North – South rail link
The idea for The North – South Rail Link to connect Boston’s North and South Stations has been around since both stations have been open. If done correctly it should allow people to make direct connections for trains at either station or make a direct connection for the airport rather than going out of their way to make the proper connections for the airport.
Here are my suggestions:
· With regards to having a direct link between North and South Stations, find a way to connect them directly even if it means a new subway line or a branch of an existing subway line that goes direct between stations. Set it up so that the connection allows people to make direct connections for Amtrak service and Silver Line service to Logan International Airport.
· Set up the connections up as independent commuter rail lines that cut across the various existing lines similar like how Routes 128 and 495 go north and south around Boston in a semi-circular fashion. Also design it to be cost effective for everyone and would permit the passengers to go back and forth in a timely fashion comparable to driving when possible.
· Where possible, expand subway lines to meet up with more of the commuter rail lines or to connect with more commuter rail stations on each line. Find a way of doing this that would be cost efficient and would have the potential draw more riders.
· Set up the link or links in a way to help alleviate any potential bottlenecks caused by an emergency situation that would have people looking to leave the city any possible.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
medicine and religion
when it comes to medicine and medical research I feel that it is an integral part of our society to the degree that healing people even shows up in religious text. There are many who mean well but end up choosing one side of the issue of medical research over the other due to either religious grounds or due to not believing that medicine should work that way.
I feel that even though my own religious beliefs state that killing is not allowed, the belief to heal supersedes the belief against killing due to the fact that if we do not learn to heal the sick we are essentially killing the very people we need to heal.
In the United States there is a moratorium on using federal money to do embryonic stem cell research even though it is legal. Even though the wording does not specifically state that it is due to religious beliefs, it was made clear in statements that religious beliefs were at the heart of the issue. I think that it is a view that is far too rigid to be acceptable in mainstream religion and mainstream medicine.
If everyone held that view we would still be practicing medicine like it was practiced at the time of the plague. At one time it was blasphemous, open up the human body to perform any type of medical procedure. Until the Vietnam war American medicine prohibited different types of medical treatments from being tried. During that war techniques that had, had a moratorium on them became common place in the MASH units and are not common place in society.
Now we are in a similar situation as right before the Vietnam war with a moratorium on specific things that could potentially help the sick, more specifically the embryonic stem cell research.
In order to heal the sick and to protect life, we must learn to find out why we get sick and die so we can learn how to heal and to protect. to tell someone that is deathly ill that it is against your beliefs to do the research to keep them from dying is basically telling them you are killing them which also goes against beliefs.
I feel that even though my own religious beliefs state that killing is not allowed, the belief to heal supersedes the belief against killing due to the fact that if we do not learn to heal the sick we are essentially killing the very people we need to heal.
In the United States there is a moratorium on using federal money to do embryonic stem cell research even though it is legal. Even though the wording does not specifically state that it is due to religious beliefs, it was made clear in statements that religious beliefs were at the heart of the issue. I think that it is a view that is far too rigid to be acceptable in mainstream religion and mainstream medicine.
If everyone held that view we would still be practicing medicine like it was practiced at the time of the plague. At one time it was blasphemous, open up the human body to perform any type of medical procedure. Until the Vietnam war American medicine prohibited different types of medical treatments from being tried. During that war techniques that had, had a moratorium on them became common place in the MASH units and are not common place in society.
Now we are in a similar situation as right before the Vietnam war with a moratorium on specific things that could potentially help the sick, more specifically the embryonic stem cell research.
In order to heal the sick and to protect life, we must learn to find out why we get sick and die so we can learn how to heal and to protect. to tell someone that is deathly ill that it is against your beliefs to do the research to keep them from dying is basically telling them you are killing them which also goes against beliefs.
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Water desalinization and water pipeline, retooled a little
Water desalinization and water pipeline
By no means is water desalinization a cheap or easy way of producing clean drinkable water but it has to be seriously considered and transporting the water in the quantities needed also has to be addressed when it comes to bringing clean drinkable water to people who need it, in an attempt to get around the geographical barriers like mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains of North America, and the mountain range that goes down the western side of the African continent that has made much of the African continent that acts like a barrier keeping the clouds from moving into the arid areas which are growing in size at least in Africa, I hope this is a workable idea that could be used but the people that have the capability to get it done.
My suggestions:
Build water desalinization plants at various points along the coast line that utilize a siphon for the intake of salt water and outflow of fresh water with turbines like those for damns but designed to be used with a siphon instead of gravity to supplement the needed power to desalinate the water, and if the climate permits utilize solar and/or wind power to help supplement the needed power. The water desalinization plants should not be restricted to one side of the continent but rather the coast line in general.
Where there is a mountain range that block the rain clouds from moving past a certain point on the west coast of the African continent and a mountain range limiting the amount of rain to certain parts of the Mid Western part of the United States, use tunnel boring machines at the closest points in those mountain ranges to the water desalinization plants to permit water pipelines to go directly from the water desalinization plants to the other side of the mountain ranges.
With regards to the placement of the placement of each desalinization plant and pipeline tunnel look at all of the geographical and weather pattern data to determine where to place both of them to be the most beneficial. After the primary placement of each is determined, go to the locality with what you would like to do and tout the benefits of the building of, the running of and the maintaining of the facilities would provide to that locality such as an influx of jobs, money and possibly more available fresh water for that locality.
Bring on board the municipalities that would be effected by the process beyond where the plants are built and tunnels dug, and bring on board companies that would benefit from putting their resources to work for each project, that would be willing to help the people who live in the effected areas with dealing with a change in their way of life due to the whole process start to finish. This would include areas where it would be able to rain that had not seen rain in many generations.
In areas in the system where there is water loss, design the system so that the water can be used as a primary coolant in areas where the pressure build up can aid in producing the needed energy for desalinization and where the water will be in vapor form it should be directed up through what is traditionally called smoke stacks but have them fitted with turbines, even if they have to be designed to work similarly to tea kettle whistles.
If needed to move the water past a specific mountain range, set up the pipeline first to move the water past the mountain range whether over or through the mountains, then put the desalinization plant on the drier side of the mountain range so that any water loss in the system especially from cooling the parts of the system that can be cooled by water, goes into the environment that the water was intended for while generating energy to aid in the desalinization process.
By no means is water desalinization a cheap or easy way of producing clean drinkable water but it has to be seriously considered and transporting the water in the quantities needed also has to be addressed when it comes to bringing clean drinkable water to people who need it, in an attempt to get around the geographical barriers like mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains of North America, and the mountain range that goes down the western side of the African continent that has made much of the African continent that acts like a barrier keeping the clouds from moving into the arid areas which are growing in size at least in Africa, I hope this is a workable idea that could be used but the people that have the capability to get it done.
My suggestions:
Build water desalinization plants at various points along the coast line that utilize a siphon for the intake of salt water and outflow of fresh water with turbines like those for damns but designed to be used with a siphon instead of gravity to supplement the needed power to desalinate the water, and if the climate permits utilize solar and/or wind power to help supplement the needed power. The water desalinization plants should not be restricted to one side of the continent but rather the coast line in general.
Where there is a mountain range that block the rain clouds from moving past a certain point on the west coast of the African continent and a mountain range limiting the amount of rain to certain parts of the Mid Western part of the United States, use tunnel boring machines at the closest points in those mountain ranges to the water desalinization plants to permit water pipelines to go directly from the water desalinization plants to the other side of the mountain ranges.
With regards to the placement of the placement of each desalinization plant and pipeline tunnel look at all of the geographical and weather pattern data to determine where to place both of them to be the most beneficial. After the primary placement of each is determined, go to the locality with what you would like to do and tout the benefits of the building of, the running of and the maintaining of the facilities would provide to that locality such as an influx of jobs, money and possibly more available fresh water for that locality.
Bring on board the municipalities that would be effected by the process beyond where the plants are built and tunnels dug, and bring on board companies that would benefit from putting their resources to work for each project, that would be willing to help the people who live in the effected areas with dealing with a change in their way of life due to the whole process start to finish. This would include areas where it would be able to rain that had not seen rain in many generations.
In areas in the system where there is water loss, design the system so that the water can be used as a primary coolant in areas where the pressure build up can aid in producing the needed energy for desalinization and where the water will be in vapor form it should be directed up through what is traditionally called smoke stacks but have them fitted with turbines, even if they have to be designed to work similarly to tea kettle whistles.
If needed to move the water past a specific mountain range, set up the pipeline first to move the water past the mountain range whether over or through the mountains, then put the desalinization plant on the drier side of the mountain range so that any water loss in the system especially from cooling the parts of the system that can be cooled by water, goes into the environment that the water was intended for while generating energy to aid in the desalinization process.
Friday, April 27, 2007
ideas on setting up an evacuation plan
Ideas for the set up of an evacuation plan
Local municipalities and the states in which they are located should be working together to make sure that they have the best possible evacuation plans possible. They should also find the best ways to maintain the evacuation plans. When possible each state in a given region should try to develop a regional evacuation plan so that each state in that region can adequately deal with an influx of evacuees from the other states in that region.
· Working with the regional states and the local communities, figure out what are the most likely scenarios that would force evacuations in those regions. Then figure out which of those scenarios would fall under which level of government and under what conditions would that power, be superseded by the state or federal government for that scenario.
· Working with the cities and towns, figure out what their capacity is for taking in people that are being evacuated and if necessary add to that capacity in order to set up a network of emergency shelters. At the same time add appropriate first responder equipment and materials to the emergency shelters where possible along with appropriate training incase that specific shelter is within range of being a first responder.
· In places where there is already existing first responder equipment, materials and trained first responders, expand on or upgrade the first responder equipment and materials to the point that they are already appropriately packed, so it’s a “grab and go” response to save on time and money. In places where there is no first responder equipment and materials, figure out where to put the first responder equipment and materials on local levels.
· Organize all first responders in a way so that there, is no jurisdictional conflicts or bureaucracy to hamper the response time needed to get into the affected area or areas while having every level of responder on the same page when it comes to communications, time tables, what to do and when to do it.
· Upgrade the needed infrastructure that would allow for easiest access in and out of the areas that have a minimum population to the point that the potential evacuees have more if not better options to evacuate the area even if it means evacuating by train or by boat to reduce the congestion on the roads.
· Have periodical drills for specific types of disasters, so that the first responders keep their skills up to date.
· Have trained first responders for each scenario that, each region has the potential of needing to deal with along with having automatic activation of first responders for all scenarios and when possible, advance activation of the first responders if the scenario is foreseeable and imminent. If advance activation can be done have predetermined Alfa and/or Beta sights that they would report to when needed.
· Train the local police and fire departments to direct the flow of evacuees to the appropriate areas. Evacuees that are driving should be directed towards the roads and highways that would take them out of the area. For the evacuees that are not driving, set up temporary bus depot’s at designated points with in the local municipalities and if there are any rail systems in place, use passenger trains to aid in the evacuation even if it means bringing passenger trains in from somewhere else.
· Set up evacuation plans specifically for the elderly, people in hospitals and people in nursing homes that are incapable of leaving on their own taking into account any special needs of the people so that they can be transported as quickly and safely as possible. In doing so, send them to places that can handle them and that have the space for the elderly and any one incapacitated coming from hospitals and nursing homes.
· Utilize the available rail systems to help evacuate the population along with needed supplies for the evacuation, to bring in the any first responders if needed and for anything that is needed that would be required to go into or come out of the area where the rail system is the easiest way of moving those things.
Local municipalities and the states in which they are located should be working together to make sure that they have the best possible evacuation plans possible. They should also find the best ways to maintain the evacuation plans. When possible each state in a given region should try to develop a regional evacuation plan so that each state in that region can adequately deal with an influx of evacuees from the other states in that region.
· Working with the regional states and the local communities, figure out what are the most likely scenarios that would force evacuations in those regions. Then figure out which of those scenarios would fall under which level of government and under what conditions would that power, be superseded by the state or federal government for that scenario.
· Working with the cities and towns, figure out what their capacity is for taking in people that are being evacuated and if necessary add to that capacity in order to set up a network of emergency shelters. At the same time add appropriate first responder equipment and materials to the emergency shelters where possible along with appropriate training incase that specific shelter is within range of being a first responder.
· In places where there is already existing first responder equipment, materials and trained first responders, expand on or upgrade the first responder equipment and materials to the point that they are already appropriately packed, so it’s a “grab and go” response to save on time and money. In places where there is no first responder equipment and materials, figure out where to put the first responder equipment and materials on local levels.
· Organize all first responders in a way so that there, is no jurisdictional conflicts or bureaucracy to hamper the response time needed to get into the affected area or areas while having every level of responder on the same page when it comes to communications, time tables, what to do and when to do it.
· Upgrade the needed infrastructure that would allow for easiest access in and out of the areas that have a minimum population to the point that the potential evacuees have more if not better options to evacuate the area even if it means evacuating by train or by boat to reduce the congestion on the roads.
· Have periodical drills for specific types of disasters, so that the first responders keep their skills up to date.
· Have trained first responders for each scenario that, each region has the potential of needing to deal with along with having automatic activation of first responders for all scenarios and when possible, advance activation of the first responders if the scenario is foreseeable and imminent. If advance activation can be done have predetermined Alfa and/or Beta sights that they would report to when needed.
· Train the local police and fire departments to direct the flow of evacuees to the appropriate areas. Evacuees that are driving should be directed towards the roads and highways that would take them out of the area. For the evacuees that are not driving, set up temporary bus depot’s at designated points with in the local municipalities and if there are any rail systems in place, use passenger trains to aid in the evacuation even if it means bringing passenger trains in from somewhere else.
· Set up evacuation plans specifically for the elderly, people in hospitals and people in nursing homes that are incapable of leaving on their own taking into account any special needs of the people so that they can be transported as quickly and safely as possible. In doing so, send them to places that can handle them and that have the space for the elderly and any one incapacitated coming from hospitals and nursing homes.
· Utilize the available rail systems to help evacuate the population along with needed supplies for the evacuation, to bring in the any first responders if needed and for anything that is needed that would be required to go into or come out of the area where the rail system is the easiest way of moving those things.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
firefighting, police and communications ideas for mass transit
Firefighting, Policing and Communications ideas for Mass Transit
With regards to how to deal with the issues related to communications, policing and firefighting in mass transit, the specific transit systems have to work with the police and fire departments that would be required to respond. This is so that there will be proper communications channels and proper training especially for the fire departments.
· Starting with the firefighters and their training for subway tunnel fires set up an abandoned subway tunnel that can still support train traffic or build a tunnel system that is a realistic mock up of a subway tunnel with stations for each subway line. Also set up trains that are no longer used by the mass transit system in various points in the mock up to help the training along. As part of the training they should be taught too properly maneuver the trains incase the train is hindering their ability to work the fire or dealing with the aftermath of the fire. Include every city and town in the training that has subway tunnels and subway stations in them.
· In the process of training firefighters, find out if current equipment is adequate or if new equipment needs to be designed to better fight the subway fires especially if the firefighters are being hindered in someway from properly fighting the fire.
· Set up firefighting teams that would have the appropriate equipment for subway tunnel and subway station fires, including vehicles that can fit in the tunnels and can be driven on both the streets and on railroad tracks.
· Regarding the transit police, hire more police officers to bring the transit police department up to the necessary staffing levels to appropriately police the property owned by the mass transit system. Give the police more in-depth and more prolonged training with particular emphasis on what is considered suspicious activity. Do it even if it means hiring outside people that are trained to train the private sector to watch for suspicious activity that may have not been considered by the mass transit system but would be useful in promoting better security.
· Any new communications system that is installed has to have the capability of allowing the people trained to operate the system to access the whole system and allow all of the relevant people to directly patch into the system. The communication system should also have the capability to allow people to talk to each other in the tunnels, with it being in real time, with out the need for repeaters phones being hard wired in the tunnels. Each relevant responding city, state and/or federal agency should be able to communicate using a standardized frequency or frequencies designated for emergency responders.
· Design the communication system so that it cuts down on the ability to eavesdrop on the system but allows the mass transit system, along with the local police and fire departments to utilize the system when needed with each department having the proper tools and training to tap into the system. Also design it so that way it will not be adversely affected by intense heat or fire for prolonged periods of time along with designing it so that it has an automatic back up system in place that would compensate for any problems if they should arise.
· For times where the system cannot use a land line, use the same or similar walkie-talkie technology that Nextel uses for its direct connect phones to provide some level of privacy and protection against eavesdroppers. Using the walkie-talkie technology of the Nextel network set up a completely independent communications network specifically for use by the transit workers and the emergency response agencies on all levels.
With regards to how to deal with the issues related to communications, policing and firefighting in mass transit, the specific transit systems have to work with the police and fire departments that would be required to respond. This is so that there will be proper communications channels and proper training especially for the fire departments.
· Starting with the firefighters and their training for subway tunnel fires set up an abandoned subway tunnel that can still support train traffic or build a tunnel system that is a realistic mock up of a subway tunnel with stations for each subway line. Also set up trains that are no longer used by the mass transit system in various points in the mock up to help the training along. As part of the training they should be taught too properly maneuver the trains incase the train is hindering their ability to work the fire or dealing with the aftermath of the fire. Include every city and town in the training that has subway tunnels and subway stations in them.
· In the process of training firefighters, find out if current equipment is adequate or if new equipment needs to be designed to better fight the subway fires especially if the firefighters are being hindered in someway from properly fighting the fire.
· Set up firefighting teams that would have the appropriate equipment for subway tunnel and subway station fires, including vehicles that can fit in the tunnels and can be driven on both the streets and on railroad tracks.
· Regarding the transit police, hire more police officers to bring the transit police department up to the necessary staffing levels to appropriately police the property owned by the mass transit system. Give the police more in-depth and more prolonged training with particular emphasis on what is considered suspicious activity. Do it even if it means hiring outside people that are trained to train the private sector to watch for suspicious activity that may have not been considered by the mass transit system but would be useful in promoting better security.
· Any new communications system that is installed has to have the capability of allowing the people trained to operate the system to access the whole system and allow all of the relevant people to directly patch into the system. The communication system should also have the capability to allow people to talk to each other in the tunnels, with it being in real time, with out the need for repeaters phones being hard wired in the tunnels. Each relevant responding city, state and/or federal agency should be able to communicate using a standardized frequency or frequencies designated for emergency responders.
· Design the communication system so that it cuts down on the ability to eavesdrop on the system but allows the mass transit system, along with the local police and fire departments to utilize the system when needed with each department having the proper tools and training to tap into the system. Also design it so that way it will not be adversely affected by intense heat or fire for prolonged periods of time along with designing it so that it has an automatic back up system in place that would compensate for any problems if they should arise.
· For times where the system cannot use a land line, use the same or similar walkie-talkie technology that Nextel uses for its direct connect phones to provide some level of privacy and protection against eavesdroppers. Using the walkie-talkie technology of the Nextel network set up a completely independent communications network specifically for use by the transit workers and the emergency response agencies on all levels.
Wednesday, April 25, 2007
why I write
I have always loved to put my thoughts down on paper. Perhaps it is because I had a severe speech impediment as a small child and was forced to find alternate forms of communications until I was able to over come my speech impediment.
I found that expressing my thoughts on paper was the best way I could express myself until I could talk, even today I occasionally stutter and it always feels as if my mouth cannot keep up with my mind. I enjoy writing and know that I am a capable enough writer to have had twelve letters published in one local newspaper.
I have always been hard on myself when I write anything with the biggest thing being the editing of my own work with regards to feeling as if it is never good enough. I would like to write stories but I have always had a problem with character and story development. The only thing that I know I had done a halfway decent job with was a short play I had written for school for which my english teacher seemed to love and a few years later another person who had been a co-worker of mine that claimed to be somewhat of a writer liked the format I had for the play. I have thought of rewriting it due to that fact that one of the places in the play is still there but under new ownership and a new name.
I have thought of taking classes to help my character and story development but I am pressed for time and cash so realistically I would only be able to do it on weekends and somewhere where it doesn't cost anything or much.
I would not mind writing a column for a newspaper, magazine or for another format such as individuals who could use help writing due to a lack of time or a lack of ability that would allow me to showcase my writing if it were a way of getting better at writing and editing.
I found that expressing my thoughts on paper was the best way I could express myself until I could talk, even today I occasionally stutter and it always feels as if my mouth cannot keep up with my mind. I enjoy writing and know that I am a capable enough writer to have had twelve letters published in one local newspaper.
I have always been hard on myself when I write anything with the biggest thing being the editing of my own work with regards to feeling as if it is never good enough. I would like to write stories but I have always had a problem with character and story development. The only thing that I know I had done a halfway decent job with was a short play I had written for school for which my english teacher seemed to love and a few years later another person who had been a co-worker of mine that claimed to be somewhat of a writer liked the format I had for the play. I have thought of rewriting it due to that fact that one of the places in the play is still there but under new ownership and a new name.
I have thought of taking classes to help my character and story development but I am pressed for time and cash so realistically I would only be able to do it on weekends and somewhere where it doesn't cost anything or much.
I would not mind writing a column for a newspaper, magazine or for another format such as individuals who could use help writing due to a lack of time or a lack of ability that would allow me to showcase my writing if it were a way of getting better at writing and editing.
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Religion an Politics in the U.S.
For as long as I can remember, every adult around me always told me that religion and politics do not mix. As I grew up I found that the people who ad always told me about religion and politics not mixing, were telling the truth.
Religion has its own set of rules and standards on what is acceptable and politics has almost a totally different set of rules and standards. Unfortunately, we have politicians who are trying to be clergymen and clergymen trying to be politicians.
By no means does it show a lack of wanting to do what is right by the politicians and clergymen, but it does show a lack of respect for the code of conduct for the U.S. Government and for the respective religions involved. It also shows that the politicians and clergymen cannot differentiate between what should be kept as personal and what should be done for the betterment of country.
If this trend continues we will no longer be a democracy due to the encroachment of Christian doctrine into our government to the point that it will be a theocracy based on segments of Christian doctrine. At Present we are fighting a war on the other side of the world supposedly to promote our form of government. At the same time there appears to be a segment of our country that is trying to transform our form of government into the type of government we are fighting against based on the national level politicians actions more specifically the current presidency.
We as a country cannot survive if we keep allowing our politicians to act like preachers and comming across with the attitude of "Do as I say, not as I do".
Religion has its own set of rules and standards on what is acceptable and politics has almost a totally different set of rules and standards. Unfortunately, we have politicians who are trying to be clergymen and clergymen trying to be politicians.
By no means does it show a lack of wanting to do what is right by the politicians and clergymen, but it does show a lack of respect for the code of conduct for the U.S. Government and for the respective religions involved. It also shows that the politicians and clergymen cannot differentiate between what should be kept as personal and what should be done for the betterment of country.
If this trend continues we will no longer be a democracy due to the encroachment of Christian doctrine into our government to the point that it will be a theocracy based on segments of Christian doctrine. At Present we are fighting a war on the other side of the world supposedly to promote our form of government. At the same time there appears to be a segment of our country that is trying to transform our form of government into the type of government we are fighting against based on the national level politicians actions more specifically the current presidency.
We as a country cannot survive if we keep allowing our politicians to act like preachers and comming across with the attitude of "Do as I say, not as I do".
Monday, April 23, 2007
mass transit
Mass Transit
Mass transit whether it is a local bus/train or a commuter train has both its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to the advantages we as individuals tend to think of not having to deal with driving long distances and/or driving in grid locked traffic, reduced wear and tear on personal vehicles and more cost effective than using ones personal vehicle to commute if done on a regular basis. When it comes to the disadvantages, we as individuals tend to think of having to dealing with mass transit schedules along with arranging ones schedules to correspond to those mass transit schedules. We also think of it being overly crowded during the rush hours. Some people think that mass transit isn’t for them even if it would be more convenient for them, while others wish they had the opportunity to use mass transit but can’t for one reason or another.
When it comes to dealing with the communities involved there are various things that are involved when it comes to bringing, maintaining and expanding their mass transit service. Some of it is the community itself, some of it is regulations and/or mandates and some of it is financial.
Suggestions:
· In areas where there is an established local and/or commuter mass transit system in place, expand and/or upgrade where possible. Expand in areas that would benefit from and allow the expansion of the mass transit system, i.e. around the areas of the most congested highways and/or parts of the city.
· In areas that can support a mass transit system but that don’t have one, find ways of convincing those communities that mass transit is feasible and beneficial to that area while helping with the all of the start up costs associated with putting a mass transit system in place.
· Help find ways of helping the effected communities to attract business’s to the area that would benefit the communities, the businesses, along with the mass transit system and be within walking distance to the transit lines.
· Find ways of making all mass transit systems both user and worker friendly system wide without causing problems for either.
· Even though using mass transit is more cost effective for the daily commuter than driving, make it more cost effective to utilize the mass transit systems where and when available by giving both state and federal tax deductions to people that choose to utilize the mass transit system in their area. People that choose to use the mass transit system in their area should not be forced to go through work to reap the benefits of any tax deduction as long as the expenses are legitimate.
· Develop ways of getting people to utilize the mass transit systems in their area beyond commuting between work and home/where their car is parked.
· At each individual terminal/station when there is the space and regulations allow it, permit things that would benefit and/or pacify the people waiting as long as it doesn’t interfere with the performance of the terminal/station.
· Get companies that want to expand to areas outside of the major cities like Boston and Worcester, to build along existing train routes that are also close enough to an existing station or close enough to the train route to build a new station to support the potential influx of riders even if it means creating an industrial park around or near the station to make it cost effective for mass transit to expand so that way they would need less onsite parking which would allow for more work space.
· For companies that would like to expand but can’t find space close enough to an existing train route, see if they would be willing to become a partner in producing an industrial/office park where a branch can created off of an existing line that would go right into the industrial/office park so less onsite parking is required which would allow for more work space.
Mass transit whether it is a local bus/train or a commuter train has both its advantages and disadvantages. When it comes to the advantages we as individuals tend to think of not having to deal with driving long distances and/or driving in grid locked traffic, reduced wear and tear on personal vehicles and more cost effective than using ones personal vehicle to commute if done on a regular basis. When it comes to the disadvantages, we as individuals tend to think of having to dealing with mass transit schedules along with arranging ones schedules to correspond to those mass transit schedules. We also think of it being overly crowded during the rush hours. Some people think that mass transit isn’t for them even if it would be more convenient for them, while others wish they had the opportunity to use mass transit but can’t for one reason or another.
When it comes to dealing with the communities involved there are various things that are involved when it comes to bringing, maintaining and expanding their mass transit service. Some of it is the community itself, some of it is regulations and/or mandates and some of it is financial.
Suggestions:
· In areas where there is an established local and/or commuter mass transit system in place, expand and/or upgrade where possible. Expand in areas that would benefit from and allow the expansion of the mass transit system, i.e. around the areas of the most congested highways and/or parts of the city.
· In areas that can support a mass transit system but that don’t have one, find ways of convincing those communities that mass transit is feasible and beneficial to that area while helping with the all of the start up costs associated with putting a mass transit system in place.
· Help find ways of helping the effected communities to attract business’s to the area that would benefit the communities, the businesses, along with the mass transit system and be within walking distance to the transit lines.
· Find ways of making all mass transit systems both user and worker friendly system wide without causing problems for either.
· Even though using mass transit is more cost effective for the daily commuter than driving, make it more cost effective to utilize the mass transit systems where and when available by giving both state and federal tax deductions to people that choose to utilize the mass transit system in their area. People that choose to use the mass transit system in their area should not be forced to go through work to reap the benefits of any tax deduction as long as the expenses are legitimate.
· Develop ways of getting people to utilize the mass transit systems in their area beyond commuting between work and home/where their car is parked.
· At each individual terminal/station when there is the space and regulations allow it, permit things that would benefit and/or pacify the people waiting as long as it doesn’t interfere with the performance of the terminal/station.
· Get companies that want to expand to areas outside of the major cities like Boston and Worcester, to build along existing train routes that are also close enough to an existing station or close enough to the train route to build a new station to support the potential influx of riders even if it means creating an industrial park around or near the station to make it cost effective for mass transit to expand so that way they would need less onsite parking which would allow for more work space.
· For companies that would like to expand but can’t find space close enough to an existing train route, see if they would be willing to become a partner in producing an industrial/office park where a branch can created off of an existing line that would go right into the industrial/office park so less onsite parking is required which would allow for more work space.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Taxes
Taxes
There are many common items that are used by all income levels use but there is a large difference as to the specific types among these items used by the various income levels. With the high the income level comes a larger degree of use of the higher end versions of these common items, which are used less due to fewer people being able to afford them. In turn has less of an effect on the economy than the lower end versions that are more widely used by the population and has a larger customer base due to the up front cost(s) of these items.
Give the tax cuts to the income levels that have the largest number of people so that it would have a direct impact on the economy through sheer volume of consumers. I feel that lower income tax has the potential for more sales tax collected in states that have a sales tax. There is no guarantee that each individual or family will spend the money coming from the tax break.
Suggestions for individual tax cuts:
· Give the tax cuts to the low, moderate and lower middle income levels in an attempt to boost spending in those income levels.
· Give tax breaks individuals in higher tax brackets when they have made a real commitment when giving a decent living wage to people that work for them if they guarantee to pass a portion of the tax break onto their employees such as babysitters, or others that people coming into their households to do routine work for them.
When it comes to corporate tax cuts I feel that they should be given to the companies that are noted as having the most potential of creating jobs and that offer affordable products with in the lower income levels. They can’t be just handed out to companies; they should be tied to certain conditions that cannot be skirted. If you think about it the more people who can afford the products offered whether needed or discretionary translates to higher profits for companies, which translates to more corporate taxes being collected even if the tax rate is lower.
Suggestions for corporate tax cuts:
· Actual permanent job creation
· Strategic job placement in communities that need and want those types of jobs when ever and where ever possible to help the targeted consumers.
· Take a proactive role in education.
· Provide better pricing with out compromising the company’s ability to be profitable
Permanent job creation means that an individual is going to be a steady taxpayer and would reduce the need for various benefits that the state and federal governments would have to dispense.
Unfortunately not every community is open to certain jobs even though the jobs would be helpful in the community. This is why I said strategic job placement in communities. What I mean by this is look at each community individually and see what the community needs. Then look at the type of jobs needed by the different companies and then place those jobs in communities that are willing to accept.
Even though an education is guaranteed by the constitution, everyone gains from an educated workforce. It should be in best interest of both government and the private sector to make sure that people have the education that would be needed for the workforce.
Jobs can’t be created if there is a lack of demand due to a lack of people being able to afford the products or services and jobs can’t be created if people can afford the products or services if there isn’t an educated work force to produce those products or to provide those services.
There are many common items that are used by all income levels use but there is a large difference as to the specific types among these items used by the various income levels. With the high the income level comes a larger degree of use of the higher end versions of these common items, which are used less due to fewer people being able to afford them. In turn has less of an effect on the economy than the lower end versions that are more widely used by the population and has a larger customer base due to the up front cost(s) of these items.
Give the tax cuts to the income levels that have the largest number of people so that it would have a direct impact on the economy through sheer volume of consumers. I feel that lower income tax has the potential for more sales tax collected in states that have a sales tax. There is no guarantee that each individual or family will spend the money coming from the tax break.
Suggestions for individual tax cuts:
· Give the tax cuts to the low, moderate and lower middle income levels in an attempt to boost spending in those income levels.
· Give tax breaks individuals in higher tax brackets when they have made a real commitment when giving a decent living wage to people that work for them if they guarantee to pass a portion of the tax break onto their employees such as babysitters, or others that people coming into their households to do routine work for them.
When it comes to corporate tax cuts I feel that they should be given to the companies that are noted as having the most potential of creating jobs and that offer affordable products with in the lower income levels. They can’t be just handed out to companies; they should be tied to certain conditions that cannot be skirted. If you think about it the more people who can afford the products offered whether needed or discretionary translates to higher profits for companies, which translates to more corporate taxes being collected even if the tax rate is lower.
Suggestions for corporate tax cuts:
· Actual permanent job creation
· Strategic job placement in communities that need and want those types of jobs when ever and where ever possible to help the targeted consumers.
· Take a proactive role in education.
· Provide better pricing with out compromising the company’s ability to be profitable
Permanent job creation means that an individual is going to be a steady taxpayer and would reduce the need for various benefits that the state and federal governments would have to dispense.
Unfortunately not every community is open to certain jobs even though the jobs would be helpful in the community. This is why I said strategic job placement in communities. What I mean by this is look at each community individually and see what the community needs. Then look at the type of jobs needed by the different companies and then place those jobs in communities that are willing to accept.
Even though an education is guaranteed by the constitution, everyone gains from an educated workforce. It should be in best interest of both government and the private sector to make sure that people have the education that would be needed for the workforce.
Jobs can’t be created if there is a lack of demand due to a lack of people being able to afford the products or services and jobs can’t be created if people can afford the products or services if there isn’t an educated work force to produce those products or to provide those services.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
No child left behind
The No Child Left Behind act is a noble idea that has been undermined by the fact that the government wants the standards of the no child left behind act to be maintained but the government doesn't want to do what would be required to be done to achieve those standards.
I applaud the effort to make sure every child gets the education mandated but I find it deplorable that we as a country are allowing people with no education background to determine how the standards are being implemented.
I have sent ideas to various politicians pertaining to education with no real response. I have also posted the same exact same ideas as sent to the various politicians on my blog site. the ideas had the titles of Education Reforms I would like to see in the U.S., and an Idea on outsourcing and education in the U.S.
I applaud the effort to make sure every child gets the education mandated but I find it deplorable that we as a country are allowing people with no education background to determine how the standards are being implemented.
I have sent ideas to various politicians pertaining to education with no real response. I have also posted the same exact same ideas as sent to the various politicians on my blog site. the ideas had the titles of Education Reforms I would like to see in the U.S., and an Idea on outsourcing and education in the U.S.
A Show of Support (a poem)
A Show of Support
I may not be able to join our soldiers on the battlefield.
I may not be able to lend direct support to our soldiers over on the battlefield.
But I can show support and solidarity to our soldiers and war veterans by keeping the principles and the ideals that this country was founded on in my heart.
I can show our soldiers and our war veterans that their efforts are not in vain, by doing my best to make sure that the principles and ideals that this country was founded on are kept alive and held in high regard even amidst oppression and tyranny that some people would have us tolerate and accept as the norm.
I may not be able to lead this country effectively but I can lead by example.
I can show support to my fellow countrymen and women by doing my personal best to live up to and to teach the principles and the ideals that were set fourth by the founding fathers of this country of ours. For if we forget where we came from, we forget who we are and what our country stands for.
I will when I can stand up and show my fellow countrymen and women that the principles and ideals set fourth by the founding fathers of our country were not set fourth in vain by giving everyone the respect that they deserve.
I will also honor the decisions and choices that everyone makes and will be respectful in the way I present any criticism that I may have.
I may not be able to join our soldiers on the battlefield.
I may not be able to lend direct support to our soldiers over on the battlefield.
But I can show support and solidarity to our soldiers and war veterans by keeping the principles and the ideals that this country was founded on in my heart.
I can show our soldiers and our war veterans that their efforts are not in vain, by doing my best to make sure that the principles and ideals that this country was founded on are kept alive and held in high regard even amidst oppression and tyranny that some people would have us tolerate and accept as the norm.
I may not be able to lead this country effectively but I can lead by example.
I can show support to my fellow countrymen and women by doing my personal best to live up to and to teach the principles and the ideals that were set fourth by the founding fathers of this country of ours. For if we forget where we came from, we forget who we are and what our country stands for.
I will when I can stand up and show my fellow countrymen and women that the principles and ideals set fourth by the founding fathers of our country were not set fourth in vain by giving everyone the respect that they deserve.
I will also honor the decisions and choices that everyone makes and will be respectful in the way I present any criticism that I may have.
Friday, April 20, 2007
my first post concerning the presidential campaign
I will not knowingly make any derogatory remarks towards any of presidential candidates.
I recently read that the former Governor of my state Mitt Romney, had reversed a view that he held concerning Hillary Clinton's book "It Takes a Village". while he was Governor he agreed with her assessment. In a recent political campaign stop he reversed his view and also stated that he believes in "It Takes a Family" rather than "It Takes a Village".
Don't get me wrong, the family unit is the basis of our society but at the same time with out that "village" we cannot have more than the family unit.
I feel that he is wrong in his assessment of the whole thing because I believe it is a slap in the face of the childcare providers, the education system and the police departments in our society just to name a few things that would suggest otherwise.
If it didn't take a village then why would we need anything that our society provides us, because if there were no such thing as the "village" mentality then we could not have childcare providers to care for our children so we could go off for work, we would all have to be our childrens primary educators also including all matters concerning schooling and we would not have police need for police departments due to us policing our children even when they are away from home and out of site.
I recently read that the former Governor of my state Mitt Romney, had reversed a view that he held concerning Hillary Clinton's book "It Takes a Village". while he was Governor he agreed with her assessment. In a recent political campaign stop he reversed his view and also stated that he believes in "It Takes a Family" rather than "It Takes a Village".
Don't get me wrong, the family unit is the basis of our society but at the same time with out that "village" we cannot have more than the family unit.
I feel that he is wrong in his assessment of the whole thing because I believe it is a slap in the face of the childcare providers, the education system and the police departments in our society just to name a few things that would suggest otherwise.
If it didn't take a village then why would we need anything that our society provides us, because if there were no such thing as the "village" mentality then we could not have childcare providers to care for our children so we could go off for work, we would all have to be our childrens primary educators also including all matters concerning schooling and we would not have police need for police departments due to us policing our children even when they are away from home and out of site.
I would like to thank my dad
Last night I gave my dad an oportunity to read my blog and he thought enough of what I had put in my blog that he decided to pass it along to others to read and said that he thought I had brains and liked to put my ideas down on paper.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
politics
my views of mainstream politics in the U.S. are such that I tend to write letters to local newspapers to voice my opinion when I feel that something is going wrong in this country due to politics and sometimes a specific politician or political party.
I am a life long democrat, but even still, I do tend to write things about my own political party that may not sit well with the hierarchy of the democratic party. The biggest problem that I have with the hierarchy is that there appears to be no more focus on the real issues that need to be dealt with due to bashing the Republican party so often that it makes the Republican party look like it is the party with the plan. When it comes to the Republican party I feel that the hierarchy of that party has lost touch with the average person who subscribes to their views at least in the public forum anyway.
In the past few years the Republican party has at least in the mainstream media shown a greater appreciation for the people who have amassed monitary wealth rather than the foot soldiers of the party who put the Republican politicians in the positions that they are in. If the Democratic Party stopped bashing and started trying to get the party's message out then they would not have to wait for a Republican Politician to bring down Republican Party in order to win elections.
It is time for both parties to wake up and get their heads out of the sand so they can see what the country needs to do domestically and internationally to restore the country's reputation and status as of a few world power houses for getting things done for the people of the country and the world.
There are times I wish I could run for political office but each time I do, I start remembering why I haven't which is a lack of a financial means, views that for some would be too politically incorrect to permit me to attain political office even if they are views that need to be shared, ideas that I have had and still have that it would appear that no one whats to implement because its not the direction they want to go in and finally the fact that I would be eaten alive by any seasoned candidate.
I am a life long democrat, but even still, I do tend to write things about my own political party that may not sit well with the hierarchy of the democratic party. The biggest problem that I have with the hierarchy is that there appears to be no more focus on the real issues that need to be dealt with due to bashing the Republican party so often that it makes the Republican party look like it is the party with the plan. When it comes to the Republican party I feel that the hierarchy of that party has lost touch with the average person who subscribes to their views at least in the public forum anyway.
In the past few years the Republican party has at least in the mainstream media shown a greater appreciation for the people who have amassed monitary wealth rather than the foot soldiers of the party who put the Republican politicians in the positions that they are in. If the Democratic Party stopped bashing and started trying to get the party's message out then they would not have to wait for a Republican Politician to bring down Republican Party in order to win elections.
It is time for both parties to wake up and get their heads out of the sand so they can see what the country needs to do domestically and internationally to restore the country's reputation and status as of a few world power houses for getting things done for the people of the country and the world.
There are times I wish I could run for political office but each time I do, I start remembering why I haven't which is a lack of a financial means, views that for some would be too politically incorrect to permit me to attain political office even if they are views that need to be shared, ideas that I have had and still have that it would appear that no one whats to implement because its not the direction they want to go in and finally the fact that I would be eaten alive by any seasoned candidate.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
In my experiences growing up in the United States I have found that I could never be what is considered a liberal or a conservative that is portrayed by the American media. this is because All I have ever heard and seen was both sides whining about who is correct in the way the country should be governed.
I have noticed that in the mainstream media the people who claim to be "ultra conservative" act as if there is no wording stating that there is a seperation of church and state, granted that specific line does not appear in the U.S. Constitution but there is a specific line in the constitution that states that belief in religion cannot be a requirement to be nominated for or given a government job posting. In the "bill of rights" for the U.S. Constitution states that we have freedom of religion among other things in the United States.
I have also noticed that in the mainstream media that liberals are more concerned with debunking conservatives and trying to have a government that would rather have this country be a country of entitlements.
my opinion is such that I believe that if the conservatives get their way the United States will eventually be a Theocracy based in Christian teachings instead of a Democracy but at the same time if the liberals get their way we would have a country that has no soul.
there are some that feel that religion has or should have a major roll in the U.S. government, while others feel that there should be no sign of religion in the U.S. government.. Personally, I feel that since we get our code of ethics from religion, we cannot completely take out religion from government but that we should be using that code of ethics to help decide how to do something rather than legislating specific religious text into governmental law because it makes religious doctrine from a specific religion a government law that everyone has to live up to even if the people follow a different religion.
religion cannot be totally absent from the U.S. government due to the fact that we would have to ignore our ethics when dealing with how to run this country. we get our sense of ethics from religion which basically governs how we live our private lives, but religion in general doesn't always agree with nationalism depending on the circumstances.
the above are my opinions on religion and government and I will end this entry with these two things:
there are some things that are mutual between religion and government and some things that are specific to religion or to government for which we must learn the difference.
In the absence of knowledge there is misunderstanding; where there is misunderstanding, there is contention.
I have noticed that in the mainstream media the people who claim to be "ultra conservative" act as if there is no wording stating that there is a seperation of church and state, granted that specific line does not appear in the U.S. Constitution but there is a specific line in the constitution that states that belief in religion cannot be a requirement to be nominated for or given a government job posting. In the "bill of rights" for the U.S. Constitution states that we have freedom of religion among other things in the United States.
I have also noticed that in the mainstream media that liberals are more concerned with debunking conservatives and trying to have a government that would rather have this country be a country of entitlements.
my opinion is such that I believe that if the conservatives get their way the United States will eventually be a Theocracy based in Christian teachings instead of a Democracy but at the same time if the liberals get their way we would have a country that has no soul.
there are some that feel that religion has or should have a major roll in the U.S. government, while others feel that there should be no sign of religion in the U.S. government.. Personally, I feel that since we get our code of ethics from religion, we cannot completely take out religion from government but that we should be using that code of ethics to help decide how to do something rather than legislating specific religious text into governmental law because it makes religious doctrine from a specific religion a government law that everyone has to live up to even if the people follow a different religion.
religion cannot be totally absent from the U.S. government due to the fact that we would have to ignore our ethics when dealing with how to run this country. we get our sense of ethics from religion which basically governs how we live our private lives, but religion in general doesn't always agree with nationalism depending on the circumstances.
the above are my opinions on religion and government and I will end this entry with these two things:
there are some things that are mutual between religion and government and some things that are specific to religion or to government for which we must learn the difference.
In the absence of knowledge there is misunderstanding; where there is misunderstanding, there is contention.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
hopefully a viable idea for a mutual or retirement fund
Hopefully a viable idea for a mutual or retirement fund
with so many different ways that people have of trying to make money or save for retirement I wonder if anyone is doing or has tried doing the following
· open up a type of mutual fund or retirement fund and split the money between stocks and bonds at a ratio that would work best for the individual or group.
· All of the money earned in the bond market stays in bonds; a specified percentage of the money earned in stocks gets reinvested into bonds and the rest of the money gets reinvested back into stocks. Or all of the money earned getting pooled together and then the money getting distributed based on the same ratio as the vested money in the fund.
· The types of stocks that should be invested in should pay a dividend, should have a good track record of keeping their values and have a tendency of splitting after reaching a certain price range, and the bonds should have a consistant rate of return regardless of how the economy or interests rates are doing.
with so many different ways that people have of trying to make money or save for retirement I wonder if anyone is doing or has tried doing the following
· open up a type of mutual fund or retirement fund and split the money between stocks and bonds at a ratio that would work best for the individual or group.
· All of the money earned in the bond market stays in bonds; a specified percentage of the money earned in stocks gets reinvested into bonds and the rest of the money gets reinvested back into stocks. Or all of the money earned getting pooled together and then the money getting distributed based on the same ratio as the vested money in the fund.
· The types of stocks that should be invested in should pay a dividend, should have a good track record of keeping their values and have a tendency of splitting after reaching a certain price range, and the bonds should have a consistant rate of return regardless of how the economy or interests rates are doing.
U.S. Social Security Reform and Plan
Social Security Reform and Plan
Social Security as it stands right now is barely capable of doing what it was designed to do with the amount of people on it as long as the federal government uses it as a piggy bank when ever the government is strapped for cash. Unfortunately it is going to get worse due to the fact that with in the next decade or so in this country the baby boomers are going to be retiring. This means that even if the federal government stops raiding Social Security now the government will not have the money to pay the retires the money owed to them.
With in the next few years the Social Security Administration will start seeing a real short fall in money being paid into the system while seeing a marked increase in the money being paid out to people that will undoubtedly be mostly retirees requesting retirement services from the system.
This country has only been open to bringing about change when the problem comes to bite the government in the rear so to speak. The nation as a whole has to stop the politicians in the federal government from becoming complacent with such issues like social security by forcing the issue on them so they know where their constituents stand when it comes to such issues.
It is important to protect the Social Security Administration if at all possible with out privatizing the Administration. The best way is to get people involved in where their money is going after they pay into it.
Suggestions:
· Set up the Social Security Administration and all of its parts so that there cannot be any money withdrawn from Social Security that isn’t Social Security Administration related.
· Have people that are currently working directly with and that have a proven track record in the financial community as bringing retirement plans in line with the economy effectively without overtaxing the money involved.
· Find actual ways of stemming the flow of wasteful spending that is taking money away from the system and the people that actually need the money without compromising the quality of service or the amount of service that the Social Security Administration offers. Even if it means taking some or all of the bureaucracy out of the system and streamline the way the paperwork is done without compromising the system or the money being paid to the Social security administration and paid out by the social security administration.
· Institute a tax rider that would be part of the overall social security tax but instead of it being based on an individuals income, have it based on the amount that the individual already pays into the system.
· Using only the money from the tax rider, fund new ways of bringing in money for the system in various ways.
Here are some ideas on how to invest the money:
· After taking the above steps invest all invest all of the traditional tax in ways set up using the above steps.
· The money being brought into the system due to the rider split it equally between stocks and bonds.
· All of the money earned in the bond market stays in bonds; half of the money earned in stocks gets reinvested into bonds and the other half gets reinvested back into stocks.
· The types of stocks that should be invested in should pay a dividend, should have a good track record of keeping their values and have a tendency of splitting after reaching a certain price range.
Social Security as it stands right now is barely capable of doing what it was designed to do with the amount of people on it as long as the federal government uses it as a piggy bank when ever the government is strapped for cash. Unfortunately it is going to get worse due to the fact that with in the next decade or so in this country the baby boomers are going to be retiring. This means that even if the federal government stops raiding Social Security now the government will not have the money to pay the retires the money owed to them.
With in the next few years the Social Security Administration will start seeing a real short fall in money being paid into the system while seeing a marked increase in the money being paid out to people that will undoubtedly be mostly retirees requesting retirement services from the system.
This country has only been open to bringing about change when the problem comes to bite the government in the rear so to speak. The nation as a whole has to stop the politicians in the federal government from becoming complacent with such issues like social security by forcing the issue on them so they know where their constituents stand when it comes to such issues.
It is important to protect the Social Security Administration if at all possible with out privatizing the Administration. The best way is to get people involved in where their money is going after they pay into it.
Suggestions:
· Set up the Social Security Administration and all of its parts so that there cannot be any money withdrawn from Social Security that isn’t Social Security Administration related.
· Have people that are currently working directly with and that have a proven track record in the financial community as bringing retirement plans in line with the economy effectively without overtaxing the money involved.
· Find actual ways of stemming the flow of wasteful spending that is taking money away from the system and the people that actually need the money without compromising the quality of service or the amount of service that the Social Security Administration offers. Even if it means taking some or all of the bureaucracy out of the system and streamline the way the paperwork is done without compromising the system or the money being paid to the Social security administration and paid out by the social security administration.
· Institute a tax rider that would be part of the overall social security tax but instead of it being based on an individuals income, have it based on the amount that the individual already pays into the system.
· Using only the money from the tax rider, fund new ways of bringing in money for the system in various ways.
Here are some ideas on how to invest the money:
· After taking the above steps invest all invest all of the traditional tax in ways set up using the above steps.
· The money being brought into the system due to the rider split it equally between stocks and bonds.
· All of the money earned in the bond market stays in bonds; half of the money earned in stocks gets reinvested into bonds and the other half gets reinvested back into stocks.
· The types of stocks that should be invested in should pay a dividend, should have a good track record of keeping their values and have a tendency of splitting after reaching a certain price range.
Monday, April 16, 2007
an idea on outsourcing and education in the U.S.
An Idea on Outsourcing and Education
I admit I have no frame of reference when it comes to either outsourcing or education. With all this talk of outsourcing of jobs to other countries and the problems that some of the public education systems have due to money I have an idea. I don’t know if it would be a viable option or allow the school systems to be competitive in terms of bringing in money to the schools.
Do this first by looking to see if there is anything the schools can do to help with adult education needs with possibly an adult version of vocational training for a small cost that would help offset the money the costs associate with keeping the school open longer.
Then look directly at the companies that are outsourcing jobs to other countries. Do this to see which of those jobs the schools can bid on to and get to bring jobs to the school(s) to teach as a vocation or to teach skills that they can take with them to the work force. If this is possible then expand vocational training to permit the students the opportunity to be put into a job that teaches the practical real world experience needed while still in school.
If what, I am suggesting is a viable option, then how about starting “school based companies” that would be part of the school in terms of the education process. At the same time make it an independent company that is overseen by the school or school system but is open even when school is out for vacation so it stays viable and competitive. If need be, have the schools pair up with a college or university to allow college students in those fields into the program and to help with the resources associated with running such a program.
Here are some Ideas:
· Expand the concept and format of vocational education to permit teaching of the practical applications of the vocation in the work place along with the work structure and ethics. Do this by means of the creation of “school based companies” that the students can get jobs at.
· Design the curriculum so that the students that are not involved with the vocational training can get the jobs in a “school based company” that are not vocation oriented jobs. Do this so that they are taught the practical side of the curriculum so they can take those skills with them from company to company.
· Design the vocational education as a stand-alone program but that is part of the school and curriculum. Try to design it so that the students understand that the viability and the competitiveness of the program or “school based company” relies on the students ability to learn and put to use what they have learned.
· Set up multiple school based companies so that there is competition between the schools in an attempt to get the students to learn that the quality of work they are producing has a direct effect on the ability to bring in new customers and whether those customers will be repeat customers or would be willing to refer new customers to the school based company.
Where companies are looking to outsource to have potential cost savings, why not take advantage of those companies sending out jobs by trying to keep those jobs in the local area. Where schools are in the business of teaching children and young adults why not allow them to gain the practical side of what is being taught while getting a paycheck while still in school being taught the skills.
I admit I have no frame of reference when it comes to either outsourcing or education. With all this talk of outsourcing of jobs to other countries and the problems that some of the public education systems have due to money I have an idea. I don’t know if it would be a viable option or allow the school systems to be competitive in terms of bringing in money to the schools.
Do this first by looking to see if there is anything the schools can do to help with adult education needs with possibly an adult version of vocational training for a small cost that would help offset the money the costs associate with keeping the school open longer.
Then look directly at the companies that are outsourcing jobs to other countries. Do this to see which of those jobs the schools can bid on to and get to bring jobs to the school(s) to teach as a vocation or to teach skills that they can take with them to the work force. If this is possible then expand vocational training to permit the students the opportunity to be put into a job that teaches the practical real world experience needed while still in school.
If what, I am suggesting is a viable option, then how about starting “school based companies” that would be part of the school in terms of the education process. At the same time make it an independent company that is overseen by the school or school system but is open even when school is out for vacation so it stays viable and competitive. If need be, have the schools pair up with a college or university to allow college students in those fields into the program and to help with the resources associated with running such a program.
Here are some Ideas:
· Expand the concept and format of vocational education to permit teaching of the practical applications of the vocation in the work place along with the work structure and ethics. Do this by means of the creation of “school based companies” that the students can get jobs at.
· Design the curriculum so that the students that are not involved with the vocational training can get the jobs in a “school based company” that are not vocation oriented jobs. Do this so that they are taught the practical side of the curriculum so they can take those skills with them from company to company.
· Design the vocational education as a stand-alone program but that is part of the school and curriculum. Try to design it so that the students understand that the viability and the competitiveness of the program or “school based company” relies on the students ability to learn and put to use what they have learned.
· Set up multiple school based companies so that there is competition between the schools in an attempt to get the students to learn that the quality of work they are producing has a direct effect on the ability to bring in new customers and whether those customers will be repeat customers or would be willing to refer new customers to the school based company.
Where companies are looking to outsource to have potential cost savings, why not take advantage of those companies sending out jobs by trying to keep those jobs in the local area. Where schools are in the business of teaching children and young adults why not allow them to gain the practical side of what is being taught while getting a paycheck while still in school being taught the skills.
Sunday, April 15, 2007
there is no easy way out of Iraq
Regardless of what went on concerning Iraq and the months leading up to our Invasion of Iraq, I feel that the decision to invade was forced down the Senates throat. I have thought that from the start of President Bush pushing for the war with Iraq based on CIA information that had been presented to him concerning Iraq. If the media outlets are correct and I stress if they are correct then the CIA had asked President Bush to hold off on asking for a declaration of war so that way the agency could verify the intelligence in the report that went to his desk.
Now that we have been there for four years there is no easy way out of Iraq because the innocent people trying to live their daily lives don't deserve to have their country occupied but at the same time there are people who are hiding behind the dominate religion there and they are also perverting it to get people to do their bidding that would seize control of the country.
If you notice the masterminds behind the perversions that they are perpetrating onto the religion are not the ones going off and killing themselves to prove their point they are using the people hat they had sucked into the mess to kill themselves after getting them to believe that it is the only way to attain the goals of the masterminds behind the attacks.
I do not blame the religion, I blame the individuals that are perverting the religion to fit their agenda's. We cannot resolve the issues unless we can negate the religion factor in the whole situation.
Now that we have been there for four years there is no easy way out of Iraq because the innocent people trying to live their daily lives don't deserve to have their country occupied but at the same time there are people who are hiding behind the dominate religion there and they are also perverting it to get people to do their bidding that would seize control of the country.
If you notice the masterminds behind the perversions that they are perpetrating onto the religion are not the ones going off and killing themselves to prove their point they are using the people hat they had sucked into the mess to kill themselves after getting them to believe that it is the only way to attain the goals of the masterminds behind the attacks.
I do not blame the religion, I blame the individuals that are perverting the religion to fit their agenda's. We cannot resolve the issues unless we can negate the religion factor in the whole situation.
Education reforms I would like to see in th U.S.
Education reform
The state and federal governments require that the teachers teach but they are too far removed from the classroom to understand that in some areas it is easier to teach the students than others.
The education process should be in the hands of the people that have to deal directly with the teachers, the students and their parents on a regular basis to be able to get a feel for what works in that school or community. Understandably there has to be some standardization to education at the same time there should not necessarily be a standardized way of teaching. This is due to the fact that not every student has the ability to be taught in one specific way of teaching. The education system is failing the students that lack the ability to learn in the accepted way of teaching. By no means am I saying that all failing students are children that have problems learning, you also have children that don’t care to learn for one reason or another.
Suggestions:
· Fund the education system without just blindly throwing good money after bad. When funding the system place the funding where and when needed not blanket the system.
· Let the individual schools and the teachers in those schools help in the decision making process on what to teach and how to teach it. Some schools need to be more creative than others are when it comes to teaching.
· Get the parents involved in the curriculum so that they know what to expect from the schools so that they have an understanding of what their children are being taught. Getting them involved can be beneficial to the student and their parents especially if the parents are willing to and have the time to take an active role in their child’s education.
· Assess the student body of each school by specifically looking at the types of requirements that each school has in teaching the students. Look at the students attendance, class work, discipline, teacher given tests, standardized state tests, their temperament, their willingness to take part in their education along with how fast they learn and under what circumstances do they learn easier an have problems learning. After looking into these, then change the things that are causing problems if possible.
· Stream line the education process by having only certified educators that are still actively teaching that haven’t lost touch with the needs of the students, the teachers and the schools in charge of the education departments on the state and federal government level. Also untie the educators by taking away the bureaucratic red tape that slows down the process and that costs money due to slowing down the education process because of people dragging their feet.
· Get companies to take a pro-active roll in the education of the students financially and through workers contributing time and effort to the schools due to them having the most to gain and loose from the education process doing its job or lack there of. Companies still need a workforce and if the potential workers haven’t received adequate education to qualify for the jobs then they have no one to produce the products or services offered by the companies.
For higher education, the people who wish to go to college should not be penalized for a lack of funds to attend college and should be able to qualify for financial aid even if it means basing it on these,
· Income level of the parents/guardians or the students
· Grades of the student
· College/University eligibility for schools based on grades and SATs
· Location and cost for the schools of choice based on eligibility
· Years needed for course completion
· Willingness of the student to help payback the financial aid in other ways i.e. working at the school or volunteering in the students’ free time while enrolled in school.
You can find a fish for someone, then they eat for a day; teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.
The state and federal governments require that the teachers teach but they are too far removed from the classroom to understand that in some areas it is easier to teach the students than others.
The education process should be in the hands of the people that have to deal directly with the teachers, the students and their parents on a regular basis to be able to get a feel for what works in that school or community. Understandably there has to be some standardization to education at the same time there should not necessarily be a standardized way of teaching. This is due to the fact that not every student has the ability to be taught in one specific way of teaching. The education system is failing the students that lack the ability to learn in the accepted way of teaching. By no means am I saying that all failing students are children that have problems learning, you also have children that don’t care to learn for one reason or another.
Suggestions:
· Fund the education system without just blindly throwing good money after bad. When funding the system place the funding where and when needed not blanket the system.
· Let the individual schools and the teachers in those schools help in the decision making process on what to teach and how to teach it. Some schools need to be more creative than others are when it comes to teaching.
· Get the parents involved in the curriculum so that they know what to expect from the schools so that they have an understanding of what their children are being taught. Getting them involved can be beneficial to the student and their parents especially if the parents are willing to and have the time to take an active role in their child’s education.
· Assess the student body of each school by specifically looking at the types of requirements that each school has in teaching the students. Look at the students attendance, class work, discipline, teacher given tests, standardized state tests, their temperament, their willingness to take part in their education along with how fast they learn and under what circumstances do they learn easier an have problems learning. After looking into these, then change the things that are causing problems if possible.
· Stream line the education process by having only certified educators that are still actively teaching that haven’t lost touch with the needs of the students, the teachers and the schools in charge of the education departments on the state and federal government level. Also untie the educators by taking away the bureaucratic red tape that slows down the process and that costs money due to slowing down the education process because of people dragging their feet.
· Get companies to take a pro-active roll in the education of the students financially and through workers contributing time and effort to the schools due to them having the most to gain and loose from the education process doing its job or lack there of. Companies still need a workforce and if the potential workers haven’t received adequate education to qualify for the jobs then they have no one to produce the products or services offered by the companies.
For higher education, the people who wish to go to college should not be penalized for a lack of funds to attend college and should be able to qualify for financial aid even if it means basing it on these,
· Income level of the parents/guardians or the students
· Grades of the student
· College/University eligibility for schools based on grades and SATs
· Location and cost for the schools of choice based on eligibility
· Years needed for course completion
· Willingness of the student to help payback the financial aid in other ways i.e. working at the school or volunteering in the students’ free time while enrolled in school.
You can find a fish for someone, then they eat for a day; teach them to fish and they eat for a lifetime.
health care reform
Health care reform
In my opinion there is at times more management than care in managed care. At least that is the way it looks when you talk to the patients and the doctors. I understand that there has to be some degree of management in healthcare to make it cost effective. At the same time there should not be such a degree of management that it compromises the health of the patients and the viability of the doctors office. The health care system does need help but no one seems to want to take a good hard look at the healthcare system as a whole and then look at what needs to be done to fix the system.
Suggestions:
There are many things that factor into the costs associated with medical care ranging from preventative care all the way to major medical services. Things such as,
· Pharmaceutical companies should start a research library/clearinghouse so that way they can share information so that way the same exact research isn’t duplicated many times on the same compounds to save both time and money. At the same allowing other pharmaceutical companies to do research on the same compounds whether it be in a new direction for the same condition or for a total different condition as long as the proper proprietary are established.
· Prescription drugs should be stabilized and standardized to prevent people from buying those same prescription drugs that are far cheaper from other countries so that they can afford them.
· Find ways of getting the uninsured or underinsured to utilize preventative care rather than using the emergency room as their doctors office. This would include finding out why the uninsured and underinsured prefer the emergency room over having a primary care doctor that could prevent many of the emergency room visits for minor things that a primary care doctor could have dealt with.
· In areas where it’s gotten noticeably cheaper to provide those services, find ways of getting those service providers to bring down the prices that the patients and the insurance companies pay while making sure the providers are still able to provide the services and make a living.
· Look at the managed care industry as a whole to see what is right with the healthcare industry.
· Going Company by company, look at how much of the care they are providing matches up with the findings for the industry as a whole.
· After finding what is right then tackle what is wrong with the healthcare industry with going to the doctors and patients to get their opinions on how to fix what is wrong with the industry as a whole. With this I mean ask two very specific questions that will hopefully get very specific answers that are detailed enough to get what’s needed done for the patients and doctors.
· Going question by question, see how closely the answers from the doctors and the answers from the patients match up. After that if there is enough answers that are closely related then try to implement new guidelines for the industry based on the findings if possible without hurting the patients, the doctors or the providers of the healthcare industry.
Here are the questions I was mentioning.
· Is there anything listed in the findings listed as being flawed, inadequate and etc… that has the ability of being changed so that can do what it was meant to do and if so can you elaborate on in what ways?
· If there is anything that cannot be changed enough to do what it was intended then should it completely taken out and if so can you suggest or help with new rules and guidelines that would be capable of replacing the out going rule or guideline with making sure that the intended job can be done?
In my opinion there is at times more management than care in managed care. At least that is the way it looks when you talk to the patients and the doctors. I understand that there has to be some degree of management in healthcare to make it cost effective. At the same time there should not be such a degree of management that it compromises the health of the patients and the viability of the doctors office. The health care system does need help but no one seems to want to take a good hard look at the healthcare system as a whole and then look at what needs to be done to fix the system.
Suggestions:
There are many things that factor into the costs associated with medical care ranging from preventative care all the way to major medical services. Things such as,
· Pharmaceutical companies should start a research library/clearinghouse so that way they can share information so that way the same exact research isn’t duplicated many times on the same compounds to save both time and money. At the same allowing other pharmaceutical companies to do research on the same compounds whether it be in a new direction for the same condition or for a total different condition as long as the proper proprietary are established.
· Prescription drugs should be stabilized and standardized to prevent people from buying those same prescription drugs that are far cheaper from other countries so that they can afford them.
· Find ways of getting the uninsured or underinsured to utilize preventative care rather than using the emergency room as their doctors office. This would include finding out why the uninsured and underinsured prefer the emergency room over having a primary care doctor that could prevent many of the emergency room visits for minor things that a primary care doctor could have dealt with.
· In areas where it’s gotten noticeably cheaper to provide those services, find ways of getting those service providers to bring down the prices that the patients and the insurance companies pay while making sure the providers are still able to provide the services and make a living.
· Look at the managed care industry as a whole to see what is right with the healthcare industry.
· Going Company by company, look at how much of the care they are providing matches up with the findings for the industry as a whole.
· After finding what is right then tackle what is wrong with the healthcare industry with going to the doctors and patients to get their opinions on how to fix what is wrong with the industry as a whole. With this I mean ask two very specific questions that will hopefully get very specific answers that are detailed enough to get what’s needed done for the patients and doctors.
· Going question by question, see how closely the answers from the doctors and the answers from the patients match up. After that if there is enough answers that are closely related then try to implement new guidelines for the industry based on the findings if possible without hurting the patients, the doctors or the providers of the healthcare industry.
Here are the questions I was mentioning.
· Is there anything listed in the findings listed as being flawed, inadequate and etc… that has the ability of being changed so that can do what it was meant to do and if so can you elaborate on in what ways?
· If there is anything that cannot be changed enough to do what it was intended then should it completely taken out and if so can you suggest or help with new rules and guidelines that would be capable of replacing the out going rule or guideline with making sure that the intended job can be done?
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Water desalinization and water pipeline
I did this up a couple months ago and sent it out to a few places, that included President Bush, The U.N. and even a section of the company Virgin which runs the Virgin Atlantic Airlines because they were looking for ideas for a couple things. The only response came from Virgin and it stated that it was an interesting proposal worth looking into but it wasn't the direction they were looking for. well here is what I sent them:
Water desalinization and water pipeline
When it comes to bringing clean drinkable water to people who need it, in an attempt to get around the geographical barriers like mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains of North America, and the mountain range that goes down the western side of the African continent that has made much of the African continent desert I hope this is a workable idea that could be used but the people that have the capability to get it done.
My suggestions:
Build water desalinization plants at various points along the coast line that utilize a siphon for the intake of salt water and outflow of fresh water with turbines like those for damns but designed to be used with a siphon instead of gravity to supplement the needed power to desalinate the water, and if the climate permits utilize solar and/or wind power to help supplement the needed power. The water desalinization plants should not be restricted to one side of the continent but rather the coast line in general.
Where there is a mountain range that block the rain clouds from moving past a certain point on the west coast of the African continent and a mountain range limiting the amount of rain to certain parts of the Mid Western part of the United States, use tunnel boring machines at the closest points in those mountain ranges to the water desalinization plants to permit water pipelines to go directly from the water desalinization plants to the other side of the mountain ranges.
With regards to the placement of the placement of each desalinization plant and pipeline tunnel look at all of the geographical and weather pattern data to determine where to place both of them to be the most beneficial. After the primary placement of each is determined, go to the locality with what you would like to do and tout the benefits of the building of, the running of and the maintaining of the facilities would provide to that locality such as an influx of jobs, money and possibly more available fresh water for that locality.
Bring on board the municipalities that would be effected by the process beyond where the plants are built and tunnels dug, and bring on board companies that would benefit from putting their resources to work for each project, that would be willing to help the people who live in the effected areas with dealing with a change in their way of life due to the whole process start to finish. This would include areas where it would be able to rain that had not seen rain in many generations.
Water desalinization and water pipeline
When it comes to bringing clean drinkable water to people who need it, in an attempt to get around the geographical barriers like mountain ranges such as the Rocky Mountains of North America, and the mountain range that goes down the western side of the African continent that has made much of the African continent desert I hope this is a workable idea that could be used but the people that have the capability to get it done.
My suggestions:
Build water desalinization plants at various points along the coast line that utilize a siphon for the intake of salt water and outflow of fresh water with turbines like those for damns but designed to be used with a siphon instead of gravity to supplement the needed power to desalinate the water, and if the climate permits utilize solar and/or wind power to help supplement the needed power. The water desalinization plants should not be restricted to one side of the continent but rather the coast line in general.
Where there is a mountain range that block the rain clouds from moving past a certain point on the west coast of the African continent and a mountain range limiting the amount of rain to certain parts of the Mid Western part of the United States, use tunnel boring machines at the closest points in those mountain ranges to the water desalinization plants to permit water pipelines to go directly from the water desalinization plants to the other side of the mountain ranges.
With regards to the placement of the placement of each desalinization plant and pipeline tunnel look at all of the geographical and weather pattern data to determine where to place both of them to be the most beneficial. After the primary placement of each is determined, go to the locality with what you would like to do and tout the benefits of the building of, the running of and the maintaining of the facilities would provide to that locality such as an influx of jobs, money and possibly more available fresh water for that locality.
Bring on board the municipalities that would be effected by the process beyond where the plants are built and tunnels dug, and bring on board companies that would benefit from putting their resources to work for each project, that would be willing to help the people who live in the effected areas with dealing with a change in their way of life due to the whole process start to finish. This would include areas where it would be able to rain that had not seen rain in many generations.
my first posting to explain what to expect on this blog
Since the 2000 presidential campaign in the United States I have been trying to send both nationally and locally elected politicians ideas I have had concerning everything from education to taxes. I have also had a couple ideas that are not United States specific on a couple different world issues.
I have also had some commentary with some of the commentary that has been published in a local paper that I will share here. I would like to invite anyone who reads my ideas and commentary to leave comments as long as they stay on topic for the specific blog and is not derogatory.
I have also had some commentary with some of the commentary that has been published in a local paper that I will share here. I would like to invite anyone who reads my ideas and commentary to leave comments as long as they stay on topic for the specific blog and is not derogatory.
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