Help Bring Fair Representation Back to the City of Hickory

Will you print out and sign the attached petition and mail back to us? It will take you less than 5 minutes and will make a HUGE improvement in future elections.

I’m writing to tell you about a petition we’re circulating to get Hickory city council elections changed to a true ward system. It’s really important because:

• In a true ward system, voters in each ward choose their own representative; it’s more democratic because local voters have a bigger say in who represents their wards.
• A true ward system allows more citizens to consider running for office because it is less expensive to run an election in one ward than to run city-wide; we’ll get some new perspectives and fresh ideas on city council.
• A true ward system makes representatives more accountable because they live and work in the same community where their constituents live so they have daily contact with their voters.
• True ward system elections are less expensive for taxpayers because only half the polls have to be open each election year.

The City Council could make this change simply with their vote, but they are happy with the status quo. We think the voters should decide how they want their elections run, and that's where we need your help.

Will you print out and sign the attached petition and mail back to us? It will take you less than 5 minutes and will make a HUGE improvement in future elections.

Click here to download the petition.

Other registered voters in your house and neighborhood can also sign the petition. If you prefer, I can mail you a petition and a stamped envelope to return it in - just reply to my email (cjane@rayandcjane.com) with your request.

I know you believe in fair and representative government; if you have questions about how the true ward system will make that happen, please call me any time at 828-612-8448.

Thanks for your time.

C. Jane Johnson

City of Hickory Bits and Pieces - February 15, 2012

The following are three messages relating to meetings of specific groups of interest. These are opportunities to participate in the direction of the community, The first is a meeting of the Hickory Young Professionals group that will take place next week, the second is a meeting of the Future Economy Council of Catawba County that will take place this Thursday February 16, 2012, and the third is a follow-up to the Entrepreneurial summit that took place at the beginning of January; this event will take place at the auditorium at CVCC on March 6, 2012.

Hickory Young Professionals host an open forum

to discuss topics affecting young professionals and the Metro area

February 13, 2012 (Hickory, NC) – Once per quarter, the Hickory Young Professionals host an Inside the Metro Series event where HYP members are introduced to different community leaders in an intimate lunch-and-learn setting.  Much like Bravo TV’s, “Inside the Actors’ Studio,” a featured guest sits with an interviewer and answers questions about their career, the choices they made to get where they are, advice they have for young professionals, and what inspires them. 

On February 22, HYP will be hosting a Reverse Inside the Metro Series lunch event from 11:30am-1:00pm at Market on Main in Hickory.  Amy Powell, Senior Vice President of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce, and Mandy Pitts, City of Hickory Communications Director and Brand Manager, will take the lead on interviewing the young professionals about a topic that has become a key priority and strategy as our county begins to develop a collaborative Competitiveness Plan for the future.  What needs to be done in order to attract and retain young professionals in Catawba County could very well be priority ONE.

Why has this become a key priority? According to the last census, 26.1% of people between the ages of 20 – 44 have left the Greater Hickory Metro between 2000 and 2010.  Some say this is caused by the lack of jobs, others say it is a quality of life issue.  During this event, the Hickory Young Professionals will have the opportunity to brainstorm solutions and present ideas on this topic for this chicken versus the egg scenario.

Other special guests have been invited to hear their ideas include: Danny Hearn, President & CEO of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce; Kitty Barnes, Chairwoman of the Catawba County Commissioners; Scott Millar, President of the Catawba County Economic Development Corp; and possible attendee Mick Berry, Hickory City Manager.

Are you under 40 years of age? Do you live or work in Catawba County? You are invited to share your ideas concerning this important topic! To make your reservation, please visit www.hickoryhyp.com/calendar/. Click on Inside the Metro Series on the calendar date February 22.  Cost: $10.00 for HYP Members; Guest: $15.00   

Hickory Young Professionals (HYP) was established in 2008 to provide opportunities for young professionals in the Greater Hickory Metro Area to excel professionally, socially and economically. This initiative was a recommendation of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce after they returned from an Inter-City Visit to Roanoke, Virginia in the fall of 2007. The Chamber recognized the economic impact of engaged, young professionals on the region, and the need to retain existing, and attract new, young professionals to the area.  Local business sponsors include Martin Starnes and Associates and Crouse Chiropractic.

Media Contacts:  
Dana Kaminske
Chair, Hickory Young Professionals 
P.O. Box 1968
Hickory, NC 28603-1968 
danakaminske@yahoo.com 
828-270-4153

 __________________________________________________________________________________________

 The following is information (2 messages) about the Future Economy Council meeting being held on February 16, 2012 at the Chamber of Commerce:

Good morning! We are ready to begin a new year with the Council and hope you can attend our meeting next Thursday at 8:00 am at the Chamber. We also want to bring you up to date on our post-Entrepreneur Summit strategies utilizing Ted Abernathy, Southern Growth Policies Board, over the next 6-8 months. Hope to see you next week

Danny Hearn,

I have arranged for Quint Redmond 

TSR Agristruction - Agriburbia

Matthew C. “Quint” Redmond

P.O. Box 17747

Golden, CO  80402-7747

p 888/303.458.8554 x11 
c 303.809.1536 
f  303.295.0664 
qredmond@tsrAgristruction.com

To speak with the group via Skype at 8:30.  I have also arranged with Mary George to speak about plans for encouraging gardens and agricultural production across the county.  We will need to make sure that your Internet connection can handle the Skype connection and that there is a computer set up and ready to go for the meeting.

Dear FEC Member,

Food and our food supply has been one of the topics brought up at the FEC.  Another topic, supporting the local economy.  Both are at the center of our very survival and I think we are now more aware than ever that we must not become too dependent on outside sources.

 

At Thursday’s meeting we have a special agenda planned for you.  Mary George, Assistant Planning Director is going to talk with you about county efforts to address locally grown. Jeff Carpenter, County Extension Director, is going to give you a picture of the agriculture community and their impact in Catawba County. And Quint Redmond, from Agriburbia is going to tell us about their efforts to incorporate agriculture into sustainable communities. Quint’s website is http://www.agriburbia.com/ .  You may want to review this before the meeting.

 

I look forward to seeing you on Thursday.

 

Thanks,

Terry 

___________________________________________________________________________________


The following is information related to a follow up meeting related to the Entrepreneurial Summit that was held on January 11, 2012.

Please note that the Entrepreneurship Speaker's Forum date has been changed.  It will now be held on Tuesday March 6th at 1PM (same time) on the CVCC main campus auditorium.  Sorry for any confusion.  Please call or Email if you have questions or need clarification.

Thank you!

In celebration of National Entrepreneurship Week, Catawba Valley Community College’s Business Department and the Catawba Valley Emerging Entrepreneurship Club are sponsoring a speaker’s forum on “Promoting Entrepreneurship in Our Community,” Tuesday March 6, at 1:00 p.m. in the Auditorium.

Guest panelists include Shane Cooper, founder and chief executive officer of DeFeet International, David Washco, founder of GoPriceDrive.com and ’11 Edison Prize Winner; Scott Millar, president of the Catawba County Economic Development Corporation; Danny Hearn, president of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce; and Dr. Garrett Hinshaw, president of CVCC.

Startup companies are continuously cited as our economy’s most promising source of new jobs. In fact, a recent Kauffman Foundation study dispels the myth that the jobs created with business startups fail within five years.

Sponsored by CVCC, the Catawba Valley Emerging Entrepreneurship Club seeks ways to introduce members to individuals who have started their own businesses. Students participate in various activities that provide real-world exposure to the day-to-day operations of American businesses.

The public is invited to attend. There is no charge; however, seating is limited.

For more information, contact business faculty and club advisor Gary Muller, 828-327-7000, ext. 4672.

For more information about upcoming Small Business Center programs, please call the Small Business Center at 828-327-7000, ext. 4117 or visit our web site at http://sbc.cvcc.edu.

Jeff Neuville, Program Coordinator
828-327-7000, Ext 4102

Debbie Sawyer, Program Assistant
828-327-7000, Ext. 4117
E-mail: sbc@cvcc.edu
Web site: http://sbc.cvcc.edu
Office Location: CVCC East Campus, 2760 Hwy 70 SE, Hickory, 28602 behind Northern Tool & Equipment

Observing the Observer about Boosting Hickory's Growth

I'm not going to be overly critical of Ms. Dianne Straley's article from Sunday's Charlotte Observer entitled Boosting Hickory's growth. What I feel is fair to say from my point of view is that there never seems to be any point-counterpoint or opinion attached to articles such as these, from the Catawba Valley Neighbors or Hickory Daily Record. This makes them seem very ambiguous and the English teachers that I had in school certainly gave hell if I had no points of logical conclusion to subject matter. In my opinion, this article is pointless, because it just jumps around in an open ended manner with no context... just throw it up and see what sticks. Since the publication is an "Observer," I would like to make a few counter observations. I believe that these observations will be viewed as logical.

Ms. Straley writes about the visits to several regional cities . One such city was Chattanooga, Tennessee. That visit was reported on in The City Council Newsletter from January 3, 2012. Scott Millar spoke about the revitalization of Chattanooga at the Future Economy Council Meeting in November, which Hickory City Alder Jill Patton happened to attend. That meeting was reported on in this blog in an article entitled Scott Millar - The Future Economy Council - Catawba County Economics 101. You can listen to Scott talk about Chattanooga in Part 1 of his presentation. Logic: that is where the idea to visit Chattanooga came from. And I would like to say that it was nice to see a Hickory City Official of this stature at an FEC meeting.

(C-O) - The Mayor states, "...there is no quick fix to Hickory's problems... Council members don't know yet what they want to do, but they'll probably emphasize multiple improvements over five years... "What we want is a master plan that lays out where we want to be and how do we get there."

There have been a lot of us who have been solidly working on plans over the last several years. Plans that the County administration has wholeheartedly embraced, while the The City of Hickory has been reluctant to acknowledge, much less get on board with. In my opinion, the City of Hickory's two major mistakes; First, they seem bound and determined to go in their own personal direction. Second, this Mayor and City Council have waited on City Administration to direct city initiatives and action, while they sit back and wait for those initiatives and actions to be developed. The longer they wait, the further we fall behind and the longer it will take to fix the systemic flaws in Hickory's socioeconomic ecosystem.

(C-O) - "Change is coming. We can direct it, or sit back and let it happen," Wright said. "We're going to direct it."

This very statement was mentioned in our State of Hickory 2012 address and it comes from the words of Ted Abernathy spoken at the Entrepreneurial Summit forum held on January 11, 2012.

From The State of Hickory 2012 Address - Action speaks louder than words: Look at the way Hickory is laid out. Look at its old manufacturing structures. Hickory has not been strategically designed. It is a mess the way that Hickory has been laid out and there are people who want to keep moving forward in such a fashion. That is unreasonable. As we heard at the entrepreneurial summit a few weeks ago, there has never been a normal. We have to create the future. If we do not create the future, it will be created for us by external forces. We have so much to gain by joining together in a process of structured goals and development. Sure, these plans should be able to be reassessed, but to not have plans is to set yourself up to have others determine your future!

(C-O) - Hickory is currently debating a major land purchase for a mixed-use project that could be used for one of its future improvements, the mayor said. Wright would not discuss where the land's size or location because he said that information would drive up the price. The proposed purchase has been discussed in closed council meetings. The property, however, is not blighted, he said.

As those of you who have read this blog will understand, my ears perk up when I hear about economic development on the local level. What is bothersome to me in the above statement is that it is inferred that we aren't going to look to redevelop an area of the city that needs uplifting. I will patiently wait to see what this is all about, but we need to see revitalization in Hickory and it is a priority. Priorities: Numero Uno - Jobs, Dos - Revitalization.

(C-O) - Wright says he expects the city will emphasize: Recruiting more high-tech employers and data centers such as Apple, Google and Facebook, which have massive data storage complexes in the region. Improving recreation. Expanding higher education. Attracting more retirees. Encouraging more manufacturing.

It is further pointed out in the article that the area " ...is suffering with a stark loss of manufacturing jobs as many companies exported work overseas. The area has lost almost 60 percent of its furniture manufacturing jobs since 2000... The U.S. Census shows the Hickory metro area grew about 7 percent over the last decade, but most of that growth is in older residents - a 53 percent increase in ages 60 to 64. Couple that with the 18.6 percent loss of residents ages 25-34 and it is clear that Hickory is becoming grayer. One possibility is emphasizing and improving the city's parks along the Catawba River, Wright said."

The numbers don't lie. The loss of the younger generations in this community have been pointed out since the inception of this blog in 2008. The Mayor is still talking about retirees, when it is obvious to see that we have already had major growth in that demographic. My personal feeling is that the Mayor and Council better relate to people of their own age demographic and don't understand the younger generations, so they have chosen to ignore the needs of younger people and in essence have thrown them under the bus for their own personal agenda. What they don't understand is that this is having a very negative effect on the growth of this community. They have created their own conundrum.

(C-O) -  ..."We want Hickory to be known as a great place to raise a family, to work and a fun place to be," he said. "We want to control the impression we give people."

I would like to conclude with this. If you want to control something that is out of control what do you have to do? You have to slow it down. The more convoluted energy becomes, the harder it is going to be to control. The message and marketing that we have attempted to sell has been stacks of BS piled on top of stacks of BS. It is harder to keep up with contorted messages than honesty. The State motto of North Carolina is Esse Quam Videri, which means "To be rather than to seem."

We need to get back to the core of what this community used to be all about. We need to get back to the basics. We need to get down to the essence of the issues that we face in this community. Jobs, Revitalization of our Infrastructure, and the restoration of our young demographic are obvious conditions that need to be addressed. We have people trying to state that outsiders aren't viewing us correctly. Maybe, just maybe, we aren't viewing ourselves correctly. Maybe we have a big ole case of denial. In my opinion, the bigger issue isn't to control how we seem. The bigger issue is to control who we "Be," who we are.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 12, 2012

Obama Revises CBO Deficit Forecast, Predicts 110% Debt-To-GDP By End Of 2013, Worse Deficit In 2012 Than 2011 - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - February 10, 2012 - WSJ reports that "President Barack Obama's budget request to Congress on Monday will forecast a deficit of $1.33 trillion in fiscal year 2012 and will include hundreds of billions of dollars of proposed infrastructure spending, according to draft documents viewed by Dow Jones Newswires and The Wall Street Journal. The projected deficit is higher than the $1.296 trillion deficit in 2011 and also slightly higher than a roughly $1.15 trillion projection released by the Congressional Budget Office last week. The budget, according to the documents, will forecast a $901 billion deficit for fiscal 2013, which would be equivalent to 5.5% of gross domestic product. That is up from the administration's September forecast of a deficit of $833 billion, or 5.1% of GDP."


Pepsico to cut 8,700 jobs; 4Q net rises - Wall Street Journal - AP - February 9, 2012 - PepsiCo is trying to put some fizz back into its business. The food and drinks maker announced a restructuring on Thursday that includes cutting 8,700 jobs globally and plowing money into advertising drinks like Pepsi and Mountain Dew in North America.             Pepsi announced its cost-cutting plan Thursday as it reported better-than-expected fourth-quarter profit, but also forecast a decline in adjusted 2012 earnings. On the mixed news, the company's shares fell nearly 4 percent....                 Like many companies of all stripes, Pepsi is facing higher costs for materials it uses to make, package and transport its products, including sugar, corn and aluminum. Pepsi and many other food and beverage makers raised prices last year to offset the higher costs. But consumers are still cautious about spending in the uncertain economy, so some companies are moving on to Plan B: cost cutting.             Pepsi rival Coca-Cola Co. announced its own cost-cutting program on Tuesday, although Coke did not say it was reducing its workforce. For its part, Pepsi said "tough decisions" needed to be made because it expects 2012 will be the second year in a row that it will encounter higher-than-average costs for commodities....


Fed's Pianalto: Foreclosures Have Become A National Crisis - Wall Street Journal - Wall Street Journal - Dow Jones Wires - Cynthia Lin - February 10, 2012 - -Foreclosures in the housing market have become a national crisis, a regional Federal Reserve president said Friday, noting however that the drop in property value in her particular region is more deeply rooted. Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Sandra Pianalto spoke before a housing services audience in Cleveland, encouraging the community to work together in improving the appeal of living in older, more industrial cities. These older cities have suffered housing foreclosures like the rest of the nation, but Pianalto says the high vacancy and abandonment rates are the more troubling issues. "Our challenges with vacant and abandoned housing are immediate, but they are the result of forces that have been at work long before the recent financial crisis and recession," she said...


The insiders are selling heavily - Commentary: July was last time insiders were equally as bearish - Market Watch - Mark Hulbert - February 11, 2012 - That’s a scary parallel indeed, since that late-July spike in selling came just days before one of the more painful two-week periods in the stock market in years.         In early August, as you may recall, the U.S. government lost its triple-A credit rating, and the bottom dropped out of the stock market. Between the last week of July and the second week of August, the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 2,000 points. To be sure, heavy insider selling doesn’t always lead to this much market weakness, or this immediately. And there were a lot of other things going on last summer that aren’t present today.           Still, on the theory that corporate insiders — officers, directors and largest shareholders — know more about their firms’ prospects than do the rest of us, it can’t be good news that they are selling at such a heavy pace.


Dependency Index Surges 23% Under President Obama - Investors Business Daily - John Merline - February 8, 2012 - The American public's dependence on the federal government shot up 23% in just two years under President Obama, with 67 million now relying on some federal program, according to a newly released study by the Heritage Foundation.           The conservative think tank's annual Index of Dependence on Government tracks money spent on housing, health, welfare, education subsidies and other federal programs that were "traditionally provided to needy people by local organizations and families."               The two-year increase under Obama is the biggest two-year jump since Jimmy Carter was president, the data show. The rise was driven mainly by increases in housing subsidies, an expansion in Medicaid and changes to the welfare system, along with a sharp rise in food stamps, the study found. "You can't get around the fact that policy decisions made over the past two years, on top of those made over the past several decades, are having a large effect on the pace of growth of the index," said William Beach, who authored the Heritage study.            Government dependence has climbed steadily since 1962, when the index stood at 19. By 1980, the index had risen to 100. It stood at 294 in 2010, the last year for which the data are available. D.C.-based Heritage has produced the index for nine years. The report also found that spending on "dependence programs" accounts for more than 70% of the federal budget. That, too, is up dramatically. In 1990, for example, the figure stood at 48.5%, and in 1962 just over a quarter of federal spending went to dependence programs. At the same time, fewer Americans pay income taxes, the report notes. Almost half (49.5%) didn't pay income taxes in 2009, the latest year for which the researchers have data. Back in the late 1960s, only 12% of Americans escaped the income tax burden.


Could High Gas Prices Hurt Obama's Reelection Campaign? - Pain at the pump could mean pain at the polls for President Obama - U.S. News and World Report - Meg Handley - February 6, 2012 - Thanks to tensions in the Middle East and refinery closures stateside, experts are projecting gasoline prices to jump 60 cents by Memorial Day. That's on top of an 11-cent spike over the past four weeks on the already sky-high gas prices Americans saw in January, the highest on record.           Experts say prices could even jump to $5 per gallon in cities such as New York and Chicago, and that pain at the pump could translate into some pain at the polls for Obama. Some GOP contenders have already keyed into the issue of gas prices and how acutely consumers feel upticks in fuel costs. When she was still campaigning for the GOP nomination, Michele Bachmann promised to bring back $2-a-gallon gasoline. That might sound crazy when looking at average gas prices today, which currently hover around $3.48, but take a trip down memory lane and prices weren't far away from the $2 mark... Over the past several years, gas prices have hit increasingly high starting points at the beginning of the year. On Dec. 31, 2008, average gas prices were around $1.61 per gallon, says Gregg Laskoski, senior petroleum analyst at GasBuddy.com. On the same date in 2009, they were up to $2.64. Flash forward to last month, and prices hit $3.25 going into 2012.               Some of the price movements are expected in the run-up to the summer months, Laskoski says, primarily because refiners have to reformulate gasoline to include eco-friendly fuel additives. On average, the spread between prices from Dec. 31 to peak are around 93 cents, he says. Adding that to $1.61 per gallon might not feel too bad to consumers, but when tacking it on to $3.25, consumers can start to feel squeezed. Budget-constrained consumers stop spending, which can be disastrous for the United States, which relies heavily on consumer spending to fuel its economy.


Gas prices could spike 60 cents or more by May - USA Today - February 6, 2012 - Gary Strauss - After rising 19 cents a gallon in the past four weeks, regular unleaded gasoline now averages $3.48 a gallon, vs. $3.12 a year ago and $2.67 in February 2010. Prices could spike another 60 cents or more by May. "I think it's going to be a chaotic spring, with huge price increases in some places," says Tom Kloza of the Oil Price Information Service. Kloza expects average prices to peak at $4.05, although he and other industry trackers say prices could be sharply higher in some markets. This year's earlier-than-usual run-up is more about anticipation than current supply and demand. Last week, the Energy Department reported anemic U.S. consumption — the lowest levels since September 2001. Domestic crude oil prices have fallen in six of the past seven trading sessions on the New York Mercantile Exchange and were about $98 a barrel Monday morning, near six-week lows... "The increase in gas prices last year sucked $100 billion out of the economy," she says. "We aren't going to get a break because there is no long-term grand strategy to keep prices down."


End of the Boom: The True State of the Shale Gas Industry - Oil Price.com - Kurt Cobb - February 7, 2012 -  Estimates for recoverable shale gas just keep falling. Last year, the Potential Gas Committee, an industry consortium that focuses on long-term projections, estimated that recoverable natural gas from shale deposits in the United States would amount to 687 trillion cubic feet (tcf). (This optimistic appraisal laid the groundwork for the oft-repeated notion that the United States has 100 years of natural gas supply at current rates of consumption. The estimate was also based on so-called "speculative resources" of another 615 tcf.).                But, in its early release of the Annual Energy Outlook for 2012, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) cut its estimate of technically recoverable resources of U.S. shale gas from 827 tcf to 482 tcf. (That says little about whether all those resources will be economically recoverable.) Much of the decline in the EIA estimate comes from a downgrading of the Marcellus Shale, by far the largest of the U.S. shale gas deposits spanning vast areas of New York, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia as well as sections of Ohio, Kentucky and Tennessee. The downgrade resulted from extensive drilling results now available as the rush to extract gas from the Marcellus Shale accelerates. The EIA cut its estimated technically recoverable resources from 410 tcf to 141 tcf. This estimate remains well in excess of last year's estimate from the U.S. Geological Survey which put those resources at 84 tcf.


Apple worth more than Google, Microsoft combined - Washington Post - Hayley Tsukayama - February 11, 2012 - Apple’s market cap is around $462 billion as of mid-Friday. Microsoft’s is about $257 billion and Google’s weighs in at about $197 billion. Tech bloggers have been coming up with all kinds of statistics to put Apple’s market cap in context. Fortune’s Philip Elmer-Dewitt pointed out that Apple’s now worth more than the gross domestic product of Sweden, which is $458 billion. — Retail sales of electricity in the United States, $350 billion — The worth of the global coffee industry, $70 billion — Two Apollo Space programs, $145 billion-$170 billion if adjusted for inflation.


"No Country For Old Men?" Bernanke Plan To Exterminate Savers Is Unsustainable - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - February 6, 2012 - Bernanke's recognition of his penalizing savers with low rates as an 'issue for people' sparked an interesting note from the WSJ on how sensible and stoic savers are being herded (unsafely) into risky investments. Bernanke's insistence that "our savers collectively have to hold all the assets of the economy and a strong economy produces much better returns in general" must be juxtaposed with comments from a money manager that "I don't think that's a fair-trade" for money intended to be invested safely.


Itchy Investors Ramp Up the Risk - With Rates Staying Low, Returns on Conservative Investments Don't Cut It Anymore for Some - Wall Street Journal - RUTH SIMON and BEN LEVISOHN - February 6, 2012 - The Federal Reserve is presenting a broad swath of conservative investors, from retirees and college savers to banks and insurance companies, with a tough choice: move into riskier investments or continue coming up short from low-risk investments that aren't even keeping pace with inflation.         The central bank has held short-term interest rates near zero since late 2008 to spur the economy and help the housing market. One side effect of that policy is lower returns on savings accounts and other low-risk investments.        When the Fed announced last week that it likely will keep rates at rock-bottom levels through 2014—almost three full years from now—some risk-averse investors began to abandon hopes that rates would rise soon.

John Williams of Shadow Stats "This is end of the world type stuff"

The Hickory Hound's New Media Bibliography

 Citizen Free Press - Economic, Cultural, and Social News Links

Trends Research Institute - The Trends Journal - Economic, Cultural, and Social Forecasting

Paul Craig Roberts.org - Economic, Cultural, and Social Analysis

The Keiser Report - Max Keiser - Economic, Cultural, and Social Analysis

Inflection Points - Warren Pollock -  Economic, Cultural, and Social Analysis

Infowars.com - Economic, Cultural, and Social Analysis and Links

The Economic Collapse Blog -  Economic, Cultural, and Social News

The Corbett Report - James Corbett - Economic, Cultural, and Social Analysis

Shadow Government Statistics -  John Williams - Economic Analysis 

King World News - Economic Analysis

Zero Hedge  - Economic Analysis

Daily Job Cuts.com - Economic Analysis
 
The Market Ticker.org - Karl Denninger - Economic Analysis

SGT Report - Economic Analysis

SHTFPlan - Economic, Cultural, and Social News

The End of the American Dream - Economic, Cultural, and Social News

Washington's Blog -  Economic, Cultural, and Social News

Wall St. 24/7 - Economic and Financial Analysis

Breitbart - Economic, Cultural, and Social News

X22 Report -  Economic News and Analysis

USA Watchdog  - Economic Analysis

The Daily Reckoning - Economic Analysis

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of February 7, 2012

This newsletter is about the Hickory City Council meeting that I attended this past week. City council meetings are held on the first and third Tuesdays of each Month in the Council Chambers of the Julian Whitener building.

At right of this page under Main Information links is an Hickory's City Website link. If you click on that link, it takes you to our city’s website, at the left of the page you will see the Agenda's and Minutes link you need to click. This will give you a choice of PDF files to upcoming and previous meetings.

You will find historic Agenda and Minutes links. Agendas show what is on the docket for the meeting of that date. The Minutes is an actual summary of the proceedings of the meeting of that date.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 2/7/2012 meeting. There were a couple of important items that were discussed at this meeting and the details are listed further below:

Please remember that pressing Ctrl and + will magnify the text and page and pressing Ctrl and - will make the text and page smaller. This will help the readability for those with smaller screens and/or eye difficulties.

Invocation by Pastor Lorraine Patterson, Morning Star First Baptist Church

Consent Agenda:
A. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from City of Hickory to Caroline R. Latorre in Oakwood Cemetery

B. Special Event Permit Application to Use Union Square for Downtown Hickory Farmers Market every Wednesday (10:00 am – 3:00 pm) and Saturday (8:00 am – 1:00 pm) beginning on Saturday, April 28, 2012 and ending October 31, 2012. They are also requesting to operate on two Saturdays in November (17th and 24th) from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm


C. Special Event Permit Application for Grave Marking Ceremony for Clinton Cilley, Recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor (Civil War) by Catawba Valley Chapter of the North Carolina Sons of the American Revolution to be held at Oakwood Cemetery on April 28, 2012 from 10:00 am – 12:30 pm - Item pulled from agenda and postponed to a later date.

D. Special Event Permit Application for Hickory Hops by Hickory Downtown Development Association Scheduled for Saturday, April 21, 2012 to be held at Government Avenue, SW and Second Street SW from 1:00 pm – 7:00 pm

E. Special Event Permit Application for Charity Chase Half Marathon (13.1 Miles) Scheduled for Saturday, June 2, 2012 from 6:30 am to 10:30 am to Start and Finish on Main Avenue Between 3rd Street and 4th Street NW

F. Special Event Permit Application for Hickory Crawdads Valentine’s Day Party Scheduled for Saturday, February 11, 2012 from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm at L.P. Frans Stadium

G. Approve Pyrotechnic Display Permits by Hickory Crawdads for Events Held at LP Frans Stadium - The Hickory Crawdads have submitted a request to obtain permission to allow Pyro Shows Incorporated to provide fireworks after the following games held at LP Frans Stadium: April 13, May 25, June 1, 8, 22, July 4, 6, 20, August 10, 17, 2012 with specific rain dates noted. The Fire Prevention Bureau will inspect the pyrotechnics display area prior to the events to ensure compliance with all guidelines. Staff recommends approval.

H. Approve Pyrotechnic Display Permit by St. Stephens High School for Events at Catawba Valley Community College on June 9, 2012 - St. Stephens High School has submitted a request to obtain permission to allow Zambelli Fireworks Company to provide a public fireworks display at CVCC after the graduation ceremonies on June 9, 2012. The Fire Prevention Bureau will inspect the pyrotechnics display area prior to the event to ensure compliance with all guidelines. Staff recommends approval.


I. Resolution Authorizing Preparation of Assessment Rolls and Public Hearing on Preliminary Assessment Roll for Street Improvements Petition No. 01-12 (Curb and Gutter). A petition was submitted on August 23, 2011, approved by City Council on October 4, 2011, and the project was completed on December 19, 2011. (Authorize Public Hearing for February 21, 2012)

J. Change Order No. 7 to Contract with Pizzagalli Construction Company in the Amount of $28,127.00 for the Northeast Wastewater Treatment Plant (NEWWTP) Upgrade Project - The NEWWTP Upgrade Project was initiated in July, 2010 at a cost of $21,569,382.50 for a complete upgrade of the facility. The current contract amount for this project is $22,095,295.50 which includes previously approved Change Orders Nos. 1 – 6. This project was established with a contingency fund in order to address unforeseen expenses that may arise, and Change Order No. 7 consists of 11 items related to unanticipated conditions that have arisen during construction and one item that is recommended for inclusion with the project that was eliminated during the plan modifications. The single largest item that is included in this change order is $9,694.00 for replacement of the balance of the existing fence line and 2 existing gates along Cloninger Mill Road. The largest of the remaining items is for $6,322.00 for removal of an existing construction debris pile that was buried during one of the previous upgrades. The revised contract total to date will be $22,123,422.50. Staff recommends approval.

K. Community Appearance Landscape Grant to Unifour Fire and Safety – Non-Residential Property Located at 1025 Tate Boulevard SE in the Amount of $2,500.00 - This non-residential property, owned by Unifour Fire and Safety, is located at 1025 Tate Boulevard SE. Prior to occupancy, the property had remained vacant for a period of time, and the existing landscaping has become overgrown and unkempt. The intention is to upgrade the landscaping. The applicant has provided two bids for the proposed improvements which total $5,000.00 and $6,200.00. Being that both bids are $5,000.00 or greater, the applicant qualifies for the full $2,500.00 grant. On January 23, 2012, the Community Appearance Commission unanimously voted to recommend funding of the requested grant in the amount of $2,500.00.


L. Consideration of Nomination of Lee and Helen George House Located at 16 9th Avenue NE to National Register of Historic Places - The Lee and Helen George House was built in 1951 and is located at 16 9th Avenue NE in the Combford Park Subdivision. The structure is owned by a trust made up of the George Family Heirs, and its historical significance stems from its embodiment of the Modernist style of architecture and the fact that this home is one of the earliest and best examples of this type of architecture in the city. The Historic Preservation Commission held a public hearing on January 24, 2012. There were several citizens present to show support for the nomination as well as other citizens interested in learning more about the property and its effects on the surrounding area. No one spoke against the nomination. The Historic Preservation Commission voted unanimously to recommend approval. The nomination is scheduled for presentation to the North Carolina National Register Advisory Committee on February 9, 2012. If approved, the Lee and Helen George House would be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Unless the property owner wants the structure to be designated as a local landmark, the property owner will not be required to have alterations approved by the Hickory Historic Preservation Commission. Staff recommends that City Council recommend the Lee and Helen George House be placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

M. Request to Award one Hour of Vacation to Each Employee Who Voluntarily Attends a City Informational Session on Branding - This request is to award one hour of vacation time to each employee who voluntarily attends a city informational session on branding. The informational sessions are designed to educate coworkers on the branding project, its importance to the City, and the role each coworker will play in making the project a success. The opportunity to earn an hour of vacation time will provide an incentive for participation and contribute to the success of the overall project. Staff recommends approval.


N. Budget Ordinance Amendments
1. To budget $407 of miscellaneous revenue in the Fire Department Departmental Supply line item. These funds were received from Mountain Recycling, Inc. for the sale of salvaged metal from surplus Engine 14.
2. To accept and budget a $57,250 donation from the Hickory Kiwanis Foundation Inc. in the Parks and Recreation Facilities line item. This donation is for the purchase of additional playground equipment for the Zahra Baker All-Children's Playground at Kiwanis Park.
3. To reclassify the Library’s vacant Marketing & Programs Coordinator position to a Communications Specialist position and move this position to the Communications Department. This budget amendment moves the funds required to fill this position for the remainder of FY11-12.
4. To appropriate $65,100 of General Fund Balance to the Airport Professional Services line item for legal expenses related to the FBO Bankruptcy. $55,100 is allocated to cover the current expenses incurred to-date this year. An additional $10,000 is to provide funds for anticipated legal expenses for the remainder of this fiscal year related to the bankruptcy.
5. To transfer $60,000 of Water and Sewer Contingency to the Water and Sewer Maintenance and Repair of Buildings line item. This transfer is needed to pay for painting two multi-color "Hickory" logos on 4 Water Tanks (F Avenue, 1st Avenue, 9th Avenue and Mountain View).
6. To transfer $57,241 of Hickory District Court revenues in excess of Hickory District Court expenditures in FY10-11 from the General Fund to the District Court Capital Reserve Fund.

O. Grant Project Ordinance
1. To budget a 2011 Urgent Repair Program Grant awarded to the City of Hickory by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency in the amount of $37,500 with a local required match of $3,750. The required match is provided by the 1992 Consortium HOME Program.



New Business - Public Hearings

1. Resolution and Order for Petition of James Clayton Neill, Manager, Hollar Hosiery Investments LLC to Close a Portion of Highland Avenue SE - On November 28, 2011, James Clayton Neill, Manager, Hollar Hosiery Investments LLC submitted a petition to close a portion of Highland Avenue SE. This area used to be part of Highland Avenue SE, but during the reconstruction of LR Blvd. and the realignment of Highland Avenue SE tie into LR Blvd., the road over this area requested to be closed was relocated and the old roadway removed. This portion of right-of-way is no longer necessary for public use, and it appears that the closing is not contrary to public interest. Public Services Staff stated that the access to water and sewer infrastructure in the area shall remain unabated. This would allow parking and landscaping over the easement area, but no buildings or structures. It is recommended that the City retain a 25’ easement for any existing water and sewer utilities which will cover maintenance and any future replacements. This public hearing was advertised in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area on January 6, 13, 20 and 27, 2012. Chuck Hanson presentation. Council unanimously consented.


New Business - Departmental Reports:

1. Approve Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant Performance Agreement with Hollar Hosiery Investments, LLC in the amount of $30,000 - The Vacant Building Revitalization and Demolition Grant program provides grant funding up to $30,000 for projects to renovate and rehabilitate vacant buildings within the Urban Revitalization Area. Hollar Hosiery Investments, LLC has applied for the grant to assist in the renovation of the former Hollar Hosiery Mill located at 883 Highland Avenue SE. The applicant plans to renovate the facility for use by a brewery, restaurant, and event space. The balance of the building will be general retail space. Nearly $3 million will be invested in real property improvements to completely rehabilitate the historic mill building. Future tenants will also invest over $500,000 in personal property and business equipment. The Business Development Committee reviewed the application and voted to recommend approval at their January 25th meeting. Staff recommends approval.- Dave Leonetti Presentation - The Mayor asked about the disbursement of the grant monies. Mr. Leonetti stated that the funds, which are essentially a forgivable loan, will be disbursed $10,000 each year in 2014, 2015, and 2016 as long the building remains occupied. Alderman Guess stated that he is especially excited about the proposed event space. The Mayor stated that he is especially excited about this project being located near Lenoir-Rhyne, which has done a miraculous job updating their facilities and beautifying that area.

The Hound obviously thinks this is a good investment and is something that is much needed. This is exactly what the doctor ordered. If you watch the video above you will understand that. It will be a huge upgrade for that area.




2. Presentation on the 2011 Swim Program Partnership with the Hickory Foundation YMCA - 


Mac McLeod presentation - FY 2011-2012 Parks and Recreation Commission Work Plan Objective
"Pursue local partnerships and collaborations to establish a program to provide accessibility and affordability for swimming lessons to be made available to all children residing within the City Of Hickory."

2011 Spring Break Swim Lesson Program

Tuesday, April 26th-Friday, April 29th 10:00 am K-3rd graders & 11:00 am 4th-6th graders
Offered to City of Hickory residents in grades K-6...  Registration locations: Parks & Recreation Department Administrative Office and Ridgeview Recreation Center

85 children registered for program. Average of 64 children participated each day – ( Tuesday-63/Thursday-66/ Wednesday-65/Friday-63). 17 participants requested transportation with 14 taking advantage of the service: Brown Penn Recreation Center-12 / Highland Recreation Center-2 / Neill Clark Recreation Center-0 / Westmont Recreation Center-0

2011 Summer Swim Pass Program

Partnered with Hickory Foundation YMCA to make purchase of summer swim pass more affordable for those who qualified for Y's financial aid program. City of Hickory and Hickory Foundation YMCA would provide scholarships for a summer swim pass based on financial need to City of Hickory residents

Pass valid Memorial Day until Labor Day at all three YMCA locations

Parks and Recreation's involvement was to verify residency of those participants that wanted to take advantage of the program. Verification could be done at any recreation center. A total of three requests for residency verifications forms were made with two of the forms being picked up. According to the Hickory Foundation YMCA no one took advantage of the program.

2011 Winter Break Swim Lesson Program

Tuesday, December 27th - Friday, December 30th, one class each day at 10:00 am
Offered to City of Hickory residents in grades K-6. Registrations accepted at Parks and Recreation Department Administrative office and all recreation centers


48 children registered for the program. Average of 37 participated each day (Tuesday-31 / Thursday-39 / Wednesday-38 / Friday-39). 10 participants requested transportation with 14 using the service at some point during the week: Brown Penn Recreation Center-7 / Highland Recreation Center-3 / Neill Clark Recreation Center-0 / Westmont Recreation Center-4


Program Cost (excluding staff & vehicle expense)
$740.00 = 37 participants @ $20.00 each

Parent Evaluation Comments… "Actually exceeded my expectations. I didn't expect so much out of something that I didn't have to pay for."… "My son said it was very cool and he liked the swim lessons".
"My kids had a blast. This is their second time and they loved it. The instructors are great."… "This is an awesome program. My son has learned a lot and enjoyed it very much. The teachers are great with the kids."


The Mayor asked if 4 days was enough to learn how to swim.  Mac stated that some people said that they would like more time than that, an hour is not enough, and 4 days is not enough. Alderman Meisner asked about children participating multiple times? Mr. McLeod stated that there are no restrictions, except being a resident of Hickory. Alder Patton asked if the children receive a certificate? Mac stated that they do when they complete the four days. He stated that the Y has worked with them and that it has been a trial and error experience. He stated that they can't teach full blown swim lessons in that amount of time. The goal is to get the kids in the water and get interest and excitement going. He hopes kids will come back for Spring that participated in the Winter.

The Mayor stated that he would like to see outreach towards kids who haven't quite learned how to swim and for kids to have scholarships to participate in competitive swimming, such as the Seahorses and for lifetime fitness.  He added that their wasn't much money spent and more can be spent to get kids to participate.

The Hound thinks that this definitely shows that there is an interest in Aquatic Recreation.  That is embarrassing. Even, if the City is working to create these initiatives, there hasn't been a streamlined process to promote this activity and make it easily accessible. How many people in the community even know about these programs? How many know about that pass? And exactly what is the cost, so that we can understand whether it is prohibitive or not.

But even with the impediments towards participation, you see that 48 children participated in the winter program and 85 participated in last Summer's program. That is significantly more interest than what was touted by the Council when they shut down the pools two years ago. If the program were coordinated through marketing, then I think you easily double those numbers and that is being conservative. So this information hand polished and delivered to the Council shows that they were way off base when they said that swimming as an activity is passe.

I appreciate what the Mayor says about kids learning to swim, but let's be honest, where are they going to swim... and is this really only one hour? And though the details are very much incomplete, it seems that the math is that they are charging $5 for kids to swim for one hour. $20 for 4 days and they are in the water for one hour according to the dialogue I was listening to. If that is correct, then that is robbery.

I suggest that the Council come on out of the closed chambers and listen to the people. They endorsed Aquatic Recreation. It is a lot easier to do your jobs, when you represent your constituency, and especially when it is related to something this obvious and this easy.

Citizens Requesting to be heard - Dr Joseph Inglefield and Rebecca Inglefield. Dr. Inglefield stated that the program is a great partnership with the YMCA. He has been on the board with the YMCA for over 10 years, but this program is simply not enough. We need a public facility that will serve the future needs of this community. It is totally inadequate to depend on the Y at this time. The Y is not able to provide the instructional time or space to do the job right.

It is a matter of commitment and that is what he thought he heard last year and nothing has happened in the last year. We didn't have the money to fix the pools that we had and so what did we do, we demolished them and then turn around and spend $390,000 ($285k+) or so on a big tent Downtown. It is inadequate and if you think that is good for this community it is not. This is a public health issue. Do you want people to drown in the lake? That happens every Summer To a certain extent, the Parks and Rec department has decided that they aren't going to do aquatics and that is simply not right.

We need a public facility that is accessible and affordable. Build a facility and it will fulfill the cities needs. I would be ashamed to be an All-American City with no public aquatic facilities. Greensboro just spent $25 million to build a facility and it is going to host events. No, you can't learn to swim in a week. You need continuous programs... all these sports depend on the fact that you can be a good swimmer. If you think we are going to attract retirees to come here, then we need a decent facility (for exercise).

Mrs. Inglefield came to the podium thanking the Mayor for stating that he wants to have a program where more people learn to swim. She wants to talk about the young people. This is a ground zero time. We aren't stuck with one pool right now... it is wide open for creative possibilities. We are glad to know that there is a start here, but this is not enough.

Mrs. Inglefield asked if their is a committee working on this? and what the goal is and the vision is to help all of these kids learn how to swim? The Mayor (hesitantly) answered  that it is his vision that all children learn how to swim. The committee is the Parks and Recreation Commission. Mrs. Inglefield asked if this was their mission... their assignment. The Mayor answered that that is one of their assignments. Mrs. Inglefield asked if there was a certain timeline? The Mayor answered that that was part of the visioning process of the Parks and Recreation.. and we are getting way off where we wanted to go with and we probably ought to quit with the dialogue... Mrs. Inglefield stated that ahe appreciated it, then asked if we would have something in place in one year that would allow children to learn how to swim? The Mayor responded that you are looking at one person and I think they have already learned how to swim, but he wants to ensure that the kids that didn't quite get there are followed up on, but he would like to see those numbers tripled or quadrupled.

Mrs. Inglefield asked how many children are in our community. The Mayor answered that in that age group there are probably 7,000 to 8, 000 kids. Mrs. Inglefield responded so 67 swam for an hour 4 days a week? The Mayor answered that he shouldn't get into this... for a million dollars we only had 40 a day. Mrs. Inglefield asked for a million dollars? The Mayor responded if we had created those new pools, it would have been with operating costs a million dollars for 40 kids a day. Mrs. Inglefield answered that she knew that the Mayor had heard that children come to a pool for programming. That is the reason why kids didn't come in the summer, because there was no programming. There weren't swim lessons. It was just a path to come splash. Programming is a high decision, That is the reason why you have coaches for softball and basketball and programs for those... but she is glad that he is committed and we are too.

The Hound wants to convey that the above should reiterate many of the points that have been shared on this blog. Thank You Inglefield's for standing up on this issue. And especially Mrs. Inglefield for asking the questions. That scene shows why we need town hall meetings so that we can ask questions and get answers to the issues we face.

What was shown is that there is no plan, there was no plan, and there will never be a plan as long as the current Council is allowed to perform as they presently do. There were charades that were held in which the public demanded overwhelmingly that we have aquatic recreation in Hickory, but this Council went out of its way to make sure that the public's will was usurped. 

Notice how the Mayor passed the buck to Mr. McLeod and the Parks and Recreation Commission several times. Hey Mac and Parks and Rec, how does it feel to be thrown under the bus to provide cover for your bosses. It might be hard to believe, but there are actually people in this city that wouldn't do that to you. I hope that you're paid enough to carry that load.

Remember what President Harry Truman said about the buck stopping here. My name might be Shell, but I don't have the talent that these folks have playing the Shell game with the buck the way this lot does.

Assessing Problems necessary for Solutions.

Over the last several years, while our local economy has suffered from a multitude of issues, this blog has pointed out areas of concern and outright problems that are economic, social, and cultural in nature that not only take root locally, but are the result of global initiatives and governance. Although I have been frustrated and perplexed by the intellectual laziness and lack of desire on the part of my fellow man/woman to understand and take interest in the issues facing our ecosystem, I have not lost faith in the nature of the greater power in this life to bring the forces of good together to repel the darkness that attempts to control and manipulate paradigms towards the personal interests of elitism.

If you don't understand the above paragraph, then please read it again and if you don't understand, then I'll try to break it down, but it loses the gravity of its magnitude when I do so -- and I am not attempting to be arrogant. I am just a regular person trying to figure out life and convey what I have learned and am learning to the people who read this material in hopes that we can become an atomic lifeforce spreading the energy of true openness and love.

We have people who have bastardized the terms capitalism and entrepreneur. They have taken these market principles and contorted them into a perverse notion of I'll get mine whatever way I can, by hook or by crook and you can attempt to do the same; but while you are doing that I'm going to try to keep you from getting yours by erecting barriers and I'm also going to try to steal your livelihood and your assets.

Over the years of this blog and prior, I have been told by local public figures that we need to look on the bright side... we need to be positive. It is easy to talk about problems, but we need to focus on solutions. What these people don't understand is that we can't focus on solutions until we are willing to get beneath the surface and look at what has caused the illness related to those economic, social, and cultural issues. If you have a wound that is oozing puss, then you need to figure out what is causing the underlying issue.

Whether people like it or not, part of the solution is pointing out these problems/issues we face. These issues are not static. They did not come about overnight and as time has rolled on, these issues have evolved into negative issues even bigger in nature. By failing to take action, the problems we have faced have grown even more intensely -- near an exponential level.

When we face down issues head on, in the beginning it might look daunting, but as we gain fortitude through experience, you become adept at adapting. That is what we are talking about when we talk about resiliency. We are always going to struggle, but it is how quickly and nimbly you adapt that separates successful from unsuccessful endeavors, whether on a personal or community level. The biggest negative issues that we face in this community are fear and excessive control to the point of manipulation.

I understand the fear that individuals have in relation to current issues involving personal economics and finance. I freely admit that I have struggled for a long time. It beats you down. It is depressing. I have not struggled to the point that I have seen many others go through, but I am not progressing as well as a person my age should. and cannot afford luxuries. People are worried about the future and this causes them to pull back. This is part of behavioral economic theory. When the population hits a critical mass of people pulling back financially, then on whatever level (local, national, international) we see the economy as a whole regress. That is where we are today.

People and communities grow desperate. Instead of trying to find ways to address issues that will create value, they become obsessed with cutting costs. While keeping tight reins and accountability built into a budget is critical, cost cutting does not create wealth and cutting costs can lead to the destruction of wealth.

Chrysler Corporation learned this in the mid to late 1970s. In college, studying management in the late 1980s, we had this vivid message honed into our minds. Chrysler cut costs to the point that they virtually eliminated the Research and Development program. The book entitled "Behind the Wheel at Chrysler," takes a look at how Chrysler's research and development was constrained while the company invested in ventures that had little to do with the corporate mission; how many of Chrysler's new models were simply redesigned chassis on existing platforms; how internal rivalries undermined the company's productivity; and more.

In my opinion, we have seen a similar dynamic on the local level. Egos and marking territories has no doubt been an issue. That does not mean that there aren't really good government employees on the local level. I think the majority take pride in their work and truly do represent the public well. But, we do see a lot of turf protection when it comes to the openness of governance and pushing agendas, protecting friends and allies, and trying to control outcomes towards personal interests. What this does is limit the public's choices in the marketplace.

If you have limited choices, it leads to a deterioration in the quality of products, the marketplace, and ultimately the quality of life in a community. Why? Because this is what happens with controlled economic outcomes. Let's say that a town deems that there will only be one bakery in town and  an ordinance is created that says no one else is allowed to bake or sell bread. That bakery has a captive audience. If you want bread, you have to buy it from them. They can choose what products they offer. They can set whatever price they want. Sure, the residents might choose to not buy bread or even create a black market, but what incentive does the bakery have to create good products at a good price and what incentive do they have to provide an excellent customer service? In looking at similar metaphors, how does a community benefit from a controlled marketplace?

You see, the solutions will take care of themselves if you have a responsive marketplace. The government can take a positive approach by helping to create a dynamic marketplace. Solutions are derived from the assessment of problems.