Overview: As the US grapples with political negativity and rising healthcare costs, there are still positive things happening in local communities across the country. From fighting back against attempts to gerrymander a victory for Republicans in next year’s midterm election to improving the quality of life for those in the region, local officials, business leaders, non profits and communities at large are working hard to address ways to make a difference. As we celebrate the holiday season, let us reflect on these positive actions and gather strength from one another for what lies ahead.
S.E. Williams
As we pause this Thanksgiving holiday to enjoy the holy trinity plus one of food, family, friends and fun, it is also a good time to reflect on some of the positive things happening in our inland empire communities and elsewhere.
With so much political negativity in the air rising from extreme and questionable actions of the current commander-in-chief, it is sometimes challenging to remember how much power we have as citizens and how local communities and leaders are standing as bulwarks against these actions.
It is also important that we celebrate our collective ability to “walk and chew gum” at the same time. I say this because as we continue to push back against actions that rub abrasively against our societal norms, it is also important to keep in mind the incremental progress being made every day to renormalize the nation. And, it is just as essential to remain laser-focused on the good things that are happening locally and in communities across the country for the benefit of all.
National
While many of our families, friends and neighbors live in fear of deportation, communities here and across the country are coming together to bear witness, deter ICE, and to protect and defend the thousands of innocents being swept up in this deportation process. Others are are working through the courts to stop the federal government’s aggressive over-reach on this issue
In the meantime, those who are food insecure and/or who were impacted by the shutdown of the federal government which also delayed the distribution of SNAP benefits, were not left to fend on their own. Local governments, religious organizations, non profits, members of communities and even some grocers rallied to help ensure food banks were stocked, that free Thanksgiving dinners would be available for the least among us and that affordable options to purchase the fixings for Thanksgiving dinner were affordable for others.
Also, during this open enrollment period for healthcare, while many agonize over whether they can continue to afford health insurance for themselves and their families due to the crippling increase in the cost of their health plans, community advocates, non profits, elected officials and others continue to seek sustainable solutions to this dilemma.
Experts have cautioned the astronomical increases in the cost of health care coverage may result in additional and unwarranted loss of lives in the coming year if a meaningful solution is not forthcoming. A study released in September by Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), reported that “Americans without health insurance are 40 percent more likely to die than those with private insurance.” The study further highlighted how nearly 45,000 Americans of working age already die unnecessarily each year because they lack health insurance. If people are forced to drop their coverage due to increased costs that number could increase exponentially.
Six in ten Americans told the AP-NORC Center for Public Affairs that they are either “extremely” or “very” concerned about the rising health care costs. This survey included people from all age groups as well as both insured and uninsured respondents.
As these and other issues continue to hover over us, there are good things happening in the inland region that give us other reasons to remain hopeful and in gratitude this holiday season.
Statewide
California Governor Gavin Newsom’s bold and innovative decision to fight back against attempts to gerrymander a victory for Republicans in next year’s midterm election with the successful passage of Proposition 50, is certainly cause for celebration. Now, we wait to see if the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down the Texas maps as a lower court has already done. Or, whether Prop 50 will be implemented if the gerrymandered maps are allowed to stand.
In the near-term, other Republican-led states like Indiana, Missouri, and Florida also consider reworking their Congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterms, other Democratic governors are considering the possibility of following CA’s lead and redoing their maps as well to maintain political parity. These states include Illinois, New York and Maryland.
This is just one of the many ways Newsom and CA State Attorney General Rob Bonta are working committedly to hold the line against authoritarianism.
“Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It’s the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life — this I know for sure.”
Oprah Winfrey
Riverside County
Meanwhile, local officials continue working to address ways to improve the quality of life for those in the region. While California like other places in the nation grapples with a housing shortage and affordable housing crisis, it seems Riverside County has become a major player in this state’s housing market. Currently, Riverside not only leads the state in new apartment building construction, it is also “offering some of the most affordable rental housing in a region often characterized by rising costs.
Riverside County’s efforts in this regard are being heralded nationwide as a model for balancing growth and affordability.
Earlier this month, officials also broke ground on 150 affordable family housing units for low-income households, while Phase I of the project, already under construction, includes 59 affordable housing units for low-income seniors. The Mulberry Gardens Senior Apartments and Mulberry Gardens Family Apartments in Riverside.
These units are being developed as part of an Executive Order N-06-19 by Governor Newsom that requires the Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and Department of General Services (DGS) with identifying state-owned land that can be converted into affordable housing provided it is in reasonable proximity to jobs, public transit and other amenities. I will have more to say about this initiative in a future posting.
San Bernardino County
In the meantime, San Bernardino County also has some promising economic news. This time, in relation to the mining industry. At the 2025 State of the County event in July among other positive economic and educational insights, First District Supervisor Paul Cook highlighted news related to the county’s mining and natural resources industry.
Cook focused on the Colosseum Mine in the Mojave National Preserve where gold was initially discovered in the 1860’s. The mine operated off and on until the 1990s. After being dormant for years, the mine has been reactivated and is projected and expected to extract close to $270 million annually. This is certainly good news for the local economy.
In addition, San Bernardino County is home to the nation’s only mine, MP Minerals (MP) in Mountain Pass, that produces rare earth materials. This mine currently accounts for more than 10% of the global supply according to experts. Rare earth materials are critical components in a variety of military weapons systems.
MP recently announced it is now part of a public-private partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense to speed up the development of a complete U.S. rare earth magnet supply chain. The deal includes rare earths that are key components in a range of military weapons systems.
Although the agreement calls for MP to develop a second facility, it is unclear regarding where that facility will be located. What is clear, however, is that at its current facility in Mountain Pass, MP plans to expand its heavy rare earth separation capabilities there.
As noted by Cook, “Our county’s diverse mining industry is both an important and valued sector for our regional economy, while also providing a highly competitive resource advantage to our nation.”
Like many of you, I am certainly against anything that enables weapons of war. However, I must hold that in perspective as, rare earths are also used in a variety of ways in our everyday lives. They are components in everything from smartphones to tablets and laptops that utilize rare earth materials in their batteries and displays. These materials are also used in wind turbines and solar panels; in the motors and batteries of electric vehicles; LED and fluorescent light bulbs MRI machines and other medical devices–some life saving–like the pacemaker and defibrillator attached to my own heart; and the list goes on.
San Bernardino County’s economy will gain from the expansion of MP Minerals. The only down side is that many of the same one percenters who are creating the economic challenges of today will also be many of the same ones who will reap the greatest benefits from this public-private partnership. However, that’s a discussion for another day.
In the meantime, let us celebrate the season in gratitude for the blessings in our lives, gather strength from one another for what lies ahead and reflect on these words, “Gratitude can transform any situation. It alters your vibration, moving you from negative energy to positive. It’s the quickest, easiest, most powerful way to effect change in your life — this I know for sure.”
Thank you Oprah Winfrey. Many of us are focused on moving from the negative to the positive as we fight for change across the political spectrum. We’ll keep this in mind as we celebrate the season and fortify ourselves, our loved ones and our community for what lies ahead.
Of course, this is just my opinion. I’m keeping it real.