Was it worth it
When Trump shut down my project as part of closing down USAID, it was framed as part of a greater push to reduce federal spending and cut the national deficit. Initially, Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) set an…
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Predictions for the 2025 Government Shutdown
The government shutdown that started yesterday is going to be rough. Negotiations between Democrats and Republicans have been minimal since President Trump assumed office in January. The President’s ability to impose his will on the US Government seems nearly limitless.…
Trump closed me down
I was managing a USAID-funded project in Haiti in January when the Trump administration shut down USAID. We were in the first year of a five-year project aimed at helping water utilities in Haiti’s towns improve the management of their…
A Sad 10th Anniversary of the Haiti Earthquake
A first responder stands near the rubble that was a children's hospital in Pétion -Ville. The Royal Oasis Hotel is in the background. I am sadden that so many of the articles on the 10th anniversary of the Haiti earthquake…
Three easy reforms to our health insurance system
Last month my son had a major operation. As we checked him in, I asked the person processing the paperwork for an estimate of how much this would cost. She replied, “I don’t know, but don’t worry your insurance covers…
My favorite productivity hack
Just over two years ago I was looking for a new way to get organized. I had tried many different systems but none seemed to work. I followed the philosophy of Steven Covey's Seven Habits of Effective People such as…
What I wish our politicians would say about the border
Our government has been shut down now for four weeks ostensibly about border security, but really because both sides like the fight. President Trump is acting like there is no barrier at the border and the Democrats act as if…