What precipitated this post more recently is a reaction to the "non-maskers". These are people who believe that wearing a mask in public is not only useless, but an infringement on their constitutional rights. However, this ideology, if I can call it that, is only the most recent symptom of a larger trend. What I... Continue Reading →
A Coronavirus Thought Experiment
There has been a baffling pushback to the measures that we have taken to combat the Coronavirus. The U.S. has a long track record of extreme individualism which in this case equates to "you can't tell me what to do". A mistrust of the government is one of the founding tenets of our constitution, so... Continue Reading →
The State of the Quarantine
I am not a health expert. I am an economic policy person. In cases where health care is concerned, I defer to experts. I am fortunate to live in a state with a world class health care system, which includes clinics, hospitals, and medical research facilities. The University of Minnesota Medical Research division wields a... Continue Reading →
Unemployment – Continued
As much as 17% of the workforce is unemployed, or around 22 million workers. For perspective, the unemployment high during the great recession was 10%. Here is a nifty chart from Forbes: So, are we faced with another long, slow recovery? Well, the fact that the figures are so huge and impact so rapid, it's... Continue Reading →
Construction in Minnesota – How Is The Shutdown Affecting Our Builders?
Construction, specifically new builds (housing and commercial) are leading indicators of the economy. As of February 2020, there were about 125,000 Minnesotan workers employed in construction, representing a little over 4% of the total state workforce. Construction as a whole contributed a whopping 11.3 billion dollars to the MN GDP in 2018 (the most recent... Continue Reading →
Quarantine Day – I've Stopped Counting Already, But The Important Thing is We Tested Negative
Fortunately our results came back finally this weekend and we were both negative, which is a relief. We have been able to have dinner with the family and at least that has returned to normal. Kevin is also happy that he can see other dogs, and not just me shouting incoherent phrases at him and... Continue Reading →
Quarantine Day 5 – The Family Is Back
After some excellent advice from Dr. Dora, the family veterinarian, we decided to invite Kevin back into our home since there have been no known cases of transmitting Covid-19 from human to dog. I will have to say that Kevin has boosted moral for my wife and I, even if all he does is follow... Continue Reading →
Quarantine Day 3
Since our basement was sealed air-tight by our family prior to our arrival home on Sunday, I've spent 95% of my time in bed or in my office. We were supposed to hear our test results around 11:30am today, but have still not heard. My wife and I have been face-timing with our three year... Continue Reading →
Quarantine Day 2
As I've recently returned from vacation, like many others, I've been tested for Corona Virus. Fortunately, I was able to do so relatively quickly, after a four hour wait this morning. In the meantime, I'll be isolated at home for the foreseeable future. My work has mandated a minimum 14 day work from home policy... Continue Reading →
MN House Reps Introduce Bill Requiring Candidates Release Tax Returns
As the Minnesota State congress reconvenes for session, an eye turns toward the presidential election. This Tuesday, four DFL representatives introduced a bill which would require any presidential candidate who wishes to be on a Minnesota ballot to release five years of tax returns. Minnesota Joins three other states considering bills this session. In 2019,... Continue Reading →
