Here are five things that caught my attention!
Progress: I love the outdoors and I love public parks. Two years ago, I had a vision to expand a large section of our downtown waterfront park. I wanted to take an underutilized section and add a t-ball field, dog park, outdoor basketball, pickleball and more! We are breaking ground and moving forward! The new amenities will be open this year. This is in addition to my chess tables which are already up:)
Deeper dive: I’ve shared thoughts about inflation before and Joe Biden’s hot mike moment helped highlight how real and pressing it is, but like many things this issue hits the working class much harder. If the price of a gallon of milk jumps from $3.50 to $4.50, whether you’re rich or poor you’re still buying the gallon of milk, but that price jump hurts working families and the middle class more than wealthy ones. There’s a consumer behavior dimension to this as well -- online shoppers, who tend to be higher income, face lower inflation. Economist Austan Goolsbee makes these points in a recent op-ed, and says government agencies should be disaggregating data on how inflation is disproportionately impacting the non-rich. Agencies already have all the resources to be able to provide this information and this data could inform smarter, more efficient policymaking.
Jetpacks: Check out this unbelievable, real video of British Royal Marines using jetpacks to fly through the air to board ships at high speed. You have to hand it to the brits in embracing their inner Tony Stark!
Clean Energy and Good Jobs: A lot of folks are rightfully frustrated with Washington’s lack of progress on the Build Back Better Act (BBB) and its provisions for affordable child care, prescription drugs, and clean energy. And that last point -- clean energy -- seems to be the major sticking point for Senator Joe Machin (D-WV). West Virginia’s a coal state, and transitioning away from coal puts thousands of West Virginia jobs in jeopardy, or so the conventional thinking goes. Except that the coal miners unions came out in strong support of the BBB. They know that with a thoughtful just transition we can transition coal jobs into good, middle class, union jobs in the renewable energy sector. So, it is less about the workers and more about the coal mining industry. Here’s a great piece that explains the dynamic and shows that it’s possible to advance a worker goal and environmental goal together. I also highly recommend the documentary “Harlan County USA,” which will share a vivid story of the struggles of coal miners over the years.
Show I Recommend: No surprise that Yellowstone is the number one show on television, because some time back I recommended it here in Fletcher Friday Five:) Now, I’m telling you the truly best show on TV is 1883. It is a Yellowstone origin story of the journey west for immigrants, dreamers and the Dutton family. Check it out—you won’t be disappointed.