Solutions

I saw an excellent comment from "milleniumfalcon" on the Motley Fool's website. The author's comment relates to our current economic crisis. The author promulgates several interesting ideas. For more, see below:

1. Create jobs. More jobs = more tax revenue. The question is how to create them. Well for one, how about truly funding and streamlining the SBA loan process, since small business creates most of the jobs.

2. Invest in new technology. Eventually (and we all know this) oil prices will rise to the point that using it is not economically viable. The time to start this process is now. Turn those old Saturn plants into wind turbine factories. Turn the closed Chrysler plants into solar panel R&D and manufacturing factories. Get into the business of partnering with business, much like large corporations do when they "incubate" a business before spinning it off. Not takeovers, but investments. Part of what an intelligent government does is invest in the items of the future that don't have an immediate payoff. (Like stem cell research, for example.)

3. Invest in education. I am a college professor. Let me tell you, I see the pablum that comes from our educational system and it is not pretty. MOST OF YOUR CHILDREN have pathetic reading skills, sickening math skills, and the creative resources of your average fruit fly. They can't think outside the box, because they haven't learned a bloody thing INSIDE the box. Kill the U.S. Department of Education. Keep that money local, the way ti is supposed to be. Get rid of NCLB: teaching students to take a test is not actually teaching student. (Besides, this [law] has become a racket--states keep lowering standards so students can "pass." If we don't get back to basics, your kids will have exciting careers asking, "Would you like some vanilla in your latte?" (Okay...rant over.)

4. Level the taxes playing field. Under the current tax code, people who labor (you know, work for a living) have a higher tax rate than those who make most of their money through investments. Raise the rates and make them equitable. Let's go back to the 90's tax rates. [Note: I do not agree with going back to the 90's tax rates.] Let's get rid of the $90,000 "cap" on taxable salary for social security. [I do agree with raising the Social Security taxable income ceiling.]

5. Take the idea of a flat tax or a value-added tax (VAT) seriously. It works in other countries, so why not here? It solves a couple of problems. There's no use for an enormous IRS. There are fewer ways to cheat. Make exemptions for the necessities of life only: food, clothing, shelter.

6. Really reform healthcare. As it stands, 50% of healthcare costs are covered by the government, between the Feds and the States. What we need to do is cut the costs of healthcare before adding anyone else to the rolls. How do we do that? There must be downward pressure. Repeal the part of the "drug bill" that does not allow Medicare and Medicaid to negotiate lower prices. Allow the importation of cheaper drugs from countries with good regulatory systems (Canada, Germany, etc.) Allow competition across state lines. (Here in MO, one company has a lock on 87% of healthcare coverage.) Tort reform. And for God's sake, get the fat people on a diet. We lowered smoking rates in this country from 45% in the '60s to 21%. And most of that was done via peer and cultural pressure, not laws. If we can do that with smoking (an addictive habit--I know--I was one of them), why can't we do the same thing regarding the fat b*stards in our populace. Dropping weight = dropping costs. (I know this too, because I was 50 pounds overweight. I lost a lot of it and my blood pressure dropped, my cholesterol went down and I'm generally in better shape. All that and more with no drugs.)

6. Really dice up the defense budget. Bring our men and women in uniform home from Iraq. Seriously. Do we need more tanks? Really? Really? Must we have troops in Germany? Really and truly? Let's stop playing cop and let most of the rest of the world learn some responsibility. (And let the National Guard do its real job to boot. Helping people here after a disaster. We need no more Katrinas.)

7. Rebuild. New Orleans.

I'll shut up now.

I can't remember the last time I read a comment that made so much sense. By the way, when I visited New Orleans, the French Quarter is completely intact. When the author talks about rebuilding, he ought to mention roads, bridges, etc. Otherwise, however, many of his suggestions make sense.

Hank Paulson = Idiot or Just Stupid?

America's recovery plan: cause other countries to spend more and save less.

From former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson: "[W]hen you look at it globally we have nations in Asia, China, Japan and others that don't have enough domestic consumption. They need to consume more and...save less. And...the only way [is] with direct, very forceful dialogue between nations."

So the plan is to put other countries' citizens in debt? With "dialogue"?

Just when I was starting to get over George Bush II, something like this comes up.

New Interview with Bill Watterson

HERE is the (unfortunately short) interview with Bill Watterson, who created my favorite comic strip, Calvin and Hobbes:

By the end of 10 years, I'd said pretty much everything I had come there to say. It's always better to leave the party early. If I had rolled along with the strip's popularity and repeated myself for another five, 10 or 20 years, the people now "grieving" for "Calvin and Hobbes" would be wishing me dead and cursing newspapers for running tedious, ancient strips like mine instead of acquiring fresher, livelier talent. And I'd be agreeing with them. I think some of the reason "Calvin and Hobbes" still finds an audience today is because I chose not to run the wheels off it.

Also, the Post Office is releasing a Calvin and Hobbes stamp--I can't wait!

Bonus: as of 2010, Watterson lives in Cleveland. I wonder if he's a LeBron James fan. Actually, Watterson attended Kenyon College in Gambier, OH, and he's been in Ohio ever since.

Here's one interesting fact: Watterson designed grocery advertisements for four years prior to creating Calvin and Hobbes.

And for the self-employed out there: "It's surprising how hard we'll work when the work is done just for ourselves." (1990 graduation speech at Kenyon College) I guess the days are just packed, huh? :-)

Lawyers and Depression/Pessimism

From Daniel Lukasik:

Pessimism is seen as a plus among lawyers, because seeing troubles as pervasive and permanent is a component of what the law profession deems prudence. They have to foresee every possible snare and catastrophe. While this might help them be better lawyers, this trait does not always make them happy human beings.

More here. Hat tip to Alison B.

EA Stumbles

What is going on with Electronic Arts? Its stock tanked today, and it doesn't seem able to catch up to Activision. Gaming companies seem to make money when they 1) create internal blockbuster hits like Call of Duty that generate sequels; and/or 2) create online casual games like Farmville, which rely on advertising to make money, not tapped-out or piracy-happy consumers.

I just bought some shares of ERTS. Not much, but a little. Maybe Microsoft will buy them out.

Why Medicare Will Destroy Us

According to financial journalist Steve Kerch, the "55+ age group represents 38% of all U.S. households and is projected to rise every year to be almost 45% of households by 2019." In short, we are inviting fiscal disaster unless we find a way to fix Medicare.

I really hope the younger generation starts having more kids. After all, someone has to pay for all the entitlement programs. What's that? You think it's immoral to pass along bills to an unborn generation? Well, what spending would you cut? The military? It's about 21% of our budget. The latest military budget passed in the Senate with an 80 to 10 margin. Good luck.

P.S. Common sense called. It says it's time for a third party that understands basic math and basic economics.

Reggie Miller Interview: What the NBA Has Lost

HERE is a NY Times interview with Reggie Miller. Reggie was probably my favorite player to watch in the NBA. In my mind's eye, I can still see his incredible series against New Jersey (back when the Nets were legit contenders), and his playoff games against Michael Jordan.

If you haven't seen the Bulls-Pacers playoff series yet, you are definitely missing out. What NBA fan could possibly forget Reggie's eerily similar "Bryon Russell" push-off against Jordan, the game-winning three-pointer, and Reggie's subsequent twirling dance? (By the way, people forget Jordan almost won that game, but his three-pointer at the buzzer rolled in and out.)

I also clearly remember certain games from the Knicks-Pacers playoff series--such as LJ's unfortunate four-point play, which came from an Antonio Davis foul that clearly didn't warrant the continuation. The refs should have called a non-shooting foul, but after the Madison Garden crowd exploded, the refs probably risked a riot if they hadn't called a shooting foul and the three-point basket. The worst part was that Indiana shipped out Antonio Davis, one of the league's best defenders, the very next year, making it look like it was his fault the Pacers lost. In reality, Coach Larry Bird, who was just five feet away from the play, was telling Antonio Davis to "get up on him" and play closer defense, and Davis was just listening to his coach.

In my eyes, only Reggie Miller and Glen Rice were able to get under Michael's skin--and that feat alone is quite an accomplishment. I've copied an interesting section of the interview below:

Q: Are there any talkers left in the league?

A: It’s not the same. Everyone hugs one another now and kisses before jump balls and pats each other and helps them up. It’s a kinder and gentler league. Chivalry is nice and all, but it’s not the same.

I think Reggie just inadvertently explained why the NBA has lost its luster. There are no real rivalries anymore. As Charles Oakley once said, David Stern has "sissified" the league.

In the interview, Reggie also proclaims that LeBron will not be going to New York. I happen to agree, but Reggie seems awfully sure that LeBron won't be playing for the Knicks. I wonder if he has any inside information.

P.S. Although Reggie Miller and Jason Williams (during his Sacramento days) were my favorite players to watch, in real life, if I ever made it to the NBA, I'd be more like Dennis Rodman or Ben Wallace.

Simpsons Super Bowl Ad

Employment Relationships

Very interesting post by "Not a Potted Plant" regarding employment relationships. See here for more.

Coaching Girls vs. Coaching Boys

I've been coaching basketball for about seven years now, usually 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders. After a recent game, a girl on my team had to wait for her brother to finish his practice, so she had free time. I spent about 30 minutes doing one-on-one drills with her. She picked up certain skills that had eluded her in the team practice very quickly. I was surprised and left wondering why I wasn't able to teach her the same skills during the team practice.

Someone else offered the following hypothesis: although every child benefits from individual attention, young girls seem to respond even better to it, because individual attention creates a bond between the coach and player. This person said that while boys enjoy competitive drills, girls tend to be more interested when working together as a team or doing activities that create relationships.

I also remember a tough game where we lost by about fifteen points (final scores at this age level are usually 40-35, 32 to 25, etc.--relatively low total points). I always make sure to tell my team that I don't care if they win or lose--I only care if they play hard and have fun. But no one wants to lose, so everyone was dejected. I complimented everyone, and I also told them to work on some specific things. Here is my point: when I complimented the boys, there was no visible emotional effect. The result was exactly the opposite with both girls--they immediately smiled. I don't know what lessons to take from that post-game experience. Perhaps I need to figure out what to say to the boys to make them happy even if they lose.

Update on Stock Market

On January 20, 2010, prior to the market opening, I indicated the stock market would decline to around 1000. See HERE. From January 19 to February 5, the S&P declined from 1,150.23 to 1066.19--a drop of 7.3%. I recently dipped my toe in the market, buying dividend-paying stocks, but now I'm not sure if the S&P will decline to 1000. If the market continues to decline to 1000 or 900, I will double down. I kept some gunpowder for another shot, which makes me feel better if the market does in fact decline to 1000 or less.

The information on this site is provided for discussion purposes only. Under no circumstances do any statements here represent a recommendation to buy or sell securities or make any kind of an investment. You are responsible for your own due diligence. To summarize, I do not provide investment advice, nor do I make any claims or promises that any information here will lead to a profit, loss, or any other result.

Brandeis on Gossip

Reason #28,474,556,347 why I love Brandeis:

When personal gossip attains the dignity of print, and crowds the space available for matters of real interest to the community, what wonder that the ignorant and thoughtless mistake its relative importance. Easy of comprehension, appealing to that weak side of human nature which is never wholly cast down by the misfortunes and frailties of our neighbors, no one can be surprised that it usurps the place of interest in brains capable of other things. Triviality destroys at once robustness of thought and delicacy of feeling. No enthusiasm can flourish, no generous impulse can survive under its blighting influence.

More here.

People to Government Unions: Baaaa Baaaa

More on government unions HERE. I've shown this article to some people, and they never address it directly--they just start talking about the increasing prison population, the increasing immigrant population, etc.

In short, people keep trying to justify out-of-control state spending by referring to the specific expense they hate the most; however, the point isn't that some people dislike specific expenditures--everyone dislikes some expenses, whether it's Medi-Cal, prisons, pensions, etc.

The point is that overall state spending is out of control, and a specific segment of the population has made themselves immune to economic fluctuations at the expense of taxpayers, including the middle-class.

How to Select a Jury

HERE is an excellent post re: jury selection by Texas attorney Mark Bennett.

California's Unemployment Fund Problem

From the nonpartisan California Legislative Analyst's Office:

The Unemployment Insurance fund is currently insolvent. In its most recent fund forecast, the Employment Development Department projects that the fund will experience a year-end deficit of $7.4 billion in the 2009 calendar year, rising to $18.4 billion in 2010 and $27.2 billion in 2011.

Perhaps this explains why the unemployed might be having a harder time getting approved for benefits.

Another Blog Recommendation

Interesting post on Iran here, with some pictures. Good stuff, no? The entire blog is worth a look-see.

Warren Buffett on Sex

Warren Buffett on sex...yup, you read that right. See here for more.

On selling your business to Berkshire vs. private equity: You can sell it to Berkshire, and we'll put it in the Metropolitan Museum; it'll have a wing all by itself; it'll be there forever. Or you can sell it to some porn shop operator, and he'll take the painting and he'll make the boobs a little bigger and he'll stick it up in the window, and some other guy will come along in a raincoat, and he'll buy it.

A Puritan, he's not.

Quote of the Day: Cesar Chavez

Cesar Chavez: "I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice. To be a man is to suffer for others. God help us to be men."

A Great Day

I am having a really good day today. I don't know about other people, but here's my idea of a great day:

1. Slept in. Woke up at 9:00AM. Turned off alarm, slept till 10:00AM.

2. Family contact. Spoke with grandparents in another country using Skype.

3. Body massage. The masseuse was late, so they gave me a foot soaking for free. Total cost, with tip: only fifty dollars.

4. Good food. Went to Red Mango frozen yogurt and had their original and pomegranate flavors. Then, went to this new Belgian Chocolate Cafe and had a three flavor hot chocolate--white, dark, and milk--made from melted chocolate.

5. Consumption. Enticed by a free sample sign from Aveda, went in, tried a bunch of stuff, and bought a great mint-scented shampoo for 28 dollars (large size). Got two free samples. Was offered a shoulder rub as part of the consultation, but declined. Left thinking that Aveda knows how to run a good business.

6. Satisfying work. Returned some phone calls pro bono, helped out two people over the phone, including one really interesting person from Santa Monica, CA.

7. Sports. Looking forward to coaching my 4th grade Campbell Community Center team tomorrow morning.

8. Movies. Have a Netflix movie at home, looking forward to watching it.

One sort of bummer moment: lots of NBA games going on tonight, but none of them on networks I have access to--except for Golden State v. Charlotte. Stephen Jackson returns tonight to the Bay Area. Can't wait to see how the fans treat him.

Next week, I have tons of stuff to do, but today is a good day. If I really wanted to make the day perfect, I'd get a steak, but I don't want to overdo it. Perhaps another time.

Facts of the Day: Saudia Arabia

Saudi Arabia's influence: in mid-2009, Saudi Arabia held 395 billion American dollars. Saudi Arabia also has oil reserves of 267 billion barrels.

Taxation and Defense Spending

I really enjoyed Donna G's comment on The Economist's message board:

The American people are insane when it comes to the subject of taxation, and that is why our deficit is so huge. Kind of hard to reason with crazy people who generally don't understand math or money either. All you have to do is plant the seed in people's minds that their hard-earned money is going for some lazy, no-good shiftless person and they go nuts when their money is really going to defense contractors. But wait, that might be the same thing.

John McCain voted against the most recent defense spending bill, as did Russ Feingold. At least we have two honest Senators. Now we just have to work on the rest of them. Sigh.

Interesting Article on Muslims in America

H. D. S. GREENWAY has an excellent article on Muslims in America. See here for more.

The worst we could do as a society is to overreact, to make American Muslims feel they are a not one with the rest of us; in effect, to take the American flags off their front lawns.

Common sense? From an American journalist? Shocking, my lad.

Shelby Steele on Racial Preferences

From Shelby Steele's excellent book, The Content of Our Character:

A [racial] preference [like affirmative action] is not a training program; it teaches no skills, instills no values. It only makes color a passport. But the worst aspect of racial preferences is that they encourage dependency on entitlements rather than our own initiative...And here we fall into an Orwellian double-speak where preference means equality.

The most interesting chapter so far is Chapter 5, titled, "White Guilt."

Update: someone posted the quote above on his Facebook wall, and a debate ensued. Here you go:

J.N.: First of all, Steele's argument pre-supposes a disparity in skill levels between traditionally privileged applicants and the beneficiaries of affirmative action. This is not typically the case. In fact, one of the major arguments FOR affirmative action is that while a member of a minority may be less prepared, he is by no means unable or unfit to do the job. There are still basic qualifications that must be met.

Therefore, we don't need affirmative action to teach skills or instill values. In fact, it's insulting to even suggest that those who qualify for affirmative action are somehow "lesser" people than those who do not- I particularly have an issue with the "instills no values" part.

What affirmative action does do, however, is function as a mechanism that counterbalances the systemic disparities in OPPORTUNITIES for minorities, usually a side effect of internalized and often subconscious racist and oppressive actions on the part of the status quo. A status quo, mind you, that has no problem enjoying all of the advantages and perks that come from being members of the preferred race, cultural and moral background.

In the case of two candidates equally qualified, affirmative action is meant to give more opportunity to the member of a historically disadvantaged group over the one that isn't. However, affirmative action as a policy isn't instituted in every single job or educational institution--not even the majority. And even if it were, minority populations are small enough that there is still room enough to for everyone. So the biggest argument against it--systemic discrimination against majority ethnic members--doesn't really hold up considering the numbers.

Bottom line: in his lifetime, a white, middle-class college-educated guy will never lose as many opportunities to affirmative action as a poor, uneducated black woman will just for being born black and poor into a society which does not value all of its members equally.Affirmative action isn't replacing equality with preference. It's bringing people into the picture who weren't even considered as part of the equality equation to begin with.

D.M.: Shelby Steele creates a "strawman" and then knocks it down. "Affirmative Action" is NOT setting up a racial preference no matter how much the Republican Party and the mindless right wing want to claim that it is. In fact, what occurs in a real Affirmative Action situation is a slightly larger pool of applicants for a job or a slot in a university. The claim that the slightly larger pool has then degraded the job, the university, or the applicant is absurd. Racism exits in our society to label those who fight against racism as "reverse racists" is quite simply a ploy by the most right wing elements in our society to maintain white skin privilege.

L.L.: you two basically say two things: one, African-Americans don't start on an equal playing field (they are "less prepared") and thus deserve additional assistance to maximize "opportunities"; or two, that affirmative action, though it uses race as a benchmark, simply broadens the pool of accepted applicants. Both of you also refer to "white" privilege as a justification for affirmative action. Steele would respond:

"Such policies have the effect of transforming whites from victimizers into patrons and keeping blacks where they have always been--dependent on the largesse of whites...The former victimizers are now challenged to be patrons, but where is the black challenge? This is really a statement to and about white people, their guilt, their responsibility, and their road to redemption. Not only does it not enunciate a black mission, but it sees blacks only in the dimension of their victimization and casts them once again in the role of the receivers of white beneficence...

What is needed now is a new spirit of pragmatism in racial matters where blacks are seen simply as American citizens who deserve complete fairness and in some cases development assistance, but in no case special entitlements based on color. We need deracinated social policies that attack poverty rather than black poverty and that instill those values that make for self-reliance. The white message to blacks must be: America hurt you badly and that is wrong, but entitlements only prolong the hurt while development overcomes it."

Steele, unfortunately, does not specify what he means by "developmental assistance," but I suspect he would approve of merit-based programs like scholarships and financial assistance to top performers who come from low-income families.

J.N.: "Where is the black challenge?" really? REALLY? The black challenge is in their freaking daily existence. Blacks continue to be victimized and discriminated against, now not just because of their skin color, but because they are now the economic and social victims of a society that has minimized their lives to the near constant effort of trying to EXIST much less SUCCEED in white America. I agree that blacks need other assistance, but I think they need it as well as affirmative action, not instead of.

The problem here is that your author seems to be equating affirmative action with reparations, which while I may be foolish to deny a connection, that is not all or even a majority of what it does. We're not making it up to the blacks for making them pick our cotton all that time, we're counterbalancing all the sh*t we've been doing to them from the moment they were granted citizenhood up until TODAY.

L.L.: You've played right into Steele's hands. He would respond that in your mind, the "black challenge" has no relation to merit, hard work, or anything individual--it's merely a rehashing of the old formula that being black = wretched, and being wretched necessitates special help. You fail to see that you've just condemned an entire group of people as wretched or disadvantaged because of their skin color. Of course, you then cast yourself as the compassionate shining white knight who will help these unfortunate wretches surface from their so-called miserable existence. I will quote Steele again:

"Selfish white guilt is really self-importance. It has no humility and it asks for unreasonable, egotistical innocence. Nothing diminishes a black more than this sort of guilt in a white, which to my mind amounts to a sort of moral colonialism."

Steele also quotes Ralph Ellison, who said, "Our task is that of making ourselves individuals. The conscience of a race is the gift of its individuals."

S.M.: [She is half-white, half-Filipina] It seems like whenever anyone is talking about victimized races in the United States, they are either black or Hispanic. Although statistics may be in their favor on that note, they are no longer the minority of minorities. There are programs everywhere for "disadvantaged" Hispanics and blacks, but somehow, when you're a half-this or half-that, no one knows what to do with you. Are they supposed to discriminate against the top half, but not the bottom? Maybe vice versa?

I'm saying I agree completely agree with Steele that being a particular race has become an issue of entitlement. Frankly, I feel bad for [fully] white people, because the masses of disadvantaged minorities seem to forget about the disadvantaged "hillbillies." Unfortunately, if those "hillbillies" stand up for themselves, then suddenly they are bigots. And when you are mixed, forget about it; one side identifies you as the other side, and suddenly I'm not white or I'm not Filipino enough--[and] I'm American, God-damn it. It's for this reason that affirmative action has always got my pannies in a bunch.

L.L.: the Supreme Court, when recently analyzing an affirmative action case, pointed out the difficulty of having any racial categories or preferences in an increasingly mixed-race world.

From my perspective, the difference between African-Americans and other races is the way Americans favored and promoted slavery in America. While other races have experienced government-sanctioned discrimination (Chinese Exclusion Act, Japanese internment camps, etc.), I don't think they were subject to institutionalized slavery and the deliberate break-up of their families. Perhaps I am wrong, but my understanding is that America--at least domestically--has treated only Native Americans worse than African-Americans (as a group). Consequently, I am not offended when academics and others focus on African-Americans and Native Americans when discussing social programs. Today, however, using race to award benefits has become controversial, because a family's wealth and education levels are probably the primary factors in establishing a child's success--not race.

By the way, I am surprised that no one has cited perhaps the best argument for affirmative action: diversity. Being from California, perhaps we take diversity for granted. (Or perhaps we believe in many types of diversity, not just racial diversity.)

Update: some of the confusion seems to be the difficulty of defining "affirmative-action." For example, I do not think this program (Posse Foundation) is race-based affirmative action, though some people might disagree. (The program clearly includes Caucasians and Asians from disadvantaged areas, not just African-Americans.) In the future, perhaps people should attempt to define affirmative action before engaging in a debate about it.

Update: See HERE for a link to one of the best articles on affirmative action I've ever read.

Quote of the Day: a Free Press

Joseph Pulitzer: "Our republic and its press will rise and fall together. An able, disinterested, public-spirited press, with trained intelligence to know the right and courage to do it, can preserve that public virtue without which popular government is a sham and a mockery."

Now go read NYT v. Sullivan (1964). More on that case here, about halfway down the page.

Definition of Middle Class

VP Biden recently defined middle-class as a family of four with an annual income of about $85,000.

Eric Savitz Reports on San Jose's Commercial Office Vacancies

From Eric Savitz's facebook feed on January 18, 2010:

Anyone need 44 million share feet of office space?

As the San Jose Mercury News reports, nearly 20% of Silicon Valley’s commercial office buildings stood empty at the end of 2009 - the worse vacancy rate in at least 15 years. And the situation is expected to get worse in 2010.

Grubb & Ellis predicts that the office vacancy rate this year will hit 22.4%, up from 19.1% at the end of 2009. The vacancy rate for R&D buildings is expected to his 18.5% this year, up from 17% at the end of last year.

The average monthly rent for Valley office space is expected to drop to $1.87 per square foot in the second half of this - down 28% from the $2.58 level at the end of 2009.

Good news if you need office space; not so good if you happen to be a landlord.

It looks like the recession is slamming Silicon Valley, but this city always bounces back. Also, I don't think this recession has hit San Jose as hard as the last one. When the internet bubble burst, my commute to downtown San Jose seemed like I was going through a highway ghost town. These days, I still contend with plenty of traffic. If things get really bad, I will notice traffic declining, and traffic has remained steady for the past five months.

List of Most Dangerous Jobs

John Seiler has an interesting book review here, where he lists the most dangerous jobs, as complied by the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

1. Fishing-related workers
2. Logging workers
3. Pilots and flight-related workers
4. Iron and steel workers
5. Taxi cab drivers
6. Construction workers
7. Farmers and ranchers
8. Roofers
9. Electrical power workers
10. Truck drivers and sales-related drivers
11. Garbage collectors
12. Law enforcement