A Bit of History

One publication I enjoy is Econ Focus, published by the Richmond Federal Reserve.  It is a quarterly magazine. 

Learning history gives us perspective on challenges we face today and tomorrow.  It also reminds us of the importance not taking any infrastructure improvement for granted.  

This most recent edition focuses on rural issues.  However, one of the most interesting articles is about the history of electrifying the rural parts of the U.S. In fact the title of the article is "Electrifying Rural America".

As you will see, electrifying the U.S. started in the 1870s and by the 1920s most cities ran on electricity.  In fact, by the 1930s nine out of 10 urban and nonfarm rural homes had electricity. It made daily living easier. 

However, the rural areas did not share in the infrastructure improvement. As you read the article, you may find arguments used by utility providers then sound familiar today. 

One fact I did not know, President Franklin Roosevelt created the Rural Electrification Administration by executive order.  More on that in the article.  And here you thought only recent presidents used executive orders excessively (Now do you see? That is why a sense of history is so important).  

Finally, one remaining observation.  In the early part of the 20th century or for that matter, any century, infrastructure is an absolutely critical component of a successful economic development program.  Enjoy the article. 

The article is by Tim Sablik.  Link to article:  https://bit.ly./rural-elec

C-SPAN - Showcasing a Very Successful Public/Private Partnership

Today on C-SPAN I watched an excellent example of a public/private partnership.  It was the return of SpaceX and the partnership with NASA.  I watched most of the coverage today and it was astounding.  

This is a very unique partnership.  While I could try to explain it, I think the following NASA blog post does a far better job.  What I find most interesting is NASA was created in 1958 and SpaceX was established 44 years later.  NASA has about 17,300 employees, SpaceX slightly less than half that. We forget that NASA always relied on partners, but this one is unique and historic.

https://blogs.nasa.gov/commercialcrew/2020/05/07/spacex-demo-2-will-showcase-public-private-partnership-benefits/

Watching the C-SPAN coverage today reminded me of the emotions I felt while watching NASA space flight take offs and landings in the 70s and Shuttle flights in the 80s.  Those decades (and future ones) allowed us to see amazing pictures, film, and hear commentary for the most advanced technology in the world.  Yes, we had setbacks, but we always reemerged, stronger and better.  Now we are taking a new and exciting direction to continue exploring space.  (Que: Space, the final frontier, these are the voyages of the starship Enterprise...). I know, you thought that too. 

Yesterday I watched the separation of the capsule from the International Space Station. And today I watched the landing and an impressive press conference - all courtesy of C-SPAN.  If you watched, you saw two groups, the NASA team and the SpaceX on a split screen. The following is the link to the C-SPAN video. It is over six hours, but well worth it. In an era of angst and uncertainty, this might remind you of the commitment to excellence and the benefits of public/private partnerships.

C-SPAN video:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?474396-1/nasa-tv-coverage-spacex-crew-dragon-return-earth

And just because it is my blog, from the introduction to every original Star Trek episode:  "Space, the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise.  Its five year mission: to explore strange new worlds; to seek out new life; and new civilizations. To boldly go where no man has gone before."

C-SPAN or Twitter?

Yes, I have two Twitter accounts. One of the accounts is for personal use. The personal one is individuals and organizations I follow for a variety of reasons. An example is authors, writers, and columnists I admire and learn from.  Some are think tanks and other similar organizations that publish very thought provoking studies and analyses.  A number are individuals I find both interesting and humorous (@LordBuckethead).  And finally, I follow several news organizations and journals.  I have 215 followers and I follow 1,372 accounts. Consider it my news feed. I liken it to the old stock market or Western Union ticker tape machines (picture below). 

So after Attorney General Barr testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on July 28th I started reading various accounts. Unfortunately, I am not sure if all the tweeters saw the same hearing. At least I could not tell reading various and numerous tweets.  Was AG Barr frustrated or was he patient with the process?  Were many members asking four minute and 55 second questions and then expecting an answer (know each congressman was allowed five minutes to question AG Barr)?  Were some members asking really intelligent questions?  Were some members asking non-germane questions?  Were some members asking for a yes or no answer to a complex question?  Were some members asking questions to AG Barr and when dissatisfied with the response would say "the right answer is..."?  Were some members asking soft ball questions?  Were some members playing to the camera? Were some members simply made statements and asked a question, but would not let AG Barr answer.  Were some members disrespectful to AG Barr? Did some members ignore the committee rules?  Did we see lots of talking and no listening?

As I read the various and numerous tweets, I could not reach a conclusion about how the hearing went.  It was not so much as some members this or AG General that. Rather it was usually sweeping statements about the entire hearing. 

So what could I do?  C-SPAN to the rescue.  I decided to watch the entire five hour hearing and much to my surprise all the tweets were essentially correct if you zeroed in on one or a few snippets of the hearing. Almost each tweeter had ample snippets to support a somewhat one sided opinion.

If you are interested in government and policy, perhaps C-SPAN is the best vehicle for an unvarnished view of a Congressional hearing. No commentary, no opinions, only the committee members and the individuals testifying. 

My opinion?  I am glad I spent five hours watching the entire hearing.  It was informative, entertaining, and thought provoking.  And it was well worth the time.  You may notice I did not give a qualitative opinion.  And I will not.  I doubt any one is truly interested in my opinion. 

I realize most people do not have five hours to watch and hearing. Frankly, they can be somewhat boring.  So why waste time. In the long run, will it really make much of a difference?

But for me, I should do watch hearings more often.  Basically, I learned that I should watch an entire hearing if I am interested in the topic. From that I can determine my own opinion and conclusion based on the actual event.  At the very least, I can say "at least I watched the entire hearing".  

Finally, if you learn nothing from this, at least follow @LordBuckethead on Twitter.

Clip for the AG Barr hearing:

https://www.c-span.org/video/?473384-1/attorney-general-barr-testifies-justice-department-mission-programs&live&vod&start=9194

Next?  The technology hearing held on July 29th by the U.S. House Judiciary Committee. 

Postscript I:  on a personal note, this is my 200th blog post. 

Postscript II:  ON C-SPAN now is NASA/Space X Return to Earth (it is very interesting)