Tag: Entrepreneurship

The Story: Most of the Democratic Party's declared candidates for President have announced their opposition to the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste project, in Nye County,...

Before that, the last Democrat was in 1967. Gupta is one of those 66. There’s a word for what Gupta is running in this election, and it’s not “campaign.” It’s “experiment.” “Who are we as Democrats?” asks Lisa Dirato, a liberal activist and a research chemist. It’s pretty clear that science isn’t going to be a single-issue vote for the left as, say, abortion is for some conservatives. But if he can win the primary, Gupta has figured out a way he might be able to make his science background work for him in the general election — not by appealing to science, but by tapping into a growing interest in outsider politicians. These kinds of candidates always did better with Republican voters than Democratic voters, but Treul’s data shows that, since about 2008, the percentage of primaries won by inexperienced candidates has increased substantially for Republicans. That could help him in a general election in a Republican-leaning district. Conservatives were more likely to believe scientists were out for personal gain after the march; liberals, less likely. While there is evidence that science can be a unifying force that all Americans trust, there’s also evidence that — particularly on specific issues — Americans increasingly have polarized ideas about who “science” serves and what “evidence-based” means. The American people really do trust scientific expertise.

Local bans have kept two of three pot shops she owns from opening Christy Stanley, a cannabis entrepreneur who lives just outside of Battle Ground, is the second Democrat to enter the race for Clark County Council chair. Stanley officially filed to run for the position on May 18, the last day of filing week. She joins fellow Democrat Eric Holt and Republican County Councilor Eileen Quiring in challenging current County Council Chair Marc Boldt, who is unaffiliated with a party. However, she hasn’t been able to open either of those stores because of local bans on recreational marijuana businesses. Describing it as “an industry whose time has come,” she said the county is missing out on growth and opportunity. “It’s about putting money back into the local economy,” said Stanley, who also pointed to recent studies showing there are fewer deaths from opioid abuse in states with relaxed pot laws. Stanley said she wants to address inefficiencies and redundancies in county government. She also expressed support for the county’s move to sue pharmaceutical companies for their role in the opioid crisis and said it should work in tandem with other counties pursuing similar litigation. She said she owns guns and once voted for former President Ronald Reagan. She said she has helped the campaigns of Maria Cantwell and Patty Murray, Washington’s two Democratic U.S. senators.

Do you think companies should comment on political issues? You risk alienating a percentage of your customer base. Companies should stay as much out of political issues as possible. There is no benefit to a business choosing a side. If you do, test your messaging to avoid alienating your tribe. Don’t comment unless the issue directly impacts your business. Outside of unifying industry-relevant issues like net neutrality, entrepreneurs should think twice before addressing sensitive political issues. Take social stances to be on the right side of history. Companies should never feel pressured to speak up simply because they feel like they should, but don’t feel too comfortable. Reflect before choosing to make a statement (or not make one) and think through the outcome and fully understand why you’re doing it.