Archive for Economy
Let’s Change The World
Posted by: | CommentsGoogle is planning to launch an experiment that we hope will make Internet access better and faster for everyone. We plan to test ultra-high speed broadband networks in one or more trial locations across the country. Our networks will deliver Internet speeds more than 100 times faster than what most Americans have access to today, over 1 gigabit per second, fiber-to-the-home connections. – Google Fiber Initiative
I’ll post the whole thing here at some point, but for now take yourselves over to googleavl to read all about Asheville’s effort to invite Google to town.
“You all heard about the Information Superhighway of the internet back in the day. Compared to a superhighway, this network is like a teleportation device. It’s so far beyond what anyone else is using that it gives Asheville the opportunity to dream big.”
Are Those Cameras Off?
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Et tu, Wall Street Journal?
Using letters it obtained through the Freedom of Information Act, the Wall Street Journal chronicles how GOP critics of the stimulus bill wrote letters supporting stimulus projects in their districts:
Rep. Paul Ryan, a Wisconsin Republican who called the stimulus a “wasteful spending spree” that “misses the mark on all counts,” wrote to Labor Secretary Hilda Solis in October in support of a grant application from a group in his district which, he said, “intends to place 1,000 workers in green jobs.” A spokeswoman for Mr. Ryan said the congressman felt it was his job to provide “the basic constituent service of lending his assistance for federal grant requests.”
Republican Reps. Sue Myrick of North Carolina and Jean Schmidt of Ohio sent letters in October asking for consideration of funding requests from local organizations training workers for energy-efficiency projects.
In November, Ms. Schmidt said in a statement, “It is time to recall the stimulus funds that have not been spent before the Chinese start charging us interest.” Aides to the congresswomen said they had always supported local organizations in their requests for federal funding.
Spokesmen “didn’t respond to a request for comment” crops up a couple of times in the WSJ story. Rachael Maddow was on MSNBC Tuesday night waving these letters letters from various Republicans supporting requests from groups in their districts for stimulus money they voted against. Rep. Sue Myrick (R-NC) wrote in support of a National Urban League request:
Funding this application will make it possible for “green jobs training” to benefit 250 participants in greater Charlotte, NC and lead to solar energy related jobs in an area hard hit by unemployment. We have an urgent need for a workforce that is truly prepared to contribute to the “Green” economy.
The entire Alabama delegation signed a letter supporting a $15 million funding request by the Alabama Forestry Commission. Senator Richard Shelby, who called the stimulus bill “the socialist way” during the debate, said “way” once stimulus funds became available.
Uh, yeah … uh, um, possibly
Posted by: | CommentsGoldman’s rigging online polls, now?
From the Telegraph of London on Thursday:
Goldman Sachs is investigating claims that one of its computers was used to rig a public vote on the introduction of a so-called “Robin Hood tax” on bankers.
From Business Insider on Friday:
A few days ago robinhoodtax.com, asked the public to vote on a “tiny” tax on bankers that would donate no more than .05% of each banking transaction to the poor.
[...]
Robin Hood’s security team said that it traced the erroneous votes to two computers, one of which is allegedly registered to Goldman, according to The Telegraph.
From the Digby on Sunday:
Unbelievable. Why in the hell are people entrusting all this power to such a bunch of babies?
On the other hand, if they are forced to pay a .05% tax on transactions it goes without saying that they’ll all hold their breath until they turn blue because it just won’t be worth it to work anymore. And then where will we be?
It seems that somebody at the great vampire squid isn’t too keen on the idea of the banks that brought the world economy to its knees owing anything to the commoners who bailed them out. It’s not a European notion they’d like to see spread to the U.S.
Tell us again how that personal responsibility stuff is supposed to work, how about it?
[h/t Crooks and Liars]
Resources and Financial Capacity
Posted by: | CommentsThis post is ripped directly from Asheville, NC 2010: A Financial Crossroads, a report prepared by Asheville City Staff to put our current economic position in perspective. I’ll be featuring excerpts from the report from time to time. Click here to read all eleven pages.
Through their ability to spread the tax base over a greater portion of a region’s wealth, many growing cities in North Carolina have been better positioned to match resources to service demands. However, tax base sharing alone is typically not the only resource cities have to balance the cost of services, infrastructure and capital investment required to maintain an economically competitive and vibrant city and region. Other forms of revenue diversification are used to provide tax relief to citizens who reside within the municipal boundaries.
Domestic Partnership Benefits for City Employees
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On Feb. 9th your Asheville City Council will consider the question of whether to provide equal compensation for equal work. Domestic Partnership Benefits (DPB) for city employees with same-sex partners address a number of very important social and economic factors:
- Improve recruitment and retention of quality employees
- Provide equal compensation for equal work to our employees who are denied the option to marry
- Improve Asheville’s reputation as one friendly to our LGBT citizens
- Improve Asheville’s reputation as friendly to gay tourists
- Strengthen families through health, stability, and respect
- Compete with private sector employers
- Bolster Asheville’s reputation as a creative, accepting, diverse economic climate for entrepreneurs
Providing Domestic Partner Benefits to same-sex employees will also:
I’ve moved forward with this initiative now because City staff will be presenting an analysis of our health and benefits packages in a worksession on March 9th. Including our LGBT employees is crucial. Seven other government entities in North Carolina have already passed DPB. Three of them, including Mecklenburg County, passed same-sex only DPB. It’s perfectly legal, responsible, and just.
I’ll be offering a lot more on the subject between now and the Feb. 9th meeting. Stay tuned.
Follow me after the jump to learn more about how this simple step forward can benefit us all and how you can help make it a reality.
Job Growth and Energy Independence
Posted by: | CommentsVice Mayor Brownie Newman will present the Asheville Energy Independence Initiative Tuesday night at our City Council meeting. You can get a flavor for the program by having a look at this nifty Powerpoint:
I’m 100% behind this initiative. Highlighted in my campaign again and again, this program will allow voluntary retrofitting of homes and businesses without the up front cost to the consumer. It will create jobs, reduce energy use, and save people money. It’ll be revenue neutral or better for the City, meaning it’ll pay for itself. If you’re in favor of implementing this fantastic opportunity, please spread the word.
Who Remembers George Santayana Anyway?
Posted by: | CommentsOr Reagan, Bush (I & II), Clinton, Heritage, Cato, Hudson, Manhattan, and Gramm–Leach–Bliley, for that matter?
From this morning’s Washington Post:
The past decade was the worst for the U.S. economy in modern times, a sharp reversal from a long period of prosperity that is leading economists and policymakers to fundamentally rethink the underpinnings of the nation’s growth.
It was, according to a wide range of data, a lost decade for American workers. The decade began in a moment of triumphalism — there was a current of thought among economists in 1999 that recessions were a thing of the past. By the end, there were two, bookends to a debt-driven expansion that was neither robust nor sustainable.
There has been zero net job creation since December 1999. No previous decade going back to the 1940s had job growth of less than 20 percent. Economic output rose at its slowest rate of any decade since the 1930s as well.
That pretty much sums it up. Nothing that WNC can’t solve by building a few more hotels and McMansions. That’s worked out pretty well so far, hasn’t it?
Top Thirteen Local Political Stories of 2009
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Pic lifted from Jason Sandford
With all these Top Ten lists floating around the internets, I thought I’d toss another reflective log on the fire. Add your own top stories in the comments, and you get bonus points if you put together a Top Ten Local Political Stories of the Decade.
Buncombe County Commissioners and Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce come out in support of I-26 Alternative 3. After the strong design work from the Asheville Design Center and unanimous support from the City Council, it looked like our community might move the mighty DOT to create something that actually works for Asheville. When the CoC and 3 of 5 County Commissioners swung in the direction of Alternative 3, further delay was guaranteed.
See the rest in ReadMoreLand… Read More→
Homecoming Job Fair Tomorrow
Posted by: | CommentsFrom the Asheville Chamber’s website:
The Economic Development Coalition and the Asheville Area Chamber of Commerce partner annually with numerous workforce and industry allies to promote employment opportunities in advanced manufacturing, health care, and other growth industries in Western North Carolina. Residents, students, graduates, former residents, and friends and family visiting over the holidays are encouraged to attend this one-stop opportunity to meet directly with representatives from companies who are hiring, will be hiring in 2010, or who would like to have a presence to promote awareness of their company to potential future employees..
Tuesday December 29, 2009
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Biltmore Square Mall, Brevard Road, Asheville
10.9% Increase in HUD Funding
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This email from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities hit my inbox.
On December 16, the President signed into law an omnibus funding bill for fiscal year 2010 that includes funding for affordable housing and community development programs administered by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). This law provides a total of $46.1 billion for HUD for fiscal year 2010, an increase of $4.5 billion (10.9 percent) above the 2009 level and $578 million (1.3 percent) above the President’s request.
The following are the highlights of the 2010 funding law for the three major federal rental assistance programs:
