#industrial estimating service provider

[asestimationsconsultants]

Common Pitfalls in Industrial Estimating Service and How to Avoid Them

Industrial estimating service is a crucial aspect of project planning, helping businesses determine accurate costs for materials, labor, equipment, and unforeseen expenses. However, even experienced estimators can make costly mistakes that lead to budget overruns, project delays, and financial losses. Understanding these pitfalls and how to avoid them can significantly improve the accuracy and reliability of cost estimates.

1. Inaccurate or Incomplete Project Data

One of the most common pitfalls in industrial estimating is relying on incomplete or outdated project data. Without accurate information on material costs, labor rates, and project specifications, estimators may produce unreliable cost estimates.

How to Avoid It:

Gather detailed project requirements, including material specifications, site conditions, and workforce needs.

Use up-to-date cost databases and historical project data to ensure accuracy.

Collaborate closely with engineers, contractors, and suppliers to obtain precise information.

2. Underestimating Material Costs

Material prices fluctuate due to market conditions, inflation, and supply chain disruptions. Underestimating these costs can lead to budget shortfalls and procurement issues.

How to Avoid It:

Monitor market trends and material price changes regularly.

Include a contingency budget to account for unexpected price increases.

Work with reliable suppliers to secure competitive pricing and reduce cost variations.

3. Overlooking Labor Productivity Rates

Failing to account for labor productivity variations can result in inaccurate labor cost estimates. Factors such as worker skill levels, site conditions, and project complexity affect productivity.

How to Avoid It:

Use industry benchmarks and historical data to estimate labor productivity accurately.

Adjust labor estimates based on the complexity and location of the project.

Consider potential delays caused by weather conditions, union regulations, and workforce availability.

4. Ignoring Project-Specific Risks

Every industrial project has unique risks, including regulatory compliance, environmental factors, and equipment failures. Ignoring these risks can lead to unexpected expenses.

How to Avoid It:

Conduct a thorough risk assessment before finalizing estimates.

Include contingency funds for unforeseen challenges.

Stay informed about industry regulations and environmental requirements.

5. Inconsistent Use of Estimating Software

Many companies rely on estimating software, but inconsistent or incorrect usage can lead to errors. Misinputted data or outdated software can affect cost projections.

How to Avoid It:

Ensure estimators are trained in using the latest estimating software.

Regularly update cost databases and software settings.

Cross-check manual calculations with software-generated estimates for accuracy.

6. Failure to Factor in Inflation and Supply Chain Disruptions

Inflation and supply chain issues can significantly impact industrial project costs. Overlooking these factors may result in underestimated budgets.

How to Avoid It:

Include an inflation adjustment factor in long-term projects.

Diversify supply chain options to mitigate material shortages.

Monitor global economic trends to anticipate cost fluctuations.

7. Not Revisiting and Updating Estimates

Cost estimates should not be treated as fixed numbers. Failing to revise estimates as the project progresses can lead to discrepancies between budgeted and actual costs.

How to Avoid It:

Conduct regular cost reviews throughout the project lifecycle.

Adjust estimates based on real-time project updates.

Maintain clear communication between project managers, estimators, and financial teams.

8. Overlooking Hidden Costs

Hidden costs, such as equipment maintenance, transportation, and compliance fees, can add up over time. Ignoring these expenses can cause financial strain.

How to Avoid It:

Break down estimates into detailed cost components, including indirect expenses.

Identify all potential cost factors, including permits, inspections, and logistics.

Account for additional site preparation or unforeseen environmental adjustments.

9. Lack of Collaboration Between Teams

Poor communication between estimators, engineers, contractors, and suppliers can lead to misunderstandings and inaccurate estimates.

How to Avoid It:

Foster collaboration between all project stakeholders.

Organize regular meetings to align expectations and verify data accuracy.

Encourage transparency in cost estimation processes.

10. Unrealistic Schedule Assumptions

Underestimating project timelines can result in rushed work, increased labor costs, and missed deadlines. Delays can further inflate costs due to extended equipment rentals and idle labor.

How to Avoid It:

Develop realistic timelines based on past project experiences.

Account for potential weather disruptions, permitting delays, and supply chain issues.

Plan schedules with buffer time to absorb unforeseen delays.

Conclusion

Industrial estimating service is a fundamental part of project planning, but common pitfalls can undermine its effectiveness. By ensuring accurate data collection, monitoring market trends, integrating risk management strategies, and improving collaboration, businesses can enhance the reliability of their cost estimates. Avoiding these pitfalls will lead to better financial control, improved project efficiency, and reduced risk of budget overruns.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Robert Tracinski for The UnPopulist:

The Covid-19 pandemic has produced a startling paradox. In response to the outbreak of a deadly disease, scientists developed an effective vaccine in record time. It is estimated to have saved three million lives in the U.S.—many more than the 1.2 million lives Covid claimed—and tens of millions of lives globally. Yet the immediate result is that resistance to vaccines increased. Those who oppose vaccines progressed rapidly from the fringe to the mainstream, and now, President Trump has appointed prominent vaccine skeptics to run the nation’s top health agencies: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. at Health and Human Services and Dave Weldon at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How did we arrive at such a perverse result? Why are people turning against a lifesaving technology precisely at the moment when it has demonstrated its value?

A Pandemic Interrupted

The effectiveness of the vaccine is well supported by facts and evidence. For instance, a 2022 study in the New England Journal of Medicine (see a summary here) found that Covid vaccines were “52.2% effective at preventing infection and 66.8% effective at preventing hospitalization.” In other words, if you were vaccinated, you were half as likely to get the disease, and if you did get it, you were a third as likely to suffer a serious case. The effectiveness of the vaccine fades over time—but then again, so does the natural immunity conferred by getting full-blown Covid.

You can see the result in this chart of Covid death rates for the vaccinated versus the unvaccinated. The differential has narrowed in recent years as the pandemic recedes and far fewer people are getting Covid in the first place. But notice the giant spike in January of 2022, when the unvaccinated were dying at a rate 10 times as high as the vaccinated. That is how we know this was a successful vaccine, and that’s when a lot of lives were saved. A flurry of bad arguments has attempted to bury these facts in the public mind. Consider the complaint that the Covid vaccines are not “real” vaccines because they don’t provide “sterilizing immunity”—that is, they don’t completely prevent transmission of the disease. But this is based on ignorance about how “real” vaccines work. For example, Jonas Salk’s famous polio vaccine didn’t provide sterilizing immunity, either. Yet it kept the polio virus from attacking the nervous system, preventing paralysis and death.

But this issue is a red herring, because other vaccines such as the HPV vaccine do provide sterilizing immunity—and more than that, a 2020 study showed that the HPV vaccine’s adoption resulted in a 90% decrease in cervical cancer. Yet this vaccine was also targeted by a misinformation campaign. It briefly became an issue in the 2012 Republican primaries, when anti-vaccine talking points were promoted by Sarah Palin and others in the populist faction of the party that has since become dominant. Other objections, such as complaints about inconsistent or inaccurate early CDC recommendations about, for example, masking, are also red herrings—because the people who tout these arguments then tend to credulously accept the assertions of vaccine skeptics who have been wrong far, far more often than the experts. The success of the Covid vaccine can be seen in the degree to which we no longer worry about the disease. That in itself is not too remarkable. All pandemics eventually fade. What was really different this time is that the Covid vaccine cut the progress of the disease short. Before Covid, the fastest time for developing and deploying a vaccine was four years. At that pace, we would just have gotten our first Covid shots in 2024. But the new vaccines were deployed in less than a year, before the end of 2020.

[...]

Industrial Amnesia

This forgotten history suggests one of the main drivers of the current vaccine paradox. People turned against vaccines after Covid simply because the pandemic required them to think about vaccines, which they haven’t done for a long time. And because they haven’t done it for such a long time, they have forgotten—or never learned in the first place—why vaccines existed, what problem they solved. You may have heard the famous story about church bells ringing in 1953 when the successful test of the polio vaccine was announced. This is because most people had actually witnessed the horrible effects of the disease—it peaked in the U.S. in 1952—and many still remembered an era when children routinely died from infectious diseases.

This UnPopulist column nails it on why the rise of anti-vaxxer extremism has spread.

[reasonsforhope]

"India’s announcement that it aims to reach net zero emissions by 2070 and to meet fifty percent of its electricity requirements from renewable energy sources by 2030 is a hugely significant moment for the global fight against climate change. India is pioneering a new model of economic development that could avoid the carbon-intensive approaches that many countries have pursued in the past – and provide a blueprint for other developing economies.

The scale of transformation in India is stunning. Its economic growth has been among the highest in the world over the past two decades, lifting of millions of people out of poverty. Every year, India adds a city the size of London to its urban population, involving vast construction of new buildings, factories and transportation networks. Coal and oil have so far served as bedrocks of India’s industrial growth and modernisation, giving a rising number of Indian people access to modern energy services. This includes adding new electricity connections for 50 million citizens each year over the past decade. 

The rapid growth in fossil energy consumption has also meant India’s annual CO2 emissions have risen to become the third highest in the world. However, India’s CO2 emissions per person put it near the bottom of the world’s emitters, and they are lower still if you consider historical emissions per person. The same is true of energy consumption: the average household in India consumes a tenth as much electricity as the average household in the United States.  

India’s sheer size and its huge scope for growth means that its energy demand is set to grow by more than that of any other country in the coming decades. In a pathway to net zero emissions by 2070, we estimate that most of the growth in energy demand this decade would already have to be met with low-carbon energy sources. It therefore makes sense that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced more ambitious targets for 2030, including installing 500 gigawatts of renewable energy capacity, reducing the emissions intensity of its economy by 45%, and reducing a billion tonnes of CO2. 

These targets are formidable, but the good news is that the clean energy transition in India is already well underway. It has overachieved its commitment made at COP 21- Paris Summit [a.k.a. 2015, at the same conference that produced the Paris Agreement] by already meeting 40% of its power capacity from non-fossil fuels- almost nine years ahead of its commitment, and the share of solar and wind in India’s energy mix have grown phenomenally. Owing to technological developments, steady policy support, and a vibrant private sector, solar power plants are cheaper to build than coal ones. Renewable electricity is growing at a faster rate in India than any other major economy, with new capacity additions on track to double by 2026...

Subsidies for petrol and diesel were removed in the early 2010s, and subsidies for electric vehicles were introduced in 2019. India’s robust energy efficiency programme has been successful in reducing energy use and emissions from buildings, transport and major industries. Government efforts to provide millions of households with fuel gas for cooking and heating are enabling a steady transition away from the use of traditional biomass such as burning wood. India is also laying the groundwork to scale up important emerging technologies such as hydrogen, battery storage, and low-carbon steel, cement and fertilisers..."

-via IEA (International Energy Agency), January 10, 2022

Note: And since that's a little old, here's an update to show that progress is still going strong:

-via Economic Times: EnergyWorld, March 10, 2023

[felassan]

Article: 'EA’s BioWare will lay off 50 and cut ties with unionized Keywords playtesting group'

[BioWare Blog post for reference]

Excerpts:

"The layoffs are a blow to morale at the studio and have made the environment difficult, said Gary Mckay, general manager of the developer, in a statement to employees today. He said EA is trying to make BioWare into a more agile and more focused studio. EA has an estimated 12,000 to 13,000 employees, and BioWare had perhaps 250 people. The moves come with a couple of related or perhaps coincidental events. A spokesperson for EA said that the company was unable to come to an agreement with a part of Keywords, a big game services firm, that provides playtesting services. In June 2022, this small part of Keywords had a group of contractors who voted to unionize. EA said it was unable to create a new contract and so will let that current one expire on September 27. It’s not clear what will happen to the contractors without the EA contract, but it’s fair to guess that some jobs will likely be lost over at Keywords unless they find other work. An industry source said EA has renewed work orders with Keywords Studios since their employees voted to unionize in June 2022. But the source added that, in this instance, the two companies simply couldn’t agree to terms. The Keywords contract requirements exceeded what EA/BioWare needed given the change in development approach at the studio.  The layoff also comes about three months after EA moved production of its massively multiplayer online game, Star Wars: The Old Republic, to a third-party publisher, Broadsword, in Reston, Virginia. The game debuted way back in 2011 and has entered maintenance mode. Broadsword has also taken over games like Ultima Online and Dark Age of Camelot so players can keep playing them. McKay’s leadership will not be affected. Michael Gamble, who recently returned to BioWare, serves as head of the Mass Effect team, and pre-production continues on the next Mass Effect game. Corinne Busche and John Epler, two leaders on Dragon Age, also continue in their roles. Andrew Wilson, CEO of EA, announced back in March that the company would cut about 6% of its total workforce, and these cutbacks are related to that move. EA has not said when Dragon Age: Dreadwolf will ship."

[source and full article]

[fans4wga]

August 4 - Hollywood Food Insecurity Spikes Amid Strikes

The entertainment industry’s most vulnerable workers are increasingly unable to feed themselves amid a historic double strike with no clear end in sight, according to non-profits tasked with addressing the food insecurity crisis. They describe Hollywood’s ongoing work stoppage — prompted by the contractual impasse between the writing and acting guilds on one side and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers on the other — as a humanitarian emergency broadly affecting the community, not just striking union members.

The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, which runs pantries for those in need throughout the county, attributes a meaningful portion of its nine percent uptick in year-over-year distribution to the strikes’ impact. “When income stops immediately, the demand rises very rapidly,” explains chief development officer Roger Castle.

“This is happening right after the pandemic, which drained a lot of people’s savings,” observes Keith McNutt, executive director at the Entertainment Community Fund, which has distributed $3 million to more than 1,500 workers as of Aug. 1. “So, you have the financial burden on people who’ve already been depleted.” As a result, his organization — whose donors include Seth McFarlane, Steven Spielberg, and Greg Berlanti — has seen an unprecedented wave of immediate requests for basic living expenses, including groceries. “Before this started, we would do about 50 grants out of the L.A. office a week. Now we’re getting 50 applications a day.”

On July 28, below-the-line unions IATSE and the Teamsters Local 399 held a drive-through food drive for industry members affected by the strikes at IATSE’s West Coast headquarters in Burbank. It drew about a thousand vehicles throughout the day.

According to the relief nonprofit Labor Community Services, which helped to organize the event and is planning another in August, the organization distributed 1,740 food boxes, feeding an estimated 8,700 people, that day.

In California, striking workers are ineligible to receive unemployment assistance, while nationally, they cannot receive SNAP food benefits unless they qualified pre-strike — something Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania is aiming to change with a new bill, introduced July 27. One place that striking actors in particular can turn to for help during the work stoppage is the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, which offers emergency financial assistance and other resources, including grocery store gift cards, to union members. SAG-AFTRA made a seven-figure donation to the Foundation early in its strike to assist these efforts. (The WGA West does provide its own members with emergency financial loans from its strike fund and Good and Welfare fund.)

Cyd Wilson, its executive director, has seen an explosion in demand for the organization’s help. “People are making these decisions: Should pay my rent, or should I put food on the table? Should I put food on the table, or should I pay my utilities?” she explains. “There’s a great deal of suffering that’s happening.” By Wilson’s estimate, the foundation is now handling 40 times its typical number of applications per week, and it has already distributed as much in grants since the beginning of the WGA’s strike three months ago as it typically would in the span of a given year.

Meanwhile, Groceries for Writers, a direct aid project administered by Humanitas, a non-profit focused on film and television writers, has distributed more than 1,100 gift cards to WGA members since the onset of its work stoppage in early May. Humanitas executive director Michelle Franke says that “many of these writers have left notes indicating they’re in very urgent financial situations. Writers describe struggling with student debt, falling into eligibility gaps with CalFresh and EDD [state unemployment assistance], eviction notices, writing teams splitting low pay, having only just moved to Los Angeles and not having a large local support network as a consequence, dwindling savings.”

Groceries for Writers is hardly alone in addressing the growing need. In July, L.A.’s World Harvest Food Bank founder and CEO Glen Curado estimated to The Hollywood Reporter that his organization, which is offering free food to striking writers and actors, was serving an average of 150-200 members of this group per day. That effort was inspired by The Price Is Right host Drew Carey’s gesture of paying for all striking writers dining at Bob’s Big Boy in Burbank and L.A.’s Swingers Diner for the duration of the work stoppage.

THR asked both the AMPTP and the talent unions whether they bear any responsibility for the worsening situation. In a statement, a spokesperson for the AMPTP said: “Like those negotiating on behalf of the guilds, representatives from the AMPTP and its member companies came to the table in good faith, wanting to reach an agreement that would keep the industry working and prevent the hardships caused by labor strikes.” SAG-AFTRA didn’t respond to a request for comment, while a WGA spokesperson said in a statement: “The public knows that working people are putting everything on the line in order to negotiate a fair deal with the studios who have caused this strike and the resultant suffering by refusing to address the reasonable proposals that writers brought to the table over 90 days ago.” Neither the AMPTP itself nor any of its major studio and streamer members responded when THR asked if the companies or their philanthropic arms had made any contributions specifically to address the industry’s food insecurity crisis since May.

Support staffers — early-career workers who fill roles such as assistants and coordinators and tend to be low-paid — are especially at risk at this time. “So much of the compensation that they receive is, no one’s going to say it, but it’s implied to be food-based,” notes Liz Hsiao Lan Alper, the co-founder of advocacy group Pay Up Hollywood and a WGA West board member. Alper says that support staffers are often paid the “bare minimum” but access complimentary food through writers’ rooms, craft services on sets or in agency kitchens and conference rooms. And so, when the strikes occurred, the need was “overwhelming,” she explains: “It’s invisible compensation that just went away when the work stoppages happened.”

For that reason, on June 7 Pay Up Hollywood relaunched its COVID-19-era Hollywood Support Staff Relief Fund. So far, the fund has distributed around $45,000 in one-time financial need grants up to $1,000 apiece, according to organizer and support staffer Alex Rubin, who says she’s encouraged support staffers to obtain free food distributed on picket lines. “I think that there is a little bit of embarrassment and insecurity about not being able to feed yourself,” she says. “It is the reason why we give our grants as just like, ‘Here’s a one-time grant. You don’t have to tell us how you want to use this.’”

Helping people in entertainment with food during work stoppages is a “tangible message,” says James Costello, a Teamsters Local 399 driver and an IATSE Local 44 prop master, who was volunteering at IATSE’s July 28 food drive. A second-generation Teamster, Costello still remembers a union strike in the 1980s that prompted his parents to warn their children that their Christmas holiday would be affected that year, and the Teamsters emergency relief that arrived in the fall, offering groceries and a Christmas tree.

As the strikes drag on and both the WGA and SAG-AFTRA have yet to formally reprise negotiations with the AMPTP (although the Writers Guild is set to have a preliminary meeting with the studios’ organization on Aug. 4), the non-profits on the front lines of the industry’s food-insecurity crisis are girding themselves for a long period of need. SAG-AFTRA Foundation’s Wilson says it’s pursuing a “very aggressive fundraising strategy” to meet the demand. (Already, it’s netted over $15 million in emergency assistance from stars like George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, Matt Damon and Dwayne Johnson, who are donating $1 million or more apiece.)

The Entertainment Community Fund’s McNutt notes that pocketbook pain will outlast the current conflict. “Just because the strike ends, it doesn’t mean the need will end. Everyone doesn’t go back to work the next week. We’re going to be looking at this [elevated] level of need for months afterward.”

Give to the Entertainment Community Fund

Give to Humanitas' Groceries for Writers

Give to the Green Envelope Grocery Aid mutual aid fund

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I realized that if I'm disappointed in the transmission of real information about Sudan and the Congo, I can just make the posts myself!

I am not surprised that people haven't been provided a strong understanding of the violence in the global south, but I *am* mad about it.

So let's talk about Sudan and the Congo

Since 2003 or so, an estimated 450,000 Sudanese refugees have fled to Chad, looking for safety from routine waves of ethnic cleansing committed by the Rapid Support Forces and their state/civilian allies.

While the Massalit make up the majority of those attacked, many other ethnicities are included amongst victims. It is NOT a religiously motivated cleansing, as most of those being victimized as well as most of those doing the victimizing are Muslim, and communicate the foundations of the violence as being the result of ethnic-cultural divides in the region current social system. Many of those speaking against the ethnic cleansing occurring agree, and also add that economic interactions appear to be major driving factors in who is targetted and when.

The Congo, meanwhile, has been going through it's own ethnic cleansing. One that has been more or less ongoing since 1996. An approximated 6mil people have been killed since.

Due to this relationship between economic motives and targets, ongoing desertification has been exacerbating violence in the region for years by making resources scarcer, more precious, and less stable to access.

The primary factors being credited with responsibility for this desertification and resultant resource volatility?

Climate change and human impact on the environment (via societal features such as urbanization, agriculture, waste management services, social welfare services, deforestation and bush removal, etc)

From FairPlanet ^

Funny how the global north causes lethal climate change but the global south is forced to die from it.

Funny how the global north forces the environmental recovery conversation to avoid study of environmental imperialism and remain solely focused on "incremental changes that can protect future generations". Whose future generations? What about the people dying NOW because of environmentally toxic industries??

And Nasreldin Atiya Rahamtalla via the International Journal of Social Sciences and Conflict Management says the following:

Hmm, I wonder why local power and social welfare infrastructure in Sudan and especially in Darfur might be diminished from previous governance:

It's almost like the British had a habit of pitting different regional communities against each other along enforced ethnic lines while pillaging some and sparing others, then blowing the whole governance network in a temper tantrum on their way out the door during decolonization, a method of inflicting one last violemt devastation and sabotage peaceful futures most often epitomized by Rwanda and the Belgian Empire:

It's almost like the imperialist businesses that feed off African continental resources and were installed during colonization as a form of economic imperialism were often THE ONLY PARTS of the social system left largely functional after withdrawal and "decolonization". It's almost like imperialism and colonization never actually stopped!!! It just??? Changed shape ☆->¤ still a fuckin crime against humanity my guy!!! Especially when child slaves are dying in your mines!!!

Sudan's economic imperialism comes in the form of Blood Diamonds! You know. The reason that none of us are buying earth mined diamonds anymore when lab made are literally the same goddamn thing RIGHT????????

Oh! They also have oil. The thing we're using to fuel our climate change machine. The climate change machine that's KILLING THEM.

And unfortunately for those of us with Nickel allergies, gold and silver have the same problem. If you haven't already switched to surgical steel, you might wanna. Of course, then we're right back to climate change since steel production allegedly creates a whopping 7% of global emissions due to relying on coke (coal) as a fuel source. So. I dunno really. I like my jewelry as much as anyone. But do I like it enough to know people are dying so I can have it?????

Not really. I'd rather save that risk addition for surgical steel being used in ACTUAL surgeries like the plates, pins, and screws that reattached my foot, or the replacement knee joint that my mom got. At least until we have a body-safe material for these things that ISN'T a source of devastation in the global south.

My point is, basically, that historically militerized conflict almost always stems, at least, in part, from efforts to control resources. It's the most timeless reason to go to war. To make sure you and the people you care about can guarantee themselves access to survival need-meeting. As consumerist and capitalist societies, it is DEEPLY important that we understand the price we ask other people to pay for our luxuries. For our right not to be made uncomfortable by too much radical change too quickly. We need to make that causal link A LOT more visibly explicit and unavoidable, because as it stands, allowing the hierarchy to go unspoken is going to kill billions.

I don't want that on my hands.

I highly recommend learning what civil disobedience and mutual aid infrastructures of care look like. How can we hold corporations (and the individual people who work there) accountable for the countless deaths directly attributable to their profit margins? How can we maximize our local resource distribution to ensure everyone has what they genuinely need to survive, even if that means we take a little less from the community resources for ourselves, or we have to give up things that can't be fully replaced by regionally sustainable alternatives.

I promise that we will adapt.

The dead can't.

[dertaglichedan]

WA storage unit tax could raise nearly $500M by 2035 — if it holds up in court

(The Center Square) – State lawmakers are scrambling for cash to fill the state’s budget shortfall, and one solution could involve redefining storage units as retail sales to impose additional taxes on renters and owners.

The Evergreen State isn’t in a deficit yet since the $10 billion to $16 billion shortfall is due to upcoming spending over the next four years. However, the Office of Program Research, made up of nonpartisan staff for the Washington State House of Representatives, has estimated a budget shortfall of $6.7 billion for the 2027-2029 biennium.

Balancing the budget is a priority for many this session, but unless lawmakers plan to cut spending, they’ll have to raise or create new taxes.  

State lawmakers proposed numerous bills to fill the void, including House Bill 1907, which would levy a sales tax and a business and occupation, or B&O, tax on rental storage units. The facilities are exempt from both, but the Legislature wants to reclassify them as taxable to generate more revenue.

“There are 46 million square feet of storage space in Washington state,” Rep. Strom Peterson, D-Edmonds, told the House Finance Committee Tuesday. “Closing this tax loophole and bringing in some of those funds to help with our housing crisis is something that makes sense.”

If approved, HB 1907 could generate $16.2 million in 2026 and more than $489 million through 2035. Committee staff said that money would support affordable housing and “the establishment and preservation of cooperatively owned manufactured home communities.”

The Association of Washington Cities, or AWC, and a few housing providers testified in support of HB 1907. The AWC represents nearly all of Washington’s 281 towns and cities, including their interests, which include increasing tax revenues and local housing supplies. 

In contrast, several people testified in opposition to HB 1907 on behalf of the Washington State Self Storage Association and individual facilities. If approved, the bill would require the facilities to pay the B&O tax, which cuts into their profits, and renters to pay the extra sales tax.

Those in opposition argued that self-storage units provide a valuable service to low-income residents who lack the space at home or one altogether. Additional taxes would make renting even more expensive for some renters while digging into small “mom-and-pop” shops around the state. 

***This State.. Instead of cutting spending, they continue to look for "Loop Holes" to tax us more. Sadly they are more worried about maintaining The Addiction-Industrial Complex, then all the actual taxpayers who are just trying to get by.

[beardedmrbean]

Prices for goods and services moved up less than expected in February, providing some relief as consumers and businesses worry about the looming impact tariffs might have on inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Wednesday.

The consumer price index, a wide-ranging measure of costs across the U.S. economy, ticked up a seasonally adjusted 0.2% for the month, putting the annual inflation rate at 2.8%, according to the Labor Department agency. The all-item CPI had increased 0.5% in January.

Excluding food and energy prices, the core CPI also rose 0.2% on the month and was at 3.1% on a 12-month basis, the lowest reading since April 2021. The core CPI had climbed 0.4% in January.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had been looking for 0.3% increases on both headline and core, with respective annual rates of 2.9% and 3.2%, meaning that all of the rates were 0.1 percentage point less than expected.

Stock market indexes were mixed after the release after initially moving higher. reasury yields rose. Markets have been highly volatile as the Dow Jones Industrial Average has slipped 6% over the past month.

“A lot of this inflation data does not incorporate what is to come and what already has happened for tariffs,” said Kevin Gordon, senor investment strategist at Charles Schwab. “The vagaries and uncertainties associated with policy are still a much stronger force in the market than anything CPI-related or in terms of one data point.”

Shelter costs moved up 0.3%, less than in January but still responsible for about half the monthly increase in the CPI, the BLS said. The annual increase of 4.2% was the smallest since December 2021. The category makes up more than one-third of the total weighting in the CPI, with particular focus on a measure in what homeowners estimate they could get in rent for their properties, which also increased 0.3%.

Food and energy indexes both increased 0.2%. Used vehicle prices jumped 0.9% and apparel rose 0.6%. Within food, egg prices soared another 10.4%, taking the 12-month increase to 58.8% and pushing a broader measure that also includes meat, poultry and fish up 7.7% on the year. Beef prices also climbed 2.4% in February.

Motor vehicle insurance posted a 0.3% increase on the month and was up 11.1% annually. However, airline fares slipped 4% in February and were down 0.7% from a year ago.

Inflation-adjusted average hourly earnings increased 0.1% for the month and were up 1.2% from a year ago, the BLS said in a separate release.

“The market’s interpretation is appropriate. We still don’t know anything about how inflation is going to work with the new tariff regime,” said Thomas Simons, chief U.S. economist at Jefferies. “At least for now, the momentum is moving in the Fed’s favor.”

The report comes at a potentially critical juncture for the U.S. economy and financial markets, which have been shaken lately as President Donald Trump escalates a trade war and concerns rise of a growth scare.

In the latest developments, Trump’s 25% duties on steel and aluminum took effect Wednesday, prompting retaliatory measures from the European Union. Trump also has slapped 20% levies on goods from China.

“Today’s CPI report shows inflation is declining and the economy is moving in the right direction under President Trump,” Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, said in a statement. “This inflation report, much like last week’s jobs report, is far better than the media predicted and the so-called ‘experts’ expected.”

Federal Reserve officials also are watching the developments closely. Central bank policymakers generally consider tariffs to have modest impacts on inflation and often are viewed as one-off measures that don’t have lasting impact on longer-term gauges.

However, a broader trade war could change that if the pace of increases becomes more ingrained in the economy. Markets currently expect the Fed to resume cutting interest rates in June, with a total of 0.75 percentage point in reductions by the end of 2025.

“The February CPI release showed further signs of progress on underlying inflation, with the pace of price increases moderating after January’s strong release,” said Kay Haigh, global co-head of fixed income and liquidity solutions at Goldman Sachs Asset Management. “While the Fed is still likely to remain on hold at this month’s meeting, the combination of easing inflationary pressures and rising downside risks to growth suggest that the Fed is moving closer to continuing its easing cycle.”

The Fed meets next week and is widely expected to hold its key borrowing rate in a target range between 4.25%-4.5%.

Economic growth is trending negative in the first quarter, according to the Atlanta Fed’s GDPNow tracker of incoming data. The measure has pegged Q1 growth at a 2.4% decline, which would be the first negative growth quarter in three years.

[lastimeexteriors-omaha]

How Do You Choose the Best Contractor for Residential Metal Roofing?

When upgrading your home, selecting the right contractor for residential metal roofing can feel overwhelming. After all, a roof is more than just an aesthetic choice; it plays a significant role in your home's overall safety, durability, and efficiency. Whether you're looking to replace an old roof or install a new one, choosing the right contractor is essential for ensuring your project goes smoothly and meets your expectations. Here’s how you can decide on the best contractor for your residential metal roofing needs.

Understanding Residential Metal Roofing

Before diving into the selection process, it's helpful to understand the benefits of residential metal roofing. Metal roofs are durable, energy-efficient, and provide excellent snow resistance, making them ideal for winter climates like Montana's. They can shed snow quickly and withstand harsh weather conditions, offering long-lasting protection for your home.

Evaluate Their Experience and Expertise

One of the first things you should consider when choosing a contractor for residential metal roofing is their experience. Look for contractors specializing in metal roofing with a solid track record of successful installations. Experienced contractors will be familiar with the unique challenges of metal roofing, such as proper installation techniques, local building codes, and the necessary systems for preventing issues like ice dams.

Ask for References

Don’t hesitate to ask potential contractors for references. Speak to previous clients about their experience: Were they satisfied with the installation process? Did the contractor meet deadlines? Did they encounter any issues post-installation? Getting firsthand accounts can help you gauge the quality of a contractor’s work.

Check for Licensing and Insurance

Ensure that any contractor you consider is properly licensed and insured. This protects you as a homeowner and indicates that the contractor meets specific industry standards. An insured contractor will cover any accidents or damages during the roofing project, giving you peace of mind.

Review Their Portfolio

A reputable contractor should provide you with a portfolio showcasing their previous residential metal roofing projects. Look for various styles and designs to get a sense of their capabilities. This will help you determine if their work aligns with your vision for your home.

Get Multiple Quotes

Don’t settle for the first quote you receive. Getting estimates from multiple contractors allows you to compare prices, materials, and services. However, be cautious of quotes that seem too good to be true; they may indicate subpar materials or workmanship. Look for a balance between quality and affordability.

Inquire About Materials and Warranties

Ask contractors about the types of metal roofing materials they offer. Not all metals are created equal; some are more durable and weather-resistant than others. It's also essential to inquire about warranties. A reliable contractor should provide clear information on the roofing materials and the workmanship warranty. This is important for your long-term peace of mind.

Understand the Installation Process

A knowledgeable contractor should explain the entire installation process to you. This includes timelines, equipment, and how they plan to manage waste during the project. Understanding how they handle these steps can provide insight into their professionalism and attention to detail.

Communication is Key

A good contractor should communicate openly and effectively. They should be readily available to answer your questions and provide updates throughout the project. If you feel that a contractor isn’t responsive during the initial stages, this pattern will likely continue throughout the project.

Read Online Reviews

Review online reviews on platforms like Google, Yelp, or the Better Business Bureau. Look for feedback regarding their workmanship, customer service, and overall satisfaction. This can help you understand what you can expect when working with a particular contractor.

Ask About Post-Installation Services

Some contractors offer maintenance or repair services after installation, which can benefit residential metal roofing in the long run. Inquire about any post-installation services they provide and whether they offer inspections to ensure your roof continues to perform well over time.

Trust Your Instincts

Finally, trust your instincts. If a contractor seems unprofessional or doesn't align with your vision for your residential metal roofing project, it’s okay to keep looking. You want someone who has the skills to do the job and makes you feel comfortable throughout the process.

Transform Your Home with Expert Roofing Solutions

Choosing the best contractor for your residential metal roofing project is vital to ensuring your home's safety and efficiency. You can make an informed decision that meets your needs by evaluating experience, checking for licenses and insurance, reviewing portfolios, and communicating effectively.

If you’re ready to explore your options for metal roofing, visit Lastime Exteriors to learn more about their services and discover energy-efficient roofing solutions tailored to your home. Don’t hesitate; your dream roof awaits!

[asestimationsconsultants]

Key Cost Factors in Industrial Estimating Service

An Industrial Estimating Service plays a critical role in budgeting and financial planning for large-scale industrial projects. From raw material procurement to labor costs and risk contingencies, various factors contribute to the overall cost estimation. Understanding these key cost factors helps businesses create more accurate budgets, minimize financial risks, and ensure project feasibility.

1. Material Costs

Materials make up a significant portion of industrial project expenses. The cost of raw materials such as steel, concrete, glass, piping, and specialized equipment fluctuates due to factors like supply chain disruptions, inflation, and demand trends. An industrial estimating service evaluates:

Current Market Prices – Keeping track of price variations to ensure accurate budgeting.

Bulk Purchasing Discounts – Identifying cost-saving opportunities through bulk orders.

Alternative Material Options – Recommending cost-effective alternatives without compromising quality.

2. Labor Costs

The workforce required for industrial projects varies based on project complexity and duration. Labor costs include:

Hourly Wages and Salaries – Skilled labor, project managers, and specialized workers contribute to overall costs.

Overtime and Shift Work – If a project requires 24/7 operation or overtime work, costs increase significantly.

Union Regulations – In some regions, labor unions set minimum wages and benefits that must be factored into estimates.

3. Equipment and Machinery Costs

Industrial projects require heavy machinery, such as cranes, excavators, and conveyor systems. Cost factors include:

Equipment Purchase vs. Rental – Estimators determine whether it’s more cost-effective to buy or lease machinery.

Maintenance and Repairs – Regular maintenance costs must be considered to avoid unexpected breakdowns.

Fuel and Energy Consumption – Industrial machinery often requires high energy input, increasing operational costs.

4. Site Preparation and Land Development

The condition of the construction site influences the overall project cost. Some common cost factors in site preparation include:

Excavation and Land Clearing – Removing existing structures, debris, or vegetation to prepare the site.

Soil Testing and Foundation Work – Ensuring the ground is stable and suitable for construction.

Drainage and Environmental Compliance – Meeting environmental regulations and setting up proper drainage systems.

5. Permit and Regulatory Costs

Industrial projects must comply with various government regulations, permits, and safety standards. These costs include:

Building Permits – Fees for obtaining construction approvals from local authorities.

Environmental Compliance – Costs for assessments related to pollution control, waste management, and sustainability.

Safety and Occupational Health – Ensuring compliance with worker safety regulations and hazard control measures.

6. Project Management and Administrative Costs

A well-managed industrial project requires experienced project managers, engineers, and administrative staff. These costs include:

Project Coordination – Salaries of engineers, supervisors, and management personnel.

Legal and Accounting Services – Expenses for handling contracts, financial planning, and audits.

Software and Technology – Investing in project management and estimating software for accurate budgeting.

7. Contingency and Risk Management

Unforeseen expenses can disrupt industrial projects, so a contingency budget is essential. Cost estimators include:

Risk Allowance – A percentage of the total budget allocated for unexpected changes.

Market Fluctuations – Protection against sudden price increases in materials or labor.

Delays and Penalties – Financial preparation for project delays and potential contractual penalties.

8. Logistics and Transportation

Transporting materials, machinery, and labor to the project site contributes to overall costs. Estimators analyze:

Freight and Shipping Fees – Costs of importing or transporting heavy materials.

Storage and Warehousing – Expenses related to storing materials before use.

On-Site Transportation – Fuel and maintenance costs for vehicles used within the project site.

Conclusion

A reliable Industrial Estimating Service considers all these key cost factors to develop a precise project budget. By evaluating materials, labor, equipment, permits, and unforeseen risks, industrial estimators help companies optimize spending and avoid financial setbacks. With technological advancements improving cost estimation accuracy, businesses can achieve better financial control and efficiency in industrial projects.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Jenifer McKenna at Ms. Magazine:

Within days of the election, antiabortion leaders started calling on the incoming administration to defund Planned Parenthood and family planning clinics that refer patients for abortion, and redirect that funding to “pro-life” pregnancy centers.

While serial attacks on abortion rights seize the headlines, the anti-choice movement has quietly built an on-the-ground network of unregulated pregnancy clinics—also known as crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) and antiabortion centers (AACs)—that is eroding access to comprehensive reproductive healthcare and electioneering against abortion rights, mostly under the radar and increasingly on the public dime. CPCs pose as harmless community resources and licensed women’s health clinics in need of public support. They are, in fact, part of a multi-billion-dollar industry that is directly tied to the extremist legal and advocacy groups that overturned Roe and are now going after medication abortion, contraception, IVF and no-fault divorce. With a staggering $1.7 billion in annual revenue, an estimated 3,000 locations and 100,000 staff and volunteers, the CPC industry is the grassroots backbone of the anti-choice movement. Radical groups including Heartbeat International, Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America, Students for Life, Turning Point USA and others—many involved in Project 2025—leverage this 50-state network to influence state policy and, under the guise of providing healthcare, siphon escalating taxpayer dollars into the antiabortion movement. 

While CPCs have had some access to federal funding since the 1990s, Republican-led states have piloted a dramatic infusion of taxpayer funding into the CPC industry, especially since the 2022 Dobbs ruling. Now, as the Trump administration and congressional Republicans take power, they are certain to also ramp up federal funding for CPCs, making American taxpayers in every state underwrite these unregulated pregnancy clinics. They will justify doing so claiming CPCs “provide medical care that is driving down maternal mortality.” There is no evidence this is true. Not only are CPCs entirely ill-equipped to deliver maternal healthcare, their unlicensed practice of medicine, trafficking of medical disinformation, and unguarded collection of sensitive personal health data actually threaten women’s health and safety. Yet, in more and more communities, unregulated pregnancy clinics are the only resources available to pregnant women and teens, as maternal care deserts proliferate nationwide. 

[...]

Unregulated Pregnancy Clinics Increasingly Advertise Medical Services

Crisis pregnancy centers are not medical clinics; they are unregulated religious nonprofits, run by antiabortion advocates. They are not regulated by any of the health, safety, licensing or privacy standards that govern medical offices. Yet these unregulated groups increasingly claim to offer health services.   The first multi-state study of CPC websites, “Designed to Deceive,” found that over 88 percent of CPCs in nine states offered one or more of four purported medical services as of 2021: pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, sexually transmitted infection (STI) tests and “abortion pill reversal” (APR). The study also found the pregnancy tests were largely self-administered, the ultrasounds were non-diagnostic, the STI tests did not lead to treatment, and that APR is a medically unproven intervention the antiabortion movement promotes to stigmatize medication abortion. Only one in the 607 CPCs studied offered contraception, and only 5 percent offered prenatal care. Now, the first study of CPC websites in all 50 states, just published in JAMA Internal Medicine, finds a full 91 percent of CPCs nationwide are advertising these same services. Using a new public database of CPC websites called ChoiceWatch.org, researchers found the vast majority of CPCs advertised pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, STI tests and/or APR in the past year. When compared to the 2021 study, the ChoiceWatch study also indicates a significant increase in CPC advertising of ultrasounds (20 percent) and STI tests (24 percent).

[...] Another serious concern: While masquerading as medical providers, unregulated pregnancy clinics are collecting vast amounts of personal and health information from pregnant people, with no privacy protections. CPCs claim to keep client information confidential; many even lie about being HIPAA-covered. But CPCs are not governed by medical privacy laws and not accountable to anyone for keeping client data private.  This concern is not theoretical. In May, journalist Jessica Valenti reported a massive client health data breach by Heartbeat International, the largest CPC network in the country. In the post-Roe reality, as women seeking abortion are targeted by extremist groups, lawmakers, and legal officers, CPC client data—date of last menstrual period, use of birth control, pregnancy history, drug and alcohol use, interest in abortion, and much more—is ripe for weaponizing in pregnancy- and abortion-related investigations. [...]

CPCs and the Maternal Mortality Crisis

Anti-choice politicians often go well beyond claiming that CPCs provide healthcare; many claim these unregulated pregnancy clinics are filling gaps in prenatal and postpartum care, and addressing the maternal and infant mortality crisis. Louisiana’s CPC tax credit sponsor, for example, described her bill as “a way to address her state’s abysmal record on infant and maternal mortality, preterm births and low birth weight.” While CPCs are advertising medical services, there is no evidence they are providing pregnancy or maternal healthcare, let alone reducing maternal and infant mortality. Notably, CPCs don’t come close to meeting Level 1 requirements for “Basic Maternal Care” in the American College of Obstetricians & Gynecologist models of maternal care for pregnant women. And CPCs provide no infant or neonatal services. In reality, the disinformation and delay tactics CPCs use to prevent people from accessing abortion may prevent access to timely prenatal care, which is critical to maternal and infant health outcomes. Moreover, the assertion that CPCs exist to provide healthcare blatantly contradicts the industry’s own reporting that it has increased advertising post-Dobbs to reach “abortion-minded women” – often using taxpayer funds to do so. CPCs are not providing healthcare. They are advertising a limited suite of medical services to intercept pregnant women and teens seeking abortion.

The GOP trifecta will seek to make taxpayers pay for the faux clinics (aka “crisis pregnancy centers”/”pregnancy resource centers” that peddle anti-abortion propaganda under the guise of being women’s health clinics.

[soon-palestine]

Damages to Physical Structures Estimated at $18.5 billion as of end January

WASHINGTON, April 2, 2024 – The cost of damage to critical infrastructure in Gaza is estimated at around $18.5 billion according to a new report released today by the World Bank and the United Nations, with financial support of the European Union. That is equivalent to 97% of the combined GDP of the West Bank and Gaza in 2022. The Interim Damage Assessment report used remote data collection sources to measure damage to physical infrastructure in critical sectors incurred between October 2023 and end of January 2024. The report finds that damage to structures affects every sector of the economy. Housing accounts for 72% of the costs. Public service infrastructure such as water, health and education account for 19%, and damages to commercial and industrial buildings account for 9%. For several sectors, the rate of damage appears to be leveling off as few assets remain intact. An estimated 26 million tons of debris and rubble have been left in the wake of the destruction, an amount that is estimated to take years to remove.

The report also looks at the impact on the people of Gaza. More than half the population of Gaza is on the brink of famine and the entire population is experiencing acute food insecurity and malnutrition. Over a million people are without homes and 75% of the population is displaced. Catastrophic cumulative impacts on physical and mental health have hit women, children, the elderly, and persons with disabilities the hardest, with the youngest children anticipated to be facing life-long consequences to their development.

With 84% of health facilities damaged or destroyed, and a lack of electricity and water to operate remaining facilities, the population has minimal access to health care, medicine, or life-saving treatments. The water and sanitation system has nearly collapsed, delivering less than 5% of its previous output, with people dependent on limited water rations for survival. The education system has collapsed, with 100% of children out of school.

The report also points to the impact on power networks as well as solar generated systems and the almost total power blackout since the first week of the conflict. With 92% of primary roads destroyed or damaged and the communications infrastructure seriously impaired, the delivery of basic humanitarian aid to people has become very difficult.

The Interim Damage Assessment Note identifies key actions for early recovery efforts, starting with an increase in humanitarian assistance, food aid and food production; the provision of shelter and rapid, cost-effective, and scalable housing solutions for displaced people; and the resumption of essential services.

About the Gaza Interim Damage Assessment Report The Gaza Interim Damage Assessment report draws on remote data collection sources and analytics to provide a preliminary estimate of damages to physical structures in Gaza from the conflict in accordance with the Rapid Damage & Needs Assessment (RDNA) methodology. RDNAs follow a globally recognized methodology that has been applied in multiple post-disaster and post-conflict settings. A comprehensive RDNA that assesses economic and social losses, as well as financing needs for recovery and reconstruction, will be completed as soon as the situation allows. The cost of damages, losses and needs estimated through a comprehensive RDNA is expected to be significantly higher than that of an Interim Damage Assessment.

[anarkittyuwuuniverse]

"We have to take what useful work remains and transform it into a pleasing variety of game-like and craft-like pastimes, indistinguishable from other pleasurable pastimes except that they happen to yield useful end-products. Surely that shouldn’t make them less enticing to do. Then all the artificial barriers of power and property could come down. Creation could become recreation. And we could all stop being afraid of each other.

I don’t suggest that most work is salvageable in this way. But then most work isn’t worth trying to save. Only a small and diminishing fraction of work serves any useful purpose independent of the defense and reproduction of the work-system and its political and legal appendages. Thirty years ago, Paul and Percival Goodman estimated that just five percent of the work then being done—presumably the figure, if accurate, is lower now—would satisfy our minimal needs for food, clothing and shelter. Theirs was only an educated guess but the main point is quite clear: directly or indirectly, most work serves the unproductive purposes of commerce or social control. Right off the bat we can liberate tens of millions of salesmen, soldiers, managers, cops, stockbrokers, clergymen, bankers, lawyers, teachers, landlords, security guards, ad-men and everyone who works for them. There is a snowball effect since every time you idle some bigshot you liberate his flunkies and underlings also. Thus the economy implodes.

Forty percent of the workforce are white-collar workers, most of whom have some of the most tedious and idiotic jobs ever concocted. Entire industries, insurance and banking and real estate for instance, consist of nothing but useless paper-shuffling. It is no accident that the “tertiary sector,” the service sector, is growing while the “secondary sector” (industry) stagnates and the “primary sector” (agriculture) nearly disappears. Because work is unnecessary except to those whose power it secures, workers are shifted from relatively useful to relatively useless occupations as a measure to ensure public order. Anything is better than nothing. That’s why you can’t go home just because you finish early. They want your time, enough of it to make you theirs, even if they have no use for most of it. Otherwise why hasn’t the average work week gone down by more than a few minutes in the last sixty years?

Next we can take a meat-cleaver to production work itself. No more war production, nuclear power, junk food, feminine hygiene deodorant—and above all, no more auto industry to speak of. An occasional Stanley Steamer or Model T might be all right, but the auto-eroticism on which such pest-holes as Detroit and Los Angeles depend is out of the question. Already, without even trying, we’ve virtually solved the energy crisis, the environmental crisis and assorted other insoluble social problems.

Finally, we must do away with far and away the largest occupation, the one with the longest hours, the lowest pay and some of the most tedious tasks around. I refer to housewives doing housework and child-rearing. By abolishing wage-labor and achieving full unemployment we undermine the sexual division of labor. The nuclear family as we know it is an inevitable adaptation to the division of labor imposed by modern wage-work. Like it or not, as things have been for the last century or two it is economically rational for the man to bring home the bacon, for the woman to do the shitwork and provide him with a haven in a heartless world, and for the children to be marched off to youth concentration camps called “schools,” primarily to keep them out of Mom’s hair but still under control, but incidentally to acquire the habits of obedience and punctuality so necessary for workers. If you would be rid of patriarchy, get rid of the nuclear family whose unpaid “shadow work,” as Ivan Illich says, makes possible the work-system that makes it necessary. Bound up with this no-nukes strategy is the abolition of childhood and the closing of the schools. There are more full-time students than full-time workers in this country. We need children as teachers, not students. They have a lot to contribute to the ludic revolution because they’re better at playing than grown-ups are. Adults and children are not identical but they will become equal through interdependence. Only play can bridge the generation gap." -Bob Black, The Abolition of Work

[coolnightmaremagazine]

A Case for AI and Indie Authors: A Nuanced Look at an Evolving Industry

Independent publishing is one of the most liberating creative frontiers—and one of the most brutal. On the surface, it offers any writer the chance to publish a book and reach readers around the world. But beneath that promise lies a system riddled with financial barriers, limited access to professional support, and a stark reality: quality often depends on privilege.

In recent years, artificial intelligence has become a flashpoint in the art and publishing worlds. For many, it represents theft—AI-generated art trained on real artists’ work without consent, AI-written content that undercuts skilled human labor. These are valid concerns, and the ethical implications deserve real scrutiny.

But the conversation around AI and creativity often devolves into black-and-white thinking. In truth, the issue is far more nuanced, especially for independent authors trying to survive in an industry that favors those with money to burn.

The Hidden Costs of “Quality”

To produce a professional-grade book, here’s a rough estimate of what an indie author might expect to pay:

Cover design: $200–$800

Developmental editing: $500–$2,000

Copyediting: $300–$1,200

Proofreading: $200–$500

Interior formatting: $100–$400

Marketing (ARC services, ads, promotions): $200–$1,000+

Even on the conservative end, that’s $1,5000 - $5,900 upfront per book—and that’s assuming no missteps or re-dos. For many authors, especially those from low-income backgrounds, that kind of investment simply isn’t feasible. Grants are scarce, traditional publishers are often inaccessible, and crowdfunding doesn’t guarantee results.

So what happens when someone can’t afford professional cover art or editing? Often, the work gets released anyway—but with a lower chance of success. The book might contain typos, lack a compelling cover, or stumble in pacing and structure. In turn, it earns poor reviews and fades into obscurity—not because the story wasn’t worth telling, but because the author couldn’t afford to package it the “right” way.

If You Can Pay, You Should—But Not Everyone Can

It’s worth stating clearly: artists and editors deserve to be paid for their time and talent. If an author has the funds to commission artwork or hire an editor, they absolutely should. Supporting creative professionals is essential for a healthy, diverse publishing ecosystem.

But here’s the reality—when an author doesn’t have the funds, those artists and editors aren’t getting paid anyway. The only difference is that now the author either doesn’t publish at all or publishes something that will struggle to find an audience because they didn't have the funds to compete fairly with other authors.

That’s where AI becomes a tool of opportunity—one that, if used ethically, can help level the playing field.

AI as a Tool (or a Cheat, Depending on the Intent)

AI can now offer services that used to be locked behind paywalls or professional networks: generating placeholder covers, offering first-pass grammar checks, rephrasing clunky sentences, helping authors brainstorm plot points, and even suggesting marketing blurbs or ad copy.

Used thoughtfully, AI can become the rough-draft assistant or interim creative partner an indie author otherwise couldn’t afford. It doesn’t replace the value of human expertise—but it provides access to something better than nothing.

Of course, AI can also be used as a shortcut or a crutch. There are authors who generate entire books using AI with minimal oversight or who use AI art to undercut real artists on price. These practices muddy the waters and contribute to the larger ethical dilemma.

But we can’t ignore the broader issue: money, not talent, determines success for far too many authors. A wealthy author can publish a mediocre book with a $5,000 launch and land in front of thousands of readers. A broke author with a brilliant story might never get past the noise. That imbalance is what makes AI appealing—not as a way to cut corners, but as a way to survive the climb.

A Call for Compassion and Context

We need more compassion in this conversation. Yes, the use of AI needs guardrails. Yes, transparency matters. But we also need to recognize that indie publishing is already unequal. Pretending every author has the same access to resources only benefits those who do.

Let’s encourage ethical use of AI while acknowledging its potential. Let’s push for transparency while also uplifting the voices that might otherwise be silenced by cost. And most of all, let’s stop treating this as a binary argument.

Creativity is not the enemy. AI is not inherently evil. The system is already flawed—AI is just the latest mirror showing us where the cracks lie.

[rjzimmerman]

I'm not a "birder." I simply enjoy sitting outside, in the yard, in the forest, in the desert valley or mountains, or, when it's cold or crappy outside, in the house watching the birds. Most of the time, I have my iPhone camera or Nikon ready for that fun photo. I participate in the annual Bird Count, and another volunteer-based research effort to keep track of bird numbers and migration, but I don't go lugging around with binoculars and a spiral notebook keeping track and trying to "up the numbers" of birds I see. Along with my wife and family members, I do it, because I/we enjoy the outdoors. But.....even that can be expensive. A couple of days ago, I noticed that we were running low on bird seed for our feeders (four suet feeders, three thistle feeders for the finches, and five regular feeders for all the birds.......and squirrels), so I went to Menards (equivalent to Home Depot) and bought a lot of bags of different kinds of seed and suet to carry us through three or four weeks, and spent almost $160.00. Whoa! (That included a bag of peanuts for the squirrels. I know I'm not supposed to feed them, but when I feed the birds, the squirrels notice, and a couple or three of the squirrels tug on my boot lace or jump on my leg, or do that beg thing they do, I pay attention.)

Excerpt from this story from Inside Climate News:

In 2022, around 96 million people in the U.S. closely observed, photographed or tried to identify birds in the wild—activities known broadly as birding. For context, that means more than 35 percent of the country’s population aged 16 and over are birders. 

It turns out this staggeringly popular hobby adds up, according to a November report from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). The report found that birders in 2022 spent an estimated $107.6 billion on expenses related to their pursuits—from buying equipment like binoculars to travel costs for visiting bird hotspots. That’s almost six times the total revenue generated by the National Football League that year.  

This report shows that birding is a boon for local economies, a trend that can be seen around the world as the avian pastime continues to pick up steam and offers a sustainable revenue source for rural communities. But birders aren’t just chipping in financially; these hobbyists provide crucial data for scientists as climate change pummels global bird populations.

The new report is an addendum to the 2022 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting, and Wildlife-Associated Recreation, published last year, which details the participation rate of Americans in recreational activities, including hunting, fishing and wildlife watching. For the addendum, FWS economist Erin Carver dove more deeply into birdwatching participation specifically to get a better understanding of the demographic and financial ins and outs of the activity in the U.S. 

I read through the report and wanted to highlight a few more of the key data points that stuck out. People in the U.S. spent a combined 7.5 billion days birding in 2022, with a range of destinations. Some birders might head out for long trips to see puffins in Alaska, while others simply watch warblers flit through their backyards. 

[mariacallous]

The Los Angeles fires are already one of the most devastating disasters in California—and national—history. Fanned by high winds and fed by a prolonged drought, the blazes rapidly spread across thousands of acres in the nearby Santa Monica Mountains and into several neighborhoods. More than a week since the fires erupted, they have destroyed at least 5,000 homes and countless other structures, in addition to causing numerous deaths, evacuations, and other impacts. Costs are ballooning, with initial estimates reaching $50 billion or more—nearly five times the cost of the largest wildfire ever previously recorded. 

While the visible destruction to homes, businesses, and livelihoods has understandably garnered most of the attention, the fires are also a reminder of the struggles to recognize and reinvest in the country’s water infrastructure.  

Typically out of sight and out of mind before any disaster hits, the plants, pipes, reservoirs, and other systems responsible for treating, moving, and storing water are facing a variety of threats in Los Angeles and beyond. Immediate challenges became evident from a lack of water to help combat the rapidly spreading fires, with dry hydrants, depleted storage tanks, and drained reservoirs struggling to keep up. The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP)—the primary utility responsible for overseeing this infrastructure—faces soaring demand yet has few resources to respond, financially or otherwise. And these short-term impacts do not begin to touch all the long-term concerns around water quality and supply likely to emerge from the wildfire’s various byproducts and contamination.   

As frustration and confusion mount alongside the fire’s damage, the finger-pointing has already started. The state has launched investigations into the fire’s cause, including the dry hydrants. Private lawsuits are hitting the DWP. And pundits and policymakers, including President-elect Donald Trump, are pushing different claims (and falsehoods) about the region’s water resources. 

But the ultimate reality facing Los Angeles and the DWP—similar to many other communities and water utilities nationally—is one of underrecognized and underinvested infrastructure.  

The city’s existing water infrastructure faced an impossible expectation—and task—as the historic fire spread. While Los Angeles has endured recent droughts and dry vegetation helped ignite the fire, water supply was not as much an issue as the infrastructure’s underlying design and function. The hydrants, pipes, and other systems were built to service ordinary residential, commercial, and industrial customers—not to combat unprecedented wildfires or other disasters. Simply operating and maintaining these systems represents a formidable challenge for utilities such as the DWP, which provides 163 billion gallons of water across 739,000 service connections annually. 

Whether during a disaster or normal operating conditions, the DWP and other utilities too easily get ignored or blamed by policymakers, residents, and other stakeholders amid a lack of sustained, proactive investment to manage existing and evolving infrastructure needs. Nationally, more than $744 billion is needed to address all the various drinking water and wastewater improvements over the next two decades, from fixing leaking pipes to upgrading treatment plants. Los Angeles is just one piece in that complicated puzzle. Local utilities tend to not only be the primary owners and operators of all this infrastructure, but also the primary investors, responsible for more than three-quarters of all public water spending each year despite often lacking durable and predictable customer revenue, state support, and federal funding. When combined with increasingly extreme impacts fueled by climate change (including wildfires), these investment needs are only increasing over time. 

Rather than being used to cast blame at underequipped and overwhelmed utilities, disasters such as the Los Angeles fires should serve as a rallying cry to get ahead of these infrastructure challenges. Federal, state, and local leaders need to prioritize the immediate wildfire response and recovery, but they have a collective need—and opportunity—to ensure existing systems offer safe, reliable water service at all times, not just during a crisis. This takes additional money, of course; federal funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) needs to play a key role, especially by targeting investments in more climate-resilient upgrades. More innovative and flexible financing at a state and local level geared toward these upgrades matters too. But meeting this need also requires more comprehensive regional planning, data collection, and capacity-building (e.g., staffing and technical knowledge) around evolving climate threats. 

Improving water infrastructure alone will not prevent or solve disasters like the Los Angeles fires. And no single actor or action will solve all of Los Angeles’ or the country’s water infrastructure challenges overnight. But repeated disasters—from the Los Angeles fires to past tragedies such as Hurricane Katrina—serve as continued reminders of the need for proactive water infrastructure planning and investment. Doing so will not only help limit future devastation, but also support improved environmental and economic outcomes over time.