Tuesday, January 8, 2013

THE BIG ISSUES OF 2013


I will turn 80 in February. And I am enjoying the good life! And I am looking forward to my new car, a ………………
My goals for Activities for Learning is to develop and evaluate a automated order taking system using a iPad for conventions, implement stage one of 3D printing and  improve the accounting system.
I have rented .06 acres of land from Andy and Irene to plant four varieties of sweet corn, 65 day, 75 day, 85 day and 95 day. I have offered them $16.50 which comes to about $300 per acre. Mike Genelin, Irene’s father, has offered to be my partner and will be paid in sweet corn. Mike and I will build a one row planter, using a “recovered from the grove” JD 71 planter unit, mounted on Andy’s hi-crop Yanmar. I haven’t told him about ridge tilling and irrigation plans yet.
There are some very serious problems that I will track and comment as 2013 plays out. They are the national debt, entitlements, the environment, and energy.
The national debt needs a systematic solution, not a cut and slash. Reducing the debt is very complex. For every domestic cut, means someone will lose a job. That job lose could turn the economy into another recession. Increasing the debt willy-nilly will cause investors to lose confidence and cause another recession. For every cut in foreign spending will have opposition. The first step is get out of Afganistan.
There are ways to reduce the debt, but it will require education, change, education and more change. (see December 25 post). Much more will be covered in a later post.
Entitlements will have to be cut. More on this subject in later posts.
Protecting our environment has to rise in our priority list. Global warming will have little adverse affect on me, but it will be a major concern for Carson, my one year old great grandson. Changes made in the way we live will require change in many ways. It will redistribute wealth in ways not imagined now and will change the function of government. A major topic of discussion needs to be held in upcoming years and resulting change in the way we live. The solutions will develop around these five words: Recycle, reuse, refuse, research, and reduce.