Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- November 17, 2013

10 Facts About The Growing Unemployment Crisis In America That Will Blow Your Mind - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - November 10th, 2013 - Did you know that there are more than 102 million working age Americans that do not have a job? Yes, I know that number sounds absolutely crazy, but it is true. Right now, there are more than 11 million Americans that are considered to be "officially unemployed", and there are more than 91 million Americans that are not employed and that are considered to be "not in the labor force". When you add those two numbers together, the total is more than 102 million. Overall, the number of working age Americans that do not have a job has increased by about 27 million since the year 2000. But aren't things getting better? After all, the mainstream media is full of headlines about how "good" the jobs numbers for October were. Sadly, the truth is that the mainstream media is not being straight with the American people. As you will see below, we are in the midst of a long-term unemployment crisis in America, and things got even worse last month.                    In this day and age, it is absolutely imperative that people start thinking for themselves. Just because the media tells you that something is true does not mean that it actually is. If unemployment was actually going down, the percentage of the working age population that has a job should actually be going up. As you are about to see, that is simply not the case. The following are 10 facts about the growing unemployment crisis in America that will blow your mind...                  #1 The percentage of working age Americans with a job fell to 58.3 percent in October. The lowest that number has been at any point since the year 2000 is 58.2 percent. In other words, there has been absolutely no "jobs recovery". During the last recession, the civilian employment-population ratio dropped from about 63 percent to below 59 percent and it has stayed there for 50 months in a row. Will the percentage of working age Americans with a job soon drop below the 58 percent mark?...

Americans’ Participation in Labor Force Hits 35-Year Low - CNSnews - November 12, 2013 - The percentage of American civilians 16 or older who have a job or are actively seeking one dropped to a 35-year low in October, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The Federal Reserve Is Monetizing A Staggering Amount Of U.S. Government Debt - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder - November 14th, 2013 - The Federal Reserve is creating hundreds of billions of dollars out of thin air and using that money to buy U.S. government debt and mortgage-backed securities and take them out of circulation.  Since the middle of 2008, these purchases have caused the Fed's balance sheet to balloon from under a trillion dollars to nearly four trillion dollars.  This represents the greatest central bank intervention in the history of the planet, and Janet Yellen says that she does not anticipate that it will end any time soon because "the recovery is still fragile".  Of course, as I showed the other day, the truth is that quantitative easing has done essentially nothing for the average person on the street.  But what QE has done is that it has sent stocks soaring to record highs.  Unfortunately, this stock market bubble is completely and totally divorced from economic reality, and when the easy money is taken away the bubble will collapse.  Just look at what happened a few months ago when Ben Bernanke suggested that the Fed may begin to "taper" the amount of quantitative easing that it was doing.  The mere suggestion that the flow of easy money would start to slow down a little bit was enough to send the market into deep convulsions.  This is why the Federal Reserve cannot stop monetizing debt.  The moment the Fed stops, it could throw our financial markets into a crisis even worse than what we saw back in 2008.
The problems that plagued our financial system back in 2008 have never been fixed.  They have just been papered over temporarily by trillions of easy dollars from the Federal Reserve.  All of this easy money is keeping stocks artificially high and interest rates artificially low.                     Right now, the Federal Reserve is buying approximately 85 billion dollars worth of U.S. government debt and mortgage-backed securities each month.  We are told that the portion going to buy U.S. government debt each month is approximately 45 billion dollars, but who knows what the Fed is actually doing behind the scenes.  In any event, by creating money out of thin air and using it to remove U.S. Treasury securities out of circulation, the Federal Reserve is essentially monetizing U.S. government debt at a staggering rate.                  But Federal Reserve officials continue to repeatedly deny that what they are doing is monetizing debt.   For instance, Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Dennis Lockhart strongly denied this back in April: "I object to the view that the Fed is monetizing the debt".                        How in the world can Fed officials possibly deny that they are monetizing the debt?                  Well, because the Fed is promising that it is going to eventually sell back all of the securities that it is currently buying.                  Since the Fed does not plan to keep all of this government debt on its balance sheet indefinitely, that means that they are not actually monetizing it according to their twisted logic.

Federal Reserve Whistleblower Tells America The REAL Reason For Quantitative Easing - The Economic Collapse Blog - Michael Snyder, on November 12th, 2013 

Spot The Striking Similarity - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden November 16, 2013



As young people hunker down, homeownership dips - CBS Moneywatch - Erik Sherman - November 15, 2013 - Americans are changing their housing habits in ways that could affect the U.S. economy. Younger people are becoming less mobile and are less inclined to buy a place to live, while broader homeownership numbers are down, according to recent data from the U.S. Census Bureau.                  An Associated Press analysis found that percentage of young adults who move to a new locale has hit a 50-year low. Only just over 23 percent of people ages 25 to 29 moved in the past year, down from roughly 25 percent the previous year and the lowest figure since 1963.                  Why are younger adults passing on buying a home? Likely because the weak job market, stagnant wages and high levels of college loan debt are keeping them in existing apartments with roommates or living with their parents.                       The homeownership rate between 2010 and 2012 was nearly 65 percent, a 1.7 percent decline from the 2007 to 2009 period, according to the Census Bureau. It is difficult to tell how much of the drop is due to young adults not purchasing homes or to other factors. The time range coincided with the economic recession, a rash of property foreclosures that followed the housing crash and a significant tightening of credit. All three factors likely contributed to people being unable to afford homes or to losing the homes that they already had.                  Another finding in the Census Bureau analysis was that the median home value in the U.S. decreased between 2007 and 2012. What is surprising is that some areas weathered the decline, and a few even saw an increase in medium home values: 28 states saw a decline in median home value, but 19 states actually experienced an increase.

Why hardly anyone signed up for Obamacare - Hint: It has nothing to do with tech glitches at HealthCare.gov - Marketwatch - Jonnelle Marte - November 17, 2013 - It may seem surprising that just 106,000 Americans managed to enroll in Obamacare, choosing a health plan through the new state or federally run insurance exchanges. That is, until one considers human nature.                    Though the enrollment is about 1.5% of the 7 million people expected to buy coverage through the exchanges next year, and well below expectations for the first month, experts say there’s reason to think our procrastination may be as much to blame as bad programming. People typically approach healthcare open enrollment in waves, with a burst of people, usually about 15% of participants, signing up at the start of the enrollment period and then a huge rush of purchases happening toward the end of the period, says Tony DeNucci, a managing director with Towers Watson, a professional services company. “There are people who aren’t paying attention and don’t want to deal with it until the last minute,” says DeNucci.                         The type of person who enrolls in next year’s insurance plan six weeks in advance is also the type of person who files their tax return in January. About 22% of people make insurance decisions in the last two days of open enrollment periods, health officials said during a media call Wednesday. Kathleen Sebelius, secretary of Health and Human Services, also attributed some of the delay to the idea that consumers often take their time making health insurance decisions. “Insurance is very different than buying a toaster,” Sebelius said during the call. “As more people shop and talk things over with their families we expect these numbers to rise.”                      ALSO SEE: Should you keep your health insurance plan?

Even people who signed up for insurance on Oct.1—to the extent that they were able to given technical setbacks on HealthCare.gov and some of the state-run exchanges—won’t be covered until Jan. 1, and won’t have a premium payment until roughly Dec. 15. It wouldn’t be surprising, financial experts say, if many people were waiting to get closer to that moment of gratification to take action. “People are often reactive rather than proactive,” says Taylor Gang, a principal at Evensky & Katz, a wealth management firm based in Coral Gables, Fla.

Obamacare rollout: Doctors concerned about patients, care, fees - CBS News - Wyatt Andrews - November 11, 2013




You may need to prepare for higher gasoline prices - CNBC Market Insider - Sharon Epperson - November 13, 2013 - The slide in gasoline prices has finally stalled.                  Nationally, gasoline prices rose for the first time in nearly two weeks on Wednesday. The national average price for regular gasoline jumped nearly a penny overnight to $3.19 a gallon, according to AAA, marking its biggest one-day gain since Oct. 16 and first increase in 12 days. This bounce comes just after prices around the nation had fallen to their lowest levels since February 2011.               Abundant supplies and sluggish demand contributed to the sharp fall in gas prices recently—and prices are still declining in some parts of the country. In 10 states in the South Central region, the average price of gasoline statewide is below $3 a gallon, according to GasBuddy.com.


Retailers brace for a tough holiday season - CNN Money = Hibah Yousuf - November 11, 2013 - The holidays may not be so merry and bright this year ... for retailers.                     Sales growth during the fourth quarter is shaping up to be the weakest since 2008, according to predictions from Morgan Stanley.                       Same-store sales, a key metric that measures sales at store locations open at least a year, are expected to grow a mere 1.6% from a year ago during the fourth quarter, Morgan Stanley estimates. Last year's holiday sales were up 3.5% from the fourth quarter of 2011.           The 1.6% figure excludes sales at troubled J.C. Penney (JCP, Fortune 500). That's because J.C. Penney is expected to offer deep discounts to try and get back on track after a disastrous drop in sales last year. As a result, J.C. Penney may not have that tough a time beating last year's low bar. And its results could skew the overall sales figures for the industry.                   Related: Outrage over Kmart's Thanksgiving decision                           Why will sales be sluggish this year? The culprit appears to be weak consumer confidence. While Americans have more to spend thanks to a rising stock market, higher home values and low gas prices, they're not so willing to part with their cash..

US consumers tapped out as holidays approach - CNBC - John W. Schoen - Novemner 8, 2013 - American shoppers have a way of rallying when the holidays roll around. But years after the Great Recession, consumers' budgets remain badly squeezed by flat wages, higher payroll taxes and a weak job market.                         "It's been a tough year for consumers overall," said Target Chief Financial Officer John Mulligan. "They started the year with the payroll tax increase, and lower and middle-income consumers bore the brunt of that. They were already stressed. The economy has improved slowly over time, but it's been a choppy recovery for sure."                       Choppy indeed. With the economy growing at just 2.2 percent since the recession ended in June 2009, there aren't enough good-paying jobs for the millions of Americans out of work or looking for more hours.                 Much of the growth in new jobs is in relatively low-wage, low-skilled industries such as retailing and restaurants. Even with the growth in those sectors, there aren't enough jobs to go around—and won't be until overall growth picks up.


Have We Lost Our Common-Sense? - OfTwoMinds.com - Charles Hugh Smith - November 16, 2013 -  The only way to keep the status quo from imploding is to banish common-sense.                  I was surprised to find that many people took my satire/parody last month seriously: Obama Administration Proposes 2,300-Page "New Constitution"(October 10, 2013). A number of people wrote me asking for the source of the story, and others chastized me for not labeling the essay "satire/parody," as so many others didn't seem to get the joke. (The permanent link was constitution-parody10-13.)



NC drug manufacturing plant closing - AP through Bloomberg - November 12, 2013 -
LINCOLNTON, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina pharmaceutical plant will be closing, putting about 310 people out of work.                        Actavis PLC said Monday it will take until the middle of 2015 to close the plant in Lincoln County, which makes creams and ointments.                 The prescription drug manufacturing will be moved to the company's plant in Salt Lake City. Manufacturing of over-the-counter drugs including creams, children's ibuprofen and analgesic suppositories, will be switched to a third-party contractor.


King World News Interview with David Stockman, former Director of the Office of Management and Budget in the Reagan Administration and an implementer of Supply side Economics. -  David Stockman Interview link 

A Statistical Analysis of the Hickory Ward 5 Election

Below is the statistical spreadsheet analysis of Ward 5. David Zagaroli won big and was going to win big all along. There obviously was no discussion of city issues in a public forum. I won't get into further analysis related to Joe Brannock due to his legal issues. The interesting thing you will see here is that around a quarter or more of the people in the South and West Hickory Precincts (Ward 4) did not vote in this election.You will see this pattern carry forward. North Hickory, in large numbers votes in South Hickory ward elections. South Hickory, in large numbers (a statistical anomaly compared to the whole), does not vote in North Hickory wards. You still do see throughout that many people obviously choose not to vote in wards other than their own. Otherwise you would have 90%+ participation in every precinct in every election.




The Electoral Reality of Ward 4 in Hickory

What a sad state of affairs Hickory

This morning's Hickory Daily Record... what a sad state of affairs. I wouldn't trust you know who as far as I could throw him. And y'all know that wouldn't be very far.

The other day I had three people send me a copy of a post on facebook where "He Who's Name Shall Not Be Spoken (HWNSNBS)" was saying that someone (he didn't express a name) who didn't even live in Hickory and blamed all of their life's problems on him was behind the Tumblr account, so I messaged him.

Would any of you like to see that correspondence? In which HWNSNBS says, "Who said I was talking about you?"

I do believe that the Tumblr account was over the top in the beginning, but the subject matter of late has been very relevant. He pointed to several issues, including money spent on sod for "the Sails" project that couldn't have possibly all been used for the Sails Project.  He showed where they have a $12,000 camera pointed at a mural on Union Square, but they say they can't afford to record and televise City Council meetings on the local public access channel. He points to several issues involving their little "Hickory United" Political Action Committee... And in general the guy has really toned down the profanity.

As far as the discriminating against Mormon Claims, it shows how far HWNSNBS will go to justify anything and everything that goes on at City Hall. In twelve years, he apparently believes he and Hickory Inc. haven't made a mistake yet. 

I pointed Mr. Tinkelenberg towards some very relevant topics, such as the misappropriation of parking fund money to build those "Sails". I pointed out that the past editor of the HDR had sat on the naming committee and that seemed like a Conflict of Interest to me. That to me seemed to slant the paper's opinion and reporting on that project.

Let's talk about that "Southern Desk" property over in west Hickory. You know, that building that was talked about a couple years ago. They seem to have forgotten all about that property. There has been a lot of crime that has ramped up over there. There was a woman attacked over there a couple weeks ago and left for dead. It was reported in the HDR. The guy that robbed the Mayor's wife lived a couple blocks from there. The person who robbed the Community One Bank last year. He lived a couple blocks from there. That is just naming a few of the many incidents in that vicinity. Why do I pay attention to this??? Because I have a family member that lives over there and I am sick and tired of seeing that area put on the backburner, because they aren't viewed as having any political clout. Hickory Inc. doesn't give a d*** about the people that live over there.

Let's talk about the $25,000 spent on Graffiti removal a few years ago where they said they would report back to the public and they never did.

This wouldn't even be in the paper if it wasn't about HWNSNBS's feelings. Is the goal to form a Posse against me? I feel sorry for those who have allowed themselves to be duped. Where are the priorities???  He's the guy who is going to get everyone to start pulling in the same direction?  This guy is the person who is going to lead us forward???

HWNSNBS thinks I'm behind all of this? I guess that simplifies things into something he can deal with. He needs to go sit in front of a mirror and reflect on life and get real.

Food for thought

"I can't change the direction of the wind, but I can adjust my sails to always reach my destination." - Jimmy Dean

The Electoral Reality of Ward 4 in Hickory

First of all I received a call from a Reporter from the HDR. I have already told the Mayor and dozens of others, I have nothing to do with the Tumblr website dedicated to him. They can't seem to understand that their "Leadership" is the reason why people are expressing themselves as opposition. They think they have a handful of people that are creating all of their problems. We have many computer savvy people in this community. Just because they can't operate a computer, don't take it out on people who can. Most people don't even know that site exists and all they are going to do is help promote it. Heck, many people still don't know this site exists, but every time these folks start whining my numbers grow and those numbers continue to grow once people come here and find out I'm not the pariah they try to make me out to be. I put my name on what I do. I do everything in my power to be credible. Don't like or agree with my information, then I encourage you to show me where I am wrong. 

Now, I have gone over the numbers from last weeks election. These numbers pretty much confirm what I suspected. Ward 4 voted for Anetia Wright in an overwhelming fashion. The rest of Hickory did pretty much what was to be expected. And our attempts to change the way that Hickory elects it's City Council still rest upon the solid foundation of concern it was built upon.The referendum has been justified and validated by these results.

Have a look for yourself. 
 

Let's look at the percentages

Who does Hank Guess represent???
Who will Hank Guess represent???
Who represents Ward 4???

Below is the spreadsheet of the numbers.

HVT = Highest Vote Total of precinct in all elections. No votes are people who chose not to vote in a specific election. Thus, 296 people chose not to vote in this election, which was 7.39% of all ballots cast in this election.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of November 5, 2013

I began recording the City Council late last year, because of my desire that the City do it on their own as any modern 21st century community began doing long ago. I had people tell me that they couldn't make it to the meetings, but they would like to see what is going on. I was also told by some council members that my summaries did not truly reflect the record, so having a video/audio recording cannot be misinterpreted.

So below is the City Council meeting. Beside each agenda item, you will see the minute:second. Now you can click on that minute link and it will take you to that specific point in the meeting. You can drag the marker on the video display to the point in the broadcast that you are interested in seeing.

Agenda about the City Council meeting of November 5, 2013

Highlighted Links below take you straight to that point in the video.




Invocation by Rev. Paul Birkedal, Chaplain, Catawba Valley Regional Hospice

Alderman Meisner not present.

Special Presentations
Mayor Wright recognized St. Stephens High School Civic Students and asked them to  introduce themselves.

A. Presentation of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Proclamation 

Persons Requesting to be Heard
Former Mayor Bill McDonald commented that this was the first time that he had the opportunity to be back in Council Chambers in two decades. He shared a story with the young people that were attending the Council meeting. When he was Mayor the Scouts would come to Council meetings working on their civic merit badge. He asked one of the scouts after a Council meeting if he enjoyed the meeting, and was it educational. The scout replied he would rather be doing his homework.

Mr. McDonald stated a number of weeks ago, he and his wife Susan had come to visit her mother. He read the Hickory Daily Record one morning, and on the front page of the newspaper were two articles challenging two members of Council, Alderwoman Patton and Alderwoman Fox, on some impropriety; which turned out to be absolutely false. In the article on Alderwoman Fox, there were mentioned some of the activities that she had been involved in. Mr. McDonald stated 20 years of service, to anything, is unbelievable. Twenty years of service without absenteeism is even more phenomenal. He stated that he had served with Alderwoman Fox. He was told when he was elected Mayor that the first order of business of any Mayor is that he or she should be building consensus among Council. That they could agree to disagree in a sane civilized manner. He commented that came from some very wise people that had served our city for a number of years. He and Alderwoman Fox, over twenty years, did not agree on everything that she brought to the table, but she was very committed and did her homework before she brought something to Council. The citizens of our city need to know the many wonderful things that Alderwoman Fox did bring to the Council table that were adopted, that made this a better place to live. He personally thanked Alderwoman Fox, and he commented that he hoped that the news media would pick up on the fact that 20 years of service is significant, and all of the contributions that she brought to the table. What a wonderful town this is because of people like Alderwoman Fox who are committed to the betterment of our Community. The audience gave a standing ovation for Alderwoman Fox.

Mayor Wright commented that he was very proud that Bill and Susan had chosen to come back to Hickory, and that he is pleased that they have been appointed to a key committee of our citizens.

Mr. Cliff Moone,  Hickory stated that for the past several years he had approached City Council at the request of the Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina, to request that a proclamation be issued by Council to commemorate Bill of Rights Day on December 15. Mayor Wright and Council have been gracious enough to do that proclamation every year for the last few years and it is greatly appreciated. This year in addition to asking Council to issue the proclamation for Bill of Rights Day, he encouraged Council and requested that they issue a proclamation honoring Human Rights Week, December 10-16, 2013. Last year the Governor and the Mayors of Asheville, Black Mountain, Cary, Charlotte, Durham, Forest City, Garner, Greensboro, Hillsborough, Knightdale, Lewisburg, Marion, Raleigh, Reidsville, Selma and Zebulon also did so. Mr. Moone distributed a copy of the articles of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights to Council, and stated that it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and supported there by the United States on December 10, 1948. The declaration arose directly from the experience of World War II, and represents the first global expression of rights to which all people were inherently entitled. He requested the declaration of the 30 articles contained within the document he had distributed.

Mr. Moone respectfully requested that, if appropriate, that this years proclamation for Bill of Rights Day, be issued in honor of retiring Alderwoman Sally Fox, in recognition of her years of active civic involvement and faithful service to our community, and for her many contributions to the betterment of Hickory as Ward 5 representative on City Council. 

Consent Agenda: Unanimously approved

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Voluntary Contiguous Annexation of Property Located at 1879 Startown Road, Hickory, Containing .83 Acres. Cal Overby Presentation. Council unanimous Consent.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Acceptance of Offers to Purchase and Contract for Properties Located at 1742, 1743, and 1746 Whitewater Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision.

Matter not on the Agenda: 
Paperwork Process for Assistance from FEMA for the damage caused by the flood damage in Hickory that occurred on July 27, 2013. Damage in Hickory is estimated to be $2.8 million. 75% would be paid for by FEMA and 25% by the State. Contact person for FEMA will be Chuck Hanson, the city's chief engineer.

General Comments 

Agenda about the City Council meeting of November 5, 2013

 This Agenda is about the Hickory City Council meeting that took place on the date listed above. 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. You can also look in the upper right hand corner of the front page of the Hickory Hound and (will soon) find the link to the past history of Hickory City Newsletters.

Here is a summary of the agenda of the 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.

City Website has changed - Here is a link to the City of Hickory Document Center

Invocation by Rev. Paul Birkedal, Chaplain, Catawba Valley Regional Hospice

 City Council Action Agenda - November 5, 2013

Special Presentations
Mayor Wright recognized St. Stephens High School Civic Students and asked them to introduce themselves.

A. Presentation of Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week Proclamation – Teena Willis, Housing Visions Continuum of Care, Casey McCall, Director of The Shelter of Hope-Salvation Army, and Barbara Rush, Director at Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministries -  Mayor Wright read the proclamation and presented it to Teena Willis, Barbara Rush, Austin Pearce with the Hickory Soup Kitchen, Tu Moffat with Cooperative Christian Ministries and Gary Lee. Ms. Teena Willis informed Council of events that were scheduled for Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week that they would like the community to participate in. On Sunday, November 17th, a Sunday morning service on the square with Our Father’s Pavilion; on Tuesday, November 19, bingo at the Hickory Soup Kitchen; on Thursday, November 21, a dramatic performance called “Throwing Stones” at the CVCC Main Campus in the East Wing Auditorium, which will be followed by a homeless panel discussion; on Saturday, November 23, a cookout at Grace House Day Shelter. Mayor Wright recognized former Mayor Bill McDonald and his wife Susan. He commented that we are glad to have them back in Hickory and back in Council Chambers. Mayor McDonald served for 20 years, which is a record for service as Mayor of Hickory.

Persons Requesting to Be Heard
Former Mayor Bill McDonald commented that this was the first time that he had the opportunity to be back in Council Chambers in two decades. He shared a story with the young people that were attending the Council meeting. When he was Mayor the Scouts would come to Council meetings working on their civic merit badge. He asked one of the scouts after a Council meeting if he enjoyed the meeting, and was it educational. The scout replied he would rather be doing his homework.

Mr. McDonald stated a number of weeks ago, he and his wife Susan had come to visit her mother. He read the Hickory Daily Record one morning, and on the front page of the newspaper were two articles challenging two members of Council, Alderwoman Patton and Alderwoman Fox, on some impropriety; which turned out to be absolutely false. In the article on Alderwoman Fox, there were mentioned some of the activities that she had been involved in. Mr. McDonald stated 20 years of service, to anything, is unbelievable. Twenty years of service without absenteeism is even more phenomenal. He stated that he had served with Alderwoman Fox. He was told when he was elected Mayor that the first order of business of any Mayor is that he or she should be building consensus among Council. That they could agree to disagree in a sane civilized manner. He commented that came from some very wise people that had served our city for a number of years. He and Alderwoman Fox, over twenty years, did not agree on everything that she brought to the table, but she was very committed and did her homework before she brought something to Council. The citizens of our city need to know the many wonderful things that Alderwoman Fox did bring to the Council table that were adopted, that made this a better place to live. He personally thanked Alderwoman Fox, and he commented that he hoped that the news media would pick up on the fact that 20 years of service is significant, and all of the contributions that she brought to the table. What a wonderful town this is because of people like Alderwoman Fox who are committed to the betterment of our Community. The audience gave a standing ovation for Alderwoman Fox.

Mayor Wright commented that he was very proud that Bill and Susan had chosen to come back to Hickory, and that he is pleased that they have been appointed to a key committee of our citizens.

Mr. Cliff Moone,  Hickory stated that for the past several years he had approached City Council at the request of the Human Rights Coalition of North Carolina, to request that a proclamation be issued by Council to commemorate Bill of Rights Day on December 15. Mayor Wright and Council have been gracious enough to do that proclamation every year for the last few years and it is greatly appreciated. This year in addition to asking Council to issue the proclamation for Bill of Rights Day, he encouraged Council and requested that they issue a proclamation honoring Human Rights Week, December 10-16, 2013. Last year the Governor and the Mayors of Asheville, Black Mountain, Cary, Charlotte, Durham, Forest City, Garner, Greensboro, Hillsborough, Knightdale, Lewisburg, Marion, Raleigh, Reidsville, Selma and Zebulon also did so. Mr. Moone distributed a copy of the articles of the Universal Declaration ofHuman Rights to Council, and stated that it was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and supported there by the United States on December 10, 1948. The declaration arose directly from the experience of World War II, and represents the first global expression of rights to which all people were inherently entitled. He requested the declaration of the 30 articles contained within the document he had distributed.

Mr. Moone respectfully requested that, if appropriate, that this years proclamation for Bill of Rights Day, be issued in honor of retiring Alderwoman Sally Fox, in recognition of her years of active civic involvement and faithful service to our community, and for her many contributions to the betterment of Hickory as Ward 5 representative on City Council.


Consent Agenda:
A. Approval of the Transportation Improvement Program (TIP) Submittal for FY2015-2021 to
the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT). - This submittal is the official request from the City of Hickory to the NCDOT of specific future capital project improvements that are needed for the Hickory Regional Airport. This submittal does not commit the City to expenditures at this time, but makes a formal request to the NCDOT of future anticipated improvements. The NCDOT will review this  submittal against a funding priority system that all other public airports in North Carolina are obligated to follow to determine funding eligibility. The NCDOT will determine which of the projects listed in the TIP Submittal are eligible for funding and will notify the City accordingly. These allocations are based upon a 90 percent Federal/State funds and 10% local share for all eligible, approved project costs for airport improvements as you can see in the attached worksheet. This submittal is necessary to notify the NCDOT of specific funding assistance the City
needs to further develop and improve the Hickory Regional Airport. Failure to transmit this submittal to the NCDOT will result in loss of future project funding assistance. This submittal is in correlation with recommendations from the Airport Task Force. 
B. Special Event/Activities Application for Vintage City Church – Christmas Eve Service,
Crockett Davidson, Lead Pastor, The Sails on the Square, December 24, 2013, 5:00 p.m.
to 7:15 p.m.

C. Special Event/Activities Application for “Walk-Along to Fitness”, Christie West, Marketing Director and Trainer, Affordable Fitness Studio/ Soles 4 Souls, The Sails on the Square, November 9, 2013, 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

D. Special Event/Activities Application for Adoption Awareness, Leigh Ann Vaughn, Adoption Social Worker, Catawba County Social Services, The Sails on the Square, November 21, 2013, 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

E. Approval of a Memorandum of Understanding for the Conveyance of the Piedmont Bus
Transit Station Property (PIN #3702-07-58-1922) from the City of Hickory to the Western
Piedmont Regional Transit Authority (WPRTA). - (Removed from Consent Agenda)  City Council approved the conveyance of the property where the Piedmont Bus Transfer Station is located in a deed recorded in Deed Book 3199 at Page 375, on July 12, 2013, in the Catawba County Register of Deeds. After the deed was recorded, City staff and WPRTA staff were informed that that the parties needed to follow additional procedures with the conveyance in accordance with FTA guidelines. Specifically, FTA would not approve the deed’s reverter clause which states the bus transfer station (the “property”) will revert to the City in the event WPRTA ceased to operate as an entity or if WPRTA ceased using the property as a bus transfer station. Because a portion of the project was funded with federal grant dollars, the FTA maintained it has an extended financial interest in the  property. This interest would not be automatically extinguished if the property reverted to the City. Instead the value of its interest would depreciate over a period of time. The attached Memorandum of Understanding establishes that for a period of forty years from the date of completion of the project, the City and WPRTA agree that no transfer or disposition of the property can take place without the approval of the FTA. In the event WPRTA ceased providing public transportation services, WPRTA would need to obtain the FTA’s approval before conveying the property back to the City. The MOU also establishes that the property will be used as a bus transfer station or related ancillary use.

F. Approval of a Contract with Thompson Gordon Shook Engineers, Inc., in the Amount of $199,646.45, for the Design of the Replacement Bridge Structure on Falling Creek Road over Falling Creek. -
The bridge on Falling Creek Road is structurally deficient and is functionally obsolete.
The bi-annual inspection performed in 2011 showed that the existing bridge is beyond its
useful lie and in need of replacement. Due to the condition of the structure, the project
was placed on the State Transportation Improvement Program (STIP) for replacement
and granted designation B-5549. With the designation, 80% of the replacement cost
including professional design services will be provided by federal funds and 20% will be
borne by the City of Hickory. After solicitation by advertising, Thompson Gordon Shook
Engineers, Inc. was chosen for the project. Twenty percent of the contract amount
$39,929.29 will be paid by the City of Hickory, and the remaining 80%, $159,717.16, will
be reimbursed to the City by the Federal government. Funds are budgeted.

G. Approval to Apply for the 2013 FEMA Assistance to the Firefighter’s “Modifications to Fire
Stations and Facilities” Grant. - The City of Hickory Fire Department requests approval to submit an application for the 2013 Assistance to Firefighters’ Grant Program under “Modifications to Fire Stations and Facilities” and has identified a source capture exhaust system as the most effective
system for this project to remove diesel exhaust. The total anticipated cost of this system is $183,173, and the matching funds required by the City of Hickory, if awarded the grant, would be 15% (27,474.95).

H. Approval of a Lease Agreement and Memorandum of Lease Between the City of Hickory and the State of North Carolina Forest Services for Hanger W2 Located on the West Ramp of the Hickory Regional Airport.- The Lease Agreement was previously approved upon second reading by City Council on September 3, 2013. However, the State of North Carolina made minor changes to the
Agreement and a Memorandum of Lease (MOL) was prepared. The changes made by the State of North Carolina are minor in nature with regards to the original contractual obligations of both parties.
The North Carolina Forest Service desires to lease the entire hangar/office space of Hangar W2 for a period of ten years with the mutual option to renew said lease for one additional five year term. The State of North Carolina agrees to lease said hangar at an initial rate of $77,000 annually or $6,416.67 per month for the first year. Every year thereafter during the term of said lease, the rate will increase $2,000 per year to include any five year renewal term.

I. Approval of an Offer to Purchase Contract for Property Located at 2724 25th Street NE, in the Amount of $100. - Request approval of an Offer to Purchase Contract for property located at 2724 25th Street NE, in the Brookfield Subdivision, containing approximately .37 acre, in the amount of $100. The property is currently owned by FDIC, which is acting as receiver for Parkway Bank. The current tax value of the property is $17,200; however, the property is likely unbuildable due to the creek running through it. Public Utilities plans to purchase the property in order to run a sewer line through it.

J. Approval of Historic Preservation Incentive Grant for 1020 Main Avenue NW, Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC, in the Amount of $2,500. - City Council established the Historic Preservation Incentive Grant program in 2010. The program provides grant funding up to $2,500 for historic preservation activities at vacant properties in the Urban Revitalization Area. Piedmont Wagon Properties, LLC has applied for a grant in the amount of $2,500 to assist in their application for historic preservation tax credits to rehabilitate the former Piedmont Wagon Mill located at 1020
Main Avenue NW. The applicant plans to renovate the facility for use as office space. The applicant plans to invest approximately $2.3 million in real property improvements to rehabilitate the mill building. Approximately $20,000-$30,000 will be spent on the tax credit application, architect, legal, and accounting fees. The Historic Preservation Commission has reviewed the application and recommends approval.

K. Call for Public Hearing - For the Consideration of Rezoning Petition 13-12 for Property Located at 1024 and 1030 4th Street NE, as well as Two Vacant Lots. (Authorize Public Hearing for November 19, 2013)

L. Approval of a Voluntary Future Annexation Agreement for Bobby and Martha Eckard for Property Located at 2325 32nd Street NE, in the J.A. Hefner Estate Subdivision.  Bobby and Martha Eckard have submitted a petition for future voluntary annexation. The purpose of the petition is to obtain sewer service without being annexed. The property is located at 2325 32nd Street NE, in the J.A. Hefner Estate Subdivision. The property is relatively close to an existing satellite annexation area. However, the property is located on a local residential street, where no other adjacent properties are currently incorporated. The City could possibly require annexation of the subject property; however, its location within a larger unincorporated area would create issues with the delivery of City services. If annexed, City services would be required to route service vehicles and staff down a local residential street, through an unincorporated area to deliver services to a single residence. Staff recommends the best course of action would be to provide sewer service by means of a future annexation agreement, and defer annexation of the property until a more suitable time in the future. The Eckard’s have agreed to enter into a future annexation agreement in order to obtain sewer service.

M. Approval of an Engineering Agreement with McGill Associates, P.A. in the Amount of $152,800 for the Design of a Replacement Bridge on 46th Avenue Drive NE over Snow Creek at Windridge Subdivision. - The bridge on 46th Avenue Drive NE over Snow Creek at Windridge Subdivision was destroyed by flood waters, seven homes were left without road access. The extent of the damage precludes repairs to the existing structure and replacement is the only viable option for the structure. Request for qualifications was advertised. On the basis of proximity, personnel qualifications, and workload, McGill Associates, P.A. was chosen to submit a design proposal and estimated cost of replacement structure design. Staff recommends approval of the Engineering Agreement in the amount of $152,800.

N. Proclamation for Small Business Saturday, November 30, 2013.

O. Transfer of a Cemetery Deed from Ruby Y. Hyatt to Donald Ray Taylor and sister, Mildred Taylor May in Fairview Cemetery

P. Budget Ordinance Amendment Number 7
1. To budget $390 of Library donations in the Library Books Supplies line item.
2. To budget a $3,000 Library donation from Friends of The Library for the Let’s Talk About It program ($1,000) and the Sharyn McCrumb program ($2,000).



Informational Item
A. Report of Mick Berry’s travel to ICMA Annual Conference in Boston, MA on September
21 through September 25, 2013. (Meals - $282; Cab Expense - $70; Lodging -
$1,204.04; Registration $635, Air Travel Expense - $176.30)

New Business - Public Hearings
1. Voluntary Contiguous Annexation of Property Located at 1879 Startown Road, Hickory, Containing .83 Acres. - The Arden Group LLC has submitted a petition for the voluntary annexation of .83 acres of property. The property is located at 1879 Startown Road. The petition is requesting annexation in order to connect to the City of Hickory’s sanitary sewer system. The property is proposed to be developed for the location of a 3,050 square foot Krispy Kreme retail store. This public hearing was advertised on October 18, 2013 in a newspaper having general circulation in the Hickory area.

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Acceptance of Offers to Purchase and Contract for Properties Located at 1742, 1743, and 1746 Whitewater Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision. - Staff requests consideration of Offers to Purchase and Contract for properties located at 1742, 1743, and 1746 Whitewater Court, in the Waterford Hills Subdivision. The properties were originally purchased by the City because they
were on the route of the proposed Southern Cross-Town. The route for the future thoroughfare has since been amended, and the properties are no longer needed. Vale Traian Vasiu and Gelu Vasiu are interested in purchasing these lots in order to construct singe family dwellings. They are offering $15,000 per lot.                        Staff recommends that City Council accept the Offers to Purchase and Contract and authorize staff to advertise for upset bids. Once the property is advertised other parties will have ten days to submit upset bids.

2. Second Reading Approval of a Lease Agreement and Memorandum of Lease
Between the City of Hickory and the State of North Carolina Forest Services for Hangar W2 Located on the West Ramp of the Hickory Regional Airport.

The Genie is out of the bottle

I have read the ridiculousness about how I and others in this community hate Hickory. Apparently there are over 2,100 people in Hickory that made the statement last week that they hate Hickory, if you listen to the Status Quo.

As I have already stated and others have stated, last week was an encouraging election. In the past, those with favored status walk away with 65%+ of the vote. Last week, the figure head of the status quo won, but struggled with barely 55% of the vote. This win came against a person who was basically labeled as a Communist.

There have been whisper campaigns going on in this community for years. Lies and innuendo are standard operating procedure and plausible dependability is the fall back. Fear is the energy these people feed off of.

All I have done... All we have done is shine a light on practices that we feel have had a negative effect on this community. If we hated this community and didn't give a darn about this community, then why would we be trying to get it on solid ground.

Like I have said, we are gaining ground and we are encouraged. We continue on with the mission. Last week was an opportunity to make a difference and we tried and to a certain degree we failed. Remember what they say about winners never quitting.

The only people who really lost last week were the majority of people in Hickory. We have not created, brought forward, or caused the bitterness in this community. The Status Quoers want to trash Dr. Inglefield when he has invested more money and paid more taxes in this community than the great majority of them as individuals. Have you ever read about any of the Inglefield's benevolent gestures? Have you ever heard them brag about all they do in this community? And many of those organizations they invested in worked against their interests over the last several months.

Ask people that know me if I am the rude, crude, and obnoxious person that some want to paint me as. I was brought up to be a gentleman, to have manners, and to help others when I can... and that is what I do. That is what my friends do. We want to move this community forward.

Do you know what the difference is between the wealthy and the poor in this community???... Money.

It certainly isn't class.... I have seen as many rich people who have displayed a lack of class as poor people. It certainly isn't education or intelligence.... I have seen as many rich people who have displayed a lack of education and intelligence as poor people in this community.  It certainly isn't work effort. I have seen as many lazy rich people as lazy poor people in this community. I have seen as many rich people sidle up to the government trough as I have poor people.

Isn't it time that some of the people in this community display their appreciation for their good fortune in life? You can't take it with you when you leave God's Green Earth. I just can't for the life of me figure out what the deal is with all the greed we see in society today.

I have looked back to what I have written over the past five years. The information on this site is not compartmentalized like so many other resources. I am not interested in creating a brand. That never lasts and that is the reason why those who attempt to keep having to do it over and over and over again.

The real story of this community will come from its DNA. And your DNA are the ingredients that make up your being, as in an individual or as a unit such as a community. We need better ingredients in this community. That does not come from inanimate objects. That comes from people. Marketplaces are not infrastructure or buildings. Marketplaces are people. You ever seen those ghost cities in China? Plenty of buildings... plenty of busy work... no people.... therefore no marketplace.

Until we begin heavily investing in the people of the community, all of the people in the community, then anything we do is going to fall flat on its @**.  And that isn't all about money...