Solar power

In Jan 2000, California mandated that all new houses must have solar panels. These had a favorable cost/benefit ratio because the excess power could be sold back to the power company. A new innovation which combined solar panels with roofing tiles allowed easy and inexpensive installation. The new company was set up in 2022 and could produce enough solar/roof panels for all new housing. Then in 2023 the state reduced the amount paid for the return of unused power by 75%. This upset the return on investment to the point where new sales dropped by 80% and the company moved to Texas. The result was 17,000 jobs lost in the solar panel industry because of the manufacture of panels included many other industries to provide needed materials. In Texas the buy back by electric companies remained but an added bonus was that California had 30 cent power cost vs Texas at 9 cents and California had an 8.8% corporate tax along with a 13% income tax and Texas had neither. The new plant in Texas at 450,000 sq ft is six times larger than the California plant and the company is investing $100 million dollars.

Iran

When the Syrian government of Assad collapsed in late 2024 this closed the door to Iran’s sending weapons to Hezbollah and when Israel attacked the groups leaders with exploding cell phones the whole organization came undone. Next Israel destroyed the air defenses over Iran and this was followed up with the US demolishing Iran’s nuclear facilities. The Houthis are no longer blocking the Red Sea and Hamas is just about gone. This opens the door for the Abaham Accords to unite the Arab oil countries led by Saudi Arabia with Israel in a joint effort to rebuild Gaza using oil money, Israeli contractors and Palestinian labor. This would be the first step toward a two-state solution and a lasting peace in the Middle East. The only thing that remains is the need for a new government in Iran and that is currently underway.

Healthcare cost

Trump has turned away from big insurance companies and proposed that health savings accounts be set up, to receive subsidy funds to pay for healthcare for those on Obamacare, who receive subsidies. In 2024 the government sent $125 billion to insurance companies to cover the 24 million who receive subsidies. This $5,600 per person will be used to cover most of the monthly premiums which average $900 per year and deductibles of $7,000. This account will build each year. In addition, Trump has pushed drug companies to lower price to what foreign countries pay and demanding transparency from all medical groups. How insurance companies deal with this is yet to be determined but most likely they will raise premiums and deductibles. Everyone is looking for ways to lower cost but as long as the medical field keeps coming up with new ways to deal with illness the prices will keep rising. One thing that can help is changing life styles by eating proper foods in the right amount, stop smoking both cigarettes and pot, exercise and use alcohol in moderation. Add to that getting proper rest and living with less stress. Improving physical health improves mental and emotional health.

Protest

Peaceful protest is a time-honored method to voice objections to government. It brings attention to the matter at hand. Sometimes some violence erupts and that brings further attention and can help the cause. In time if violence becomes more prevalent then the cause may suffer and ordinary citizens turn away from the protesters. The case in Minneapolis illustrates the point. What started out as carrying signs and voicing dissent has moved toward attacking vehicles and law enforcement. If this continues to escalate it will hurt the cause of the protesters. If elected officials denounce violence when it first starts it will often subside but when they are silent or in some cases approve then things tend to get out of hand.

WEF

Most people now agree that Trump is a disruptive force. He began by turning the republican party on its head, followed up with changing the bureaucratic establishment and then challenging the world order. He spoke to the UN and to the World Economic Forum (WEF) in harsh terms saying it was America First advocating deregulation, low taxes and fair trade. He let the EU know that the US would no longer be paying for their defense. Recall that the WEF is a group of rich and influential people, mostly men, who meet in Davos, Switzerland to defend globalism and Trump is the ultimate anti-globalist. These elites have been running the world for the past 60 years but their power has been challenged by Trump. The status quo people in the US government bureaucracy, the UN, the WEF, NATO and the EU are being forced to change and they are not happy. Whether this results in long term changes or goes back to the old ways when Trump leaves remains to be seen. If the changes result in bettering the working class, then things might become permanent.

MN

Not all liberal states are equal. Take California vs Minnesota. California MN State income tax 13.3 9.85 Homeless 47 per 10,000 14 per 10,000 State debt $68 billion $2 billion Illegal migrants 2.3 million 130,000 State sales tax 7.25 6.75 House cost $870,000 $350,000 Cost of electricity 32 cents/kWh 16 cents Gasoline $4.20 $2.80 Income gap 7th highest 42nd highest Population losing gaining Education Ranks 32nd Ranks 2nd

Believe

When a new story hits, the rational people wait to get the facts before voicing an opinion but they are crowded out by the first responders who know full well that the first report will set the agenda. If you have a dog in the fight you want to get your version out immediately and worry about accuracy later. This is the way the modern information system works; thus, the logical thinking people are left in the dust. All too often years later it remains unclear just what happened. Once people choose a side they are loathed to accept new information contrary to what they believe.