Some Good Things Happened

While the pandemic had many downsides not the least of which is the number of deaths and illnesses, there were some good things that came from this past 1 ½ years. As with prayers that are always answered, you may not see it quite the way you expected it. So here are some of my positive takeaways from this historic period.

1. Public Education has been shown to be centered around the unionized education and severely lacking. The teachers’ unions have been short shrifting our children’s education and both the content and their lack of caring for students has been laid bare for all to see. A backlash is leading to more freedom to use tax dollars for parents’ choosing how to educate their children.
2. Parents spent more time with their children and the kids, and even some parents, loved it. Yes, homeschooling was a drag and the imposition of draconian rules prevented the “just go outside and play” argument, but families grew closer for the most part. The result will be more parents choosing to stay home with their children especially if they are able to secure income at the same time.
3. Workers and their employers found working from home is not only possible, but desirable. Technology advanced sufficiently to allow for collaboration and social interaction. Employers are now re-thinking their real estate footprints and workers are seeking cheaper, less congested and safer places to live. Cities, having been found to be petri dishes for the spread of disease, are now less desirable places to live. (Safety issues aside.)
4. When government corrals the private sector, things can happen fast. President Trump’s Project Warpspeed proved that given the right set of rules, the private sector can perform. Conversely, government bureaucracy proved to be more an impediment than the saintly oversight it was supposed to be. Less and better focused regulation was shown to be a success at providing real value to taxpayers.
5. Some government officials were exposed as having “no clothes”. The audacious actions of outlawing some activities and personally ignoring them was an affront to we citizens. Their directing the full weight of the state to bear on some actions while encouraging others were the height of hypocrisy. Voters now have a good sense of who the good and bad guys and gals are. Let’s hope they remember that when they choose their representatives and leaders.

Finally,

• Golf became popular again with younger folks. This outdoor activity was about the only thing you could do for a good part of this period. Many have come to find the game enjoyable and are now added to the rest of us addicted players.