Environment - Compelled to Move Forward

September 15, 2023September 24, 2023

RESPONDING TO GLOBAL WARMING

Given the extreme heat we’ve endured, beach water that’s become as warm as a bathtub, smoke from massive wildfires, and a substantial increase in flash and hurricane flooding, hopefully those still dismissing global warming or calling it a hoax are few and far between. With climate change now beginning to bite into our lives, all are now able to see the earth’s response to the pollution we’ve poured into it and are without excuse. Just as CS Lewis explained how “God whispers to us in our pleasures, …but shouts in our pain”, hopefully we can now hear the earth screaming at us over the damage we’ve done, continue to do, and the need to change.

September 30, 2022September 30, 2022

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A REPUBLICAN?

As a conservative and Republican for over 40 years, given the unraveling of the Republican Party over the last six years, and the upcoming elections, perhaps it would be of some value to recall the core values the Republican Party was built on and how most current Republican politicians measure up to those values.

July 13, 2022August 4, 2022

HOPE IS A VERB

Hope. It’s as essential as the air we breathe. And yet, here in America, in a land full of plenty and potential, in so many ways, it often feels like we are trying to run on some residual whiffs of hope. Daily, we struggle to cope with surging inflation, hear news about labor and supply shortages, and witness rising divisions among us, but rarely do we hear or speak of a more ephemeral, a more serious thinning of confidence and hope. Given the strength, scale and persistence of problems like racism, income and wealth inequality, global warming, crime and social strife, and political discord perhaps it shouldn’t be surprising that many feel beaten down, hoping for a silver bullet from somewhere, and eager to support pundits that might look like a political savior.

August 14, 2021September 23, 2021

HOW CAN EACH OF US DO OUR PART?

Given that global warming and catastrophic climate events now overshadow every part of our nation, and at an accelerating frequency and intensity, it is a relief to see we are finally being led to address this unfolding crisis. A few may be inclined to say “so what?”, but I’m hopeful most of us care deeply about those currently suffering from the devastating effects of climate change, as well as leaving our children and grandchildren a world that’s not an environmental and economic disaster.

July 17, 2021November 20, 2021

THE TIME HAS COME TO ADJUST THE BASIS FOR TAXES

Given the accelerating momentum of climate change and its devastating effects, perhaps the time has come to incentify addressing this crisis through a tax increase on fuel consumption married to a decrease in income taxes. Given that taxes not only fund the government but are often used to influence behavior, should we continue to tax work and career advancement, which I believe we want to incentify, while leaving taxation of a product that is destroying our environment artificially low?

May 17, 2021May 19, 2021

HAVE WE FORGOTTEN THE IMPORTANCE OF INVESTING?

As an Armenian, engrained within me is a culture centered on a dedication to family, faith and future generations. Given that Armenians have been a tiny population for centuries, the importance of self-sacrifice for future generations has always been an essential element of our lives and survival as a people. When that dedication to future generations and pride in what our grandparents built and gave us, meets much of current public policy and business aggression focused on the short-term, it is easy to be disappointed in how we’ve allowed the importance of investing to drift away from us.

August 20, 2020August 20, 2020

FALSE CHOICES AND LABELING

One aspect of American culture that has often surprised me is our tendency to put people into camps. You either believe in creation or evolution. You believe in a women’s right to choose or the right to life. You believe wearing a mask is imperative or it doesn’t matter. You either support Trump or you’re a “Trump-hater”. You predominantly support black lives matter or blue lives matter. You believe we must focus on growing the economy or protecting the environment. You believe “taking a knee” is a fit means of protesting police brutality or it’s disrespectful of our flag and country. You’re either part of the radical left or the far-right. This tendency to label and place others in camps has clearly grown with the rise of social media, news programming and divisive political rhetoric. Let me suggest that if we genuinely want to make meaningful progress on issues of faith, race, income inequality, healthcare, abortion, our environment, and education, it is imperative that we become purposeful in turning away from false choices and all the labels flying about, and look in earnest for just, pragmatic and compassionate solutions.

June 7, 2020June 26, 2020

CONSUMPTION VS CONSTRUCTION

Considering the accelerating decline of our nation, particularly as a pandemic, severe economic downturn and social unrest grip our nation, it occurs to me that what differentiates today from the 1930s is that our government is leading us further and further into consumption as a solution to what ails us verses constructively addressing the challenges before us.

March 23, 2020March 28, 2020

STRATEGIC INVESTING FOR A SUSTAINABLE RECOVERY

While our “leaders” in Washington and across much of corporate America have earned a torrent of disdain for what they have done and failed to do, given that such would produce little good, let me suggest as we wait to come out of this health crisis, we begin to look across the valley and set our sights on how to rebuild our economy. While politicians in Washington franticly enact one short term stimulus package after another, strategic investments should be funded to not only stimulate the economy in the short term but provide long term benefits for generations to come.

November 7, 2019November 18, 2019

COMPASSION IN GOVERNANCE?

I’ve never been one of the sharper pencils in the box, but something that has perplexed me over the last three years is the support so many friends and colleagues have extended to Donald Trump and his policies. The Trump supporters I speak of are intelligent people of good will, whom I respect. And yet, one question continually confounds me: If you saw a man abusing women and children or an elderly person somewhere in public, would you not step in and do your utmost to stop it? I’m confident everyone I know would. And yet, for reasons apparently beyond me, people continue to support Trump despite a wealth of speech and conduct that runs counter to the values they espouse, and clear evidence that he drives policies that hurt millions of innocent people. Here are a few examples for your consideration.