Local Musings

• Profits and other things. We have often seen and heard people deride an organization’s pursuit of corporate profits, and I understand this comment’s connotation. The comment is designed to demonize an organization or big business. But it’s really incumbent upon us to have a better understanding about organizations, both private and public sector, that impact our community. There are well-run and poorly run organizations of every size in both the public and private sector and, rest assured, there are greedy private sector organizations which seek to take advantage of employees and customers as well as greedy public sector organizations that continue to seek or waste precious tax dollars. What we should be more concerned with are these organizations be it public or private, non-profit big or small making decisions that are in the best long term interest of the community. Pursuit of profits or budget surpluses is not necessarily an evil thing it’s how you do it.

• Paid parking. It’s been very interesting watching the paid parking debate unfold. The city looks like they are taking a careful approach to evaluate the programs adjust it accordingly. Additional research and evaluation will be made available in January. You may not agree with the policy or the decision, but it appears they have been and strategic in their approach. The Tahoe for Tahoe people (who are against paid parking) have not. I am not sure how wide their support is or if it’s local residents who are understandably against paid parking. They have indicated they were moving to put the issue on the ballot, I am not sure it’s a winner. One claim I have heard on several occasions is that tickets given to visitors may cause them to not come back or cause them to speak poorly of their trip. There is no data or research to back up those claims.

• I have my own list of great destinations to visit places like Bend, Ore., Whitefish, Mont., Moab, Utah. Places which balance great environmental assets with interesting and dynamic local communities. We need to keep working to make this destination and community one of those great places.

The Big Picture

• The Obamacare website launch appears to be a big misfire. But despite the name calling and blaming in the press from the national level to the local level I have noticed is the rollout seems to be going just fine in California and Nevada. Another thing: I am not sure whether this is the greatest debacle or the greatest program for the American people, but what I would like to see is a clearly articulated comprehensive Republican alternative.

• Goodbye filibuster. Another big move in Washington this past week is the elimination of the filibuster which has been a part of the arcane inner workings of the Senate for a couple of centuries. I never did like this lazy senator approach to a filibuster which just has a requirement that you need 60 votes to pass legislation or approve presidential appointees. No, I prefer my filibusters the old-fashioned way, when a senator should have to get up and speak for hours on end.

Recommendation

• If you’re looking for some good reading this holiday season or looking for some gift ideas, check out “Wild Tales,” the new autobiography by Graham Nash of Crosby Still Nash and Young, it’s a great firsthand account of Nash’s ride through rock ‘n’ roll. If you’re a political junkie, don’t miss “Double Down” by Mark Halperin and John Heilemann. An inside view of the 2012 election. Neither should be missed.

It’s a Wrap

• Have a great Thanksgiving and give to those who have less then you.

— Carl Ribaudo is a contributing columnist to the Tahoe Daily Tribune. He is also a consultant, speaker and writer who lives in South Shore. He can be reached at carl@smgonline.net