It’s Time For Alternatives 

Start The Revolution In Housing & Education

The time for alternatives has arrived

As I continue to seek solutions rather than ranting & raving in social media, I present the following alternatives to the housing and education rat races and debt traps based upon my personal experiences and observations.

HOUSING

Prices keep spiraling upward making achievement of the starter home impossible and preventing the retiree to affordably downsize. The entire system is at a log jam. It’s a rigged cabal consisting of developers, financers, realtors and the U.S. government (thank you Fannie Mae, NYMBY, overly restrictive zoning and urban sprawl). The ridiculous bubble/burst cycle has become a painful reality for both buyer and seller who perpetually try to “time the market”. Americans have been fed the fantasy of the home ownership American dream. Housing has transformed into a commodified speculative venture with the vast majority of Americans financially over-leveraged, house poor and living a miserable existence of eat-sleep-work just to keep a roof over their head. I should know since I was one of those Americans who worked 2 and 3 jobs at the same time for over 30 years just for the ‘privilege” of claiming to be a home owner living in a town with good schools. I used to challenge friends posing the following question: “Where is the next Cape Cod? Where is the next diamond in the rough where I can buy low and ride the wave to high prices? There’s nothing wrong with asking these questions. It’s as American as apple pie. In fact it might be un-patriotic to NOT ask this question. The problem is that when EVERYBODYS asking that question and fueling speculative investment, that American Pie just keeps getting too expensive. 

It’s time to consider cooperative housing, co-housing and land trusts as affordable, sensible alternatives for the following reasons:

Housing should be reframed as a shelter that you can reasonably depend upon living in for the long run rather than an investment opportunity forcing you up the rungs of a financial ladder. 

Housing should be a place where you have a reasonable sense of security (financial & physical) and a feeling of camaraderie and community rather than living in a socially isolating dog-eat-dog suburban environment living in fear that you are only a couple of paychecks away from foreclosure as a homeowner or eviction as a renter. 

Housing should be a place where you feel comfortable and supported. As someone who has lived in rooming houses, rental units, condominiums and finally owning my own house in a suburban setting, I yearn for a housing environment where there is a sense of “all-for-one” and “one-for-all” and “we-have-each others-backs” in good times and bad times. This is not to say that I have not met some good people and made friends along this life-housing journey. But in every housing situation that I have experienced, the aforementioned sense of unity, camaraderie and solidarity is lacking. The closest I came to this sense of community and unity was when I was a member of a condominium board. We worked together for the survival of the condo and the neighborhood. Unfortunately, after several years of effort, neither survived. The owner-to-renter ratio of the condo dramatically slid into a renter occupied development. This is not to imply that renters are inherently bad but they do not have the sense of roots and perseverance of an owner-occupied development. Ultimately, I ended up renting out my unit and when my elderly tenant got mugged and moved to her daughters’ house, that was the last straw for me. By the way, the neighborhood continued to slide downward despite vigorous community organizing efforts by myself and some dedicated neighbors. In sum, it’s my observation that only in a cooperative, co-housing arrangement where there is a clearly defined mission of working-residing in support of a common cause can there be a true sense of solidarity in a rewarding, enriching environment. Only when these circumstances are in place can there be real consequences for not being a team player where every member of the housing boat are rowing in the same direction.

EDUCATION

More specifically, I’m proposing an alternative to the obscene costs of higher education. Having plunged into enormous debt of the Parent Plus program while I assisted my three sons get their college degrees, I bitterly consider the term “higher education” to reflect “higher” costs. The cabal of colleges, financers/loan processing administrative middle-men and the U.S. government (thank you Sallie Mae and other well-intentioned programs resulting in unforeseen, unfortunate results) have combined to ruin any hope I had of living out my life debt free. As for my sons, the crushing college debt has put their lives on hold placing a financial sword of Damocles over their heads for a minimum of 10 years subsequent to graduation. It’s gotten to the point that I question why anybody smiles or celebrates at graduations which in my experience have come to symbolize graduation into a life of indentured servitude and debt. I missed the draft to the Vietnam war by one year since that was when the USA converted to an all-volunteer military. Coincidentally, the cost of attending college steadily escalated while military service was advertised as an affordable alternative to paying off college. Coincidence? I think not.

So, what’s the alternative?

Consider a system of certifications, online open-source learning, internships, work-study and apprentice experiences where a person can significantly lower the cost of mastering a body of knowledge and proving that they can contribute to the workforce. If achieving economic self-sufficiency and gainful employment is the end goal of “education”, then why not shift our system to this much more practical and affordable alternative.

I often ask others if they ask their plumber whether they “went to a good plumbing school” when he or she arrived to fix the toilet. When your car breaks down, do you quiz the mechanic about whether he or she attended an “ivy league” school of mechanics. If I was hiring an employee and I had to choose between a recent graduate with no practical work experience other that attending fraternity/sorority parties vs. someone who worked their way thru college getting “real world” experience, I think you can guess who I would hire.

College and a liberal arts education including the humanities and social sciences certainly are valuable, but at what cost? As a political science major and history buff, I use myself as an example. One evening I read the entire history text of one of my kids back when they were in high school. Why? Because I have an affinity for these subjects and the material comes easy to me. Evenings after dinner, now that I’m retired, I spend an hour watching YouTube videos on topics of interest ranging from economics, politics, international relations, history, etc. These are subjects that I took way back in my college years and got good grades. However, papers were churned out and tests were taken while the material went ‘in one ear and out the other”. It’s only after over 40 years of work-life experiences that I now fully understand these subjects and appreciate them. It makes me wonder if a person like me who has an affinity for these subjects could educate themself possibly with coaching/mentorship from a person like myself and then take an exam to certify that they master an understanding of such subjects without living in college dorms travelling to and from lecture halls. Understandably, there are some subjects that can only be mastered in a hands-on environment. Technical subjects and laboratory dependent subjects are an example. Just watching videos will never enable someone to be a master gardener or experienced swimmer. In both cases one would need to immerse your hands in the soil or your body in the pool. If you are interested in a subject, if you readily grasp the material and if you are willing to join a peer group of like-minded aficionados willing to take a test to verify subject mastery, then why not offer this as a college alternative? 

I’m not proposing closing colleges but if there is an alternative route to joining the workforce that avoids the diploma credentialling trap, then maybe these over-priced colleges will reduce their tuition rates. If they chose not to become competitive and enrollments plumet, maybe it’s time for some of them to “die on the vine” in our all-American capitalist system. Last, but not least, if these colleges are so proud of their placement rates, let them get back to subsidizing the tuitions out of their own pockets and have some “skin in the game” like they did before the government intervened and enabled them to inflate prices in an escalating price/prestige war that got us into the current mess. 

In sum…..

Stop the madness in both the housing and education markets. Reconsider subsidizing and encouraging the bloat, greed and corruption that permeates both markets. Both systems are broken and it’s time to offer alternatives to the speculative, inflationary, delusional systems that we have created under the guise of the American Dream. Only if viable alternatives are in place will the power brokers in the housing and education realms get the message and make adjustments. Any policies and procedures short of this will merely be nibbling at the solutions and result in the fluff of window dressing.

As always, feedback is encouraged and stay tuned for more blogs on Medium and my website www.dunnwriteswell.com

© Gregory Dunn 2024

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7/24, Break The Cycle, Juvenile Delinquent No More

Nip bad behavior early getting to root causes

I’ve been offering my observations and suggestions to a Commission in my state of Connecticut USA concerning how to re-connect youth who are disconnected from school, engaging in risky, criminal and destructive behavior. Since this is a nation-wide and world-wide problem, I figured a blog was in order. This also coincides with re-directing my blogs toward solutions rather than ranting about what offends me. Rather than “blowing off steam” directed at those I oppose or “preaching to the choir” among those with whom I agree, I’m trying to make my writings more solutions and results based.

That said……I present the following observations/suggestions:

Observation:

A tremendous amount of time, energy and resources are devoted to crime prevention, social services, human services and juvenile justice. The number and variety of agencies, non-profits, organizations and departments (i.e., child services, juvenile probation, police, courts, etc.) is overwhelming. Many people are working hard in their respective silos doing the best they can with the resources and tools available to them. Oftentimes they are under-resourced and over-worked. I’ve had opportunities to chat with probation officers and therapists/counselors. When I ask “how frequently do you meet with clients and for what duration?”, their response is often that the meetings are relatively infrequent and of short duration. When I enquire about the size of their caseloads, they frequently quote very high numbers. 

As I perused the website descriptions of various agencies tasked with the mission of preventing juvenile delinquency, my head started spinning in the alphabet soup of jargon and acronyms affiliated with all the well-intentioned programs designed to get youth out-of-trouble and back-on-track.  

Suggestion:

The intention and mission of programs, agencies and organizations may be laudable but having worked 40 years in this environment, I experience a feeling of “the hurrier I go, the behinder I get”. The image of a dog chasing its’ own tail comes to mind. This cycle can only be broken if the root causes are addressed. We need to stop addressing the symptoms and stop nibbling at the edges of vexing issues. Keeping youth busy, engaged and enriched is still certainly important. It also goes a long way toward building trust and understanding between program administrators and the youths that they serve. However, in the long run, the most cost-effective use of funding and energy is only accomplished if the root cause of each childs distress is addressed. We simply do not have the time, energy, and resources to keep every kid “full-focused-safe-busy” on a 7/24 basis. I suggest that “funds-following-the-person” is preferable to chasing programs and agencies working hard in their respective silos disconnected from eachother. There needs to be a “point person” (a Harry Truman type following the mantra that “the buck stops here”) who will seamelessly follow the troubled youth and presumably that youths family. This person needs to be a trusted source and reliable contact for that youth and family. This person needs to fulfill the following roles: mentor, life coach, counselor, therapist and coordinator of whatever services are needed to get that youth on the right track and address root causes that are holding him/her back. This is a tall order requiring a competetive pay rate and professional skills to deliver services. This may require more time in programs and more money but in the long run it’s preferable to the bandaid approach that cobbles together a myraid of programs and good-causes. 

Observation:

I observed that the duration of residential in-treatment programs was relatively short. The emphasis appeared to focus on quick return to community. That’s understandable since family and community connections can be a source of support. Likewise, the duration and frequency of out-patient, community based treatment seemed to be of limited duration and intensity. Intensive Out-Patient (IOP) treatment frequently entails a couple of meetings a week of relatively short duration. It often is conducted in a group setting with limited time-attention-resources devoted to getting to the root causes that drive the destructive behavior. My observation is that the deep issues (aka, root causes) are in many cases so severe that short term and intermittent scheduling of counselling and training will not be cost-effictive or lasting. What I have observed is scheduling, treatment and programming that allows too much time for “free roam chickens” leading to bad results. I speak from personal experience since one of my clients was murdered and another died from an overdose when they were “in the wrong places at the wrong times” roaming in the community with all its bad influences in an unsupervised and unstructured manor. Both were great guys who were a pleasure to know and both had tremendous potential but the demons of their root problems got the better of them. The lack of sustained, supervised scheduling on a 7/24 long term duration generates a crack through which they and many others fall through. 

Many years ago back when I was single with no kids, I was a VIP (Volunteer In Probation). I assisted, as best I could, a troubled young man who had no suport network, traumatic youth experiences, alcoholism and depression. I had access to a basketball court and we went bowling a couple of times. However, his needs far exceeded anything I could provide and this was a textbook case of the need for 7/24 wraparound intensive services. I do not know what became of him. I hope for the best, but I fear the worst.

Suggestion:

Apply the aforementioned intensive therapy-counseling-mentoring in a community setting (or restricted setting for a youth who is determined to have a risk of violence to himself or others) on a 7/24 basis. This would require 2.5 staffers assigned to this youth (and his/her family). One staffer would be required to cover the 8 AM to 4 PM shift and the other staffer covers the 4 PM to midnight shift. Allow no “wiggle room” for youth to regress to harmfull habits and a lifestyle that presents a danger to self or others. This is essential when countering the ever present attraction to revert to peer pressure and bad habits of street life. The half position (i.e. the 2.5 position) could be the overnight coverage providing a monitoring and advisory capability for emergency situations which hopefully would be limited since presumably the youth would be off-the-street and sleeping in the midnight to 8 AM timeframe (especially if they were kept positively engaged during the daylight hours). This overnight monitor function could be at a lighter pay grade if the job description is focused on monitoring and light supervision. If the overnight staffer is also serving as a daytime mentor-counselor-therapist on an as-needed basis, then their pay rate and training would have to be comparable to the daytime staff. The bottom line with this scenario is that the youth (and family, support network) would experience intensive treatment for a sustained timeframe (suggesting at least 1 year) so as to get to root causes of disfunctions and achieve longer term behavioral modifications. The 7/24 “mentor-monitor-coach” would be following a customized treatment plan with each youth addressing the needs and issues of that youth. For example, if fitness and obesity was an issue, there would be a personal training aspect scaled to the physical capability and interests of the youth. I’m a swim instructor so if I was serving in that mentor-monitor-coach role, I could provide that training. For any other sports or activities, connections could be make with the appropriate trainer/coach and the “mentor-monitor-coach” would be present to make sure the training regime was completed. Every customized treatment plan would include intensive tutoring so that at the culmination of 1 year of what I’m calling a “life boot camp”, the youth will get up to speed academically. After 1 year of daily, intensive interaction with the “mentor-monitor-coach”, the goal will be to achieve increased vocabulary, improved communication skills, conflict mediation skills and a renewed sense of confidence and goal setting. These are all measurable life skills presumably accomplished during a fast tracked, intensive year of change.

Observation:

Discussions to address the juvenile delinquency issue (and most other issues requiring complex solutions such as affordable housing, quality education, etc.) all include calls for following: partnerships, collaborations, synergistic relationships, networking, etc.

Suggestion: 

I’m in support of all of the aforementioned phrases but I suggest that whenever they are used, there must be specific examples of implementation so they are more than just hollow phrases and platitudes. This must include more than just Morandumums Of Understandings (MOU’s) that encourage cooperation and comprehensiveness. There needs to be mandated cooperation and a requirement for deliverables. There must be consequences for inefficiency, inertia and incompetency. This is where my proposal for the a person tasked with the mission of following the person rather than chasing after programatic bureaucracies is essential. It’s ok for that person to not have the answers and resources for everything, but they need to have the means and the wherewithal to make it happen and get the results. In a military combat situation, we do not allow needless delay and indecision, so why do we allow it when the future of youth are at stake and the safety of society in general and the youth in particular is at stake? As long as there is reasonable oversight of the staff tasked with the responsibility of working with the youth (and family) on a 7/24 year-round basis, there should be no chance of over-reach of the powers vested with this staff to achieve results within a reasonable, clearly defined timeline. The mantra/mission should be to “cut to the chase” addressing the root causes in the most cost-effective, focused, intensive manor.

Observation:

With matters concerning juvenile delinquency (and most other criminal justice, mental health and addiction related issues) the following roadbloocks exist: Too much confidentiality & too little consequences.

Suggestion: 

A reasonable amount of confidentiality is fine but if hiding behind confidentiality prevents a straight line to solutions and getting to the root causes, then maybe it’s time to loosen this hard and fast rule on a case by case basis. Persons tasked with the mission of getting the troubled youth back on track should not be sidelined and stonewalled by the firewall of confidentiality that oftentimes protects the agency tasked with helping the person. It begs the question as to whose interests are best and most efficiently served, the person/client or the agency? 

Without consequences for non-compliance on behalf of the person/client being served or the agency entrusted with delivering the services, all the time and resources thrown at this situation will be for naught. Unless the tough-love equation is fully funded and fully implemented, my observation is that we will spiral down the pit of good money and good efforts after bad.

The following examples might clarify these suggestions:

Police departments should be able to detain youths who have committed crimes in their jurisdictions until data is gathered from surrounding jurisidictions concerning any other crime sprees commited by criminals in general and youths in particular.

Hospitals treating persons brought in due to violence or overdoses or domestic violence should discharge them to in-residence programs where they can be thoroughly evaluated and enrolled in a program. This could be an in-residence or in-community situation depending upon the circumstances. Whichever track is taken, there must be intensive 7/24 application of counselling, therapy, mentoring, coaching and supervision. I underscore the importance of supervision and monitoring of the person and family based upon my prior description of the need to prevent “free roam chickens” from harming themselves and society. The bottom line is, the revolving door must stop. The intensity and duration of the treatment can be adjusted in accordance with the nature of the offence (determined by the pattern of behavior and severity of incidence). The repeat offender, repeat occurrance syndrome must be drastically shortened. 

Observations & Suggestions:

Costs are a consideration but there needs to be a cost-benefit analysis to determine if it’s beneficial to spend more money up-front over an intense timeframe (one year for example) rather that dribbs and drabbles of programs and well intentioned initiatives. Current approaches to juvenile delinquency (and many other social programs) is akin to throwing spagetti on the wall and hoping that some of it sticks. 

Observations & Suggestions:

A pilot program incorporating these suggestions focusing on funding and programming following the youth/family on an intensive one-on-one “full court press” for at least one year could be implemented on an experimental basis to determine effectiveness. If it’s successful, duplicate it. Compare this result with the success record affiliated with how we currently address juvenile delinquency, absenteeism, crime and social disorder.

Back when I managed after-school and enrichment programs at a housing authority, I recall a Latino family whose kids engaged in a wide range of program offerings. There was very little down-time and hanging out opportunities for these kids between school, after-school and weekends. No hanging out in the lobby or parking lot. They remained focused and safe as we managed a van transport service to make sure they got from point “A” to point “B”. Likewise, an African-American youth from a single parent household immersed himself in the tennis program and other enrichment opportunities. The results in both cases were quite positive. These are the experiences that shape my focus upon very intensive, lasting and individualized programming rather than spending funding and energy on a smattering of initiatives on an intermittent basis hoping that somehow, someway it will generate positive outcomes. 

As an urban planner, I view problems on a geographic targeted basis. As a social critic, I am saddened by the fact that there are so many programs and initiatives launched in distressed urban areas are doing good work only to be undone by ongoing shootings and violence in those same urban areas. I’m intrigued by the notion of creating safe, gated, well managed cooperative communities providing safe harbor where youth can thrive without becoming overwhelmed by surrounding violence and street life. I’m working on a blog to further explore this notion but in the meatime my proposal for an intensive 7/24 venue of counselling-mentoring coincides with my proposal for an urban oasis of safety within a cooperative community of mutual support and self-sufficiency. Until we are able to create the afore mentioned safe, self-sufficient, supportive zones, my proposal for 7/24 attacking of root causes and delinquency issues may be the only realistic alternative. 

Final thoughts….

Yes, this is costly (at least concerning up-front costs). 

It’s very individualized (but that’s what it takes to get to root causes).

It will take time. But it’s also grounded in tough-love where there is a balance of consequences and compassion with a specific timeline within which there is an expectation of measurable, positive results. 

It’s driven by cost-benefit analysis. It’s no-nonsense, no-excuses concerning the youth, the family/support network and the team entrusted with the mission to deliver results. 

It’s a very micro rather than macro approach (and that may be its long term cost-effective advantage). 

Whatever the cost, it may be economical in the longer run when you consider the alternatives. 

Best case scenario to our current manor of doing things is a lifetime of lost productivity by the delinquent youngster and the disconnected kid languishing thru life not fulfilling his/her potential. In the big picture of economic productivity, international competition and even national defense, consider the thousands of disconnected, depressed, angry, addicted youngsters becoming disconnected, depressed, angry, addicted adults. 

Worst case scenario is youngsters and young adults cycling downward becoming hard core criminals and possibly mass shooters. 

As always, I look forward to further feedback, ideas and solutions.

© Gregory Dunn 2024

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Alternatives to the American Nightmare

Reflecting back on life now that I’m a boomer and now that my kids are starting their careers, I offer the following alternatives to the American Dream myths:

Myth 1: Home ownership

Prices Out Of Control

That dream became a nightmare with ever escalating house prices and rising interest rates. The dream crusher was caused when housing became a speculative commodity investment rather than simply a roof over your head. Being house-poor and working 2 and 3 jobs just to own a house and live in a town with “good” schools has given me a jaded view of the realtor-developer-financere cabal that supports this inflated market. Home ownership is a mirage. As long as you have a mortgage, you do not own the home because it’s the lender that really owns the home. When you finally pay off the mortgage, you own the home but both you and the home are much older and in need of repair. The upkeep costs for both you and the home are escalating. There is no sweet spot for home ownership

The alternative: Cooperative Housing where “you only pay for what you need” to live out your life in a clean, stable, affordable place not worrying about the real-estate investment rollercoaster. A long-term land lease would make the house affordable and add stability knowing that you can enjoy a life beyond the rat race of working just to maintain that address. Imagine how liberating that would be to spend time and resources on non-housing pursuits (i.e., starting a business, pursuing hobbies/interests, volunteering and giving back to the community, etc.)

Another alternative: Only buy a house if you can make it a dynamic investment rather than a static investment. Include an accessory apartment to generate additional income and possibly enable an in-law apartment. Convert as much of the lawn as you can to gardens that will reduce your food costs and if productive enough make a profit selling (or bartering for services) the excess produce. Consider a home based office or business. If you have a hobby or avocation that can be conducted from the house, be sure to maximize that space. Reconfigure the house to enable the renting of rooms if that’s what it takes to reduce the outrageous cost overhead of what is becoming the “privelage” of home ownership.

In sum, don’t buy a house or condo unless the circumstances are ripe and the deal is optimum.

Myth 2: College

Tears of joy upon graduating quickly turn to tears of sadness upon being saddled with crushing college debt. The higher the level of debt the lower the return on investment. You should not have to make a choice between studying what you enjoy vs. majoring in what will generate the most money. Nobody (no matter what their course of study) should be saddled with college debt for what might last the rest of their life. 

The alternative: Less credentialling via diplomas and more credentialling by proving a mastery of the subject. More credit for life experiences, certifications and proving that you can handle the job. Isn’t that what the potential employers are looking for anyways so they can recruit employees who can “hit the ground running”? More internships, apprentiships, open-source learning and work-study scenarios where there is a greater liklihood of a successful fit between employee and employer. If enrollments decline thanks to alternative routes taken by students who refuse to accept “tuition ransom payments”, they will lower their costs or go out of business. If the college insists that they have such a wonderful job placement rate, let them put their money where their mouth is and put their own skin in the game. Let them revert to the original system (before the well intentioned infusion of government support that inflated college prices) whereby the college uses its own funds from their endownments to support promising (but poor) students. If enough prospective students follow the debt-free alternative to getting trained and landing jobs, maybe then the unholy alliance of “colleges, loan servicers, guidance counselors and the U.S. Dept. of Education” will get the message and die on the vine. Good riddings.

Myth 3: Cars

Everybody wants a car. It would be un-American to not want the freedom to go where you want, when you want. But at what cost? The car depreciates as soon as you drive it off the car lot. After you have paid off the car loan, the vehicle is showing age and repair costs are escalating. The cost of the car is more than just the purchase price. There is maintanence, insurance and taxes that need to be considered.

Possible alternatives:

If you live in an area with decent public trasit, use it. Use uber, turo and lift as needed when public transit is not an option. Consider ride-sharing and short term rentals (wheels when you need them) depending on your work/life schedule. Consider electric bikes and scooters if traffic patterns, infrastructure and climate is condusive. 

Consider an RV/van conversion if your single and your work/lifestyle is such that you need to be mobile. This might be a realistic alternative if you do not have sufficient funds for a housing downpayment or you do not want to be settled down with a house.

In sum, hold off purchasing a vehicle as long as possible and once you make the purchase hang onto the vehicle as long as reasonably possible to maximize that investment. 

Myth 4: Weddings, Vacations, Funerals and Special Events 

How much money is too much money for an event?

I lump these together since they fall in the category of costly, semtimental and customary. Don’t be a slave to societaly pressures for conformity and tradition. Consider the obscene amount of money that’s being spent on a “one-off” situation. 

It’s not that I’m against having fun, enjoying life and memoralizing lifes watershed moments (though my kids claim I’m averse to such endeavors). However, I suggest the following alternatives:

Scale the event so it does not break the budget. Be driven by the mantra of enjoying yourself and having a memorable experience rather than being tethered to an event that matches a societal expectation of what you should be doing. Examples might include an experiential experience with family/friends which build memories and share meaningful moments rather that the pomp and circumstance of what’s expected by society. Why be beholden to the cabal of wedding planners, funeral directors, vacation planners and cruise directors. If you have the opportunity to travel, enjoy yourself but keep aware of business, housing and lifestyle opportunities that might afford you a “Plan B” for future reference in case your work-housing-lifestyle circumstances change (which I guarantee they will change). 

Myth 5: Consumerism

We can’t shop our way out of debt and achieve self-sufficiency

I have long been intrigued by the absurd statement that we need to increase spending to bolster the economy. If you are living paycheck to paycheck and are in debt, the last thing you should be doing is shopping. 

The alternative:

Stop grocery shopping. Maybe a complete stop is impossible unless you have your own farm complete with cows, pigs, chickens, etc. However, if you can create a sufficient garden and master the process of canning/preserving goods to get you through the winter months, you could save a tremendous amount of money and have the satisfaction of being more self sufficient in increasingly troubled times. If you can create a geo-thermal greenhouse or vertical farm AND create alternative energy sources (solar panels, wood burning stove, etc.), you have options that others will not have. You will have affordable alternatives in the face of spiralling inflation and uncertain societal circumstances. 

In sum, hope for the best but prepare for the worst. Reflecting of the nursery tale of The Three Little Pigs, be the pig in the brick house who sent his time wisely, though creatively and planned ahead. 

© Gregory Dunn 2024

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Micro is the way to Go!!

Small pilot projects can result in big results

This is the first in a series of blogs where I’m trying to offer some solutions, alternatives and observations to vexing problems instead of the usual ranting in echo chambers. That’s not to say that I’m not repulsed by the polarization, narcisism, racism, sexism, extremisms and all the other “isims” that pollute social media platforms. It’s just that I’m more interested in dialogue and feedback concerning some alternatives, creativity, new directions and forward thinking.

That said, here is my proposal that MICRO is the way to Go!

Define micro…..It’s trying out new approaches and innovative “outside-the-box” methods on a small scale before launching on a large scale. 

Conservatives who are advocates of “states’ rights” and Libertarians who favor limited government should be on board with this. Fiscal conservatives should like this because it’s a “look before you leap” approach to funding. Micro tactics encourages doing what works and tossing what doesn’t. Likewise, liberals and progressives who like to see social change, reform and social justice/equity should also be on-board with experimenting on a micro basis in the hopes of duplicating success on a larger scale.

A few examples of how building a track record of success on a micro level includes the following categories:

Education

Build no more schools that warehouse children like cattle in a stockyard moving from class to class at the sound of a bell. No more fights in hallways and on playgrounds. No more shuttelling them around in school buses wasting precious time and resources. No more gathering students in large groups on a daily basis making them targets for mass shooters and retribution shootings. 

Instead, design micro-schools with clusters of students intensively mentored and tutored in an immersive, experiential setting in a neighborhood-based environment. Spend the morning in learning pods with small groups led by motivated, knowledgeable persons sharing their practical experience and their love of subject matter (i.e., social studies, STEM, trades, etc.). Speaking from personal experience, I’m exuberant over subjects such as history, politics, and international relations, so I would love to share my passion for these subjects with students. Afternoons could be spent going on field trips, participating in experiential learning and community service projects. Internship type experiences would connect theoretical knowledge gained in the morning with “real world” experience in the afternoon (or evening if , for example, the topic is civics requiring attendance at a town meeting). Model this micro-teaching, micro-experiencing based upon the traditions of the journeyman, tradesman, and craftsmen of past years while fast forwarding to today’s educational, vocational needs and circumstances. 

Reflecting on my own life experiences as a city planner and community organizer, I would enjoy sharing insights with the students in real time providing them with a meaningful experience. Now wouldn’t that be preferable to falling asleep reading textbooks, listening to lectures and regurgitating data on tests. This scenario might be more costly and labor intensive in the short run. However, in the longer run, it’s more cost-effective reducing time and energy on class management. Shorten the learning curve since there’s a direct connection between the theoretical and the practical. I postulate that four years of mindless shuffling through high school hallways and trapsing from building to building on college campuses could reduce time logged in high school and in college by at least one year at each of these institutions thanks to immersive, dynamic experiential learning. Remote learning and tutor/mentor guided open-source education could also provide students with intellectual underpinning without hours spent in the costly bricks & mortar of school campuses in front of egotistical teachers and professors pacing back and forth enamored with the sound of their own voices. Penny pinchers and accounting types might like this scenario given the chance that there may be less administrative overhead and there certainly would be less costly physical plant expenses (athletic fields, amenities, frills, creature comforts, security, etc.). The physical fitness and social development aspects of education could be more effectively addressed using the previously described coupling of mentors with smaller groups of youth. Assign personal trainers, life coaches and counsellors to customize programs that meet the needs and circumstances of the students while achieving maximum results within minimum time. Utilize the existing community infrastructure of gyms, comunity centers, organizations, non-profits and good causes to create cost-effective, win-win situations. Students experience the “real world” people, places, companies and orgnizations while those “people-places-companies-organizations” benefit from interaction and assistance from students. I envision this micro-education proposal as a version of home-schooling and vouchering on steroids and ultimately duplicated on a macro basis if it’s successful on a micro basis. In sum, micro-education means less chance of bullying, assaults in bathrooms, social alientaiton and unsupervised down-time (aka, hanging out).

Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice

Reduce the “patrol footprint” while still providing a limited police presence reassuring the community and neighborhood. Re-deploy staffing and re-configure training to expand the investigative functions, prosecutorial functions and judicial functions thereby increasing case closure rates. Give real meaning to the expression “do the crime, do the time”. Get back to the notion of “swift justice and speedy trials”. Focus on the “criminals” in the criminal justice system. This will appeal to law & order advocates who focus on clamping down on perpetrators. This will appeal to the cost/efficiency advocates (fiscal conservatives) seeking the best bang for the buck. This should appeal to the practitioners (the cops, prosecutors, judges, etc.) since they should get a greater sense of satisfaction capturing criminals, bringing some sense of closure to victims and achieving sentencing that better protects society. Aren’t those reasons all the cops, prosecutors and judges work in the criminal justice system? This proposal does not call for de-funding the police but shifting the focus to micro-policing with a laser focus on “catching the bad guys”. Ask any police chief of any community about what proportion of the community is engaged in criminal activity and taking up their time/resources. They will tell you that it’s the repeat offenders who are a small but very active subset causing all the trouble. So, engage in micro-focusing at all levels of the criminal justice ladder. Focus on the criminals where there is credible threat of violence to persons (probable cause) and damage to property. With the laser focus of micro-policing, all the players in the criminal justice field (cops, prosecutors, judges) will be freed up to be more effective and less likely to experience career burn out (just like teachers will avert burn-out if allowed to micro-teach rather than be overwhelmed with classroom management and administrative overhead).

The role of cops, probation officers, prosecutors and judges all enter the process once the crime has been committed. To put it another way “the horse or in this case the criminal is already out of the barn”. So how can my micro approach to solving vexing problems be applied to crime prevention? That segues to my next proposal.

Counsellors & Social Workers

Like the teachers and cops, persons in these professions suffer from burn out. 

Why?

 Because their caseloads are overwhelming. They get no sense of accomplishment given the revolving door of clients. If we were to infuse micro-counselling (aka, intensive, long-lasting counselling) with a sense of consequences and responsibilities on behalf of those receiving (and needing) the counselling, it would be much more cost-effective. 

The bean-counting fiscal conservatives would applaud this. Likewise, the practitioners working in the field will find their efforts more rewarding. Those being counselled will be confronting the root causes of what ails them. 

So, what needs to be done to effectuate this change? 

A healthy mix of compassion (i.e., intensive, sustained counselling not just the perfunctory time-limited appointment with the counselor) with consequences for non-participation. In sum, tough-love is the only way to get off this ‘not-so-merry-go-round” of good money after bad with inconclusive results. Micro-counselling with a focus on root causes requires consequences for non-participation. Stop treating symptoms offering short-term band-aid solutions ignoring the elephant in the rooms. Given societies spiral into chaos (mass shootings, addictions, road rage, gun violence, hate, suicides, etc.) mandated treatment and requiring consequences for our actions (or inactions), may be the only way to break this downward cycle.

Housing and affordability

Auxiliary Dwelling Units (ADU’s), tiny houses, rowhouses, housing cooperatives and an overall shrinkage of the housing footprint are all ways to minimize both space and costs. Personally, as a minimalist, I would be fine with living the rest of my life in a 300 square foot area with a kitchen galley, bathroom, bed and desk area where I can churn out these wonderful blogs. I would prefer this lifestyle in a cooperative housing setting so I don’t live out my life in fear of rent increases or taking out another mortgage.

Why?

I spent over 30 years concurrently working two and three jobs paying off the mortgage pursuing the American dream in a speculative, monetized housing rat race. I sense that I’m not alone in this bitter sentiment and thirst for simple, safe, durable, affordable housing. I see micro-housing as an option since I’m an aging boomer. I also envision it for my children who suffer under the crushing debt of student loans coupled with increasing housing prices and increasing interest rates. Now if only the zoning gods and the unholy alliance of realtors-developers-financiers would get out of the way.

Uniform Basic Income and Poverty

If ever there was a place where there should be experimentation as to what works best, it would be with the implementation of UBI (Uniform Basic Income), social services delivery and poverty eradication (or at least poverty reduction). Sample groups and test cases could be monitored and evaluated over time to determine the most cost-effective, long-lasting and rewarding policies. Persons from all segments of the political and philosophical persuasion would likely be on board with this, especially if the data documents effectiveness. 

Adaption of UBI (Uniform Basic Income) policies could be implemented in a wide range method depending upon the following set of questions, goals and circumstances:

For example:

Randomly select the participants based on a lottery or automatically apply UBI payments to every adult age 18–65 in the sample group.

Set income caps and means testing (for example: 1 person household making $100,000/year or greater is ineligible, 2 person household of $200,000/year or greater ineligible, etc.) or have no income caps for participants

Funding sources for the UBI can vary. Example: Alaska has had a UBI type system for many years automatically providing residents with $1,000 check every year funded by oil revenues from that oil rich state. 

UBI payments could augment existing social service benefits (i.e, welfare, WIC, Food Stamps/SNAP, etc.) or it could be implemented in lieu of these benefits. There are pros/cons to this scenario depending upon the mixture of benefits and implementation circumstances. For example: The simplicity of implementation with cost savings due to removal of bureaucracy could be a major advantage. Additionally, the stigma of applying for the myriad of government programs and confusion concerning all these programs might be a major advantage for UBI following the KISS model (Keep It Simple Stupid). On the other hand, UBI in conjunction with some variation of existing social service programs might be more cost effective. Only if we implement UBI on a micro basis in a variety of circumstances will we be able to decide what’s best.

Some final, overall recommendations and caveats:

Most of the aforementioned proposals for micro-experiments would likely (and most quickly, efficiently) be implemented with private, non-profit, foundation, and philanthropic sources of funds. This enables the “experiments” to be conducted with the greatest flexibility allowing for criterias and conditions so as to best measure outcomes. 

This would apply to all proposals with the exception of the Law Enforcement & Criminal Justice category. It’s probably not a good idea to run off privatizing the police, prosecutors and judges. However, if we could start to privately fund the counsellors/social workers supporting the cops-prosecutors-judges, then the whole system might run more smoothly and cost-effectively. Crime fighting budgets (cops, probation officers, prosecutors, judges) might remain static while privatization experiments concerning counsellors and social workers would generate better results without busting budgets. In sum, we don’t defund the police but we do not expand their footprint while we get more creative and effective in the prevention and treatment arena.

My goals concerning all of these proposals are highlighted as follows:

Offer something that everyone can support whether they are liberals, conservatives, progressives, libertarians, fiscal conservatives or whatever.

Offer micro-opportunities to experiment and tryout alternatives. These proposals could be comparable to start-up ventures where success is encouraged and failures are chalked up as learning experiences. 

As always, I encourage feedback and further conversation concerning solutions and alternatives. I can also be reached at www.dunnwriteswell.com

© Gregory Dunn 2024

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It’s time to add some pledges to the Pledge of Allegiance 

Maybe the pledge could be expanded & made more specific

I’m fine with the Pledge of Allegiance and certainly consider myself patriotic. It’s inspirational and aspirational but what exactly is it calling us to do? The addition of reference to “God” was included in the 1950’s in the height of the cold war against what was considered the “un-godly” Soviet Union. The pros/cons of this discussion would constitute a separate blog and I do not want to bog down this blog concerning that topic.

What I’m proposing is that some additional pledges be added so that our Pledge of Allegiance can become more specific and more dynamic. My goal is to craft a statement that all Americans can recite providing a springboard to action.

So here are my additional pledges:

I pledge… sufficient funds for every un-wanted, un-loved, un-planned baby who is at risk of being aborted to receive enough food, clothing, shelter and education till he or she reaches age 21. This is what I define as the pro-life pledge. Failure to pledge tangible resources till the kid reaches adulthood is akin to bringing a non-swimmer half way across a river and then tossing him from the raft. Back up your words and beliefs with your time and money. Be as concerned and financially committed to the currently damaged and discarded humanity as you are with the unborn. Both are precious and equally in need of protection and nurturing. 

I pledge…..every murder must be followed by a full day of remembrance by the entire community whether it’s the neighborhood within which the murder occurred or the entire city if the community is small enough. This day of remembrance must be more that the lighting of candles and the offering of thoughts and prayers. The day of remembrance must be a day of action supporting the family of the deceased. The pledge must end the cycle of violence and prevent inter-generational trauma. Only when the entire community turns out for an entire day (and hopefully beyond), will the expression “Enough Is Enough” be meaningful. Only with this pledge of a “community call to action” will there be a transition from a “crime story” to a “crime against the community”. There needs to be a sense that a crime against one of us is a crime against all of us. Sporting events in stadiums and massive entertainment venues are fine and fun. However, let’s pledge to devote the same level of enthusiasm, fandom and fanaticism in response to acts of hatred, violence and mayhem.

I pledge…..outrage for every act of violence no matter what the circumstances or who was the victim and perpetrator. I pledge to not cherry-pick crimes of violence and not tolerate “selective outrage”. For every incident of violence caused by an illegal immigrant, pledge to report incidents committed by USA citizens. For every incident of police brutality, be equally upset by crimes perpetrated by repeat offenders. Give equal time and attention to rioters whether they be looters, insurrectionists, violent protesters or radicals of the far left or far right or anywhere in between. For every person killed by a drunk driver, impaired driver, distracted driver or road rage warrior, let there be a driver who has permanently lost the privilege of driving. For every violent street crime and welfare cheater, let there be equal outrage calling out every white-collar criminal who steals millions.

I pledge….no child be allowed to graduate from high school without being able to read, write and do arithmetic. I pledge to do whatever tutoring and mentoring is required to achieve this basic competency of reading, writing and arithmetic. I pledge that zip code addresses should not dictate the quality of education received. 

I pledge…..to protect every child from bullying whether it’s physically or digitally. This pledge includes protection of every person from becoming a victim of crime, particularly violent crime. I pledge to not look the other way, to not remain silent and to do whatever it takes to protect others from being victimized. I pledge to be my brother’s keeper making the phrase “it takes a village” more than just a phrase. 

I pledge…..to never remain silent in the face of hateful, racist behavior in speech and action. I pledge to never patronize any hateful, racist, homophobic business. This includes any outright lies. 

I pledge……to never allow a person to lose their home or business just because they got sick. Likewise, nobody should be in debt for life just because they attended college. 

As you might have guessed by now, all of the above listed pledges are intended to back up words, announcements, and vague platitudes with specific calls to action. These are pledges that if repeated every day by everybody, we might inch closer to tackling seemingly intractable problems. As the saying goes, actions speak louder than words.

What other pledges would you suggest for making us a “more perfect union” and a better society?

History & Ancestry Repeating Themselves

Everybodys familiar with the expression “history repeats itself” but I noticed that this also applied to ancestry.

On my maternal side of the family (Coynes originally from County Mayo Ireland) the following patterns were observed:

Grandparent Patrick Coyne and other relatives worked in coal mines in the midlands of England. I worked two summers in a rock quarry (strip mining of feldspar) in Middletown CT paying for college. I’ve been told that Patrick Coyne worked double shifts in the mine giving his exta pay to his ill brothers family since jolly old England wasn’t so jolly with no financial safety net. Thankfully I did not experience such dire circumstances in the USA. However, I have done my share of double shifts during my 30 years working weekends as a security guard helping to pay bills to stay above the financial water line here in jolly old USA.

Rumor has it that grand dad Patrick Coyne had to leave Ireland in a hurry in early 1900’s since British authorities were hunting for IRA members and sympathizers. Again, my circumstances have not been so dire. However, depending upon the turn of events, circumstances and storm clouds swirling in the USA, maybe having options and alterntives might be advisable.

My mother watched every presidential nomination convention. It might have to do with the fact that she had the opportunity to attend the convention in Philly when Harry Truman was nominated. Fast forward to today when my tv channel is set to C-Span, Washington Journal, History Channel, Book TV and various other think tank, wonky discussion channels. Like her, I’m a self described news, history, and politics junkie.

Late at night my mother wrote and submitted articles to Readers Digest. I published a novel titled Mall Child and I’m an avid blogger, writer.

Two of my uncles were affiliated with the Providence RI police department (one on the beat and the other in the office). A cousin is a retired District Attorney. I dabbled with cop and criminal justice careers never fully taking that plunge. However, I was an auxiliary cop in Norwalk CT and a Volunteer In Probation during intermittent stints in the 1980s. I logged over 15 years working weekends as a mall cop in Trumbull CT so I remained on the fringe of that career path.

My mother worked for the CT Labor Department in Middletown and in their Wethersfield headquarters as an Employment Counselor striving to get persons employed. Guess what my last job was before I retired? Employment Counselor at Laurel House in Stamford CT doing largely the same thing. I didn’t plan this career scenario. It just happened.

On my paternal side of the family (the Dunn’s originally from Ireland specific county of origin unknown) the following patterns were observed:

Dunn ancestors migrated to central Connecticut (Portland, Middletown, Middlefield ) getting their working start in the brownstone rock quarries of Portland in the 1840’s (so they fortunately were pre-famine Irish immigrants). Fast forward to me working in the feldspar rock quarry of Middletown during summers in the 1970s. Even more ironically, I worked in the Portland quarry erecting fencing and even took a swim in the quarry on one of those hot summer days. Now the Portland site is converted to a nature/adventure park complete with a zip line over the water in that closed quarry.

My dad worked over 30 years (mostly on the midnight shift) patrolling the campus of Wesleyan University in Middletown CT as a campus cop. He had a front row seat to the Vietnam war protests, building take overs, and the firebombing of the Malcom X House. He lamented the increasing level of rowdyness and destructiveness of students particularly during spring break. He also saw his share of tragedies among students including mental breakdowns and a suicide. He opted for retirement in his sixties after e confronting a burglar in the campus bookstore. He was unarmed and the burglar fled (thankfully). As a mall cop, I had no where near the level of intense experiences that my dad encountered and that includes seeing action in the Pacific front during WW2. However, I found myself immersed in some mini-riots when kids run wild especially on the day after Christmas fueled by social media, boredom, disrespect and moral decay. I too was first to arrive at a suicide scene. I too decided to retire in my sixties when a shoplifting incident went wild with a victim straddled the hood of the suspects car. The vehicle barrelled head-on in the direction of my security vehicle. Thankfully this game of vehicular chicken was averted at the last second. The victim slid off the hood without being injured and the suspect exited the property without further incident. Like my dad many years before, that’s when I decided to turn in my service belt.

My dad and I both shared an aversion to mathmatics and mechanics. Crunching numbers and fixing stuff was not our forte.

What we do share is a receeding hair line and baulding scalp. That’s why I found my most reassuring, consoling voice when my oldest son who is approaching age 30 observed that his hair is thinning and his hair line is receeding.

I gently reminded him that “history and ancestry” repeats itself. Understant it and do not fear it.

Reimagining Careers…Reimagining Society

Think outside the box in careers, life, society

I retired recently and for that I’m happy

I’ve had time to contemplate jobs, careers, and life experiences

It’s got me re-thinking the following careers: cops, teachers, social workers.

Why these careers? 

Because they generally parallel my jobs/careers since I’ve been employed as the following: mall cop, auxiliary cop, student teacher, after-school program coordinator, community organizer, bureaucrat, grant writer and advocate for affordable housing, economic development and mental health (just to name a few).

I’ve had the opportunity to work with amazing people pursuing noble endeavors. However, in retrospect, I’m experiencing the following emotions:

Tiredness and frustration

A gnawing sense of untapped potential and wasted time

A lack of “return-on-investment” ROI and productivity. The phrase “the hurrier I go, the behinder I get” keeps coming to mind.

So I’m re-thinking careers in the fields of criminal justice, education and social work/community development. I present the following considerations:

Infuse each of these jobs (cop, teacher, social worker/organizer/advocate) with a focus upon being a mentor & life coach who has the tools and flexibility to actually make a difference in the mission of their job descrptions. In sum, I advocate more person-centric rather than program-centric in these professions.

Consider some practical applications of this shift in focus:

Cops: 

Less cruising around with a vague sense of preventing crime. Work more directly one-on-one with members of the community who have a documented history of anti-social behavior and present the greatest risk to society. Ask any chief of police and he/she will tell you that it’s a comparatively small percentage of the community (even in large urban areas) that have the greatest liklihood of continued criminal activity. From my own experience as a mall cop, I was always on the lookout for criminal activity but it was always reactive. Many a disorderly youth was escorted from the mall and many of them were repeat offenders who got into fights every weekend. Wouldn’t time and resources be better spent getting to the root causes of why they fight and shoplift?

Teachers: 

Less lecturing and classroom management and more one-on-one tutoring of students sharing the teachers affinity for the subject. Follow the mantra “when the student is ready to learn, the teacher can teach”. Less teaching for the test and more nurturing of lifetime learners who can think critically and analytically. Figure out what is blocking the students learning and coach them to fulfill their highest potential in the subject. Using myself as an example, I could have mastered mathematics if only I had a math sherpa helping me climb up that math mountain. Instead, I was always that kid stuck in chapter 1 while the other kids were in chapter 3. Likewise, history and social studies always came easy to me and I would love the opportunity to unlock the joy of history/social studies for the student who was overwhelmed. But that’s impossible in a large class setting where maintenance of order takes prescedence over mastery of subject. Lastly, mentoring/coaching format is more conducive to experiential, hands on learning that the lecture, reading feedback loop.

Social workers/community organizers & advocates: 

Addictions persist, overdoses happen, clients fall-thru-the-cracks, poverty cycles remain unbroken, crime continues, neighborhoods & cities continue to wallow in blight, decline and distress despite valient but ineffective uplifting endeavors and well meaning polcies. 

So what’s missing? 

The one-on-one, person-to-person, get-to-the-root-of-the-problem channelling of time, energy and resources. As described concerning the afore mentioned careers, focus on the person rather than formulating policy. Incentives for improvements and changing of circumstances are important but what is more important is taking that fundamental first step to determine if there is a willingness to change. This applies to persons, families, neighborhoods, cities, states and the nation. Programs, incentives and marketing campaigns without a genuine desire to change are doomed to fail. I recall the times I led neighborhood clean ups only to wake up to litter filled streets the next day. I managed after school programs in public housing sites that benefitted the participants but the long term impact was overwhelmed by rising crime rates and apathy. I coordinated commercial improvement marketing campaigns overshadowed by much larger forces of economic decline. It’s been my experience that unless every endeavor and every initiative is fueled by a sincere trust between the mentor/coach and the recipient, the results fall short of objectives and longevity is lacking. I applaud news announcements of well intentioned community efforts be they soup kitchens, coat collections etc. but I’m perplexed by how there seems to be no comprehensive, long-term sustained advancement. It intrigues me how a military campaign would never be waged on such a scatter shot format. 

For this reimagining of careers and service delivery to be truly effective and rewarding for both providers and recipients, the following must be in place:

Trust & Integrity

Everyone must feel that everyones best interests are at stake. One-on-one mentorship with plenty of time and energy expended by all participants is the most cost-effective path to measurable results. This re-definition requires an all-in, full-court-press approach and not the usual half hearted, Monday thru Friday, press conference followed by radio silence approach. Everyone in the relationships (be they the cops-criminals, teachers-students, social workers-clients) must know that they “have-eachothers-backs”. 

Accountability & Consequences

Those who provide the services and implement the programs designed to fulfill the missions of their respective careers must be held accountable. Likewise, the receivers of services and the beneficiaries of programs must be accountable. There must be consequences for their actions (or their failure to act). There must be room for stumbling but there also must be a recognition of the point at which “good-money-after-bad” has created a financial/energy sinkhole. We must be alert to the danger of the “sunken cost syndrome” trap in which we keep funding and exerting energy in the hopes of achieving a better outcome. Everyone must be clear eyed about the reality for the need for mandates when cajoling, suggesting and recommending fails to result in an acceptable return-on-investment in resources, time and enegy. In a worst case scenario, if there is a potential for harm to oneself, others or the community at large, we should not shrink from mandating behaviors. In the carrot/stick equilibrium, the “carrot” is the re-orientation to a mentoring/coaching format. However, it will be for naught if there is no “stick” component when required by the circumstances. Those circumstances might include, for example, repeated absences, violations, fraudulent or disruptive behavior or in worst case scenarios danger of harm to self or others. 

Flexibility with Reasonable Oversight

If the careers in law enforcement/criminal justice (including probation and parole officers), education (including teachers & counselors) and social workers (including all sorts of counselors) were to shift into mentorship-coaching person-centered roles, it will require recruitment of persons to these professions who are oriented to this approach. In the long run, this reorientation will bolster recruitment and retention in these fields because the employees will derive a greater sense of satisfaction and fulfillment knowing they truly are “making a difference”. Greater flexibility will require heightened oversight to insure that workers entrusted to work on a more personal and programmically fluid basis are held accountable to ethics and accomplishments. The oversight can not be the cumbersome “bean counting” record keeping that accompanies traditional program administration. That said, but there must be independent transparency and oversight to keep everyone honest and protected. 

I hope that my reflections offer some fresh perspectives concerning careers that, in my opinion, are way overdue for an overhaul.

Why:

We can’t keep doing things the same way and expecting different results

Just hiring more cops, more teachers and more social workers will not magically cause better results. The day has come when we can not afford to do this.

Recruitment and retention in these fields will only become more challenging unless the format and the culture of these careers change. In the longer run, the candidates for these jobs and the criterias by which we measure success needs to upgrade. Employees in these fields will be less likely to be trapped in the “golden cufflinks” syndrome awaiting the date when they have logged enough years to retire. Employees in these fields will transition from the treadmill of generating reports to more anecdotal, measurable, rewarding success stories of the persons they have assisted during this short time on earth. 

And when all of us look back on our life’s journey….isn’t that the only thing that really counts?

In Search Of A Political Walking Partner

Familarity breeds compatibility (hoperfully)

As we enter 2024 and the dreaded national election in November, I’ve been intrigued with the idea of walking up and down the Main Street of my town wearing a Biden shirt with someone who is wearing a Trump shirt. Presumably Biden and Trump will be the candidates. Whomever secures the Democratic and Rebublican nominations, my offer to stroll with a member of the opposition party remains on-the-table. 

What prompted me to suggest this stroll among odd-bedfellows?

Way back when Obama was running, I had an Obama bumper sticker on my old Pontiac Montana. I was driving the speed limit in the middle lane of the interstate on the way to work. A guy in a beat up sedan sped past me in the fast lane giving me the the finger and yelled something. I knew I had not cut him off and I wasn’t driving too slow. Then I spotted some sort of right-wing, angry, love-it-or-leave-it, anti-socialist, anti-progressive bumper sticker on his vehicle. The experience triggered the following flurry of emotions and observations:

 Here we are two working class guys slepping to work in our clunkers. We should be on the same page but obviously not. I imagine that he has experienced setbacks in his life. I have experienced my own set of setbacks. And yet, he has an insane animosity for me and my American right to express my preference for who should be president. It makes me wonder the patriotism of this self-appointed patriot. 

What gives him the right and sense of entitlement to denigrate my choice of a candidate? What’s his purpose? What’s his end goal? Does he want to change my mind? Scare or anger me? If any of these outcomes were his goal, he failed miserably.

I smiled to myself thinking about how he thinks he is so patriotic and proud of his opinion when there are so many countris where such an outbust would result in a beating at best and his execution at worst. I’m glad to be in America and proud of the USA and only ask others to express their opinions in a more civil manor.

Fast forward a couple of years and I was campaigning for a woman who was running on the Democratic ticket for the state legislature. In those days I was commuting by bike to the train station. I rigged up a campaign sign on the back of my backpack and I’m pleased to note I did not experience any distastefull or threatening incidents on the road or on the train. On weekends, my son and I waved campaign signs at a busy intersection. We received some angry stares and some obnoxious hoots but nothing veering into the threatening category. A cop announced on his car loud speaker that we had to move along because the bridge we were standing on was state property so as good citizens we complied. In another country and under different circumstances, a brush with authority might result in our disapearance. For this I am proud to be an American, glad to be an American and I’m resolved to NEVER let circumstances in this nation silence me from expressing my opinion or supporting the candidate of my choice. 

I’m still interested in throwing a campaign sign on my back and engaging in some Biking For Biden. I’m still in good shape, so biking and hiking are my passions. I’m now retired so I have time to do it. However, I’ve gotten more cautious and I have a gnawing feeling that I might get run off the road by some patriotic fanatic who so rabidly supports his candidate that my life means nothing to him. Look no further than the death of Heather Hire at the right-wing, fascist, anti-semitic rally in North Carolina a few years ago and the violence of the insurectionist that attacked the police guarding the U.S. Capitol on January 6th. This concerns me and deeply saddens me that our democratic country (small “d”, not the political party) has become so polarized that there is fear of physical retribution for the peaceful, civic expression of opinions. I’m a baby boomer so I’m too young to have experienced Germany of 1939 but I’m getting an uneasy sense of what that must have been like. And we can NEVER let that happen here.

The talk of polarization, alienation and lonliness is everywhere and it’s well documented. I had the good fortune to have worked with a variety of persons in a wide range of fields that included public housing, city planning, economic development, community development and mental health just to name a few. I’m even a retired mall cop so I’ve experienced people at their best and worst. I’ve lived in all sorts of circumstances and neighborhoods from rooming houses to apartments to condos and all sorts of neighborhoods. I’ve gotten to know persons when I walk the campaign trail with them, created neighborhood improvement associations and managerd after-school programs . My experience has been that the more time I spend with others and the more overlapping of experiences I have with others, the better the understanding. 

So here’s my proposal : 

Team up with a political walking partner so we can exchange thoughts, philosophies, experiences and spend time with eachother. In sum, get to know eachother and realize that we are not really all that differend. At the very least, get some exercise. Deep down, I hope we have the same goals regarding our families, our safety, and our love of country. 

But there are some strings attached and conditions that must be met. I have NO interest in walking with any member of the opposite party who espouses the folowing:

Denial that Biden did not win the 2020 election

Denial that the January 6th insurectionists (rioters) were insurectionists/rioters

Denial that any woman can obtain an abortion if her health is in jeopardy or she is pregant because of rape or incest. 

That said….I CAN walk with someone of the opposite party if we share concerns and opinions about the following:

Both seek to end waste, bureaucracy, incompetency in government and programs. Both seek positive returns-on-investments and support only economic development initiatives with viable economic engines

Both seek responsibility and accountability whether that is personal responsibility or governmental responsibility

Both seek a reasonable solution to the border crisis that does not involve separating families and caging children

Both seek to remove violent felony criminals from society and eliminate repeat offender revolving door syndrome

Both seek reasonable gun regulation such as background checks, red-flag laws and meaningful mental health supports

Both agree that nobody should be allowed to freeze or starve in our society and we need to agree as to how to make sure this does not happen. Both must agree that nobody can go bankrupt and loose their house just because they got sick. 

I would love to know what are the conditions that my walking partner requires of me. What do I stand for and what is it about me that is so offensive and intolerable that they would decline the opportunity to walk with me?

One thing I think we both could certainly agree upon is the fact that there needs to be sidewalks along the length of our stroll along our Main Street. There are sections that are downright dangerous with no shoulder for pedestrians to walk without getting struck by a vehicle. I guess it’s true when they say “all politics is local” and it doesn’t get more local that sidewalks on Main Street. 

If I can’t find a walking partner and the trepidation about expressing my opinoins and publicly supporting my candidate continues to escalate… god help us all and 1939 Germany here we come. 

The Golden Rule…Silver Bullet To Common Ground & Peace Around The World (and at the dinner table)

In response to ongoing international crisis’s (Mid-East, Ukraine, etc.), religious animosities, domestic polarization AND a long conversation I had with a family member, we boiled everything down to The Golden Rule as being the North Star. We decided that it’s a workable common denominator for a pathway out of the forrest of hate that we seem to be lost in.

That said, we agreed that there are some circumstances when application of The Golden Rule will be bumpy at best and impossible at worst. Those situations are when moral values and deeply entrenched beliefs distort what should be uniform implementation of The Golden Rule

Examples:

The pro-life vs. pro-choice debate. The Golden Rule only works when each side operates in somewhat of a Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD) mode. To express it more bluntly, I may want to punch you but I also don’t want to be on the receiving end of your punch. Therefore, we both refrain from punching. This equilibium breaks down in the debate arena on matters such as pro-life vs. pro-choice.

The same break down occurs in other debates where morality, beliefs, religion, blind patriotism, cultish indoctrination, misinformation, indoctrination and good old fashioned hatred, prejudice and racism all cloud what should be the clear eyed logic of The Golden Rule. If either side in the Golden Rule equation suffers from blurred vision (like a person who has cataracts), the rule falls short.

Topics such as capital punishment, assisted suicide/right-to-die, and even the gun rights/restrictions debates do not fit neatly in the Golden Rule equation.

Despite the afore mentioned limitations, The Golden Rule remains important in its simplicity. It lacks the complexity of the bible, the tora, the quoran and the US tax code (well maybe that document doesn’t belong mixed in with these documents). Also, in the midst of any heated argument, whether it’s between family members, irate drivers, poitical parties or even nations, The Golden Rule can act as a “time out” when the conflicting parties can take a deep breath and reassess if this really is the path they want to follow. Unfortunately, The Golden Rule will fall flat for those who are hell bent on breaking it due to whatever distorted visions, motivations and beliefs drive them.

The bottom line…keep The Golden Rule for its beautiful simplicity and its applicability to most of lifes situations. It serves as a sound-bite conscience for most of us who have a conscience. However, be aware that not everybody plays by the rules or they twist the rules to fit their circumstances.

Exceptionalism

For the record and to be very clear….I’m as patriotic as the next guy. I’m deeply thankfull for having been born in the USA and not in some god forsaken place where there are no freedoms, no rule of law and constant threat of warlords and dictators.

That said, I’m increasingly uncomfortable with the increasing reference to American Exceptionalism. It’s not that we are not exceptional in many ways. However, I wonder how the drum beat of this phrase plays with citizens of other nations.

Let’s start with those countries similar to the USA (rule of law, freedoms, democratic systems, strong economies, etc).

I’m thinking that Canadiens, Scandanaviens, most Europeans, etc. must be thinking that they are “exceptional” and wonder why the USA seems to think it has cornered the market on exceptionalism.

Let’s move to the countries that are not within our “friend group”. I’m speaking here of Russia and China (for example). Though I do not support their systems of government, and their policies, you have to admit that those societies and cultures have survived tremendous upheavals. Just consider the wars, famines, revolutions and plagues from which they have survived and are still strong contenders in the boxing ring of nations. Their citizenry must consider themselves to be “exceptional”.

Let’s move to the Third World nations. The most downtrodden, disadvantaged and troubled. Their very existance would be considered among their citizenry as being exceptional. The nation of Haiti is a prime example. They were the first colonial nation to pull off a slave rebellion that shook off French control much to the consternation of the other slave controlled colonies. Haiti today (and throughout its history) contends with horiffic conditions but their origins as a nation could be described as exceptional.

And that brings me to an increasing disconnection to the olympics. Growing up I always watched the Wide World Of Sports on tv (showing my age) and always rooted for the USA (and still root for the red-white-blue). However, I’m now more inclined to watch olympic contests for the exceptional performances regardless of what country is being represented. Prime example of this would be any viewing of Usain Bolt as he blows past his running competitors. He is not a USA athelete but nobody can deny that his performance is exceptional. With all athletic contests (and contests in general), I’m increasingly queesy with that growing “high & mightly sentiment” in all conversations that “the other guy sucks”.

The counter weight to USA exceptionalism is the un-exceptional blemishes of both the past an present. We need look no farther than treatment of native Americans, slavery, Jim Crow, police brutality, un-exceptional schools, un-exceptional neighborhoods and I could go on and on. It pains me to do so and I regret unearthing this topic but it’s necessary to discuss exceptionalism with eyes wide open.

I hate to end this post on such a negative note…. so I won’t and here is why.

We have an opportunity to truly become exceptional if we buckle down and address the afore mentioned challenges. Then and only then will I feel comfortable shouting from the rooftop that WE ARE EXCEPTIONAL !