When there are good people in a flawed system,
they system wins most if not all of the time.
Who owns the system?

Overview of the Concept

Updated: March 11, 2022

Commentary. I had an interesting career in the federal government. One of my skills was assessing and developing the capability of systems in producing the best outcomes. As a Reservist, the aim was reducing the capabilty of the systems of our adversaries.

After 911, my team was mobilized for up to two years to support chemical warfarfare (cw) related assessments suporting the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Our classified reports – published and distributed, assessed that the quality of the CW related intelligence was not credible. The Green Zone with Matt Damon, includes some scenes that brougt back memories.

County Issues.

When I asked questions or pointed out issues at county meetings, I offered to provide additional support. And  as you may know, I document things.

For a quick overview of quality including providing a context for the Brown County Leader Network, more information at my site: Success Through Quality.   I will be introducing what I think will offer a break-thru in the barries to quality improvment thart I expect to have national impacts. This has been a passion of mine since the late 80s.

In my future posts on County Goverment, I will be shifting my focus in support of systemic improvement. In the US, We the People, own the system – We are Top Managment. Until now, we have not had the methods and tools needed to support us in executing our responsibilities. The Brown County Leader Network (BCLN) has developed a self-help based approach and help when needed. Check it out and look over the Support Materials. And yes indeed, there are always things that can improved  and we do – That’s America!

Over the past 5 years, I’ve been attending meetings and learning more about the people and the decision-making processes. It is highly predictable and not always in a good way. Have you ever heard that … put good people in a flawed system, the system will win most if not all of the time?

The genereal motivation for decisions in a flawed and corrupt system includes the following: (1) Decision has already been made; (2) Don’t know the answers or the issues and don’t really care; (3) Basing a decision on ignorance allows you to claim plausible deniabilty; Who cares when things go wrong and they do, but so what?  And likely the strongest motivation is the power. You can make the call because you can despite your questions and the effect the decison may have on others.. Power is addicting to many – they need the hit and withdrawal is never easy. Plus someone can be higher up in the pack hiearchy than you – know your place pup.

County Government? Yes. We have a flawed system. A monopoly on political power without embracing transparency, is a breeding ground for corruption. Not in the legal sense so much but the moral.  Individuals get “assimilated” into the system and cannot distinguish between right and wrong. 

• • An example (and I have many) of this is when I ask for publicly available information on a project that should take less than 30 minutes to provide. Even after follow-ups in writing and during public meetings, I can be forced to go through the State Public Access Counselor after 30 days (adds more costs to the taxpayers) to get the information which adds another 30 days or more. And, if we are playing Bureaucratic Bingo, it can last even longer. The last is time I just asked for the “memos” from Indiana Railroad to the County regarding the Indian Hill Road crossing.  This decision making proces was among the worst.
  • It’s not like I’m new to the process (35 years working within the federal and military bureaucracies). The delays and the games can be perceived as an indicator that something is being hid. It can also indicate support for a tactic that is thought to lead the inquirer to a sense of learned helpless which will prevent future inquiries – citizens – Top management, will just give up and shut up despite their constitutional responsibility, and accept their place.
  • Alpha-Dog Leaderhip. Know your place in the pack and you better not challenge the big dogs.

And, given the exiting system years of observation, I understand why commissioners do not want questions at public meetings that are available online now and for ALL all to see.  Although, having public records on questions submitted via email shoud be an interesting development to follow. Mine are routinely ignored and I do keep track.

There is one issue that I will work off- line at this point. And I think it is the most destructive to to our officials, our citizens, our communuty and our country.

County And Community Capability Maturity And Potential

System Capability

Most if not all traditional problem-solving and decision-making approaches might be  assessed at a capability level of 2 on a 5 point scale. Five (being the best). A level 2 means it “works” at the Ok level, which may be the national average. A pretty low bar. Imagine a professional sports team declaring that they just want to be Ok. How many tickets would they be selling?

The quality approach (with a basic understanding of variability) is designed to get you quickly to a Level 3 and higher if the project is one of your top priorities. And the number of citizens involved is also a success factor.  Example: County And Community Capability Maturity And Potential

An assessment of capability of county systems would likely grade out it at a Level 2.  The so what? A s a general rule of thumb within Quality, the Cost of Poor Quality (CoPQ), can range anywhere from 20-40% of budget. There is a correlation between a capability level and the CoPQ. Who is the “top management” in this county?

Do we need systemic improvement?  Yep, Check out the “self-help” materials at the Brown County Leader Network.  A basic SWAT analysis can help an individual or group pick a  topic, do an analysis, identify a needed change and priority, put together a simple timeline and present to the Commissioners for action. And, you could submit an automatic email scheduled to be sent weekly to our Commissioners asking about the status. And, you could attend the meetings – wright your question on a sign – What’s the status?  Maybe extend your walk to Historic Downtown Nashville. And, maybe we get known as a community that loves its Constitution and committment to continuos improvment.

Now, given we have a proven method and process for identifying and making improvements (BCLN), and a new system for demonstrating our commitment to improvement, could make for some interesting and ongoing media coverage.

Note a little irony. Commissioner Biddle requested the County put together an application for a grant –  Hometown Colaborative Initiatie (HCI). Jerry Pittman made the opening statement, grant was approved, and the BCLN developed. It is built on a self-help model – you know your area, you can probably answer most of the questions. And, you don’t quit until you get the desired result. And, its “normal” to go through several cyles and some you may never quit on. Because once you’ve established the change, you have to maintain it and there is a process for that. And, you learn a lot and can have some fun.

• • History – HCI – Hometown Collaborative Initiative

  • HCI Capstone Project: Brown County Leader Network

We have good people trapped in a bad system we own. You can’t walk away from that.

In summary, we have a county sponsored program (BCLN) for making systemic improvement and an inspired citizenry committed to making the county better – you know “more perfect” – that little footnote in the Constitution. Should be interesting. And yes, could all this be prevented. Sure, but what is the fun in that?

For more information: See Check Out my website Success Through Quality. Main Page summarizes the State of Quality in America.

“Snap Out of it, America!” – NYT

The American flag is a potent piece of national iconography, but its design shifted frequently until the early 1900s. What if it were redesigned today? We asked artists and graphic designers to try. The flags they came up with reflect a mix of approaches. Some are functional designs, others artistic renderings; some represent America as it could be, others how the artist sees the country now.

Na KimThe colors of our flag are intended to stand for unity, valor and justice. The gray, monochrome flag represents America surrendering to its fall from power and loss of the ideals it once stood for. The American dream is being washed away.

Andrew KuoI’ve designed a flag that acknowledges the emotions that informed where our country has been and the spirit of where it may go, with joy and forgiveness as possibilities. We can’t ignore how we got here, but maybe we can move toward a different, even better place

Natasha Jen, Michelle Ando and Veronica Höglund, Pentagram DesignAs graphic designers, our impulse is to work with graphics and see how small moves can make a big change. We decided to work with the existing elements: the stars and stripes. This flag is intended to suggest interdependency and togetherness. The two elements are interwoven to create a “fabric.” Interweaving suggests that we depend on one another and that as a whole, America is a fabric, held together by equality.

For nearly 250 years, the American flag has been made and remade, evolving from a unifying emblem into a complex and contested vocabulary of symbols. In this flag, the familiar symbolism falls out of focus, giving way to something ambiguous, vague and difficult to define.

Hank Willis Thomas“Lift Every Voice and Sing”
Black lives matter; Don’t tread on me; In God we trust A thin blue line; Under God, our vindicator;
Keep America great Progress pride

Jiminie Ha and With Projects Inc.The flag in its current state is a static representation of the country today. I transformed the flag into an interactive, moving digital flag that mirrors our overall sentiment through the lens of the Declaration of Independence: life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. These values would be determined by relevant, collected data and would transform over a given period. The radiating shapes suggest the country’s growth or decline within these parameters.

Joseph Han, Tom Elia and J.A. Ginsburg, CollinsThe American flag was once a unifying symbol; its red, white and blue belonged to everyone. But now, red and blue are tribal signals, and the flag seems to represent two factions forced to share a piece of fabric. By running a single purple bar across the middle, this flag reminds all of us of the constant potential and possibility inherent in America when red and blue come together as one.

Feb 26, 2022. BCM Facebook Page.

What will be New? regarding my shaing my summaries County meetings?

Reference to the BCLN is identified on the BCM Banner. The image below identifies the overall intent. See also: Presentation – Oververview of the Concept.

This concept will provide the context that will be applied in my future posts on the quality of county government. Are we making progress towards a more perfect (better) Brown County? How will we know? What feedback do we need to assess results? What are our priorities?

Assessing and supporting “systemic” improvements.  Initial ideas  for a County and  Community Capability Maturity Assessment for assessing and improving the capability of 

Initial assessments using CMM-based models usually results in a Level 2 rating which reflects the status quo. Many organization may consider this level of performance “good enough.”  

Incremental improvements and community support could result in a rating of  3 or 4 within a 6-9 month period.  You contininue to maintain and sustain the improvements  and continues to improve.

Short History of the Star Spangled Banner and National Anthem

In 1929, “House Resolution 14” was presented to Congress to name “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the official national anthem to the United States.

War of 1812 – Military Leadership

The Star-Spangled Banner (national anthem) was created by Francis Scott Key who witnessed and was inspired by the Battle of Fort McHenry  (Sept 13, 1814). Ft. McHenry was the  last line of defense for Baltimore:  if the fort was captured, then Baltimore would be as well.  With Washington, D.C., burned just a month prior, the capture of Baltimore would mean that the just formed United States would lose two major coastal cities. These cities were financial and political strongholds, and, without them, Britain could claim victory for the entire war.

After a 24-hour bombardment by the British on Ft. McHenry, and a successful defense from  brirtish ground assaults on Baltimore, the Flag still stood. 

The Image: The presented flag from Ft. McHenry resting on an angle with protective lighting at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in Washington D.C.

Complete version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” showing spelling and punctuation from Francis Scott Key’s manuscript in the Maryland Historical Society collection.

E Pluribus Unum
 Out of many (states, colonies, interests), One Nation Under God,
With Liberty and Justice for All

Updated (unedited) Aug 7, 2022 

The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag – Getting to Unum
Presented and Explained by Red Skeleton

• • • I — Me; an individual; a committee of one.
    • Pledge — Dedicate all of my worldly goods to give without self-pity.
    • Allegiance — My love and my devotion.
    • To the Flag — Our standard. “Old Glory”; a symbol of Freedom. And wherever she waves, there is respect, because your loyalty has given her a dignity that shouts “Freedom is everybody’s job.”
    • of the United — That means we have all come together.  
    • States — Individual communities that have united into 50 great states; 50 individual communities with pride and dignity and purpose; all divided by imaginary boundaries, yet united to a common cause, and that’s love of country —
    • of America.
    • And to the Republic — A Republic: a sovereign state in which power is invested into the representatives chosen by the people to govern; and the government is the people; and it’s from the people to the leaders, not from the leaders to the people.
    • For which it stands
    • One Nation — Meaning “so blessed by God.”
    • Indivisible — Incapable of being divided.
    • With Liberty — Which is freedom; the right of power for one to live his own life without fears, threats, or any sort of retaliation.
    • And Justice — The principle and qualities of dealing fairly with others.
    • For All — For All. That means, boys and girls, it’s as much your country as it is mine.

For a general overview and context for the information provided below to include application relevance to Brown County, Indiana, might be helpful to review the main page of my website:  SuccessThroughQuality.

God, Civics, Quality
Foundational Terms and Concepts

Overall Strategic Concept. Reducing variation from the ideal results in better quality and lower cost to the individual and society. “When  American  military  men  approach  some  serious  situation they are wont  to  write  at  the  head  of  their  directive the  words, “overall  strategic  concept.” There  is wisdom  in  this, as  it  leads  to  clarity  of  thought.”– Winston Churchill

Civics (Citizenship): The branch of political science that deals with civic affairs and the rights and duties of citizens. 128 Civics Questions and Answers for the Naturalization Test 2020 version (PDF)

• • New Civics Test – USCIS 128 Questions and Answers

Quality. Excellent Quality is the result of people doing the right things, right. Efficiency is doing things right; Effectiveness is doing the right things.

• • God is Love. God’s Love is Light. God is Perfect. Perfect is the Ideal. Jesus the standard of perfection.
  • Secular Context: Man defines the ideal. In America by Law, We the People (citizens) define the ideal (more perfect). In Science Fiction, the technology defines the ideal.

Perfection. The ideal. All needs are met “Heaven on Earth” (Garden of Eden). No harm being caused to people because their needs are not being met. An https://asq.org/quality-resources/variationacceptable level of variation.

Evil. The opposite of Perfection, Causing harm to others

Variation. The gap between or difference between the ideal and actual situation.

• • An acceptable degree of variation.  Positive Emotions, Love and Happiness, Some needs being met, People are are happy – Lights are on.
  • An unacceptable degree of variation. – Negative  Emotions – Hate, anger… People are sad or depressed?  Lights are off.
  • Variation is reduced through Continual Improvement by the Individual and by Continuous Improvement by a Group.

• • Is a problem ever “solved?” A problem represents an unacceptable degree of variation.A “solved” problem represents an “acceptable” degree. Illustration: The Five Minute Talk on Reducing Variation 

Actual Situation. Not perfect; unacceptable degrees of variation. The greater variation from the ideal, the higher the cost to the individual and society.

Spiritual (nonsecular)Context:

• • Actions motivated by Love (meeting the needs of others) result in outcomes where everyone wins, or at least, they are not any worse off in the long-term.
  • When you reduce variation (close the distance) from the actual situation to the Ideal, you are nearer to God, His Love, and His Light, because, more needs are being met, and there is less harm on people because of needs not being met.
  • Anyone that has reduced variation has gotten closer to God – His Love and His Light.
    • Common Example. Showing or receiving an expression love – a kind word, hug, kiss, social media post, inspirational movie or song. It could be just a one-time (fleeting) moment or more routine and common. For Mother Teresa, it was “routine.”
    • Joe Kovacs, in his book: Reaching God Speed: Unlocking the Secret Broadcast Revealing the Mystery of Everything, supports the point.
    • Personal Example – Movie. The movie  “I can only imagine” tells the story behind the song with the same name. The song  became one of the most  top-selling (Triple
      Platinum) and listened to singles in Christian music history.  The “lryics ” took about 10 minutes to write and the music another 10.  On the Story that created the conditions that led to the  song  – “It took a lifetime.”
      • I can relate.  This post (the song), took a little longer than 20 minutes to put together, but “it took a lifetime.”  Like millions of others, I love the song but The Story was the inspiration that led to a breakthrough.
      • Clip from the movie by the actress playing Amy Grant who introduces the songs and the writer/singer- Bart Millard. How Amy Grant Helped Make MercyMe’s ‘I Can Only Imagine’ Top Christian Song.
  • Darkness. Left Behind. People experience the harm caused by increased variation.
  • Conundrum for Christians? “75% of students leave their faith behind during college.” Ratio Christi.
    • Faith:“The assent of the mind to the truth of a proposition or statement for which there is not complete evidence; belief in general.”  
    • Given that variation is a constant, “What is being “left” behind?”

• •  Actions include outcomes where some win, some lose, or everyone loses.

Barriers to Improvement: Fear, Motivation, Cognitive Dissonance,  Paradigm Paralysis, acceptance or support for the Status Quo – “The way we always do things around here.”

If you always do what you always did, “on average,” 
you will usually get what you always got. – TJC

References: Quality, Civics, God

Quality Management 

• Aim of Quality Management: Reduce Variation.
  • W. Edwards Deming: “If I  had  to  reduce  my  message  for  management to  just a  few  words, I’d  say  it all  has  to  do  with  reducing  variation”  (6  Henry  R.  Neave,  The Deming  Dimension  (Knoxville,  TN:  SPC  Press  Inc.,  1990),  p.  57.)

    • Deming’s contributions were recognized by Fortune magazine as being among the 20 that have shaped the modern world of business and by U.S. News and World Report as one of nine turning points in history. (Historys-Hidden-Turning-Points-Dr-Deming). The top turning point was identified as “The Apostle Paul, whose preaching and eloquent writings led to mass acceptance of Christianity.”

    • Deming Institute. System of Profound Knowledge (SoPK). Reducing Variation through the application of the Continuous Improvement and Learning Cycle –  Plan, Do, Study, Act (PDSA).
      • Four Components: Psychology (motivation), Systems (actions), Variation (feedback) and acquiring Knowledge (learning) that can lead to Wisdom.
      • IHI – Model for Improvement

ASQ, The Law of Variation is defined as the difference between an ideal and an actual situation.

• • An ideal situation represents a standard of perfection—or the highest standard of excellence.
  • The ideal is defined by stakeholders, including direct customers, internal customers, suppliers, society, and shareholders.
  • Reducing the variation stakeholders experience is the key to quality and continuous improvement.
  • Variation usually occurs in four separate areas:
    • Special causes

• • • Common causes
    • Tampering – Can result in 95% of change resulting in no improvement.
    • Structural variation

  • Examples of Description and Terms

• According to the law of variation as defined in the statistical process control fundamental text, Statistical Quality Control Handbook:
  • “Everything varies.” In other words:
    • No two things are exactly alike.
    • “Groups of things from a constant system of causes tend to be predictable.”
      • We can’t predict the behavior or characteristics of any one thing. Predictions only become possible for groups of things where patterns can be observed.
    • If outcomes from systems can be predicted, then it follows that they can be anticipated and managed.
    • Systems determine the majority (85%) if not all (100%) of the result.  When you place good people in a flawed system, the system wins most if not all of time.
      • To improve the outcome, improve processes and systems.
      • Top Management (We the People): Work “ON” the system;
      • Citizens (Employees, Children in School, work “IN” the system.

Consequences of Action and Inaction

• • Variation either gets better or it gets worse
  • The Taguchi Loss Function. The more a product deviates from the ideal (nominal, target, optimum), the higher the cost to the customer and society.
  • “Anything less than optimization of the whole system will bring eventual loss to every component in the system” (W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics, p.53)

Transformation vs. Spiritual Conversion

• • “The word Metanoia is more suitable than transformation. Metanoia is a Greek word which means penitence, repentance, reorientation of one’s way of life, a spiritual conversion. Transformation means a change of form, shape, or appearance.” (W. Edwards Deming, The New Economics, 1^st Edition, p.53)
    • Transformed leadership starts with a transformed individual (and that means you!), by Timothy J. Clark, Apr. 8, 2013.
    • Putting Deming’s principles into action to transform individuals, communities and organizations. Deming’s Individual Transformed, Part II, by Timothy J. Clark, Apr. 10,2013.
      • Includes a follow-on story (Education) referenced below – See  Deadly Diseases, “Are Grades Effective and Fair.” When I told this story in a seminar and brought up the question about common and special causes, she had a student that represented a “special cause.” She took the right actions that resolved the issue. The child’s mother thanked and hugged the teacher – finally, a great solution for her son.
    • Note. Deming was a devout Christian and supported a secular approach to improvement. The word “metanoia” was the only word I recall coming across in his published work, that referred to a non-secular concept – “spiritual conversion.” His conclusion that improvement “all has to do with reducing variation” was also somewhat obscured. I mention this along with some speculation as to reasons in the article referenced above, Transformed leadership starts with a transformed individual.”  I think I now know (high probability) why and I can certainly relate.  Time will tell.
      • Book: “Deming: “The Way We Knew Him” by Frank Voehl.
        • Extract -Ch 14  “Involve Everyone in the Transformation” Includes the testimony given at Deming’s funeral mass.

Civics – Citizenship

• Constitution of the United States: The Preamble. We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.
  • We the People – Citizens, are “Top Management.” “Top Management” is responsible for working “ON the system ” to improve it;  Other stakeholders work “IN” the system to improve it.
• Article IV, Section 4. “The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a Republican Form of Government, and shall protect each of them against Invasion; and on Application of the Legislature, or of the Executive (when the Legislature cannot be convened) against domestic Violence.”
  • Successfully working towards more “perfect” requires that “We the People” work together to reduce variation.

State of the “Republic” ? 

 The Problem – Represent US

• • “Professors Martin Gilens (Princeton University) and Benjamin I. Page (Northwestern University) looked at more than 20 years worth of data to answer a simple question: Does the government represent the people?”
    • “Their study took data from nearly 2000 public opinion surveys and compared it to the policies that ended up becoming law. In other words, they compared what the public wanted to what the government actually did. What they found was extremely unsettling: The opinions of 90% of Americans have essentially no impact at all.”
  • Media Reaction – BBC News: “Study: U.S. is an oligarchy, not a democracy

    What in the world?”

A System Problem – The Prevailing American Style of American Management

• • What is the world’s most underdeveloped nation? With the storehouse of skills and knowledge contained in its millions of unemployed, and with the even more appalling underuse, misuse, and abuse of skills and knowledge in the army of employed people in all ranks in all industries, the United States may be today the most underdeveloped nation in the world.”  W. Edwards Deming

Quality Management. Provides methods and tools for reducing variation.

• • The 7 Basic Tools of Quality can and have been applied by children and adults to resolve 95% of problems.
  • Scope of Change: Three general options. The greater the change, the higher the risk.
    • Sustain and maintain the current system, e.g. status quo.
    • Incremental Improvement.
    • Radical, Revolutionary, Reengeneer, Redesign.

Cost of Poor Quality (COPQ). In general, can range anywhere from 20-40% of budget or sales on the high end and 5-15% on the low. (Reference: Success Through Quality: Support Guide for the Journey to Continuous Improvement.)

Assessment of System Performance – County/Community Capability Maturity Model (CMM).

• • Assessment Scale: (1 – Low; 5 -High).  An assessment at a Level 2 can be acceptable for many. There is a correlation between a Level and the COPQ.

Getting Started – “Critical Mass” of leaders required? Deming estimated that the number of leaders needed to achieve critical mass could be calculated as the square root of the number of people in the organization. So a critical mass for a hundred-person organization would be 10 people.

God  – Christianity

• God defines perfection – the ideal. Jesus is the standard of perfection.
• Perfection is described as all needs being met. This results in no harm to people when their needs are not being met, Heaven on Earth – a perfect (acceptable) degree of variation.
• Earth and Humanity. Unacceptable degree of variation. People’s needs are not perfectly met; People are harmed by unmet needs.

Consequences of Action and Inaction 

Moral Costs:    “…. there  has  been  an  emerging  convergence  of the  two  ways of thinking  that includes  the  consequences  of action  and  We  can  now  do  great evil  without intending  to.  What we need  today  is  more  awareness,  a  wider recognition of how  vast systems  we  are  caught up  in  can  do  terrible  things  and  how  we  can  contribute  to  evil without even  being  conscious  of it.”  (Harvey Cox,  When  Jesus  Came  to  Harvard,  Making  Moral  Choices Today,  Boston,  MA  Houghton  Mifflin Company,  2004,  p.  245-246.)

• • A Quality Perspective and Approach for Helping to Resolve Cultural and Social Issues – Example –  Abortion 

Organizations Costs – Seven Deadly Diseases of Management – WED

In the third chapter of Out of the Crisis, titled “Diseases and Obstacles,” Dr. Deming explores, in great detail, the diseases listed below:

1. Lack of constancy of purpose to plan a product and service that will have a market and keep the company in business, and provide jobs.

2. Emphasis on short-term profits: short-term thinking (just the opposite from constancy of purpose to stay in business), fed by fear of unfriendly takeover, and by push from bankers and owners for dividends.

3. Evaluation of performance, merit rating, or annual review.

• • This includes the Destructive Effects of Grades in School – Are-grades-effective-and-fair? by Tim Clark

  • Imagine that grades and individual performance appraisals (deadly diseases) were immediately eliminated and everyone  understood “the why.”  This would quickly eliminate the destructive effects (people being harmed), there would be more joy, increased productivity, learning, and innovation. It would send shock waves throughout the world. It would be like flipping a national light switch from off to ON.

4. Mobility of management; job hopping.

5. Management by use only of visible figures, with little or no consideration of figures that are unknown or unknowable.

6. Excessive medical costs. As reported by Dr. Deming in Out of the Crisis (pages 97-98), executives shared with him that the cost of medical care for their employees was amongst their largest overall expenses, not to mention the cost of medical care embedded in the purchase price of what they purchased from their suppliers.

7. Excessive costs of liability, swelled by lawyers that work on contingency fees.

Updated Feb 26, 2022  11:51  am
     

This post originated with a discussion with another veteran about flying the flag with the union (blue section) down vs the expected display of the union up.  This led to  ….

 The criteria provided to help determine appropriateness (union up or down) is contained in U.S. Code: Section 1 of Title 4 of the United States Code (4 U.S.C. § 1 et seq), Section 8, (a), which states:

The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal
of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property. 

An assessment on the state of the America provided in a 2021 Open Letter from over 122 Retired Generals and Admirals: concluded that:

“Our Nation is in deep peril. We are in a fight for our survival as a
Constitutional Republic like no other time since our founding in 1776.”  

The counter-action by the Flag Officers  4 America includes supporting election integrity and electing patriotic citizens from what used to be consided the majority – the “policial middle.”

More has to be done.  We have to elect and support the right people to do the right things through application of the “New”  principle – reducing variation. 

The Brown County Leader Network (BCLN) represents a county/community-based approach  and  that can be considered for use by other counties, states and throughout America. The possibilities? More lights going on.  Presentation – Overvirew of the Concept.

Regarding the assessment, key findings, and recommendation provided by the Flag Officers 4 America, you can absoutely expect (guaranteed) that others will have “opposite” opinions and judgement – expected variaton.   If you do not, there is a problem!  To make the best decisions, you must know the variability on the issues. 

Too often, the current tendency within America is to attack the messenger who has thoughts, beliefs and opinions that differ from yours through name-calling, cancellng, doxing, et.al.

Theses actions just increase variation and variation either get better or it gets worse. We can “choose” to work together to improve processes and systems that will reduce the variation from the the ideal.  And at the same time, you might make new friends, “learn,” set an example that can expire others. And, it is usaally a good thing to work with the lights on.

Quality Management (QM). The QM method is data and process-driven and starts with  opererational definitions.

Decision-Making Process, Getting to Optimization.  The military has a great system for working through very tough, complex, and controversial issue to support analysis, collaboration, and cooperation. This leads to the selection of the best Course (s) of Action Assessing and decisions. Assessing and making needd “adjustments throughout the life-cycle of the process is also “built-in.  In contast, at the national level,  major policy decisions onve made, are too often forgotte,  Top Managment do not know that based on data, if the change is or will result in the expected improvement.

As a Reservist on Active Duty at the time, I supported a WMD related assessment and decision brief.  Very smart, experienced, dedicated and professionals worked through the proccess. Despite an extensive and thorough analysis of the issues, They could not agree regarding the best course of action.  The commander was briefed on the process and result, was very appreciate of the level of work and professionalism. He agreed on the recommendation to involve a 3rd Party who worked through the areas of key concern – the “sticking points.”  The final recommendation was accepted by all and I do not recall if there were any caveats. The commander approved the course of action. He then presented a decision brief to his senior leadership who also accepted the decision. No issues on execution. An outline of this process  availabe via the Brown County Leader Network – Community Decision Making Process.

Covid-19 – Policy

I served with one of the Major Generals (MG) that signed the Open Letter in the early 1990’s. I was a captain at the time appling the new quaity methods within the Army Reserve and Army. He was my Division Commander.  (WIP – A post on on the story.)

The assessment by the Flag Officer 4 America is supported by conservatives and I supported in my speech on Nov 21, 2021 at the Freedom Rally held in Gnaw Bone, IN. The speech along with the information that supports the argument that America is in “distress,” is provided in my post: Current Times, End-Times, Better Times – A Way Ahead.

And yes, the quality methods and tools can be applied to reduce variation on the issues. (To-Do, WIP – reference Motor Voter Law).

The Flag is a Symbol of America – our struggles, our national and family histories, culture, successes, sacrifices, failures, our hopes and dream and our opportunities for improvement. Opportunties are a gift!

The Flag reinforces  belief  that a Republic that empowers We the People through a Bill of Rights, will choose to relentlessly work together in the continual pursuit of  “a more perfect Union.”  This represents American Exceptionalism – that the many can achieve the possibilities that few have never and will never achieve through a centralization of power and control. History proves the envisioned “utopias” controlled by the few becomes a hell on earth.

“Amidst our Civic War, We Must Rally Round the Flag”
Carl M. Cannon
Unum, Volume 1, Issue 1, Dec 2022, RealClearMedia
E Pluribus Unum – “From out of many, one”

The term “Civic War” is discriptive. Key Points:

• • The fault line is over the U.S. Flag for which it stands.
    
  • Many Americans, especially those in the millenial and Gen-Z generations, see Old Glory and feel anger instead of pride 
  • Two-thirds of baby boomers describe themselves as “very patriotic”, while only 28% of millinennials answered the same way.
  • A generation of educators who put “wokeness” and feelings ahead of context and knowledge is a serious problem
  • American flag desecrations and burinings are used as a deliberate tactic
  • An essentual step toward recovering our nations unum will be to present our nation’s true history, warts and all (and not worts only). That is the path to a recovery of both a reflective and aspirational patriotism

Local Civic Education Opportunities 

Americans inadequate knowledge of civics presents an “opportunity for improvement. ” (To Do: Rreference national survey results and sample quizzes).

An exception in Brown County regarding the teaching of American Civics is the We the People Team at Brown County Schools. They have earned national and state recongitions for their demonstrated knowledge and mastery in several constitutional areas. 

This program would be part of a community-wide stragtegy for providing education and training opportunities.

2022 – Expectations for County Government

Feb 16, 2022. Commissioner Meeting – 2:00 – 3:45. 39 participants.  Post at Brown County Matters

o. Commissioner Tax Increase – Cumulative capital development tax rate. The commissioners desire for a tax increase was raised in May 2021 but they missed a key deadline. They will be posting the required legal notice, the public hearings schedulted for Mar 16 with a final vote to approve on Apr 6.

• • May 21, 2022.  Cumulative capital development tax rate change delayed. “Moving to the max would put about $56,000 more into the cumulative capital development fund, which pays for mostly county buildings and grounds upkeep, maintenance and IT services.”
  • Note: The county recently borrowed $3 million for infrastructure related expenses and to pay operating expenses that exceeded what was budgeted. Note also on any tasx increase, the “spin” is typically that it is just a “few dollars.”  The county doubled the income tax rate in 10 years, maxed it out, and shifted to relying on property tax increases to fund the addition to spending. The justification is always generic.

o. Community Corrections – Joshua Bales. Request for 20K and Letters of Support for a grant to support of a plan to “break the cycle of substance abuse and build strong families.” The program modeled on a sucessful strategy referred to as  the Martinsburg Initiatve.com.

“The initiative is based on the science of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) that shows how early childhood experiences shape the lives of adults. By creating a dynamic partnership between police, schools, community, health, and education, The Martinsburg Initiative strengthens families and empowers communities by providing a long-term solution to the problem of substance abuse.” https://themartinsburginitiative.com/tag/substance-abuse-prevention/ARP funds can be used to fund the grant.  Excellent presentation – plenty of “facts.” For more info, Check out the Community Corrections website.

Helmsburg Stormwater Project. Approximately $148, 633.91 is required to pay the current invoice. The funds will come from the $3 million capital improvement loan. The balace of costs are funded by OCRS.

Feb 2, 2022. Commissioner Meeting. 2:00 – 4:00. 65 participants (many of which were county employees wanting information on office closures.

NEW Meeting Process.  Meetings will be streamed on YouTube.  Any questions you may have will have to be submitted to the commissioners via email. A meeting will also be available via ZOOM but only those on the “agenda” are allowed to speak and ask questions.  On emails, my experience is that they document the timeline and when they don’t respond, you can re-submit via the Public Access Counselor.  This buys them another 30 days or more to provide a response.

Restricting and eliminating questions during a public meeting contributes  to a misuse and abuse of power. Power corrupts and some people are more susceptible to the “Drug” than others. It also  indicates a fear of the more outspoken members of the community, and a contempt for all the citizens. Citizen input is a needed  step for working to develop the best solutions for the county.  On complex decisions with long-term consequences,  public hearings should be held. Unfortunately, when public hearings are held, the pattern of the elected officials  is to acknowledge and then ignore the input.  Key decisions seem to be made in advance which is why you  typically see little if any serious questions, discussions and  debate.  

Government decisions should result in outcomes where everyone benefits, or at least are not any worse off in the long-term This requires that you involve citizens in the process to include the feedback they need to assess results. Here is a link to an outline of an alternative  county decision making process.

Sewer Projects – ARP Funding.  Helmsburg RSD is requesting 515K – which makes sense – They have a valid need and should be the highest priority in the county. Lake Lemon residents support sewer expansion to their area.

The Brown County RSD requested 300K – which was interesting.  Two RSDs serving the same customer base?  Note the BCRSD previously received 270K, from the County Council, spent about 220K and was not able to acquire land for a plant in Bean Blossom. They were never held accountable for their mismanagement and wasted money. Nor did they have customer buy-in. Their Letters of Support were from 1998. Clint Studabaker mentioned total project costs to support sewers from Lake Lemon to Bean Blossom would be around 3O million. He repeats the same misleading information that the commissioners never question or seem to understand.  E-Coli tests indicate some human caused contamination in the Bean Blossom Area.  What is not known is how many inadequate systems may be contributing to the problem. What are the other options for repairing and replacing inadequate systems? Is a 30 million dollar solution the best course of action for the county?  The BCRSD received a grant to develop a wastewater strategic plan. This has not been completed or shared with the public.

Motivation:  Development interest continue  to push the projected sewer mandates in the Bean Blossom area. Sewers will increase the cost of living and the long-term maintenance costs tends to increase over time.  Given a low to moderate income level in the county at 53.1 %, (2017 statistically valid survey), what is the impact of a higher cost of living on residents that haver functional systems?  Will higher costs of living contribute  to county gentrification?

County Council Meeting – Feb 21, 2022?) Presidents Day. The county council will also need to approved the ARP Funding for the Sewer Projects. On the BCRSD situation – an option  is to convert them to an advisory committee – maybe aligned with the Health Department.

Employee Buyouts – extended.

Request for Information. Link to my list of questions. I received no response from the commissioners. I ‘ll be submitting the requests through the Public Access Counselor

Jan 19, 2022  Commissioner Meeting – 2:00-3:30 – 16 participants. Facebook Post at Brown County Matters    Updated Jan 21, 2022 

Officers. Jerry Pittman re-voted president. Chuck Braden nominated himself for VP which surprised the other commissioners, but it was seconded and he is now VP. Diana Biddle was the previous VP.

Brown County Website Overview. An overview of the website was provided by Laura Winett of IT. Each department (if they so choose), now can upload their own minutes, agendas, recordings, and current news, links to their Facebook account, etc. Website includes information on job postings.

Nashville Bicycle/Path Master Plan –County funding. Diana Biddle committed $20K (or more) to development of a plan that is speculated to cost 100k. Other partners include Nashville, YMCA, Foundation, Parks and Rec. The “justification” was that in addition to Nashville, this “could” support other areas in Washington Township. Nashville’s population is about 1,000. County population around 15,000 with many areas that might benefit from funding for trails.

Highway Department Update – Mike Magnor.  See their website for updates on Road Plan, report an issue, and updates.

Definition of a Plan. Commissioners Biddle’s definition of a plan describes a concept or idea which explains her insight that past “plans” end up on a shelf.  The professional definition of a “plan” includes objectives, method (plan of action with milestones), risks, and resources (time and money).

Bonus – 1,000, Elected Officials. The money is coming from an excess in the life insurance fund, not the wellness fund.  This excess was not identifed during the budget hearings.

Annual Facilities Walk-Thru.  No specifics as to what this entails.  Should include an inspection, review of maintenance schedules, plan as to repairs and replacements, e.g., a foundation of a Capital Improvement Plan and Budget.

Board Appointments. An issue was raised regarding the criteria that could be applied in selecting candidates. The Commissioners reinforced they can appoint anyone they believe can do a good job.

Website – Boards and Commissions. The Brown County Website does not include Boards and Commissioners or a listing of appointments and expirations – current and historical.

Salt Creek Trail For the Record. Nothing too new. The trail from the State Park to the YMCA is “funded” with fed and state money. The proposed route from the Red Barn to the YMCA may have been identified. The State handles land acquisitions.

Personal Commentary. With a one-party monopoly on political power, candidates selected for elected and appointed offices generally pose little risk to the status quo. This is reinforced by an electorate that accepts the status quo. The county voted around 64% for Trump in 2016 and 2020.  Democrat candidates typically are not competitive and candidates with social media posts that denigrate conservatives, Trump and his supports do not lead to more votes. Covid policies have reinforced the political divide nationally as well as locally.

Transparency. Knowledge is potential power and why share it if you do not have to? Lack of transparency leads to inefficiencies and corruption. Corruption defined as the inability to distinguish between right and wrong.

Legal – Barnes and Thornburg. NSTR.

Request for Information (RFI). I follow up every meeting  on my requests for more information. I estimate it would take about an hour to provide the information.

==========================================

Jan 5, 2021. Commissioner Meeting, 2:00 p.m. In person and Zoom. 20 participants.
Facebook Post – Brown Countyt Matters

• • Health Clinic. Will be expanding hours for testing and vaccinations. Grant money from the state will cover overtime.
  • Board Appointments. Commissioners approved appointments to several boards. Number of applicantes/re-appointments matched vacancies.  A brief discussion regarding the statute appointing members to the Convention Visitor Commission (CVC) – 3 of the 5 members must be “be engaged in the hotel or motel business within the county.” (IC 6-9-14)
  • Health Savings.  It was reported that the change in provider (s) of prescriptions saved: $329,785.
  • Employee Buyouts. Only 3 employees accepted the 15K buyout offer – 1 in propbation and 2 in the auditors office.  The expectation for budget purposese was the number would be higher.
  • Highway Department (website). Milestone was selected as the low bidder.
    • Facebook Page
  • In 2022, I am also posting and consolidating all the meeting notes at Indep Voters – included the link to the RFIs. Request for Information (RFI).  I followed up on a few of my requests. Also requested more information on the Music Centers financial condition.   
  • Additions:
    • County Attorneys Barnes and Thornburg. Contract was renewed, not advertised for other bids. Anecdotal testimony as to the value-added.
    • “Fire District.”  The Fire District exists on paper.  Would allow the District to tax residentes to support fire protection to include paid firefighters.  This was a contoversial issue a few years ago and ended up in court.  Commissioners implied this may be more acceptable now.

Updated Jan 29, 2022

Purdue University – Food Councils

Food Councils are a vital part of a community food system. They enable community members to have input into policy and initiatives that affect the local food system.

Food: it’s what’s for dinner, but it’s also a powerful economic influence, a public health concern, a social issue, and an important partaker in many of the other systems that run modern life. For each of these systems, the way food is grown, handled, distributed, and sold affects different stakeholders and impacts daily life in unique ways.

Brown County Food and Farm Council – Strengthening our Food System

Seeking motivated and invested community members of Brown County who are passionate about improving the county’s food system. Our goal is to create a collaborative food council that will impact the Brown County food system so it can be more accessible to those in need and aid farmers so they can thrive and keep their produce local.

Annie Eakin, MS, Purdue. Community Wellness Coordinator, Serving Lawrence, Monroe and Brown Counties 924 16th Street, Bedford, IN 47421, m: 812-679-7982, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Email: aeakin@purdue.edu

Jan 28, 2022. 1.28.22 BCFFC Flyer (2)

Indiana University – Center for Rural Engagement

Join us for the Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference. Network, share, and learn about the local food economy with daily virtual sessions from 12-1 p.m., January 25-February 10.

Facebook: Indiana Uplands Food Network

Contacts:

• • Jacob Simpson, Community Resilience Liaison Center for Rural Engagement, jacdsimp@iu.edu
  • Gayle Karch, Cook Center for Public Arts and Humanities, Maxwell Hall 750 E. Kirkwood Ave. Bloomington, IN 47405, (812) 855-9297 (office)
  • Website: rural.indiana.edu

 Indiana University Sustainable Food Systems Science

About Us. Sustainable Food Systems Science (SFSS) at Indiana University studies the social dimensions of food sustainability including culture, equity, and justice in food provisioning from local to global.

• • We are hosting the third annual Indiana Uplands Winter Food Conference this January, Tuesday the 25th – Thursday, February 10th. Daily lunch hour sessions from 12:00 -1:00 pm ET. Details and registration here.

For the unvaccinated, It is up to each individual to reach out to get access to optional treatments. These treatments would most likely increase the survival rate. Little if any evidence that protocols using available drugs are causing harm.

• • How The Gab Medical Community Helped Me Fight Covid.  You can get immediate access to a doctor via Remote Health Solutions (https://rhsusa.com/) at a cost of  $89.00.  Doctor can then order a prescription for drugs such as Hydroxychloroquine and ivermectin from a pharmacist such as Greenleaf Apothecary in Fischers, Indiana. You can pick it up or have it mailed to your home.
  • American Association of Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS)
  • CovidPatientTreatmentGuide and List of Available Doctors
  • Front Line COVID-19 Critical Care Alliance (FLCCC) Prevention & Treatment Protocols for COVID-19.   A Guide to the Management of COVID-19
  • List of doctors who will write early treatment COVID prescriptions
  • Dr George Fareed and Dr Brian Tyson Early Treatment Protocol  
    • 10,000 patients,  zero deaths.
  • Contacts – Treatments – Steve Kirsch
    • Scientific Studies prove the Covid-19 Vaccines damage the Immune System, and suggest it may be permanent
  • Zelenko Protocols. Vladimirzelenkomd.com.  

  • “Overcoming the Covid Darkness: How Two Doctors Successfully Treated 7,000 Patients” By Dr. Brian Tyson and Dr. George Fareed.  No one needs to die! Overcoming the Darkness of COVID is about two doctors who used a treatment protocol early in the pandemic and early in treatment when the conventional wisdom issued was not to provide any treatment to patients and send them home until they got sick and then go to the hospital where they were then often put on breathing machines – many of whom died. To the contrary, every one of the patients Dr. Tyson and Dr. Fareed treated early in the illness recovered and there were NO deaths. They also treated those who were severely sick and only lost a few.

• Dr. Wiseman – treat early! – Dr. Marble – MyFreeDoctor.com  – 150K patients. 99.99% survival rate. McCullough protocol, antibodies, several other low cost prescription drugs vitamin d, c, zinc …
• Steve Kirsch – Treatments – C19Early.com COVID-19 early treatment: real-time analysis of 1,352 studies