Median household income
- Loudoun County, Va. — $170,463
- Falls Church, Va. — $164,536
- Santa Clara County, Calif. — $153,792
- San Mateo County, Calif. — $149,907
- Fairfax County, Va. — $145,165
- Marin County, Calif. — $142,019
- Howard County, Md. — $140,971
- Douglas County, Colo. — $139,010
- Nassau County, N.Y. — $137,709 10. Arlington County, Va. — $137,387
- San Francisco County, Calif. — $136,689
- Los Alamos County, N.M. — $135,801
- Nantucket County, Mass. — $135,590
- Hunterdon County, N.J. — $133,534
- Somerset County, N.J. — $131,948
charlie, did you see this?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.ft.com/content/efe3f061-f128-42c3-a9dd-e6de655c8478
No, thanks.
ReplyDeleteNot the biggest Simon Kuper fan -- I don't think he is a reliable narrator but I'm not British and can't really judge. I do think you saw signs of that in the Trump era and if he wins a second term it's going to get worse.
The development mindset is one i've thought a lot about in the real world. Very critical to get leaders to buy into growth. The downsides to growth, however, is that sometimes the wrong people get the goodies.
Again if we did a consensus target of say 5% growth in the US every year it's possible. But it would be inflation, some formerly high status groups left behind and others left way ahead,
5% growth would mean a lot more pollution, consumer waste, cars, and destroying old stuff. Maybe it's worth it, but I think the real critique isn't Kuper's but rather than we need to stop worshipping GDP numbers and find ways to make life better.
There are some pleasant places to live in the top 15 counties but very little of the urbanity that you and i know.
In short it's how we spend money and whether or not the "investment" has substantial, real ROI.
ReplyDeleteEg a big problem with Obama and ARRA was the focus on shovel ready projects (a reason why during the New Deal they liked Robert Moses; he could plan, did so, and made workable projects that could be built "quickly").
So that meant a lot of highway projects. The New Deal built all kinds of projects, many of which still exist today, and still generate economic and social value--almost 90 years later. How many ARRA projects will have that effect, beyond employing people at the time?
And sadly HSR was too big a jump (like what the author Kuper quotes describes as the four steps to "do" which takes decades) and was easy for Republicans to organize against. They should have picked a couple "simple" projects and done them as a demonstration. And built from there.
8 years later Biden-Amtrak announced lots of substantive improvement projects. Not HSR but in our not so great passenger rail service a big deal, in red and blue states, and the only real opposition in some quarters is by freight railroads that don't want to share tracks.
Arguably you could say Obama built that stage, but probably not. More like a lesson learned about what was possible, how to build consensus, and how to move forward in a manner that works.
10 years not 8. Will correct later.
DeleteWell the Obama era investment in Tesla had paid off in spades.
ReplyDeleteCaBI -- not sure it "paid off" but worthily to do..
But yes, largely wasted.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2024/01/31/us/pandemic-learning-loss-recovery.html
Takeway is only 20% of the increased federal funding to get students caught up, the rest was basically spend it as you please.
(and of course, Cadillac Desert is all about the hangover from new Deal era infrastructure spending).
Hope you are doing well. Been swamped with condo issues -- water leaks, elevators, pumps. Not fun stuff.
How old is the building? My thing about condos is they're great the first decade for sure, maybe into the second decade, but then degrade...
ReplyDeleteHome ownership is the same, but fewer actors to convince. 86 year old mother in law doesn't want to do induction top nor double oven (one good for warming).
Still looking for property in Loudoun? Curious does gf still work at UMD?
2. I'd probably be very depressed if I weren't having a good response. Chemotherapy, the first week was marked reduction in the lymphoma.
CHF will take longer. When I first met the doctor she said as soon as 90 days. It's been 90 days. I won't be biking...
But in the last two weeks there is marked improvement. I walk 2x faster than my debilitated days before. Still wobbly. Not that strong. But I see progress.
3 more chemo treatments over the next three months.
I haven't been cooking for the past few months, nor driving. But with my energy up maybe I'll start.
Between covid and everything else, I've lost almost 40 pounds (I weigh what I did senior year in high school). The cancer doctor worried about spread and had me get a CT earlier than normal in the surveillance process. I'm fine. Just got a medication to boost my appetite.
I don't know if you eat Indian food but my metal mouth has been bad, although easing off. It's about experimentation, from drinking out of real glass to using plastic instead of metal utensils.
But the first four things I ate without bad reaction were Steak Teriyaki, Chicken Curry Salad, Chicken Meatballs and Swordfish.
Red sauce, beef, I have a hard time with generally. Sauces/moisture important.
It's about aromatics. I've had bad reactions to spicy food (worst heartburn of my life after first chemo) but I find if I eat spicy food no later than lunch (which is hard for me to eat generally since I'm not hungry) it's generally ok.
Anyway a couple weeks ago we went to an Indian restaurant. I thought decent, Suzanne thought it was great, but my taste buds are definitely off. Anyway, late last week I made some green chutney as my primary sauce. So many recipes. Didn't use yogurt. Too much cumin in that particular recipe. And I forgot to get a jalapeno so used a Thai chile.
But it's gotten so much better as it aged. Will have to make it again in a couple days. (It's good also mixed with raita.)
My heart doctor is Indian and I mentioned it to her. She also recommended turmeric.
===
Best as always!
School stuff yeah. No guidance. No program.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is my friend here who during covid taught 3rd grade was super creative using online. Really really cool stuff.
And her kids, in testing, did well and still do well in more recent testing.
So it's possible to do it well. But like work collaboration, you have to be good at it, willing to experiment etc.
2. Interesting reports lately about the link between school absenteeism, poverty and poor neighborhood conditions (obviously) and crime...
Speaking of broken windows...
You mentioned before about my experience infusing my thoughts and writings on health care.
ReplyDelete(I've been reading Becker's daily. And keep adding stuff to the "extraordinary hospital" pieces.)
The hospital I go to is HCA. It's a mix of hospital owned functions and tenants.
I had a billing problem, and I challenged it with the help of a nurse navigator (it helps that I can write) and got a refund on a CT equal to the cost of the diagnostic on the CT. I kept making the point -- at that time I was self pay -- that I kept asking the financial counseling and registration people if it was the all in price. They said yes, it wasn't. I said it was an information communication problem they should take responsibility for because many of the services you access start with the Registration Desk as the primary patient portal/face.
(It's actually a nice setup once you figure it out. But I also like going direct as much as possible.)
Overall I'm pleased with my experiences there, with hiccups. It's run pretty well.
But HCA hospitals in NC and FL are under threat of closure. I wonder why there is such a difference.
But gaps. No overnight/weekend on call for cardiology. I got covid over New Year's. My temp went up a bit, and because I am immunocompromised, ER gave me a prescription for Paxlovid. But it conflicts with my heart medicines, and except for one night of bad symptoms, my symptoms were comparatively mild. So I didn't take it.
OTOH, the cancer practice, which is close to St. Marks but a few blocks away, has on call, and they have been very helpful when I've needed it.
Ironically, because I look up stuff on Google, now I get Reddit feeds for family medicine and nurse practitioners. They bitch about on call. But I don't call frivolously. St. Marks just has a nurse call in number, but they won't ever say anything definitively. I mentioned it to my doctor, she said it costs $400 per night to do on call and they don't have the staff and money. Maybe I'll write a letter.
2. It's fun talking with the cancer nurse navigator. I looked up a bunch of articles about how for profits can do more community stuff. Of course it won't happen.
3. EHRs... well I have to use four different ones. St Marks plus the two independent practices. And now U of Utah (health insurance provider, and as I go forward I'll use certain of their services. Eg eye doctor yesterday + glasses).
So EHRs aren't so amazing. I don't have a PCP (I could get one but what would s/he really do). Me and Suzanne are my care managers. Suzanne the drug administrator and driver...
But I have tons of empathy for people with limited resources and inadequate insurance.
Weird that I can get access to test results so fast via the EHRs.
Authorization by insurance can be a PITA. With drugs and procedures. Eg my surgery was supposed to be delayed by two weeks while they considered it. But the MD, because the operating room was scheduled, had me "fake" an emergency condition so I was admitted and she went ahead and did the surgery (I probably shouldn't say that).
But speaking of EHR, because it's an independent practice, but based at the hospital, but they rented the OR, my surgery isn't recorded in the St. Marks EHR.
I could enter it...
Oh, fentanyl and propofol (not so great for Michael Jackson) are great. I get knocked out in a couple seconds.
ReplyDelete2. Had a biopsy at St. Marks but analysis at Huntsman/U Utah. I got a bill for $4400. There wasn't proper communication between the cancer doctor practice which ordered it (separate from St. Marks), St. Marks, and U of Utah where I have my insurance.
And when I was told it was ordered it scared the shit out of me. I didn't realize it was diagnostic, they had to check. I thought it meant I likely had it in my marrow and or bones. Didn't.
I called immediately. Oh, they said we didn't have your insurance on file!?
They said I could ignore it...
So far the only real billing problem was with the first CT diagnostic, and I finally cleared that up today. (Dating from 9/15.)
Speaking of metal mouth I have to add flavored "sugar" cream to my coffee. And salt (kosher so not a lot) to many foods.
ReplyDelete