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The Business Times Contributors THE BUSINESS TIMES December 8-21, 2022JANUARY 15-28, 2015 Opinion Opinion Business BriefsA new year affords Business Peoplea new opportunity to meet local needs Almanac

A new year almost always brings an opportunity for a fresh start and renewed ambition to do things better.

In business, that usually boils down to providing customers better products and services faster and at lower cost than competitors. Part of the process must include listening to customers to determine what they actually need and then meeting that need. After all, it does little good to offer the latest and greatest if nobody actually wants what you’re selling.

Just like the businesses that belong to the group, the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce invariably starts out the new year with a reassessment of the services and resources it provides and how well they match with members needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the chamber board of directors, personifies this approach in describing what he considers his role for the coming year: listen to members, determine their needs and then meet those needs. It’s a role with which Franklin is familiar as market president of Bank of Colorado.

The process will take on a more structured approach in what the chamber plans as the resumption of a program aptly called Listening to Business. Under the program, business owners participate in in-depth interviews to identify barriers to growth and other problems they encounter.

The new year offers a good time to join the proverbial club.

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The Grand Valley Business Times, a subsidiary of Hall Media Group LLC, is published twice monthly and distributed throughout Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Advertising rates and deadlines are available upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor, staff or advertisers.

Copyright © 2015 — All rights reserved.

It’s that time of year when resolutions and prognostications abound. My favorite saying applied to New Year’s resolutions is in saying they’re basically a bunch of promises to break the first week of January. And while I won’t predict a whole lot, I can pretty much accurately nail a few things that without question will make the news. You will see these are pretty, well, predictable: ■ Prediction one: There will be some sort of weather event, natural disaster or heinous occurrence where someone will be interviewed and say the following: “I’ve never seen anything like that in my lifetime.” It’s as if this person is a required attendee at every news reporting event. While I understand most people’s perspective can indeed be limited by, or contained within, their own personal experiences, it is too much to ask to consult some historical perspective before saying such a thing? Yes, this response can apply to some events. But when it comes to weather and natural disasters, I’m pretty sure this is simply history repeating itself. Same as it has for millions and millions of years. More important, the planet made it! What didn’t were certain species. How’s that for perspective? ■ Prediction two: When it comes to a crime or something that occurs between humans, the other required attendee at all news reporting events is the person who says this: “They we’re just the nicest people, and in no way did I see something like this coming.” Exactly. No one does most of the time when it comes to neighbors and acquaintances. People should be surprised at what goes on from time to time in their neighborhoods, towns and with people they know because people are good. And for the times that they shouldn’t be shocked — like with politicians, repeat offenders and terrorists — where’s the interview that says, “This doesn’t surprise me in the least.” ■ Prediction three: Something good will happen economically, and the government will take credit for it. The most recent example is gas prices, where people ask me why I won’t credit the president for low gas prices. My answer is simple: Government never makes the price of something go down and simply takes credit for good news. Gas pricing is subject to many global factors. Now there are government answers to addressing some of them to keep prices stable for Americans, but our government has none of them in place. The only things it has in place in the

Bold predictions for 2015 more like not-so-bold repeats long run always hurt consumers. Another fact is that unemployment reaches a certain level based on the economy. And while the government might brag the number is low, it’s more than likely the government did something to cause that number being low — and not in a good way. Conversely, when business picks up, it’s because the people who need to buy widgets who were not buying widgets because the economy was contracting due to natural (or unnatural, government caused) reasons, decided we better buy some widgets. The government had nothing to do with this. ■ Prediction four: In keeping with things the government does, I predict the government will manipulate the numbers to make the claim the economy is getting better because of how hard it is working to help all of us “working Americans.” Now Craig Hall you might say, “Craig, you always say this about President Obama because you don’t like him.” You’re right in a sense. I don’t know the man, but what I know of him and his thinking, I don’t like it or him one iota. Before you go off, however, I didn’t like President Bush and his bailouts, stimulus and his abandoning the free market to save the free market. And I don’t know him either. What the government does, and the only thing it can do, is hurt the economy. Unless it does nothing or put criminals in jail instead of partnering with them, nothing the government does will help. Always look at it this way, whatever the government says it is doing, whatever the name of the law it is passing, or whatever the name or goal of the bureaucracy it is presenting to the people, expect the polar opposite to occur. I guess what I’m saying is that perhaps it’s time to get out of our own perspective. There’s plenty of history books and historical research out there to begin to understand that all of this has happened before. And it will again, whether the topic is people or government. The best recommendation is to find some books or try that whole Google thing. There’s a lot of information on the Great Depression. The truth is it wasn’t even a good one until the government got involved. There’s also plenty of research on the medieval warm period when the planet was much warmer than today with a whole lot less people (and warmer well before man was here at all). And yep, people have been killing other surprised people since history was first written. Maybe some research will help stop all of these trends. Otherwise, we’ll be saying we’ve never seen anything like it in our lives. And not in a good way. Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 Copyright © 2022 — All rights reserved. or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. F ✦

And for the simplest of reasons. It’s a word made up out of whole cloth because everything anyone claims as misinformation is and can only be, well, INFORMATION no matter how anyone tries to spin it. The “mis,” “dis,” or “fake” is all up to the holder, seeker or receiver of that information.

That’s it. It’s up to you whether the information you’re processing has value, truth or matches your beliefs. No one can, or should, determine it for you. That goes especially for those providing the mass of information available today at breakneck speeds.

Here’s a good summary in how I first look at information when it hits my attention. Along with going to the other end of the spectrum, I look at what the infobots AREN’T saying.

“Secrecy is the keystone to all tyranny. Not force, but secrecy and censorship. When any government, or church for that matter, undertakes to say to its subjects, ‘This you may not read, this you must not know.’ The end result is tyranny and oppression, no matter how holy the motives. Mighty little force is needed to control a man who has been hoodwinked in this fashion; contrariwise, no amount of force can control a free man, whose mind is free. No, not the rack nor the atomic bomb, not anything. You can’t conquer a free man; the most you can do is kill him.” — Robert Heinlein.

So really, “misinformation” is about controlling information. Misinformation is simply a term they’ve come up with to control what you’re allowed to hear and say and what conclusions you’re allowed to come to given the controlled information they allow you to hear.

Just look at what happens to citizens who don’t come to the conclusions those in control of our language and political direction demand. They’re labeled “conspiracy theorists.” Without getting into just how many of the “theories” have been proven true over the past several years, let’s look at what this label actually does to people who dare to believe or understand information differently than the folks in charge of the Ministry of Truth.

After all, who believes “crazy” conspiracy theories? The key word is the first word. They’re obviously insane individuals. Who are those insane individuals? You and me and those of us who dare to think for themselves. As Dave Chapelle once stated, the act of calling someone crazy is dismissive. It’s equal to calling them not human. Then again, it’s to be expected from those who won’t call the growing group of

Shopping small results in big Colorado benefits cells in a womb human, but a single cell on Mars is life. It’s simply another way to make The only misinformation is in the word “misinformation”

The COVID-19 pandemic confirmed the critical role small businesses play in any life somehow less than human, making our daily lives. It sounds cliché, but locally owned small businesses truly are the certain lives not worthy of being part of, or heart and soul of our cities and towns. The holiday shopping season is a crucial taking part in, society. time for small retailers and restaurants that depend on the boost in sales between Let’s get back to secrets by talking Thanksgiving and Christmas. about a topic we’re not allowed to talk Not so long ago, it was an American tradition to shop and about — unless of course the topic can be play at the local mall or small business district downtown. tied to Christian conservatives — mass Brick-and-mortar businesses would promote their best deals shootings. We’ve had two recent mass of the year in hopes of luring shoppers to make a purchase or shootings. Both, as usual, made immediate at least browse their merchandise. Today, online shopping has headlines with the appropriate, righteous become the preferred way many Americans shop for holiday condemnation. But what else did these gifts. Given the dramatic shifts in the retail environment over the two shootings immediately come with? last 20 years, those holiday scenes and traditions are in danger The ever-present rush to judgment, stating of passing into the realm of nostalgic folklore. The results of the shooters must be disgruntled, white, recent surveys show that more than 80 percent of shoppers make Christian conservatives. Without getting into regular online purchases throughout the year. specifics, they weren’t. I wonder as I write To compete, small business owners have become more innovative in the ways they sell and promote their products Craig Hall this column how many folks really know the profile of these two shooters? The shootings and services. An encouraging trend born out of the pandemic aren’t in the news any longer. Why? You is that many small business owners pivoted operating models know already, but you aren’t allowed to talk to include e-commerce platforms or changed product offerings about that either. Because stating the facts to meet the demands of online consumers. Still, others have would make one a conspiracy theorist based brought back the traditions of providing one-on-one assistance in our controllers’ ideas and demands in to customers and selling locally produced niche items. Cottage how we think about race and gender. businesses have started in record numbers as people realized Facts are scary, disallowed, their dreams of small business ownership could start in their unmentioned things when it comes to basements and garages. tyrants because they’e true — many times

If you’re an entrepreneur and need some advice, consider eternal truths. The last things tyrants want exploring the tools and resources offered by the U.S. Small citizens to have are facts or the truth. Business Administration and its partners, including the Small When was the last time you listened to Business Development Center in Grand Junction. Small a “leader” demanding you believe what business owners also can get involved with such local support you’re hearing and not what you’re seeing organizations as chambers of commerce, business districts and associations. and thought, “Wow, I should blindly follow

The holiday shopping season exerts huge effects. Colorado’s 691,000 small them?” If you have, perhaps you’re a true businesses create two out of every three net new jobs and deliver essential goods misinformation conspiracy theorist. and services. They employ more than 1.2 million Coloradans, give back to their Quick example: President Joe Biden communities and make the state a better place in which to live. saying the inflation rate is 0 percent because

This holiday season, join us in making purchases from locally owned small it was at the same 8 percent rate as it was the business in your city or town. These business owners are the true super stars of month before. Here’s what he’s not telling our communities and deserve our support, thanks and appreciation. you. Inflation rates are based on a given

Happy holidays. month versus the previous year for the same month. So, if the inflation rate in a month Aikta Marcoulier serves as the U.S. Small Business Administration Region VIII was 8 percent, it means things on average, administrator. She oversees SBA programs and services in Colorado as well as since a lot of what they track aren’t really Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. Frances Padilla necessities, cost 8 percent more than last serves as the SBA Colorado District director and oversees programs and services year in the same month. Worse, those same across the state. For more information, visit www.sba.gov. things cost 20 percent or more than they did F from two years before based on that month’s PREVIOUS year’s inflation rate. In laymen’s terms, the $20 widget you bought in 2020 costs about $26 today. That’s a 30 percent increase, and that’s being generous. It’s worse on necessities. Just look at your natural gas bill. Rates have nearly doubled over the past year and are set to go up again. Then again, our leaders don’t make energy a part of the Consumer Price Index as they should. Too many folks might get crazy, conspiracy ideas about inflation. For tyrants, that beats knowing the truth about inflation, or anything, any day. Craig Hall is owner and publisher of the Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com.

Aikta Marcoulier Frances Padilla

Sorry, taxpayers ... There’s no Santa — or any free stuff

“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus.” The familiar refrains of Christmas carols herald the holiday season. It’s a magical time of year with special foods prepared, gifts selected and wrapped and the house and perhaps even the yard decorated. It’s especially delightful to watch children eagerly await the arrival of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. Children aren’t the only ones who believe in Santa Claus, though. Voters often elect politicians who tell them what they want to hear and promise them free stuff. Adults as well as children allow themselves to be deceived into thinking they’ll get something for nothing. Promises of free college, debt forgiveness, health care for all, guaranteed income, individual and corporate welfare programs, free cell phones, union protection and a myriad of other assurances entice voters to vote for Santa Claus.

Young children never question the source of gifts from Santa Claus As children age and become more aware of how the world works, they question how this giver of gifts can be all things to all children. Eventually, the secret is out. There is no Santa Claus. Someone spent money so the gifts would appear on Christmas morning.

Adults taken in by the free stuff promised by politicians seem to be uninterested in how this gifting is possible. They just want it and vote for it. A rudimentary understanding of economics would reveal receiving free stuff is impossible. Someone always pays.

Just as the child’s Christmas gift from Santa must be paid for by someone, free stuff given away by politicians is paid for by someone else — namely taxpayers. The United States has printed money for years because Congress and presidents have spent more money than taxes generate. The staggering debt is unsustainable, yet Santa Claus seems to remain alive and well in the minds of voters.

Writing for the Foundation for Economic Education, Sandy Ikeda said the economist Ludwig von Mises called the use of coercion to redistribute wealth according to someone’s political preferences the Santa Claus principle.

Phyllis Ikeda called it “robbing Peter to stuff Paul’s stocking.” Hunsinger The United States Constitution established a constitutional republic with democratically elected representatives to represent “we the people.” The system was brilliantly designed. Avarice corrupts even the best plans. Alexander Fraser Tytler, a Scotsman lecturing on democracy in the late 1700s described the progression. “A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can only exist until the voters discover that they can vote themselves largesse from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public treasury with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose fiscal policy, always followed by a dictatorship.” Although Christmas is the season for giving, someone always pays for Santa’s gifts. Always.

Adults taken in by the free stuff promised by politicians seem to be uninterested in how this gifting is possible. They just want it and vote for it. A rudimentary understanding of economics would reveal receiving free stuff is impossible.

Phyllis Hunsinger is founder of the Freedom & Responsibility Education Enterprise Foundation in Grand Junction. The FREE Foundation provides resources to students and teachers in Western Colorado to promote the understanding of economics, financial literacy and free enterprise. A former teacher, principal and superintendent, Hunsinger wrote “Down and Dirty: A ‘How To’ Math Book.” Reach Hunsinger at phyllis@free-dom.us.com. For more information about the FREE Foundation, log on to the website located at www.free-dom.us.com. F

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