NC Media Watch

How cold was it, and how cold could it get?

 Russ Steele



October 2009 3rd Coldest for US in 115 Years, but how about the Local Temperatures?

What about our local temperatures?  The mean October temperatures for Grass Valley, based on the average from 1966 to 2009, is 57.5 (F) degrees. According to the National Weather Station at the Grass Valley Waste Water Plant, the October mean temperature was 54.95 (F) This is about 2.5 degrees below the average. 

What about the coming winter? Looks a little cooler than normal.

H/T to Icecap and Watts Up With That.

Does the ERC need to refocus its mission?

Russ Steele

This is my editorial column published in the Union on Saturday, 7 November, 2009

Should the Economic Resource Council (ERC) be focused on bringing one business to Nevada County when seven businesses are closing or moving away? That was the question asked by a board member at the ERC meeting earlier this week.

This question prompted a wide-ranging discussion about the ERC's mission and its focus on business development vs. business survival. No one suggested the ERC neglect its mission to bring new business and more jobs to Nevada County, but some board members expressed concern at this critical time that the ERC should be more focused on the survival of existing business.

The ERC's mission statement is to “enhance the economic vitality of Nevada County by supporting the retention, creation and attraction of primary jobs; while retaining our unique environment.” Over time, the emphasis on retention, creation and attraction has shifted with changes in leadership, the composition of the board, and funds available.

Business attraction is an expensive, time-consuming activity with a high potential payoff. In contrast, working with existing businesses to keep them in the community, and working with local entrepreneurs to create new businesses is a less costly activity, but still time-consuming. A stronger focus on retention is what Nevada County needs right now, as California's economy continues to decline, was the prevailing view on the board.

I sensed from the discussion around the table that more than a few businesses, with a long history in Nevada County, are struggling despite strong business plans. The economic downturn has depleted their reserves, forcing them to consider more down sizing and even closure. Multiple jobs will be lost if these businesses close or move.

Building owners who have lost half of their tenants, and the remaining tenants are asking for rent adjustments, is not a formula for survival, said one board member.

The problem is many businesses are reluctant to come forward and let the ERC and other business support agencies in the region know they are in economic trouble, and ask for help.

Sometimes it is because they do not know about the ERC's sincere effort to help local business survive and thrive. Then again, many businesses are just reluctant to make their struggle public by seeking local help.

The consensus of the board was these “at risk” businesses should speak privately with the ERC, their banker, or regional support agencies before closing their doors. It is unfortunate that many businesses wait until it is too late.

As one board member recommended, one of the first stops for a struggling business with strong business plan should be their banker, to discuss opportunities to reduce their loan commitments for at least one-two years, giving the business time to recover.

The ERC has an open door policy and is willing to listen to the challenges faced by struggling local businesses, and then introduce these struggling businesses to the resources of regional business planning, employment and financial institutions for help.

Regional resources include the Sierra Economic Development Corporation (SEDCorp) in Auburn. Its mission is to support the economic development of the rural communities, including Nevada County. The SEDCorp Web site at www.sedcorp.biz lists the services and support they can provide local businesses, including those struggling to survive.

The One-Stop Business and Career Center in Grass Valley offers a variety of services for Nevada County employers. The One Stop's goal is to help build a thriving business community, through referrals for: financing, consulting, business loans and qualified professional services.

The ERC also has a Web site at www.ncerc.org where it has installed a business toolbox.

Under the Tools Tab, click and then select the Tools for Success Tab to bring up an extensive list of resources, including Tools for Tough Times. This as excellent starting point to find additional survival resources.

The board concurred that more time should be spent discussing local economic issues and sharing information across all business sectors in the community. Another board member said that communication is a two-way path, with members having an obligation to inform businesses in their respective sectors about the sincere efforts of the ERC to help local businesses succeed.

Other activities of interest to struggling businesses include a Jobs and Business hearing being held by Assemblyman Dan Logue, on Friday, Nov. 13. from 10 a.m. to noon in the Board of Supervisors chambers. Assemblyman Logue wants to hear about the challenges facing local businesses, especially the growing state regulatory burden.

Russ Steele is a blogger at NC Media Watch.

Watching the ocean rise and fall

Russ Steele

Alan Stahler has an interesting story in the Friday Union online discussing the current El Nino pattern in the Pacific. See Soundings: Watching the Ocean Rise and Fall. Alan does a good job explaining complex scientific concepts.

You might want to avoid the comments following the story, there is more than enough misinformation to confuse the typical reader. Stick with Alan's and let him explain how the El Nino forms. Here is a graphic of the latest sea levels measured by the JASON-2 spacecraft mentioned in the article.



Note that since 2006 the sea level have essentially stopped rising. File this information away and use it at the next cocktail party when the token liberal at the party tries to convince you sea levels are rising and we are all domed unless we support Al Gore in a life style beyond his wildest dreams, by buying his carbon credits. 

Are CDC swine flu cases exaggerated?

Russ Steele

Why has the CDC stopped testing for N1H1?  Why are they lumping all flu case in to one category?

Are the number of swine flu cases reported by CDC exaggerated? Testing stopped in July. Yet the President has declared a national emergency for the swine flu, noting a "rapid increase in illness." Really, how did he know?  The CDC stopped testing flu cases in July for N1H1. How do they know the difference between the N1H1 and the regular seasonal flu?

The CDC ordered the states to stop counting so we have no way of making an accurate count now. Thus, the numbers being used by the media and fed to people like President Obama seem to have no reliable value.  CBS reports that the CDC has advised states to stop testing for swine flu, and to stop counting the number of swine flu cases. The CDC website explains that states are no longer differentiating between the regular flu and the swine flu, reporting instead all influenza and pneumonia-related hospitalizations and deaths in one count. Inflationary action?

Is there a H1N1 flu pandemic or not?  The flu season in the southern hemisphere, which has seasons opposite to the north, is now over, and the swine flu did not wreak havoc as predicted.

If the States are not testing and counting flu cases how would the CDC know. How would we know?  How would Nevada County's local health care professional know if they needed to prepare?  And, prepare for what?  Regular flu season, or a regular flu season plus the complications of N1H1 cases. 

Last Sunday I was watching Fox News's Sunday Housecall with Dr. Rosenfeld. He was asked how to determine the difference between the regular flu and swine flu? He suggested that regular seasonal flu did not produce diarrhea, where as swine flu does; along with the fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Seems to me the evidence would be quite pronounced.

What am I missing?

What a difference an update makes.

Russ Steele

I reported on California stimulus jobs here based on data from recovery.gov last updated on 10/10/09. Then in this morning's Bee Joe Biden and Gov Schwarzenegger reported over 100,000 California Jobs created or saved.

Standing at Biden's side, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger said his state has saved or created more jobs than any other state in the nation. He said teachers and other educators account for more than 62,000 of California's jobs, including those who might have been laid off if not for the federal stimulus money.

Below  are the numbers for California as reported on recovery.gov. Note most of the jobs were saved by grants, not many new jobs created, thus our unemployment rate remains at 12.2 percent.

Its Time To Prepare For Another Dalton Minimum(edited)

Russ Steele

The A.P.P.L.E Center for Sustainability wants to create more reliance in our local quality of life. They want us to prepare for disruptions in our food supply by creating local food sources. The question is, are they willing to consider the possibility the real threat is not global warming caused by emissions of green house gases, but increased cooling due to another Grand Solar Minimum. Are they willing to consider that cooling will reduce our local food supply more than warming?  Last year Canada's grain production was reduced by 20% due to ongoing cooler wet weather. What if the cooling continues?  You can find the details at my latest post at The Dalton Minimum Returns. 

Policy Matters

Russ Steele

The Milken Institute's 2009 State of the State Conference was held on  October 20 in Los Angeles.  More than 600 attendees were given an in-depth look at the many challenges facing the state, along with solutions for solving them, including economic recovery. They now have the Conference Videos on line of the panel sessions here (www.milkeninstitute.org/sos2009).

Given the Nevada County Economic Resource Council is working on a Comprehensive Economic Development Plan for Nevada County, I was very interested in the Panel on Keeping Companies and High-Paying Jobs in California. We need a vision for where we want our economy to be in five-ten years, and some of the panel's insights should be considered in crafting that vision.

Session Speakers were:

David Crane, Special Advisor for Jobs and Economic Growth, Office of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
Eric McAfee, Chairman, McAfee Capital
John Watson, Vice Chairman, Chevron Corporation
Perry Wong, Senior Managing Economist, Milken Institute

The Moderator was Nancy McFadden, Senior Vice President, Public Affairs, PG&E Corp.

Below is a session summary, but it does not really capture the strong message from the panel in their own words -- we are over regulated. The most important discussion for Nevada County was the presentation and follow up by Perry Wong on the loss of high tech jobs in California. Below are some captured screen images from his presentation. The slides are only available to Millken Institute Members. My apology for the poor quality.

Now look at the peer states their high tech job loss was much less. Wong thinks many California high-tech jobs went to these states.

Ticking time bomb the Democratic legislature cannot solve

Russ Steele

My friend George Rebane is discussing the Unfunded Liabilities time bomb that is ticking away for the California taxpayers in a Union Editorial this morning.  George writes:

Some local bloggers and folks in the Rood Center seem to think that the entire problem is really not ours, and can be laid at Sacramento's feet. This longstanding ignorance is unfortunate. When the SESF report was presented to the BoS and the local media, it was essentially ignored. In the interval some of us, who have continued to point out the coming train wreck, have been accused of “demagoguery” for bringing the problem to public attention. A day late and a dollar short, the country's UL have become national news with daily articles outlining the fiscal calamity facing communities across the land and especially in California.

Bill Lockyer, California's Treasure has a message for the California State Legislature telling them that two-thirds of what they produce is “just junk”? Insisting that more taxes won’t solve their problems, and that they have to start looking for ways to save money instead? But the best part is when he tells them:

"It’s impossible for this legislature to reform the pension system, and if we don’t, we bankrupt the state. And I don’t think anybody can do it here, because of who elected you. … You’re just captive of the current environment — I don’t see any way out!"

Here is the video clip:

Let me translate what Lockyer said: The Democrats are too deep the pockets of the unions to effectively govern California.  Their marriage to the unions keeps the Democrats from making the budgetary decisions necessary to rescue California from ruin. The only solution for reform is to remove the in the pocket Democrats in Sacramento and replace them with conservative who can return the state to fiscal sanity. (No I did not say Republican, I said conservative regardless of party)  Until we get that done our local political leaders need to do what they can to reduce the damage. George has some suggestions in his Union Editorial at at Ruminations.

County unemployment figures improve in September

Russ Steele

California's September Unemployment rate was 12.2 down from the previously revised 12.3, but the real news was Nevada County's unemployment rate of 10.9% down from 11.3% in August and 11.4 in July. Locally the numbers are much better for Grass Valley with an unemployment rate of 9.9% and Truckee at 9.0%.  Nevada City is at 16.6%.  What is up with Nevada City?  What happened to all those green jobs Nevada City was going to create.

The Union Web Site Gets an Upgrade

Russ Steele

The Union web page will be updated this afternoon with a Members Hub, making the site more web centric. The Homepage with have a direct link to a Members Hub. The new Member’s Hub will allow users of to see all of the comments on stories over the past 5 days. The Hub will also be a place for readers to make their own contributions to the contents of the web site, including photos and videos, with more opportunities for readers to connect with other Hub members of like interests.

Below is a screen shot of the new Members Hub page.(Click for a larger image,)