Updates and Observations

In a commentary entitled Environmental Extremism Metastasizes posted in 6/13 I wrote that some timber dependent counties are having troubles: “Josephine County in Oregon is now considering having just one Sheriff’s patrol for its 83,000 residents. Curry County, also in Oregon, is facing a state takeover. Liberal Democrat Governor John Kitzhaber, who sat in Michelle Obama’s box at the 2013 State of the Union address, proposed an increase in property taxes for these two distressed counties. After the voters rejected that he proposed a local income tax and threatened the residents with National Guard troops or state police to replace the depleted locally controlled law enforcement.” His I know better than you attitude finally got the better of him as he just resigned the governorship to concentrate on the criminal investigations of his official activities. Some concerned green energy companies, but it seems that Kitzhaber’s interest in the more traditional green of money perhaps outweighed his love for God’s green earth.

Yemen becoming another Islamic Terror state has been in the news of late. I suspect that most Americans probably checked a map to find Yemen. This isn’t surprising for a backwater of the world place. But sitting by the horn of Africa, Yemen has traditionally been a center of trade and the probable home of the legendary Queen of Sheba. It prospered as a pagan, then Jewish and Christian nation. This legacy persisted during early Muslim rule and coffee exported through its port of Mocha captivated world markets and remains as an expression for coffee. But centuries of Muslim rule have transformed Yemen into a place that now only makes the news for its atrocities.

Often I have attacked the bureaucratic mentality. Here is a concrete example from my own experience. The early Sacramento Light Rail stations had permanent bike lockers installed. What statistical model is so clairvoyant that it can not only accurately predict the present demand for bike lockers but also demand through 50 years of probable neighborhood change? Should public money be spent to build and maintain empty unrented bike lockers? Fortunately, wiser management took over and all bicycle lockers are now portable and installed where needed. No one has been denied a bike locker, nor will they ever be. But supply and demand are in balance and waste is eliminated. Why do so many seem to leave common sense behind them when they become public servants? Or is this the proscribed way of thinking taught in many of our elite universities?

Copyright 2015, Mark L. Bennett

Amadoors Ahead?

A hundred years ago every urban neighborhood had a brewery, often reflecting the ethnicity of that neighborhood.  Over time and with the assistance of the Great Depression it became a brewery per town. Many of these went under during the mass market period of the 1950’s and a few mega breweries then dominated the beer market. But people like variety and the sense of freedom it conveys. So imported beers flooded our shores and gained significant market share. With changes in our alcohol laws, they were countered by flourishing micro breweries. Today, we are returning to the neighborhood or town brew. Some of those objecting to Dollar General have suggested a micro brewery at that location. But Amador County has no special panache for beer or extensive fields of hops or barley. We do, however, have abundant forests in sore need of trimming.

Many have suggested wood products, moving up the value chain from raw lumber, as a part of a successful future. Some envision trinket boutiques in an alpine or rustic Buckhorn town center. But that won’t bring about much economic improvement. Despite not being a hardwood area, I suggest making doors. The door industry today is like the beer industry in the 1960‘s. The recent Great Recession and real estate bust have eliminated most door producers.  The remaining two large corporations, Jeld-Wen and Masonite, intend to raise prices because together they now control 80% of the market. In consolidating its 40% market share Masonite alone has closed 50 plants in the last six years. Just like it was once cool to drive a VW bug or want a different beer, small unique door companies are going to spring up across America. We could be among the first with Amadoors known worldwide.   

The now idle Pioneer cedar mill site, with high tension lines behind it, sits there asking for activity. It could be a model state of the art facility and also a biomass plant powering itself with other’s waste. If one crew removed both door quality timber and burnable waste timber intrusion into the forest could be minimized and presumably placate a certain attitude within our community. 

Copyright 2015, Mark L. Bennett