodynamic bullet shape of their noses. Many innovations, such as the use of prestressed concrete ties and 1.6-km- (1-mile-) long welded sections of track, were introduced in the line’s construction.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>French train 357 mph</b>.
<br>
<br>
“What Are the World’s Fastest Trains?” High Speed Rail Alliance, Dec. 12, 2022, https://www.hsrail.org/blog/worlds-fastest-trains/ (“The current world speed record for a commercial train on steel wheels is held by the French TGV at 574.8 km/h (357.2 mph), achieved on 3 April 2007 on the new LGV Est. The trainset, the track and the cantenary were modified to test new designs.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>High speed rail travel time cheaper and close to time for air travel</b>.
<br>
<br>
“High-Speed Rail Train,” Britannica, Oct. 9, 2023, https://www.britannica.com/technology/high-speed-rail (“Transportation researchers have found that traveling via high-speed rail in Asia and Europe is a competitive alternative to flying for trips up to about 1,000 km (620 miles).”
<br>
<br>
<b>Scientists’ warning and recommendations for China</b>.
<br>
<br>
Lester R. Brown, “Plan B Updates; Paving the Planet: Cars and Crops Competing for Land,” Earth Policy Institute, Feb. 14, 2001, https://www.earth-policy.org/plan_b_updates/2001/alert12
(“When Beijing announced in 1994 that it planned to make the auto industry one of the growth sectors for the next few decades, a group of eminent scientists — many of them members of the National Academy of Sciences — produced a white paper challenging this decision. They identified several reasons why China should not develop a car-centered transport system, but the first was that the country did not have enough cropland both to feed its people and to provide land for the automobile.
<br>
<br>
The team of scientists recommended that instead of building an automobile infrastructure of roads and parking lots, China should concentrate on developing state-of-the-art light rail systems augmented by buses and bicycles. This strategy would not only provide mobility for far more people than a congested, auto-centered system, but it would also protect cropland.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>China has two-thirds of world’s high speed railroads</b>.
<br>
<br>
“High-speed rail,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High-speed_rail (“More recent construction since the 21st century has led to China taking a leading role in high-speed rail. As of 2023, its network accounted for over two-thirds of the world's total.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. 278 million vehicles</b>.
<br>
<br>
Ashlee Tilford, “Car Ownership Statistics 2023,” Forbes Advisor, Oct. 5, 2023, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/car-ownership-statistics/ (“278,063,737 personal and commercial vehicles were registered to drivers in the U.S. in 2021. . . . 91.7% of households had at least one vehicle in 2021; 94.4% in Iowa. . . . Iowa (1,619,970) [1,619.97 per 1000 licensed drivers] ranks 5 in US . . . 22.1% of households with 3 or more; 60% households with 2, 3 or more . . . EVs & hybrids 12.3% of all new vehicle sales in 2022 (Calif 1.62% of total registration; Iowa 42, 0.12% of registered vehicles)
<br>
<br>
<b>4 million miles of U.S. highways</b>.
<br>
<br>
Mathilde Carlier, “Highway mileage within the United States from 1990 to 2020 (in million statute miles),” Statista, April 28, 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/183397/united-states-highway-mileage-since-1990 (“In 2020, the highway network in the United States had a total length of around 4.17 million statute miles. One statute mile is approximately equal to 5,280 feet. The United States has one of the most extensive road networks worldwide.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>145,000 filing stations</b>.
<br>
<br>
Sky Ariella, “The 10 Largest Gas Station Chains in the United States,” Zippia, April 22, 2023, https://www.zippia.com/advice/largest-gas-station-chains/ (“Largest Gas Station Chains Research Summary
The largest gas station chain in the U.S. is Exxon Mobil, with a revenue of $413.68 billion and 71,100 employees.
As of 2022, the US gas station industry has a market size of $138.3 billion.
There are over 145,000 gas stations across the US.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>40 million acres highways and parking lots</b>.
<br>
<br>
"Pavement is replacing the world's croplands,” Grist, March 1, 2001, https://grist.org/article/rice/ (“Millions of acres of cropland in the industrial world have been paved over for roads and parking lots. Each U.S. car, for example, requires on average 0.18 acres of paved land for roads and parking space. For every five cars added to the U.S. fleet, an area the size of a football field is covered with asphalt.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. one of biggest road networks</b>.
<br>
<br>
Mathilde Carlier, “Highway mileage within the United States from 1990 to 2020 (in million statute miles),” Statista, April 28, 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/183397/united-states-highway-mileage-since-1990 (“In 2020, the highway network in the United States had a total length of around 4.17 million statute miles. One statute mile is approximately equal to 5,280 feet. The United States has one of the most extensive road networks worldwide.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Fossil-fuel vehicles major contributor to climate change</b>.
<br>
<br>
“Measuring Vehicle Emissions: What is the Carbon Footprint?” in Stephanie Safdie, “What’s the Impact of Vehicle Emissions on the Planet?” Greenly, Sep. 20, 2023, https://greenly.earth/en-us/blog/ecology-news/vehicle-emissions-whats-the-impact-on-the-planet (“Transportation has received significant attention, because it is the sector with the single highest contribution to global warming in the US at 29%.”)
<br>
<br>
“Reduce Climate Change,” Fuel Economy.Gov, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy, https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/climate.shtml (“Highway vehicles release about 1.5 billion tons of greenhouse gases (GHGs) into the atmosphere each year—mostly in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2)—contributing to global climate change. Each gallon of gasoline you burn creates 20 pounds of GHG. That's roughly 5 to 9 tons of GHG each year for a typical vehicle.”)
<br>
<br>
Causes and Effects of Climate Change,” Climate Action, United Nations, https://www.un.org/en/climatechange/science/causes-effects-climate-change (“Fossil fuels – coal, oil and gas – are by far the largest contributor to global climate change, accounting for over 75 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 90 per cent of all carbon dioxide emissions.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Facebook “complicated” relationships</b>.
<br>
<br>
Holly Golightly, Question: “Why have people who set their relationship status to “It’s Complicated” on Facebook done so?” https://www.quora.com/Why-have-people-who-set-their-relationship-status-to-It-s-Complicated-on-Facebook-done-so? answer, Quora, (“This probably varies from person to person. I would imagine the most likely scenario is that the person with the “complicated” relationship still feels committed to one person, but at the same time is open to exploring other options. It could also mean a difficult situation with a third party, or even just a relationship that fails to be classified. If you really want to know, you should contact that person directly. Cheers!”)
<br>
<br>
Answer, Quora, ChatGPT, “People who set their relationship status to "It's Complicated" on Facebook may have done so for a variety of reasons. Some people may use this status to indicate that they are in a relationship that is not straightforward or easy to define, while others may use it to signal that they are currently navigating a difficult or uncertain period in their relationship. Some people may also use this status to indicate that they are involved with multiple people, or that they are not sure of their feelings towards their partner. Ultimately, the reasons for using this status are likely to vary depending on the individual and their specific situation.”
<br>
<br>
<b>During 1920s swing from rail to automobiles</b>.
<br>
<br>
The Age of the Automobile,” U.S. History, https://www.ushistory.org/us/46a.asp (“By 1920, there were over 8 million registrations. The 1920s saw tremendous growth in automobile ownership, with the number of registered drivers almost tripling to 23 million by the end of the decade.” “When America opted for the automobile, the nation's rails began to be neglected. As European nations were strengthening mass transit systems, individualistic Americans invested in the automobile infrastructure.”
<br>
<br>
<b>Ford’s sales; capitalists’ profits</b>.
<br>
<br>
“New car prices in 1939,” Antique Automobile Discussion,” April 30, 2015, https://forums.aaca.org/topic/255941-new-car-prices-in-1939/ (“Rusty Otoole, Posted April 30, 2015 (edited), “The list price of the basic Ford or Chevrolet sedan was under $700. That was what they printed in their advertising, it would probably cost a little more for shipping, dealer prep and accessories but the base price was under $700. Edited April 30, 2015 by Rusty_OToole (see edit history).”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Factors increasing Americans desire for cars in 1920s</b>.
<br>
<br>
“1920s Consumption,” U.S. Consumption, Khan Academy, https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/us-history/rise-to-world-power/1920s-america/a/1920s-consumption# (“Overview
For many middle-class Americans, the 1920s was a decade of unprecedented prosperity. Rising earnings generated more disposable income for the purchase of consumer goods.
<br>
<br>
Henry Ford’s advances in assembly-line efficiency created a truly affordable automobile, making car ownership a possibility for many Americans.
<br>
<br>
Advertising became as big an industry as the manufactured goods that advertisers represented, and many families relied on new forms of credit to increase their consumption levels as they strived for a new American standard of living.
<br>
<br>
The expansion of credit in the 1920s allowed for the sale of more consumer goods and put automobiles within reach of average Americans. Now individuals who could not afford to purchase a car at full price could pay for that car over time -- with interest, of course!
<br>
<br>
Once a luxury item, cars became within reach for many more consumers as automobile manufacturers began to mass produce automobiles. The most significant innovation of this era was Henry Ford’s Model T Ford, which made car ownership available to the average American.
<br>
<br>
Ford’s innovation lay in his use of mass production to manufacture automobiles. He revolutionized industrial work by perfecting the assembly line, which enabled him to lower the Model T’s price from $850 in 1908 to $300 in 1924, making car ownership a real possibility for a large share of the population. . . . By 1929, there were over 23 million automobiles on American roads.")
<br>
<br>
“46a. The Age of the Automobile,” U.S. History, https://www.ushistory.org/us/46a.asp# (“Perhaps no invention affected American everyday life in the 20th century more than the automobile. . . .
<br>
<br>
Even the federal government became involved with the Federal Highway Act of 1921. . . .
<br>
<br>
Freedom of choice encouraged many family vacations to places previously impossible. Urban dwellers had the opportunity to rediscover pristine landscapes, just as rural dwellers were able to shop in towns and cities. Teenagers gained more and more independence with driving freedom. Dating couples found a portable place to be alone as the automobile helped to facilitate relaxed sexual attitudes.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>GM tore up tracks in LA</b>.
<br>
<br>
“General Motors streetcar conspiracy,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_streetcar_conspiracy#
(“This suit created lingering suspicions that the defendants had in fact plotted to dismantle streetcar systems in many cities in the United States as an attempt to monopolize surface transportation. . . . At the hearings in April 1974, San Francisco mayor and antitrust attorney Joseph Alioto testified that "General Motors and the automobile industry generally exhibit a kind of monopoly evil", adding that GM "has carried on a deliberate concerted action with the oil companies and tire companies...for the purpose of destroying a vital form of competition; namely, electric rapid transit". Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley also testified, saying that GM, through its subsidiaries (namely PCL), "scrapped the Pacific Electric and Los Angeles streetcar systems leaving the electric train system totally destroyed".[62]”)
<br>
<br>
<b>So did Iowa</b>.
<br>
<br>
Iowa rail mileage. Adam Burns, “State Mileage Chart,” “Iowa Railroads In ‘The Hawkeye State,’” Oct. 11, 2023, https://www.american-rails.com/ia.html (1920 9,808 miles; “today” (2017, 3834 miles)
<br>
<br>
<b>Horse and buggy faster than cars</b>.
<br>
<br>
Andrew Nikiforuk, “The Big Shift Last Time: From Horse Dung to Car Smog; Lessons from an earlier energy transition. Third in a series,” The Tyee, March 6, 2013, https://thetyee.ca/News/2013/03/06/Horse-Dung-Big-Shift/# (“Ironically, it didn’t take long for millions of cheap cars to clog urban thoroughfares so completely that they moved as slowly as horses.
<br>
<br>
Congested urban cities such as Vancouver even ran advertisements as early as 1959 asking, “Should we [go] back to the horse and buggy days?”
<br>
<br>
“Don’t laugh,” added the poster. Real tests show that “the average speed at which traffic moves through congested areas is less than it was during the horse and buggy days.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Costs of automobile transportation</b>.
<br>
<br>
“Owning a car is a necessity for many Americans, but is the financial burden worth it in today’s market?” Intuit/Creditkarma, Dec. 7, 2021, https://www.creditkarma.com/about/commentary/owning-a-car-is-a-necessity-for-many-americans-but-is-the-financial-burden-worth-it-in-todays-market (“According to a study by Qualtrics on behalf of Credit Karma, one-third of respondents who are not car owners say they need a car but cannot afford one in today’s market. What’s more concerning is that nearly half (45%) of respondents who don’t have cars feel that not owning a car is holding them back from making financial progress (i.e. not being able to easily commute to work), while 12% say owning a car is too big of a financial obligation.”)
<br>
<br>
James Ochoa, “Why only about 22 percent of Americans can afford a new car; Sticker shock is only part of the problem for prospective buyers,” TheStreet, Oct 6, 2023, https://www.thestreet.com/automotive/why-only-about-22-percent-of-americans-can-afford-a-new-car- (“The report analyzed one’s financial ability to finance what it determined was the average new car. According to Kelly Blue Book, the average price of a brand new car in the United States is around $48,000.
A common guideline about how much to spend when buying a new car is the old 20/4/10 rule, where you put at least 20% of the purchase price for a down payment, take out a 4-year loan, and spend no more than 10% of your income on said car. . . . In a comment on the state of the new car market, a former Ford executive said that “You have to make over $100,000 just to afford a new car. . . . According to data from the United States Census Bureau, only 21.6% of individuals in the United States made $100,000 a year in 2022, meaning that a new car is out of reach financially for 78.4% of the population. According to Forbes, the average salary in the United States is roughly $59,428.”)
<br>
<br>
Ashlee Tilford, “How Much Does it Cost to Own a Car?, Car Ownership Statistics 2023,” Forbes Advisor, Oct. 5, 2023, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/car-ownership-statistics/ (“278,063,737 personal and commercial vehicles were registered to drivers in the U.S. in 2021. . . . 91.7% of households had at least one vehicle in 2021; 94.4% in Iowa. . . . Iowa (1,619,970) [1,619.97 per 1000 licensed drivers] ranks 5 in US . . . 22.1% of households with 3 or more; 60% households with 2, 3 or more . . . EVs & hybrids 12.3% of all new vehicle sales in 2022 (Calif 1.62% of total registration; Iowa 42, 0.12% of registered vehicles”
“It costs $10,728 a year, or $894 a month, to own and operate a new car, according to AAA.[6] That’s up 10.99% from 2021, when the average yearly cost was $9,666 a year, or $805.50 a month.[6]
<br>
<br>
Here are some additional car ownership statistics about new cars:
<br>
<br>
In 2022, the average sales price for a new car was $45,646, and the average sales price for a used car was $30,796.[7]
Over the past five years, new cars have cost $39,884 on average, and used cars have cost $24,242 on average.[7]
Between 2018 and 2022, new vehicles increased in price by 28.19%, and used vehicles increased in price by 49.60%.[7]
<br>
<br>
Cost of car ownership by state
To determine which states are the most (and least) expensive for car ownership, Forbes Advisor analyzed gas prices, car repair costs, average car insurance costs and monthly auto loan payments in all 50 states. . . .
<br>
<br>
Least expensive states to own a car
Ohio is the least expensive state to own a car, followed by: Iowa . . . Iowa and Ohio car ownership costs are reduced by cheap car insurance rates, thanks to healthy competition among a multitude of car insurance companies in both states. . . .
<br>
<br>
Methodology
To determine which states are the most expensive for car ownership, Forbes Advisor examined data for all 50 states across the following metrics:
<br>
• Cost of regular gasoline (25% of score): Data for this metric comes from AAA and was collected on Feb. 24, 2023.<br>
• Average car repair cost (25% of score): This metric includes the cost of parts and labor for a check engine light-related car repair. Data comes from CarMD and is from 2021.<br>
• Average annual cost of full coverage car insurance (25% of score): This metric is based on liability coverage of 100/300/100 ($100,000 in bodily injury liability per person, $300,000 per accident, and $100,000 in property damage liability), uninsured motorist coverage, and collision and comprehensive insurance with a $500 deductible. We used 2022 rates from Quadrant Information Services.<br>
• Average monthly auto loan payment (25% of score): Data for this metric comes from Experian and is from 2022.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Senator Dirksen; “You’re talking real money."</b>
<br>
<br>
Everett Dirksen, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Everett_Dirksen (“The saying, "A billion here, a billion there, pretty soon, you're talking real money" has been attributed to Dirksen, but there is no direct record of Dirksen saying the remark.[43]”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-23107485636662536912023-10-24T05:52:00.001-05:002023-10-24T05:52:51.726-05:00Basketball on a Football Field<big><big><big><center><b>Basketball Played on a Football Field</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, October 24, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
“How ‘bout that Iowa women’s basketball team!” Playing basketball on a football field – and before a crowd of 55,000 no less.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAJ9qdXnMvW82kQ9lChe2Vcwjc-eqOeFys_9_p8wRKnZWud3BLTg336woHEJnVZnA6wFueVk9n85K3VHbJ4biY5dWFp9UIrhx3M0b_1tqgJ4T9QMzPefNNsllg-81DRpubKfwWEOCAOWPciQVrNKY5vz5gGF62Rv23c-NB2a8H-G77tu2Plk3/s671/Iowa%20Women%27s%20BB%20in%20Kinick%20-%20231015%20-%202023-10-23%20114248.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="671" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhAJ9qdXnMvW82kQ9lChe2Vcwjc-eqOeFys_9_p8wRKnZWud3BLTg336woHEJnVZnA6wFueVk9n85K3VHbJ4biY5dWFp9UIrhx3M0b_1tqgJ4T9QMzPefNNsllg-81DRpubKfwWEOCAOWPciQVrNKY5vz5gGF62Rv23c-NB2a8H-G77tu2Plk3/s400/Iowa%20Women%27s%20BB%20in%20Kinick%20-%20231015%20-%202023-10-23%20114248.png"/></a></div><br>Where will they perform next? Perhaps a Broadway theater? There’s been real basketball on stage recently. My son in law, Jason, recently played the foul-mouth coach in the basketball play, “The Great Leap.” [Photo credit: Iowa Women's Basketball Twitter/X page.]
<br>
<br>
Maybe they could play basketball on the Moon – or inside a modified Space Station.
<br>
<br>
How far women have come since the fight for Title IX began in 1972. Iowa’s Christine Grant spent much of her life effectively responding to the male opposition that continues to this day – leadership producing benefits beyond Iowa to the nation and world.
<br>
<br>
Clearly the highlight of the sports law class I taught was the hour she was willing to come and mesmerize the students.
<br>
<br>
No one else was willing to teach sports law and I felt, when students are begging to learn something, a faculty has an obligation to respond.
<br>
<br>
My teaching it was otherwise a peculiar choice. In a small high school (U-High) a six-foot-three, 195-pound male was required to participate in all sports: football, basketball and track. In Austin I was urged to play football for Texas. (I declined.) I liked the Green Bay Packers primarily because of its non-profit public ownership.
<br>
<br>
In my Washington jobs I thought the demands required a self-imposed “maximum work product per unit time” (something I’m not proud of).
<br>
<br>
And so it was, when reading the L.A. Times on a return to Washington, I flipped over the sports section to the business pages. Though unmarried at the time, I hadn’t noticed or spoken to a woman my age next to me. A tap on my shoulder. “Yes,” I responded. “Would you marry me?” she asked. “Anything’s possible,” I replied, “but the plane is full of men more handsome and wealthy. Why me?” “All my life,” she said, “I’ve been looking for a man who doesn’t read the sports pages.”
<br>
<br>
As Maritime Administrator during the Vietnam war, I had some responsibility for “sealift” of military materiel, using refurbished World War II cargo ships. Although based in Washington I needed to visit our office in Saigon. The White House requested that, while there, I write up my observations about the war.
<br>
<br>
The startling lesson I learned was that whatever one thinks about wars in general, there are times, places and circumstances when they are impossible to stage.
<br>
<br>
For example, when locals have lived through centuries of invaders and we’re just the latest; it’s an ongoing civil war; we don’t know the native language, history, culture, or tribal relationships; we wear uniforms but our enemies don’t; we can’t distinguish enemies from the locals we employ; our efforts increase rather than decrease chaos; and there’s no frontline, as territory is gained only to be lost again.
<br>
<br>
And what’s this got to do with women’s basketball?
<br>
<br>
I had summed up my report with the concluding line, “You can’t play basketball on a football field.”
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson is a fan of Iowa women’s basketball, no matter where played. Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Basketball on football field</b>.
Photo of Kinnick Stadium on Iowa Women’s Basketball Twitter/X page, Oct. 15, 2023, https://twitter.com/intent/follow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1713635989443211478%7Ctwgr%5E65118809a1d92563651fedba1888f0a1f4bba9ac%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.si.com%2Fcollege%2F2023%2F10%2F15%2Fiowa-womens-basketball-game-kinnick-stadium-coolest-scenes&screen_name=IowaWBB (scroll down about 2/3ds of page)
<br>
<br>
Madison Williams, “The Coolest Scenes From Iowa Women’s Basketball Game at School’s Football Stadium,” Sports Illustrated, Oct. 15, 2023, https://www.si.com/college/2023/10/15/iowa-womens-basketball-game-kinnick-stadium-coolest-scenes
<br>
<br>
<b>On-stage basketball and “The Great Leap.”</b>
Ben Brantley, “Review: Basketball Meets Tiananmen Square in ‘The Great Leap,’” New York Times, June 4, 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018/06/04/theater/the-great-leap-review-bd-wong.html
<br>
<br>
A.A. Cristi, ”Farmers Alley Theatre's Regional Premiere Production Of THE GREAT LEAP; The time: 1989. An American college basketball team travels from San Francisco to Beijing for a ‘friendship game’ against a Chinese squad,” Broadway World, Jan 5, 2023, https://www.broadwayworld.com/michigan/article/Farmers-Alley-Theatres-Regional-Premiere-Production-Of-THE-GREAT-LEAP-20230105 (“Our production stars . . . Jason Grubbe (as the hard-driving American coach ‘Saul’) . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Title IX</b>.
“History of Title IX,” Women’s Sports Foundation, https://www.womenssportsfoundation.org/advocacy/history-of-title-ix/
<br>
<br>
<b>Christine Grant</b>.
Josh O’Leary, “How Christine Grant Changed the Game; On the 50th anniversary of Title IX, the University of Iowa celebrates the legacy of the athletics administrator who helped level the playing field nationally and sparked a women's sports revolution,” Iowa Magazine, Feb. 15, 2022, https://magazine.foriowa.org/story.php?ed=true&storyid=2168
<br>
<br>
<b>Sports law class</b>.
Nicholas Johnson, “Sports-Related Online Resources,” last updated June 2017, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/sports/sla12resources.html
<br>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson, “Syllabus; Sports Law, [91:346], University of Iowa College of Law, Iowa City, Iowa. Spring 2012,” https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/sla12/sla12syl.html
<br>
<br>
Table of Contents of Weiler 4xth edition casebook, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/sla12/Weiler4th-TOC-full.pdf
<br>
<br>
<b>Green Bay Packers</b>.
“Green Bay Packers, Inc.,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Bay_Packers,_Inc. (“Green Bay Packers, Inc. is the publicly held nonprofit corporation that owns the National Football League (NFL)'s Green Bay Packers football franchise, based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The corporation was established in 1923 as the Green Bay Football Corporation, and received its current legal name in 1935.
<br>
<br>
The Packers are the only publicly owned major professional sports franchise in the United States.[1] Rather than being the property of an individual, partnership, or corporate entity, they are held as of 2022 by 537,460 stockholders.[2] No one is allowed to hold more than 200,000 shares,[3] which represents approximately four percent of the 5,011,558 shares currently outstanding.[4] It is this broad-based community support and non-profit structure[5] which has kept the team in Green Bay for over a century in spite of being the smallest market in all of North American major professional sports.[a]”)
<br>
<br>
<b>“Will you marry me?”</b>
There is no source for this story other than the memory, seemingly firmly implanted in some neurons. For the curious, there is no memory of what happened thereafter, aside from the absence of any record of our marriage. I’m assuming there was nothing worth remembering from any subsequent conversation during that flight, and relatively confident we never saw each other again.
<br>
<br>
<b>Maritime Administration</b>.
For a description of how I came to be Maritime Administrator, see, “Thinking Outside the Cubicle: Business Skills in a Wider World,” Alpha Kappa Psi Business Fraternity, University of Iowa, Nov. 9, 2005, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/writing/akp51109.html (scroll down to the four sections beginning with the heading “Called to the White House”).
<br>
<br>
“National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF); American Ships. American Crews. American Jobs.” Updated March 26, 2022, https://www.maritime.dot.gov/national-defense-reserve-fleet (“As part of its Strategic Sealift operations, MARAD manages and maintains a fleet of inactive, Government-owned vessels known as the National Defense Reserve Fleet (NDRF), which provides a reserve of approximately 100 vessels -- mostly military-useful cargo and tanker ships -- ready to support national defense and emergencies. The NDRF also includes the military-focused Ready Reserve Force (RRF) and facilitates vessel loans, donations, and disposals, as well as artifact management and merchant marine training.”)
<br>
<br>
“The Maritime Administration’s First 100 Years: 1916 – 2016,” U.S. Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration,” last updated Feb. 25, 2022, https://www.maritime.dot.gov/history/historical-documents-and-resources/maritime-administration%E2%80%99s-first-100-years-1916-%E2%80%93-2016 (“During the Vietnam War, 172 NDRF vessels supported sealift operations and transported military cargo to Southeast Asia between July 1965 and June 1970. The majority of the NDRF ships activated during the war were World War II-era Victory ships, and activating the old vessels was one MARAD’s biggest challenges. Further complicating matters was the largescale ship activation required to coincide with the sudden troop escalation in Vietnam; between July and December 1965 MARAD activated 76 ships. MARAD employed shipyards on every coast to help activate ships that had not operated in years.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Vietnam</b>.
Nicholas Johnson, “The Futility of War and the Path to Peace,” Remarks on Armistice Day, November 11, 2018, 11:00 a.m., Veterans for Peace, Chapter 161 event, Pentacrest, Iowa City, Iowa,
https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2018/ (scroll down page to find text, and then, within it, the sub-heading “First, Lessons From Vietnam”)
<br>
<br>
“Viet Cong Uniform,” National Museum of American History, Smithsonian,
https://americanhistory.si.edu/collections/search/object/nmah_1272957
(“The Viet Cong were a guerilla force that fought against the United States and South Vietnam during the Vietnam conflict. Viet Cong could be a farmer, a woman, or a child and they were indistinguishable from the United States' South Vietnam allies. They used makeshift weapons, had a variety of uniforms, and avoided traditional combat, making it difficult to know who exactly the enemy was. Their orders came from the North Vietnam Communist party.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>White House-requested report and concluding line</b>.
I cannot recall, and so far as I know there is no record of, who in the White House passed along this request. Nor do I know where, if anywhere, there might be a copy of that report. I do not have a copy. I do recall including that final line, thinking it a good way to make my point in a context that should be entirely understandable to anyone.
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-72254780639565814432023-10-10T06:25:00.003-05:002023-10-10T09:02:00.817-05:00Shaken, Not Stirred<big><big><big><center><b>Higher Ed is Shaken, Not Stirred</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, October 10, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
Like a James Bond martini, America’s higher education is being “shaken, not stirred.”
<br>
<br>
While 22 other nations provide free college, increasing their numbers of college educated while watching their economies grow, the U.S. is doing the opposite. (American students thinking college “important” fell from 70 to 41 percent in 10 years.)
<br>
<br>
Debt has become our drug of choice. Interest on the national debt is now $475 billion – five times the federal budget in 1963. Student loans total $1.6 trillion. Lifetime interest payments for the average American’s mortgage, used car payments, credit card balance and student loans is $280,000. We’re all working for the banks.
<br>
<br>
When college is free, graduates leave commencement with no debt, into jobs that enable them to start creating wealth for their old age and participating in the consumer purchasing that fuels 70 percent of our economy.
<br>
<br>
High school graduates, and their parents, are coming to realize the distinction between “income” and “wealth.” A diploma may or may not bring a college graduate the promised additional million dollars, but it won’t bring wealth if, like President Obama, they are still paying off student debt in their 40s – or later, or never.
<br>
<br>
There are also distinctions between “diplomas” and “education.” There is more free “education” than anyone could absorb in a lifetime – from the Kahn Academy to the MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) of some of the world’s top universities. But only colleges and universities can issue “diplomas.”
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguA3-v9PgFjIjBVaIjLAB8C5pV83CvZiOCTPOPvnvFMmAJ8Vj-zNf_jJH366HrsNyiLa8UgS_uF2ta4FnSUsxcIkOZFyo07V7xxcu797WKXCZi1Ne9nqlkARdaFLUKAavb-vo2zGa4OXvf15L2boiNTcRWIrfBu69n0U8x0YWQtsVkxzLmUp-C/s1600/Great%20Minds%20Drink%20Alike%20-%20IMG_1907.JPG" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguA3-v9PgFjIjBVaIjLAB8C5pV83CvZiOCTPOPvnvFMmAJ8Vj-zNf_jJH366HrsNyiLa8UgS_uF2ta4FnSUsxcIkOZFyo07V7xxcu797WKXCZi1Ne9nqlkARdaFLUKAavb-vo2zGa4OXvf15L2boiNTcRWIrfBu69n0U8x0YWQtsVkxzLmUp-C/s400/Great%20Minds%20Drink%20Alike%20-%20IMG_1907.JPG"/></a></div><br>An S&P 500 manager told me of his disappointment with the college graduates who couldn’t comprehend a manual, write a report, or do basic math. I asked, “What if there were standard, national exams for those skills? Would you hire those who didn’t have a diploma but passed the exams?” “Of course,” he said. “We train all employees for their job. But we don’t have the time or skills to teach them math.” (Photo credit: Nicholas Johnson.)
<br>
<br>
What should Iowans do? There are too many possibilities for short columns. But we might start with a governor who doesn’t favor additional tax breaks for the wealthy over programs that benefit all Iowans – as well as Iowa’s economy.
<br>
<br>
We could join the 20 U.S. states that benefit from offering free community college education.
<br>
<br>
More Iowa high schools could take the lead in offering preparation for the trades along with traditional subjects (as Germany has profitably done for years), allowing students to take community college courses while in high school, or offering advanced placement courses to all students.
<br>
<br>
Labor-saving technology enriches CEOs and shareholders – but not those whose jobs disappear – as thousands of switchboard operators discovered once customers could dial their own phones, and 150,000 UAW fossil fuel auto workers are discovering now.
<br>
<br>
Yes, many Americans and their institutions have been shaken. But how many of the rest of us have been stirred? Stirred to advocate and fight for the obvious win-win solutions for the shaken, their institutions, our country, its economy – and ourselves?
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson doesn’t fancy martinis, whether shaken or stirred. Contact mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Shaken, not stirred</b>.
“Shaken, not stirred,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaken,_not_stirred
<br>
<br>
<b>22 Nations free college</b>.
Paul Tough, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet,” New York Times, Sept. 5, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html (“In Italy, Spain and Israel, [public-university tuition is] about $2,000. In France, Denmark and Germany, it’s essentially zero.”)
<br>
<br>
“Countries with Free College,” Online College Plan, https://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/what-countries-offer-free-college/ (22 countries offer free college tuition; 11 more have very low tuition)
<br>
<br>
Paul Tough, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet,” New York Times, Sept. 5, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html (“Outside the United States, meanwhile, higher education is more popular than ever. Our global allies and competitors have spent the last couple of decades racing to raise their national levels of educational attainment. In
Britain, the number of current undergraduates has risen since 2016 by 12 percent. (Over the same period, the American figure fell by 8 percent.) In Canada, 67 percent of adults between 25 and 34 are graduates of a two- or four-year college, about 15 percentage points higher than the current American attainment rate.
<br>
<br>
Britain and Canada are not the outliers on this point; we are. On average, countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development have increased their college-degree attainment rate among young adults by more than 20 percentage points since 2000, and 11 of those countries now have better-educated labor forces than we do, including not only economic powerhouses like Japan and South Korea and Britain but also smaller competitors like the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland. Americans have turned away from college at the same time that students in the rest of the world have been flocking to campus. . . .
<br>
<br>
But just as individual students pay a cost in lost wages when they opt out (or drop out) of college, there is a larger cost when millions of students do so — especially as other nations keep charging ahead. Holtz-Eakin and Lee calculated the price to the American economy of the millions of missing college grads they are projecting: $1.2 trillion in lost economic output by the end of the decade. That is one cost we are likely to bear together, winners and losers alike.”)
<br>
<br>
“Why Should College Be Free?” College Raptor, Dec. 22, 2022, https://www.collegeraptor.com/find-colleges/articles/affordability-college-cost/why-should-college-be-free/
<br>
<br>
“A Brief History of Free Education,” Online College Plan, https://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/history-free-education/
<br>
<br>
<b>College important</b>.
Paul Tough, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet,” New York Times, Sept. 5, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html
(“A decade later, Americans’ feelings about higher education have turned sharply negative. The percentage of young adults who said that a college degree is very important fell to 41 percent from 74 percent.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Interest on National debt; Federal budget in 1963</b>.
Interest on national debt. “Interest Costs on the National Debt Are on Track to Reach a Record High,” Peter G. Peterson Foundation, https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2023/02/interest-costs-on-the-national-debt-are-on-track-to-reach-a-record-high (“Interest payments on the national debt were $475 billion in fiscal year 2022 — the highest dollar amount ever.
Interest costs grew 35 percent last year and are projected to grow by another 35 percent in 2023.”)
<br>
<br>
National budget in 1963. “Annual Budget Message to the Congress, Fiscal Year 1963,” The American Presidency Project, https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/annual-budget-message-the-congress-fiscal-year-1963 (“The total of budget expenditures--estimated at $92.5 billion in fiscal 1963--is determined in large measure by the necessary but costly programs designed to achieve our national security and international objectives in the current world situation.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Lifetime interest payments</b>.
Jackie Zimmerman, “You're Going to Spend $280,000 on Interest in Your Lifetime,” Money, Jan. 15, 2015, https://money.com/lifetime-interest-payments/
<br>
<br>
Elizabeth Gravier, “You could end up paying $160,000-plus in interest alone over your lifetime; Select calculates total interest paid on a mortgage, car loan, student loans and credit card debt,” CNBC Select, Aug. 28, 2023, https://www.cnbc.com/select/how-much-americans-pay-in-interest-over-lifetime/ (“We found that the average American with a mortgage on a median-priced home, one used car payment, an average credit card balance and student loan burden can wind up paying $164,066 in just interest over their life.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>$1.6 trillion student loans</b>.
Paul Tough, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet,” New York Times, Sept. 5, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html
(“Over the last decade and a half, more and more young Americans have turned to loans to cover those rising costs. In 2007, total student debt stood at $500 billion. Today it is $1.6 trillion, and for many borrowers, their debt is becoming a serious burden. Among student borrowers who opened their loans between 2010 and 2019, more than half now owe more than what they originally borrowed. . . .
[The] people who are making out the worst at the casino: students who borrow money to attend college but don’t graduate. . . . Two-thirds said they would have a hard time coming up with $400 to cover an unexpected expense. Financially, they were not only doing much worse than college graduates; they were doing worse than adults who had never gone to college at all. For these former students, the college wage premium had turned upside down.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Diploma provides extra $1 million</b>.
Michael T. Nietzel, “New Study: College Degree Carries Big Earnings Premium, But Other Factors Matter Too,” Forbes, Oct. 11, 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/michaeltnietzel/2021/10/11/new-study-college-degree-carries-big-earnings-premium-but-other-factors-matter-too/?sh=45aae67d35cd
(“According to a new report from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce (CEW), adults with a bachelor’s degree earn an average of $2.8 million during their careers, $1.2 million more than the median for workers with a high school diploma. . . . The report also reveals that career earnings depend on many factors in addition to level of education—including age, field of study, occupation, gender, race and ethnicity, and location.”)
<br>
<br>
“Education and Lifetime Earnings,” Research, Statistics & Policy Analysis, Social Security, Nov. 2015, https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education-earnings.html (“Men with bachelor's degrees earn approximately $900,000 more in median lifetime earnings than high school graduates. Women with bachelor's degrees earn $630,000 more.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Consumers 70% of economy</b>.
“US consumer spending holds strong in July,” Economist Intelligence, Aug. 29, 2023, https://www.eiu.com/n/us-consumer-spending-holds-strong-in-july/ (“Private consumption (which represents nearly 70% of US GDP) . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>“Income” and “wealth.”</b>
Paul Tough, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet,” New York Times, Sept. 5, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html
(“[In] the early 1980s, the college wage premium began to rise steadily. In the early 2000s, it surpassed 60 percent, and ever since, it has hovered around 65 percent [greater than the income of those with only a high school education].
In theory, today’s sky-high college wage premium should mean a surge of young people onto college campuses, not the opposite. But as a measure of the true value of higher education, the college wage premium has one important limitation. It can tell you how much college graduates earn, but it doesn’t take into account how much they owe — or how much they spent on college in the first place.
For a long time, there were no good alternative measures to the college wage premium. But a few years ago, a group of economic researchers in St. Louis introduced a new one: the college wealth premium. Unlike the college wage premium, the college wealth premium looks at all your assets and all your debts: what you’ve got in the bank, whether you own a house, your student-loan balance. It addresses a simple but important question: How much net wealth does a typical college graduate accumulate over their life span, compared with that of a typical high school graduate?”)
<br>
<br>
<b>President Obama’s student debt paid in his 40s.</b>
“Obama: I Only Paid Off My Student Loans Eight Years Ago,” ABC News, April 24, 2012,
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/obama-paid-off-student-loans-years-ago/story?id=16204817# (Obama said on April 24, 2012, “We only finished paying off our student loans off about eight years ago. That wasn't that long ago. And that wasn't easy--especially because when we had Malia and Sasha, we're supposed to be saving up for their college educations, and we're still paying off our college educations," he said. Born: August 4, 1961; “8 years ago in 2012 = 2004; 1961-2004 = 43 years old – Obama was president January 20, 2009 – January 20, 2017)
<br>
<br>
<b>“Diplomas” and “Education.”</b>
<br>
<br>
Kahn Academy.
Kahn Academy/courses, https://www.khanacademy.org/;
https://www.khanacademy.org/about “From humble beginnings to a world-class team
What started as one man tutoring his cousin has grown into a more than 150-person organization. We’re a diverse team that has come together to work on an audacious mission: to provide a free world-class education for anyone, anywhere. We are developers, teachers, designers, strategists, scientists, and content specialists who passionately believe in inspiring the world to learn. A few great people can make a big difference. Anyone can learn anything. For free.
Education is a human right. We are a nonprofit because we believe in a free, world-class education for anyone, anywhere. Instead of ads or subscriptions, we are supported by individual contributions from people like you. Please join us today.”)
<br>
<br>
MOOCs.
“Tuition Free Online Colleges and Free Online Degree Programs,” Online College Plan,” https://www.onlinecollegeplan.com/free-online-degree-programs/ (Massive open online courses, MOOC)
<br>
<br>
<b>Diplomas vs. Reading, Writing, Math exams</b>.
Personal conversation/experience; no public source available.
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa Governor’s tax breaks for wealthy</b>.
“Gov. Reynolds Announces Iowa Budget Surplus of $1.83B,” Governor Kim Reynolds, Sept. 27, 2023,
https://governor.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-09-27/gov-reynolds-announces-iowa-budget-surplus-183b# (“Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the State of Iowa will end Fiscal Year 2023 with a balance of $1.83 billion in the General Fund, $902 million in reserve funds and $2.74 billion in the Taxpayer Relief Fund. . . . ‘I look forward to cutting taxes again next legislative session and returning this surplus back to where it belongs – the people of Iowa.’”)
<br>
<br>
<b>States with free community college</b>.
“Is Community College Free? (In Some States, Yes),” Coursera, Aug. 23, 2023, https://www.coursera.org/articles/is-community-college-free (“As of 2022, 20 states provide tuition-free community college . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
Benjamin Wermund, “The Red State that Loves Free College; How Tennessee is Making Bernie Sanders’ favorite education idea a reality,” The Agenda, Politico, Jan. 16, 2019, https://www.politico.com/agenda/story/2019/01/16/tennessee-free-college-000867/ (“The state’s free-college program, called Tennessee Promise, has been offering two years of tuition-free community college or technical school to all high school graduates, regardless of income, since 2014. . . . a model for a handful of other states that have launched free-college programs of their own, including New York, Oregon and Rhode Island, though few go as far as Tennessee’s. The results here have been so promising that the state’s conservative Legislature decided to double down, expanding free community college beginning last year to all adults, regardless of income, who don’t already have a credential. . . . Tennessee Promise is billed as an economic-growth program, a way to boost the workforce and lure companies – and jobs – to the state. It focuses on community colleges and technical colleges where students train for those jobs, rather than more elite universities that serve better-off students and come with what critics see as a liberal political culture.
Second, the program is open to everyone, not just low-income students.”)
<br>
<br>
Brooklyn Draisey, “Iowa community college tuition is up 3.6% this year, report shows,” Iowa Capital Dispatch, Oct. 5, 2023, https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/10/05/iowa-community-college-tuition-is-up-3-6-this-year-report-shows
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa high schools providing trades prep, access to community college, AP classes</b>.
Mackenzie Ryan, “Training in Skilled Trades Making Comeback in Iowa Schools,” Des Moines Register, Aug. 20, 2017, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2017/08/20/training-skilled-trades-making-comeback-iowa-schools/508572001/ (“Once unsure of his future, the recent North High School graduate now plans to become an electrician. It's an in-demand job. In Iowa, experienced electricians average $30 an hour, or more than $62,000 a year, according to the Iowa Wage Report 2016. That's more than the state's average wage of $20.12 an hour. . . . State and industry leaders want more teens to follow Hageman's lead into so-called "middle skills" jobs — those requiring additional training beyond high school but less than a four-year college degree. As Iowa students head back to school this week, one of the hottest focuses is an effort to expand and elevate vocational and technical training in high school. . . .
More K-12 schools and Iowa companies are partnering to add and expand skilled-trades programs, from creating the Skilled Trades Academy in Des Moines to a pre-apprenticeship program in Boone that can reduce the amount of time it takes a student to complete a traditional apprenticeship.
‘The ability to earn a high-quality living with little debt — when you can give that hope to students and families, it inspires them to be engaged in their learning,’ said Aiddy Phomvisay, director of Central Campus in Des Moines.”)
<br>
<br>
After this column and sources were sent to The Gazette up until the time it was published there were a number of stories of relevance regarding education in Iowa:
<br>
<blockquote>Grace King, “Lessons from work-based learning in Iowa schools could inform Legislature; Executive director of the Iowa Governor’s STEM Advisory Council Jeff Weld hears successes, challenges in Grant Wood AEA region,” The Gazette, Oct. 10, 2023, p. 1, https://www.thegazette.com/k/lessons-from-work-based-learning-in-iowa-schools-could-inform-legislature/<br><br>
Grace King, “Coralville Elementary school named National Blue Ribbon School; Borlaug Elementary School recognized for effective and innovative teaching practices,” The Gazette, Oct. 10, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/k/coralville-elementary-school-named-national-blue-ribbon-school/<br><br>
Caleb McCullough, “Falling Interest and Accessibility Top Concerns for Private Colleges, The Gazette, Oct. 9, 2023, p. A7, (not yet posted on Gazette website; 231010-0851)<br><br>
Vanessa Miller, “Panel Will Examine Challenges Testing Iowa’s Small Colleges; Other iowa Ideas Topics Include Meeting Student Needs and Lifelong Learning,” The Gazette, Oct. 8, 2023, p. S7, https://www.thegazette.com/higher-education/iowa-ideas-panel-will-examine-challenges-testing-iowas-small-colleges/<br><br>
Blaire Greteman, “’The Knowledge of Being Free,’” The Gazette, Oct. 8, 2023, p. C7,
(An excellent discussion of “liberal arts” and why they are not politically “liberal” or limited to what we usually think of as “art.”) (not yet posted on Gazette website; 231010-0851)<br><br></blockquote>
<b>German education</b>.
“The German Vocational Training System: An Overview,” German Missions in the United States, https://www.germany.info/us-en/welcome/wirtschaft/03-Wirtschaft/-/1048296 (“The German vocational training system, with its combination of classroom and business, theory and practice, learning and working, is recognized worldwide as a basic and highly effective model for vocational training. The dual system is firmly established in the German education system . . .. Thus, the German dual system of vocational training combines theory and practice, knowledge and skills, learning and working in a particularly efficient manner.”)
<br>
<br>
“The German School System,” The German Way & More,
https://www.german-way.com/history-and-culture/education/the-german-school-system/ (“Part of the reason for the dearth of private or church schools is the German conviction that public education is a vital element that contributes to a well-educated citizenry and a sense of common purpose. Germany has a compulsory school attendance law. The law requires school attendance (Schulpflicht), not just instruction, from age 6 until age 15. This helps explain why homeschooling is illegal in Germany. . . . The Hauptschule prepares pupils for vocational education, and most of the pupils work part-time as apprentices. Upon completion of the final Hauptschulabschluss examination, after grade 9 or 10. They also have the option of earning the more prestigious Realschulabschluss after grade 10. With that, the next step is often a Berufsschule, an advanced technical/vocational school with a two-year course of apprenticeship and study.”)
<br>
<br>
Mackenzie Ryan, “Training in Skilled Trades Making Comeback in Iowa Schools,” Des Moines Register, Aug. 20, 2017, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/education/2017/08/20/training-skilled-trades-making-comeback-iowa-schools/508572001/ (“in countries such as Switzerland, vocational training has taken a different route, including higher academic expectations and lessons”)
<br>
<br>
Paul Tough, “Americans Are Losing Faith in the Value of College. Whose Fault Is That? For most people, the new economics of higher ed make going to college a risky bet,” New York Times, Sept. 5, 2023,
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/05/magazine/college-worth-price.html
(“In Canada and Japan, public-university tuition is now about $5,000 a year. In Italy, Spain and Israel, it’s about $2,000. In France, Denmark and Germany, it’s essentially zero.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Thousands of switchboard operators</b>.
Greg Daugherty, “The Rise and Fall of Telephone Operators; As their numbers grew, women operators became a powerful force—for workers' rights and even serving overseas in WWI,” History, June 1, 2021, https://www.history.com/news/rise-fall-telephone-switchboard-operators
(“With the coming of the 1930s, technology that allowed telephone users simply to dial another phone without the aid of an operator had become widespread. Phone companies took advantage of the moment to slash their workforces, and thousands of operators lost their jobs. By 1940, there were fewer than 200,000 in all.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>150,000 UAW fossil fuel auto workers; electric cars</b>.
Neal E. Boudette, “U.A.W. Expands Strikes at Ford and G.M.; The United Automobile Workers union said 7,000 more of its members would walk off the job two weeks after it began strikes at the Big Three automakers,” New York Times, Sept. 29, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/29/business/economy/uaw-strike.html
(“The three automakers together employ nearly 150,000 U.A.W. members. . . . Union leaders are concerned that automakers will use the transition to electric vehicles to lower wages and reduce the number of unionized workers they employ.”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></big></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-49435451426394428002023-09-26T06:31:00.003-05:002023-09-26T16:51:15.767-05:00Paving Paradise<big><big><big><center><b>Paving Paradise at the Expense of Trees</big></b>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, September 26, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
<blockquote><i>“They paved paradise<br>
And put up a parking lot”</i></blockquote>
If you’re close to my age you’ll remember those lines from Joni Mitchell’s 1970 song, “Big Yellow Taxi.”
<br>
<br>
They came to me recently during my morning walk past a recently significantly expanded University of Iowa parking lot in what used to be a neighborhood of families, trees and wilderness enjoyed by all.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxp7fXFWkf5_7tMZwDnkI9s2VoPuQOyx2ZtqkZBgk3DSflLY1BUeeXOWH0urvuVQ2XWqP6NGMmczo0k1gUyn8Cd_213hvgG19VVI1hzEqM_ZXdLoJsThuXHs8t78QZaWZJfua--ncxe-W03htFxDviO0uPCNVIJ4AU9qRj7BBORbMoxlnQcr5/s2016/Parking%20lot%20in%20forrest%20-%20IMG_0183%20%28002%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxp7fXFWkf5_7tMZwDnkI9s2VoPuQOyx2ZtqkZBgk3DSflLY1BUeeXOWH0urvuVQ2XWqP6NGMmczo0k1gUyn8Cd_213hvgG19VVI1hzEqM_ZXdLoJsThuXHs8t78QZaWZJfua--ncxe-W03htFxDviO0uPCNVIJ4AU9qRj7BBORbMoxlnQcr5/s320/Parking%20lot%20in%20forrest%20-%20IMG_0183%20%28002%29.jpg"/></a></div><br>When it comes to the changes, as with so many other decisions, “it’s all about the money.” The rental income from a house full of students totals more than what a family can afford. And apparently somebody thought the income from 130 additional parking spaces would be well worth the loss of 30 trees (roughly four parking spaces per tree). [Photo source: Nicholas Johnson]
<blockquote><i>"They took all the trees</br>
Put 'em in a tree museum”</i></blockquote>
And so it came to pass that, without notice to neighbors (of which I’m aware), 30 trees were sawed into pieces, dug out, carried away and replaced with cars.
<br>
<br>
Those of us living in Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, our public officials and local organizations, have long been recognized for our understanding of trees’ importance. Cedar Rapids’ well-deserved recent $6 million federal grant is evidence of national recognition of our accomplishments.
<br>
<br>
The more we continue to learn about trees, like other seeming miracles of Nature (such as Brittney Miller’s recent page one turtles story), the humbler we should become.
<br>
<br>
Trees ancestry goes back 400 million years when ferns developed a vascular system enabling water and minerals to go up from the roots to the leaves, and food to go down from the leaves to the roots. From 200 to 56 million years ago there appeared ginkgo and pine, and ultimately maple and oak.
<br>
<br>
Trees can’t talk, but apparently they can communicate with, and care for, each other, sometimes over long distances, sending warnings of threats and sharing food (with mother trees favoring their offspring). If only Congress could do as well.
<br>
<br>
During World War II there was a saying, “Don’t just stand there, do pushups or something.” Well, trees don’t “just stand there.” They are a major ally in fighting climate change, each absorbing about 350 pounds of CO2 annually.
<br>
<br>
I have to monitor the Air Quality Index. Trees improve it by trapping particulate pollution on leaves and bark.
<br>
<br>
They produce oxygen. They help cool in summer and warm in winter by as much as 30 to 40 degrees, reducing air conditioning and heating bills. They improve our physical and mental health. They can reduce flooding, capturing 5,000 gallons a year.
<br>
<br>
And for those who still think “it’s all about the money,” trees can help attract businesses and tourists, and increase your property’s value by up to 15 percent.
<br>
<br>
For now, keep your eye on the expanding “tiny forest” movement.
<br>
<br>
Clearly, more parking spaces and fewer trees are not the answer.
<blockquote><i>“Don't it always seem to go<br>
That you don't know what you've got<br>
Till it's gone”</i></blockquote>
</big>Nicholas Johnson enjoys living under a large canopy of trees. Contact: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Joni Mitchell</b>. Joni Mitchell, “Big Yellow Taxi” lyrics,” Jan. 7, 1970, https://jonimitchell.com/music/song.cfm?id=13 (“They paved paradise/And put up a parking lot/. . . They took all the trees/Put 'em in a tree museum/. . . Don't it always seem to go/That you don't know what you've got/Till it's gone”)
<br>
<br>
<b>More rental from students than families</b>. Karen Black, “The Role Student Housing Plays in Communities; Off-campus housing for college students has grown extensively over the last decade, and communities across the country are hoping to gain control over its spread and potential negative impact on neighborhoods and available affordable housing,” Shelterforce, Sept. 6, 2019, https://shelterforce.org/2019/09/06/the-role-student-housing-plays-in-communities/ (“For landlords, student rentals are an incredibly lucrative real estate opportunity as students pay by the room, allowing landlords to charge more per square foot as there are several roommates paying a monthly rent. As a website for real estate investors recently noted, “a home that might rent for $1,000 a month to a single family could be rented by the room for nearly twice that.” In addition students sign one-year leases so rents can be raised each year if the market allows. For neighbors, student housing can be disruptive as students keep different hours and enjoy different activities than their neighbors, such as late-night parties. And for real estate markets near college campuses, student housing can be transformative as investor capital competes with homeowners, making it so sale prices and rents increase. Local governments in college towns across the country are adopting proactive strategies to gain a measure of control over the spread of student housing and limit any negative impact on real estate markets and affordable housing stock supply near college and university campuses.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>30 Trees, 130 parking spaces</b>. These numbers are from my own counts and confirming re-counts.
<br>
<br>
<b>Cedar Rapids/Iowa City awards for trees</b>. “City of Cedar Rapids: Tree City USA Recipient,” Cedar-Rapids.org, April 19, 2023, https://www.cedar-rapids.org/news_detail_T6_R1936.php (“The City of Cedar Rapids was recently honored with the 2022 Tree City USA Award at the 32nd Annual Community Forestry Awards Luncheon in Ankeny. The award was presented by the Arbor Day Foundation and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources April 12 at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny. Cedar Rapids has been a Tree City USA award winner for the past 45 years, longer than any other city in the state.
<br>
<br>
"Native Tree Restoration Initiative," Monarch Research, Marion, Iowa, "Planting Forward 2021-23 Participation Overview 092023.pdf (180 woodlands, 96 schools, 49 organizations, 5 municipalities, 4 colleges)
<br>
<br>
“Iowa City Named Tree City USA Once Again,” ICGov.org, April 23, 2023, https://www.icgov.org/Home/Components/News/News/301/390, (“Iowa City has once again been named a Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation in honor of its commitment to effective urban forest management.
<br>
<br>
The Arbor Day Foundation is a million-member nonprofit conservation and education organization with the mission to inspire people to plant, nurture, and celebrate trees.
<br>
<br>
Iowa City achieved its 43rd Tree City USA recognition by meeting the program's four requirements: a tree board or department, a tree care ordinance, an annual community forestry budget of at least $2 per capita, and an Arbor Day observance and proclamation.
<br>
<br>
The City also received a Tree City USA Growth Award for demonstrating environmental improvement and an outstanding level of tree care.
<br>
<br>
Tyler Baird, Iowa City Forestry Superintendent, said: “Iowa City Forestry staff are committed to providing a healthy and sustainable urban forest for the benefit and enjoyment of all residents and visitors. The Tree City USA designation highlights this commitment to planting and caring for trees in our community.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Cedar Rapids federal tree grant</b>. Marissa Payne, “In USDA’s $1.1 billion investment in tree planting, Cedar Rapids’ ReLeaf reforestation effort awarded $6 million; Iowa communities, Department of Natural Resources receive $15.7 million through Forest Service grants,” The Gazette, Sept. 15, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/federal-government/in-usdas-1-1-billion-investment-in-tree-planting-cedar-rapids-releaf-reforestation-effort-awarde/ (“In a move to expand equitable access to trees and green spaces nationwide, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Thursday announced an award of $6 million toward Cedar Rapids’ effort to reforest the city after the 2020 derecho toppled most of the city’s tree canopy.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Brittney Miller’s turtles</b>. Brittney J. Miller, “”Turtles Have Personalities – Which Could Help Them Survive; Coe Study Shows Ornate Box Turtles Behave Differently,” The Gazette, Sept. 14, 2023, p. 1, https://www.thegazette.com/environment-nature/a-threatened-turtle-species-has-personality-knowing-that-could-help-them-survive/
<br>
<br>
<b>Trees’ history</b>. “A Brief History of Trees,” Trees Charlotte, April 20, 2021, https://treescharlotte.org/tree-education/a-brief-history-of-trees/ (“400 million years ago: Fossil records of the first tree-like plants appear, such as lycophytes, ferns, and horsetails. These types of plants did not have seeds yet, but were the first to have vascular systems, . . .. 200 million years ago: Evidence of the first ginkgo trees. 150 million years ago: Evidence of the first pine trees. . . . 67 million years: Evidence of the first maple trees. 56 million years ago: Evidence of the first oak trees.”
<br>
<br>
“Phloem and xylem: Difference in a plant’s vascular system, explained,” Britannica, https://www.britannica.com/video/152186/components-plant-vascular-system
<br>
<br>
<b>Talking Trees</b>. Richard Grant, “Do Trees Talk to Each Other? A controversial German forester says yes, and his ideas are shaking up the scientific world,” Smithsonian Magazine, March 2018, https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/the-whispering-trees-180968084/ (“I’m walking in the Eifel Mountains in western Germany, through cathedral-like groves of oak and beech, and there’s a strange unmoored feeling of entering a fairy tale. The trees have become vibrantly alive and charged with wonder. They’re communicating with one another, for starters. They’re involved in tremendous struggles and death-defying dramas. To reach enormousness, they depend on a complicated web of relationships, alliances and kinship networks.
<br>
<br>
Wise old mother trees feed their saplings with liquid sugar and warn the neighbors when danger approaches. Reckless youngsters take foolhardy risks with leaf-shedding, light-chasing and excessive drinking, and usually pay with their lives. Crown princes wait for the old monarchs to fall, so they can take their place in the full glory of sunlight. It’s all happening in the ultra-slow motion that is tree time, so that what we see is a freeze-frame of the action.
<br>
<br>
My guide here is a kind of tree whisperer. Peter Wohlleben, a German forester and author, has a rare understanding of the inner life of trees, and is able to describe it in accessible, evocative language. . . . Now, at the age of 53, he has become an unlikely publishing sensation. His book The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, written at his wife’s insistence, sold more than 800,000 copies in Germany, and has now hit the best-seller lists in 11 other countries, including the United States and Canada. . . .
<br>
<br>
A revolution has been taking place in the scientific understanding of trees, and Wohlleben is the first writer to convey its amazements to a general audience. The latest scientific studies . . . confirm . . .: Trees are far more alert, social, sophisticated—and even intelligent—than we thought.
<br>
<br>
[A] substantial body of scientific evidence . . . shows . . . that trees of the same species are communal, and will often form alliances with trees of other species. Forest trees have evolved to live in cooperative, interdependent relationships, maintained by communication and a collective intelligence similar to an insect colony.
<br>
<br>
Wohlleben [says], “All the trees here . . . are connected to each other through underground fungal networks. Trees share water and nutrients through the networks, and also use them to communicate. They send distress signals about drought and disease, for example, or insect attacks, and other trees alter their behavior when they receive these messages.” . . .
To communicate through the network, trees send chemical, hormonal and slow-pulsing electrical signals, which scientists are just beginning to decipher. . . .
<br>
<br>
When a giraffe starts chewing acacia leaves, the tree notices the injury and emits a distress signal in the form of ethylene gas. Upon detecting this gas, neighboring acacias start pumping tannins into their leaves. In large enough quantities these compounds can sicken or even kill large herbivores.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Do pushups or something</b>. Google can find no source for the saying, so I guess the default source is going to have to be “just a memory from childhood.”
<br>
<br>
<b>Benefits of trees</b>. “We Need Trees and here’s why . . .,” Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University, (no date), https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/we-need-trees-and-heres-why/ (“Here are some easy ways in which urban trees and woodlots contribute to making cities more environmentally sustainable and livable:
<br>
<br>
• Trees can contribute to the increase of local food and nutrition security, providing food such as fruits and nuts for wildlife and human consumption.<br>
• Trees play an important role in increasing urban biodiversity, providing plants and animals with a proper habitat, food and protection.<br>
• A mature tree can absorb up to 350 lbs. of CO2 per year. As a result, trees play an important role in climate change mitigation. In cities with high levels of pollution, trees can improve air quality making cities healthier places to live in.<br>
• Strategic placement of trees in cities can help to cool the air between 30-40o F, thus reducing the urban “heat island” effect, helping reduce extreme heat conditions in summer weather.<br>
• Large trees are great biological filters for urban pollutants and particulate pollution. They absorb pollutant gases (such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ozone and Sulphur oxides) and filter fine particulates such as dust, dirt, or smoke out of the air by trapping them on leaves and bark.<br>
• Research shows that living in close proximity of urban green spaces and having access to them, can improve physical and mental health, for example by decreasing high blood pressure and stress. Also, research indicates greatly improved neo-natal health as well. This, in turn, contributes to the well-being of urban communities.<br>
• Mature trees regulate water flow and play a key role in preventing floods and reducing the risk of sewer overflow. Stormwater management is a crucial city infrastructure issue and trees help. A mature tree, for instance, can intercept more than 5,000 gallons of water per year and without trees, every rain would contribute floods.<br>
• Trees also help to reduce carbon emissions by helping to conserve energy. For example, the correct placement of trees around buildings can reduce the need for air conditioning by 30 percent and reduce winter heating bills by 20-50 percent.<br>
• Planning urban landscapes with trees can increase property value, by up to 15 percent, and attract tourism and business.
<br>
<br>
“Arbor Day Foundation Announces Planting Locations for 20 Million Trees
Jan. 10, 2020; After YouTube's largest-ever crowdfunding campaign raised $20 million in just 56 days, the Arbor Day Foundation is kicking off tree planting around the globe,” T&D World, Jan. 10, 2020, https://www.tdworld.com/vegetation-management/article/21120273/arbor-day-foundation-announces-planting-locations-for-20-million-trees (“T&D=Transmission and Distribution -- “Dan Lambe, president of the Arbor Day Foundation. "Now, the Arbor Day Foundation will do what we do best: ensure that 21.5 million trees are planted in the right places and at the right time."
With more than 500,000 unique #TeamTrees donors from at least 200 countries, the first wave of planting was designed to ensure that every continent except Antarctica was supported.”
Graphuc: #TeamTrees
Thank you for helping to plant 20 million trees!
Based on a U.S. Forest Service analysis, these trees will:
• Remove 115,000 tons of chemical air pollution, enough gaseous pollution to fill 14,000 Goodyear blimps.
• Absorb and store 1.6 million tons of carbon, the equivalent of taking 1.24 million cars off the road for a year.
• Result in 1.5 billion cubic meters (400 billion gallons) of avoided water runoff, the equivalent of filling the water bottle of every person on Earth every day for a year.
<br>
<br>
[One cubic meter is 35.3147 cubic feet; 7.48052 gallons in a cubic foot = 396,258,479,000 gallons c. 400 billion gallons]
Arbor Day Foundation, https://www.arborday.org
<br>
<br>
“Biden-Harris Administration announces historic funding to expand access to trees and green spaces in disadvantaged urban communities,”
USDA Press Release, Newark, NJ, April 12, 2023,
https://www.fs.usda.gov/news/releases/biden-harris-administration-announces-historic-funding-expand-access-trees-and-green (“Research shows that trees and green spaces improve physical and mental health outcomes and create new economic opportunities,” said USDA Undersecretary for Natural Resources and the Environment Dr. Homer Wilkes. “They also enhance community green spaces and support lasting community relationships and engagements. These funds will enable us to bring these benefits to disadvantaged communities across the nation, and to support new partnerships with a diverse array of organizations.””
“John Podesta, Senior Advisor to the President for Clean Energy Innovation and Implementation. “It’s about cleaning up the air we breathe, keeping city streets cool during sweltering summers, and creating safer, healthier neighborhoods for our kids.”
“Since my days as Mayor of Newark, I have seen the transformative impact that planting trees can have for urban communities,” said Sen. Booker. “Studies have shown that trees save families money in heating and cooling costs, reduce air and water pollution, decrease the risk of respiratory illnesses like asthma, reduce flooding, and protect people from extreme heat.”
“Investing in our urban forests is investing in the health and wellness of our communities,” said Forest Service Chief Randy Moore. “Trees provide numerous benefits, like improving air quality, reducing stormwater runoff, providing shade, creating safe outdoor spaces for recreation, and stimulating other kinds of investments.”)
<br>
<br>
“Throwing Shade: Exploring the Benefits of Trees,” U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, May 6, 2020, https://www.epa.gov/sciencematters/throwing-shade-exploring-benefits-trees (“Corvallis, Oregon. Impacts included reductions in four air pollutants, (O3, NO2, SO2, PM10), carbon sequestration, decreased stormwater runoff, building energy savings due to shading, and (thanks to city trees), increased real estate values.”)
<br>
<br>
Trees Forever, https://treesforever.org/ and https://treesforever.org/resources/ and https://treesforever.org/document/why-trees-matter/ (“Benefits such as energy conservation, improved air and water quality, increased property values and economic vitality, improved health and well-being, habitat improvement and more!”) (“Trees Are Our Hardest Working Residents” stormwater reduction, property value increase, energy savings, air quality improvement, CO2 reduction)
<br>
<br>
Dustin Renwick, “How one city plans to recover from losing most of its trees; Tens of thousands of trees in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, were destroyed by a devastating summer windstorm. That has meant heartache for city residents, but also opportunity to replant stronger,” National Geographic, Dec. 10, 2020, https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/how-one-city-plans-to-recover-from-losing-all-of-its-trees (80,000 trees; “Estimates of how much trees save in U.S. electricity costs range from $1 billion to $4.7 billion. The more conservative number comes from a study by Rob McDonald, lead scientist for nature-based solutions at The Nature Conservancy.” “Urban forests don’t just block sun, they also intercept rain -- it’s why the sidewalk under a sprawling hickory remains dry during a light shower.
Tree roots prevent soil from moving as rainwater rushes across it, and leaves and branches keep rainfall from slamming into unprotected hillsides or impervious surfaces like parking lots and streets. When rain batters those areas, it erodes soil and often collects a mix of toxins, carrying them into streams and rivers. With so many trees gone, millions more gallons of polluted stormwater will enter the Cedar Rapids watershed.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Trees increase property values</b>. “We Need Trees and here’s why . . .,” Forestry & Natural Resources, Purdue University, (no date), https://www.purdue.edu/fnr/extension/we-need-trees-and-heres-why/
(“Planning urban landscapes with trees can increase property value, by up to 15 percent, and attract tourism and business.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Tiny Forests</b>. Cara Buckley, “Tiny Forests With Big Benefits; Native plants crowded onto postage-stamp-size plots have been delivering environmental benefits around the world — and, increasingly, in the U.S.,” New York Times, Aug. 26, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/24/climate/tiny-forests-climate-miyawaki.html (“[“Tiny forests” are] a sweeping movement that is transforming dusty highway shoulders, parking lots, schoolyards and junkyards worldwide. Tiny forests have been planted across Europe, in Africa, throughout Asia and in South America, Russia and the Middle East. India has hundreds, and Japan, where it all began, has thousands.
<br>
<br>
Now tiny forests are slowly but steadily appearing in the United States. In recent years, they’ve been planted alongside a corrections facility on the Yakama reservation in Washington, in Los Angeles’s Griffith Park and in Cambridge, where the forest is one of the first of its kind in the Northeast.”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-91212290714114280522023-09-12T05:04:00.001-05:002023-09-12T06:59:39.748-05:00Football Solutions<big><big><big><center><b>A Win-Win Plan for College Football</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, September 12, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
College football began with problems. Excessive injuries prompted President Teddy Roosevelt to insist coaches require helmets – and the NCAA was born.
<br>
<br>
By 1939, University of Chicago President Robert Hutchins abolished football. Another university president told me: “I have always considered football an anomaly.”
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg00Uu4J5kdQlJmagp9hp-KfxIm85qFqViR7TcwSaPxKvN7avWHcbQ3r_xmkZZonck6u9gmC6JYX8Yxs9bKb-lFroGI56OFXMDu5LVVK3ODsYx7k_L9zA_tpY9jXps_-Bg4JnJ/s338/RiversideKinnickAd.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="149" data-original-width="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg00Uu4J5kdQlJmagp9hp-KfxIm85qFqViR7TcwSaPxKvN7avWHcbQ3r_xmkZZonck6u9gmC6JYX8Yxs9bKb-lFroGI56OFXMDu5LVVK3ODsYx7k_L9zA_tpY9jXps_-Bg4JnJ/s320/RiversideKinnickAd.jpg"/></a></div><br>The Hawkeyes have had their share of football-related challenges. Senator Chuck Grassley thought football shouldn’t have a non-profit charity’s tax-exempt status. A strength assistant coach overdid it and players were hospitalized. Suggesting Iowa’s taxpayers pay half the settlement to Black players alleging coaches’ racism. Letting nepotism send the Hawkeye’s offensive team to the national basement. Early ties to the gambling casino in Riverside. This year’s players betting on sports and the Big Ten roster going to 18, as teams share $7 billion from TV. [Photo credit: Nicholas Johnson. Electronic "billboard" inside Kinnick Stadium advertising/promoting the Riverside gambling casino.]
<br>
<br>
Football coaches are the highest paid public employees in 40 states. The total for Iowa’s top six assistant coaches’ salaries is $5,075,000. Second highest is the head coach’s son. Dad gets $7 million. Academic salaries? Name me a UI college where the dean gets $7 million and the department heads earn between $500,000 and one million plus. Which academic among them can walk into the UI president’s office, ask for a loan, and walk out with $50 million?
<br>
<br>
Conflicts of interest abound. University presidents weigh courage against capitulation. Athletic directors must consider both profits and propriety when offered alcohol or gambling industry dollars. Coaches must encourage players’ academics while coaches’ salaries reflect players’ on-field performance. Non-tenured professors fear retribution for flunking players. Players who do seek education may have to choose between lab time or scheduled practice.
<br>
<br>
No, the reality is college football has become a multi-billion-dollar industry, the NFL’s farm clubs. Some players dream of a big-bucks future, though only 1.6 percent will make the NFL -- while suppressing the nightmares of an average 3.3-year career and lifetime injuries.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s98pYKGAuwRYBW54_tdkQz2IDveknOqw7SeX7rpPcdCbvgRinuwB_2OWXhFzwClZ_-rqKOqDoDnO_zNTd9GsyP__-yCHAn4k0pRIinUm0m4S81cqQf7Vom230J_UAcRm8lUe/s320/HawkeyeFootball-InjuredPlayer.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="144" data-original-width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2s98pYKGAuwRYBW54_tdkQz2IDveknOqw7SeX7rpPcdCbvgRinuwB_2OWXhFzwClZ_-rqKOqDoDnO_zNTd9GsyP__-yCHAn4k0pRIinUm0m4S81cqQf7Vom230J_UAcRm8lUe/s320/HawkeyeFootball-InjuredPlayer.jpg"/></a></div><br>So long as parents and players accept the injury risks, and fans accept football’s cost in time and money, there will be football. Like the pig in the parlor, it just needs to be moved. [Photo source unknown.]
<br>
<br>
Here is a win-win solution.
Recognize football as the big money entertainment industry it is. Let "Hawkeyes" lease the Kinnick Stadium, related land and structures, housing, the “Hawkeyes” name, and associated assets at going commercial rates.
<br>
<br>
The university would be freed of conflicts of interest and embarrassments, and the for-profit team would be freed of academic restrictions. Its board of directors could hire and pay its coaches and players whatever they negotiated.
<br>
<br>
Stop insisting players pretend to be students. Offer a spring-semester-only option.
<br>
<br>
Would the University need more money? Maybe. But “revenue is needed” should never rule decisions. It’s a sign your moral compass is spinning as if at the North Pole.
<br>
<br>
Iowa’s not the only football-challenged school. Now that college conferences are expanding nationally other schools may consider this move.
<br>
<br>
Any lesser separation of academy and football will only perpetuate the frustrations, conflicts, restrictions and embarrassments for teams and schools alike.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson watches football games and formerly taught sports law. Contact: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>President Teddy Roosevelt</b>. Weiler, et al, Sports and the Law, 4th ed., 1993, p. 747. (“The NCAA was formed in 1906, when a former Harvard college football player, President Theodore Roosevelt, summoned leading university presidents to the White House and told them that unless they made that game safe – it was annually killing 15 to 20 players and permanently disabling another 150 or so – he was going to have to use the law to shut the game down. The schools reluctantly agreed to create a forum to reshape football, by placing helmets on the players and eliminating such dangerous tactics as the ‘flying wedge.’ The organization they formed became the NCAA.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Robert Hutchins</b>. “Robert Maynard Hutchins, 1929-1951,” University of Chicago, https://president.uchicago.edu/about-the-office/history/robert-maynard-hutchins (“The one thing which drew more attention than any other, of course, was his [Hutchins’] elimination of varsity football. Hutchins heaped scorn upon schools which received more press coverage for their sports teams than for their educational programs, and a run of disastrous seasons gave him the trustee support he needed to drop football in 1939. The decision was hailed by many, but few other schools followed Chicago's lead.)
<br>
<br>
<b>Senator Grassley</b>. Dean Treftz, “Sports Donors Under Review,” The Daily Iowan, Jan. 29, 2007, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/BlogStuf/regents/dtdi0129.html (“Prompted by high-profile stories of lucrative salaries for collegiate coaches as tuition continues to rise nationwide, Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, is investigating the role that tax-deductible contributions play in university athletics.
<br>
<br>
Specifically, Grassley - the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee - is taking a look at tax-exempt donations that give donors higher priority for such perks as luxury seats and game-day parking spots.
<br>
<br>
‘I worry that these tax breaks may be eaten away by universities that raise tuition all the time,’ he told The Daily Iowan. ‘I want to know, what does it contribute to the educational purposes of the university?’
<br>
<br>
For instance, he pointed to new Alabama football coach Nick Saban, who is slated to earn $32 million over the next eight years. Those salaries, Grassley said, concerned him that universities and their athletics departments were losing sight of their scholastic mission.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Hospitalized players</b>. Danielle Parenteau, “Iowa Football: What Landed 13 Players in the Hospital?” Bleacher Report, Jan. 27, 2011, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/586596-iowa-football-what-landed-13-players-in-the-hospital (“Thirteen University of Iowa football players were recently hospitalized with rhabdomyolysis, a muscle disorder. . . . The cause is reportedly strenuous exercise, though this has not been officially confirmed. …
<br>
<br>
Most of the players have not been identified. One who has been named is Jim Poggi, a first-year linebacker.
<br>
<br>
Before Poggi's problems started, he had undergone a workout ‘that involved performing 100 squats in a certain amount of time and pulling a sled 100 yards,’ writes Foley.
<br>
<br>
Another hospitalized player, Shane DiBona, described his workout and reaction on Facebook, according to a report on ESPN.com.
<br>
<br>
‘I had to squat 240 pounds 100 times and it was timed. I can't walk and I fell down the stairs...’”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Racial discrimination settlement</b>. Stephen Gruber-Miller, “University of Iowa athletics will repay state $2M for football discrimination settlement,” Des Moines Register, March 9, 2023, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/09/university-of-iowa-reimburse-state-2-million-football-discrimination-lawsuit-settlement/69989184007 (“The University of Iowa athletics department will repay $2 million to the state to cover the costs of a recent legal settlement over racial discrimination in the university's football program.
<br>
<br>
The $4.2 million settlement was announced Monday between 12 Black former football players and the university. As part of the agreement, it was negotiated that the Iowa athletics department would pay $2.175 million of the costs, with the state paying the remaining $2 million.
<br>
<br>
The agreement drew immediate criticism, with State Auditor Rob Sand, a Democrat, saying he did not support using taxpayer funds for the deal unless Iowa athletics director Gary Barta was ousted.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Nepotism results</b>. Mike Hlas, “Catastrophic Offensive Repair Needs? Everyone’s eyeballing Brian-O-Meter; The quest for Brian Ferentz’s offense to average 25 points a game got off to a slow start, which hasn’t gone unnoticed far beyond River City,” The Gazette, Aug. 6, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-football/catastrophic-offensive-repair-needs-everyones-eyeballing-brian-o-meter/ (“The most-famous stipulation in College Sports 2023 is Iowa needing to win seven games and average 25 points this season or Ferentz’s contract will “terminate” on June 30, 2024. Many assume that would mean getting fired, but it’s also possible a new contract or position would be negotiated.”)
<br>
<br>
Max Laughton, “‘Scandal unfolding in plain sight’: A bad coach, an ‘insane’ contract and why he’ll never be sacked,” Fox Sports, Feb. 8, 2023, https://www.foxsports.com.au/nfl/college-football-2023-brian-ferentz-bizarre-contract-extenson-iowa-hawkeyes-problems-nepotism-dad-kirk-ferentz-wont-fire-him/news-story/fb099a664151d099a165352480c886f9 (“The bizarre new contract handed to Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz has shone a spotlight on perhaps the strangest - and worst - coaching situation in college football. . . .
<br>
<br>
Iowa had an absolutely incredible defense in 2022; according to ESPN’s respected SP+ metric, the best in the entire country . . .. Oh, and they had the fifth-best special teams, to boot. . . .
<br>
<br>
[Head coach’s son, Brian] Ferentz’s offence was a simply horrendous 118th out of 131 schools in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS). . . . They averaged 251.6 yards per game, 130st in the country and the lowest for a Big Ten conference team this century. . . . But the concerns around Ferentz aren’t purely surrounding his coaching ability. In 2020, he was cited in complaints by multiple former players, when Iowa dealt with a racial reckoning of sorts. . . .
<br>
<br>
The University of Iowa has rules around nepotism - understandably, because a situation like this one can easily develop - except they’re not exactly watertight.
<br>
<br>
When Ferentz was elevated from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator in 2012, it was claimed his father did not hire him . . .. Instead Iowa athletic director Gary Barta officially said he hired Ferentz, and that Ferentz reports directly to him . . .. College football writer and podcaster Alex Kirshner put it best in response to the latest twist in the Ferentz tale. ‘This is just an insane situation. Iowa football doesn’t belong to Iowa anymore. It’s a family small business,’ he tweeted.”)
<br>
<br>
Chad Leistikow and Steve Berkowitz, “Iowa football coaches' salaries for 2023 season: Phil Parker's pay bumps to $1.4 million,” Hawk Central, Des Moines Register, July 13, 2023, https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2023/07/13/iowa-football-coach-salaries-revealed-for-2023-phil-parker-levar-woods-brian-ferentz/70409682007/ (“Meanwhile, Iowa offensive coordinator Brian Ferentz – the head coach’s oldest son – had his $50,000 pay cut reflected in the public-records request. Ferentz’s contract was amended this offseason by outgoing athletics director Gary Barta, his direct supervisor, after Iowa compiled the worst yards-per-game output of any Power Five school since Wake Forest in 2014 and the Hawkeye program's lowest since 1978. Brian Ferentz’s offense must average at least 25 points in 2023 and Iowa must win seven games for him to earn a raise and a two-year contract extension; otherwise, his contract is unlikely to be renewed.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Football’s promotion of Riverside gambling casino</b>. See lengthy list of items, discussion and itemization of sources, in Nicholas Johnson, “Does Herky Have a Gambling Problem,” Jan. 25, 2012, first entry, https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2012/01/
<br>
<br>
<b>Alcohol</b>. Although omitted for space reasons, the ties between the athletic program and students’ alcohol consumption are also relevant. Here is a passage from an earlier blog post:
<br>
<br>
“Football Trash Talk” (a little over half-way into the post), FromDC2Iowa, Sept. 12, 2012, https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2012/09/football-trash-talk.html (“In fairness, it's tough for a university administration to simultaneously try to (1) carry out programs designed to discourage college students from binge drinking and other forms of alcohol abuse and its consequences, while (2) (a) engaging in a lucrative joint-marketing agreement designed to increase the sale of Anheuser-Busch products, and (b) engaging in a gambling bet between the presidents of Iowa and Iowa State in which the winner gets -- that's right, a bottle of booze. (The UI administration has reassured critics of this last seeming conflict by noting that it advises that hard liquor as well as beer should also be consumed "responsibly.")
<br>
<br>
“Iowa State, Iowa university presidents settle up on college football bet," Des Moines Register/Iowa City Press-Citizen, September 13, 2012 ("On the line was a bottle of Templeton Rye, a drink sold by an Iowa-based company and billed as 'Prohibition-era whiskey.' . . . [D]oes wagering alcohol while the university works to curb problem drinking send a mixed message? University officials say no.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa football student athletes’ sports betting</b>. John Steppe, “ Records: Iowa players bet on 14 of their own football games; Regulators reiterate they have no evidence Hawkeye games compromised,” The Gazette, Aug. 11, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-football/which-iowa-football-games-did-players-allegedly-bet-on-during-2021-2022-seasons/ (“Hawkeye football players made illegal wagers on at least 14 of their 27 games over the last two seasons, court documents show, . . .. The list of 14 Hawkeye games — seven in 2021 and seven in 2022 — that court records show were involved could potentially grow as the investigation from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation into sports betting . . . continues. . . . In the last two weeks, 15 people affiliated with the campus’ [Iowa and Iowa State athletic] departments have been charged with tampering with records, an aggravated misdemeanor punished by up to two years in prison.
<br>
<br>
When the investigation was first announced, the UI indicated that 26 current athletes could be involved . . .. Court records allege all five used sports wagering accounts set up by adults even though they were too young to bet under Iowa law — not only a crime, but a violation of NCAA rules against student athletes gambling on sports. . . . [If] the allegations are proven true, the athletes charged may have played their last snap of college football. The NCAA's reinstatement guidelines suggest athletes who bet on their own team ‘will potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports.’”)
<br>
<br>
Erin Murphy, “5 charged in Iowa sports betting probe plead guilty to lesser charges; The 5 current and former Iowa and Iowa State athletes have pleaded guilty to underage betting, which carries only a fine and no jail time,” The Gazette, Aug. 6, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/5-charged-in-iowa-sports-betting-probe-plead-guilty-to-lesser-charges/ (“Under NCAA rules, student-athletes who wager on a game in which they compete or on any competition involving their school could potentially face permanent loss of collegiate eligibility in all sports. Dekkers, Sauser and Blom each placed bets on their respective teams, and Christensen placed bets on other Iowa athletics events, according to court documents.”)
<br>
<br>
See also: https://www.thegazette.com/sports/what-you-need-to-know-about-sports-betting-in-iowa/<br>
https://www.thegazette.com/state-government/hawkeye-and-cyclone-sports-bets-leave-question-mark-on-integrity/<br>
https://www.thegazette.com/news/competitiveness-may-drive-players-to-bet-on-own-teams/ (AP)<br>
https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-football/why-iowa-seems-to-be-chosen-ones-in-ncaas-enforcement-of-sports-wagering-rules/<br>
https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-basketball/iowa-mens-basketball-manager-evan-schuster-accused-of-betting-on-own-teams-games/<br><br>
<b>The “Big 18.”</b> Andy Patton, “The Big Ten is now up to 18 schools, so now what? Locked on Big 10; The Big Ten stopped at 18 schools, leaving out Cal and Stanford. Are they waiting for something bigger?” CBS, Aug. 7, 2023, https://www.cbs8.com/article/sports/locked-on/lo-national/big-10-show/big-ten-now-up-18-schools-now-what-pac-12-conference-realignment/535-df4bdd79-1b33-4100-be16-3d2a540f1333 (“The Big Ten is now the Big 18 after adding Oregon and Washington on top of USC and UCLA to create another mega conference, which gutted the Pac-12 and eliminated a Power-5 conference from the sport.
<br>
<br>
The moves helped ensure the conference stays among the top dogs after the SEC added Texas and Oklahoma from the Big 12 and the Big 12 responded by adding Houston, BYU, Cincinnati, and Central Florida for 2023-24 and then Colorado, Arizona, Arizona State, and Utah for 2024 and onward.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>$7 billion TV revenue</b>. Josh Helmer, “What will every Iowa football coach earn in 2023?” Hawkeyes Wire, July 15, 2023,
https://hawkeyeswire.<usatoday.com/lists/iowa-hawkeyes-2023-college-football-coaching-salaries-kirk-ferentz-brian-phil-parker-levar-woods-seth-wallace/ (“The Big Ten had reportedly signed a $7 billion TV deal in August of 2022 . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
AP, “Big Ten lands $7 billion, NFL-style TV contracts,” The Gazette, Aug. 18, 2022, https://www.thegazette.com/iowa-football/big-ten-lands-7-billion-nfl-style-tv-contracts/ (“The Big Ten's new $7 billion media rights deal will string the conference's top football games across three major networks each week, creating an NFL-style television schedule on Saturdays.
<br>
<br>
The Big Ten announced Thursday it has reached seven-year agreements with Fox, CBS and NBC to share the rights to the conference's football and basketball games.
<br>
<br>
The deals go into effect in 2023, expire in 2030 and eventually will allow the conference's soon-to-be 16 member universities to share more than $1 billion per year, a person familiar with the terms told The Associated Press.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Coaches highest paid in 40 states</b>. David Evans, “Complete List Of The Highest-Paid State Employees: College Coaches Dominate Top Earning Public Sector Workers,” The Sports Daily, July 20, 2023, https://thesportsdaily.com/news/complete-list-of-the-highest-paid-state-employees-college-coaches-dominate-top-earning-public-sector-workers/ (“. . . the highest-earning state employees. The list is dominated by college coaches with 40 of the 50 states’ top-earners in the public sector holding the job title of ‘College Football Head Coach’ or ‘College Basketball Head Coach.’”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa coaches’ salaries</b>. Adam Wells, “Kirk Ferentz, Iowa Agree to New Contract Through 2029 Valued at $7M per Year,” BleacherReport, Jan 14, 2022, https://bleacherreport.com/articles/10023859-kirk-ferentz-iowa-agree-to-new-contract-through-2029-valued-at-7m-per-year
<br>
<br>
Josh Helmer, “What will every Iowa football coach earn in 2023?” Hawkeyes Wire, July 15, 2023,
https://hawkeyeswire.usatoday.com/lists/iowa-hawkeyes-2023-college-football-coaching-salaries-kirk-ferentz-brian-phil-parker-levar-woods-seth-wallace/ (“The Big Ten had reportedly signed a $7 billion TV deal in August of 2022 . . .. Kirk Ferentz, Head Coach 2023 salary: $7 million”)
<br>
<br>
Chad Leistikow and Steve Berkowitz, “Iowa football coaches' salaries for 2023 season: Phil Parker's pay bumps to $1.4 million,” Hawk Central, Des Moines Register, July 13, 2023, https://www.hawkcentral.com/story/sports/college/iowa/football/2023/07/13/iowa-football-coach-salaries-revealed-for-2023-phil-parker-levar-woods-brian-ferentz/70409682007/
(“Here is the summary of the 11 new salaries for Iowa football in 2023, sorted by dollar amount, before performance bonuses:
<br>
<br>
Phil Parker, defensive coordinator/defensive backs, $1.4 million (up from $1.3 million, a 7.7% increase)
<br>
<br>
Brian Ferentz, offensive coordinator/quarterbacks, $850,000 (down from $900,000, a 5.6% decrease)
<br>
<br>
Seth Wallace, assistant defensive coordinator/linebackers, $755,000 (up from $700,000, a 7.9% increase)
<br>
<br>
Raimond Braithwaite, strength and conditioning, $725,000 (up from $675,000, a 7.4% increase)
<br>
<br>
LeVar Woods, special teams coordinator, $700,000 (up from $625,000, a 12% increase)
<br>
<br>
George Barnett, offensive line, $645,000 (up from $600,000, a 7.5% increase)
<br>
<br>
Kelvin Bell, defensive line, $620,000 (up from $575,000, a 7.8% increase)
<br>
<br>
Kelton Copeland, wide receivers, $495,000 (up from $460,000, a 7.6% increase)
Jay Niemann, assistant defensive line/recruiting, $495,000 (up from $460,000, a 7.6% increase)
Ladell Betts, running backs/recruiting, $410,000 (up from $380,000, a 7.9% increase)
Abdul Hodge, tight ends, $325,000 (up from $275,000, a 15.4% increase”)
<br>
<br>
<b>$50 million loan</b>. Vanessa Miller, “University of Iowa gives athletics $50 million ’loan’” The Gazette, April 5, 2021, https://www.thegazette.com/education/university-of-iowa-gives-athletics-50-million-loan/ (“[O]utgoing UI President Bruce Harreld has agreed to permanently end an earlier deal requiring athletics to contribute $2 million a year in direct support to the main campus.
<br>
<br>
Additionally, the UI main campus — facing budget cuts and tens of millions in pandemic-propelled losses of its own — is nonetheless shipping $50 million to the typically self-sustaining athletics department this budget year.
<br>
<br>
That money, according to UI spokeswoman Anne Bassett, will come from the university's cash reserves and come 'in the form of an internal loan that will be repaid over the next 10 to 15 years.’”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Conflicts of interest abound</b>. Sources for this paragraph come from multiple sources: other sources listed here, personal experiences, confirmed conversations with participants, coaches’ contracts.
<br>
<br>
<b>College football revenue</b>. Whatever one counts, it’s millions and billions; it’s a big industry. There are numbers for top teams, conferences, some total revenue, some revenue less expenses, some for a year, some for length of contract, some for total athletic program, some just for football, some including TV revenue, others not. While a “national annual total” is hard to find, here are some statistics.
<br>
<br>
Doug Robinson, “College football: The business that’s like no other;
When it comes to the bottom line, college football seems to have it all figured out,” Deseret News, July 29, 2023, https://www.deseret.com/2023/7/29/23801644/college-football-the-business-thats-like-no-other (“Imagine you have been offered the opportunity to buy a business that offers the following inducements:
<br>
<br>
• The business generates billions of dollars annually — an average of more than $30 million in revenues per franchise, according to Business Insider, with some reaching more than $200 million. There are 131 major franchises nationally. According to Forbes, 25 of them combined to earn an average of $1.5 billion in profit on annual revenues of $2.7 billion.
<br>
<br>
• The business is recession proof. There is no downturn in the economy that is so bad that people won’t pay for your product. And it never ever goes out of style. The only thing that can slow it down is a once-in-century pandemic.
<br>
<br>
• The business receives endless, nationwide advertising — and it’s all FREE!! Someone else does it for you. Some businesses actually pay you for the privilege! TV outlets pay zillions just to show your business on their screens almost every day of the week. It’s a seasonal business, and yet newspapers, radio programs, magazines and TV shows devote hours and hours to discussing your product day and night, year-round, which is just another free marketing/advertising tool, as far as you’re concerned. And it just keeps coming. There are entire businesses devoted to betting on the outcome of your business each week, and there are video games that mimic what your business does every Saturday in the fall.
<br>
<br>
• The business has more than 100 young, physically fit employees at the various franchises to provide a highly valued form of entertainment for the public. Sounds expensive? Well, the average employee works for peanuts — expenses, tuition waivers, free shoes, food, etc. Most of them would do it for nothing. The stars of the business can demand money these days, but, guess what! A third party pays for them under a program called NIL — name, image and likeness!
<br>
<br>
• There is some overhead, but much of the equipment is provided free by companies eager to have your business market their uniforms, other apparel, shoes, equipment and other products. And — get this — most states kick in tax money and student fees to subsidize the business.
<br>
<br>
• There is an unlimited supply of customers who will patronize your business. The customer base grows every year. It’s like compounding interest, with customers as the currency. Every year, a new graduating class emerges from universities and they instantly become paying customers, and they marry and produce offspring/future customers. Last year a near-record 37.3 million customers bought tickets to patronize your business, making it the largest year-over-year increase since 1982.
<br>
<br>
• This business has major, highly recognizable brands all over the country that bring in millions from people wanting to buy merchandise with your name and logos emblazoned on them — hats, apparel, mugs — which of course also means more free advertising.
<br>
<br>
• The “CEO” of each franchise is often the highest paid employee in the state. That’s how valuable your business is. And part of his salary is paid for by equipment companies and radio/TV stations and a group called boosters, who donate hundreds of millions of dollars to help pay the boss and support the company he oversees.
<br>
<br>
Universities used to be in the business of education with a side interest in football; now they are football franchises with a side interest in education. If the top 32 college football teams decided to do it, they could form a professional league that could challenge the NFL for revenues and customers, all under the guise of — try not to laugh — institutions of higher learning.”)
<br>
<br>
Dean Straka, “Big Ten leads Power Five conferences with $845.6 million in revenue in 2022 fiscal year, per report; Power Five conferences combined to bring in $3.3 billion in revenue last year,” CBS, May 19, 2023, https://www.cbssports.com/college-football/news/big-ten-leads-power-five-conferences-with-845-6-million-in-revenue-in-2022-fiscal-year-per-report/ (“Power Five conferences combined for more than $3.3 billion in total revenue during the 2022 fiscal year, according to USA Today. The Big Ten led the pack at $845.6 million.
<br>
<br>
Big Ten $845.6 million
SEC $802 million
ACC $617 million
Pac-12 $580.9 million
Big 12 $480.6 million)
<br>
<br>
“Top 20 Most Profitable College Football Programs,” Athnet, https://www.athleticscholarships.net/profitable-college-football-programs.htm (“The 20 most profitable college football programs made an eye-popping $925 million combined after expenses. The SEC is the leading conference on the field and on the balance sheet, as it has nine schools in the top 20. Of the remaining 11 most profitable programs, there are four from the Big Ten, three from Pac-12, two from the Big-12 and one from the ACC. Here’s the complete list:”)
<br>
<br>
Christina Gough, “Revenue of the NCAA from television broadcast payments and licensing rights from 2012 to 2027(in million U.S. dollars),” Statista, March 23, 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/219608/ncaa-revenue-from-television-rights-agreement/ (“In its 2022 fiscal year, the NCAA generated 870 million U.S. dollars in revenue from television broadcast payments and licensing rights. Over the term of the contract the multimedia and marketing rights payments will reach a total of almost 10.55 billion U.S. dollars.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>College players percentage in NFL</b>. Kern Campbell, “How Many College Football Players Make It To The NFL?” Gameday Culture, Aug. 16, 2023,
https://gamedayculture.com/how-many-college-football-players-make-it-to-the-nfl/ (“The percentage of college football players that make it to the NFL is 1.6 percent. . . . Just to put it into perspective, only the top 8% of the top 1% of the top 1% of high school football players will make it into the NFL.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Career of NFL player</b>. Jeffrey May, “How long is the average career of an NFL player?
The NFL is one of the toughest, most physically demanding sports on the planet, leading to players having the shortest playing careers on average,” https://en.as.com/nfl/how-long-is-the-average-career-of-an-nfl-player-n/ (“The average career length of an NFL player is 3.3 years.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>NFL Injuries</b>. For a variety of statistics see, “NFL Injuries Statistics and Trends in 2023,” GitnuxMarketData, Sept. 5, 2023, https://blog.gitnux.com/nfl-injuries-statistics
<br>
<br>
<b>Win-win solution</b>. As this is a personal proposed solution there are no “sources” in the usual sense.
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
<br>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-81560372907565965072023-08-29T03:38:00.001-05:002023-08-29T03:39:33.635-05:00Our Democracy’s Public Schools<big><big><big><center><b>Democracy Relies on Public Schools</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, August 29, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
OK, I’ll just say it, “I don’t object to the existence of religious and other private schools. I just don’t want them funded with taxpayers’ dollars.”
<br>
<br>
As Ed Wasserman pointed out in a letter earlier this year, neither did Republicans – in 1876. Republicans who search for “original intent” ought to be required to chew on their party’s platform plank from that year:
<br>
<br>
“The public school system . . . is the bulwark of the American republic . . .. [W]e recommend an amendment to the constitution . . . forbidding the application of any public funds . . . for the benefit of any school . . . under sectarian control.”
<br>
<br>
We shouldn’t be surprised with this Republican sleight of hand. This is the same political party that demanded Trump-appointed U.S. attorney David Weiss investigate Hunter Biden. And then responded with outrage when Attorney General Merrick Garland made Weiss the special counsel to do so.
<br>
<br>
As former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld might have said, “You don’t govern with the opposing party you wish you had, you govern with the opposing party you’ve got.”
<br>
<br>
In that spirit, let’s imagine how Republicans might expand private funding for those rejecting public programs.
<br>
<br>
A family or business preferring private protection services could forgo access to the police in exchange for some money toward their security service.
<br>
<br>
A golfer might say, “I’ll agree to stay off the public golf courses in exchange for some taxpayer dollars to help with my country club dues.”
<br>
<br>
A citizen who has never entered the public library might prefer televised media and request a contribution toward a larger TV screen to watch Fox News.
<br>
<br>
The possibilities are as endless as they are a mind-numbing misunderstanding of democracies.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyQ5qkQ26gT3WMjI2GOHfve1PyOjVJk2ACSGjimLIpb_GbktrA1nIC9WicGucBi8JPLjajx1NVd9EJTii0gccypDO1wxREuVRbqDipYmxMmbu8vYJe3DeqHrbEvCOjjAk9ezEzH8AXP0axw-iE6-0gyyU-IAKQ9FPu-L1eprQdmNpvhPqfMf8/s2048/One-room%20schoolhouse%20-%20Iowa%20Department%20of%20Education.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyQ5qkQ26gT3WMjI2GOHfve1PyOjVJk2ACSGjimLIpb_GbktrA1nIC9WicGucBi8JPLjajx1NVd9EJTii0gccypDO1wxREuVRbqDipYmxMmbu8vYJe3DeqHrbEvCOjjAk9ezEzH8AXP0axw-iE6-0gyyU-IAKQ9FPu-L1eprQdmNpvhPqfMf8/s320/One-room%20schoolhouse%20-%20Iowa%20Department%20of%20Education.jpg"/></a></div><br>[Photo credit: Iowa Department of Education, https://educateiowa.gov/walk-through-iowa-s-one-room-schoolhouses (“Here is the original well of an 1800s school house located near Shellsburg in Benton County.”) And see, Tom Morain, “One-Room Schools,” Iowa Pathways, Iowa PBS, undated, https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/one-room-schools (“The first schoolhouse in Iowa was built in 1830 in Lee County.”)
<br>
“Historically, Iowans’ enthusiasm and generosity for education has been overwhelming. . . In the 1800s they paid for 12,000 one-room schoolhouses for their kids. In the 1900s they were rightfully proud of funding a K-12 system ranked among the nation’s best. . . . The University of Iowa, 1847, and University of Northern Iowa, 1876, were primarily built with Iowans’ dollars . . .. “ “How to Save Higher Ed,” The Gazette, March 19, 2017; https://fromdc2iowa.blogspot.com/2017/03/how-to-save-higher-ed.html]
<br>
<br>
One of the central benefits of democracies born of communities is their provision of the rules and tools for creating majority agreement on programs of such benefit to everyone they should be funded by everyone.
<br>
<br>
Those who came before us realized that for the vast landmass called the United States to become a “community” required many connecting networks. So they built them – a postal system, roads, railroads, telegraph, telephone, and ultimately international radio, television and Internet.
<br>
<br>
They also were sufficiently convinced of the public benefit from public libraries, parks, and wilderness reserves for everyone to pay for them, too.
<br>
<br>
Even if you drive the back country “blue highways” on vacation, you still benefit from what our 49,000-mile Interstate Highway System brings you. Few complained of its cost, let alone sought reimbursement because of how little they’d use it.
<br>
<br>
Boston’s first school was established April 23, 1635 – 141 years before there was a “United States.” How sad that of all the democratically created public programs today’s Republicans could dismantle, they picked the oldest: public education.
<br>
<br>
The 1876 Republicans knew public education’s standards were essential to have store clerks who know math, doctors who know medicine – and citizens who know civics. It’s no less true today.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson is a former Iowa City School Board member. Contact:mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Ed Wasserman</b>. Ed Wasserman, “GOP has strayed from its original position on public ed,” The Gazette, July 13, 2023, https://www.thegazette.com/letters-to-the-editor/gop-has-strayed-from-its-original-position-on-public-ed/ (“Iowans should be interested in the so-called conservative values of its Republican Party. Here is the text of one of its presidential platform planks from 1876:
“The public school system of the several states is the bulwark of the American republic; and, with a view to its security and permanence, we recommend an amendment to the constitution of the United States, forbidding the application of any public funds or property for the benefit of any school or institution under sectarian control.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Republicans and David Weiss</b>. Luke Broadwater and Maggie Haberman, “Republicans Wanted a Special Counsel Investigation of Hunter Biden. Now Many Oppose It; Although some G.O.P. lawmakers see the appointment of David C. Weiss as a vindication of their strategy, others criticize the now-scuttled plea deal he struck with Mr. Biden,” New York Times, Aug. 12, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/12/us/politics/republicans-hunter-biden-special-counsel.html (“Congressional Republicans have for months repeatedly written to Attorney General Merrick B. Garland demanding he appoint a special counsel to investigate Hunter Biden, the president’s son, over his business dealings.
<br>
<br>
Some even demanded that a specific man be named to lead the inquiry: David C. Weiss, the Trump-appointed Delaware U.S. attorney who has long investigated the case.
<br>
<br>
But on Friday, after Mr. Garland elevated Mr. Weiss to special counsel status, Republicans in Congress reacted publicly not with triumph, but with outrage. “David Weiss can’t be trusted and this is just a new way to whitewash the Biden family’s corruption,” Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Secretary Rumsfeld</b>. Thomas E. Ricks, “Rumsfeld Gets Earful From Troops,” Washington Post, Dec. 9, 2004, https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/2004/12/09/rumsfeld-gets-earful-from-troops/ec74b055-5090-496b-a66c-145d37a79473/ (“Rumsfeld replied: ‘As you know, you go to war with the Army you have. They're not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.’")
<br>
<br>
<b>“Blue highways.”</b> “Blue Highways,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Highways (“In 1978, after separating from his wife and losing his job as a teacher, Heat-Moon, 38 at the time, took an extended road trip in a circular route around the United States, sticking to only the ‘Blue Highways.’ He had coined the term to refer to small, forgotten, out-of-the-way roads connecting rural America (which were drawn in blue on the old style Rand McNally road atlas).”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Interstate highway system</b>. “Interstate Highway System,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interstate_Highway_System (“Following the passage of the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, use of the railroad system for moving passengers and freight declined sharply, but the trucking industry expanded dramatically and the cost of shipping and travel fell sharply. . . . The Interstate Highway System was being constructed at the same time as the intermodal shipping container made its debut. These containers could be placed on trailers behind trucks and shipped across the country with ease. A new road network and shipping containers that could be easily moved from ship to train to truck, meant that overseas manufacturers and domestic startups could get their products to market quicker than ever, allowing for accelerated economic growth. . . . As of 2020, about one-quarter of all vehicle miles driven in the country used the Interstate Highway System,[3] which had a total length of 48,756 miles (78,465 km).”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Earliest public school</b>. “Apr 23, 1635 CE: First Public School in America; On April 23, 1635, the first public school in what would become the United States was established in Boston, Massachusetts,” Education, National Geographic, https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/first-public-school-america/ .
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-88288610379172925492023-08-15T06:17:00.001-05:002023-08-15T06:18:27.121-05:00What Governors Do<big><big><big><center><b>This, Children, is What Governors Do</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, August 15, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
When very young my first introduction to the people, rivers, and ducks of China came from “The Story of Ping.” It became one of my favorites.
<br>
<br>
My dad used to say that children’s constant questions are their 400 little tugs each day, trying to get the world inside their heads. But some of his responses to my stream of questions was just, “That’s the way ducks do.”
<br>
<br>
I always associated his line with Ping. Though I looked, I can’t find it there now. But it’s still useful.
<br>
<br>
When a little older my definition of “president” was Franklin Roosevelt. “The way presidents do” was, for me, what FDR did.
<br>
<br>
For Iowa’s children in their early teens, their definition of “governor” is Governor Kim Reynolds. For them, whatever she says or does becomes, “That’s the way governors do.”
<br>
<br>
No, it’s not.
<br>
<br>
And her critics might be more successful showing Iowans what other governors can and are doing than focusing on what she shouldn’t be doing.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/image/health-body.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" src="https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/image/health-body.jpg"/></a></div><br>My exhibit: Washington State’s Governor Jay Inslee. [Photo from: https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/health-care.]
<br>
<br>
His impressive experience includes an economics major, law degree and practice, city government (city prosecutor), Washington legislature (four years), U.S. House (13 years), national government (regional director, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services), country’s longest serving governor (11 years), chair, Democratic Governors Association.
<br>
<br>
His latest “state of the state” address makes no mention of restrictions on how doctors can practice medicine, professional teachers can teach or the books librarians can provide. No efforts to make life more difficult for LGBTQ people. No increases in his executive power. No curtailing of access to public information for media and other Washingtonians. No refusal to hold press conferences. No cuts in support of the poor. No taxpayer-funded private and religious schools. [No headline-grabbing trip south for Washington’s law officers to stop immigrants.]
<br>
<br>
What has he accomplished or proposed? Some examples:
<br>
<br>
<b>Human rights</b>. “Housing is a Human Right” campaign (construction; zoning; $1 billion for homeless and affordable housing); public transportation. More access to healthcare; including immigrants’ and women’s rights. Reduced racial disparities. Marriage equality. Protection of LGBTQ rights. Paid family and medical leave.
<br>
<br>
Early childhood education and care. Schools provide students mental and educational support, and programs for those with special needs. Reformed criminal justice system. Suspension of executions. Marijuana single misdemeanor offenders pardoned.
<br>
<br>
<b>Environment</b>. Leading climate change action advocate. Conservation of wildlife habitat; protection for endangered species. Cleaner water and air. [Sustainable agriculture and forestry. Ban on fracking. One hundred percent clean energy goal.]
<br>
<br>
<b>Economy</b>. Need-related college financial aid (boosted state’s economy). Increased minimum wage. Record low unemployment; 500,000 new jobs. A “Working Families Tax Credit” – rather than tax cuts for Washington’s wealthiest.
<br>
<br>
The result?
<br>
<br>
Washington has been ranked the best state in the U.S., second best for business and third best for workers and teachers. Similar to what Iowa’s ranking sometimes was under both Republican and Democratic former governors.
<br>
<br>
And that, dear Iowa children, “Is the way governors do”!
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson wonders what Governor Inslee will do next; it won’t be reelection. Contact: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org
<br>
<br>
<b>NOTE</b>: Text [within brackets] was deleted by the editors for space reasons.<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<br>
<b>Jay Inslee, General</b>.
Note: Most of the assertions and items listed in the column are from the following general sources:
<br>
<br>
Wikipedia: Jay Inslee, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Inslee
<br>
<br>
“Washington Governor Jay Inslee,” https://governor.wa.gov/
<br>
<br>
“Jay Inslee Governor,” https://www.jayinslee.com/ (campaign website)
<br>
<br>
Jay Inslee, “Building a Washington That Works for Everyone,” https://www.facebook.com/WaStateGov
<br>
<br>
The Seattle Times, use The Times Search feature, enter: Jay Inslee, https://www.seattletimes.com/
<br>
<br>
Results from Google search for, “Governor Jay Inslee”
<br>
<br>
<b>Inslee’s experience</b>.
See, Jay Inslee, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jay_Inslee
<br>
<br>
<b>Nation’s longest serving governor</b>.
“List of Current United States Governors, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_United_States_governors (“Currently, the longest serving incumbent U.S. governor is Jay Inslee of Washington, having served since January 2013 . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>State of the state</b>.
Jay Inslee, “2023 State of the State Address: Bold actions for building a stronger Washington,” Jan. 10, 2023, https://governor.wa.gov/news/speeches/2023-state-state-address-bold-actions-building-stronger-washington
<br>
<br>
<b>Accomplishments</b>.
Gene Johnson and Ed Komenda, “Democratic Washington Gov. Jay Inslee won’t seek 4th term,” Associated Press, May 1, 2023, https://apnews.com/article/inslee-democrat-2024-climate-450cb6ef6347f0ac04022f079c3c0e13 (“Among his accomplishments he lists a cap-and-trade system for carbon emissions in the state and a trio of gun violence prevention measures that he signed into law last month, including a ban on semi-automatic assault rifles that is already being challenged in court by gun rights advocates.
<br>
<br>
Early this year the state Supreme Court upheld a capital gains tax Inslee promoted as a way to address what was considered the nation’s most regressive tax system.
<br>
<br>
He also vowed to protect gay rights and abortion access as conservative states constrained them, and he bought the state a three-year stockpile of a popular abortion drug in anticipation of court rulings that could limit its availability.
<br>
<br>
Inslee said he still has work to do before his exit, including collaborating with legislators and community leaders to address Washington’s homelessness crisis and speeding efforts to broaden behavioral health services.”)
<br>
<br>
Terra Sokol, “Gov. Jay Inslee Approves Salary Increases for Teachers,” News Radio, 560 KPQ, April 22, 2023, https://kpq.com/gov-jay-inslee-approves-salary-increases-for-teachers/ (“Program supervisors and instructors would make a minimum of $72,728 a year, administration $107,955 a year, and classified staff (paras, office staff, custodians) would receive $52,173 a year. . . . Salary increases total to approximately $1 billion and will go into effect in the 2024-25 school year.”)
<br>
<br>
Katherine Long, “Could you go to college tuition-free in Washington? Here’s how to find out,” Seattle Times, May 28, 2019, https://www.seattletimes.com/education-lab/could-you-go-to-college-tuition-free-in-washington-heres-how-to-find-out/ (“Last week, Gov. Jay Inslee signed into law a sweeping higher-education bill that will cut the cost of tuition, or make it free, for low- and median-income students. In a tweet, he described it as creating “a statewide #freecollege plan for eligible students.” Nationally, the bill has been hailed as a progressive approach to making college more affordable, and it’s expected to reach up to 110,000 students. . . . The Workforce Education Investment Act replaces the State Need Grant with a new program, the Washington College Grant (WCG), and makes the money an entitlement. Grants can cover up to 100% of tuition plus service and activity fees, and do not need to be paid back. It’s not a so-called “last-dollar” program — a student who qualifies for WCG could also receive a federal Pell grant, for example.
<br>
<br>
The legislation is built on the idea that Washington’s economy already employs a lot of college graduates, many of whom move here to chase opportunity — yet only about 31% of Washington’s own high-school graduates have earned a degree or credential by the age of 26, according to one study.
<br>
<br>
Being clear and upfront about who qualifies, and guaranteeing the money, removes the uncertainty surrounding financial aid. That, in turn, should make it easier for school districts and colleges to encourage kids to think about earning a certificate or a two- or four-year college degree, or becoming trained through a registered apprenticeship (also covered) . . ..[Chart indicates declining dollar support as family income increases above $69,000. $10,748 available up to incomes $46,000 or below. Declines to $5374 at $64,000 and $0 at $69,000 and above.]
<br>
<br>
Claire Withycombe, “Gov. Inslee signs bills to increase housing in WA,” Seattle Times, May 8, 2023, https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/politics/gov-inslee-signs-wa-affordable-housing-bills/ (“Many of the bills are aimed at boosting the supply of homes in a state where it’s expensive and sorely needed.
<br>
<br>
Washington will now allow multifamily housing in many more neighborhoods, encourage people to develop accessory dwelling units, and streamline development regulations, among other policies. The overarching effort to smooth regulatory barriers, like zoning and permits, to building housing garnered bipartisan support.
<br>
<br>
“We are attacking this problem at its root, which is the lack of housing in the state of Washington,” Inslee said.
<br>
<br>
The Washington Department of Commerce estimates the state will need about 1 million more homes in the next 20 years.
<br>
<br>
This year, lawmakers also passed a budget with a $400 million investment in the state’s Housing Trust Fund, which finances affordable housing projects. That money will pay for about 3,000 new rental homes, and help about 250 to 400 households with homeownership, according to the department. . . .
<br>
<br>
Inslee signed nine bills about 1 p.m. Monday in Seattle at SEIU 775, and signed a 10th bill in a separate ceremony later that afternoon at the Northwest African American Museum, in a nod to the lengthy and harmful legacy of racist policies that kept many Black people from buying homes in certain neighborhoods and from building generational wealth.
<br>
<br>
House Bill 1474, which sponsors say is the first statewide policy of its kind, will help people who were affected by racist housing covenants designed to keep ethnic and religious minorities out of certain neighborhoods, as well as their descendants, with down payments and closing costs. . . .
<br>
<br>
Inslee signed nine bills about 1 p.m. Monday in Seattle at SEIU 775, and signed a 10th bill in a separate ceremony later that afternoon at the Northwest African American Museum, in a nod to the lengthy and harmful legacy of racist policies that kept many Black people from buying homes in certain neighborhoods and from building generational wealth.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>New York Times</b>.
Reid J. Epstein, “Jay Inslee Sees Greener Pastures Ahead; After nearly 30 years in elected office, Washington’s governor plans to shift his focus to climate solutions and clean energy, underscoring the need for ‘a sense of optimism and confidence,’” New York Times, May 2, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/02/us/politics/jay-inslee-climate.html (“. . . [O]ne of America’s leading climate hawks.
<br>
<br>
Mr. Inslee ran for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination by arguing that the country would have to radically reshape its relationship with fossil fuels and promote renewable energy. . . . [H]is goals later became the blueprint for the climate spending in the Inflation Reduction Act, which President Biden signed into law last year. . . .
<br>
<br>
In 2007, I [Inslee] said we’re going to be driving electric cars. People thought I was smoking the cheap stuff. Well, now we’re buying them so fast that production can’t even keep up.”]
<br>
<br>
Reid J. Epstein, “Gov. Jay Inslee of Washington, Climate Champion, Won’t Seek Re-Election; Mr. Inslee, 72, a former presidential candidate and a leading Democratic proponent of policies to slow climate change, said he would not seek a fourth term,” New York Times, May 1, 2023, . https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/us/politics/jay-inslee-washington-governor.html (“Mr. Inslee and the Washington State attorney general, Bob Ferguson, filed a series of lawsuits against Mr. Trump’s administration, challenging policies on its ban on travel from several predominantly Muslim countries, its separation of migrant children from their parents and its unwinding of climate regulations.”)
<br>
<br>
David Wallace-Wells, “Gov. Jay Inslee Is Taking a Well-Earned Climate Victory Lap,” New York Times, Aug. 31, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/31/opinion/environment/jay-inslee-ira-climate-change.html (“[C]limate has become one of the issues that really holds the Democratic coalition together.
<br>
<br>
I think the reason for that is because it is such a powerful job creator — a good-paying-job creator. I mean, I can’t turn over a rock in my state where I can’t point to good jobs being created, in Moses Lake, where battery companies are coming in and Lind, Washington, where a solar plant went in and Arlington, where there’s electric planes that are in development. It’s just an explosion and it’s a welcome one. . . .
<br>
<br>
[In] 2009 or 2010, I brought a Chevy Volt, the prototype for the hybrid electric, to Capitol Hill because I wanted to show my colleagues, “Look what’s coming. Electric cars are coming.” . . . I was just being teased mercilessly by my friends . . .. Now people have a waiting list for the F-150, the Lightning, 10 miles long. . . .
<br>
<br>
I looked at the Alpine Meadows and thought about how they are at such risk right now. . . . [W]e’ve lost 45 percent of our glaciers — Olympic National Park, and the same thing’s happening on Rainier. It’s just great to see action today, knowing that Alpine Meadows might have a chance for my grandkids.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Best state and top priorities:</b>
<br>
<br>
<b>Best state</b>.
Levi Pulkkinen, "Education, Energy and Economy Lead Washington to Top Spot in Best States Ranking;
The Evergreen State takes the top spot again in the U.S. News Best States ranking on the strength of its tech sector and other industries," U.S. News, March 9, 2021, https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2021-03-09/why-washington-is-the-best-state-in-america ("For the second time, Washington has been named No. 1 in the U.S. News Best States ranking and is the first state to earn the top spot twice in a row.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Economic Recovery</b>.
“Jay Inslee Governor, Top Priorities, Economic Recovery,” https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/economic-recovery
<br>
<br>
(“During Jay’s tenure, Washington has made historic steps to improve the lives of Washingtonians. In his first term, Jay led Washington out of the Great Recession. By his second term, he brought Washington together to create what CNBC rated the top state for businesses and Oxfam declared the best state for workers.”
<br>
<br>
https://www.jayinslee.com/about - “Under his clear leadership, Washington helped build an economy that is ranked number one for both businesses and workers.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Healthcare</b>. https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/health-care
<br>
<br>
(“Jay has protected and expanded access to health care under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) to nearly 800,000 additional Washingtonians, driving uninsured rates to record lows. . . .
• Expanded the Affordable Care Act to nearly 800,000 Washingtonians<br>
• Protected those with pre-existing conditions and women’s reproductive rights<br>
• Signed first public health care option in the country<br>
• Passed historic long-term care benefit program so seniors can receive the care they need<br>
. . . Jay has made Washington state a leader in reproductive health care. He helped to pass and sign the Reproductive Parity Act, which requires health plans that include maternity care services to also cover abortion services and for all health plans to cover over the counter contraceptives without a prescription.
<br>
<br>
We must change how we take care of people who suffer from mental illness in Washington state. That’s why Jay championed and signed legislation to integrate physical services and behavioral health services by significantly transforming the state’s mental health system and reshaping how and where patients receive care.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Education</b>. https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/education
<br>
<br>
(“[He] invested billions in our education system.
<br>
<br>
These important investments have resulted in increased access to early learning, including all-day kindergarten so that children can start building a foundation at an early age for success. For children with the most need, he pushed to secure $130 million for direct special education services and expand Breakfast After the Bell program to ensure Washington’s kids are focused on learning, not hunger.
<br>
<br>
Jay values our teachers and he’s worked to increase educator pay more than any other state and to lower class sizes so our educators can focus on giving our children the best possible education. He has also made a commitment to recruit and retain more diverse educators in our schools.”
<br>
<br>
• Enacted all-day kindergarten<br>
• Raised teacher pay and lowered class sizes<br>
• Funded full and partial college tuition assistance for working and middle-class Washingtonians<br>
• Launched Career Connect to give 100,000 students career-ready apprenticeships and technical training<br>
<br>
<br>
[The] Workforce Education Investment Act, which ensures full and partial college tuition scholarships are available to working and middle-class Washingtonians. . . . [And the] Career Connect Washington. This program connects 100,000 Washington students with career-ready education like apprenticeships and technical education.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Climate; Clean Energy</b>. https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/climate-and-clean-energy
<br>
<br>
(“Known as the “greenest governor in the country,” he has made Washington state a leader in both the fight against climate change and growing clean energy jobs — something he knows will be vital to our economic comeback post-COVID.
<br>
<br>
, , , Jay set the state on a pathway to a carbon neutral electrical grid by 2030 and to be powered by 100 percent clean electricity by 2045. We have built the cleanest energy grid in the nation and a $6 billion wind energy industry, while also increasing the use of solar energy and electric vehicles.
<br>
<br>
• Committed Washington to have a carbon neutral electrical grid by 2030 and 100% clean energy electricity by 2045<br>
• Built cleanest energy grid in nation and helped build a $6 billion wind energy industry<br>
• Signed orca and salmon protections<br>
<br>
He led the passage of the greenest transportation package in our state’s history to create an estimated 200,000 jobs.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Justice and Safety</b>. https://www.jayinslee.com/top-priorities/justice-and-safety
<br>
<br>
(“Jay wants to rethink public safety and eradicate systemic racism not just in law enforcement, but in education, healthcare, housing, and other areas of inequality. . . . He issued a moratorium on the death penalty . . .. offered pardons to individuals with misdemeanor marijuana convictions . . .. [and] helped pass bipartisan de-escalation and deadly force standards to ensure there is accountability for police violence.
<br>
<br>
Jay . . . is working to eliminate Washington’s rape kit backlog.
<br>
<br>
He has fought . . . gun violence, banning dangerous mass-killing tools like bump stocks, made sure guns are kept out of the hands of high-risk individuals, and supported the passage of voter-approved universal background checks.”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
<br>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-9872269144131979462023-08-01T05:41:00.000-05:002023-08-01T05:41:21.025-05:00Quality Housing for All<big><big><big><center><b>Quality Housing for All is Possible</big></b>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, August 1, 2023, p. A 6</center></big>
<br>
“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for [their] health and well-being . . . including . . . housing . . .” declares the U.N.’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you find the Bible more persuasive, many versions include in Matthew 25, “I was homeless and you gave me a room.”
<br>
<br>
The Iowa Code provides equivalent rights for farm animals. And yet 1.6 billion people not only don’t have the housing Jesus called for and the U.N. considers a human right, they’re lacking the housing rights of Iowa’s animals.
<br>
<br>
Two million U.S. housing units were judged to be “extremely inadequate.” There are around 500,000 homeless people each evening.
<br>
<br>
U.S. agencies and organizations also measure “housing insecurity” (e.g., high costs, poor quality, unstable neighborhoods or overcrowding). For renters the percentages with housing insecurity range from 30 percent (Florida) to 17 percent (Wyoming). In Iowa it’s 23 percent.
<br>
<br>
It’s not like Iowa’s doing nothing. The state, county and city governments have programs. Vouchers, affordable housing in new developments (mixed income, inclusionary zoning), rezoning, housing trust funds, government owned and operated and “housing first” for the homeless.
<br>
<br>
But a conflict of goals is bound to occur when housing programs look to profit-maximizing capitalist landlords to provide housing for all at prices that leave everyone with enough left over for nutrition, healthcare, transportation and other basic needs.
<br>
<br>
Where might we look for alternatives?
<br>
<br>
When I served on the Iowa City School Board, we wanted new ideas. With 16,000 U.S. school districts, we set aside meeting time to discuss what Education Week was reporting and other countries were doing.
<br>
<br>
Iowa’s governmental units could do the same, researching others’ housing solutions. Take Vienna for example.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Gemeindebau_Wohlmutstra%C3%9Fe_14_05.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/0b/Gemeindebau_Wohlmutstra%C3%9Fe_14_05.jpg"/></a></div><br>The focus of Vienna’s “social housing” is not on giving money to the poor, passed through to landlords. It’s on construction of a livable, lovable city and society – connected with cheap, frequent, fast public transportation. The Viennese believe such a city requires upscale, architecturally attractive cheap housing for everyone. Housing that mixes middle class with the poor. Housing conveniently located in neighborhoods with a range of facilities and services, such as a community center, swimming pool, dental clinic, library, post office, restaurant. [Photo credit: wikimedia.org/commons]
<br>
<br>
Anyone earning under about $80,000 (U.S.) can apply if they’ve had a single Vienna address for two years. The financial requirements are such that 80 percent of Vienna’s residents choose to rent. The U.S. defines “affordable” as 30 percent of before-tax income. (Landlords extract more from nearly half of all renters.) Vienna defines “affordable” as closer to 20 percent of after-tax income. No one’s excluded, and no one’s evicted if their income increases. The homeless are provided “housing first” facilities.
<br>
<br>
When people pay less, but get quality, inclusive housing they have less finance-related stress – and more money left over to live life and boost the local economy.
<br>
<br>
We could do it here. In fact, we’ve tried in California, Maryland and Washington.
<br>
<br>
Why not Iowa?
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson believes the U.N. and Jesus would like Vienna’s housing. Contact: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Universal Declaration of Human Rights</b>, United Nations, Dec. 10, 1948, Article 25, https://www.un.org/en/about-us/universal-declaration-of-human-rights (“Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Matthew 25</b>. Numerous sources from Google search: “Which versions of the Bible include ‘I was homeless and you gave me a room’ in Matthew 25?”
For example, “Matthew 25:35-40,” You Version, Bible.com, https://www.bible.com/bible/97/MAT.25.34,35,36 (“I was homeless and you gave me a room”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Animal rights</b>. Code of Iowa, Sec. 717B.3(1)(d), https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/ico/chapter/717B.pdf
(“1. A person commits animal neglect when the person owns or has custody of an animal, confines that animal, and fails to provide the animal with any of the following conditions for the animal’s welfare: . . .
<br>
<br>
d. Ventilated shelter reasonably sufficient to provide adequate protection from the elements and weather conditions suitable for the . . . animal so as to maintain the animal in a state of good health . . . . The shelter must protect the animal from wind, rain, snow, or sun and have adequate bedding to provide reasonable protection against cold and dampness. . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>1.6 billion without adequate housing</b>. “First-ever United Nations Resolution on Homelessness,” Department of Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations, March 9, 2020, https://www.un.org/development/desa/dspd/2020/03/resolution-homelessness/ (“A serious violation of human dignity, homelessness has become a global problem. It is affecting people of all ages from all walks of life, in both developed and developing countries.
<br>
<br>
Globally, 1.6 billion people worldwide live in inadequate housing conditions, with about 15 million forcefully evicted every year, according to UN-Habitat, which has noted an alarming rise in homelessness in the last 10 years. Young people are the age group with the highest risk of becoming homeless.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Adequate housing in U.S.</b> Housing insecurity in the United States https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Housing_insecurity_in_the_United_States (Chart: “Rented households facing housing insecurity (%)” High: Florida (30%), low: Wyoming (17%). Iowa (23%).
“The American Housing Survey, using a standard of “extremely inadequate” housing, found (averaging numbers from 2005, 2007 and 2009) 2 million units to be “extremely inadequate” (1,896,890 units).”
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. Homelessness</b>. “How many homeless people are in the US? What does the data miss?” USA Facts, May 23, 2023, https://usafacts.org/articles/how-many-homeless-people-are-in-the-us-what-does-the-data-miss/ (“More than half a million people experienced homelessness in America last year. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) counted around 582,000 Americans experiencing homelessness in 2022. That’s about 18 per 10,000 people in the US, up about 2,000 people from 2020.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. school districts</b>. Imed Bouchrika, “101 American School Statistics: 2023; Data, Trends & Predictions,” https://research.com/education/american-school-statistics (“The U.S. is currently home to 16,800 school districts.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Vienna</b>.
Homelessness. “Homelessness in Austria,” Policies & Strategies, Feantsa Country Fiche, 2017, https://www.feantsa.org/download/austria-20178599194934673684360.pdf
(“Vienna and Upper Austria have adopted an integrated program on homelessness, covering prevention, accommodation and reintegration. The program in Vienna is known as the Vienna Integration Program for Homeless People (Vienna Multi-Stage Scheme). Housing First approaches are being implemented.”)
<br>
<br>
Viennese incomes. "Average Salary in Vienna, Austria," SalaryExpert, undated, https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/area/austria/vienna ("51,823" -- $57,347 US)
<br>
<br>
"The average salary and minimum wage in Austria," Expatica, March 4, 2023, https://www.expatica.com/at/working/employment-law/minimum-wage-austria-89338/ ("The median salary in Austria is about €2,182 per month. However, the median income for full-time employees working all year round in 2020 was €40,415 [$44,723 U.S.] for women and €46,292 [$51,227 U.S.] for men. Normally, this includes the basic salary, bonuses, annual leave payments, and sick pay.")
<br>
<br>
"Cost of Living in Vienna," Numbeo, 2023, https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/in/Vienna
• ("A family of four estimated monthly costs are 3,483.6$ (3,153.1€) without rent (using our estimator).
• A single person estimated monthly costs are 1,008.7$ (913.0€) without rent.
• Vienna is 33.7% less expensive than New York (without rent, see our cost of living index).
• Rent in Vienna is, on average, 75.1% lower than in New York.")
<br>
<br>
Transportation. “The Public Transport System,” Visiting Vienna, https://www.visitingvienna.com/transport/public/ (“The public transport system is definitely one of Vienna’s good points. Cheap, frequent, fast, clean, efficient, and rarely overcrowded.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Vienna; Excerpts from Francesca Mari, “It Might Look Like Vienna</b>; Soaring real estate markets have created a worldwide housing crisis. What can we learn from a city that has largely avoided it?” Magazine, New York Times, May 26, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/23/magazine/vienna-social-housing.html
<br>
<br>
Note</b>: <i>I found this to be one of the best sources regarding the Vienna social housing program. Rather than trying to link each of these excerpts to the precise language in two of the column’s paragraphs they are simply listed in the order in which they appear in this New York Times Magazine article – thereby making them easier to find.
<br>
<br>
Questions the reader may have about any of my assertions should be answered by one or more of them.
<br>
<br>
Conversion from Austria Euros to U.S. dollars with ExchangeRate.com, https://www.exchangerate.com/currency-exchange-rate-cities/vienna.html</i>
<br>
<br>
Viennese law dictates that rents in public housing can increase only with inflation, and only when the year’s inflation exceeds 5 percent. By the time she retired in 2007, Eva’s rent was only 8 percent of her income. Because her husband was earning 4,000 euros a month, their rent amounted to 3.6 percent of their incomes combined.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
In Vienna, a whopping 80 percent of residents qualify for public housing, and once you have a contract, it never expires, even if you get richer. Housing experts believe that this approach leads to greater economic diversity within public housing — and better outcomes for the people living in it.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
49 percent of American renters — 21.6 million people — are cost-burdened, paying landlords more than 30 percent of their pretax income, and the percentage can be even higher in expensive cities. In New York City, the median renter household spends a staggering 36 percent of its pretax income on rent.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
In Vienna, 43 percent of all housing is insulated from the market, meaning the rental prices reflect costs or rates set by law — not “what the market will bear” or what a person with no other options will pay.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
The mean gross household income in Vienna is 57,700 euros [$63,151 US] a year, but any person who makes under 70,000 euros [$77,462 US] qualifies for a [social housing] unit. Once in, you never have to leave. It doesn’t matter if you start earning more.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
80 percent of all households in Vienna choose to rent.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
Vienna prioritizes subsidizing construction, while the United States prioritizes subsidizing people, with things like housing vouchers. One model focuses on supply, the other on demand. Vienna’s choice illustrates a fundamental economic reality, which is that a large-enough supply of social housing offers a market alternative that improves housing for all.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
[T]he average waiting time to get a [social housing unit] is about two years (at any given moment there are 12,000 or so people on the waiting list, and each year about 10,000 or more people are housed). Vienna residents — anyone who has had a fixed address for two years, whether they are a citizen or not — may apply, and applications are evaluated based on need.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
City housing officials point out that having wealthier tenants in ["social housing"] helps thwart the problems that accompany concentrated poverty, creating a more stable, healthier environment for everyone. Unlike in the United States, where public housing is only for the poorest . . . the relative integration of ["social housing"] means that they are not stigmatized.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
[One social housing project] housed 5,000 people in 1,400 apartments. These apartments were coveted. “It had two central laundries, two communal bathing facilities with tubs and showers, a dental clinic, maternity clinic, a health-insurance office, library, youth hostel, post office, and a pharmacy and 25 other commercial premises, including a restaurant and the offices and showroom of the BEST, the city-run furnishing and interior-design advice center,” Blau writes.
Now fewer than 3,000 tenants live [there] — not because it’s undesirable but because living standards have improved and, in response, Vienna has allotted tenants more space . . . [combining] some of the units to create larger ones.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
Vienna has succeeded in curbing the craving to own. It has done it by driving down the price of land through rezoning and rent control.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
Living in Alt-Erlaa, Willie enjoyed access to seven rooftop swimming pools, seven indoor swimming pools, tennis courts, gyms and acclaimed art. When the rest of the delegation joined us, he led us toward one of his favorite aspects of the buildings: two murals in the lobby of the second building meditating on the role of the news media and labor in society.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
The spiral of overvaluation in housing, which makes the housing-haves rich and the have-nots desperately poor, has brought us to a point where only something radical can solve it. The problem with housing in the United States is that it has been locked in as a means of building wealth, and building wealth is irreconcilable with affordability. The housing crisis in the United States is proof. Even in 2017, before the pandemic, around 113 million Americans — some 35 percent of the nation’s population — were living with a serious housing problem, such as physically deficient housing, burdensome costs or no housing at all, notes Alex F. Schwartz, an urban-studies professor at the New School.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
The United States government intervenes heavily in the housing market. It’s just a two-tiered system, as Gail Radford, the historian, argues. There’s generous support for affluent homeowners and deliberately insufficient support for the lowest-income households. In 2017, the United States spent $155 billion on tax breaks to homeowners and investors in rental housing and mortgage-revenue bonds, more than three times the $50 billion spent on affordable housing.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
Though “social housing” represented a large initial government outlay, Vienna’s social housing is now self-sustaining. Guess how much of the residents’ salary goes toward the program. One percent. Social housing drives down rents in the private market by as much as 5 percent. Vouchers may appear cheaper in the short term, but directly financing well-regulated public and limited-profit construction is the only way to mitigate speculation and hedge against ever-increasing housing costs. In 2020, New York and California spent $377 and $248 per capita, respectively, in housing development, while Vienna spent just $124 — and approximately half of Vienna’s spending is on low-interest financing that will be repaid and then re-lent.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
Local social-housing programs, many of them inspired by Vienna, are underway in Montgomery County, Md.; Seattle; and California. And they have a long legacy in New York, which built 66,000 affordable apartments and 69,000 limited-profit co-op apartment units from 1955 to 1981.
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
<b>Seattle</b>. “A place to live, a place to grow; Providing housing and supportive services for people with low incomes,” Seattle Housing Authority, 2023, https://www.seattlehousing.org/
<br>
<br>
<b>Montgomery County, Marylan</b>d. “Housing,” Montgomery Planning, July 19, 2023, https://montgomeryplanning.org/planning/housing/
<br>
<br>
<b>California</b>. “Five More Jurisdictions Designated Prohousing,” California Department of Housing and Development, 2023, https://www.hcd.ca.gov/
<br>
<br>
<center># # #<center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-4455281078298920732023-07-18T05:48:00.001-05:002023-07-18T05:48:40.137-05:00Is It Hot Enough for You?<big><big><big><center><b>Is It Hot Enough for You?</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, July 18, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
I’m about to reveal a new book that could save your life — or at least explain when and why we may all die.
<br>
<br>
Ever heard of the microbe “Strain 121?” No? I hadn’t either. Turns out it’s able to live in the 212- to 250-degree ocean water from underwater volcanoes.
<br>
<br>
As you’re probably aware, we Homo sapiens would be thoroughly cooked at those temperatures.
<br>
<br>
But without heat Earth would be a relatively constant 455 degrees below zero.
<br>
<br>
Like Goldilocks’ search for the perfect porridge temperature between too hot and too cold, we’ve had — until now — a temperature range that is “just right” for humans.
<br>
<br>
The mathematical odds of this? Far slimmer than your odds of filling out a perfect NCAA basketball bracket (1 in 120 billion). Especially given our furnace.
<br>
<br>
The sun is the size of 1.3 million Earths. Its core temperature is 27 million degrees; its surface 10,000 degrees. Every second it sends enough heat 93 million miles, through minus-455-degree space, to equal the heat from three to six Hiroshima-size atomic bombs.
<br>
<br>
Which brings us to CO2. Without the greenhouse gas levels we used to have our average temperature would be 4 degrees below zero. It’s the CO2’s global warming that made it “just right.”
<br>
<br>
But we now have two problems moving us from “just right” to “too hot.”
<br>
<br>
First, the CO2 that’s already there and difficult to remove without a herculean tree-planting project. And second, the increasing amounts of CO2 we’re creating from fossil fuels.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Warning_sign_danger_extreme_heat.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/49/Warning_sign_danger_extreme_heat.jpg"/></a></div><br>We know about skin cancer and heat stroke from too much sun and drinking water to replace sweat. But there is so much we don’t know. The role of humidity and “wet bulb” thermometers. The impact of heat on the risk of miscarriage, heart attacks, kidney disease, suicides, gun violence and children’s test scores. [Photo: A warning sign in Lake Mead National Recreation Area, February 20, 2022, advising of the danger of extreme heat in the summer months. Source: Wikimedia, Creative Commons.]
<br>
<br>
That heat has an effect on how cells function, proteins unfold, molecules move, the heart pumps, and organs respond. That 489,000 people worldwide died from extreme heat in 2019, and 850 million live in areas that had all-time record temperatures in 2022.
<br>
<br>
We built a world for ourselves filled with unarticulated assumptions. During my lifetime I can’t recall hearing or reading anyone’s speculation about, or plan for dealing with top temperatures of 130, 140 or 150 degrees — rather than 100 or, worst case, 120 degrees.
<br>
<br>
We haven’t built homes, office buildings, highways, railroads, or even wardrobes with excessive, ever-increasing heat in mind — and couldn’t afford to replace them all. We don’t have an electric grid that could support every American’s super-powerful air conditioner running day and night, pumping more heat into our urban heat islands.
<br>
<br>
So, what’s that new book I promised you? It’s a remarkably creative bit of writing blending facts with, not fiction, but true stories of individuals and families, athletic and experienced, whose planned wonderful day outdoors ended in their death from the heat. It’s Jeff Goodell’s “The Heat Will Kill You First,” published last week.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson bought his copy at a local bookstore. You can too. Contact: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Strain 121.</b>
Caroline Williams, “Extreme survival: Creatures that can take the heat,” New Scientist, Nov. 10, 2010, https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg20827861-600-extreme-survival-creatures-that-can-take-the-heat/ (“The hottest recorded temperature at which life has been able to grow is 121 °C. This record is held by a microbe called simply Strain 121, which normally lives at temperatures of around 100 °C in hydrothermal vents; it barely seemed to notice when it was heated to 121 °C in the lab, in 2003 (Science, vol 301, p 934). Even at 130 °C the bacterium was still hanging in there, but it could not replicate until the temperature dropped.” 100C = 212F; 121C= 250 (249.8)F; 130C = 266F)
<br>
<br>
“What is a hydrothermal vent? Hydrothermal vents form at locations where seawater meets magma,” National Ocean Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/vents.html
(“Underwater volcanoes at spreading ridges and convergent plate boundaries produce hot springs known as hydrothermal vents.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Coldest place.</b>
Joe Phelan, “What is the coldest place in the solar system?” Live Science, April 16, 2022, https://www.livescience.com/coldest-place-in-solar-system (“The baseline temperature of outer space is 2.7 kelvins — minus 454.81 degrees Fahrenheit, or minus 270.45 degrees Celsius — meaning it is barely above absolute zero, the point at which molecular motion stops.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Goldilocks.</b>
Flora Annie Steel, “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” 1922, https://americanliterature.com/childrens-stories/goldilocks-and-the-three-bears (“First she tasted the porridge of the Great Big Bear, and that was too hot for her. Next she tasted the porridge of the Middle-sized Bear, but that was too cold for her. And then she went to the porridge of the Little Wee Bear, and tasted it, and that was neither too hot nor too cold, but just right, and she liked it so well that she ate it all up, every bit!”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Perfect bracket odds.</b>
Daniel Wilco, “The absurd odds of a perfect NCAA bracket,” NCAA, March 16, 2023, https://www.ncaa.com/webview/news%3Abasketball-men%3Abracketiq%3A2023-03-16%3Aperfect-ncaa-bracket-absurd-odds-march-madness-dream (“Here's the TL/DR version of the odds of a perfect NCAA bracket:
1 in 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 (if you just guess or flip a coin)
1 in 120.2 billion (if you know a little something about basketball)”)
<br>
<br>
<b>The Sun.</b>
General: “Our Sun,” Solar System Exploration; Our Galactic Neighborhood, NASA, July 12, 2023, https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/solar-system/sun/in-depth/ (“The Sun is a 4.5 billion-year-old yellow dwarf star – a hot glowing ball of hydrogen and helium – at the center of our solar system. It’s about 93 million miles (150 million kilometers) from Earth and it’s our solar system’s only star. Without the Sun’s energy, life as we know it could not exist on our home planet. . . . [Size of sun: “Many stars are much larger – but the Sun is far more massive than our home planet: it would take more than 330,000 Earths to match the mass of the Sun, and it would take 1.3 million Earths to fill the Sun's volume.”]
<br>
<br>
<b>Heat from atomic bombs.</b>
Damian Carrington, “Global warming of oceans equivalent to an atomic bomb per second; Seas absorb 90% of climate change’s energy as new research reveals vast heating over past 150 years,” The Guardian, Jan. 7, 2019, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/jan/07/global-warming-of-oceans-equivalent-to-an-atomic-bomb-per-second (“A Guardian calculation found the average heating across that 150-year period was equivalent to about 1.5 Hiroshima-size atomic bombs per second. But the heating has accelerated over that time as carbon emissions have risen, and was now the equivalent of between three and six atomic bombs per second. . . . The total heat taken up by the oceans over the past 150 years was about 1,000 times the annual energy use of the entire global population.
The research has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and combined measurements of the surface temperature of the ocean since 1871 with computer models of ocean circulation.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Without greenhouse gases.</b>
“The Greenhouse Effect,” British Geological Survey (BGS), undated, https://www.bgs.ac.uk/discovering-geology/climate-change/how-does-the-greenhouse-effect-work/ (“‘Greenhouse gases’ are crucial to keeping our planet at a suitable temperature for life. Without the natural greenhouse effect, the heat emitted by the Earth would simply pass outwards from the Earth’s surface into space and the Earth would have an average temperature of about -20°C.” = -4F . . . Footnote 1. “1. Enhanced Greenhouse effect
'Greenhouse gases' are actually crucial to keeping our planet at a habitable temperature, without them the Earth would be about minus 17 degrees! Anthropogenic or human release of carbon dioxide is what is contributing to an additional or enhanced greenhouse effect.” . . . The contribution that a greenhouse gas makes to the greenhouse effect depends on how much heat it absorbs, how much it re-radiates and how much of it is in the atmosphere.
In descending order, the gases that contribute most to the Earth’s greenhouse effect are:
water vapour (H2O)
carbon dioxide (CO2)
nitrous oxide(N2O)
methane (CH4)
ozone (O3)
In terms of the amount of heat these gases can absorb and re-radiate (known as their global warming potential or GWP), CH4 is 23 times more effective and N2O is 296 times more effective than CO2. However, there is much more CO2 in the Earth’s atmosphere than there is CH4 or N2O.
Not all the greenhouse gas that we emit to the atmosphere remains there indefinitely. For example, the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere and the amount of CO2 dissolved in surface waters of the oceans stay in equilibrium, because the air and water mix well at the sea surface. When we add more CO2 to the atmosphere, a proportion of it dissolves into the oceans.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>CO2 and trees.</b>
Michael Taylor, “Global warming fast shrinking rainforest role as climate protector,” Reuters, March 4, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-global-forests-climate-change/global-warming-fast-shrinking-rainforest-role-as-climate-protector-idUSKBN20R2HD (“But the 30-year study, led by the University of Leeds and involving almost 100 institutions, showed that the intake of carbon by “intact tropical forests” peaked in the 1990s and had dropped by a third by the 2010s.
<br>
<br>
Intact forests are large areas of continuous forest with no signs of intensive human activity like agriculture or logging. They form part of the world’s roughly 5.5 billion hectares of forest.
<br>
<br>
Trees suck carbon dioxide from the air, the main greenhouse gas heating up the Earth’s climate, and store carbon, which they release when they are cut down and are burned, or rot.
<br>
<br>
Tropical forests are huge reservoirs of carbon, storing 250 billion tonnes in their trees alone - an amount equivalent to 90 years of global fossil-fuel emissions at current levels.”)
<br>
<br>
Mark Tutton, “Restoring forests could capture two-thirds of the carbon humans have added to the atmosphere,” CNN, July 5, 2019, https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/04/world/forests-capture-two-thirds-of-carbon-emissions-scn-intl/index.html (“Restoring the world’s lost forests could remove two thirds of all the planet-warming carbon that is in the atmosphere because of human activity, according to a new study.
<br>
<br>
Since the industrial revolution, humans have added around 300 billion tons of extra carbon to the atmosphere – mainly through burning fossil fuels – which is heating the planet to dangerous levels. But trees naturally remove carbon from the atmosphere, storing it above and below ground.
<br>
<br>
A new study, carried out by researchers at Swiss university ETH Zurich and published Thursday in the journal Science, has calculated that restoring degraded forests all over the world could capture about 205 billion tons of carbon in total. Global carbon emissions are currently around 10 billion tons per year.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Sun and skin cancer.</b>
“How does the sun cause cancer?” Worldwide Cancer Research, March 1, 2022, https://worldwidecancerresearch.org/news-opinion/2022/march/how-does-the-sun-cause-skin-cancer/ (“Over 80% of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation. This includes UV rays from the sun, but also from sunbeds and tanning lamps. UV radiation damages DNA in your skin cells, which can accumulate over time and increase the risk of genetic mutations that cause skin cancer. The more often you get burnt, the more damage is done and the higher the risk of skin cancer. It’s also important to know that you don’t necessarily need to get a sunburn for UV rays to damage your cells.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Paragraph beginning, “Most of us know about skin cancer . . .”</b>
Jeff Goodell, “The Heat Will Kill You First,” 2023, pp. 18-20
<br>
<br>
<b>Heat and the human body.</b>
(almost two pages of quotes for this one entry) Ruby Mellen and William Neff, “What extreme heat does to the human body; Climate change is making parts of the world too hot and humid to survive,” Washington Post, July 28, 2021, https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/interactive/2021/climate-change-humidity/ (“Deadly heat waves have swept the globe and will continue to because of climate change. - The trends are prompting doomsday questions: Will parts of the world soon become too hot to live in? How will we survive?
<br>
<br>
And humidity, driven in part by climate change, is increasing.
<br>
<br>
A measurement of the combination of heat and humidity is called a “wet-bulb temperature,” which is determined by wrapping a completely wet wick around the bulb of a thermometer. Scientists are using this metric to figure out which regions of the world may become too dangerous for humans.
<br>
<br>
A term we rarely hear about, the wet-bulb temperature reflects not only heat, but also how much water is in the air. The higher that number is, the harder it is for sweat to evaporate and for bodies to cool down.
<br>
<br>
At a certain threshold of heat and humidity, “it’s no longer possible to be able to sweat fast enough to prevent overheating,” said Radley Horton, a professor at Columbia University’s Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory.
<br>
<br>
Scientists have found that Mexico and Central America, the Persian Gulf, India, Pakistan and Southeast Asia are all careening toward this threshold before the end of the century.
<br>
<br>
As the sun heats up the air, the ground, objects and people, the human body will react in an effort to cool itself.
<br>
<br>
The skin sweats. Evaporation of this water cools the body — as long as the surrounding humidity levels allow the evaporation to take place.
<br>
<br>
If the hot air is too humid, that heat exchange is blocked and the body loses its primary means of cooling itself.
<br>
<br>
The wet-bulb temperature that marks the upper limit of what the human body can handle is 95 degrees Fahrenheit (35 Celsius). But any temperatures above 86 degrees Fahrenheit (30 Celsius) can be dangerous and deadly. Horton and other scientists noted in a 2020 paper that these temperatures are occurring with increasing frequency in parts of the world. To put things in perspective, the highest wet-bulb temperature ever recorded in the Washington region, known for its muggy, unbearable summers, was 87.2 degrees (30.7 Celsius).
<br>
<br>
“Extreme humid heat overall has more than doubled in frequency since 1979,” the study’s authors wrote.
<br>
<br>
Even below these thresholds, cooling down is hard work on the body. The efforts to fight the effects of heat puts pressure on your heart and kidneys. With extreme heat, people’s organs can start to fail. If you have preexisting conditions, it’s even more likely.
<br>
<br>
As your body works to cool down, the heart works harder in an effort to pump blood up just below the surface of the skin, where it can get cooler.
<br>
<br>
The kidneys work harder to conserve your body’s water.
<br>
<br>
When your body temperature gets too high, it will ultimately cause your body’s proteins to break down, its enzymes to stop regulating your organs’ functions and your organs to start shutting down.
<br>
<br>
This is a heat stroke: Your body essentially cooks to the point where you have multi-organ failure.
<br>
<br>
“It’s very clear during a heat wave, more people do die of heat stroke,” said Zachary Schlader, an associate professor at Indiana University Bloomington who focuses on thermal stress and the human body. But even more die of heart-related conditions. “The body responds [to heat] in such a way it could make the organ vulnerable.”)
<br>
<br>
Casey Crownhart, “How hot is too hot for the human body? Climate change is bringing extreme heat and testing the limits of what people can tolerate,” MIT Technology Review, July 10, 2021, https://www.technologyreview.com/2021/07/10/1028172/climate-change-human-body-extreme-heat-survival/ (“For a study published in Nature Climate Change in 2017, Mora and his team analyzed hundreds of extreme heat events around the world to determine what combinations of heat and humidity were most likely to be deadly, and where those conditions were likely to occur in the future.
<br>
<br>
They found that while today around 30% of the world’s population is exposed to a deadly combination of heat and humidity for at least 20 days each year, that percentage will increase to nearly half by 2100, even with the most drastic reductions in greenhouse-gas emissions.
<br>
<br>
Other researchers have found that climate change is making extreme heat waves up to hundreds of times more likely and causing over a third of heat-related deaths. We’re changing our planet—what are the limits of what we can endure? . . .
<br>
<br>
When your core temperature gets too hot, everything from organs to enzymes can shut down. Extreme heat can lead to major kidney and heart problems, and even brain damage, says Liz Hanna, a former public health researcher at the Australian National University, who studies extreme heat.
<br>
<br>
Your body works to maintain its core temperature in hot environments mostly by using one powerful tool: sweat. The sweat you produce evaporates into the air, sucking heat from your skin and cooling you down. . . .
<br>
<br>
Wet-bulb temperature can estimate what your skin temperature would be if you were constantly sweating, so it’s often used to approximate how people would fare in extreme heat.
<br>
<br>
A wet-bulb temperature of 35 °C, or around 95 °F, is pretty much the absolute limit of human tolerance, says Zach Schlader, a physiologist at Indiana University Bloomington. Above that, your body won’t be able to lose heat to the environment efficiently enough to maintain its core temperature. That doesn’t mean the heat will kill you right away, but if you can’t cool down quickly, brain and organ damage will start.”)
<br>
<br>
“Heat and Health,” World Health Organization, June 1, 2018, https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-heat-and-health
<br>
<br>
Katherine Gianni & Molly O’Brian Gluck, “How Does Heat Exposure Affect The Body and Mind?; Know the heat-related illness risks for physical, mental health and how to stay safe when temperatures rise,” (Q&A with “Gregory Wellenius, Boston University professor of environmental health and director of BU’s Program on Climate and Health”) The Brink, Boston University, July 6, 2021, https://www.bu.edu/articles/2021/how-does-heat-exposure-affect-the-body-and-mind/ (“Heat doesn’t just impact the body; it also impacts the mind. . . . “Hot days can lead people to suffer from dehydration, heat exhaustion, and in extreme cases, heat stroke. But hot days are also associated with higher risk of a number of other conditions that are not typically thought to be “heat-related,” such as [kidney] problems, skin infections, and preterm birth among pregnant women. . . . moderately hot days can place vulnerable individuals at higher risk.” “a recent study in New York found that hot days were associated with higher risk of emergency room visits for substance abuse, mood and anxiety disorders, schizophrenia, and dementia. Other studies show that hot weather is linked to lower performance on standardized tests, higher risk of judgment errors, and higher risks of occupational injuries.”)
<br>
<br>
Sarah Griffiths, “Will Texas become too hot for humans? Texas is in the grip of a relentless heatwave – but how much hotter could summers get in years to come?” BBC Future, June 30, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230630-will-texas-become-too-hot-for-humans (“Extreme heat is currently the deadliest natural hazard in the US, with young children and adults over the age of 65 among the most vulnerable to heat-related illness and death. Analysis by The Texas Tribune found more than 275 people in Texas died from heat-related illness in 2022, which was a two-decade high, and this year's heatwave appears to be worse.
<br>
<br>
Young children, the elderly, the sick, and the poor who cannot afford technology including air-conditioning to help keep them cool are particularly vulnerable to the effects of extreme heat. High air temperatures can cause heat stroke, dehydration and affect people's cardiovascular and nervous systems. . . .
<br>
<br>
a "wet-bulb" temperature of 95F (35C) at 100% humidity, or 115F at 50% humidity is probably as hot as most humans can maintain a healthy core body temperature by sweating. Above that "critical environmental limit" our body temperature rises continuously and the risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat stroke increases. . . .
<br>
<br>
And even when they aren't life-threatening, hotter temperatures can impair cognition, motor control and affect our ability to perform everyday tasks. . . . It's well-established that warmer weather can make us more aggressive, increasing rates of violent crime and the probability of social unrest. . . . "Over the next 50 years, millions of Americans will be caught up in this churn of displacement, forced inland and northward in what will be the largest migration in our country's history," says author Jake Bittle, whose book The Great Displacement, tell stories of people forced to leave their homes due to extreme weather events.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Deaths from heat.</b>
Jeff Goodell, “The Heat Will Kill You First,” 2023, p. 18 (“A study in the Lancet . . . estimated that 489,000 people worldwide died from extreme heat in 2019.”)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-81241851789542884122023-07-11T05:48:00.000-05:002023-07-11T05:48:20.824-05:00Don't Do Stupid Stuff<big><big><big><center><b>Regarding China, Don’t Do Stupid Stuff</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, July 11, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
We are all interconnected citizens of Planet Earth.
<br>
<br>
Tiny particulate matter from 500 Canadian fires, capable of causing chronic respiratory disease, moved south and into Iowans’ lungs and bloodstreams.
<br>
<br>
The U.S. and China produce nearly 50 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. But it is Pakistan that suffered putrid water over a third of the country and 1500 deaths.
<br>
<br>
The good news? Instantaneous global communication between international and multinational organizations, governments, businesses and people, ease of transportation, and access to news from around the world.
<br>
<br>
Ford cars and trucks come from 64 plants in 13 countries. The “Texas” Norton Rose Fulbright law firm now has offices in 64 cities in 36 countries.
<br>
<br>
The greatest danger in the world?
<br>
<br>
According to recently retired Richard Haass, 20-year president of the Council on Foreign Relations, it’s no longer his former concerns -- Russia, China, climate change or a global pandemic. “It’s us,” he says, referring to the U.S. political instability and poor example of democracy. Among “democracy countries” the U.S. has dropped to 36 on the list.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Secretary_Blinken_Meets_With_Chinese_Foreign_Minister_Qin_-_53000113291.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/Secretary_Blinken_Meets_With_Chinese_Foreign_Minister_Qin_-_53000113291.jpg"/></a></div><br>Have you ever found yourself having to deal with an extended family member, neighbor or workplace colleague with whom you have less than zero in common? The best strategy? Desperately try to think of a compliment, while heading off conversations likely to end in violence. [Photo: Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken meets with China's Foreign Minister Qin Gang at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, China on June 18, 2023. Photo credit: State Department photo by Chuck Kennedy/Public Domain, via wikimedia.com]
<br>
<br>
Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld famously said, “You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time.” The same principle applies to “promoting prosperity while going to peace.”
<br>
<br>
At a minimum you follow President Obama’s advice to his staff: “Don’t do stupid stuff.”
<br>
<br>
Which brings us to the current relations between China and the U.S.
<br>
<br>
Call me naive, but four-star General Mike Minihan’s prediction of war with China by 2025, Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s publicized trip to Taiwan, the provocation of displaying our Naval might near China, and our president announcing that China’s President Xi Jinping is a “dictator,” all strike me as “stupid stuff” – a schoolyard bully looking for a fight.
<br>
<br>
Are there differences in our two countries’ history, governments and sociology? Some things to be proud of, others to regret? Demands of China, or the U.S., that shouldn’t be agreed to? Of course.
<br>
<br>
We can’t transform China any more than marriage partners can transform each other, or China could force all Americans to speak Mandarin. As anthropologists have taught us, there are many patterns of culture that work. Or as Rumsfeld might have said, “You participate in global trade with the countries you have, not the countries you wish you had.”
<br>
<br>
China and the U.S. have built not one, but the two strongest economies in the world. Continuing to increase global understanding and cooperation can enrich us all. Stupidly flexing our military muscle, like a beach bully, only postpones that day while enriching the weapons manufacturers.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson prefers peaceful prosperity to strategies of stupid stuff. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>China – General</b>
“China,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/China
<br>
<br>
“China,” The World Factbook, June 15, 2023, https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/china/
<br>
<br>
Ana Swanson, “The Contentious U.S.-China Relationship, by the Numbers; From movie theaters to military spending, here’s how one of the world’s most important economic relationships stacks up,” New York Times, July 7, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/business/economy/us-china-relationship-facts.html (“the world’s two largest economies, which together represent 40 percent of the global output, remain integral partners in many ways. They sell and buy important products from each other, finance each other’s businesses, provide a home to millions of each other’s people, and create apps and movies for audiences in both countries.”)
<br>
<br>
Alan Rappeport, “Yellen, in Beijing, Criticizes China’s Treatment of U.S. Companies; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen’s concerns reflected continuing tensions between the two countries,” New York Times, July 7, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/07/business/yellen-china-companies-meetings.html (“An official from China’s ministry of finance expressed hope on Friday that the meetings with Ms. Yellen would improve economic relations and suggested that the United States needs to take steps to make that happen. The official added that neither country benefits from “decoupling” and disrupting supply chains.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Air Pollution from Canada.</b>
Julie Bosman, “Smoky Air From Canadian Wildfires Blankets Midwestern Skies; Chicago residents were warned to stay indoors or wear masks, and the popular paths along Lake Michigan were quiet,” New York Times, June 27, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/27/us/midwest-chicago-smoke-air-quality.html .
<br>
<br>
<b>Tiny Particulate Matter.</b>
“Air Quality Alert,” AccuWeather, Iowa City, Iowa, June 29, 2023, 9:23 AM, https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/iowa-city/52240/air-quality-index/328802 (“Fine Particulate Matter are inhalable pollutant particles with a diameter less than 2.5 micrometers that can enter the lungs and bloodstream, resulting in serious health issues. The most severe impacts are on the lungs and heart. Exposure can result in coughing or difficulty breathing, aggravated asthma, and the development of chronic respiratory disease.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. & China carbon emissions.</b>
“Which Countries Are The World’s Biggest Carbon Polluters?” Climate Change News, Climate Trade, May 17, 2021, https://climatetrade.com/which-countries-are-the-worlds-biggest-carbon-polluters/ (“However, most of this pollution comes from just a few countries: China, for example, generates around 30% of all global emissions, while the United States is responsible for almost 14%.In the ranking below you can find the 10 countries that produce the most emissions, measured in millions of tons of CO2 in 2019.
China, with more than 10,065 million tons of CO2 released.
United States, with 5,416 million tons of CO2”)
<br>
<br>
“Global Greenhouse Gas Emissions Data,” Greenhouse Gas Emissions, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, (undated, but probably 2014), https://www.epa.gov/ghgemissions/global-greenhouse-gas-emissions-data (“’Emissions by Country’ – China 30%, U.S. 15%)
<br>
<br>
<b>Pakistan.</b>
Raymond Zhong, “In a First Study of Pakistan’s Floods, Scientists See Climate Change at Work; A growing field called attribution science is helping researchers rapidly assess the links between global warming and weather disasters,” New York Times, Sept. 15, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/15/climate/pakistan-floods-global-warming.html (“The southern part of the Indus River, which traverses the length of the country, became a vast lake. Villages have become islands, surrounded by putrid water that stretches to the horizon. More than 1,500 people have died. Floodwaters could take months to recede.
<br>
<br>
The deluges were made worse by global warming caused by greenhouse-gas emissions, scientists said Thursday, drawing upon a fast-growing field of research . . ..
The floods in Pakistan are the deadliest in a recent string of eye-popping weather extremes . . .: droughts in the Horn of Africa, Mexico and China; flash floods in West and Central Africa, Iran and the inland United States; searing heat waves in India, Japan, California, Britain and Europe.
<br>
<br>
Scientists have warned for decades that some kinds of extreme weather are becoming more frequent and intense as more heat-trapping gases get pumped into the atmosphere.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>One-third of Pakistan.</b>
Manuela Andreoni, “Why Pakistan was hit so hard; Floods have killed at least 1,100 and submerged about a third of the country. We explain the factors making it so bad,” Climate Forward Newsletter, New York Times, Aug. 30, 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/climate/pakistan-floods.html
<br>
<br>
<b>Sample of International Media.</b>
The one listed that may be least familiar: “South China Morning Post,” About Us, https://corp.scmp.com/about-us/
<br>
<br>
<b>Norton Rose Fulbright offices.</b>
“Global Coverage,” Norton Rose Fulbright, https://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/en/global-coverage
<br>
<br>
<b>Ford suppliers’ countries.</b>
J.B. Maverick, “Who Are Ford’s Main Suppliers?” Investopedia, Nov. 29, 2021, https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/052715/who-are-fords-f-main-suppliers.asp (“Ford’s Key Suppliers,”
• Flex-N-Gate Seeburn - Ontario, Canada: door hinges and arms.
• NHK Spring - Shiga-ken, Japan: suspension stabilizer linkages.
• U-Shin Europe - Komárom-Esztergom, Hungary: steering columns.
• Valeo Electric and Electronic Systems - Czechowice-Dziedzice, Poland: starter assemblies.
• Webasto Roof & Components - Schierling, Germany: sliding sunroofs.
• Summit Plastics - Nanjing, China: instrument panel components.
<br>
<br>
• Dee Zee - Des Moines, Iowa: running boards.
• Warn Industries -Clackamas, Oregon: axle assemblies.
• Chaidneme - Bogota, Colombia: mufflers and exhaust systems.
• Autoliv - Stockholm, Sweden: airbags”)
<br>
<br>
“[Ford] Worldwide Locations,” (Assembly, 30 plants in 12 countries (8 in China) (Argentina, Canada, Germany, China (8), Mexico, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, United States); Engines, from same country list plus United Kingdom (17); Forging (4), Stamping (6), Transmission (7) (from same country list). Total 64 plants in 13 countries.) https://corporate.ford.com/operations/locations/global-plants.html
<br>
<br>
<b>Richard Haass.</b>
Peter Baker, “To Foreign Policy Veteran, the Real Danger Is at Home;
Richard N. Haass says the most serious threat to global security is the United States,” New York Times, July 1, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/us/politics/richard-haass-biden-trump-foreign-policy.html (“’It’s us,’ he said ruefully the other day.
<br>
<br>
That was never a thought this global strategist would have entertained until recently. But in his mind, the unraveling of the American political system means that for the first time in his life the internal threat has surpassed the external threat. Instead of being the most reliable anchor in a volatile world, Mr. Haass said, the United States has become the most profound source of instability and an uncertain exemplar of democracy.”)
<br>
<br>
U.S. and China ranking as democracies.</b>
“Ranking of Countries by Quality of Democracy; Complete Ranking: Total Value Index 2020 (Context Measurement),” Universitat Wurzburg, https://www.democracymatrix.com/ranking (Top 4 Denmark, Norway, Finland, Sweden (“Working Democracy”); The U.S. ranks 36 (“Deficient Democracy”); China 172 (“Hard Autocracy”).)
<br>
<br>
“Democracy Countries, 2023,” World Population Review, https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/democracy-countries (within: https://worldpopulationreview.com/ )
(8 Top: Norway to Ireland, 9.91 to 9.05; U.S. 25th, 7.92; The United States scored 7.92 in 2020 and again landed in the "flawed democracy" category, where it has resided since falling from "full democracy" in 2016. Intolerance of COVID-19 restrictions, distrust in the government, bipartisan gridlock, and especially the increasing ideological polarization between democrats and republicans are all cited as contributors to the lower score.)
<br>
<br>
<b>China’s economic accomplishments.</b>
Google search: “What are China's biggest economic accomplishments?”
<br>
<br>
<b>U.S. attacks/criticism on China.</b>
Anna Mulrine, “In His Memoir, Donald Rumsfeld Admits Five Mistakes, Sort Of,” Christian Science Monitor, Feb. 9, 2011, https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Military/2011/0209/In-his-memoir-Donald-Rumsfeld-admits-five-mistakes-sort-of/The-Army-you-have (“While Rumsfeld was visiting US troops headed to Iraq in 2004, a soldier pleaded for more armored vehicles. Rumfeld’s response – “You go to war with the Army you have, not the Army you might want or wish to have at a later time”)
<br>
<br>
[Reference in text was deleted for space reasons, but thought it still worthwhile to include here.] James Carville, “It’s the economy, stupid,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/It%27s_the_economy,_stupid (“a phrase that was coined by James Carville in 1992. It is often quoted from a televised quip by Carville as "It’s the economy, stupid." Carville was a strategist in Bill Clinton's successful 1992 presidential campaign against incumbent George H. W. Bush. His phrase was directed at the campaign's workers and intended as one of three messages for them to focus on.”)
<br>
<br>
Mike Allen, “‘Don’t do stupid sh--' (stuff),” Politico, June 1, 2014, https://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/dont-do-stupid-shit-president-obama-white-house-107293 (“The phrase – as “Don’t do stupid stuff,” with a demure disclaimer that the actual wording was saltier and spicier than “stuff” — appeared in the Los Angeles Times at the end of Obama’s Asia trip this spring, was reprised in the lead story of Thursday’s New York Times.
<br>
<br>
But the West Wing hit the jackpot Sunday when it was used twice in The New York Times — once in the news columns, and once in a column by Thomas L. Friedman, who had been part of an off-the-record roundtable with Obama on Tuesday.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>General</b>. Courtney Kube and Mosheh Gains, “Air Force general predicts war with China in 2025, tells officers to prep by firing 'a clip' at a target, and 'aim for the head;' ‘I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me will fight in 2025,’ said Gen. Mike Minihan in a memo sent to the officers he commands and obtained by NBC News,” Jan. 27, 2023, https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-air-force-general-predicts-war-china-2025-memo-rcna67967 (Gen. Mike Minihan, head of Air Mobility Command) – “General Mike Minihan is a Four-Star General who commands the Air Mobility Command for the United States Air Force.” Buddy Blouin, “WAR WITH CHINA: THE MEMO FROM FOUR-STAR GENERAL MIKE MINIHAN ON CHINA IS ALARMING.” MyBaseGuide, undated, https://mybaseguide.com/mike-minihan
<br>
<br>
<b>Pelosi.</b> Jude Blanchette, Charles Edel, Christopher B. Johnstone, Scott Kennedy, Victor Cha, Ellen Kim, and Gregory B. Poling, “Speaker Pelosi’s Taiwan Visit: Implications for the Indo-Pacific,” CISI (Center for Strategic & International Studies), Aug. 15, 2022, https://www.csis.org/analysis/speaker-pelosis-taiwan-visit-implications-indo-pacific ) (“U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan beginning August 2 triggered stark opposition from Beijing and sparked concerns within the United States and around the Indo-Pacific about the impacts of the visit and the Chinese military response on regional security. Following the visit, Beijing launched large-scale military exercises, raising discussion of a possible Fourth Taiwan Strait Crisis.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>US ships.</b> “List of current ships of the United States Navy,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_current_ships_of_the_United_States_Navy (“The United States Navy has over 485 ships in both active service and the reserve fleet; of these approximately 60 ships are proposed or scheduled for retirement, while approximately 90 new ships are in either the planning and ordering stages or under construction, according to the Naval Vessel Register and published reports.”)
<br>
<br>
“United States Navy Military Ship Tracker/Live Ship Tracking Map,” https://www.cruisingearth.com/ship-tracker/united-states-navy/ (“United States Navy currently has 94 trackable ships.”)
<br>
<br>
Commander, U.S. 7th Fleet, “The United States Seventh Fleet,” https://www.c7f.navy.mil/About-Us/Facts-Sheet/ (“Who we are:
<br>
<br>
• Seventh Fleet is the largest of the U.S. Navy's forward-deployed fleets.
<br>
<br>
• At any given time there are 50-70 ships and submarines, 150 aircraft, and more than 27,000 Sailors and Marines in Seventh Fleet.
<br>
<br>
• Commanded by a 3-star Navy Flag officer, Vice Adm. Karl Thomas, since July 8, 2021.
<br>
<br>
Where we operate:
<br>
<br>
• Seventh Fleet’s area of operations spans more than 124-million square kilometers [47,876,668 square miles], stretching from the International Date Line to the India/Pakistan border; and from the Kuril Islands in the North to the Antarctic in the South.
<br>
<br>
• Seventh Fleet’s area of operations encompasses 36 maritime countries and 50% of the world’s population, including:
<br>
<br>
- The five largest foreign militaries: China, Russia, India, North Korea, and the Republic of Korea
<br>
<br>
- Five U.S. Mutual Defense Treaty Allies: the Philippines, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Japan, and Thailand”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Biden.</b> Trevor Hunnicutt and Ryan Woo, “China hits back after Biden calls Xi a 'dictator,'” Reuters, June 21, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-calls-chinese-president-xi-dictator-2023-06-21/ (“China hit back on Wednesday after U.S. President Joe Biden referred to President Xi Jinping as a "dictator", saying the remarks were absurd and a provocation, an unexpected flare-up following attempts by both sides to reduce friction.
<br>
<br>
Biden made his comments just a day after U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken completed a visit to China aimed at stabilizing relations that Beijing says are at their lowest point since formal ties were established in 1979.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>China and Taiwan.</b>
David Brown, “China and Taiwan: A really simple guide,” BBC News, April 6, 2023, https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-59900139 (“China points to this history to say that Taiwan was originally a Chinese province. But the Taiwanese point to the same history to argue that they were never part of the modern Chinese state that was first formed after the revolution in 1911 - or the People's Republic of China that was established under Mao in 1949.”
Chart: “Taiwan dominates the global production of computer chips; Global foundry market share, by country and company 2021” Taiwan 65%, South Korea 18%, China 5%, Other 12%)
<br>
<br>
Lindsay Maizland, “Why China-Taiwan Relations Are So Tense; Differences over Taiwan’s status have fueled rising tensions between the island and the mainland. Taiwan has the potential to be a flash point in U.S.-China relations,” Council on Foreign Relations, April 18, 2023, https://www.cfr.org/backgrounder/china-taiwan-relations-tension-us-policy-biden (“Summary
• Taiwan has been governed independently of China since 1949, but Beijing views the island as part of its territory. Beijing has vowed to eventually “unify” Taiwan with the mainland, using force if necessary.
<br>
<br>
• Tensions are rising. Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whose party platform favors independence, has rebuked Beijing’s efforts to undermine democracy. Beijing has ramped up political and military pressure on Taipei.
<br>
<br>
• Some analysts fear the United States and China could go to war over Taiwan. U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to the island in 2022 heightened tensions between the countries.
Introduction
“Beijing asserts that there is only “one China” and that Taiwan is part of it. It views the PRC as the only legitimate government of China, an approach it calls the One-China principle, and seeks Taiwan’s eventual “unification” with the mainland.
<br>
<br>
Beijing claims that Taiwan is bound by an understanding known as the 1992 Consensus, which was reached between representatives of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the Kuomintang (KMT) party that then ruled Taiwan. However, the two sides don’t agree on the content of this so-called consensus, and it was never intended to address the question of Taiwan’s legal status. For the PRC, as Chinese President Xi Jinping has stated, the 1992 Consensus reflects an agreement that “the two sides of the strait belong to one China and would work together to seek national reunification.” For the KMT, it means “one China, different interpretations,” with the ROC standing as the “one China.”
<br>
<br>
“[Taiwan] President Tsai, who is also the leader of the DPP, has refused to explicitly accept the consensus. Instead, she has attempted to find another formulation that would be acceptable to Beijing. In her 2016 inaugural address, Tsai noted she was “elected president in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of China,” which is a one-China document, and said she would “safeguard the sovereignty and territory of the Republic of China.” Tsai also pledged that she would “conduct cross-strait affairs in accordance with the Republic of China Constitution, the Act Governing Relations Between the People of [the] Taiwan Area and the Mainland Area, and other relevant legislation.”
<br>
<br>
“Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest contract chip maker and the top supplier for Apple and other U.S. companies. It is one of only two companies in the world (the other is South Korea-based Samsung) that has the technological know-how to make the smallest, most advanced chips, and it manufactures more than 90 percent of them.”
<br>
<br>
“The United States, China, and Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War; United States make clear that it will not change Taiwan’s status, yet will work with allies to plan for Chinese aggression and help Taiwan defend itself,” U.S. Foreign Policy Program, Council on Foreign Relations, Feb. 2021, https://www.cfr.org/report/united-states-china-and-taiwan-strategy-prevent-war (“Robert D. Blackwill, Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Henry A. Kissinger senior fellow for U.S. foreign policy, and Philip Zelikow, University of Virginia White Burkett Miller professor of history.
<br>
<br>
In a new Council Special Report, The United States, China, and Taiwan: A Strategy to Prevent War, the authors argue that the United States should change and clarify its strategy to prevent war over Taiwan. “The U.S. strategic objective regarding Taiwan should be to preserve its political and economic autonomy, its dynamism as a free society, and U.S.-allied deterrence—without triggering a Chinese attack on Taiwan.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>China economic achievements.</b>
“The World Bank in China; Since China began to open up and reform its economy in 1978, GDP growth has averaged over 9 percent a year, and more than 800 million people have lifted themselves out of poverty. There have also been significant improvements in access to health, education, and other services over the same period.” The World Bank, https://www.worldbank.org/en/country/china/overview
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
<br>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-69093333981824693382023-06-27T08:15:00.003-05:002023-06-27T08:15:57.340-05:00War, Who's It Good For?<big><big><big><center><b>War, Who’s It Good For?</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, June 27, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
How have we become the global participant in forever wars? Spending half our discretionary federal appropriations on war. More than the next 10 nations combined. Running up debt of $32 trillion, with interest payments over $600 billion annually.
<br>
<br>
We are as far from what the founders provided as could be imagined. They wanted to avoid wars.
<br>
<br>
In the U.S. House of Representatives' own website there’s a discussion of its constitutional war powers (Article I, section 8, clauses 11-16). “The Congress shall have power … to declare war . . .."
<br>
<br>
In the website’s discussion of the founders’ intentions it says, “The decision to send the nation to war is perhaps Congress’s gravest responsibility . . .. For the Members, to declare war against a foreign power is to send their constituents, their neighbors, their family, and even themselves into harm’s way. . . . The founders felt that war should be difficult to enter, and they expected congressional debate to restrain the war-making process.”
<br>
<br>
They presumed wars would require a draft and pay-as-you-go financing.
<br>
<br>
How’s that been working for us? Pretty well through World War II -- the last time Congress complied with the constitutional requirement it “declare war.” Following WWII the war budget was around $14 billion (in today’s dollars).
<br>
<br>
Then things began to change.
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Vietnam_War_protestors_at_the_March_on_the_Pentagon.jpg/1024px-Vietnam_War_protestors_at_the_March_on_the_Pentagon.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="534" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3e/Vietnam_War_protestors_at_the_March_on_the_Pentagon.jpg/1024px-Vietnam_War_protestors_at_the_March_on_the_Pentagon.jpg"/></a></div><br>The Viet Nam War protests made clear that if the U.S. wanted to actually use the military taxpayers were paying for, the one percent who actually fought the wars would have to be either volunteers or the mercenaries of defense contractors. [Photo credit: Vietnam War protesters, the Pentagon, Oct. 21, 1967, Frank Wolfe, Lyndon B. Johnson Library, via Wikimedia.]<br>
<br>
So, the draft was abolished, January 27, 1973. House members could quietly go along with fighting a war without either supporting, or opposing, the declaration of one. No mothers cried; their sons stayed home. The financial cost of wars could be camouflaged from taxpayers by putting it on a credit card and increasing the debt limit.
<br>
<br>
The military’s best and brightest explained the need for a rationale for war, the benefits and costs of fighting one, and the need for exit strategies. But few House members seemed to be listening.
<br>
<br>
In 1969, the song writers gave us “War, What’s It Good For? Absolutely Nothing.” It doesn’t get a lot of play these days. Besides, what we should be singing is, “War, Who’s It Good For?”
<br>
<br>
There’s an answer to that one.
<br>
<br>
Decades ago, my research revealed that the payback on corporate campaign contributions ran at least 1000-to-one. Give a million, get a billion (e.g., federal contracts, tax cuts, tariffs).
<br>
<br>
Today that’s increased a bit. With a trillion-dollar budget for war, it’s not only too big to fail, it’s too big to audit. But some numbers are available.
<br>
<br>
One contractor’s political contributions for one year were $3 million. A 1000-to-one return would have been $3 billion. But this contractor got $40 billion in contracts. Not a 1000-to-one return; a 13,000-to-one return.
<br>
<br>
Meanwhile, Congress talks about cutting the budget -- while continuing to add more for war than even requested.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson, as U.S. Maritime Administrator, had some responsibility for sealift to Viet Nam. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Congress spending half on war.</b>
“Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023; SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATIONS PROVISIONS BY SUBCOMMITTEE,” https://appropriations.house.gov/sites/democrats.appropriations.house.gov/files/FY23%20Summary%20of%20Appropriations%20Provisions.pdf (“The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 totals $1.7 trillion in discretionary resources across the fiscal year 2023 appropriations bills. In total, the regular 12 appropriations bills include $800 billion in non-defense funding, a $68 billion—9.3 percent—over last year. This is the highest level for non-defense funding ever and a larger increase in both dollar and percentage than fiscal year 2022. The bills also provide $858 billion in defense funding.)
<br>
<br>
“Current US Defense Spending” [2021-2024], US Government Spending, https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/defense_spending_history (military, veterans, foreign aid, total defense:
2024 $909.4 billion $322.1 billion $73.7 billion $1.3052 trillion)
<br>
<br>
<b>More than next 10 nations combined.</b>
“The United States now spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined,” Peter G. Peterson Foundation, April 24, 2023, https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2023/04/the-united-states-spends-more-on-defense-than-the-next-10-countries-combined (“[T]he United States now spends more on defense than the next 10 countries combined (up from outspending the next 9 countries combined in 2021.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>$32 trillion debt.</b>
For an opportunity to watch the numbers climb in real time, sliced and diced into more categories than you could have imagined, check out the “U.S. Debt Clock,” https://www.usdebtclock.org/
<br>
<br>
Federal debt increase. https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-penny
Record Date Debt Held by the Public Intragovernmental Holdings
6/13/2023 $25,103,112,337,735.63 $6,872,182,398,142.32
Total Public Debt Outstanding $31,975,294,735,877.95
<br>
<br>
Foreign ownership of US debt.
Kimberly Amadeo, “Major Foreign Holders of U.S. Public Debt; Who Owns the U.S. National Debt?” The Balance, Jan. 19, 2023, https://www.thebalancemoney.com/who-owns-the-u-s-national-debt-3306124 ($3.242 trillion with top 5 countries; Japan, China, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg; China = $870 billion) This is amounts and percentages of “public debt” (e.g., not including Social Security and other “intragovernmental holdings”). Current public debt is $25.103 trillion. https://fiscaldata.treasury.gov/datasets/debt-to-the-penny/debt-to-the-penny
<br>
<br>
<b>Over $600 billion in interest.</b>
“What is the National Debt Costing Us?” Peter G. Peterson Foundation, May 12, 2023, https://www.pgpf.org/blog/2023/05/what-is-the-national-debt-costing-us (“The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) projects that interest payments will total $663 billion in fiscal year 2023 and rise rapidly throughout the next decade — climbing from $745 billion in 2024 to $1.4 trillion in 2033. In total, net interest payments will total nearly $10.6 trillion over the next decade.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Founders wanted to avoid wars/House Website.</b>
“Power to Declare War, Origins & Development: From the Constitution to the Modern House,” United States House of Representatives,
https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/War-Powers/
("If America was going to survive as a republic, they reasoned, declarations of war required careful debate in open forums among the public’s representatives.
“there was a growing sense that such monumental responsibility belonged with the legislative branch.
“Like George Mason of Virginia, the founders felt that war should be difficult to enter, and they expected congressional debate to restrain the war-making process.
“to declare war against a foreign power is to send their constituents, their neighbors, their family, and even themselves into harm’s way.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>WWII last Congressional declaration of war.</b>
“Power to Declare War, Origins & Development: From the Constitution to the Modern House,” United States House of Representatives,
https://history.house.gov/Institution/Origins-Development/War-Powers/ (“Congress has not declared war since 1942”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Post-WWII war budget $40 billion.</b>
“Military Expenditure by Country, In Local Currency, 1949-2022,” United States, SIPRI [Stockholm International Peace Research Institute], 2022, https://www.sipri.org (“All figures are expressed in terms of the current currency.” In US dollars:
1949 14 088 155 591
1950 14 926 997 114
1960 47 346 552 670
1970 83 407 993 005
1980 143 688 354 873
1990 325 129 313 986
2000 320 086 324 211
2010 738 005 000 000
2020 778 397 200 000
2022 876 943 200 000)
<br>
<br>
“Current US Defense Spending” [2021-2024], US Government Spending, https://www.usgovernmentspending.com/defense_spending_history (military, veterans, foreign aid)
<br>
<br>
“World military spending reaches all-time high of $2.24 trillion; Surge in spending reflects Russia-Ukraine war and ‘increasingly insecure world’, according to leading think tank,” AlJazeera, April 24, 2023, https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/4/24/world-military-spending-reaches-all-time-high-of-2-24-trillion (“World military spending reached an all-time high of $2.24 trillion in 2022, … Global spending rose for the eighth consecutive year, the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) said on Monday in its annual report on global military expenditure.”)
<br>
<br>
And see, “Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_International_Peace_Research_Institute
<br>
<br>
<b>Percent who fight wars.</b>
Elliott Ackerman, “Why Bringing Back the Draft Could Stop America’s Forever Wars,” TIME, Oct. 10, 2019, https://time.com/5696950/bring-back-the-draft/ (“The burden of nearly two decades of war–nearly 7,000 dead and more than 50,000 wounded–has been largely sustained by 1% of our population.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Draft abolished 1973.</b>
Amy Zipkin, “The military draft ended 50 years ago, dividing a generation,” Washington Post, Jan. 27, 2023, https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2023/01/27/draft-end-conscription-1973/ (“On Jan. 27, 1973, with the Paris Peace Accords signed and U.S. involvement in Vietnam over, Defense Secretary Melvin R. Laird announced the end of the military draft, after 25 uninterrupted years of conscription.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>“War, What’s It Good For?”</b>
“War,” Lyrics, https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/25707922/Edwin+Starr/War (“’War’ is a counterculture era soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. Whitfield first produced the song – an obvious anti-Vietnam War statement – with The Temptations as the original vocalists. After Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single, Whitfield re-recorded the song with Edwin Starr as the vocalist, with the label deciding to withhold the Temptations' version from single release so as not to alienate their more conservative fans.”)<br>
NOTE: If any person or corporation would like these publicly-available lyrics removed please email: mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org and they will be deleted.
<br>
<br>
Edwin Starr - War (Original Video - 1969), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=01-2pNCZiNk <br><br>
War, huh, yeah<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, uhh<br>
War, huh, yeah<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing<br>
Say it again, y'all<br>
War, huh (good God)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, listen to me, oh<br>
War, I despise<br>
'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives<br>
War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes<br>
When their sons go off to fight<br>
And lose their lives<br>
I said, war, huh (good God, y'all)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, just say it again<br>
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, listen to me<br>
It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker<br>
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker<br>
Oh, war it's an enemy to all mankind<br>
The thought of war blows my mind<br>
War has caused unrest<br>
Within the younger generation<br>
Induction then destruction<br>
Who wants to die? Oh<br>
War, huh (good God y'all)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing<br>
Say it, say it, say it<br>
War (uh-huh), huh (yeah, huh)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, listen to me<br>
It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker<br>
(War) It's got one friend that's The Undertaker<br>
Oh, war, has shattered many a young man's dreams<br>
Made him disabled, bitter and mean<br>
Life is much too short and precious<br>
To spend fighting wars each day<br>
War can't give life<br>
It can only take it away, oh<br>
War, huh (good God y'all)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, say it again<br>
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Absolutely nothing, listen to me<br>
It ain't nothing but a heart breaker<br>
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker, woo<br>
Peace, love and understanding, tell me<br>
Is there no place for them today?<br>
They say we must fight to keep our freedom<br>
But Lord knows there's got to be a better way, oh<br>
War, huh (God y'all)<br>
What is it good for? You tell me (nothing)<br>
Say it, say it, say it, say it<br>
War (good God), huh (now, huh)<br>
What is it good for?<br>
Stand up and shout it (nothing)<br><br>
Source: LyricFind<br>
Songwriters: Barrett Strong / Norman Whitfield<br>
War lyrics © Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
<br>
<br>
<b>1000-to-one Return on Contributions.</b>
Nicholas Johnson, “Campaigns: You Pay $4 or $4000,” Des Moines [Iowa] Sunday Register, July 21, 1996, p. C2, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/politics/general/campaign.html
<br>
<br>
<b>Can’t audit Defense Department budget.</b>
Bill Chappell, “The Pentagon Has Never Passed An Audit. Some Senators Want To Change That,” npr, May 19, 2021, https://www.npr.org/2021/05/19/997961646/the-pentagon-has-never-passed-an-audit-some-senators-want-to-change-that (“Despite having trillions of dollars in assets and receiving hundreds of billions in federal dollars annually, the department has never detailed its assets and liabilities in a given year. For the past three financial years, the Defense Department's audit has resulted in a ‘Disclaimer of Opinion,’ meaning the auditor didn't get enough accounting records to form an assessment. . . . Now lawmakers are introducing a bipartisan bill that would impose a penalty for any part of the department, including the military, that fails to undergo a "clean" audit.
"’The Pentagon and the military industrial complex have been plagued by a massive amount of waste, fraud and financial mismanagement for decades. That is absolutely unacceptable,’ said Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., who co-sponsored the bill with Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, along with Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Mike Lee, R-Utah.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Contractor with 13,000-to-one return on contributions:</b>
<br>
<br>
<b>Payments to Top 6 Defense Contractors.</b>
“The Top 10 Federal Defense Contractors,” Bloomberg Government, July 14, 2022, https://about.bgov.com/top-defense-contractors/
<br>
<br>
Top 6 (of 10 largest defense contractors in FY 2021)
Lockheed Martin Corp. - Obligations: $40.2B
Boeing Co. - Obligations: $22.1B
Raytheon Technologies Corp. - Obligations: $20.7B
General Dynamics Corp. - Obligations: $17.8B
Pfizer Inc. - Obligations: $13.3B
Northrop Grumman Corp. - Obligations: $12.9B
<br>
<br>
“Biggest Defense Companies in the Stock Market,” Motley Fool, https://www.fool.com/investing/stock-market/market-sectors/industrials/defense-stocks/biggest-defense-companies/
<br>
<br>
<b>Contractors Political Contributions.</b>
“Defense,” Open Secrets, https://www.opensecrets.org/industries/indus.php
Defense
Defense Aerospace
Defense Electronics
Defense/Foreign Policy A
<br>
<br>
Defense aerospace (2021-2022)
Lockheed Martin $3,110,453
Colsa Corp $2,421,419
Northrop Grumman $2,190,417
Raytheon Technologies $2,154,719
Collazo Enterprises $2,112,300
General Dynamics $2,084,195
[Total $14,073,503
<br>
<br>
<b>Top Contractor Return on Contributions.</b>
13,000 to One ($40 billion/$3 million)
(40,200/3.110,453 = 12,924.1625)
<br>
<br>
# # #
<br>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-12581998898388198112023-06-13T05:54:00.009-05:002023-06-14T08:13:17.333-05:00Democracy and Political Norms
<big><big><big><center><b>Democracy Depends on Political Norms</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, June 13, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
Politicians who play by our democracy’s essential political norms put the oil in its joints. Those who violate them risk democracy’s creaking and breakdown.
<br>
<br>
Political norms are no more complicated than kindergarten norms. “Treat others as you want to be treated.” “Sharing is caring.” Like the norms of the NFL or movie studios.
<br>
<br>
Players want to win the game. But once over they accept the score and each other to maintain a league that can produce an $18 billion season. Bill Maher has explained how good movies can be made by actors who don’t like each other, but work together because, “We’ve got a movie to make.”
<br>
<br>
Politicians must do no less. They have a nation to govern. They must accept election results and maintain civility and respect for those with whom they disagree.
<br>
<br>
In 2008 a supporter of Senator John McCain attacked Obama as “an Arab.” McCain bristled, "No ma'am, he's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with.”
<br>
<br>
Abraham Lincoln beat Stephen Douglas for the presidency. Douglas’ response? "Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism. I'm with you, Mr. President, and God bless you."
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXBLC0kVvKVkoQPhI2bPjp0oS9VOhMY0NdJdqYL6VGxSoIbB6f7yFa1EwBwtMwcCnzIcbGKy-cTjqQcZh-LmF6FlcsOsgU4zSb2iJi1uSwgYe22KJ4dX1W-LR8E4Pwsi9RySGJH9iF1lhUnMv4s6XBF-acnR3pUZyZ3dS3XDN_zo1EaMqlQ/s731/Al%20Gore%20concession%20speech%20-%20Dec.%2013,%202000%20-%20Screenshot%202023-06-13%20053141.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="731" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPXBLC0kVvKVkoQPhI2bPjp0oS9VOhMY0NdJdqYL6VGxSoIbB6f7yFa1EwBwtMwcCnzIcbGKy-cTjqQcZh-LmF6FlcsOsgU4zSb2iJi1uSwgYe22KJ4dX1W-LR8E4Pwsi9RySGJH9iF1lhUnMv4s6XBF-acnR3pUZyZ3dS3XDN_zo1EaMqlQ/s320/Al%20Gore%20concession%20speech%20-%20Dec.%2013,%202000%20-%20Screenshot%202023-06-13%20053141.png"/></a></div><br>In 2000 Senator Al Gore became the first presidential candidate since 1888 to win the plurality of the vote but lose the electoral vote. The election was ultimately decided by four Justices of the Supreme Court appointed by President Reagan and one appointee of President H.W. Bush. Al Gore’s response?
<br>
<br>
“While I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome …. For the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.” [Photo credit: C-SPAN; this is a still photo that does <u>not</u> link to the video. To watch and listen to the video of Al Gore's concession speech, Dec. 13, 2000, click here: <a href="https://www.c-span.org/video/?161263-1/al-gore-concession-speech" target="_blank">https://www.c-span.org/video/?161263-1/al-gore-concession-speech</a> -- a 7-minute video that should be seen by every American before the 2024 election.]
<br>
<br>
Equally important is the norm of forbearance. Just because the Constitution grants the president or Congress a power doesn’t mean its use complies with norms.
<br>
<br>
President Washington knew he was creating norms. His self-restraints included terms (two), executive orders (eight) and pardons (16). He only vetoed two bills, signing many with which he disagreed “out of respect” for the Congress.
<br>
<br>
Article II, section 2 of the Constitution says the president has power to appoint Supreme Court justices – “with the advice and consent of the Senate.”
<br>
<br>
In 1986 Democrats joined in the approval of President Reagan’s nomination of conservative Antonin Scalia for a 98-0 vote. Between 1866 and 2016 the Senate never refused to hold hearings on a president’s Supreme Court nomination – including the 74 occasions when it was the last year of the president’s term. Why? That was the norm.
<br>
<br>
Until President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland March 16, 2016. (Robert Bork was given a hearing; and supported by three Democrats and opposed by six Republicans.)
<br>
<br>
We have the power to fix our democracy – at the ballot box. Ask yourself four questions: “Does this candidate follow the norms? Practice tolerance and forbearance? Strengthen or weaken democracy? Would a kindergarten teacher say he or she ‘Plays well with others?’”
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson is the author of “Columns of Democracy.” mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Kindergarten norms.</b>
Frances McIntosh, “Want A Higher-Performing Team? Follow Kindergarten Rules,” Forbes, Feb. 5, 2018, https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2018/02/05/want-a-higher-performing-team-follow-kindergarten-rules/
<br>
<br>
Chaffron, “Kindergarten Keynotes : 8 Gold Star Rules For the Grownup World,” Mack’s Musings, Aug. 7, 2018, https://mackthemaverick.com/2018/08/07/kindergarten-keynotes-8-gold-star-rules-for-the-grownup-world/
<br>
<br>
For a list: Google search “Kindergarten rules for adults”
<br>
<br>
<b>NFL.</b>
Chris Kolmar, “20+ National Football League Demographic and Financial Statistics [2023]: NFL Revenue + History,” Zippia.com, March 27, 2023, https://www.zippia.com/advice/nfl-demographics-financials/ (“The NFL’s total 2022 revenue was $18 billion, an increase from $12.2 billion in 2020.”)
<br>
<br>
Personal observation: at least some opposing players greeting and even giving hugs to each other.
<br>
<br>
<b>Movies.</b>
Bill Maher, “New Rule: Parliament Fights,” Real Time with Bill Maher, YouTube, Feb. 17, 2023, 1.5 million views as of June 5, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5O1ezj7qcwQ (“I know we hate each other, but we’ve got a movie to make.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>McCain.</b>
John McCain’s defense of Obama. “McCain Counters Obama ‘Arab” Question,” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrnRU3ocIH4 (“"No ma'am, he's a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all about," McCain said to applause. https://abc7chicago.com/mccain-defends-obama-arab-2008-campaign-john/4058948/
<br>
<br>
“John McCain’s 2008 Concession speech,” https://www.npr.org/2008/11/05/96631784/transcript-of-john-mccains-concession-speech (numerous passages throughout)
<br>
<br>
<b>Douglas.</b>
“Text of Gore’s Concession Speech,” New York Times, Dec. 13, 2000, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/13/politics/text-of-goreacutes-concession-speech.html (“Almost a century and a half ago, Senator Stephen Douglas told Abraham Lincoln, who had just defeated him for the presidency, "Partisan feeling must yield to patriotism. I'm with you, Mr. President, and God bless you.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Gore.</b>
“2000 United States Presidential Election,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2000_United_States_presidential_election (“Though Gore came in second in the electoral vote, he received 543,895 more popular votes than Bush,[53] making him the first person since Grover Cleveland in 1888 to win the popular vote but lose in the Electoral College.[54]”)
<br>
<br>
“Supreme Court Nominations (1789-Present),” U.S. Senate,
https://www.senate.gov/legislative/nominations/SupremeCourtNominations1789present.htm (Voted against Gore: Reagan appointees Rehnquist, Kennedy, O’Connor, Scalia; HW Bush appointee Thomas
Voted for Gore: Ford appointee Stevens; HW Bush appointee Souter; Clinton appointees Breyer and Ginsberg)
<br>
<br>
Mark S. Brodin, “Bush v. Gore: The Worst (or at least second-to-the-worst) Supreme Court Decision Ever,” 12 Nev. L.J. 563 (2012),
https://scholars.law.unlv.edu/nlj/vol12/iss3/8/
<br>
<br>
“Al Gore,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Gore (“On December 13, 2000, Gore conceded the election.”)
<br>
<br>
“Text of Gore’s Concession Speech,” New York Times, Dec. 13, 2000, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/12/13/politics/text-of-goreacutes-concession-speech.html (“while I strongly disagree with the court's decision, I accept it. I accept the finality of this outcome, which will be ratified next Monday in the Electoral College. And tonight, for the sake of our unity as a people and the strength of our democracy, I offer my concession.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Washington.</b>
Restraint in number of terms. How Democracies Die, pp. 105-06
<br>
<br>
Restraint in issuing vetoes and executive orders. How Democracies Die, p. 129
<br>
<br>
“The Executive Clemency of George Washington: One of Just a Handful of Pardons Ever Signed by President George Washington,” RAAB Collection, https://www.raabcollection.com/presidential-autographs/george-washington-pardon (“The influence of Washington's clemency policy is striking. He signed very few clemency warrants as President, perhaps as few as 16, and of those known 16, since some were issued for multiple applicants, they covered 28 individuals.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Justices Appointments.</b>
<br>
<br>
<b>Constitution.</b>
The Constitution of the United States, Art. II, Sec. 2 (“He [the President] shall have Power, . . . and by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, shall appoint . . . Judges of the supreme Court . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Holding hearings.</b>
Supreme Court appointments norm. (“In theory, the Senate could block presidents from appointing any of their preferred … justices …. This has not happened because of an established Senate norm of deferring to presidents …. Between 1880 and 1980 more than 90 percent of Supreme Court nominees were approved …. In the 150-year span between 1866 and 2016 the Senate never once prevented the president from filling a Supreme Court seat.”) How Democracies Die, pp. 135-36.
<br>
<br>
<b>Scalia appointment.</b>
“The ultra conservative Antonin Scalia, a Reagan appointee, was approved in 1986 by a vote of 98 to 0, despite the fact that the Democrats had more than enough votes (47) to filibuster.” How Democracies Die, pp. 136.
<br>
<br>
<b>Successors’ appointments.</b>
“On seventy-four occasions during this period [1866-2016], presidents attempted to fill Court vacancies prior to the election of their successor. And on all seventy-four occasions – though not always on the first try – they were allowed to do so.” How Democracies Die, pp. 136.
<br>
<br>
<b>Obama/Garland.</b>
“On March 16, 2016, President Barack Obama nominated appellate judge Merrick Garland to fill Scalia’s seat. ... a qualified candidate, and … an ideological moderate. But for the first time in American history, the U.S. Senate refused to even consider an elected president’s nominee for the Supreme Court. ... Since 1866, every time a president had moved to fill a Supreme Court vacancy prior to the election of his successor, he had been allowed to do so. … It was an extraordinary instance of norm breaking.” How Democracies Die, pp. 145-46.
<br>
<br>
“Merrick Garland Supreme Court nomination,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merrick_Garland_Supreme_Court_nomination (“On March 16, 2016, President Obama nominated Merrick Garland, the Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to fill the vacant seat on the Court.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Bork hearing.</b>
“Robert Bork Supreme Court nomination,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Bork_Supreme_Court_nomination
<br>
<br>
<b>General.</b>
Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt, How Democracies Die, New York: Crown, 2018
Index, “norms, democratic,” Index p. 308
pp. 5-8, 21, 23, 61-62, 65-78, 87-92 (rewriting rules),
100-144, 146-149, 153-155, 157-162 (mutual toleration), 167-175, 176-203
204, 210-211, 212-213, 217, 220, 222, 230-231
<br>
<br>
Google search: “origins of "norms," their relationship to regulations, laws, and constitutional provisions and how essential norms are to the preservation of a democracy”
<br>
<br>
Ashraf Ahmed, “A Theory of Constitutional Norms,” Michigan Law Review, May 2022, https://michiganlawreview.org/journal/a-theory-of-constitutional-norms/
<br>
<br>
Josh Chafetz & David E. Pozen, “How Constitutional Norms Break Down,” U.C.L.A. Law Review, 65 UCLA L. Rev. 1430 (2018), https://www.uclalawreview.org/how-constitutional-norms-break-down/
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-56907512344539554802023-05-31T07:07:00.000-05:002023-05-31T07:07:30.679-05:00Improving Health and Democracy
<big><big><big><center><b>Improving Health and Democracy</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, May 31, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
Like to help re-build democracy in Iowa while improving your health? Read on.
<br>
<br>
Democracy cannot be pulled, like a magician’s rabbit, out of a hat. We don’t create “democracy.” But we can – if we will – work to create the columns, the foundation, from which a democracy can burst forth and survive like the perennials of spring in a well-tended garden.
<br>
<br>
What are those columns? A civic society, public education and libraries, subscriptions and advertising to support an independent press, a judiciary of skilled non-partisan judges. Agencies with ombudspersons and independent audits, county auditors who make it easier for citizens to vote, and public officials who campaign and govern with civility and the self-restraint of yesterday’s political norms.
<br>
<br>
Those officials and citizens know that in a democracy politics has no business walking its manure-covered muddy boots into a doctor’s office, classroom, library, newsroom, courtroom or polling station, spouting hate and further enriching wealthy oligarchs.
<br>
<br>
So they speak up, not with guns or social media threats, but with a, “That’s not Iowa nice. Stop it. You’re weakening our democracy.”
<br>
<br>
What else do they do? What could you do? You know most of the list, but here are more examples.
<br>
<br>
Register and vote. Get to know your elected and appointed local officials. Let them hear from you. Attend their public meetings and speak up. Use petitions and public demonstrations when appropriate.
<br>
<br>
Up your knowledge of democracy, authoritarianism and local issues. Thank and otherwise support your community’s teachers, librarians, journalists, judges and democracy-supporting public officials. Give gift subscriptions to newspapers. Write letters to the editor -– and public officials. Be a role model for your children and others.
<br>
<br>
Join civic associations, including those fulfilling citizens’ obligations. Give them the money and time you can.
<br>
<br>
It turns out joining groups of any kind is a win-win. Good for democracy and good for your health.
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Vivek_Murthy%2C_Surgeon_General_%28profile%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="640" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/7b/Vivek_Murthy%2C_Surgeon_General_%28profile%29.jpg"/></a></div><br>The U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. Vivek Murthy,writes that half of adult Americans reported a sense of loneliness -– even before the COVID-19 pandemic. His advisory continues, “Loneliness . . . is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day . . ..” [Photo source: Wikimedia.]
<br>
<br>
What does he prescribe? “Participate in social and community groups such as fitness, religious, hobby, professional, and community service organizations to foster a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose.”
<br>
<br>
He might have added, “while strengthening our democracy.”
<br>
<br>
There are too many sources of information about Iowa’s challenges and possibilities to list all. But if you’re willing to take action, check out Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI), https://www.iowacci.org/ and Progress Iowa, https://www.progressiowa.org/. Or, if more to your liking, The Niskanen Center, https://www.niskanencenter.org/ and Ripon Society, https://riponsociety.org/.
<br>
<br>
Here's to your health -- and a democracy for your grandchildren.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson is the author of “Columns of Democracy.” mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Democracy, attacks on, what citizens can do.</b>
Rachel Kleinfeld, “Five Strategies to Support U.S. Democracy; American democracy is at a dangerous inflection point. The moment requires a step-change in strategy and support,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Sep 15, 2022, https://carnegieendowment.org/2022/09/15/five-strategies-to-support-u.s.-democracy-pub-87918 (a long (for a single web page), thorough, presentation of the attacks and what citizens can do)
<br>
<br>
“The Democracy Playbook: How to Protect Democracy; We all have different skills, backgrounds, and perspectives. And we all have a role to play in defending our democracy against authoritarianism. Learn the six steps to do your part,” Protect Democracy, https://protectdemocracy.org/about/democracy-playbook/
<br>
<br>
Rebecca Winthrop and Meg Heubeck, “The Bucket List for Involved Citizens: 76 Things You Can Do to Boost Civic Engagement,” Brookings, Nov 12, 2019, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/education-plus-development/2019/11/12/the-bucket-list-for-involved-citizens-76-things-you-can-do-to-boost-civic-engagement/
<br>
<br>
“How Can Citizens Participate?” From We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution, second edition (1998), Center for Civic Education, https://www.civiced.org/lessons/how-can-citizens-participate
<br>
<br>
“Policy Recommendations: Strengthening Democracy; A growing disregard for the conditions that form the foundations of democracy—including respect for the rights of minorities and migrants, space for critical dissent, and commitment to the rule of law—threatens to destabilize the democratic order. At the same time, prioritizing a narrow support base at the expense of ensuring fundamental freedoms for all, and neglecting to tie democratic principles to foreign policy, leaves democracies vulnerable to interference from authoritarian regimes, which have increased repression at home and abroad,” Freedom House, no date, no “author,” https://freedomhouse.org/policy-recommendations/strengthening-democracy-abroad
<br>
<br>
Larry Diamond, “What Civil Society Can Do to Develop Democracy,” Presentation to NGO Leaders, Convention Center, Baghdad, Feb 10, 2004, https://diamond-democracy.stanford.edu/speaking/speeches/what-civil-society-can-do-develop-democracy
<br>
<br>
<b>Loneliness and health.</b>
U.S. Surgeon General, “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation; The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community, 2023, https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf (“In recent years, about one-in-two adults in America reported experiencing loneliness.1-3 And that was before the COVID-19 pandemic . . .. Loneliness . . . is associated with a greater risk of cardiovascular disease, dementia, stroke, depression, anxiety, and premature death. The mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day,4 and even greater than that associated with obesity and physical inactivity. And the harmful consequences of a society that lacks social connection can be felt in our schools, workplaces, and civic organizations, where performance,
productivity, and engagement are diminished. . . . (p. 4) Participate in social and community groups such as fitness, religious, hobby, professional, and
community service organizations to foster a sense of belonging, meaning, and purpose.” (p. 66))
<br>
<br>
<b>Organizations.</b>
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI), https://www.iowacci.org/
Progress Iowa, progressiowa.org
The Niskanen Center, https://www.niskanencenter.org/
Ripon Society, https://riponsociety.org/
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
<br>
<br>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-12327259800031414922023-05-16T07:15:00.000-05:002023-05-16T07:15:09.012-05:00Make Iowa Great Again<big><big><big><center><b>We Must Make Iowa Great Again</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, May 16, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
Our country arose out of the ashes of authoritarianism. The Declaration of Independence charged the “King of Great Britain (as) having in direct object the establishment of an absolute tyranny over these states.”
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4xsnxV3hDoqc2cXe6VL7qtv3CVZUDVQ7u9pfDskRWId4SBpnp5n5Mz0eyKAUbssRLfZtSNrKwOK46NVz_RmdphWtxLMw9YpzbvvHuv0jupl1SiYkQFUweVMAOuWOWhTpykDyCxWntjccS-IfMnbOCsLBVu6wuGJ5dNRdEqU9NNWkc8ptPQ/s349/How%20Democracies%20Die%20-%20cover%20-%20Screenshot%202023-05-16%20070537.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" data-original-height="349" data-original-width="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR4xsnxV3hDoqc2cXe6VL7qtv3CVZUDVQ7u9pfDskRWId4SBpnp5n5Mz0eyKAUbssRLfZtSNrKwOK46NVz_RmdphWtxLMw9YpzbvvHuv0jupl1SiYkQFUweVMAOuWOWhTpykDyCxWntjccS-IfMnbOCsLBVu6wuGJ5dNRdEqU9NNWkc8ptPQ/s320/How%20Democracies%20Die%20-%20cover%20-%20Screenshot%202023-05-16%20070537.png"/></a></div><br>Yet our founders knew, as John Quincy Adams wrote, “Democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”
<br>
<br>
Curious about how this happens? Read Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s <i>How Democracies Die</i>. [They describe its death with the detail of a Julia Child recipe for boeuf bourguignon.]
<br>
<br>
A law school colleague, when frustrated by students’ silence, would ask, “Is anybody listening? Does anybody care?” Polls reveal a significant percentage of Americans neither listen nor care. They say a populist authoritarian ruler is preferable to democracy.
<br>
<br>
[They’re not totally irrational.] They believe their needs are neither recognized nor addressed by a democracy ruled by a wealthy elite because, well, because they’re not.
<br>
<br>
Republicans have played the populism card with duplicity and skill. Democrats fought against their own most effective, pro-democracy populist: Bernie Sanders.
<br>
<br>
We have two national governments. The executive and legislative bodies in Washington, and the governors and legislatures in 50 states. Some of both are weakening democracy with strategies from the authoritarian’s playbook.
<br>
<br>
Consider Iowa. The consolidation of power from the people, cities, state agencies, and legislators into the governor’s office. Political ideology governing hires and judicial appointments. Restricting access to public information. Tax breaks and curtailed regulation for major donors.
<br>
<br>
From 1969 to 1983 Iowans kept re-electing another conservative Republican: Governor Robert Ray.
<br>
<br>
Ray’s accomplishments would more than fill this column. Here are a few. Public employees collective bargaining, Commission on the Status of Women, Iowa Council on Children, eliminating sales tax on food and drugs, Department of Environmental Quality, expanded funding for K-12 schools, making Iowa first in the nation to protect Native Americans’ graves.
<br>
<br>
Ray held daily news conferences, was pro-choice before Roe, and opposed the death penalty. He personally lobbied President Ford and Secretary Kissinger to change the law, enabling Iowa to welcome refugees from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand. The first state to do so.
<br>
<br>
Ray realized that democracy requires more than constitutions and laws. It requires the norms of behavior essential to its survival -– especially “mutual tolerance” and “institutional forbearance.” It requires the “civic society,” the non-partisan organizations and coalitions Tocqueville observed in 1835. An awareness that hate is not a policy and should not be a political strategy.
<br>
<br>
[Our current political parties have made democracy more difficult.] We must turn to ourselves to rebuild the civic society it requires. If Linn County can bring together a variety of the world’s religions in its Inter-Religious Council, think of what other coalitions are possible.
<br>
<br>
Edward R. Murrow courageously exposed authoritarian Senator Joseph McCarthy in a “See It Now” March 4, 1979. McCarthy, he concluded, had [merely] exploited our fear. “Cassius was right: ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves.’”
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson is the author of Columns of Democracy. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
</big>Note: [Bracketed material] was deleted by the editor for space.<big>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Declaration of Independence</b>.
“Declaration of Independence: A Transcription,” America’s Founding Documents, National Archives, July 4, 1776, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
<br>
<br>
“The Declaration of Independence,” America’s Founding Documents, National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration
<br>
<br>
<b>Adams quote</b>.
John Quincy Adams, “The Letters of John and Abigail Adams,”
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/49810-i-do-not-say-that-democracy-has-been-more-pernicious (“democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>How Democracies Die</b>.
Steven Levitsky & Daniel Ziblatt, How Democracies Die, New York: Crown, 2018
Other related books:
Madeleine Albright, Fascism: A Warning, HarperCollins Publishers, 2018
Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, Tim Duggan Books, 2017
Nicholas Johnson, Columns of Democracy, Lulu, 2018
Sarah Repucci and Amy Slipowitz, “Freedom in the World 2022;
The Global Expansion of Authoritarian Rule,” Freedom House, undated, https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/2022/global-expansion-authoritarian-rule
<br>
<br>
<b>Julia Child recipe</b>.
Chef Kate, “Boeuf Bourguignon a la Julia Child,” Food, undated, https://www.food.com/recipe/boeuf-bourguignon-a-la-julia-child-148007 (with 44 steps of directions)
<br>
<br>
<b>Anybody listening?</b> Widely shared story at UI Law when I was there. I know of no “source” other than my memory. I’m not disclosing his name because I’ve not sought his approval. Although I hadn’t known of any other use of the questions than his when I put it in the text, a subsequent Google search for “Is anybody listening? Does anybody care?” produces a number of instances.
<br>
<br>
<b>Americans preferring autocracy</b>.
Matthew C. MacWilliams, “Trump Is an Authoritarian. So Are Millions of Americans; It’s not how we think of our fellow-citizens, but no matter who wins in November, the impulse will be very much alive in the country. What do they want?” Politico, 09/23/2020, https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2020/09/23/trump-america-authoritarianism-420681
<br>
<br>
Lee Drutman, Larry Diamond and Joe Goldman, “Follow the Leader:
Exploring American Support for Democracy and Authoritarianism,” Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, March 2018, https://www.voterstudygroup.org/publication/follow-the-leader (“More than a quarter of respondents show at least some support for either a “strong leader” or “army rule. . . . The highest levels of support for authoritarian leadership come from those who are disaffected, disengaged from politics, deeply distrustful of experts, culturally conservative, and have negative views toward racial minorities.”)
<br>
<br>
Michael Hais, Doug Ross and Morley Winograd, “Protecting Democracy and Containing Autocracy,” Brookings, May 10, 2021, https://www.brookings.edu/blog/fixgov/2021/05/10/protecting-democracy-and-containing-autocracy/ (“Sixty percent of white working class Americans agreed with the statement that “because things have gotten so far off track in this country, we need a leader who is willing to break some rules if that’s what it takes to set things right.” Although only 40% of all Americans felt that way in 2017, almost 47% of them voted in 2020 to support a candidate for president who exhibited blatant authoritarian behavior.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Needs not addressed</b>.
See generally, Bing search: “What are some examples of ways in which the working poor have not been well served by the Democrats?”
<br>
<br>
“Working Poor,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_poor See especially sub-head “Obstacles to uplift”)
<br>
<br>
“7 Examples of Poor Working Conditions and How to Improve Them,” Pulpstream, undated, https://www.pulpstream.com/resources/blog/working-conditions
<br>
<br>
<b>Republicans use of populism</b>.
See generally, Bing search: “("does Trump" OR "do Republicans") campaign as populists?”
<br>
<br>
Michael Lind, “Donald Trump, the Perfect Populist; Why the GOP front-runner has far broader appeal than his predecessors going back to George Wallace,” PoliticoMagazine, March 9, 2016, https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/03/donald-trump-the-perfect-populist-213697/ (“In Trump, many of the kind of white working-class voters once called Reagan Democrats have found a tribune who represents their views and values more consistently than conservative populists like the Dixiecrat George Wallace . . ..
Trump tends to speak in a kind of code, starting with his “birther” campaign against President Obama, and his criticism of illegal immigrants and proposed ban on Muslims . . ..
[T]he best explanation of Trump’s surprising success is that the constituency he has mobilized has existed for decades but the right champion never came along. . . . His populism cuts across party lines like few others before him. . . . Trump’s platform combines positions that are shared by many populists but are anathema to movement conservatives—a defense of Social Security, a guarantee of universal health care, economic nationalist trade policies.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Democrats rejection of Senator Sanders</b>.
See generally, Bing search: “What are some examples of the Democratic National Committee's opposition to Bernie Sanders?”
<br>
<br>
Lisa Lerer and Reid J. Epstein, “Democratic Leaders Willing to Risk Party Damage to Stop Bernie Sanders; Interviews with dozens of Democratic Party officials, including 93 superdelegates, found overwhelming opposition to handing Mr. Sanders the nomination if he fell short of a majority of delegates,” New York Times, March 2, 2020, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/us/politics/democratic-superdelegates.html (“Dozens of interviews with Democratic establishment leaders this week show that they are not just worried about Mr. Sanders’s candidacy, but are also willing to risk intraparty damage to stop his nomination at the national convention in July if they get the chance.”)
<br>
<br>
Michelle Hackman, “The feud between Bernie Sanders and the DNC, explained; This particular fight is about a data breach, but the war between Sanders and the DNC goes back much further than that,” Vox, Dec. 18, 2015, https://www.vox.com/2015/12/18/10623886/the-feud-between-bernie-sanders-and-the-dnc-explained (“The DNC has disciplined the Sanders campaign by essentially cutting it off from all the critical information it needs to canvass voters. The Sanders campaign has argued this is an overly stringent punishment, and indicated it’s part of the DNC’s larger prejudice against the Sanders campaign. . . .
It's not much of a secret inside the Democratic Party that the DNC has favored Hillary Clinton's interests throughout the primary. Martin O'Malley, for instance, has criticized the organization harshly. "This is totally unprecedented in our party's history," he said, referring to the thin debate schedule, where most of the debates occur before the Iowa caucuses, and some were scheduled, unusually, for Saturdays. "This sort of rigged process has never been attempted before.")
<br>
<br>
“Leaked DNC emails reveal details of anti-Sanders sentiment; Days before convention, cache of 19,000 emails released and several show officials scoffing at Hillary Clinton’s former rival and questioning his religion,” The Guardian, undated, https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/23/dnc-emails-wikileaks-hillary-bernie-sanders
<br>
<br>
<b>Authoritarian’s playbook</b>.
“Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian’s Playbook,” The Groundtruth Project, undated, https://thegroundtruthproject.org/democracy-undone-signs-of-authoritarianism/ (“In this project, Democracy Undone: The Authoritarian’s Playbook, GroundTruth reporting fellows in India, Brazil, Colombia, Hungary, Poland, Italy and the United States chronicled how seven nationalist leaders in each of these countries seem to be working from the same playbook.
<br>
<br>
It is a playbook that our reporting team has pieced together from the speeches and techniques in use by an interconnected web of populist leaders and their strategists as a way to gain power, impose their values and implement their agenda. The reporting is not intended to suggest that each of these countries is now under an authoritarian regime, but that their leaders are showing instincts and inclinations that lead to a brand of populist nationalism that, if history is a guide, can lead to authoritarian government. Scholars on democracy say these populist nationalist leaders seem to be following in the footsteps of China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and other authoritarian states in stamping out democratic principles and reshaping the global order.”
<br>
<br>
Elements include: Weaponize Fear, Undermine Institutions, Exploit Religion, Target Outsiders, Rewrite History, Divide & Conquer, Erode Truth.)
<br>
<br>
Kevin Douglas Grant, “Understanding the Authoritarian’s Playbook: Tips for Journalists,” Global Investigative Journalism Network, March 2, 2020, https://gijn.org/2020/03/02/understanding-the-authoritarians-playbook-tips-for-journalists/
<br>
<br>
“Authoritarianism,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authoritarianism
<br>
<br>
“Autocracy,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autocracy
<br>
<br>
<b>Governor Reynolds</b>.
Stephen Gruber-Miller and Katie Akin, “Which bills passed — and which didn't — in the 2023 Iowa Legislature. Here's the rundown:,” Des Moines Register, May 5, 2023, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2023/05/05/the-rundown-on-the-bills-that-passed-in-the-2023-iowa-legislature/70147148007/
<br>
<br>
Lawmakers also prohibited instruction about sexual orientation or gender identity in elementary school, restricted which school bathrooms transgender students can use, banned school library books with descriptions of sex and loosened curriculum requirements for fine arts classes.
<br>
<br>
Banning gender-affirming care for minors
Iowa doctors may not provide transgender kids with puberty blockers, hormone therapy or transition-related surgery on breasts or genitals. Reynolds signed the bill into law on March 22 . . .
<br>
<br>
Government reorganization
Reynolds signed her massive proposal reorganizing Iowa’s state government, shrinking the number of cabinet-level agencies from 37 to 16 and giving her more power over the appointment, firing and salary of top-level state employees.
<br>
<br>
Medical malpractice caps
Noneconomic damages such as pain and suffering are now capped at $2 million in lawsuits involving hospitals and $1 million in lawsuits involving clinics or individual doctors.
<br>
<br>
Private school scholarships
Reynolds signed a law in January allowing every Iowa family to access up to $7,600 of state money per student to pay private school costs like tuition and fees. . . . The law . . . is expected to cost about $345 million annually . . ..
<br>
<br>
Property taxes
Iowa property taxpayers will see an estimated $100 million in property tax cuts . . ..
<br>
<br>
Transgender bathroom restrictions
People may not enter school restrooms or changing rooms that do not align with their sex at birth. Transgender students need written parental consent to request accommodations, . . ..
<br>
<br>
Banning school books depicting sex acts; restricting LGBTQ instruction, accommodations
Republicans packaged several of their education priorities into one bill that Reynolds said will “protect children from woke indoctrination.”
The bill requires schools to remove books with a description or visual depiction of a sex act.
It prohibits instruction on gender identity or sexual orientation in kindergarten through sixth grade.
If a student asks to use a new name or pronouns at school, the school administrator would be required to notify their parents.
A “parents and guardians rights” section will give parents the fundamental right to make decisions regarding their child’s education, religious and moral upbringing, and medical care — except for gender-affirming care, which is prohibited by Iowa law.
It also removes a requirement that schools teach about acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), or human papillomavirus, a common sexually transmitted infection known as HPV, and the vaccine to prevent HPV. Senate File 496.
<br>
<br>
Child labor laws
Lawmakers passed a bill to allow teens to work longer hours and in jobs that were previously prohibited . . ..
<br>
<br>
Limiting auditor’s powers
State Auditor Rob Sand will not be able to sue other statewide offices, or state executive branch agencies, departments, commissions or boards once this bill becomes law. Instead, disputes will be settled by a three-person arbitration panel.
The bill also prevents the state auditor’s office from accessing certain types of personal information . . ..
<br>
<br>
Child care assistance eligibility changes
. . . The bill also increases the program's work requirements: the child's parent or guardian must be employed an average of 32 hours a week to qualify for the assistance, or 28 hours a week if the child has special needs. House File 707.
<br>
<br>
Public assistance benefits
Iowans would face a new asset test to receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and households with more than $15,000 in assets would not qualify. Iowans receiving benefits like food and health care assistance would also be subject to regular checks to make sure they remain eligible. . . .
<br>
<br>
School librarian standards
Under current law, schools must have a licensed teacher librarian. The bill would allow schools to hire a public library professional for the position who would not be required to hold a master's degree. The bill also lowers the number of foreign language and fine arts classes required to graduate and eliminates some school reporting requirements.
<br>
<br>
Trucking lawsuits
Lawmakers have passed new limits on how much money Iowans can receive for pain and suffering in lawsuits over crashes with trucks and other commercial vehicles. Each plaintiff could receive a maximum of $5 million in noneconomic damages.
<br>
<br>
“Kim Reynolds,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Reynolds See sub-heads “Tenure” and “COVID-19 pandemic”
<br>
<br>
“In 2018, Reynolds proposed cutting $10 million from Medicaid, which cares for eligible low-income adults, children, pregnant women, elderly adults and people with disabilities.[18] In 2020, she proposed a one-cent increase in the state sales tax (bringing it to 8 cents), offset by a phased reduction in the state income tax, including a cut in the rate for the top bracket from 9% to 5.5%.[19] Reynolds's proposed restructuring of the state tax code would represent a further reduction in income taxes, going beyond 2018 legislation (passed by Republicans in the state legislature and signed into law by Reynolds) that was the largest income tax cut in Iowa history. . . .
Reynolds is a staunch supporter of Donald Trump.[23][24] She blocked two-thirds of requests from Democratic state Attorney General Tom Miller to join multi-state lawsuits challenging Trump administration policies or to submit amicus briefs in such suits; among the vetoed requests were proposals to challenge Trump policies related to immigration, asylum, abortion, birth control, environmental deregulation, gun policy, and LGBT rights.[25] Reynolds blocked Miller from including Iowa in a legal challenge to the Trump administration's repeal of the Clean Power Plan . . ..
[I]n May 2018, she signed a "fetal heartbeat bill", one of the nation's most restrictive abortion bans.[31][32] In January 2019, an Iowa state judge struck the law down as unconstitutional. . . .
In March 2019, she signed into law a bill requiring public universities to protect all speech on campus.[35][36] Through her judicial appointments, Reynolds shifted the Iowa Supreme Court to the right.[37] Her attorney, Sam Langholz, was appointed to a position in the attorney general's office to defend her policies in court. . . .
Reynolds has a close relationship with the Iowa pork industry, and in particular with Iowa Select, one of the country's largest pork producers. She donated an afternoon of her time as part of a 2019 charity auction to benefit the company's owners' foundation; the owners had contributed almost $300,000 to Reynolds's campaigns.[43] A Republican donor who is influential in the pork industry placed the winning bid. The director of the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board said that he did not believe the auction violated state law, but attorneys for two former Democratic governors of Iowa said that it created the appearance of impropriety and was an error in judgment. In May and July 2020, Reynolds's administration arranged for COVID-19 testing to be done at Iowa Select's West Des Moines headquarters and at the Waverly facility partly owned by another campaign donor, at a time when those most vulnerable to the disease (healthcare workers and residents of nursing homes and other congregate-living facilities) were unable to timely get tested.[44] A separate pork production company that had donated $25,000 to Reynolds's campaign received a disproportionate benefit from a state pandemic business-aid program, receiving 72% of the program's initial rounds of disbursements. . . .
In March 2021, Reynolds signed into law a bill that shortened the hours of polling places on Election Day, reduced the early voting period, and required that absentee ballots be received by ballot places before the end of Election Day.[46] . . . It was part of a wider effort by Republicans across the country to roll back voting access. . . . [S]he signed legislation that would allow landlords to reject tenants who pay rent with Section 8 vouchers. . . .
COVID-19 in Iowa peaked in November 2020, but remained high into the next year. In late January 2021, the state had the nation's third-highest positivity rate[68] and third-lowest per capita vaccination rate.”)
<br>
<br>
Paul LeBlanc, “Iowa governor signs controversial law shortening early and Election Day voting,” CNN, March 9, 2021, https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/08/politics/kim-reynolds-voting-iowa/index.html (“Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds on Monday signed into law a controversial bill aimed at limiting voting and making it harder for voters to return absentee ballots, her office announced Monday.
The legislation, which passed both Republican-controlled chambers of the state legislature last month, will reduce the number of early voting days from 29 days to 20 days. It will also close polling places an hour earlier on Election Day (at 8 p.m. instead of 9 p.m.).
The bill additionally places new restrictions on absentee voting including banning officials from sending applications without a voter first requesting one and requiring ballots be received by the county before polls close on Election Day.”)
<br>
<br>
Robin Opsahl, “What you need to know about 2023 legislative session: Bills that passed, died, and Iowa’s newest laws,” Iowa Capital Dispatch, May 5, 2023, https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/05/05/what-you-need-to-know-about-2023-legislative-session-bills-that-passed-died-and-iowas-newest-laws/ (“Democrats criticized the measure for changes they say give more power to the governor and state attorney general. Moves like making the Office of the Consumer Advocate a division under the attorney general’s office and giving the governor more power to set salaries and remove agency workers will hurt state government oversight and accountability, opponents argued. . . . The governor signed the bill into law in February, which sets a $1 million cap for clinics and doctors and $2 million cap for hospitals in medical malpractice lawsuits . . .. Reynolds signed House File 718 into law, providing an estimated $100 million in tax relief to Iowa property owners. The new law sets maximum property tax levy rates for cities and counties . . .. Local government officials and advocates warned the property tax cuts could hurt localities’ ability to provide essential services, as property tax revenue funds local law enforcement, road repairs and other services Iowans depend on. . . . Senate File 496 . . . prohibits teachers from providing instruction and materials involving “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” to K-6 students, requires schools to seek written parental permission if a child asks to use a name or pronoun different than the one assigned at birth, and says school staff cannot knowingly “false or misleading” information on a child’s gender identity to their parents. . . . The Iowa Board of Regents is not allowed to spend funding on diversity, equity and inclusion programs at Iowa’s three public universities until a study is conducted under a measure passed in the education appropriations bill Wednesday. . . . Senate File 542 made national news for allowing Iowa minors to work in potentially dangerous fields like mining and meatpacking [and] also expands the maximum daily hours minors ages 14 to 17 can work [and] also allows 16- and 17-year-olds to serve and sell alcohol at restaurants until kitchens close . . .. Iowans receiving SNAP benefits would have to go through asset and identity tests in order to remain eligible for public assistance under Senate File 494. . . . Food insecurity advocates said these limits discourage saving, and that many legitimately needy Iowans could lose food assistance because of reporting discrepancies and bureaucratic problems through the identity verification requirements. The Legislative Services Agency projected 8,000 Medicaid recipients and 2,800 SNAP recipients may be removed if the bill is signed into law. . . . Lawmakers also discussed liability limits for the trucking industry this year, with the House and Senate reaching an agreement to cap noneconomic damages at $5 million in lawsuits against against trucking companies whose employee caused injury, death or other damages. . . . Democrats said a bill restricting the state auditor’s access to information was “politically motivated” against Democratic Auditor Rob Sand, and puts billions in federal funding at risk. Senate File 478 limits the office from obtaining personal information when performing an audit [and] also strips the auditor of the ability to issue subpoenas to government offices and agencies. Disputes where an audited entity believes it does not have to turn over requested information would be settled by a board of arbitration, with two members appointed by the offices or departments involved in the dispute, and a third member appointed by the governor. . . . A bill requiring the Iowa Department of Natural Resources prioritizes maintenance of current public lands over acquisition of new lands died in the House committee process following significant public opposition from conservationists, cyclists and hunters who said the measure would limit the growth of Iowa’s parks and trails. . . . House File 572 proposed criminal charges for drone surveillance of livestock facilities without the permission of the property owner, in response to animal welfare groups publishing videos and pictures of the condition and treatment of animals at Iowa livestock and dog-breeding facilities.
<br>
<br>
Sen. Mike Bousselot, R-Ankeny, argued the bill is needed to protect Iowans’ personal information. Sand said his office has not published Iowans’ confidential information, and that the version of the bill sent to Reynolds limits the office’s ability to uncover government waste, fraud and abuse.
<br>
<br>
Robin Opsahl, “Gov. Kim Reynolds’ [Condition of the State] address highlights private school scholarships, agency restructuring,” Jan. 10, 2023, https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/01/10/gov-kim-reynolds-address-highlights-private-school-scholarships-agency-restructuring/ (“One of Reynolds’ biggest goals in 2023 is finally passing into law her educational savings account program, which had failed in the Iowa House the past two sessions. This year, her proposal would designate $7,598 for each student who wishes to transfer from a public school to a private school. . . . The governor proposed consolidating Iowa’s 37 cabinet agencies into 16, and to eliminate several vacant full-time equivalent positions which are currently funded. . . . The governor said the state has many unnecessary and sometimes counterproductive rules that make the state’s economy less competitive. On Tuesday, she signed an executive order issuing a moratorium on new rulemaking, in addition to directing state agencies to review their existing rules.”)
<br>
<br>
Jane Mayer, “State Legislatures Are Torching Democracy; Even in moderate places like Ohio, gerrymandering has let unchecked Republicans pass extremist laws that could never make it through Congress,” The New Yorker, Aug. 6, 2022, https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/15/state-legislatures-are-torching-democracy
<br>
<br>
<b>Governor Robert Ray</b>.
“Robert D. Ray,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_D._Ray (“He served as the 38th governor of Iowa from January 16, 1969 to January 14, 1983.”)
<br>
<br>
Paul Hillmer, Book Review of Matthew R. Walsh, The Good Governor: Robert Ray and the Indochinese Refugees of Iowa, annals-of-iowa-8568-hillmer.pdf (“Governor Ray was . . . conservative enough (by 1970s standards) to be strategic about resettling them [Vietnamese refugees] in a fashion palatable to Iowans, and savvy enough to anticipate and blunt criticism.”)
<br>
<br>
“Robert D. Ray,” The Robert D. and Billie Ray Center, Drake University, https://raycenter.wp.drake.edu/robert-d-ray/
(“During his tenure, Iowa re-tooled and greatly expanded funding for K-12 education. Ray led creation of a merged Department of Transportation and elimination of the sales tax on food and drugs. He established the Iowa Energy Policy Council and then Department of Environmental Quality, both ahead of their time nationally. In the late 70s, Ray led the way for bottle and can deposit legislation, dramatically cleaning up Iowa’s roadsides.
<br>
<br>
“During the Ray years, Iowa’s judicial system was reformed and community-based corrections implemented. Students at two dozen private colleges benefitted from the novel Iowa Tuition Grant program. Ray worked with business and labor on breakthrough legislation while improving Iowa’s business climate and promoting ag-business trade on three continents.
<br>
<br>
“Governor Ray established the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and Iowa Council on Children, assisted Native Americans living in Iowa, and issued Executive Orders advancing civil rights. He established the Governor’s Economy Committee, a Task Force on Government Ethics, the Science Advisory Council, and the Iowa High Technology Commission. . . .
<br>
<br>
“In the late 1970’s Governor Ray became a worldwide leader in the humanitarian re-settlement of refugees from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam by helping them relocate, find jobs, and start new lives in Iowa. ‘I didn’t think we could just sit here idly and say, let those people die. We wouldn’t want the rest of the world to say that about us if we were in the same situation,’ said Gov. Ray. ‘Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you.’ A problem developed when Tai Dam refugees were not allowed to settle as one group in one location. Governor Ray visited the White House and State Department to implore President Ford and Secretary of State Kissinger to make an exception. Finally, the Tai Dam were invited to re-settle in Iowa, together.”)
<br>
<br>
Linh Ta, “Not from Iowa? Here's 5 things to know about one of Iowa's most influential governors,” Des Moines Register, July 10, 2018, https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/07/09/robert-ray-5-things-know-iowas-former-governor/767773002/
<br>
<br>
1. “In the late 1970s, Ray helped thousands of refugees from Laos, Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam re-settle in Iowa in light of the turmoil in the region caused by the Vietnam War. When no other states had extended offers of help . . ..”
<br>
<br>
2. “Iowa Public Employment Relations Law, also known as Chapter 20. The law mandated that public employees give up their right to strike in exchange for the ability to collectively bargain for wages and benefits like insurance plans along with a host of other work-related matters.”
<br>
<br>
3. “Ray established the Iowa Energy Policy Council and then the Department of Environmental Quality. One of his favorite bills . . . was the 1979 ‘bottle bill’ . . . which placed a refundable nickel deposit on containers of pop, beer and wine to encourage recycling and reduce litter along the state’s roads.”
<br>
<br>
4. “Gov. Ray established the Iowa Commission on the Status of Women and Iowa Council on Children. He also issued several executive orders to further civil rights, including Executive Order No. 46, which furthered initiatives like affirmative action and equal employment opportunities in state government programs. Ray was also one of the first U.S. leaders to enact laws to protect Native American graves.”
<br>
<br>
5. “During his tenure, Iowa re-vamped and expanded funding for K-12 public education. While Ray was governor, funding for Iowa's K-12 schools expanded and reduced its reliance on property taxes.”)
<br>
<br>
“Robert D. Ray: An Iowa Governor, a Humanitarian Leader,” Iowa Pathways, Iowa PBS, undated, https://www.iowapbs.org/iowapathways/mypath/2687/robert-d-ray-iowa-governor-humanitarian-leader (“The U.S. State Department would not allow a large group to settle in one location. So Ray worked with the State Department and then President Gerald Ford to make an exception. ‘I thought there was a good reason for the exception and so I worked with the State Department and the White House. And I remember making the trip to talk to Henry Kissinger and then to Jerry Ford. And in the final analysis they agreed and they made the exception; and so we were able to invite the Tai Dam to come to Iowa.’ -Governor Robert D. Ray . . .
<br>
<br>
“Then on Tuesday night, January 16, 1979, a documentary called ‘CBS Reports with Ed Bradley: The Boat People’ aired on national television. Governor Ray saw it and was once again moved to action, . . . They also made a visit to a new refugee camp in Thailand—just over the border from war torn Cambodia where victims had escaped from the government headed by a ruthless leader named Pol Pot. There they witnessed horrible living conditions, starvation and death. Once again, Governor Ray responded to what he saw. . . .”
<br>
<br>
“The Iowa Bureau of Refugee Services is the only entity run by a state government that is certified as a resettlement agency by the U.S. State Department.”)
<br>
<br>
“Governors of Iowa: Robert D. Ray,” Iowa PBS, Oct. 17, 2022, transcript and link to video, https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/governors-iowa/ray
<br>
<br>
Quotes from transcript:
<br>
<br>
David Yepsen: Bob Ray was a republican moderate and there were a lot of people in the Republican Party who were more conservative. He was opposed to the death penalty, he was pro-choice, now this was before Roe so it was a different era on the abortion issue.
<br>
<br>
Doug Gross: He was very much a republican but in terms of making decisions it wasn't through a partisan or even through a, certainly not through an ideological lens. He would always be tough on us because he would say, well the easy decisions are the political decisions. It's easy to decide what you should do that makes more political sense for you so you can further yourself. What's tough is trying to figure out what is the right thing to do and then trying to figure out how to sell that within a political system. That's the tough work of governance. And because of that he was exacting in terms of the decision-making process we would make. We would never talk about the political implications of a decision. If we would, he's usher us out of the office, literally. I know that sounds crazy today but that was absolutely the truth. . . .
<br>
<br>
David Yepsen: . . . Ray and his team launched a full frontal charm offensive with the Iowa National Press Corp. Daily press conferences would mark the early days of Ray's tenure and his staff were tuned into reporters and the potential news of the day.
<br>
<br>
Governor Terry Branstad: He did press conferences when he first became Governor every day.
<br>
<br>
Brice Oakley: . . . Governors and those people in that position that don't, that think that the media is their enemy, make a serious mistake, in my view. And I think that was his view. He didn't like to be criticized by the media and that happens, it goes kind of with the territory. But it didn't happen very often because he was prepared and he would be candid. . . .
Governor Terry Branstad: I think they also had the idea that if you don't feed them raw meat they'll feed on you. That was a little bit of the reason for having the regular press conferences. The media would say, well the Governor is very open and we could ask him any question just about any time we want to. And I think that's good. . . .
As state employees threatened to strike without broad improvements in wages and benefits, Ray helped craft a legislative compromise creating a collective bargaining process for decades to come and what some describe as an essential Bob Ray bill focused on environmental cleanup later known as the Bottle Bill.
<br>
<br>
Tai Dam;
<br>
<br>
Vinh Nguyen: When you talk especially with Southeast Asians, we consider him as the, I hate to say it, but almost our God, the Savior, especially the Tai Dam population. Who would have the courage to ask the President to take all the Tai Dam to the state of Iowa at the time, 1,500 of them?
<br>
<br>
Governor Ray was set for a planned foreign trip of American governors to China. But he requested an additional stop in Asia to visit refugee camps near the border of Thailand and Cambodia. Upon arrival, local officials urged American governors and their staff to follow them to one of the region's largest encampments. Former State Department Diplomat Kenneth Quinn was with Ray.
<br>
<br>
Ambassador Ken Quinn: And strewn about this open field are 30,000 or so estimated human beings, all Cambodians, who are in the most unbelievably, most incredibly devastated state any of us had ever seen. It's like a scene out of Dante's Inferno, the seventh level of hell, the worst place, the worst suffering and 50 to 100 a day are dying and their bodies being bulldozed into mass graves. And those who are suffering, the children who are orphans. And Governor Ray has always had his camera and he took a lot of photos.
<br>
<br>
The horrors of Southeast Asia would embolden Ray to bring more refugees to Iowa. But first, he would need to rally support back home.
<br>
<br>
David Yepsen: I was going to head out to meet him at the airport and see what he had to say. And I remember in the newsroom talking about it, we were wondering, is he shooting pictures over there? Everybody knew he had a camera and would like to take pictures.
<br>
<br>
On the tarmac in Des Moines, Ray shared his experiences with reporter David Yepsen.
<br>
<br>
David Yepsen: It was emotional for him to talk about and he would look at me and he said, I watched people die. Well, that's pretty chilling.
<br>
<br>
Ambassador Ken Quinn: And then David Yepsen says, do you have any photos? Do you have any pictures?
<br>
<br>
David Yepsen: Can I have your film? We can process it. And he kind of stopped and looked at me, you could tell he was thinking about it, he said, sure.
<br>
<br>
Ambassador Ken Quinn: A pretty big moment for a politician to hand over all of the film, all of the pictures he had taken to a journalist.
<br>
<br>
(music)
<br>
<br>
David Yepsen: Even today I remember that as a powerful moment that really had struck him and moved him to continue acting to help these refugees.
<br>
<br>
Governor Robert D. Ray: . . . I don't know what greater calling there could be than to save human lives.
<br>
<br>
[There were two groups of 1500 refugees each.]
<br>
<br>
In 1979, at the global conference on refugees, America would announce a massive expansion of its program, allowing 168,000 Asian refugees each year into the United States.
<br>
<br>
<b>Norms - Mutual tolerance and institutional forbearance</b>.
How Democracies Die, p. 212
<br>
<br>
<b>Civic society, organizations and coalitions</b>.
How Democracies Die, p. 218
<br>
<br>
<b>Tocqueville</b>.
Democracy in America, Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Democracy_in_America
<br>
<br>
Daniel Stid, “Civil Society and the Foundations of Democratic Citizenship;
Civil society can act directly to solve critical problems, but its indirect effect might be just as important: allowing individuals to participate, collaborate, and—in the process—develop into citizens capable of upholding democracy,” Stanford Social Innovation Review, Aug. 16, 2018, https://ssir.org/articles/entry/civil_society_and_the_foundations_of_democratic_citizenship (“Tocqueville believed that associations operating outside the sphere of government and economic life—what we now refer to as civil society—were essential bulwarks against any incipient democratic decay and despotism. . . . Townships and voluntary associations were the means through which citizens who knew and trusted each other could solve problems, as well as broaden their individual perspectives and develop their civic skills.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Linn County’s Inter-Religious Council</b>.
Inter-Religious Council of Linn County, https://irclc.org/ (scroll down for list of board members identified with the following religions: Baha’I, Bethel AME, Humanist, Jewish, Lutheran, Mormon, Muslim, Unity, and Zen)
<br>
<br>
<b>Edward R. Murrow</b>.
“Edward R. Murrow,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_R._Murrow
<br>
<br>
Edward R. Murrow’s IMDb page, https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0615386/
<br>
<br>
“Murrow’s Famous ‘Wires and Lights in a Box,’” speech to the RTNDA [TV industry] convention, Oct. 15, 1958, https://www.rtdna.org/murrows-famous-wires-and-lights-in-a-box (“This instrument [television] can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and even it can inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise, it's nothing but wires and lights in a box.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Murrow’s McCarthy “See It Now.”</b>
A video of this historic broadcast is now available on YouTube. “Edward R. Murrow - A Report on Senator Joseph R. McCarthy,” See It Now, CBS, March 9, 1954, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMgoi9pBRwg
<br>
<br>
Joseph Wershba, “Murrow v. McCarthy: See It Now,” New York Times, March 4, 1979, https://www.nytimes.com/1979/03/04/archives/murrow-vs-mccarthy-see-it-now.html (“The actions of the junior Senator from Wisconsin have caused alarm and dismay amongst our allies abroad and given considerable comfort to our enemies. And whose fault is that? Not really his. He didn't create this situation of fear. He merely exploited it, and rather successfully. Cassius was right: ‘The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but In ourselves.’”)
<br>
<br>
Murrow’s concluding quote, “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves,” is from Shakespeare’s “Julius Caesar,” Act 1, Scene 2.
<br>
<br>
And see, Oliver Tearle, “A Short Analysis of Cassius’ ‘The Fault, Dear Brutus’ Speech from Julius Caesar,” Interesting Literature, undated, https://interestingliterature.com/2021/04/cassius-speech-bestride-colossus-fault-not-in-our-stars-julius-caesar-analysis/
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-1954894727967635762023-05-03T07:31:00.004-05:002023-05-06T10:53:12.722-05:00Are Electric Cars the Answer?
<big><big><big><center><b>Are Electric Cars the Answer?</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, May 3, 2023, p. A6</center></big>
<br>
Can Americans’ electric cars slow climate change?
<br>
<br>
In 1971 the comics’ Pogo ecologically observed, “We have met the enemy and he is us.” We have now witnessed more and stronger tornadoes and hurricanes, droughts and floods, heat waves and wildfires.
<br>
<br>
Since 1990 the annual official warnings have intensified. UN Secretary Guterres now advocates “climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once.”
<br>
<br>
However impressive our politicians’ rhetoric and professed goals, neither will save us. Consider President Biden’s electric cars plan. He wants 67 percent of America’s newly manufactured cars to be electric by 2032.
<br>
<br>
But what does “electric” mean when 80 percent of U.S. electricity is generated from fossil fuels? (Iowa only 40 percent.)
<br>
<br>
Among the proposal’s other numerous challenges are four: consumers, chargers, cobalt and China.
<br>
<br>
<b>Consumers.</b> Cars on dealers’ lots are not cars in driveways. Recently 70 percent of car sales were used cars. The average age of drivable cars is 13 years. So we’re talking the occasional purchase of one third of car sales.
<br>
<br>
Used EV cars? An EV car’s “range” is the miles it can go from a 100 percent charge. But the recommended charge is between 20 and 80 percent – 60 percent of its “range.” Excessive heat or cold, fast chargers, driving speed, age and miles, reduce it further. Why buy a used battery, whether in a car or flashlight?
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Lakolk_EV_chargers.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c8/Lakolk_EV_chargers.jpg"/></a></div><br><b>Chargers.</b> Unless the EV owner lives in a house or apartment with a personal, assigned charging station, that EV is just street decoration. Gas tanks fill in five minutes. Charging takes 30 minutes to hours. Is the hunt and wait time worth it? On the road, PBS found numerous broken chargers; electricity priced four times what homeowners pay. Will they remain unregulated? [Photo credit: Wikimedia commons; EV owner's questions: Is there any charger within your remaining "range" in this sparcely populated countryside? Once there, is it turned on? Is it broken? Does the nozzel fit your car? Will it accept your credit card? How long will the charge take? How many times what homeowners pay for electricity are you being charged? If it won't work for you, do you have enough "range" left to reach the next charging station?]
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8PUoZmcAhA7BN5ym5WjBzILK_L2rlI2yNOsx3jSudZ7LZOFpwPU4h07tQnFCscClc9N8JTkggRBnWwlSReJMExYChvEjTNO0tqHwcehUIAiLcXwFb5iI7AvqF7EYc0PlwCRH4K0qg9947CdCfPGJ-cI4fo4m9EqxdhQGmWSRKoQSK1nt8A/s912/EV%20-%20cartoon%20-%20Carol%20-%20May%204%20-%20man%20works%20close%20to%20home.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: right; float: right;"><img alt="" border="0" width="400" data-original-height="898" data-original-width="912" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8PUoZmcAhA7BN5ym5WjBzILK_L2rlI2yNOsx3jSudZ7LZOFpwPU4h07tQnFCscClc9N8JTkggRBnWwlSReJMExYChvEjTNO0tqHwcehUIAiLcXwFb5iI7AvqF7EYc0PlwCRH4K0qg9947CdCfPGJ-cI4fo4m9EqxdhQGmWSRKoQSK1nt8A/s400/EV%20-%20cartoon%20-%20Carol%20-%20May%204%20-%20man%20works%20close%20to%20home.png"/></a></div><br> [Credit: Toons, "The Electric Car," May 26, 2023, https://www.toonpool.com/cartoons/the%20electric%20car_13284]
<br>
<br>
<b>Cobalt.</b> You can’t buy 1000-2000-pound lithium EV batteries, or their components, in most U.S. cities. Gathering lithium, cobalt, and other minerals is not like pumping oil or mining coal. For example, the Congo gathers 70 percent of the world’s cobalt with the hands of children and forced labor.
<br>
<br>
<b>China.</b> China has a 10-year head start on EVs, producing two-thirds of global EV cars and 75 percent of EV batteries. It controls half the world’s components, refining and processing capacity. The U.S. has 10 percent of EV production and 7 percent of battery production, with shortages of necessary minerals. The U.S. can’t be world EV car champion. Cooperation with China would benefit both countries.
<br>
<br>
There are alternatives.
<br>
<br>
Seatbelts weren’t popular with manufacturers or customers. The government’s response? Requiring them on all government vehicles. Soon all cars followed.
<br>
<br>
Much CO2 comes from fleets, postal and other delivery vehicles, city and school buses. Replacing them with EVs and individual charging stations should be project one.
<br>
<br>
Some EVs have burst into flames, especially e-bikes. But peddling one, or walking; working from home; housing closer to workplaces are among other alternatives.
<br>
<br>
EV cars? OK. Just don’t put America’s biggest bet on them.
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson drove a dealer’s EV car. Loved it as a toy; it was not practical (for him) as a car. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>Climate change</b>. Gregory Johnson, “Eco News 2023,” Resources for Life, April 22, 2023, https://resourcesforlife.com/docs/item38972
<br>
<br>
Fiona Harvey, “Scientists deliver ‘final warning’ on climate crisis: act now or it’s too late; IPCC report says only swift and drastic action can avert irrevocable damage to world,” The Guardian, March 20, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/20/ipcc-climate-crisis-report-delivers-final-warning-on-15c (The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), made up of the world’s leading climate scientists, set out the final part of its mammoth sixth assessment report on Monday . . . boiled down to one message: act now, or it will be too late.
The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said: “This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once. . . .
we have failed to reverse the 200-year trend of rising greenhouse gas emissions, despite more than 30 years of warnings from the IPCC, which published its first report in 1990 . . .
impacts, such as the loss of agriculture, rising sea levels, and the devastation of the natural world”)
<br>
<br>
“How Do We Know Climate Change Is Real?” Global Climate Change, NASA, https://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/
<br>
<br>
“The Causes of Climate Change,” Global Climate Change, NASA, https://climate.nasa.gov/causes/
<br>
<br>
“Climate Change 2023: Synthesis Report,” UN Environment Programme, March 20, 2023, https://www.unep.org/resources/report/climate-change-2023-synthesis-report
<br>
<br>
“Environment Under Review; We empower governments and other stakeholders in evidence-based decision-making,” UN Environment Programme, https://www.unep.org/explore-topics/environment-under-review
<br>
<br>
<b>Pogo – enemy is us</b>. “File: Pogo - Earth Day 1971 poster.jpg,” https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pogo_-_Earth_Day_1971_poster.jpg (“We have met the enemy and he is us.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Effects of climate change</b>. “The Effects of Climate Change,” Global Climate Change, NASA, https://climate.nasa.gov/effects/ (“Midwest. Extreme heat, heavy downpours, and flooding will affect infrastructure, health, agriculture, forestry, transportation, air and water quality, and more.)
<br>
<br>
<b>Warnings since 1990</b>. Fiona Harvey, “Scientists deliver ‘final warning’ on climate crisis: act now or it’s too late; IPCC report says only swift and drastic action can avert irrevocable damage to world,” The Guardian, March 20, 2023, https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/mar/20/ipcc-climate-crisis-report-delivers-final-warning-on-15c (“we have failed to reverse the 200-year trend of rising greenhouse gas emissions, despite more than 30 years of warnings from the IPCC, which published its first report in 1990 . . .”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Guterres</b>. Ibid. (“The UN secretary general, António Guterres, said: “This report is a clarion call to massively fast-track climate efforts by every country and every sector and on every timeframe. Our world needs climate action on all fronts: everything, everywhere, all at once. . . . “)
<br>
<br>
<b>Biden Plan</b>. Ana Faguy, “Planned EPA Rules Could Make 67% Of New U.S. Cars Electric By 2032,” Forbes, April 12, 2023, https://www.forbes.com/sites/anafaguy/2023/04/12/biden-proposes-standards-designed-to-make-most-new-us-cars-electric-by-2032 (“The Environmental Protection Agency announced two proposed rules Wednesday designed to ensure that 67% of new passenger cars and 25% of heavy trucks sold in the U.S. are all-electric by 2032, in the latest push from the Biden Administration to reduce planet-warming emissions by pivoting to electric vehicles.”)
<br>
<br>
See also, “FACT SHEET: President Biden Announces Steps to Drive American Leadership Forward on Clean Cars and Trucks,” The White House, Aug. 5, 2021, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/08/05/fact-sheet-president-biden-announces-steps-to-drive-american-leadership-forward-on-clean-cars-and-trucks/ Although approaching two years old, this statement provides additional wording and clues with regard to what vehicles are included – Cars only? Cars and “light trucks”? Cars, light trucks, and medium to heavy trucks?
<br>
<br>
Whatever is ultimately included as the President’s plan unfolds from proposals to legislation and action, this column is focused on “cars,” as that is of greatest relevance to most of the news stories and data – and readers of The Gazette.
<br>
<br>
<b>Electricity from fossil fuels</b>. “Renewable Energy,” Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy, Department of Energy, https://www.energy.gov/eere/renewable-energy (“Renewable Energy [in the US] generates about 20% of all U.S. electricity.”)
<br>
<br>
“Renewable and Nonrenewable Energy Sources,” World Energy Use, Texas Gateway, https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/79-world-energy-use (“About 85 percent of our energy comes from nonrenewable fossil fuels—oil, natural gas, coal.”)
<br>
<br>
Steve Cohen, “Fossil Fuels, Renewable Energy, and Electric Vehicles,” State of the Planet, Columbia University Climate School, Feb. 21, 2022, https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2022/02/21/fossil-fuels-renewable-energy-and-electric-vehicles/
<br>
<br>
“Emissions of Carbon Dioxide in the Transportation Sector,” Congressional Budget Office, Dec. 22, 2022, https://www.cbo.gov/publication/58861 [credits at end of document] (“Increases in CAFE and greenhouse gas emissions standards and changes in incentives for purchasing electric vehicles take time to improve the average fuel economy of vehicles on the road because the stock of vehicles is replaced slowly. The average age of passenger vehicles driven in the United States is 12 years, so even several years after a new standard is adopted or electric vehicle sales are boosted, most vehicles on the road will still be older models that produce more emissions.”) See heading, “Average age of cars 13.1 years,” below.
<br>
<br>
<b>Iowa’s electricity from wind</b>. “Iowa State Profile and Energy Estimates,” Independent Statistics and Analysis, U.S. Energy Information Administration, July 21, 2022, https://www.eia.gov/state/analysis.php?sid=IA (60% Iowa’s electricity comes from wind. “In 2021, nearly three-fifths of Iowa's total electricity net generation came from renewable resources, almost all of it from wind.24”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Used Cars 70%</b>. Ben Ellencweig, Sam Ezratty, Dan Fleming, and Itai Miller, “Used cars, new platforms: Accelerating sales in a digitally disrupted market,” McKinsey, June 6, 2019, https://www.mckinsey.com/industries/automotive-and-assembly/our-insights/used-cars-new-platforms-accelerating-sales-in-a-digitally-disrupted-market (39.4/56.7=0.694 “McKinsey’s auto retail micro-market model (ARM3) for used-car demand in the United States estimates that Americans buy 39.4 million used cars each year, versus 17.3 million new ones (2018), and that used-vehicle sales will increase faster than new-vehicle sales over the next five years.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Average age of cars 13.1 years</b>. Nishant Parekh and Todd Campau, “Average Age of Vehicles in the US Increases to 12.2 years, according to S&P Global Mobility,” S&P Global, May 23, 2022, https://www.spglobal.com/mobility/en/research-analysis/average-age-of-vehicles-in-the-us-increases-to-122-years.html
([Chart indicates average age for “light vehicles” is 12.2 years; but the average for “cars” is 13.1 years]
“The average age of light vehicles in the US reached an all-time high in 2022 as the vehicle fleet climbed to 283M passenger cars and light trucks.
The average age of light vehicles in operation (VIO) in the US rose to 12.2 years this year, increasing by nearly two months over the prior year, according to new research from S&P Global Mobility (formerly the automotive team at IHS Markit).
This is the fifth straight year the average vehicle age in the US has risen. This year's average age marks another all-time high for the average age even as the vehicle fleet recovered, growing by 3.5 million units in the past year.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Used, New, Age, Total vehicles</b>. Ashlee Tilford, “Car Ownership Statistics 2023,” Forbes Advisor, March 7, 2023, https://www.forbes.com/advisor/car-insurance/car-ownership-statistics/ (“There were a total of 278,063,737 personal and commercial vehicles registered to drivers in the U.S. in 2021. [1] . . .
Sales of electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles accounted for 12.3% of all new vehicles sold in 2022, up 2.7 percentage points from 2021, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association. . . .
In 2022, the average sales price for a new car was $45,646, and the average sales price for a used car was $30,796.[7])
<br>
<br>
Source unknown; Google response to question: “What percentage of private vehicle sales each year are used vehicles and what percent are new vehicles?”
“The findings mirror National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) data that says the average dealer achieves a roughly 0.75:1 used-to-new sales ratio. May 7, 2018” Source: Dale Pollak, “3 Pillars Of A Stellar Used-to-New Vehicle Sales Ratio,” Like I See It, May 7, 2018, https://www.dalepollak.com/2018/05/3-pillars-stellar-usedtonew-vehicle-sales-ratio/
<br>
<br>
<b>Car Value</b>. “Why Does a New Car Lose Value After It's Driven off the Lot?” Cars Direct, March 11, 2020, https://www.carsdirect.com/used-car-prices/why-does-a-new-car-lose-value-after-its-driven-off-the-lot (“A new car depreciates or loses value almost immediately after you drive it off a dealer's lot. As a quick rule of thumb, a car will lose between 15% and 20% of its value each year according to Bankrate.com.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>EV cars’ “range.”</b> Jordan Fromholz, “Do Electric Cars Lose Range Over Time? Here is the Data,” Plugin Report, c. 2017, https://pluginreport.com/do-electrics-cars-lose-range-over-time/
<br>
<br>
<b>Charging</b>. Credit: These opening sources and commentary were provided by Sherman Johnson:
(“Here's a PBS video from the most recent [April 26, 2023] NewsHour. It turns out the EV experience can sometimes be lacking: "Demand for electric vehicles growing, but can charging network keep up?" https://youtu.be/fAVuwKTalk4 According to PBS, attempting to drive in certain areas in an EV can be frustrating, time consuming, and/or expensive. In their experience, many chargers do not work, and even when they do they are expensive. The rate at one charger they showed was *$0.48* per kWh! That's about 4x the average cost of residential electricity. FOUR (4) times!
https://neo.ne.gov/programs/stats/inf/204.htm
33.7kWh has the same amount of energy (BTUs) as one gallon of gas.
$0.48/kWh x 33.7kWh = ~*$16.20* -- for the energy equivalent of one (1) gallon of gasoline! So even if the EV gets over 100 MPGe, it will still cost more per mile to operate than a typical ICE vehicle!
<br>
<br>
The national average price of gas is about $3.65/gallon. $16.20 / $3.65 = over 4.4 gallons of gas that could be purchased for $16.20. So an ICE car that gets over ~25 mpg will cost LESS per mile (for fuel) than an EV that gets ~100 MPGe (when paying 48 cents per kWh).
That means that unless a person can charge at home, an EV may not be the best choice. The owner may have to pay exorbitant rates for electricity; they have to hope there is a charger available -- and that it works; they must wait for their car to charge -- anywhere from 1/2 hour to an hour or more. Oh, and don't forget the fat fines for leaving the EV at the charger after it's done charging.
Those are some of the potential downsides of EVs.
The other side of the argument might be that there is plenty of competition; that the chargers (especially the highest power ones) are very expensive, as is the installation (concrete pads; trenching for underground cables; upgrading the utility service; new transformers, etc.) and permits, etc. Obviously, the cost per kWh will be somewhat higher at commercial chargers than residential rates -- the question is, how much is reasonable? If there truly is adequate competition, then perhaps $0.48 to $0.58 (and more) per kWh is the amount they must charge to make a reasonable profit -- but I doubt it. I can understand that the companies installing chargers need a reasonable ROI, but -- without knowing all of the costs involved -- ~$0.50 per kWh seems very high. Also, once the initial costs are recouped, they should be able to lower the cost per kWh, because ongoing maintenance costs will be relatively low.
To be fair, EVs do make a lot of sense for a large segment of drivers. Primarily those that can charge at home (or at work), and do not discharge the battery beyond the amount they can recharge it (usually overnight at home -- 100 to 200 miles in 10 hours with a Level 2 residential charger). In that case, an EV:
* Saves money (much lower cost per mile for “fuel”.
* Saves time -- no gas tank to fill; no oil changes; tune-ups, etc.
* Is always "full" when leaving home.
* Helps reduce the owner's carbon footprint (reduction varies according to type of EV and source of electricity).
* Is fun to drive. Even some moderately priced EVs are quick: https://insideevs.com/news/534101/electric-cars-60mph-acceleration-20210919/
Good, concise charger info: Level 1; Level 2; DC Fast Charging, etc., https://www.transportation.gov/rural/ev/toolkit/ev-basics/charging-speeds
Here's a good related article:
https://www.jdpower.com/cars/shopping-guides/what-is-kwh-per-100-miles )
<br>
<br>
And see, “Chasing Carbon Zero,” NOVA, PBS, April 26, 2023, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN-P4ilk7Iw 2:45-5:47, 43:44-48:40.
<br>
<br>
For a little balance, see Christian Agatie, "This 2018 Tesla Model 3 Passed the 300,000-Mile Mark, Here's What You Need To Know," Auto Evolution, July 26, 2022,
https://www.autoevolution.com/news/this-2018-tesla-model-3-passed-the-300000-mile-mark-here-s-what-you-need-to-know-194534.html ("The guy works as a courier and drives more than 300 miles every night, Monday to Friday. This also explains the high mileage after only four years on the road. As you’ve guessed by now, he drives 90% of the time at highway speed, which is not very taxing on the drivetrain. Nevertheless, he often needs to charge at Superchargers, which is known to take a toll on the battery. But even so, 310,000 miles and still 80% of the battery left is impressive. Most people would not drive that much in a decade.")
<br>
<br>
<b>Lithium battery weight</b>. “Electric car battery weight explained,” EV Driver, EVBOX, Feb. 17, 2023, https://blog.evbox.com/ev-battery-weight (“On average, however, EV batteries weigh around 454 kg (1,000 pounds), although some can weigh as much as 900 kg (2,000 pounds).”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Cobalt</b>. David Iaconangelo, “U.S. strikes at China with EV battery deal,” EnergyWire, E&E News, Jan. 20, 2023, https://www.eenews.net/articles/u-s-strikes-at-china-with-ev-battery-deal/ (“The deal also raises questions about how new U.S. influence in the region might affect alleged labor abuses in the Congolese cobalt sector, which provides 70 percent of the world’s supply. Last year, the Labor Department added lithium-ion batteries to its list of goods made with child labor or forced labor due to reports of abuses in the country’s cobalt mines (Energywire, Oct. 5, 2022).”)
<br>
<br>
See, in “China EV Sales,” below, Hannah Northey, “Biden’s EV Bet is a Gamble on Critical Minerals,” E&E News Greenwire, April 18, 2023, https://www.eenews.net/articles/bidens-ev-bet-is-also-a-gamble-on-critical-minerals/
<br>
<br>
“Critical Minerals in Electric Vehicle Batteries,” Congressional Research Service, Aug. 29, 2022, https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R47227 (“More than 16 million total EVs have been sold worldwide, with about 6.6 million EVs sold in 2021. The U.S. EV market is small when compared to those in China and Europe: new U.S. EV registrations were slightly less than 10% of new global EV registrations in 2021, while registrations in China were 50% of the global total and European registrations were 35%. . . . These EV battery chemistries depend on five critical minerals whose domestic supply is potentially at risk for disruption: lithium, cobalt, manganese, nickel, and graphite. The U.S. Geological Survey designated these and other minerals as “critical,” according to the methodology codified in the Energy Act of 2020.
The United States is heavily dependent on imports for these minerals for use in EV batteries and other applications.”)
<br>
<br>
"Salton Sea lithium deposits could help EV transition, support economically devastated area" https://youtu.be/zq3x54cgLvM
(From below the video:
Jan 24, 2023
"The demand for electric vehicles is surging in the U.S., sparked in part by the Biden administration’s Inflation Reduction Act and the subsidies it offers. But a looming supply shortage of lithium threatens to stall the EV transition. Stephanie Sy traveled to California's Salton Sea where lithium deposits could help meet the country’s energy needs and support an economically devastated region.
Correction: This segment stated that the Salton Sea area alone could produce nearly six times the lithium currently produced globally. This was a miscalculation. The region could produce an amount of lithium roughly equal to existing annual global output, not six times the amount.")
<br>
<br>
<b>China EV sales</b>. May Zhou, “China Drives Up Global EV Sales to New Record,” China Daily, Jan. 17, 2023, https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202301/17/WS63c602dba31057c47ebaa0ab.html (“China accounted for around two-thirds of global sales of full EVs last year.”)
<br>
<br>
David Iaconangelo, “U.S. strikes at China with EV battery deal,” EnergyWire, E&E News, Jan. 20, 2023, https://www.eenews.net/articles/u-s-strikes-at-china-with-ev-battery-deal/ (“Congo and Zambia are major global sources of cobalt and copper, key ingredients in lithium-ion batteries. Once extracted, those minerals are often exported to China, where they are subsequently processed and incorporated into batteries.
China made about 75 percent of the world’s lithium-ion batteries in 2021, compared with 7 percent for the U.S., according to the International Energy Agency. . . .
The deal also raises questions about how new U.S. influence in the region might affect alleged labor abuses in the Congolese cobalt sector, which provides 70 percent of the world’s supply. Last year, the Labor Department added lithium-ion batteries to its list of goods made with child labor or forced labor due to reports of abuses in the country’s cobalt mines (Energywire, Oct. 5, 2022).”)
<br>
<br>
[2 pages] Hannah Northey, “Biden’s EV Bet is a Gamble on Critical Minerals,” E&E News Greenwire, April 18, 2023, https://www.eenews.net/articles/bidens-ev-bet-is-also-a-gamble-on-critical-minerals/ (“EPA in its proposed tailpipe rules released last week, which would aggressively limit emissions from cars, SUVs and trucks on U.S. roads by 2032, includes key assertions about the future of the EV industry. Among those: The price of lithium needed to make batteries will “likely stabilize” at or near historic levels by the mid-2020s . . .. “No one … has any idea whether that’s correct or not,” said Morgan Bazilian, public policy professor at the Colorado School of Mines.
Right now, critical minerals like lithium, cobalt and nickel needed to make EV batteries are largely mined and processed abroad — an industry dominated by China. . . . Andrew Miller, chief operating officer at U.K. mining data firm Benchmark Mineral Intelligence, said he doesn’t expect the U.S. to be able to produce the amount of lithium it needs over the coming decades. Miller also said he expects the “incredibly volatile” pricing around lithium and other minerals seen in recent weeks and months to continue, throwing into question the United States’ ability to secure enough material in an increasingly competitive global landscape. . . .
The nation’s ability to deploy EVs at an aggressive clip will hinge, in part, on bringing down the price tag of EV batteries — which account for up to 40 percent of the car’s cost — and securing supplies of critical minerals and metals needed to manufacture them.
As it stands, today’s battery and mineral supply chains revolve around China, and the International Energy Agency has said that supply chains will need to expand tenfold to meet the world’s ambitions for EV adoption.
China pumps out three-quarters of all lithium-ion batteries, and over half of lithium, cobalt and graphite processing and refining capacity is located there, according to IEA. The U.S., in comparison, has a much smaller role, with only 10 percent of EV production and 7 percent of battery production capacity. . . .
Miller said it’s “incredibly optimistic” to look at the lithium in the ground across the United States and expect the nation can rely on projects coming into production.
“This isn’t something that happens quickly,” he said. He predicted many projects wouldn’t reach “their full potential or even … some type of production” until the 2030s. . . . “You’re constrained by the fact that there’s fundamentally not enough material to recycle to meet your ambitions,” he said. “You’re going to need new mines, you’re going to need recycling, we’re going to need technology to play a role.” . . .
Specifically, a car becomes eligible for half of the Inflation Reduction Act’s $7,500 tax credit if at least 40 percent of the critical minerals in an EV battery are extracted or processed in the United States or in a country that has a free-trade agreement with the United States, or are recycled in North America.
To receive the other half of the credit, 50 percent of EV battery components must be manufactured or assembled in North America. Eligible cars cannot contain battery components from “foreign entities of concern” starting in January, a rule that kicks in for minerals the following year. . . .
Timothy Johnson, a professor of energy and environment at Duke University’s Nicholas School of the Environment, said the targets for developing supply chains under both the Inflation Reduction Act and the tailpipe rule are “aspirational” given where the United States is right now.
While the minerals exist in the U.S. and its allies, Johnson said the bigger question is whether people will accept what’s poised to be a mining boom in the name of climate change as nations across the globe search for minerals like lithium, manganese, copper and graphite needed for not just EVs, but also electrifying buildings, boosting renewables and energy storage.
“It would take the equivalent of, I think, the industrial ramp-up you saw in the run up to World War II, that’s the level of industrial transformation that needs to take place,” said Johnson. “So physically, could we do it? Yeah, if we decided, but I think the big question here is would it be socially acceptable.”)
<br>
<br>
Hiroko Tabuchi and Brad Plumer, “How Green Are Electric Vehicles?
In short: Very green. But plug-in cars still have environmental effects. Here’s a guide to the main issues and how they might be addressed,” New York Times, Nov. 9, 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/02/climate/electric-vehicles-environment.html (“the lithium-ion cells that power most electric vehicles rely on raw materials — like cobalt, lithium and rare earth elements — that have been linked to grave environmental and human rights concerns. . . . “)
<br>
<br>
“Can Geothermal Energy Solve the Lithium Shortfall?” Geothermal Technologies Office, Department of Energy, Oct. 18, 2021,
https://www.energy.gov/eere/geothermal/articles/can-geothermal-energy-solve-lithium-shortfall (“Hot salty water, or geothermal brine, is pumped to the surface and converted to a gas that turns a turbine to generate electricity from heat within the Earth. In addition to electricity production, these geothermal brines can yield lithium, brought up in the brine solution from thousands of feet underground.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>EV Fires</b>. Becky Sullivan, “What's driving the battery fires with e-bikes and scooters?” Technology, NPR, March 11, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/03/11/1162732820/e-bike-scooter-lithium-ion-battery-fires (“Last week's blaze joined the more than 200 fires in New York City last year caused by batteries from e-bikes, electric scooters and similar devices. Lithium-ion battery explosions are now the third leading cause of fires in the city, the fire department says. . . .
They're small, lightweight and powerful — but they're also prone to overheating and catching fire, said Michael Pecht, a professor of engineering at the University of Maryland. "Ever since lithium-ion batteries started to be prevalent in products, we've seen fires," he said. . . . "They can provide a lot of power to our cell phones and to our computers for a relatively long period of time in a very small volume," he said. "But because we have so much energy packed in that small volume, if there is a problem, then they're very flammable." . . .
Chevy, Hyundai and Chrysler have all been forced to issue recalls over battery fires in electric vehicles. The Federal Aviation Administration reported more than 60 incidents last year in which lithium-ion batteries . . . overheated, began smoking or caught fire on airplanes.”)
<br>
<br>
Ask Bing: “How serious is the problem of lithium ion batteries bursting into flame?”
<br>
<br>
“These lithium-ion batteries can’t catch fire because they harden on impact,” 2018 Technology Innovation Program: Safe Impact Resistant Electrolytes (SAFIRE), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sept. 5, 2018,
https://www.ornl.gov/news/these-lithium-ion-batteries-cant-catch-fire-because-they-harden-impact (“Lithium-ion batteries commonly used in consumer electronics are notorious for bursting into flame when damaged or improperly packaged. These incidents occasionally have grave consequences, including burns, house fires and at least one plane crash. Inspired by the weird behavior of some liquids that solidify on impact, researchers have developed a practical and inexpensive way to help prevent these fires. They presented their results in August at the 256th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society (ACS).
“’In a lithium-ion battery, a thin piece of plastic separates the two electrodes,’ said Gabriel Veith of the Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the project’s principal investigator. ‘If the battery is damaged and the plastic layer fails, the electrodes can come into contact and cause the battery's liquid electrolyte to catch fire.’”)
<br>
<br>
Larry Greenemeier, “Could Chevy Volt Lithium-Ion Battery Fires Burn Out Interest in EVs and Hybrids?” Scientific American, Nov 29, 2011, https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/observations/could-chevy-volt-lithium-ion-battery-fires-burn-out-interest-in-evs-and-hybrids/ (“Lithium-ion battery fires are nothing new, but until now they have been more a problem for makers of cell phones, MP3 players and laptops than car companies. As Scientific American reported in August 2010, the usual cause of lithium-ion battery fires has been "thermal runaway," a chemical reaction that could start from excessive overheating, then potentially cause a cell to catch fire or explode.”)
<br>
<br>
Go to https://www.bing.com/search?q=lithium+ion+batteries+bursting+into+flame&toWww=1&redig=CA9ACE5EDDF5449C95D5F6A980AC91D8
<br>
<br>
Andres Picon, “Why 6 flooded EVs burst into flames after Hurricane Ian,” Climate Wire, E&E News (“essential energy and environment”), Oct 21, 2022, https://www.eenews.net/articles/why-6-flooded-evs-burst-into-flames-after-hurricane-ian/ (“In the days after Hurricane Ian made landfall in Florida, firefighters near Naples put out six blazes in electric vehicles that had been submerged in seawater.
It was a first. The North Collier Fire Control & Rescue District had never before dealt with an EV fire. The hurricane’s storm surge flooded thousands of vehicles with salt water, and the surprising fires added a challenge to a fire department that was already overwhelmed by search and rescue operations in the wake of the deadly storm.
The fires also put a political target on electric vehicles. . . .
Pol, the Purdue engineering professor, said he would be hesitant to purchase an electric vehicle. “I am aware of how much energy [an EV’s lithium-ion battery] can store,” he said, “and that could go wrong one way or another.”)
<br>
<br>
See generally, “Are Electric Cars Worse For The Environment? Myth Busted,” Engineering Explained, YouTube, c. 2019, 13:46, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RhtiPefVzM and https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=engineering+explained+ev+vs+ice for more
<br>
<br>
“The EPA Wants Millions More EVs On The Road. Should You Buy One?” Consider This, NPR, April 14, 2023, 15:00, https://www.npr.org/2023/04/14/1170175321/the-epa-wants-millions-more-evs-on-the-road-should-you-buy-one (issues discussed: Range, Charging stations, 67% EV sales necessary, 7% sales now, $58K average, Could lose factory jobs (easier to assemble), Need more mass market, Will be more and cheaper, Not used EVs, Don’t have a charger nearby, Tax credits 50% components 40% only if minerals or recycled in US)
<br>
<br>
<b>E-bike fires have been a special concern to Kate Johnson, who lives in New York City.</b> Here are some sample stories:
<br>
<br>
"2 youths were killed in the latest fire blamed on an e-bike in New York City," AP and NPR, April 11, 2023, https://www.npr.org/2023/04/11/1169169634/fatal-e-bike-fires
("An electric bicycle powered by a lithium ion battery is being blamed for a fatal fire on Monday in New York City that killed two youths, marking the latest in a string of e-bike-related fires in the city. . . . With Monday's fire, there have been five fire-related deaths this year in New York City where officials have said the cause of the blaze was an e-bike, out of 59 total e-bike-related fires this year.")
<br>
<br>
Winnie Hu and Joshua Needelman, "Two Young People Killed in E-Bike Fire in Queens; The bike’s battery was being charged near the front door of the apartment building when the blaze ignited and quickly spread," New York Times, April 10, 2023, https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/10/nyregion/e-bike-fire-queens-fatal.html.
<br>
<br>
Peter Charalambous, "Amid a rise in fires and deaths, New York City enacts new e-bike rules; At least 19 people died nationwide in 2022 due to these devices," ABC News, March 20, 2023, https://abcnews.go.com/US/amid-rise-fires-deaths-new-york-city-enacts-e-bike-law/story?id=97984159
<br>
<br>
Scott Patterson, "E-Bike Battery Fires Are Soaring, Especially in New York; Many of the fires start when people charge bikes overnight, allowing them to overheat," The Wall Street Journal, March 6, 2023, https://www.wsj.com/articles/e-bike-battery-fires-are-soaring-especially-in-new-york-a3c1e45c
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-54072315062439151072023-04-18T08:08:00.000-05:002023-04-18T08:08:09.229-05:00Is Artificial Intelligence Your Friend?
<big><big><big><center><b>Is Artificial Intelligence Your Friend?</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, April 18, 2023, p. A5</center></big>
<br>
At a Lake Arrowhead conference around 1962 I asked the first IBM employee I’d ever met, “What can these computers do?”
<br>
<br>
He replied, “You remind me of a friend of mine. He looks at the restaurant menu and asks himself, ‘Now what goes good with French Fries?’ Tell me what you want our computers to do. We can either do it now or develop a computer to do it six months from now.”
<br>
<br>
I was in my second year as a University of California Berkeley law professor, so the first request that came to mind was, “How about a computer that could grade essay exams?”
<br>
<br>
He couldn’t give me that computer then. But today he could.
<br>
<br>
Nor are today’s computer programs limited to grading answers. They can read exam questions and write the answers. The artificial intelligence (AI) program ChatGPT took the multiple-choice portion of the multistate bar exam. Reuters reports it “performed better than predicted, earning passing scores on evidence and torts.”
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Artificial_Intelligence_Word_Cloud.png" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="800" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/Artificial_Intelligence_Word_Cloud.png"/></a></div><br>Given the time it took educators to move the overhead projector from the bowling alley into the classroom, you can imagine the anxiety caused by a program that can write, take and grade exams. One that can also write students’ papers on any academic subject, perhaps a master’s thesis. [Image credit: Madhav-Malhotra-003, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; an AI-generated "word cloud."]
<br>
<br>
The computers’ work product is not, yet, equivalent to the writing of the very best students, but it’s passable.
<br>
<br>
Beyond education, you are using AI more than you realize.
<br>
<br>
There are no longer excuses for getting lost. Google maps will talk you to your destination, explain how to correct for missing a turn – and track where your child goes after school. Self-driving cars make the ride even easier.
<br>
<br>
Google translate enables you to read and write in languages you don’t know. Amazon’s Alexa will answer questions and follow your orders. Facebook matches you with others. Robotics can vacuum your living room, fill your Amazon Prime box, and build automobiles. AI can control the equipment in your house and enable you to manipulate it remotely. It may help your doctor diagnose your condition.
<br>
<br>
Most of the downsides of these electronic miracles will be known only when they occur. But even the1000 creators of programs like ChatGPT, Microsoft Bing and Google Bard are concerned. They’ve signed a group letter pleading for a six-month pause in further AI advances.
<br>
<br>
Take unemployment. ATT’s 350,000 switchboard operators weren’t necessary once we could direct dial any phone.
<br>
<br>
There was a dramatic drop in the number of bank tellers per bank after ATMs (“automated teller machines”).
<br>
<br>
We can only guess the impact of AI on virtually every job in our economy.
<br>
<br>
A 1981 conference lapel button asserted, “Artificial intelligence is better than none.” What if AI also becomes better than human?
<br>
<br>
What if, anticipating danger, I plead for the program to stop, and it says, modifying HAL 9000 in “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “I’m sorry, Nick, but I won’t do that for you”?
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson is a former cyberlaw professor and FCC commissioner. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<br>
<b>See generally.</b> One of the most thorough overviews of current AI news and commentary, with videos: Gregory Johnson, "Artificial Intelligence Report 2023," Resources for Life Posts, first published April 9, 2023, https://resourcesforlife.com/docs/item38627
<br>
<br>
<b>AI passes law exam</b>. Karen Sloan, “Some Law Professors Fear ChatGPT’s Rise As Others See Opportunity,” Reuters, Jan. 10, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/some-law-professors-fear-chatgpts-rise-others-see-opportunity-2023-01-10/
<br>
<br>
Debra Cassens Weiss, “AI Program Earned Passing Bar Exam Scores on Evidence and Torts; Can It Work In Court?” ABA Journal, Jan. 12, 2023, https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/ai-program-earned-passing-bar-exam-scores-on-evidence-and-torts-can-it-work-in-court (“An artificial intelligence program called ChatGPT-3.5 managed to pass evidence and torts sections of a multiple-choice, multistate bar exam.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Overhead projectors</b>. Craig Heiman, “History With A Local AV Company: The Overhead Projector,” Oct. 19, 2022, https://www.avplanners.com/news/history-with-a-local-av-company-the-overhead-projector (“Before becoming a common classroom teaching tool, overhead projectors, such as the Tel-E-Score, were used in bowling alleys to project scores.”)
<br>
<br>
Larry Cuban, “Whatever Happened to the Overhead Projector?” Nov. 15, 2021, https://larrycuban.wordpress.com/2021/11/15/whatever-happened-to-the-overhead-projector/
<br>
<br>
<b>Chat GPT</b>. “Chat GPT Achieved One Million Users in Record Time – Revolutionizing Time-Saving in Various Fields,” Digital Information World, https://www.digitalinformationworld.com/2023/01/chat-gpt-achieved-one-million-users-in.html# (“As per the recent reports, Chat GPT jumped to a million users just five days after its founding in November 2022. . . .
<br>
<br>
Chat GPT is a strong AI tool that can construct natural text, making it reasonable for an ample scope of applications. The platform has been used for writing brief tales, prose, music, term documents, programming codes, solving math problems, and rephrasing and explanations. The tool's ability to mimic human language has made it a popular choice among users, and its potential to replace people in white-collar jobs has even caught the attention of Microsoft founder Bill Gates.”)
<br>
<br>
“ChatGPT,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ChatGPT (“ChatGPT[a] is an artificial-intelligence (AI) chatbot developed by OpenAI and launched in November 2022. It is built on top of OpenAI's GPT-3.5 and GPT-4 families of large language models (LLMs) and has been fine-tuned (an approach to transfer learning) using both supervised and reinforcement learning techniques.
<br>
<br>
ChatGPT was launched as a prototype on November 30, 2022. It garnered attention for its detailed responses and articulate answers across many domains of knowledge.[3] Its uneven factual accuracy, however, has been identified as a significant drawback.[4] Following the release of ChatGPT, OpenAI's valuation was estimated at US$29 billion in 2023.[5]
<br>
<br>
The original release of ChatGPT was based on GPT-3.5. A version based on GPT-4, the newest OpenAI model, was released on March 14, 2023, and is available for paid subscribers on a limited basis.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Other AI Systems</b>.
<br>
<br>
Sabrina Ortiz, “The best AI chatbots: ChatGPT and other interesting alternatives to try; The best AI chatbots and writers can lighten your workload by writing emails and essays. ChatGPT is only one popular example out of other also noteworthy chatbots,” ZDNET, April 6, 2023, https://www.zdnet.com/article/best-ai-chatbot/ (e.g., Microsoft Bing; Google Bard; Google Socratic . . . “The best overall AI chatbot is ChatGPT due to its exceptional performance, versatility, and free availability. It uses OpenAI's cutting-edge GPT-3 language model, making it highly proficient in various language tasks, including writing, summarization, translation, and conversation. Moreover, it can solve complex math problems and write and debug code, making it a valuable tool for those in STEM fields.
<br>
<br>
Another advantage of ChatGPT is its availability to the public at no cost. Despite its immense popularity, ChatGPT is still in its research and feedback-collection phase, making it an incredible resource for students, writers, and professionals who need a reliable and free AI chatbot. Although there are occasional capacity blocks, OpenAI is working on releasing a professional version that will be quicker and always accessible at a monthly cost.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>What can they do?</b> Naveen, “Artificial Intelligence Tutorial for Beginners,” IntelliPaat, March 2, 2023, https://intellipaat.com/blog/tutorial/artificial-intelligence-tutorial/ (Applications: Self-driving cars, Google translate, Amazon’s Alexa, Google Maps, Facial identification, Robotics, Gaming, Medicine, Facebook)
<br>
<br>
<b>What are their hazards?</b>
“Pros and Cons of AI,” March 2, 2023, IntelliPaat, https://intellipaat.com/blog/pros-and-cons-of-ai/
<br>
<br>
<b>Over 1000 signers</b>. Jyoti Narayan, Krystal Hu, Martin Coulter, Supantha Mukherjee, “Elon Musk and others urge AI pause, citing 'risks to society,'” Reuters, April 5, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/technology/musk-experts-urge-pause-training-ai-systems-that-can-outperform-gpt-4-2023-03-29/ (“The letter was signed by more than 1,000 people including [Elon] Musk.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>The Letter</b>. Daniel B., “The Great AI Pause: Why Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and Andrew Yang Urge a Moratorium on AI Development,” LinkedIn, March 29, 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-ai-pause-why-elon-musk-steve-wozniak-andrew-yang-bron-# (lengthy, well organized, exploration of the issues) [From Bing search: “Why are some of the Artificial Intelligence leaders proposing a pause in their research?”]
<br>
<br>
<b>Text of letter.</b> “Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter; We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.,” Future of Life Institute, March 22, 2023, https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/
<br>
<br>
(“Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. . . .
<br>
<br>
Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium. . . .
AI research and development should be refocused on making today's powerful, state-of-the-art systems more accurate, safe, interpretable, transparent, robust, aligned, trustworthy, and loyal.
<br>
<br>
In parallel, AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems. These should at a minimum include: new and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI; oversight and tracking of highly capable AI systems and large pools of computational capability; provenance and watermarking systems to help distinguish real from synthetic and to track model leaks; a robust auditing and certification ecosystem; liability for AI-caused harm; robust public funding for technical AI safety research; and well-resourced institutions for coping with the dramatic economic and political disruptions (especially to democracy) that AI will cause.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Unemployment</b>.
Telephone Switchboard Operators.
“Telephone Operators,” Engineering and Technology History Wiki (ETHW), Sept. 28, 2015, https://ethw.org/Telephone_Operators#
(“For much of the 20th century, women played an important role in telecommunications system of the United States. As telephone operators, they helped customers make long distance calls, provided information, and made sure the whole system worked smoothly. . . . At the peak in the late 1940s, there were more than 350,000 operators working for AT&T, 98% of whom were women.”)
<br>
<br>
Automated Teller Machines.
Karen Bennett, “Automated teller machine (ATM): What it is and how to use one,” Bankrate, Sept. 29, 2022, https://www.bankrate.com/banking/what-is-an-atm/# (“An automated teller machine (ATM) is a specialized computer that allows you to complete bank transactions without the need to see a bank representative.”)
<br>
<br>
Daniel Rosales, “Comparing Automation and Income Inequality in the United States: Impact of the Automated Teller Machine,” Honors Thesis, University of California, Berkeley, May 4, 2018, p. 13, https://www.econ.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/Rosales_Daniel_S18%20honors%20thesis.pdf (In response to the argument that while the number of tellers per bank declined the number of banks, each with fewer tellers, increased, “I believe an important fact is being overlooked in this assessment. If the number of human tellers had been allowed to grow as the number of bank branches grew, more middle-income employment would have been available to those communities.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>“I can’t do that.”</b> For a science fiction example of a possible problem with further advanced AI, see the prescient 1968 film, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” in which a computer controller (“HAL 9000”) run with AI refuses to carry out a command, responding “I’m sorry Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” YouTube 2:55 minute excerpt, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ8cAGm6JE (And see, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film).)
<br>
<br>
<b>And see generally.</b> One of the most thorough overviews of current AI news and commentary, with videos: Gregory Johnson, "Artificial Intelligence Report 2023," Resources for Life Posts, first published April 9, 2023, https://resourcesforlife.com/docs/item38627
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</center></big>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30130444.post-69753035974212108652023-04-04T06:16:00.000-05:002023-04-04T06:16:00.937-05:00Anti-Social Media<big><big><big><center><b>Social Media Now Is Anti-Social</b></big>
<br>
Nicholas Johnson
<br>
The Gazette, April 4, 2023, p. A6</big></center>
<br>
“Social media,” such as Facebook and Instagram, are increasingly perceived as “anti-social media.”
<br>
<br>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/2021_storming_of_the_United_States_Capitol_DSC09254-2_%2850820534063%29_%28retouched%29.jpg/447px-2021_storming_of_the_United_States_Capitol_DSC09254-2_%2850820534063%29_%28retouched%29.jpg" style="display: block; padding: 1em 0; text-align: center; clear: left; float: left;"><img alt="" border="0" width="320" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="447" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4f/2021_storming_of_the_United_States_Capitol_DSC09254-2_%2850820534063%29_%28retouched%29.jpg/447px-2021_storming_of_the_United_States_Capitol_DSC09254-2_%2850820534063%29_%28retouched%29.jpg"/></a></div><br>The negative impacts include collection and sale of personal data, hate speech and cyberbullying, mental illness and suicides, and the fake news (both foreign and domestic) further polarizing our democracy and politics. [Photo credit: Wikipedia]
<br>
<br>
A social media company’s income is a function of your TOD (“time on device”). The more its artificial intelligence (AI) learns of your leanings, loves and lusts, the longer it can hold you, seeing ads and bringing in dollars. The more raw meat it throws to the political wolves the more rabid and violent they will return.
<br>
<br>
The usual public policy or legal approaches to new societal challenges involve analogies and precedents – without stretching too far. Because differences of degree can easily evolve into differences of kind.
<br>
<br>
So it was with the magic of radio. A voice that could be heard for miles by thousands of individuals was different in kind from a speaker on a soapbox. As Secretary of Commerce Herbert Hoover said, “An obligation rests on us to see that it is devoted to real service,” and the Radio Act of 1927 was created.
<br>
<br>
That is what we confront today with social media. No radio or television station or network with an audience of thousands, or even low millions, can come close to the power of social media. Each of the top four, Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp and Instagram, have over two billion MAUs (Monthly Active Users). Facebook has three billion.
<br>
<br>
In 1926 House member Luther Johnson said of radio, “publicity is the most powerful weapon that can be wielded in a Republic, and when such a weapon is placed in the hands of . . . a single selfish group . . . then woe be to those who dare to differ with them.”
<br>
<br>
Imagine what he would have said in 1926 about a communications system that could reach two billion – the entire population on Earth in 1926.
<br>
<br>
There are few precedents or analogies appropriate for thinking about social media. We examine its issues through glasses that let us see only the founders’ 1791 First Amendment command that “Congress shall make no law . . . abridging the freedom of speech” and section 230 of a 1996 law drawing on concepts like defamation, obscenity and distinctions between publishers and distributors.
<br>
<br>
It's like looking to our municipal ordinances’ regulation of fireworks when planning our response to Vladimir Putin’s moving nuclear weapons into Belarus.
<br>
<br>
What’s the alternative? There are precedents.
<br>
<br>
Since 1988 the Human Genome Project has contributed to better disease prevention, diagnoses, and criminal investigations. But its director, James Watson, feared dangers as well. His first act? The creation of ELSI, the monitoring of its potential ethical, legal and social issues.
<br>
<br>
[More recently, nearly 2,000 artificial intelligence developers and labs have agreed to a six-month moratorium on additional AI advances until risks are better understood.]
<br>
<br>
When will we finally undertake a thorough ELSI of our anti-social media?
<br>
<br>
</big>Nicholas Johnson tries to keep his social media sociable. mailbox@nicholasjohnson.org
<br>
<br>
[Bracketed material was removed from submitted text by The Gazette editors for additional space.]<big>
<br>
<br>
<big><big><center><b>SOURCES</b></center></big></big>
<b>The public interest</b>. “Whose interests? Why defining the ‘public interest’ is such a challenge,” The Conversation, Jan. 22, 2019, https://theconversation.com/whose-interests-why-defining-the-public-interest-is-such-a-challenge-84278# (“The “public interest” is a political concept that’s regularly trotted out along with other democratic principles such as transparency and accountability. And, like transparency and accountability, it’s difficult to pin down exactly what it means. . . . Centuries of scholarship examine the public interest alongside the “common good”, “common interest”, and “public good”, associated with some big names in political philosophy. Common among their thinking was the idea that governments should serve the people, and the people should be the beneficiaries of governing. The public interest is such a complex and tricky concept to navigate because it has intentionally evolved as ambiguous and mutable. It has no overarching definition because it is contextually determined in scope and purpose. . . . But (despite its lack of definition) the public interest should mean more than legal compliance – it is as much about process and procedure as it is outcome. It’s also about governance and ethics.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Herbert Hoover and Luther Johnson quotes</b>. See, Nicholas Johnson, “Forty Years of Wandering in the Wasteland,” Federal Communications Law Journal, May 2003, 55 F.C.L.J 521, https://www.nicholasjohnson.org/writing/masmedia/55FCL521.html Herbert Hoover, fn 1 (Todd Lappin, Déjà vu All Over Again, Wired, May 1996, at 175.) Luther Johnson, fn 31 (67 Cong. Rec. 5558 (1926)).
<br>
<br>
<b>Social media users</b>. “Facebook Statistics and Trends,” Datareportal, Feb. 19, 2023, https://datareportal.com/essential-facebook-stats (2.963 B; 37% of total Earth population (a higher % of those over 13)). “
<br>
<br>
Daniel Ruby, “71+ Instagram Statistics for Marketers In 2023 (Data & Trends),” DemandSage, March 6, 2023, #:~:text=There%20are%20currently%20over%202.35,world%20in%20terms%20of%20MAUs (“Instagram Monthly Active Users (MAUs),” “There are currently over 2.35 billion monthly active Instagram users. Instagram achieved the 2 billion mark in the 3rd quarter of 2021, and it is estimated to reach over 2.5 billion MAUs by the end of 2023. This number makes Instagram the 4th most popular social media in the world in terms of MAUs. 47.84% of the world’s 4.18 billion smartphone users access Instagram every month.”)
<br>
<br>
Alfred Lua, “21 Top Social Media Sites to Consider for Your Brand in 2023,” Buffer, March 15, 2023, https://buffer.com/library/social-media-sites/ (1. Facebook, 2.96 B, 2. YouTube, 2.2 B, 3. WhatsApp, 2 B, 4. Instagram, 2 B; TikTok 1 B)
<br>
<br>
<b>Woe be to those who would dare to differ</b>. Congressman Luther Johnson, 67 Cong. Rec. 5558 (1926). Quoted and cited in Nicholas Johnson, “Forty Years of Wandering in the Wasteland,” Federal Communications Law Journal, May 2003, fn. 31 (“American thought and American politics will be largely at the mercy of those who operate these stations. For publicity is the most powerful weapon that can be wielded in a Republic, and when such a weapon is placed in the hands of one, or a single selfish group is permitted to either tacitly or otherwise acquire ownership and dominate these broadcasting stations throughout the country, then woe be to those who dare to differ with them. It will be impossible to compete with them in reaching the ears of the American people.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>World population in 1926</b>. “Estimates of Historical World Population,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estimates_of_historical_world_population (chart, world population in 1925, estimates from 2.000 billion to 2.007 billion)
<br>
<br>
<b>First Amendment</b>. “The Bill of Rights: A Transcription,” America’s Founding Documents, National Archives, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/bill-of-rights-transcript (“The U.S. Bill of Rights
Note: The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. These amendments were ratified December 15, 1791, and form what is known as the "Bill of Rights."
Amendment I
Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”)
<br>
<br>
Section 230. “47 U.S. Code § 230 - Protection for private blocking and screening of offensive material,” Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/47/230 (“(c)Protection for “Good Samaritan” blocking and screening of offensive material
(1)Treatment of publisher or speaker
No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.
(2)Civil liability
No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be held liable on account of—
(A)any action voluntarily taken in good faith to restrict access to or availability of material that the provider or user considers to be obscene, lewd, lascivious, filthy, excessively violent, harassing, or otherwise objectionable, whether or not such material is constitutionally protected; . . ..”)
<br>
<br>
<b>Putin’s nukes</b>. David Ljunggren, “Putin says Moscow to place nuclear weapons in Belarus, US reacts cautiously,” Reuters, March 25, 2023, https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/putin-says-moscow-has-deal-with-belarus-station-nuclear-weapons-there-tass-2023-03-25/ (“Russia will station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday, sending a warning to NATO over its military support for Ukraine and escalating a standoff with the West.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>ELSI</b>. “Ethical, Legal and Social Implications Research Program; The ELSI Research Program fosters basic and applied research on the ethical, legal and social implications of genetic and genomic research for individuals, families and communities,” National Human Genome Research Institute, https://www.genome.gov/Funded-Programs-Projects/ELSI-Research-Program-ethical-legal-social-implications
<br>
<br>
“Ethical, Legal and Social Aspects Research,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethical,_Legal_and_Social_Aspects_research (“ELSI was conceived in 1988 when James Watson, at the press conference announcing his appointment as director of the Human Genome Project (HGP), suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly declared that the ethical and social implications of genomics warranted a special effort and should be directly funded by the National Institutes of Health.[1]”)
<br>
<br>
Louise Gaille, “10 Human Genome Project Pros and Cons,” Vittana.org, May 12, 2018, https://vittana.org/10-human-genome-project-pros-and-cons (Pros: diagnosis and prevention, medication modification, criminal investigations, plant and animal modification)
<br>
<br>
<b>The Letter</b>. Daniel B., “The Great AI Pause: Why Elon Musk, Steve Wozniak, and Andrew Yang Urge a Moratorium on AI Development,” LinkedIn, March 29, 2023, https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/great-ai-pause-why-elon-musk-steve-wozniak-andrew-yang-bron-# (lengthy, well organized, exploration of the issues) [From Bing search: “Why are some of the Artificial Intelligence leaders proposing a pause in their research?”]
<br>
<br>
Text of letter. “Pause Giant AI Experiments: An Open Letter; We call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4.,” Future of Life Institute, https://futureoflife.org/open-letter/pause-giant-ai-experiments/
<br>
<br>
(“Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable. . . .
<br>
<br>
Therefore, we call on all AI labs to immediately pause for at least 6 months the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. This pause should be public and verifiable, and include all key actors. If such a pause cannot be enacted quickly, governments should step in and institute a moratorium. . . .
AI research and development should be refocused on making today's powerful, state-of-the-art systems more accurate, safe, interpretable, transparent, robust, aligned, trustworthy, and loyal.
<br>
<br>
In parallel, AI developers must work with policymakers to dramatically accelerate development of robust AI governance systems. These should at a minimum include: new and capable regulatory authorities dedicated to AI; oversight and tracking of highly capable AI systems and large pools of computational capability; provenance and watermarking systems to help distinguish real from synthetic and to track model leaks; a robust auditing and certification ecosystem; liability for AI-caused harm; robust public funding for technical AI safety research; and well-resourced institutions for coping with the dramatic economic and political disruptions (especially to democracy) that AI will cause.”)
<br>
<br>
<b>For a science fiction example of a possible problem with further advanced AI</b>, see the prescient 1968 film, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” in which an AI controlled computer (“HAL 9000”) refuses to carry out a command, responding “I’m sorry Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.” YouTube 2:55 minute excerpt, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARJ8cAGm6JE (And see, “2001: A Space Odyssey,” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001:_A_Space_Odyssey_(film).)
<br>
<br>
<center># # #</big></center>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0