Inequality in San Diego Creates Some Unknowns

Will San Diego’s Income Inequality catch up to us? I had the pleasure of reading Dan McSwain’s article in the San Diego Union Tribute outline some of the key points contained within a University of Southern California’s report on in Equality in San Diego. You can read the report HERE  and the article HERE. The report highlights some concerns San Diego’s leaders should start thinking about.

In business strategic planners conduct a SWOT that stands for an analysis of an entities Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. If someone conducted a SWOT on San Diego they would find that all of the positive growth also leaves some areas that contain long-term threats to the local economy. Inequalities do impact the success and sustainability of a city in both quality of life and economic longevity-how to handle it is a whole different question.

There are many arguments as they related to how and why to promote holistic growth among San Diego’s disadvantaged populations. We can say that demographics are changing and this will put pressure on governments to change with the times. New ways of doing things are likely to be more reflective of the entire population. Additional stakeholders in a city will become increasingly important as access to information improves.

Yet government can’t solve all of our problems. It is beholden to and relies heavily on current resources and doesn’t have much ability to generate new resources without the help of the business class. The entrepreneurial and business community expands existing opportunities and creates new resources that can be used to employ up-in-coming employees that can mitigate future risks.

Explanations of how to speed the economy depends on which of the many theories one chooses that ranges from Robin Hood type income distribution to complete Laisse-Faire market forces.  Regardless of what theory is applied, the ultimate goal should be to raise business and employment prospects by enhancing the market value of San Diego’s human capital.

Is it possible to connect skills to business? It would seem that the greatest challenge is high wage employment. Enhancing skills and connecting them to expanding businesses seems to be one of the most plausible ways of improving the lives of a great many people. The debate rages on…..

I have seen corporate initiatives where promising people who apply for open positions but don’t have all of the necessary requirements are put through a training program. Sometimes this may come with a contract to recap on training costs or with a few years of lower wages that help companies mitigate expenses. In the end the local human capital rises and the employee is left with skills that command higher market wages.

Equitable growth requires greater focus on developing better ways of improving education, training, hiring that leads to additional investment in San Diego’s budding economy. Once market relevant skills and knowledge are matched with needy businesses long-term growth in disadvantaged communities can be realized in a sustainable way. Market value increases of earned income make their way back into local neighborhoods through greater expenditures by the local population in housing, retail, neighborhood aesthetics, and general quality of life.

The 99 Cent Taco is Still Alive!

San Diego is known for its Seafood and fish tacos are a local favorite. Consider the seafaring and ocean culture of the area San Diego has some of the best tacos around. These are not your fast-food variety that come stale in a box but are made per order. Oscars Seafood still has their 99 cent take Mon-Thurs 2:30-5:30 P.M.

You might be wondering about, “Who cares about a 99 cent taco?” Considering that going to any fast food or sit down restaurant is likely to cost you $10 or more dollars person 3-$3 dollar tacos sounds like a great deal. I bought $14 tacos for $14, not including tax, and had enough for 4 people and lunch the next day. It is doubtful you will find that value anywhere else.

From my understanding, Oscars have been doing this for years. I was originally introduced to the tacos when a friend showed me the special and I was astounded at the price. A few months later I wanted to try it again but wasn’t sure when, if and where the specials occur. With a little help on Yelp I found them again.

646 University Avenue, San Diego, CA 92103

http://www.oscarsmexicanseafood.com/

Pruning Procedures After Growth

Companies that expand and grow do so in a chaotic manner that develops an abundance of unnecessary rules, processes and obligations. Streamlining is an important step after change that allows clunky operations to become more efficient and effective. Companies should consider an overall of their policies and procedures every few years to ensure maximization of resources.

Policies and procedures are not always designed in the best interest of the organization. In many cases they were created to give the designer more control and feed his/her need for self-importance. As people design these operational methods in their favor they inevitably build in unnecessary bottlenecks and inefficiencies.

Evaluating all policies and procedures against the strategic plans of the organization can help see where inefficient processes have been created. Where there are too many stops, wasted resources, and ineffective outputs it is beneficial to remove or change those policies. Once each has been reviewed and adjusted the organization becomes more effective.

One has to develop a strategic plan that provides a centralized focus. This focus then becomes the sole criteria for success or failure within the organization. This includes all day-to-day operations of the company. Even common activities such as recruitment and expenditures should directly align to the strategy. 

Companies must occasionally look closely at how they function or they will continue to become inefficient and clunky. Organizations that maintain their lean and precise operations will be better at competing than others. The pain of change may be unbearable in the short-run but eventually become an asset later.

Using Small and Large Weights to Build Muscle Tone

Fitness should be a daily routine for all Americans. As a growing percentage of people become overweight, renewed effort is needed to ensure a healthy, productive, and a long-living population. Incorporating weights into a daily workout helps to build muscle tone that keeps a person at peak performance for a long time. Whether to use heavy, light, or no weights at all becomes a central question of fitness.

The size and type of weights a person uses depends on their fitness goals. General health doesn’t require much resistance and could be achieved through the use of one’s own body weight. Those that desire to gain bulk in their muscle tone will need to go heavy while those who seek definition should go lighter.

I am a fan of cross-training and not overdoing anything. Large muscles without definition make a person look puffy and reduce overall functionality while a person who uses only light weights may not have enough bulk. Finding a balance between bulk, definition, and overall functionality is important.

Beyond simple cardio exercise it is beneficial to incorporate a variety of large, small and no weights. Using the body in various positions through mat work and yoga helps to create balance and full development of the muscles by filling in areas that were left behind by large weights.

The body needs variety to mimic the natural environment as much as possible. In the past we may have pushed a boulder, picked up small sticks, and lifted ourselves over a river bank. Using large, small and body weight helps to develop a fully developed and defined body that has the most versatility depending on the situation one finds themselves in. Considering variety ensure that you are developing fully with maximum health.

Books and Life Long Learning

Book lovers are a special breed that seeks to gain, integrate and use new knowledge. They like to keep their minds active and obtain new knowledge for the pure pleasure of learning. The type of books a person chooses helps determine what is going on in their head. With the advent of Kindle, E-Books and electronic format books will still hold some of the charm of tradition. 

Life-long learning comes from the joy of taking in new information and applying that knowledge to life. People who engage in life-long learning pursuits have the intelligence, curiosity and intrinsic motivation to spend their time and effort on learning projects. Books are an information capsule using an ancient method of using symbols on papyrus. 

The joy comes from one’s inside that allows for greater discovery of knowledge and application. A few rare individuals may engage in deep processing where they surround themselves in their topic to understand its nature in a real life context rich with information. Such learning changes neuro networks and transforms a person and their perception of the world. 

Books are the tip of the iceberg in terms of knowledge development. Hungry students read about theory but must come to a more integrated understanding of that knowledge through personal experience and practical application. Without reading and understanding first they would have no context to reflect and evaluate the quality of a theory. 

Books are a primary beginning and end of a process to develop higher knowledge levels. Start with theory contained within books, manipulate the variables in that theory, and then place the knowledge back on the shelf for others to use. Books have been a method of transcribing what is actually occurring. 

Society should encourage students to learn, explore, and advance society. We have cultural beliefs that sometimes hold us back from our true development. Today’s world is one of intellect and the time of pure bronze without the application of intelligence is gone. Mass consumption of books may be fading into the past but the love of learning will find its way onto new platforms and methods of transferring knowledge.