We've got to hand it to the Rondout Valley Business Association. With their first breakfast meeting of the season last Thursday, they took on some unfinished business from last year... and defied all expectations.

I remember feeling worried when I heard there would be a frank discussion about nonprofit businesses and their effects on the local economy. Why? Because after decades covering local politics, I've seen too many attacks on nonprofit arts organizations, religious institutions, service entities and even government and schools for "taking" instead of "giving," as some said during the presidential election four years ago.

What a nice surprise to see that instead of going on about tax rates and fairness, the RVBA invited in a number of the area's top-notch nonprofits to talk about all they did of real value for our communities. And talk they did, not only about their varied accomplishments — from the role of hospitals and granting foundations geared towards better health to the need for weather data and environmental protection as well as arts innovation — but also about the added value of things done not for profit but the betterment of community.

Where was the free market in all this, the great glories of American capitalism? Hey, each entity referred to the competitive elements in running anything these days. You need audiences. You have to do your job better and more efficiently than others. You have to watch dollars, and also promote oneself.

But also on hand, at the front of the room and throughout it, was a reminder that value has as much if not more to do with non-monetary things as what can be counted in dollars and cents. We heard about the value provided when a community has access to "quality of life" things such as better health, good food, nice scenery, and educational, fun things to do.

Moreover, we heard everyone on hand speak about how important their ties to THIS area were. More important than profits, which can move anywhere, was a sense of place, an appreciation for home, no matter its challenges.

I left last Thursday's breakfast thinking hard about what we value, and how valuation changes person to person, season to season, place to place. Remember how angry everyone was about schools and education in general a few years back? Now, this week, hardly enough care to make for a meaningful school budget vote or school board election. Ever listened to people ranting about how many breaks monasteries and mosques and religious retreats get, not paying taxes like the rest of us? Ask them, next time, whether they'd have their church made into a business, or whether they wanted to see all the sacred buildings in their community turned into private homes.

People are angry at government and the process of democracy this year. They're glorifying politically incorrect speech and "telling it like it is," no matter the repercussions. They're ready to try anything rather than repeat what's been happening, not because government has done anything wrong... but because that's the mood of the country. It's what people believe.

Meanwhile, coming out of the Rondout Municipal Center on a beautiful morning last week, I couldn't help think how well that story worked out. Here was a place busy from sunup to sundown, where no one's trying to reap in ever bigger profits, but simply do the best they can for their communities through their government jobs, their nonprofit positions, or their endless work to make some sort of living doing what they love best.

Ever been to our state capitol, where I work several days a week out of the press room? Or Washington, DC? How about the United Nations campus down in New York? Or any school or college campus anywhere?

All will, just as well, demonstrate people working their best to make things work better than they found it... Working with a sense of mission, and community both large and small.

No, we don't need to tear things down. We can keep working the best we can at what we do, and appreciating all those working along with us. Anything else is mean-spirited.

I thank the RVBA and all our local nonprofits for reminding me about all this.