Eau Claire County Planning & Development Committee: Fill & Download for Free

Dear Fellow Quorans,James is a good friend of many years. I thought you'd enjoy reading his answer to this question.He also used to use our home as his SF base of operations and supported Tom and me during my 'dark' time. He's also the most brilliant retail/ shopping/lifestyle/ town center designer I know.He designed the retail portion of the Venetian Hotel in Vegas, Watertower place in Chicago, and many other renown shopping destinations all over the world.Oh, he's another gay man doing good work in the USA! HahaFeel free to share with your friends. Especially those still on the fence re LGBT ️‍ rights/marriage etc..Warm regardsGordonHere is James answer;"I've spent the last several days talking some close friends down since the election.Some of the angst is justified....especially on the potential for civil rights reversal, but a lot of it is misplaced. Here's why.Let's face it. Many of us live in bubbles and don't always have such great perspectives, and I say this as a man who works disturbingly long hours to afford to live in a stupidly expensive, amenity-filled place, brimming with convenience and activity.With love to many fiends who rightfully have a concern that part of Trump's voters seem to want a return to a social order that subjugates some our citizens into second class status; That battle may lie before us, and let's not forget that and redouble efforts to protect those rights.However, I see this differently.Yes, Trump wanted to win and vanquish his opponents playing a game he is uniquely skilled at, but to have won at the level he did is because he spoke to a huge part of America that isn't 'deplorable'.They're suffering and anxious and frustrated.They want decent jobs, and their home towns a sense of dignity restored. Some revival....some hope that the some of that affluence we have on the coasts and in the more stable cities would flow their way. It's not just promises of new jobs...it's a sense that they've been abandoned.And they have....some for a long time.As most of you know, I work in the field of architecture and urban design, and America is a treasure of natural beauty and charming places..some big, and countless small towns and cities. Many contain architectural wonders from a time long past, and sadly, an economy that left them behind and abandoned.Through my work and travel, I've been afforded the great privilege of getting a perspective few of us experience.Many times, I pull off the interstates...and drive into these towns only seen on a map.Damn...we built some amazing places...and few of us ever appreciate them. I often look and walk around these towns, taking pictures..imagining what this place was once like at its zenith, sometime before urban renewal chewed parts of the them down, the malls emptied them out, and the local factories went silent.Oftentimes, that was decades ago.I get mocked at times by friends here on the coast for saying 'so, you're off to the hinterlands again? Have a good time', in a sort of sarcastic lilt.I get it...they have no reason to go to such places, or 'escaped' them long ago. Many who left found many of these towns culturally unwelcoming...but that is also changing.Trump won handily in these places and their home states.I've had the great fortune to visit so many, and are still home to numerous, wonderful people who often made me feel welcome.Charleston, Wheeling and Huntington WV.Scranton/Wilkes Barre, Allentown, Lancaster, Erie, Washington, Altoona and Harrisburg, PA.Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Utica, NY.Almost ever small city in Ohio, from Dayton to Zanesville to Steubenville to Toledo....you name it.Ft Wayne, Logansport, and Terre Haute, Indiana.Peoria, Decatur and Springfield, IL.Grand Rapids, Lansing, Kalamazoo and Jackson, MI.Racine, Janesville and Eau Claire, WII've been through some others for no reason other than to see them.Texarkana Texas/Ark...a completely abandoned downtown...filled with buildings I wish I could pick up and move elsewhere before they're rotted and gone.East St Louis IL looks like it went through World War II.St Joseph, MO has some amazing architecture.The Quad cities in Iowa/IL.....each with their own downtown and neighborhoods you couldn't afford to replicate today.....and many more than I can list here.These places....are all quietly amazing.You can see vestiges of wealth that built them...filled with beautiful, old...amazing buildings and homes.If they were in Seattle, Austin, SF, Portland, Princeton, L.A., San Diego or any of the numerous hot spots in the economy, they would be filled with one percenters, techies, finance firms, or start ups...living and working in them...and would cost a fortune.Yet beautiful, old and abandoned towns and buildings don't get investment in places that are economically struggling.It breaks your heart.None of this should be as abandoned like it is. You don't see wholesale cities and towns empty like this anywhere else in the world.Not to the extent America has it. It says a lot about our priorities.I've have friends from overseas marvel that our Main Streets and towns feel so empty. They can't understand it and often I explain that many of these towns were built around a few core industries that left, we're outsourced, or whose products were no longer were needed.Yet, many people still live there. They have to.Their families and support networks are there, or there's just not the resources or opportunity to go elsewhere.Even if they do, some people have rough time adjusting to new places....it takes time to rebuild the social infrastructure of one's life.I've lived in nine different cities, so take my word on that.I drive through their downtowns and the old neighborhoods...many still in good shape, a lot on the edge of despair. A few are just gone.....without any rational way of being restored.Some of the bigger towns like Buffalo are seeing a resurgence, but the factories, mills and places that made it are never going to be replaced with new industry at the same scale, and like Detroit, St Louis, or Newark...they're half the size they once were. It costs a fortune to uphold a city that is too big for itself. Parks, schools and streets are not cheap to maintain, but they're also big enough places with extensive infrastructure that can be 're-invented'.It's the smaller towns that hit me.What happened in these places has been a slow motion disaster that has no easy answer and needs the equivalent of a 'Marshall Plan' to save.In these hollowed out towns, the biggest employers now are the hospitals, maybe a university....and the rest of the jobs? There are few white collar professions, and most are service or retail and don't pay what is needed to live on, even at $15 an hour. The tiny farm towns suffer from heroin addiction, and tax bases that can't support decent schools, infrastructure, senior centers or health services.Take that all into account and it's really not a shock that a crude, bombastic, wealthy reality TV star, with his glitzy real estate projects and trophy wife collection....telling them he's got the solution, and is going to reverse all those trade deals and bring back jobs and build things......is going to sell a whole lot better than a political technocrat...who may know the numbers and the actual reality, but cannot connect or really offer anything more than 'programs' which never seem to happen or work for those that need them.What do you do with Dayton, or Huntington, or Flint? They can't dry up and blow away...or can they? It seems a lot of us have no issue with that idea. Trump won in these areas because he gave the people in these small, struggling towns and cities something to believe in...even if many of us think it's hot air and promises.Here's another fact. There are hell of a lot more Toledos, Akrons, Elkharts, and Wheelings than there are big tech towns and affluent cities...and although they don't represent the majority population, they are too numerous to ignore. We've got to figuring out ways to give these places a chance to thrive....because if automation and robotics already wiped out how many countless jobs in these places.....what happens to a lot of the rest of us when A.I. starts wiping out the professions that uphold the upmarket economies on each of the coasts?Terrifying....isn't it?And if we don't start figuring out how to help these other places, there's not a lot of hope we'll fare any better when that starts to happens, and it's coming..believe me on this. The business world is salivating over the potential cost savings this new age will bring...since their job is to make money. Nothing more. You saw what happened after 2008. Altruism and community were not part of the equation when it came to severely retracting economy and as soon as companies could offshore and or automate jobs, they did. Our productivity levels have since soared....and yet very few decent playing jobs that are not in health care, tech or finance came out of this latest economic recovery. Those who lost their homes in these towns saw first hand the insidious sham that the 'mortgage bailout' was.Investor pools eventually got most of the homes or they sit, rotting and abandoned.I've often...too many times to count...thought of leaving Los Angeles for somewhere..a lot less expensive (a decent 2br place in central L.A. Is now almost $3k a month!)...and start over, but at mid age, with responsibilities that don't transfer easily, and clients who value face time...well...that's an another 'essay'.I'm also not willing, yet...to make that move.I'll be honest. As much as I extort their virtues, I culturally don't feel all that welcome in these smaller towns. That is something these places must start to work on; accepting the diversity of a people who'd consider moving there who sometimes look, think, act or pray differently than maybe what's there now. Welcoming such people might help to revive these places on a level that would make a real difference.Also, it's hard to move to one of these places when you've become used to, if not built your life around almost virtual, if not adjacent convenience.There are not going to be coffee shops that stay open until 11 pm, selling $4 lattes and artisan treats, next to my walkable neighborhood of old building or houses where I fantasize my 'loft' would be.There are often no bookshops where I can browse for hours, eclectic cafes or restaurants, or art supply stores. Often there is only a regional airport with (fantastically expensive) connections to the hubs to get back to the cities for work.....or the numerous other amenities I've come to rely on that just come with solid populations and high paying jobs.The national chain stores and restaurants are also few and far between....and believe me, I've often advocated for their reps to look differently at these places. Yet, they insist on building drive up and drive-through places in such areas....built to maximize profit...and in the process, diminish community.That's what their customers want...which is why every one of these towns has a strip mall row..mostly centered near the big box stores, the WalMart, Kmart or almost dead mall.The older shops are often filled with check cashing places, buy-to-rent furniture, dollar stores, county health care clinics, start-up churches and fast food places, and to see it so often is soul deadening.I've had numerous discussions with people about investing into a few of these towns...trying to figure out a way of restoring some aspects. Banks and Investor groups want safe and easy returns and that is not going to change anytime soon. Add in any form of government subsidies, and the whole game becomes a cluster of red tape and sub-interests, all looking for their 'cut', and again.....all those nice amenities won't survive without the very thing that these places don't have....good paying jobs.That's why Trump won. He spoke to their hopes...however faint we may believe they are. It's why America feels foreign today to some of us. Take a trip into this other America. It's as real as any of the big affluent towns and to see it, you'll soon understand many of these people blew off the racism, misogyny, bigotries, stereotypes and countless other things said, because they heard him speak about hope for their lives, livelihoods and towns.White collar professions, high tech, open air offices with your bike and dog, microbreweries, fancy coffee shops, expensive boutiques, farm to table sidewalk cafes and multiple bids on your condo are a fantasy belonging to a world these people feel left them behind, and sometimes mock them for it.If you read this all the way through, I give you credit and please grade my syntax and grammar on a curve of sleep deprivation and a meh mood, and know that you have too much time on your hands. ;)To my friends who are struggling with the outcome....take heart.No electoral swing lasts long, and in the interim, we have a lot of work to do....and I hope this gives you an understanding of where some of us might begin. "

It’s not a question of can solar power become a major power source, but when. More than 90 cities across the United States and close to a dozen countries have already made commitments to 100% renewable energy by set dates in the near future. Solar is the primary source these demographics are choosing.As fossil fuels run in shorter supply and the prices keep going up, people are getting tired of the deal they have had with the utility companies and are looking elsewhere. Solar power has proven more reliable than fossil fuels and much cheaper, safer, and longer-lasting, so millions are making the switch to solar.This is a trend that has really picked up since 2010 and continues to gain momentum every month as more cities and countries follow suit to join the Solar Revolution of the 21st century.See this list below for the progress made by solar in the past several years (and remember, the list is always growing).Countries Around the World Committed to Renewable EnergyUnited States of AmericaSwedenCosta RicaNicaraguaGermanyUruguayDenmarkChinaMoroccoIcelandKenyaU.S. Cities Committed to 100% Renewable EnergyAbita Springs Abita Springs, LA is committed to transition 100% of the town’s electricity to renewable energy sources by December 31, 2030. Mayor Greg Lemons has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Amherst Amherst, MA is committed to enabling a community-wide transition to 100% clean, renewable energy and is calling on the State of Massachusetts to adopt a statewide goal of 100% renewable energy.Angel Fire Angel Fire is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.Atlanta Atlanta is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2035.Augusta Augusta, GA is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2050.Berkeley The City of Berkeley is committed to transitioning to 100% clean, carbon-free energy by 2030, including electricity, transportation and buildings, by 2030. Mayor Jesse Arreguin has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Blacksburg In December 2017, Blacksburg, VA City Council adopted a goal of transitioning to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2050.Boulder In December of 2016, Boulder City Council made the commitment to 100% renewable electricity by 2030! Mayor Suzanne Jones has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Breckenridge Breckenridge, Colorado is committed to powering municipal operations with 100% renewable energy by 2025, and a goal of 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035.Cambridge In April 2017, Cambridge committed to transition 100% clean and renewable energy community-wide, including building energy use and transportation, by 2035.Chula Vista Chula Vista, CA, is committed to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035. Mayor Mary Casillas Salas has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Clarkston Clarkston, GA is committed to a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2050. Mayor Ted Terry has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Cleveland Cleveland, OH is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2050.Columbia Columbia, SC is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2036. Mayor Steve Benjamin has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Concord Concord, NH, commits to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and for all energy sectors, including heat and transportation by 2050.Cornish Cornish, New Hampshire is committed to 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and 100% renewables for heat & transportation by 2050.Culver City In 2019, when the LA County Community Choice Energy Program, Culver City residents and businesses will all be powered by 100% renewable energy.Del Mar Del Mar, California is committed to achieving 50% renewable electricity by 2020, and 100% by 2035. Deputy Mayor D. Dwight Worden has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Denton Denton, TX is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity community-wide as early as 2020.Denver Denver, CO is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2030.Downingtown Downingtown Borough, PA commits to 100% clean renewable energy by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050. Mayor Josh Maxwell has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Eagle Nest Eagle Nest is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.East Bradford East Bradford, PA is committed 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050.East Hampton East Hampton, New York is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2022 and 100% renewable heating, cooling and transportation by 2030.Eau Claire Eau Claire, WI is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2050 .Edmonds Edmonds, WA, is committed to 100% renewable energy for the City’s community electricity supply by 2025, and 100% renewable energy for municipal facilities by 2019.Encinitas Encinitas, CA adopted a comprehensive Climate Action Plan, with a goal to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030. Mayor Catherine Blakespear has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Eureka The City of Eureka, CA is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2025.Fayetteville Fayetteville, AR is committed to powering all government operations with 100% clean, energy by 2030 and the entire community by 2050. Mayor Lioneld Jordan has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Fort Collins Fort Collins, CO is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity community-wide by 2030.Gainesville Gainesville, FL is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity and net zero greenhouse gas emissions community-wide by 2045.Goleta Goleta, California, is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity for municipal facilities and community-wide supply by 2030.Hanover The Town of Hanover, New Hampshire is committed to a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2030 and a 2050 goal of transitioning heating and transportation to run on clean, renewable sources of energy. Mayor Julia Griffon has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Haverford Haverford, PA is committed 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050.Hillsborough The Town of Hillsborough, North Carolina commits to transition to 100% clean, renewable energy for all sectors by December 31, 2050 or sooner and 80% clean, renewable energy by 2030. And calls on The State of North Carolina to do the same!Kansas City Kansas City, MO is committed to 100% clean, renewable energy community-wide.Kennett Township Kennett Township, PA is committed to transition to 100% clean and renewable energy community-wide by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050.La Mesa La Mesa, CA is committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2035 Mayor Mark Arapostathis has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Lafayette Lafayette, CO is committed to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2030. Mayor Christine Berg has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Largo Largo, FL is committed to transition the community-wide energy supply to 100% clean and renewable energy for all, and to transition the municipal energy supply to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2040 with 50% by 2035.Longmont Longmont, CO is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity community-wide by 2030. Mayor Brian Bagley has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Lowell Lowell, MA has committed to transitioning to 100% renewable energy by 2035.Madison Madison, WI has committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2050.Menlo Park Menlo Park has committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2030, and is setting the example today by already powering all municipal operations with 100% renewable energy. Mayor Kirsten Keith has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Middleton Middleton, WI is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2040 and 100% renewable energy sources for all energy sectors by 2050.Milwaukie Milwaukie, OR is committed to 100% clean, renewable energy community-wide by 2035 and carbon neutrality across all sectors by 2050. Mayor Mark Gamba has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Minneapolis Minneapolis, MN has committed to 100% renewable electricity for municipal facilities and operations by 2022, and 100% renewable electricity for community-wide by 2030. Mayor Jacob Frey has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Moab Moab is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2032.Monterey Monterey is committed to transition to renewable electricity community-wide by 2040. Mayor Clyde Roberson has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Nederland Nederland, Colorado is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity community-wide by 2025.Nevada City Nevada City, California, commits to transition to 100% renewable energy for its community electricity supply by 2030, and 100% renewable energy in all sectors including transportation and heating systems by 2050!New Brunswick New Brunswick, NJ is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity community-wide by 2035.Norman The City of Norman, OK committed to 100% clean energy in the form of wind, solar, energy efficiency measures and other renewable sources within the electricity sector by 2035 and all energy-use sectors including heating and transportation by 2050.Northampton Northampton, MA is committed to enabling a community-wide transition to 100% clean, renewable energy and is calling on the State of Massachusetts to adopt a statewide goal of 100% renewable energy.Ojai Ojai, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019. Mayor John F. Johnston has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Orlando The city of Orlando, Florida, is committed to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2030 and community-wide 100% clean electricity by 2050! Mayor Buddy Dyer has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Oxnard Oxnard, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019.Palo Alto Since 2013, Palo Alto, California's electricity is 100% carbon neutral. Mayor Greg Scharff has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Park City Park City, UT is committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity by 2032. Mayor Jack Thomas has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Phoenixville Phoenixville, Pennsylvania commits to transition to 100% clean and renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050. Mayor Michael J. Speck has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Plainfield Plainfield, New Hampshire is committed to 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and 100% renewable energy for heat & transportation by 2050.Portland Portland, Oregon is committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035, and to meet all energy needs, including transportation, heating and cooling, and electricity, with 100% renewable energy by 2050.Portola Valley Portola Valley, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019. Mayor Craig Hughes has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Pueblo Pueblo, CO is committed to transitioning to a healthy, affordable 100% renewable energy system with greater community control and equitable access by 2035.Questa Questa is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.Red River Red River is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.Rolling Hills Estates Rolling Hills Estates, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019.Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, Utah is committed to achieving 100% renewable energy for community electricity supply by 2032 and 50% renewable electricity for municipal operations by 2020. Mayor Jackie Biskupski has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.San Buenaventura (Ventura) Ventura, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019.San Diego San Diego is committed to 100% renewable electricity by 2035. Mayor Kevin Faulconer has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.San Francisco San Francisco is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030. Mayor London Breed has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.San Jose San Jose, California is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2050. Mayor Sam Liccardo has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.San Luis Obispo San Luis Obispo is committed to 100% carbon-free, clean electricity by 2035. Mayor Heidi Harmon has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Santa Barbara The Santa Barbara City Council approved a measure that establishes a community-wide goal of transitioning to 100 percent renewable electricity by 2030. The resolution also commits the city to transition all municipal buildings and operations to 50 percent clean electricity by 2020. Mayor Helene Schneider has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Santa Monica Santa Monica, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable energy by 2019. Mayor Ted Winterer has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Sarasota Sarasota FL is committed to achieving 100% zero-emission, renewable electricity by 2045. Mayor Shelli Freeland Eddie has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Solana Beach Solana Beach has committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035.South Lake Tahoe South Lake Tahoe is committed to transitioning entirely to renewable sources of electricity by 2032.South Pasadena South Pasadena, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019.Southampton Town of Southampton has committed to meet 100% of the community-wide electricity consumption needs through renewable energy sources by the year 2025.Spokane Spokane, WA is committed to transitioning 100% clean, renewable energy for the City’s community electricity supply by 2030.St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri, commits to transition to 100% clean energy in the form of wind and solar and energy efficiency measures within the electricity sector by 2035.St. Louis Park St. Louis Park, MN is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity by 2030.St. Paul St Paul, MN is committed to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2030.St. Petersburg St. Petersburg is committed to transitioning to 100% renewable electricity. Mayor Rick Kriseman has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Taos The City of Taos, NM is committed to transitioning its electricity to 100% renewable energy by 2030.Taos Ski Valley Taos Ski Valley is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019.Traverse City Traverse City, MI is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2040. Mayor Jim Carruthers has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Truckee The Town of Truckee, California is committed to achieve 100% renewable electricity for municipal facilities by 2020, 100% renewable electricity town wide by 2030, as well as all energy sources by 2050. Mayor Morgan Goodwin has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.West Chester West Chester Borough, Pennsylvania, is committed to transition community-wide to 100% clean renewable electricity by 2035 and 100% renewable energy for heat and transportation by 2050. Mayor Jordan Norley has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.West Hollywood West Hollywood, CA is committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019. Mayor John Heilman has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Windsor The town of Windsor, Massachusetts has committed to 100% renewable electricity community-wide.U.S. Cities Powered by 100% Renewable EnergyAspen As of 2015, Aspen, Colorado is powered by 100% renewable electricity - a mix of approximately 50% wind, 45% hydropower, and the remaining 5% from solar and landfill gas. Mayor Steve Skadron has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Burlington As of 2014, Burlington, Vermont is powered by 100% renewable electricity. Mayor Miro Weinberger has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Georgetown As of 2018, Georgetown, TX is powered by 100% renewable electricity. Mayor Dale Ross has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Greensburg As of 2013, Greensburg, Kansas is powered with 100% renewable electricity. Mayor Bob Dixson has pledged their support for a community-wide transition 100% renewable energy.Kodiak Island Since 2012, Kodiak Island is powered by 100% renewable electricity.Rock Port Rock Port, MO is powered by 100% wind energy.U.S. Counties Committed to 100% Renewable EnergyBuncombe County Buncombe County, North Carolina, commits to the goal of 100% clean, renewable energy for municipal operations by 2030, and for the larger community and county by 2042.Floyd County Floyd County, VA adopted a commitment to 100% clean, renewable energy on October 24, 2017.Multnomah County Multnomah County, Oregon is committed to transition to 100% renewable electricity community-wide by 2035, and to meet all energy needs, including transportation, heating and cooling, and electricity, with 100% renewable energy by 2050.Orange County North Carolina, Orange County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution committing the County, the State, and the United States to a 100% clean renewable energy for all energy sectors-based economy, by January 1, 2050 or sooner.Pueblo County Pueblo County, CO is committed to 100% renewable electricity county-wide by 2035.Summit County Summit County, Utah, is committed to transition to net-100% renewable electricity across the county by 2032.Summit County Summit County, CO adopts a resolution for 100% clean, renewable energy community-wide by 2035.Taos County Taos County is committed to achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030.Ventura County Ventura County, CA has committed to 100% clean, renewable electricity by 2019 through community choice aggregation for all unincorporated areas of the county.Wake County Wake County, NC has committed to 100% clean, renewable energy across all energy sectors by 2050.Whatcom County Whatcom County, WA adopted an ordinance that commits the County to transition County Operations and the larger Whatcom County community to 100% renewable electricity.States in America Committed to 100% Renewable EnergyHawaii Hawaii is the first state in the U.S. to set a state-wide goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2045California California is the second state in the U.S. to set a state-wide goal of 100% renewable electricity by 2045

Why are you struggling financially? Is it because you are not earning enough money to support a modest lifestyle? Or are you making enough, just overspending on short-term pleasures that are crippling you financially?Figure that out first. If it’s the latter, I can promise you that more income won’t help you. Actually, depending on your student debt load, it could exacerbate the problem.If it truly is an income issue, then you need to start analyzing potential programs and doing a cost/benefit analysis.How much do you make now? What is your maximum upside today with no further education? $30,000? $35,000? This is your baseline income. How much more can you make if you get a degree of some sort and how much will it cost?Now you need to research. You wouldn’t just throw thousands of dollars into the stock market randomly not knowing what the expected outcome is. The same should hold true regarding education.They say “education is your best investment”, so let’s start treating it as such. The days of going to college for prestige, honor, and admiration are over.The financial consequences of picking the wrong program at the wrong school in the wrong market will far outweigh the encouragement grandma gives you for completing a 4-year degree.I would focus on five things:Job Outlook - Whether you want to be an electrician or a lawyer, understand what the job outlook is. Are you interested in a field that could be automated? Are you avoiding careers in an industry that is becoming obsolete? Is the industry steady? Is it innovative?Median Annual Salary - Seems like a no-brainer, but too many people go into college programs not having any clue what they can actually expect to earn. This will vary by location so figure out the salary projections for an entry-level accountant, business analyst, social worker, plumber, etc, in your state.Location Relevance - Understand which cities maximize your profession’s upside. Being a Petroleum Engineer in Eau Claire, Wisconsin is worthless. If you are a coding prodigy, picking a school in California may be beneficial to start building connections with the companies likely to employ you post-graduation.Student Loan Debt - What will your final debt load be? Figure this out on the front end. If you want to be a general contractor, is it worth going to a four-year private university and paying for credit hours in sociology, psychology and English 101? Maybe it is, maybe it isn’t. Maybe you still want to take these generals, but can do so more cost-effectively at a community college. Being resourceful is the way to go nowadays.Debt to Income Ratio - Tying into debt load, what will your income be upon graduation and what will your debt load be? Doctor’s take on hundreds of thousands of dollars of student loan debt because they will have incomes starting at $250,000+. Having a doctor’s debt load but only making $60,000 a year is not advisable.Taking these five bullets and assessing them for different programs will help you avoid decades of financial constraint.Where can you get this information? Where do you start researching?The Bureau of Labor and StatisticsI compared an electrician and a lawyer in my first bullet. Let’s take a look.ElectricianJob Outlook - Currently 715,00 jobs and expected to grow 10.4% from 2018 to 2028.Median Annual Salary - $55,190 nationally. Not bad…You can even look closer at your state of preference. I chose MN. Median hourly income is $34.25 or $71,240 annually. Very nice!Location Relevance - If there is a power grid, electricians will be in demand. Always investigate your specific state as I did in the bullet above to understand how it compares to the rest of the country.Student Loan Debt - I did some google searches and learned an associate degree will likely run from $5,000 - $12,000.Debt to Income - If you go into debt $10,000 to make $40,000 more than your current situation (remember, we assumed that with no further education you could still make $30,000), congrats, you have made a home run investment in yourself.In summary, the strong outlook for electricians, the healthy incomes, the relevance of the industry and the reasonable debt load make this a great choice.LawyerJob Outlook - Currently 824,000 jobs and expected to grow 6.1% from 2018 to 2028Median Annual Salary - $120,910 nationally and $119,330 in MN. However, this information alone is not good enough. Do you want to be a county prosecutor or work at a big firm with aspirations to partner one day? The incomes are likely vastly different (public vs. private sector). You need to research your niche in your location and figure out what the income expectations are.Location Relevance - This again will depend on what field of law you want to work in. More specialized fields will likely vary by location.Student Loan Debt: Everyone knows law school is expensive. This article from U.S. News had a nice graphic showing what the cost of law school can be for instate/outstate and private/public schools. If you are set on working in the public sector, going to a top private university may be hard to justify (I’m not an expert on debt forgiveness, this is also something that should be looked into).Debt to Income - If you go into debt $140,000 to make an additional $30,000 a year, I would argue that it was a poor choice. If you go $140,000 into debt to make an additional $70,000 a year with upside beyond that, I would say that your choice is risky, but likely justified as long as your goals/projections are reasonable.In summary, going into debt for the prospects of increased income depends on multiple factors. It is up to you to do the appropriate research, create a plan and explore all avenues to minimize upfront expenses and maximize future income potential.