Steve Johnson

@BStulberg One of the reasons they’re successful in winter Olympics is because of the access to the outdoors for both training and for health and fitness. The other thing is access to training facilities and recreational and fitness facilities for youth that are free. Don’t require membersh

Norway consistently wins the most medals at the Winter Olympic Games, with a population of just 5.6 million people. A big part of their success is how they treat youth sports—and it’s the opposite of what we do in the US. Here’s what we can learn from Norway: 1. Scorekeeping: In the US: Youth sports tend to be hyper competitive even at early ages. Leagues almost always keep score. In Norway: Scorekeeping isn’t even allowed until age 13. Removing winners and losers keeps the focus on the process not outcomes. It keeps kids engaged longer because it minimizes pressure (and tears) and maximizes fun, learning, and growth. The goal isn’t to win a third grade championship. It’s to love sport and keep playing. 2. Trophies: In the US: If you give everyone a trophy, you’re creating snowflakes who will never gain a competitive edge. In Norway: Whenever trophies are awarded, they are handed out to everyone. If getting a trophy makes young kids feel good, we should give them trophies. Maybe they’ll come back and play again next year!! As for the creation of snowflakes with no competitive edge—Norway’s athletes are tough as nails and all they do is win. 3. Prioritizing Fun: In the US: Far too often, the goal is to win. In Norway: The national philosophy is “joy of sport.” Youth sports in the US are driven by adults, ego, and money. Youth sports in Norway are driven by fun. Only half of kids in the US participate in sports. The number one reason they drop out: because they aren’t having fun anymore. In Norway, 93% of kids participate in youth sports. Fun is the foremost goal. 4. Playing Multiple Sports: In the US: There’s pressure to specialize early and play your best sport year round. In Norway: Try as many sports as you can before specializing as late as college. Norway encourages kids to try all types of sport. This reduces injury and burnout and increases all-around athleticism. It also helps promotes match quality, or finding the sport you are best suited for as your body develops, which is impossible if you commit to a single sport too early. 5. Affordability In the US: There is increasingly a pay-to-play model with high fees for leagues, equipment, and travel. This excludes many kids from playing. In Norway: It’s a national priority to keep youth sports affordable and therefore accessible for all. Kids aren’t priced out, which creates opportunities for everyone to participate (and develop into athletes), regardless of their parents’ income level. We could learn a lot from Norway: In the US, 70% of kids drop out of youth sports by age 13. This not only diminishes an elite-athlete pipeline, but it also destroys an opportunity for healthy habits and all the character lessons kids can learn from sport. In Norway, lifelong participation in sport is the norm. The goal isn’t to have the best 9U team. It’s to develop the best athletes. Those are two very different things. And Norway has the gold medals to prove it.

"In the next 10 years, skilled labor is going to become the most valued positions in the entire market." "AI can't wire a panel, run conduit, or weld a beam in the rain." "When a data center needs power, when a city needs new infrastructure, when the lights go out, you're not calling ChatGPT, you're calling an electrician, a plumber, an iron worker, a lineman." Where is the lie?

It’s all Economics the cost of the land, system cost, improvement and entitlements drive home cost. Expand urban growth boundary to make more land available and reduce system cost.

After spending time in Washington, DC discussing the budget deficit with senior people on both sides of the aisle, it’s clear to me that we are unlikely to change the debt trajectory we’re on and avoid the painful consequences. While virtually everyone agrees on the need to address our debt problem in a balanced way that includes tax increases and cuts to benefits, they also agree that they cannot speak up because politics have become absolutist. We must find a solution around absolutist pledges like, ”I will not raise taxes,” or “I will not reduce benefits,” when they are desperately needed.

The One Big, Beautiful Bill expands access to Pell Grants for technical schools and skills training. By passing this historic legislation, we can fill in-demand jobs and build a Big, Beautiful Workforce!

@SecretaryLCD @USDOL I fully agree with this decision. Job Corps’ 38.6% graduation rate and $16K average earnings for grads—despite a $50K per-student cost—show it’s not delivering. Conversion rates of success matter, and this program isn’t providing the long-term benefits students or industries need. Redirecting to more effective workforce solutions is the right move! #construction #workforcedevelopment #mbcbconsultants

God forbid we speak the truth.

LMC Construction has transitioned to a 100 percent employee-owned company through an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). djcoregon.com/news/2025/03/1…

There are some unintended consequences from labor agreements that will negatively impact minority workforce participation. We outline these barriers in our upcoming report for the study my firm participated in to understand the DEAI Lens for the governors affordable housing initiative.

Governor Kotek's executive order mandates that state-funded projects include labor agreements. “Contractors have expressed strong opposition to Governor Kotek’s executive order, arguing that it will increase costs and limit competition on state-funded projects." Taxpayers could face higher costs or see fewer projects completed. The mandate would squeeze out smaller competitors, which would be damaging to Oregon’s economy. We need better solutions.

Everyone should read the 2023 disparity study report commissioned by the @OregonDAS about the effectiveness of #COBID. It has proven to be ineffective and achieving its objectives of increasing minority participation in the #construction industry which will have an impact on the impact of minority contractors and firms ability to successful bid and perform on the governors affordable housing initiative. Our report will be released soon. oregon.gov/das/Docs/2023%…

@GovTinaKotek "My order directs state agencies to set targets for the use of “COBID certified” firms – companies that meet requirements as minority-owned, women-owned, or service-disabled veteran-owned businesses."

Opponents of Project Labor Agreements would have you believe that we must choose between fiscal stewardship and a fairly compensated workforce. Well, don’t buy the baloney: Oregon can lift up workers and get big projects done. oregonlive.com/opinion/2025/0…

75% of the minority workforce is not unionized, and minority contractors are not equipped to successfully bid on and perform public works projects. This means that PLAs will reduce the number of contractors and firms able to participate in large initiatives like the governor's affordable housing project, affecting both labor supply and home purchasing ability.

Welcome to Phase III of all out communism in Oregon. Yesterday, Tina Kotek killed equal opportunity employment, merit-based procurement and free market values in government construction projects. By signing EO 24-31, Tina is forcing successful, affordable and efficient private companies to drive up costs to taxpayers by requiring their workforce join corrupt labor unions and reduce the quality of production by forced compliance with stringent DEI requirements. If only we had a governor that looked out for the hard working people that pay the governments bills, instead of the gangster unions who pay the politicians' bills. This is blatant, in your face corruption.

So what are you doing to actually help minority contractors and firms successfully bid and perform on public works projects? The states #COBID system has failed miserably, know ones has publicly acknowledged this fact and sought to change that. They need resources to close the capacity gaps, not just a bunch of talk. Once again, the #minorityworkforce is being used as pawn for others to achieve their own interests.

During the pandemic, Congress doled out $190 billion in K-12 relief aid, which created a fiscal cliff and helped fuel the inflation that’s now eating into school districts’ budgets. reason.com/2024/05/27/k-1…

@KATUNews This makes no sense. Parental involvement is key to enhancing schools performance in educating their kids. For the school board to say, in addition to the taxes you pay for public education, you can give any more unless it goes through them.

PPS has voted that parents are no longer allowed to fundraise to support their specific schools and teachers, with the money instead going to a communal fund. katu.com/news/local/por…

Absolutely disastrous

If this legislations becomes reality I guarantee it will speed up adoption of Ai. Many small businesses just can’t afford to hire people as employees versus #freelance contractors. youtu.be/XflGzv9_eUQ?si…

Just when you thought higher education could not be more bizarre . . . Students are accusing Berkeley Dean Erwin Chemerinsky's wife, law professor Catherine Fisk, of assault after students refused to leave a dinner at their home and staged a protest...

Oregon is now among 22 states that require a six-figure salary ($129K) to buy a median-priced home. 4 years ago, you only needed to make $88,000 a year. bit.ly/3VI0kHd