Topics discussed in local politics tend to be more useful that topics discussed in national politics.

Where the rubber meets the road, local community planning, in cities and counties across USA, are the most interesting topics to me.

There are many tradeoffs in life. The Walmarts can offer lower prices and even sometimes higher wages due to something called "economy of scale." Big, such as in bulk buying, or the most advanced technologies, is often an advantage, but what are the tradeoffs.

We can't have it all, but we can take a clear look at our priorities and our planning. Small is often better for intimacy and community spirit. Do we need all the material wealth that efficiency, alone, can provide? Is efficiency our only goal, versus our humanity or our lives not being reduced to stressful rat races.

Can lower income people have what they need to survive if we seek community over efficiency? Is maximizing consumption and money measured wealth our most important goals or are there other ways to measure wealth; such as quality time and personal fulfillment with community.

These are all tradeoffs we need to discuss as we strive for consensus in our local communities across the nation.