Instead of people complaining about immigration we should prioritize immigration to resolve the unmet needs of the country.  For instance we need Primary Care doctors, so let any trained doctor from a preapproved school in the world be able to immigrate to the USA.  Provide citizens of Mexico with the list of preapproved qualifications that would allow them to enter the USA and become citizens. 

 It is about working together to jointly resolve issues effecting each country.  Stop the guessing and make it clear what the USA wants for skills.

Cartoon by Jessamyn 

Nonprofits can lead the way how to conduct business on line. 

Charitable mission driven.

Positive effect towards cause.

It is not only being polite but conducting oneself for the well being of the country.  Wall Street needs to remember that if it is harmful, do not even think about doing it.

cartoon by Saturnnight

Russia invaded the country of Georgia
Georgia attacked one of its autonomous enclave regions
China invaded Tibet
Argentina invaded the Falklands
Ethnic cleansing in Kosovo
Ethnic cleansing in Darfur
Greece invades Cyprus
USA invades Iraq
USA invades Afghanistan
Iraq invades Kuwait
The list can be as long as you wish it to be.

What is the focus to use boycotting?
What is the mission and vision towards the effort of implementing a boycott?
What is the likely effectiveness of a boycott?

What is the incentive for a nonprofit to join the cause?

If it is about making a point and using resources that do not promote the health of the organization than think twice before directing resources towards the effort.

pic by D Coops

Access to knowledge means access to better pricing and value.  The Brookings Institute projects for every percentage point of broadband penetration creates .2% to .3% of jobs per year nationally, approximately 300,000 jobs.  The USA is currently 15th in broadband penetration.  Just think of the number of jobs which would be created to get to number 1.

I would propose that in order to truly support Education for all that cheap/free Internet it is necessary to allow online learning.  Online learning cuts the costs to provide education, provides unlimited access and is expandable in scope for both numbers and variety.  Access to subject matter should not no longer be limited to those whom can schedule their time around the teacher to be physically in a classroom or to compete to register.

But remember to allow time for sleeping.

pic by Toban Black

Two energy sources that have a distinct advantage over any other are Solar and Geothermal.

Solar is especially useful for cooling on those hot summer days when electricity demand is at its peak.

Geothermal brings the earth’s consistent temperature to a bearable, cool or warm.

Limit carbons with a tax and allow a “Cap and Trade Auction”.  Use these resources for the increasing of the reliable Solar and Geothermal which is renewable and steady.  Start with grants for the conversion of government facilities, next nonprofits and ultimately whole communities.

Invest in lowering an organization’s cost and impact on the plant.   Companies do not pollute, the people who run companies pollute!!

Turn alternative energy from speculation into found money due to long term savings.

pic by Bensheldon

Economic Downturns are times to create opportunities of reflection and retooling of a business.

What is your mission?
What is your vision?
What is your targeted population?
What does the targeted population need and at what price?
Where does the money go?
What outcome occurs because of said expenditure?

People by nature do not like Change.
Economic downturns force decisions that should have been made in years past.

Business 101 “Evolve or Die”

(pic by Robin Hutton)

Time to solve the problem everywhere.

The Massachusetts eHealth Collaborative has been providing a great role in the implementation of electronic health records.  While it is not an internet solution, it is a solution that is the best avenue to start with.  The evolution of the internet electronic record and the interchanging for billing multi entities will continue in the short term to be prone to glitches until such time that the government creates a standard.  The con to using the internet for an online standard electronic record is the fact that the more that each business uses the internet for their record keeping, the more risk for external disruption to occur.  I can remember no matter what company I have worked for both big and small, the more I am competing with others over the internet the more problems I have experienced about being able to access a site timing, being disconnected in the middle of a transaction, transaction time being too slow, not receiving a confirmation that the transaction took place, and etc. and etc. and etc.

I feel that the best solution is a balance between site control of ones patient data and the interfacing of said data into the larger internet pool government database held on behalf of the country.

The key outcomes which I expect will be more measurable are:

Treatments and price
Treatments and results
The likelihood for success
Trends

The result must be an increase in life expectancy in portion to the amount spent on GDP for health care as compared to other industrial nations.  It is time to improve or drop spending.  The USA health care results are a failure when compared to the amount of GDP the USA is spending to other industrial countries. The USA is way over priced for the same outcomes.

Many nonprofit Health care providers are part of the problem.  Their measuring of effectiveness and efficiency of costs has been lost.  It is time to remember the mission and definition of nonprofit.  It is time to be part of the solution and not the problem.

I foresee a fundamental change in Health Care delivery over the next five years.

cartoon by robinson geoft

Nonprofits should build around hubs of transportation.  Smart growth

Wireless:  The technology for Satellite web access is not affordable but it is available.  The costs for the level of web access to take classes on line is not necessarily cheap especially when you include taxes.   Therefore, why not treat this access for areas where land lines are not available for the broadband download speed to take classes on line as the measure.  As a person who lives in the mountains part time I have to drive to the public library in an adjoining town to be able to send my emails, conduct stock trades, conduct business, conduct research, order materials, etc.  This lack of web access prohibits my business from taking advantage of the many individuals who could work from home for our  outsourcing company.  It is critical and cost effective to log into the main server of the company to share information and have a centralized operation that is not dependent on the employee always having to be on-site.  I am able to have employees more productive instead of in a car traveling for the need to sit in front of a computer to conduct their work.  Being billable makes money for the company that pays a persons compensation and an employees being with their defined family usually makes a healthier, happier employee.

cartoon by M1khaela

Identify the specific behaviors that you want to change?
Identify who has control of which component of the behavior?
Identify the factors that will influence broad base behavior changes?

Reduction of fossil fuel use
Funding public transportation
Funding alternative energy projects
Funding weatherization
Funding fuel assistance (Purchase via bulk at a state level)