Born a 10th generation Oregonian, (5 generations on each side) I have an enthusiasm for learning and teaching new things. After a ten year mini career in the dental field I moved on to research and embraced the social web. Though the internet is far too large for any one person to claim to be an expert, I can hold my own with the latest trends.
I enjoy researching and writing blogs. As the "Internet Program Director" for myMotherLode.com since 2008, I update the website and have a wide variety of interests. There is always something entertaining, educational or inspirational to share.
Tuolumne County was projecting a $1.6-million deficit about a month ago, but they have since passed a balanced preliminary budget. That’s the good news. However, the Board of Supervisors continues to spend money they don’t have; notably $100,000 on a “social media consultant” whose sole purpose is to inform an apathetic constituency of Board actions on their behalf, better accomplished with free press releases. And now, the Board of Supervisors has agreed pay $259,000 to study the largely abandoned county hospital. The company will conduct structural evaluations, look at various options, and provide cost estimates. Even if they can rent part of it out sometime in the distant future, the county will never recoup this money or the rehab costs of earthquake retrofit or bringing the decrepit building up to code creating usable space. This is the same issue the City of Sonora faces with the Dome. It’s unfortunate, but sadly true with today’s strict building codes and high costs of compliance that these buildings are NOT assets, they are liabilities.
English statesman and philosopher Francis Bacon believed that “If we begin with certainties, we shall end in doubts; but if we begin with doubts, and are patient with them, we shall end in certainties.”
Joe Biden’s threat to suspend patent protection for the COVID vaccines is reckless and harmful in the long run. Moderna spent 10 years and countless dollars on developing mRNA technology never turning a profit until last month. This action will turn their hard work over to China, Russia and other bad actors for free and will stifle further innovation when it’s needed most.
