During my working life the time I could volunteer was constrained by the responsibilities I prioritized….my family, and the career which supported us. Newly retired, I’m seeking the most effective ways to participate in making positive change. Starting by researching and conversing with activists who are doing work I admire.
There are many topics I feel strongly about, but Climate Change and social justice are the most urgent.
Earth’s climate is changing at an alarming rate. To me (and many corporations) this is a risk management situation. The consequences of inaction are too devastating to do nothing. Solutions can create jobs, and we could become leaders and exporters of new technologies. There are times when things seem so dire it nearly paralyzes me, but there is much work to be done. I am resolved to find the most effectual ways to get involved.
Socioeconomic inequities effecting 90% of US population were made crystal clear in the recent Rand Report Trends in Income From 1975 to 2018. It quantifies the widening chasm in economic inequities over 4 decades, showing GDP growth of 118% that equated to a 13.5% growth in income for the bottom 90%, while the top 10% saw a 166% increase.
The American Dream as my parents, grandparents and great grandparents understood is a thing of the past, unless we do something to fairly and justly reverse changes in federal laws, corporate overtime practices, and other factors that caused this 40-year shift.
If you’re interested in reading about the data and methods used (and not used) by the authors of this Rand study you can do so here.
You may also find the short Marketplace interviews with Carter Price co-authors of this Rand Report, as well as with Nick Hanauer a venture capitalist who partially funded the report here.
It may be tempting to label me as a radical liberal after reading the above, but I consider myself a moderate progressive. I have friends and family members who’s political thinking is near the polar opposite of mine, but they are as open to my viewpoint as I am theirs. I am truly curious and want to understand.
For many years I worked at an investment bank where I learned a good deal from my fiscally responsibly associates. I believe they gained insight into my social concerns. We discovered a surprising amount of common ground in our frank discussions. It is my commitment to show respect to those who don’t share any or all of my viewpoints, and to seek solutions that move us all forward in health and prosperity.