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Q: HEV or EV?
“People are finally seeing reality.”
– Akio Toyoda, Toyota Chairman
Toyota has been roundly criticized for its go-slow EV strategy emphasizing Hybrid models over EV models. EV sales have slowed significantly after an initial burst of interest in EV cars. EV charging infrastructure challenges, higher pricing, and questions challenging how green are EVs have contributed to the decline in sales.
Moreover, major auto companies are cutting back production of EVs and Electric Trucks and increasing production of hybrids. In 2023, HEVs accounted for 8.3% of U.S. car sales, and EVs accounted for 6.9% of U.S. car sales. The Biden administration is pushing with regulatory changes to get more EVs on the road as soon as possible.
Is America not ready to go all EV? If you don’t already have one? Which is your preference, a HEV or an EV?
Q: HEV or EV?
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Q: Two, Three, or More Candidates for 2024?
“Which one of the three candidates would you want your daughter to marry?”
– Ross Perot
1992 was the last presidential election with a significant third candidate challenge for the White House. In the end, Ross Perot received 18.9% of the popular vote, over 19 million votes, but no electoral college votes. Bill Clinton won with over 44 million votes and 370 electoral votes over George Bush.
For the 2024 election, independent, third-party, and primary challengers are lined up to run for the United States Presidency. According to Pew, support for more political parties is higher among voters under 50.
Do you believe that multiple candidates strengthen our electoral process? What will it take for you to throw your support away from Biden or Trump? What matters to you: age, policy, or experience?
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Q: 2024? Phillips v. Haley
“If not us, who? If not now, when?”
– John F. Kennedy
According to a Pew Research analysis, 49% of Americans want a president in their 50s. Dean Phillips is 54, and Nikki Haley is 51. Respectively, they each have two children. Respectively, Biden and Trump have seven and ten grandchildren.
Nikki Haley served as governor of South Carolina for six years and as the Ambassador to the United Nations for one year. Dean Phillips has served in the U.S. House for four years and has voted with Biden 100 percent of the time.
Not surprisingly, they are firm on a few key issues and shifty on several others. But they are dramatically younger than their respective intraparty competitors. Haley is 27 years younger than Trump, and Phillips is 26 years younger than Biden.
Would you like to see a Phillips versus Haley 2024 national election over a Biden–Trump rematch? Would candidates like Phillips and Haley energize a new generation of leaders?
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Q: Community Colleges – Not Appreciated?
“I wanted to race cars…[but]…I decided to take education more seriously and go to a community college”
– George Lucas
Over one thousand public and private community colleges in the United States enroll over six million credit-seeking students. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, of the six million students, 27 percent are Hispanic, 12 percent are Black, and 45 percent are White. They are an essential gateway to a four-year college and higher-paying professional careers.
Good news just out this week: community college enrollment grew 4.4% this past year and accounted for 58.9% of the increase in all undergraduates. This cut against the declining enrollment trend of community colleges before the pandemic, when community colleges saw a 14.4% decline between 2010 and 2017.
National public and private sector leaders and other researchers have suggested many ideas for increasing interest and support for our community colleges. They are affordable, flexible, and in our communities.
Why aren’t we taking better advantage of this important resource?