Why Phoenix? (I live in Phoenix, BTW)
An Introduction to Decision Theory by Martin Peterson is a good first introduction to the fundamental principles of decision theory as well as the strengths and weaknesses of causal vs evidential decision theory (it doesn't get into the more exotic theories, although it does contain a chapter on social choice).
It also contains exercises to ensure basic mastery of the concepts, but only assumes a background of algebra and probability.
Offing those with low wellbeing increases average wellbeing.
Are there any kinds of help you are open to receiving besides monetary donations?
A much earlier post by David Friedman makes similar points:
This point was originally made clear to me when I was an undergraduate at Harvard and realized that Harvard had, in at least one interesting way, the perfect social system: Everyone at the top of his own ladder. The small minority of students passionately interested in drama knew perfectly well that they were the most important people at the university; everyone else was there to provide them with an audience. The small minority passionately interested in politics knew that they were the most important ones; their friends were there to be herded into meetings of the Young Republicans and Young Democrats in order to get them elected to positions in those organizations that were the stepping stones to further political success...
That would break the rule of "show, don't tell" of fiction writing, but working that into the story more explicitly would help, I agree.
It sounds like principle of charity is a better match for your intended meaning than steelman.
Then there's the issue that sicker babies often have to be formula fed...
Why do you believe this? My son is currently in the NICU (born at 25 weeks), and they push breast-feeding extremely hard, even going as far as to make it sound like negligence if you don't attempt to breastfeed (due to higher incidences of NEC in premies, among other reasons). Babies whose mothers can't breastfeed are supplied with donor milk, not formula. When my first son was born (who wasn't a premie or otherwise sick), the nurses and doctors talked as if it were just a matter of personal preference.
My experience could be unrepresentative though, so I'd love to see some kind of justification for the above-quoted claim.
There is some indirect evidence that weightlifting improves productivity, assuming that cognition is an important determinate of productivity.
For example, a recent meta-study, Lifting cognition: a meta-analysis of effects of resistance exercise on cognition by Jon-Frederick Landrigan, Tyler Bell, Michael Crowe, Olivio J. Clay, Daniel Mirman, reports that: