Enjoy some fireworks, good cheer and good friends, but remember how we got here.  I was recently in Philadelphia for a conference and had the opportunity to go to Independence Hall, the Museum of the American Revolution and other sites of relevance from our founding fathers.  They had pretty serious troubles in those days and they had the audacity to think they could break from the norms of the time to govern themselves. Their own neighbors often did not agree with them, and did not think that this thinking was going to end in anything useful.  they were fighting the greatest empire known to man.  The revolution was by no means unanimous our forefathers.  Nor were the ideas in the Constitution fully developed.  Southern states only would sign of in slavery was permitted and slaves counted at 3/5 of a person.  How much did that thinking hold them back?  Clearly many did not agree with this and many other “status quo” ideas.  Go, read, understand, what they were trying to do. Crazy for the time.

http://www.governing.com/topics/finance/gov-illinois-budget-rauner.html

Upcoming is a discussion I am preparing on ongoing fiscal issues.  Alaska is a perfect example of complete failure to be responsible..

http://www.governing.com/week-in-finance/gov-finance-roundup-alaska-medicaid-puerto-rico.html?utm_term=Keep%20Reading%20%3E%3E&utm_campaign=Alaska%20Avoids%20Its%20Problems%2C%20More%20Health-Care%20Pain%20and%20Municipal%20Defaults%20Are%20Up&utm_content=email&utm_source=Act-On+Software&utm_medium=email#continued

And then there is Puerto Rico. (see end of the article.  Better be careful where you invest your “safe” dollars.

Apparently it can be too hot to fly.  The runway in Phoenix is too short to allow planes to take off when the temperature is too high.  and with 120 degree temperature – well-  See for yourself.  Scary….

https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/nation-now/2017/06/19/its-so-hot-phoenix-they-cant-fly-planes/410766001/

The following link is a study done by Elizabeth Mack at Michigan State University.  One of teh issues that arises is that in many places, especially rural places, affordability of water services may be a future challenge.  It is an issue i spent some time talking about in my forthcoming book.  I think this article expands on that idea.  The threshold is 4.5% of monthly income for water and sewer services.  If you have a good income, this is not a problem, and you can afford to pay for the many upgrades needed.  If you live in an area that is far more challenged with joblessness and low incomes (the South, rural areas, then the need to pay for upgrades and renewal will be more difficult.  The map shows this.  Keep in mind that many of these same places had FHA, WPA (1930s) and others sources of free or near free money pay for their infrastructure initially, and the trend has not been to increase rates for renewal.  IT creates a whole new crisis to go with the infrastructure condition crisis in some of these places

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0169488&type=printable

I realize people are all over the map on this.  But  remember the deal requires only voluntary cutbacks, not requirement to meet, a US request. We can set whatever we want. Much of US business is already working on altering our energy future anyway – it is great business. Google, Tesla even the auto companies are looking at an altered vehicle future. So Paris is purely a world leadership issue that creates a demand for energy solutions among other things. A seat at the table means you can guide the future. “He who has the patents has the economy.” We had this throughout the 20th century with trains, cars, computers, space. If we cede leadership to china or someone else on world issues , how does that help us? We lose momentum that someone will pick up. Isolation has never worked for us in the past. Bigger, longer term issue guys. Patents = money for our future. And jobs.

https://www.climaterealityproject.org/blog/why-us-leaving-paris-agreement-isnt-end-world?utm_source=advocacy&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=RFP&utm_content=email-paris-withdrawal-AG

If you don’t beleive the job losses:

https://www.usnews.com/news/at-the-edge/articles/2017-03-15/clean-energy-is-seeing-explosive-job-growth-dont-let-budget-kill-it

This report came out recently.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/high-ground-is-becoming-hot-property-as-sea-level-rises/

Note that we did a study from 2014-2016 in southeast Florida and came to the same conclusion…..

Monday is an important day for all Americans as this is the day we honor and remember all those who have fought for our freedom and way of life. These are the people that march toward the danger, not that ran from it.  These are the people who understood sacrifice and the collective good over their personal good.  We have lost millions of these folks on the battlefield.  We have lost many more after they returned, to time or injuries.  We are losing our WW2 vets, Korean War vets and Vietnam vets at an alarming rate.  Many of their stories and experiences will be lost.  That is a huge loss, for those that have not been on a battlefield cannot understand what happens there.  No movie can bring this home, even the news sanitizes these events.  No one can understand a bombing run where you have to fend off fighter pilots, flack and other dangers to accomplish your mission, unless you were there.  Yet these stories are part of history. Talk to and thank a vet this weekend.  Find out their story, and what we can learn from their experience.

My Dad was a WW2 vet – flying in a B17 over Germany.  25 missions, one Purple Heart – I have seen it but he never discussed the injury – only his hip, flak, on a mission.  We lost 1/3 of the B17s (4000+).  He lost is childhood best friend, a fighter pilot, and a number of his fellow squadron members.  He was on 2 B17’s.  The one he flew most on was Piloted by Cpt. Turner.  His son (Rex Turner) contacted me a few years back before my Dad passed away.  Rex gave me some info about his Dad and their flights.  Pop said that Turner was the best pilot he flew with.  20+ years ago he and I toured a flying B17 (Collings Foundation – go if you never have). He told me a lot about the plane an missions  – reliving the moments.  Here is me (2016) and him (1944).  But no one was shooting at me.  Thank you Vets!!

Photos from our tech runway event at FAU