It’s good to see those that believe in action

A view from the east along the Spokane River walkway in June of 2014

A view from the east along the Spokane River walkway in June of 2014

by Daniel Arthur J., August 5, 2014
arthbuus@gmail.com

The world needs serious, enthusiastic and compassionate politicians.

It was nice to be present at a gathering of local politicians on election night. These politicians really believe in their government’s potential to positively impact the lives of their constituents. They talk about education, transportation, healthcare, working together and generally how they can help create a better society. They hope to get elected. I think they should – especially when you compare them to the alternative.

I hope other people in the community will get involved in the political process. It is an opportunity for them to use their critical thinking ability for good. They won’t always be happy with how things are going. They will disagree with others at times. They will be better off, and so will I.

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Read, interact, think and create.

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I heard some good testimony tonight about making changes. I know many people that scoff at taking care of themselves. Our free enterprise system tends to send them down that path of self-destruction. I give a shout out to those that decide to use their critical thinking ability for good – even to better their own life. Eat well in a healthy way. Exercise with at least two rigorous workouts a week. Find a qualified coach to help. You and yours will be happy that you did.

Get out and get a bit healthier

Shell on a Coast Salish beach

Shell on a Coast Salish beach

No matter how you feel or what your state of health might be, it is good to maintain or increase your healthy activities and improve your nutritional intake. Enhancing your physical health will increase your relative happiness, which in turn helps you to have greater empathy for others. People that are improving their health are more likely to lift up the world or want to make things better for everyone and future generations.

Buddy up and share your journey. Having others to help you stay on track will help you to succeed. Your mental health will improve with your physical health, but your mental health will also improve when you develop positive relationships with other caring people. Lift up the world as you are uplifted. Treat people well – really well.

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What qualities are we looking for in a leader?

It doesn’t matter whether people are looking for a leader of a team, company, city, district or nation, the qualities of a leader are important to get right. It is even more important that the leader will work hard to help all constituents to have a better life, and not make empty promises that primarily help people that have it made.

There is nothing wrong with raising income taxes on more well-to-do constituents, if they already have a high level of wealth. In other words, people that have tens of millions of dollars of real property should be taxed at the highest rate. Earned income actually should be taxed at a lower rate than dividend or capital gains income. However, we all want to contribute to government goods and services that are valuable at a reasonable rate for our level of income. Those that have more should expect to pay more, but not excessively so.

Government fees for permits and such should also be adjusted downward for those with relatively less accumulated wealth and income. Many jurisdictions have been overcharging constituents and essentially denying them government goods and services unnecessarily. The ability to pay principal should be on the mind of good leaders at all times. Then, there is the case of some people really paying excessive income taxes. A good leader should have experts truly evaluating what their constituent’s tax burden might be, and make sure to adjust things to be more fair.

Daniel A. Jones, April 22, 2012
arthbuus@gmail.com

Hard Work Ahead

Cascades Nursery, September, 2011

Cascades Nursery, September, 2011

It is going to be a lot of hard work. There is no way around it. That doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy it, and it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t lead a complete and balanced life. Sure, there may be moments, times and stretches where we need to let everything else go so that we can go all out to get something done. We should prepare everyday for that. We need to build support systems to help us through those more difficult or life dropping periods.

What do we work hard at? Making the Earth and our sphere of influence to be the best most robustly interesting place in the universes for everyone that is here or will be here in the future. It’s what we do every day. There are as many ways to work hard at this effort as there are stars in the sky. It takes this diverse effort to move toward the common goal of betterment.

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I have noticed that many people need help to be healthy and in a place in their lives where they can thrive and be contributing to our cause. Please take the time to help anyone you know that could use a hand or encouragement to move forward in their lives. Occasionally you may need to help someone understand how they are actually being unnecessarily destructive. Some people need to turn their lives around.

I plan on writing more focused pieces for the most part from now on, but I will occasionally wax philosophical. I look forward to helping people find their wind. I constantly ask myself and others how can we improve our lot? I am available to help with this effort and welcome constructive feedback on how I can better move forward productively as well.

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Links of the Week

http://www.kajembren.com

Daniel A. Jones, January 15, 2012
arthbuus@gmail.com