GREEN GOVERNMENT

I've been thinking a lot lately about our nation's need to transition to a more environmentally sustainable way of doing commerce. As generally free market as I am, I understand the role of government to facilitate that free market at times. This is particularly true for fundamental shifts in the economy, to the extent that government represents the people, and the people simultaneously value economic competitiveness and economic equity. In other words, if done right, government, representing the interests of the people, can facilitate a new economic structure that is more globally advanced and that is sensitive to those that may otherwise have trouble making that transition.

Take, for example, the other two economic shifts in our nation's history. When we went from agricultural to industrial, one of government's roles was to make sure workers got their fair share; hence, child labor laws and safety regulations. When we went from industrial to technological, there was a big push to "bridge the digital divide," so that those with less resources had more access than they otherwise would've had absent public intervention. And in both transitions, government's interest was not only to help "the least among us," but also to help prepare the nation to best compete in the new economic way.

And so as we are faced with the need to adjust our economy to higher-priced and scarcer natural resources, government should seek to intervene as appropriate to ensure national competitiveness and to provide additional support to those who would otherwise have trouble making the transition. A carbon tax, phased in over time, would help us allocate resources more economically and environmentally efficient. Government is still the major funder of basic research, which can provide the foundation for a promising generation of environmentally-based innovations. And workforce development initiatives can help move fleets of workers out of older economy jobs and into newer economy jobs.

Ultimately, our transition to an economy that doesn't have cheap oil baked into everything we do will be driven by our number one resource: human ingenuity. The coming decades will see explosive innovation in energy conservation, food production, and other fields that enable us to enjoy higher and higher standards of living. Let's hope government knows how to push without being too pushy, and that we the people help inform our elected officials as to how much and where to push.

AT THE CENTERS OF CONTROVERSY

When I first interviewed at Econsult, the principals I met with told me they prided themselves as being objective and fair in the midst of the most contentious of policy arguments. I have taken that approach from Day 1, and have been proud to uphold that standard, even as we've taken on some hot topics.

Just this month I've had the honor of taking part in two controversial debates. I presented on the potential residential real estate impacts of the proposed American Commerce Center, and estimated the potential fundraising damages associated with delays to the approval of the proposed American Revolution Center. In both cases, you do your best to contribute to the conversation, and take pride in being part of the process.

The irony is not lost on me, that both projects have "American" and "Center" in their names. However frustrating the democratic process can be sometimes in the technicalities of getting things done, I'm glad to live in a nation that has a process for back and forth, established forums for proposing plans, and ample avenues for disputing those proposals. No matter how these two projects play out, what a country.

OPEN DISCUSSION ON AIDS IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY

I was going to link this article solely on the basis of the fact that it was written by a friend and classmate of mine, Frank Igwe, but after reading it, I'm linking to it based on its own merit as an insightful and well-written piece. Especially coming on the heels of the announcement that I first heard on CNN that AIDS rates for blacks in America rivaled those of some ravaged African nations, this is relevant, life-and-death stuff. Let's hope we can have more (sorry for the pun, Frank) frank talk on the subject.

EDUCATION FIRST

If you needed more reasons education is important, here are two: "The Biggest Issue" talks about the importance of rising education levels to national competitiveness and economic equity, while "Good Health and a Good Education" makes the connection between smarts and long life. I don't buy everything in these two articles, but I agree with their basic premises. Now if you'll excuse me, I have to go pick out some books to read to my kids.

RWANDA'S WOMEN ARE LEADING THE WAY

Earlier this decade, a friend of mine in Africa was trying to get me connected to some consulting work in Rwanda. "You'll love it there," she assured me, going on and on about the country's recovery from the chaos of the previous decade.

I was never able to close the deal with my potential client there, but I never stopped thinking about the country. Another, more high profile person than I, recently got to go there, and also had an optimistic interpretation of Rwanda's progress. None other than Cindy McCain wrote in today's Journal about the particularly inspiring work of the women in that country: "Rwanda's Women Are Leading the Way."

I remember thinking back in the 1990's that, fast forwarding 15 or so years, there might be a whole generation of PTSD-riddled adults who would never be the same for all they'd seen and experienced. That might still be the case; but I am heart-warmed by Ms. McCain's reminder that, even amidst the most unthinkable atrocities, people can still find a way to survive, forgive, and thrive.

My Space, Ten Times a Week

In terms of work/life balance, it's nice that though I have a demanding job and parent two kids, I rarely have to do both at the same time.  I don't get how parents can "work from home" while watching their kids; there's no way I'd be able to do either justice.  But the flip side of keeping my two sets of responsibilities separate is that pretty much from 6 in the morning to 8 at night, 7 days a week I'm on the clock on one of the two things. 

The one regular exception is the space between day care and work.  After I drop off the kids but before I arrive at work, and in reverse on the way home, that's four blocks and about six or seven minutes all to myself.  Sure, I have to contend with people teasing me for pushing an empty stroller, and I can't get completely lost in the clouds lest I get hit by a car or biker.  And sometimes I'm preoccupied with what's immediately next: a looming deadline if heading into the office, or chores that await me if heading home.

But usually, I can be completely free of either my job or my kids.  It's my time to daydream about sports, to figure out when my next personal getaway will be, to resolve some interpersonal dilemma that I haven't otherwise had room to work through.  Sometimes I think about what I want to say to a friend or colleague, sometimes I talk to God, and sometimes I mumble to myself.  Regardless, it's my space, ten times a week.

THE PERFECT URBAN CAR GETS MORE PERFECT

I've waxed poetic about our family car, the 2006 Chevy Aveo, being the perfect urban car. It turns out it's also been a good retainer of value, in a world in which fuel economy matters more. A quick look at Kelley Blue Book told me I've lost less than 20 percent of its value in 2 1/2 years of ownership, an extraordinarily low depreciation schedule. Thanks to yet another installment in Greg Mankiw's "Cross-Price Elasticity of Demand" series.

Update on "Dear Zachary"

Here's an update on my friend Kurt's documentary, "Dear Zachary."  Please consider checking it out if you live in New York or Los Angeles.

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date      Thu, Jul 24, 2008 at 9:32 PM
subject  "Dear Zachary" screening one week in both NY & LA for IDA's DocuWeek

Hi Everyone,

Happy July!  Just wanted y'all know that "Dear Zachary" has been selected to screen as part of DocuWeek, the International Documentary Association's Theatrical Documentary Showcase, a highly selective series that screens documentaries in theaters twice a day for one week in both New York and Los Angeles during the month of August to qualify them for Academy Awards consideration.  From what I understand, DocuWeek had hundreds of entries and only had room for about 18 feature documentaries in its showcase this year, of which "Dear Zachary" is one, so I'm tremendously honored that the film has been selected to be in such distinguished company.

For those of you who live in or near New York and Los Angeles, this will be a great opportunity to finally get to see the film.  (I've been promising my friends here in Los Angeles a screening for a long time -- well, here it is at last...sorry it took 8 months. :)  Screening times and venues are:

In New York
August 8-14, 2008

Screening at:
IFC Center
323 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY

Showtimes:  1:25 PM and 6:40 PM daily

General Admission:  $12
IDA members: $9
Seniors: $8
Tickets are/will be available for purchase at the IFC Center Box Office or on line at www.ifccenter.com.
(I will be coming to New York for the weekend, and will be present at several of the screenings, so I hope to see my New York friends while I'm out there. :)

In Los Angeles
August 22-28, 2008

Screening at:
Arclight Hollywood
6360 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

Showtimes:

Friday 8/22 - 5:05 PM, 9:45 PM
Saturday 8/23 - 12:00 PM, 7:20 PM (Q&A follows the 7:20 PM screening)
Sunday 8/24 - 2:30 PM (Q&A to follow this screening), 9:45 PM
Monday 8/25 - 12:00 PM, 4:45 PM
Tuesday 8/26 - 2:35 PM, 7:15 PM
Wednesday 8/27 - 5:05 PM, 9:45 PM
Thursday 8/28 - 12:00 PM, 7:20 PM

Ticket information isn't available just yet for the Los Angeles screenings, as they're still a little ways off, but I'll let you know as soon as they're available for advance purchase.  They have scheduled me to do Q&A at the Saturday 7:20 PM screening and the Sunday 2:30 PM screening, but I'll likely also be there Friday at 9:45 PM and Sunday at 9:45 PM.

And if you're coming out to DocuWeek, there are 17 other feature documentaries playing there that I'm sure are excellent, along with some shorts as well, so do take a moment to check out some of the other films;  a lot of these titles have been playing the same festivals as "Dear Zachary" all year long, I've heard only marvelous things about them and am looking forward to checking them out myself.

We are currently finalizing a deal with a theatrical and DVD distributor for the film, who will likely be giving "Dear Zachary" its own full theatrical release in New York & Los Angeles in October or so.  They'll wait to see how it does theatrically there before deciding whether to expand it to other cities, details to follow when they're public.  Though nothing is set in stone, December is looking likely for its television premiere on MSNBC, and the DVD will likely be out by spring 2009 -- though I'll keep you posted.  In the meantime, they're all keeping me very busy preparing various "deliverables" - different elements of the movie in different formats, etc. that are needed to do a proper release in all the various media/venues.

"Dear Zachary" also has numerous festivals lined up throughout the rest of this year, but as the festivals haven't announced their slates yet, I'm not supposed to say anything just yet...but will let you know as soon as I can.

Hope you're having a great summer!

Cheers,
Kurt

www.dearzachary.com

SHARING IS GOOD

It turns out that our parents were right when they said sharing is good: here’s a nice piece on a day in the life of a Philly Car Share car. When you combine pedestrian friendliness and transit infrastructure with a top-notch operation for renting cars by the hour when you need them, you’re talking about a huge payoff for working families and for the environment. Plus you get to putter around in a Prius or an Insight or even a Mini. Sharing is good.

BIG BUCKS FOR BEATING BUTTS

How's this for big names and big dollars: Michael Bloomberg and Bill Gates have put forth a combined $500 million towards anti-smoking efforts. I'm skeptical of current such efforts, so here's hoping two data-driven, business-minded leaders can put money and momentum in the right things.

In other Bloomberg news, McCain's perceived weak economy skills are causing some veep buzz, while New York City will soon be able to find about municipal services in six more languages. All of this "in a New York minute" . . . or was that "a Bloomberg minute"?

GAS TAX HIKE, NOT HOLIDAY

I’ve argued for higher gas prices a lot in this space, mostly because of needing to get the price right in terms of us consumer adjusting our behavior so that we consume a more socially optimal amount of gas. Every so often, I also add the point that infrastructure investments are needed to maintain American competitiveness, although I’m mindful that we ought not forsake enhanced transit infrastructure for the sake of repairing crumbling roads and bridges. Congress has jobs on its mind, though, so its main interest in hiking rather than halting gas taxes is to keep highway workers employed: see here and here.

I’m certainly not as job-obsessed as Congress, but I agree that taking away almost $9 billion and therefore jeopardizing over 300,000 construction jobs in order to subsidize all of us drivers and allow us to drive even more is a bad idea. Senator McCain knows all the economists hate the idea and yet is pressing forward anyway. How about we go another route: admit an oil addiction that is 30 years and four presidential administrations in the making, phase up per-gallon taxes to encourage conservation of scarce resources, adjust income taxes accordingly to eliminate the pain for those who can least bear it, and move our way to a more sustainable way of life?

PS An editorial in today's Inky states that "the high cost of fuel is hurting virtually every sector of the economy, from agriculture to transportation." The problem with our addiction to cheap oil is that we fail to realize that if we reduce our pain at the pump (whether experienced directly, or embedded into things like the food we buy at the grocery store), it is at the expense of causing pain elsewhere, in the form of unsustainable personal lifestyles and metropolitan spatial layouts and resource consumption patterns. Economists understand the reality of trade-offs; addicts just want something to ease the pain.

Chinatown Bus

I don't a whole lot of free days nowadays, between two kids and a
demanding job. But when I can get away, it almost always involves a
train ride and a ballgame. There's something the pace of baseball to
help me relax. And there's something about curling up with a good
book or three on a long train ride - I'm literally still and moving at
the same time - that suits my psyche.

And yet, yesterday, my usual day off activities were ever so slightly
different. Because instead of taking SEPTA and NJ Transit to New
York, I decided to take my maiden voyage on one of those Chinatown
buses. At $20 round-trip, you can't beat the price - if you drove,
you'd spend about $30+ on gas, $10+ on tolls, and who knows how much
on parking.

But some of my friends were early adopters on the mode, and told me
stories of general sketchiness, so I avoided the route up until now.
I'm happy to report that, at least on my two rides yesterday, the
driver wasn't inebriated, the inside didn't smell of urine (once I
decided to move up to the middle from the row right outside the
toilet), and the bus only made three unannounced personal stops each
way.

The ride wasn't as smooth as a train, and no interior lighting meant
no reading whenever we were in a tunnel. But I got from city to city
just as fast as by train if not faster, and pocketed an extra $15 by
going this way. So even though my beloved A's lost a close one to the
hated Yanks, I still feel like I came out ahead yesterday.

Pop Culture Outsider

This conference in Los Angeles that I'm going to later this year is
just the sort of thing I enjoy: meeting new people, exploring new
ideas, gaining new perspective from the whole experience. I have to
confess, though, that I'm a little worried that I won't have much to
contribute. After all, the overall topic is "pop culture," and I've
never felt more distanced from the subject. Consider, for example,
the following general categories that one might associate with popular
culture:

• TV. We don't have cable, so out goes most of what gets watched
nowadays. And I don't even watch what's on the networks; the last
non-sports TV I watched even remotely regularly was "Scrubs" and
"CSI," circa 2005.

• Music. I haven't listened to the radio, except for short bursts in
the car, for years. The last non-classical CD I bought was the Wu
Tang Clan's "Wu Tang Forever," in 1997.

• Movies. Not counting animated kids' movies, the last movie of any
kind that I watched was a flurry of old Bond movies with my wife last
year. The last movie I saw in the theaters was the third and final
Matrix movie, in 2003.

• Technology. In our electronics-soaked society, this counts as pop
culture nowadays. And the last cutting-edge piece of technology I
bought was a PDA, in 1999, which I proceeded to use for eight long
years. I've never owned a laptop, portable mp3 player, camera phone,
or video game console.

To be sure, there are a lot of ways in which business, politics, and
sports intersect with pop culture, and I feel pretty in touch in those
three categories. Still, if the conference kicks off with a
Jeopardy!-style quiz, it's not likely I'll leave a very favorable
impression on my fellow attendees.

A BROADER LOOK AT MINORITY, FEMALE, AND DISABLED PARTICIPATION

I can only say so much here, but it looks like the Nutter Administration is commendably taking a broader look at minority, female, and disabled participation in the local economy. There's been a lot of talk about the percentage of City contracts that go to traditionally under-represented business ownership categories, and to be sure those are percentages worth keeping an eye on. But I think that the far more important ratio is the participation of quality minority, female, and disabled firms that are out there to bid on City contracts.

To use "disparity study" terminology, "availability" is just as if not more important than "utilization." Here's a link to a letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer by Councilman W. Wilson Goode Jr., who was chiefly responsible for the legislation that requires an annual disparity study, in which he also recommends a broader look. Here's hoping that the Nutter Administration takes that broader look, and coordinates with other public and private sector entities to improve on both the utilization of and the availability of traditionally under-represented business ownership categories. After all, a free market system does best when the whole of its population is fully engaged in economic matters.

HOW MUCH IS THAT IN BARRELS OF OIL

Forget sovereign funds buying up storied US banks or iconic US products being owned by non-US companies. How about two Middle East countries buying the entire country? According to the calculations in this article - "How Much Oil It'd Take to Buy the US" - Saudi Arabia and Iran have more in reserve in barrels of oil than the net worth of the entire US.

How's that for a perfect storm of rising oil prices and the falling dollar? Or, as my colleague put it, "Saudi Arabia could own everything east of the Mississippi, and Iran everything west." I say this without a trace of xenophobia: that would be considerably more painful to our nation than a $2 per gallon tax on gas, which could further get our oil consumption down to more efficient levels while raising tons of money for the transit and other infrastructure necessary to wean ourselves from our current addiction to cheap oil.

Instead, we are trying to get our politicians to do everything in their power to lower gas prices. Wrong direction, America, and if we keep going that way, other nations might have ownership over more than just IBM ThinkPads, Ben & Jerry's ice cream, and Budweiser.

THE JOY OF HIGH GAS PRICES

A nice piece in the LA Times about high gas prices being a good thing: "The Joy of $8 Gas." Less highway deaths? Less obesity? Less environmental impact? More social interaction? These all sound like good things to me.

My boss returned from a trip to suburban Atlanta and marveled at a culture completely based on the premise that you drive everywhere: five-lane boulevards, free parking everywhere, spread out houses and developments. Sounds like the American dream, but it's leading to an apocalyptic nightmare; we need to fundamentally reverse course, and a more correct gas price gets us there.

By the way, the article isn't quite right about the consequences to the poor. Many live in urban areas and can make do without driving, while shifting the tax burden from earning income to consuming fossil fuels could make a livable wage a lot more achievable for a huge portion of the working poor.

To be sure, it'll be a painful transition to wean ourselves from a society built around cheap gas. But sometimes it takes pain to identify that we have a problem, and to motivate us into a solution to that problem. Getting a biopsy or a colonoscopy is a pain; but so is getting cancer. $4 gas is a pain; but so is a world of withering heat and tapped out natural resources.

GENERATION GAP

Today I attended - and presented at - the Planning Commission meeting
about the proposed 1500-foot American Commerce Center building in
Center City. I won't go into the details of the actual arguments that
were made for and against, but I did want to comment on the stark
generation gap that the public meeting brought to light. I was
disheartened to see how little respect was extended between youngsters
and oldsters. Many youngsters painted the oldsters as provincial and
out of touch, and many oldsters responded with hisses and scoffs.

One of the great things about Philadelphia is how flavorful it is. We
are not homogenous in our socio-economics, our ethnic experiences, our
professions, or the number of years we've spent on this earth. And
while that can lead to conflict and misunderstanding and sometimes
even violence, it can also lead to a richer city life as people learn
from and interact with others who are different from them. But if we
feel threatened, or insecure, or mistrustful, it is easy to entrench
in our positions instead of mixing it up a little. Let's hope that
the general hopefulness that our city is in the midst of allows more
people to let go of their hardened stances, listen to others for a
change, and at the very least show some respect.

THE INVISIBLE GREEN HAND

I finally got around to reading a paper by the Milken Institute with the delicious title of "The Invisible Green Hand." As the name suggests, the paper seeks market solutions to climate change problems. My two favorites:

* Pay-as-you-drive insurance. Buying and then insuring a car is a huge fixed cost for most families, after which the variable cost, notwithstanding rising gas prices, is relatively low. $4 a gallon gas is starting to get people to conserve their trips by bundling errands, carpooling, and taking the train; and paying for insurance on a per-mile basis rather than as a flat annual fee would also encourage such conservation. Not to mention that it just makes sense: the less you drive, the less you're exposed to things that require auto insurance.

* Upward tiered utility pricing. Instead of getting a bulk discount for consuming more kilowatts, the per-kilowatt price goes up as you get to higher levels of consumption. Start this revenue-neutral (i.e. consumers initially pay roughly the same monthly amounts), but then watch as people start conserving electricity use to save money.

It's going to take more than a few of these market movers to safeguard our future and our planet. But it's a good start.

IF YOU WANT MY VOTE

In case you're wondering, Senators Obama and McCain, I agree with the first six planks of this platform.

OLDER CITIES HOLD ON TO MORE PEOPLE, CENSUS SHOWS

Four years ago, I was part of a leadership exchange program that sent Philadelphians to Phoenix to see what the story was in the city that was about to surpass us in population. I experienced a lot of Phoenix envy there, between the temperate climate and scandal-free politics; but I wondered aloud how a city built on cheap gas and imported water could continue its breakneck growth.

Fast forward four years, and population data is telling us that older, denser cities are making a comeback after years of bleeding residents. This time next year, we'll have population data through July 2008, and I have to think that data will tell the same story or even more magnified.

Maybe we Americans are too wired for wide open spaces, too addicted to golf courses and water fountains in the middle of deserts, and the Phoenixes of the world will resume their steady uptick in population. Or could it be that we're in the middle of a sea change in migration patterns and real estate values, driven by the reality of scarce resources? If so, prepare for the Phoenicians to reciprocate by coming here to see what we've done to turn around our population decline.

Still Seeking Rational Behavior

Here's proof that the price of gas is still too low.  My wife convinced me that going to the mall in the suburbs would be a great way to get out of the house, buy a few necessities, and give the kids something fun to do.  It was all three, although it was also over 30 miles of driving and far too many stop-and-go lulls. 

But here's the incident of irrational behavior that I observed while out in the burbs.  We had scored a nice parking spot right in front of the Macy's, maybe three rows away from the front entrance.  There were about six columns of spaces, and they were full for a good 20 rows, but plenty of spots after that.

We returned to our car with our stroller full of shopping bags.  We hadn't even gotten to our car when a SUV sat itself down right behind us, waiting for our spot.  Never mind that, even with lots of practice, it takes us a good two or three minutes to get everyone strapped in and everything inside the car.  The driver, who was not old or handicapped, saw everything, and yet decided that waiting for our spot was preferable to driving 200 feet further, parking immediately, and walking the extra 200 feet to the store entrance.

I suppose I should give this person the benefit of the doubt: maybe their mall run involved some heavy item, and the 200 feet would have made a world of difference.  Or maybe they thought we'd be faster than two or three minutes, not factoring in all the snaps and loops involved in buckling two kids into car seats.

But maybe, even as we're complaining up a blue streak about $4+ a gallon gas, we're still doing irrational things like pumping pollution into the air for two or three minutes on end instead of proceeding to an open parking spot and walking the extra 200 feet.  It appears we still don't realize how scarce a resource our scarce resources are, if we're willing to expend them to save ourselves the effort of walking 200 feet.

GAS TAX THEN, OR WEALTH TRANSFER NOW

I don’t agree with everything in this article, but it does make a nice point that I’ve been banging on a number of times in this space. Here’s the quote:
“And it is yet another failure of President Bush that after 9/11, he encouraged Americans to go shopping instead of leading the charge for a gas tax. A purely consumptive tax on gasoline - that is, a tax whose revenue was entirely refunded through income tax breaks - would have curbed our consumption, stimulated innovation in the energy sector, and kept much of our money at home. But no one in the political class, Republican or Democrat, had the courage to start that conversation.”
The author says it’s too late, but it’s not. It’s just much more painful now, now that gas prices are well north of $4 a gallon. But there’s also more awareness now, of the unsustainability of an economy built on cheap oil, and of the merits of taxing energy to move us towards more optimal levels of consumption. So there’s a way; is there the will?

MODES IN MANHATTAN

Here are a couple of links from New York City to whet your appetite as to how to balance various modes here in Philadelphia. First, it appears the Big Apple is on its way to a Paris-style bike sharing program. Second,
the Kheel Plan recommends making mass transit free and charging cars to drive and park in Manhattan. How’s that for some bold plans to mix up mode choice towards something more environmentally sustainable and economically efficient? So much I could say here, but for now I’m just going to comment that I can’t wait for the day I can take my family – by train – to New York, rent some bikes, and have a nice day outside; and I can’t wait for the day other families can do the same thing here in Philly.

BRITS AND AMERICANS

I'm happy to announce that I've been recently named one of 20 Americans to participate in a US-England leadership exchange program called the British American Project. There are 20 British counterparts who will be flying with us to Los Angeles later this year to dialogue on this year's topic, pop culture; and next year, we'll all go to England and come around another topic.

Special thanks to my boss, who is an alum, who encouraged me to apply, and who filled out my nomination form. Below are the four essays I wrote for my submission. I'm looking forward to meeting the other fellows and seeing what interesting exchanges result from these gatherings.



***



The mission of the British-American Project is to promote cross-cultural understanding. How does this interest you?

My whole life has been about crossing cultures. As a Taiwanese-American growing up in suburban San Jose, I very much lived the hyphenated life: one language and culture at home, and another at school and on the playground. Not having been raised in the church, my formative years in the Christian faith were in my teens, and were heavily flavored by the trans-ethnic nature of the gospel: I volunteered in poor urban neighborhoods among mostly blacks and Hispanics; I worshipped with Asian, black, and white congregations; and I spend one summer doing missions work in four different Eastern European countries. My wife is Caucasian, my kids are adopted from China and Taiwan, we live in a diverse neighborhood and attend a multicultural congregation, and our kids go to a day care where all the other kids and all the workers are black.

Yet all of that just means that I've crossed cultures; it doesn't necessarily mean that I know or care a lick about cross-cultural understanding. But I do. Sometimes, all this mixing just makes me all the more confused about my own heritage, or all the more hardened in harboring negative stereotypes and false prejudices. But sometimes, it means that I actually take the time to listen and learn; to get out of my comfort zone long enough to truly understand and appreciate someone else who is different from me; and to be secure enough in who I am to faithfully represent the various elements of my identity to others who may have not previously had any such meaningful contact. Those are the times when I am reminded that, however hard it is to take the extra effort to not just cross cultures but respect and embrace them, that is the very thing that makes life rich.



What is the most interesting thing about you?

I keep a very busy schedule: a demanding job, two small children, elder at my church, two boards, and numerous side pursuits. My free time is measured in minutes, I wake up at 4 every morning just to get a moment to myself, and I now follow sports by fast-forwarding through games while running on my treadmill. And yet, in the midst of all of that, I make the time to maintain two personal blogs: "Huang Kid Khronicles" and "Musings of an Urban Christian."

"Khronicles" is the more trivial of the two sites, filled with the sort of drivel about kids that only matters if you actually know the kids. But it's important for my friends and family, many of whom are far from Philly, to see how our kids are progressing; I want my kids to someday read what I've written, so they can see what they were like when they were little; and I use the site to explore deeper issues, like culture and adoption and faith.

While I'm fortunate to have a day job and side gigs that allow me to pursue things of personal and intellectual interest, "Musings" is the outlet for my true voice. Here I can explore the intersection between cut-throat capitalism and social do-gooding, argue that gas prices are too low, and exposit on the implications of the Bible on 21st century urban America. I'd like to say that what I write is interesting to others, and to the extent that those writings reflect who I truly am and what I'm truly about, I'd like to say that what that means is that I'm interesting.



Describe a specific instance in which our popular culture has impacted you, either for the better or for the worse. Let us understand how your anecdote bears on the conference topic.

Early in Ken Burns' documentary on baseball, author Gerald Early says, "The three things the historians will remember America for a thousand years from now are the Constitution, jazz music, and baseball." I would be inclined to agree with him, and if you think about, all three get at what America is. Our nation, after all, was instituted as a place where the pursuit of happiness, not the happiness itself, was perceived to be a God-given right; in other words, we are a country in journey, never arriving, ever debating and innovating. And so the Constitution has survived over two centuries, at once rigid and fluid; jazz is beautiful because it is wild and improvisational and yet rhythmic and basic; and baseball is a kid's game, and yet fans appreciate that there are infinite nuances and permutations to enjoy.

Ah, baseball. My childhood love, I lost track of it in college because I didn't have a TV, the Internet didn't really exist yet, and, well, the whole industry went on strike in 1994. Some five years after that, I still wasn't really following; but I lived with a bunch of guys who were, and they convinced me to watch the 1999 All-Star Game with them. If you're a follower of the game, you know that was the magical night in Boston that Ted Williams threw out the first pitch, and then all of the all-stars crowded around him, wanting to talk to him, not wanting him to leave the field and him not wanting to leave the field. It was as if a bunch of grown men, multimillionaire professional athletes at that, had been reduced to innocent little kids, star-struck by the chance to share a moment with the greatest hitter who ever lived.

And as I watched, my childlike innocence was also kindled, as was my love for the game and my love for my country. Professional baseball has become much more global in the decade that has followed; but I maintain it is inextricably American, in that one cannot understand what it means to be American without understanding baseball. Or, to put it another way, if you want to have a debate about all that is right and wrong about America, just talk baseball, whose highs and lows parallel America's best (players in the prime of their careers serving in World War II, stars making a whole town feel good about itself again) and worst (owners opposing racial integration, athletes taking steroids). In fact, a traveling exhibit of the Baseball Hall of Fame that is running right now at the National Constitution Center in town is called, "Baseball is America." I played hooky from work last month to check it out, and scribbled on my ticket the following quote from Robert Frost that was found on one of the displays: "I never feel more at home in America than at a ballgame." Amen.



Please write a lively bio describing yourself beyond the usual list of degrees, titles, credits and citations (this will be used in the conference book if you are selected).

Lee Huang is a quintessential "INTJ" on the Myers-Briggs Personality Test. One of the defining characteristics about INTJs is they approach reality as they would a giant chessboard, always seeking strategies that have a high payoff. The Wharton School of Business, The Enterprise Center, the Fels Institute of Government, and Econsult Corporation have been four big chess boards on which Lee has explored the integration of spiritual and secular; business and government; and cut-throat capitalism and social do-gooding. Whether it is living, working, or worshipping, Lee spends his time at the intersection of worlds: black, white and Asian; rich and poor; and for-profit, non-profit, and public sector. As a result, Lee communicates interesting insights: he has written a number of articles, studies, and publications, and has spoken extensively at conferences, churches, and schools, on a broad range of topics such as economic development, minority entrepreneurship, and faith in the city. Ever the documentarian, he posts many of these insights on his family blog (Huang Kid Khronicles) or his professional blog (Musings of An Urban Christian).

IMMIGRANTS AND JOBS, NOT ONE OR THE OTHER

When I saw the headline - "Philadelphia's Population Shrinking, Though Region's is Growing" - I wondered aloud how long into the article before they named the reason for the decline. Answer: about nine-tenths of the way into the article, they finally mentioned the relatively low inflow of immigrants. Demographically, all cities have lost residents; the ones that have been able to not lose population are those that offset that loss with new, mostly immigrant residents.

Ironically and deliciously, what was talked about in the first nine-tenths of the article was the other major driver of population: jobs. To be sure, you can't grow in size if you don't keep adding jobs. But we like to pit immigrants versus jobs, as in - "We don't want 'those people' taking 'our' jobs." In addition to being xenophobic, that's a zero-sum mentality: that there's a static amount of jobs in the economy, and any additional labor supply just means more competition for me.

But the economy and jobs are never static: countries, cities, and companies are constantly adding and shedding workers. Being immigrant-friendly usually translates into a net gain in the number of jobs, since it usually means a region that is open to change, innovation, and growth.

To be sure, there is real competition for jobs, and countless situations in which an incoming immigrant takes a specific job that could've been filled by a non-immigrant, longer-time resident. And, in some cases, that longer-time resident may be out of luck for the foreseeable future, if his or her job skills are not easily transferable to another company or industry. Which is why workforce development initiatives are such an important component of a vibrant, fluid region. Better that than a stagnant system in which no one on the outside is let in.

THE HUMANNESS OF THE BIBLE

This article caught my eye this morning, mostly because my former neighbor and fellow congregant was quoted in it: "Bible Professor Suspending Over Teachings." I haven't read Peter Enn's book, and theological debates are water far deeper than I can tread, so I won't say much here, but it saddens me that the humanness of the Bible is cause for knee-jerk opposition. Wasn't the whole point of the Protestant Reformation that the Bible deserved to be accessible to the common man? Wasn't the King James version written accordingly, in salty tones? And isn't the sanctity, uniqueness, and validity of the original Hebrew and Greek verified and not contradicted by the fact that that original Hebrew and Greek was common and earthy in its feel?

Don't get me wrong: if I'm to accept a statement of Christian faith, it has to have the word "inerrant" in it. In today's relativistic mores, the Bible is still the absolute truth. I'm just lamenting that that can't peacefully co-exist with a read of it that savors and doesn't squelch the fact that that ultimate authority passed through the hearts, minds, and hands of finite and sinful people. Isn't that consistent with the glorious, provocative, and unprecedented nature of the Christian faith itself: that a perfect God chose to dwell in the form of a Jewish carpenter, and that He continues to dwell among and work through the weak and messy and unglorious?

OH %$#@!

I gave up heavy swearing up over 15 years ago. And I'm not easily impressed. But even I had to blurt out an expletive in wonder when confronted with the video wall in the lobby of the new Comcast Center. I hadn't been in the building since the week before the grand opening, but I had a few minutes in between meetings this afternoon and was in the area, so I decided to check it out with my own two eyes.

"Oh %$#@!" were my exact words. The display, which must contain like a billion pixels, is absolutely astonishing. Even the mundane - window washers and couples dancing the Twist - were rendered in extraordinary, eye-popping detail. There were at least a hundred other gawkers in the lobby with me; some had jaws scraping the floor, while others burst out in laughter as they entered the room and encountered the amazing projection.

Down below, by the way, the concourse was buzzing with lunchtime activity, a far cry from the dingy, poorly light image you usually associate with below-ground retail. And outside the lobby, even with the imminent threat of rain, even more throngs partook of lunch and drinks in classily laid out outdoor seating.

But the indoor lobby was the real money shot. I can't believe it took me this long to take it myself. If you haven't been, I highly recommend it. And with the hopeful addition of the 1500-foot American Commerce Center down the street, replete with activated street-level aesthetics and public plaza, this part of town could start really hopping.

GREEN BANK

This looks promising: "Seeds Planted for 1st Green Bank Startup." I had written about energy-efficient mortgages before, and e3 Bank intends to do that and more. Keep your eye out for what else a financial services institution can do to facilitate activities that do good for people, the planet, and profits.

SOMEWHERE AT THE BEGINNING OF SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN

I forget what I've posted and what I haven't, but here's the intro to a book I wrote in late 2003 called "Somewhere in Between: The Musings of A Newcomer to Urban Ministry." It's a compilation of 108 devotions written for urban Christians, with at least one for each book of the Bible. A lot's happened since then, but I could largely write the same thing today, especially the sense of being somewhere in between.

***

Philadelphia, 1991. My dad and I are rumbling through West Philadelphia in our rental car, en route to the University of Pennsylvania at the beginning of my freshman year. I am literally wet behind the ears, having hastily left my aunt’s house that morning. My eyes and ears are ringing, as I adjust to the sensory overload that is the city: I take in horns blaring, intricate architecture, and the bombed-out shells of old buildings as we speed down Chestnut Street. The streets are buzzing with activity, a far cry from the staid setting of my suburban Northern California neighborhood. At that moment, I feel very far from home.

Who knew at the time that I would fall in love with Philadelphia during my four years at PENN, and give my heart forever to the city? After all, while cities intrigued me with their flavor and grittiness, they also repelled me with their dirtiness and decay. I held urban environments simultaneously in high regard and low regard. I loved the wealth of cultural assets and hated the aggregation of human depravity. I was drawn to the city’s rich personality and overwhelmed by its vivid flaws. I felt very much somewhere in between infatuation and disgust, between desiring to dive in headfirst and wanting to get out as soon as I could.

Thirteen years and counting later, I still feel very much somewhere in between.

There’s something about cities that provoke polar opinions. Some love their gritty character and can’t conceive of living anywhere else, while others hate their smelly filth and avoid setting foot there if it all possible. Some are disgusted by urban sinners and their bad choices, while others are equally disgusted by the evil systems that oppress and discriminate. Some think that what city folks really need is the gospel message and not social ministries, while others argue that the gospel message is social ministries.

Even if you’re a die-hard urban disciple, you may find yourself toggling between extremes. Is race no longer an issue, or the issue through which all of life should be viewed? Should the work be done by transplants or locals? And if I’m new to my city, why don’t I feel at home anymore in my old neighborhood, but I don’t yet feel at home in my new neighborhood?

It didn’t take long in my career in urban ministry to realize that if I wanted to achieve long-term happiness and sustainable effectiveness, I would need to navigate between such extremes. If I wanted to do right for myself in Philadelphia, I would have to learn how to live “somewhere in between.”

If you are reading this book, it is likely that you too have made or are about to make some sort of commitment to living and serving in an urban environment. Perhaps you are experiencing what I am experiencing. Like trapeze artists who have let go of one set of hands and haven’t yet grabbed onto another, we feel suspended in mid-air. And even it is but for a moment, and even if there is a big safety net below should we slip, still we feel the uneasiness of being “somewhere in between.”

But here’s where the analogy breaks down. Urban ministry is not the same as swinging on a trapeze. It is infinitely and eternally more important. I believe that God is calling a new generation of young disciples into urban ministry, and that not everybody is listening and obeying, to the detriment of their souls and their intimacy with God, and to the detriment of cities and city structures and city dwellers that need divine redemption. This is no sideshow entertainment; we’re talking about the eternal destinies of a generation of human souls and urban systems.

What I have written in these pages, I have written for myself as much as for anyone else. I too have heard the call, and too often I don’t listen or obey. I have lived in urban Philadelphia for well over a decade, and yet I still feel like a newcomer to city life. If anything, in my theology and my identity I feel even more “somewhere in between” than when I first dipped my toe in the pool of urban ministry.

My hope is that some of the confessions, observations, and exhortations contained in these pages will be of use to you in clarifying your understanding of urban discipleship, calling, and ministry. If you’re seeking a stylized view of the inner city from a successful urban minister, you’re holding the wrong book. If you’re looking for a guidebook of slick strategies and effective “best practices,” you won’t find much here. If you’re hoping to leave this book having more answers than questions, I’m afraid I might disappoint.

But if you seek another perspective on the sometimes lonely, sometimes confusing journey of urban discipleship; if you want to get past the sound bites of the extremists and their polar viewpoints; if you’re feeling “somewhere in between” but are committed to being faithful to God, hungry for a closer walk with Him, and attuned to His work in the world’s cities; then you might find something satisfying for your soul here. Read on, then, and muse with me about feeling somewhere in between as a newcomer to urban ministry.

HIGHER ELECTRICITY BILLS ARE ON THE WAY

My parents taught me not to waste stuff. Turn off lights, turn off the faucet, turn off the car. As an adult, I now appreciate that in addition to avoiding waste, energy conservation also helps the environment and helps my pocketbook.

And as an economist, I now appreciate that a more accurate price for energy means less inefficiencies associated with the extent to which energy consumption leads to negative externalities. So I may be the only one on my block that cheered this front page headline: "Region Braces for Energy Rate Hike."

These state-imposed rate caps were pointed out to me by a speaker at a conference I attended earlier this year. To the extent that government intervention has led to inaccurately low energy prices, people have behaved according to those prices, and as a result, we've consumed more energy than is optimal. And just as higher gas prices have led to good things - people bundling trips, selling their SUVs, and talking about big changes that need to happen in our economy - so will more correct energy prices lead to good things - less wasteful consumption, more motivation to do "green" construction, the increased attractiveness of energy-efficient appliances.

To be sure, we may need to ladder these increases, and/or provide special programming for those who are least economically able to cope with the new prices. But if the price is wrong, the best solution isn't to keep it wrong - that just leads to more inefficiency and puts us on a dangerous global parh - but rather to facilitate as quickly and as painlessly as possible the transition to an overall economy and millions of consumers that is based on a price that is right.

Buyer's Remorse

Without going into too much detail - I have my reasons, but more so I
just have a hunch - I'd like to put myself on the record and say that
there's about a one-in-three chance that by the time November rolls
around, both major political parties could be experiencing some
serious "buyer's remorse" about their presidential candidates. This
would make for an unprecedented Election Day: "Omigosh, I can't
believe we're going to be stuck with him." Heck, this could even kick
in before the national conventions, which could make for some very
interesting smoky rooms, side deals, and even a new name or an
independent run (Al Gore, Mike Bloomberg, I'm talking about you).
Check back with me once veeps have been named, after which those odds
might go up or down.

FOUND IN AMERICA

A nice cover story in this week’s Philadelphia Weekly on highly educated immigrants scraping by in minimum wage jobs: ”Lost in America.” Kudos to the Welcoming Center for New Pennsylvanians, with whom we produced a report on this subject earlier this year. It turns out degrees and certifications in other countries don’t always translate well here, not to mention various cultural nuances and a lack of connections that can often make finding the appropriate job surprisingly difficult. Enter the Welcoming Center, whose training and matchmaking programs seek to get doctors doctor jobs and engineers engineering jobs, instead of driving taxis and washing dishes. Incidentally, these high-skilled occupations tend to be the very things we’re going to need a lot more bodies for in the future. Now if we can just get more slots for these high-skilled, highly motivated immigrants to enter the country and add their sweat equity to our economy.

PS By the way, here's another look at the issue: George Will's "Building a Wall Against Talent." Here's the money quote: "U.S. policy is: As soon as U.S. institutions of higher education have awarded you a PhD, equipping you to add vast value to the economy, get out. Go home. Or to Europe, which is responding to America's folly with 'blue cards' to expedite acceptance of the immigrants America is spurning." Thanks to the blog of my new Facebook friend for this link.

THE CHANGE OF CHANGE

Talk about exponential growth: check out "Shift Happens," winner of last year's "World's Best Presentation" contest. My favorite facts:

* The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010 didn't exist in 2004.

* We've produced more unique new information this year than mankind had in the past 5000 years.

* The amount of technical information is doubling every two years. By 2010, it'll double every 72 hours.

As I once heard said, the change of change is changing. So many implications, but I'll just offer one: education - at all levels - needs to be less about learning stuff and more about learning how to learn. (Btw, the slide show says Nintendo spent almost twice as much last year on R&D as the federal government did on R&D on education.)

DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION

I'm not much of a clubber, and I've been known to roll my eyes when enviro-chic becomes a little too, well, chic; but I have nothing but smiles for Britain's first eco-nightclub. Electricity generated by all the bopping? Free admission for transit users? Signing up patrons to stay involved? Now those are things that are worth dancing about. [A shout-out to Guy Kawasaki's blog for this find.]

EASIER SAID THAN DONE, BUT STILL WORTH DOING

A refreshingly honest look at how difficult and yet necessary it will be to adjust our nation's transportation system to become less auto-dependent: "$9 Gasoline Will Make You Love Public Transportation."

(The author's name sounded familiar, and then I realized he wrote a guide to muni bonds that I had to buy for one of my grad school classes and ended up really enjoying - yeah, an interesting book on public finance! The foreword was written by none other than Michael Bloomberg, so that helped.)

Right now, we Americans are making decisions on the margins as we adjust to higher gas prices. But we may need to - some say we have to, there is no other way that doesn't involve environmental apocalypse - change the very way our mobility and our commerce are structured. The sooner we accept that we need to do that, and the sooner we acknowledge that it will be painful and pricey to do that, the more likely it is we will make the transition, rather than wishing that all we need is for our politicians to figure out a way to lower our gas prices.

Talk about a market disruption, though: everything, from the prevalence of plastic bags to the ways our regions are laid out, is based on the cheap oil that Reagan, Bush, Clinton, and Bush II secured for us. In the same way that electricity, the railroads, and the Internet fundamentally changed the game, so will we likely need to fundamentally change the ways we get around and the ways we do business. Certainly, that's not going to happen overnight, but neither is it going to happen by making behavioral changes on the margins, and it's certainly not going to happen if we demand that our elected officials do whatever it takes to lower the price of gas.

Far from doom and gloom, though, this could make for an incredibly good and prosperous future. An economy and society built on cheap oil is not a sustainable one, no matter how you interpret warnings about global warming, so better to make the painful corrections than to obliviously putter along the path to meltdown. This sort of crisis point is exactly the kind of moment in which innovation flourishes, so expect to see some brilliant entrepreneurship emerging from both likely and unlikely sources. And families that are pinched the most by high energy prices are the very ones that will benefit the most from being moved out of existing consumption patterns, and from shifts in the things that get taxed and the things that get subsidized.

All in all, easier said than done. But no less urgent that it get done.

TRACKING TRAVEL FOR A MONTH

After my May car fast fell through, I decided to give it a go in June – not necessarily full-out forsaking the car, but at least being mindful of how I get around. So what I did was track trips by foot, transit, and car. “Trip” was defined as anything from a Point A to a Point B, so if I left work to get my kids and we stopped at the produce truck on the way home, that counted as three trips. Here are my results:

• I averaged 4.8 trips by foot, 1.3 trips by transit, and 0.5 trips by car each day.
• My weekday/weekend splits, in terms of number of trips – foot 5.0/4.2, transit 1.6/0.4, car 0.2/1.2.
• I averaged 3.1 miles by foot and 2.0 miles by car each day.

I ended up using our car seven times for a total of 16 trips (in parentheses below are number of trips, number of miles driven, and the number of other people in the car besides me):

• 6/14 – I took the family to the grocery store (2, 4.4, 3)
• 6/16 – my friend picked me up at our day care, drove me to a neighborhood coffee shop, and then drove me to work (2, 1.5, 1)
• 6/17 – I picked up my sister and her husband at the airport (2, 12.6, 0/2)
• 6/21 – I took my sister and her husband and my kids to the aquarium, and we stopped through Chinatown on the way back to pick up dinner (3, 8.8, 4)
• 6/21 – I took my wife to Manayunk for coffee, and we stopped by a local cobbler to pick up my shoe on the way back (3, 25.8, 1)
• 6/24 – my sister and her husband and I took a taxi home from the train station after we got back from DC past midnight (1, 1.6, 3)
• 6/28 – I took my family to the grocery store, hitting the local produce truck and the car wash on the way (4, 4.4, 3)

If you’re scoring at home, that’s 59.1 miles with an average of 2.6 other people in the car besides me, and only one trip in which I was driving solo. 3.1 of those miles were in other peoples’ cars, so I put 56.0 miles on our car, or about $9 of gas.

It was an unusually low mileage month for our family; why, this coming weekend, I’ll be taking the family to see the in-laws, and that’s 80+ miles right there in one day. But at least for one month, it was nice to be extra mindful of how I get around, and to see that largely I can get myself and my family from Point A to Point B without much need for our car.