The Hickory Hound

Observing the Observer about Boosting Hickory's Growth

2012-02-14T04:00:00.003-05:00

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

2012-02-12T01:16:00.000-05:00

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

2012-02-10T14:14:00.002-05:00

The Drudge Report - Economic, Cultural, and Social News Links

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

The International Forecaster - 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

Wide Awake News - Charlie McGrath - Economic, Cultural, and Social Analysis

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

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

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

Gerald Celente Blog - Economic, Cultural, and Social News Video Links

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

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of February 7, 2012

2012-02-08T04:30:00.000-05:00

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.

2012-02-07T03:10:00.000-05:00

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.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- February 5, 2012

2012-02-05T00:38:00.001-05:00

What’s Important in the Financial World (2/3/2012) Battle Among Fed Members, $100 Oil - 24/7 Wall St.com - Douglas A. McIntyre - February 3, 2012 - Fed Discord - The debate among Fed members about the future of the American economy, and how long rates should be kept low, has become ugly and public. Dallas Fed chief Richard Fisher said in a speech that “the economic forecasts and interest-rate projections of the FOMC are ultimately pure guesses.” Put another way, some of the greatest experts about the American economy have not a single clue about what the economy will be like in 2014. The Fed said it will keep rates near zero until then to protect the expansion. Fisher probably wonders what will happen if U.S. GDP begins to grow at 3% or 4% later this year or in 2013. He would argue that there is no way to put odds on that. And his vote against the validity of long-term forecasts has gained more support since the Fed issued its official numbers last week.

Congress’s Absurd Insider Trading Bill - 24/7 Wall St.com - Douglas A. McIntyre - February 3, 2012 - This has been said before, but it is worth saying again. The idea that Congress needs to pass a bill to keep members of Congress and their staffs from insider trading is the reason Americans have no confidence in the institution. It is tantamount to passing a bill that says members of Congress cannot sell illegal drugs on the floor of the House or Senate.                         Congress members and their staffs know better, too. They receive mounds of information about decisions and data that could affect the values of public companies. The rule, even if it is not put down in law for them to follow, is that if you can make money that people without the information cannot, it is illegal and unethical. And it is also one of the roots of the national confidence in the federal legislative institutions.

Unemployed College Graduates As Vulnerable As High School Dropouts To Long-Term Unemployment: Report - Huffington Post - Bonnie Cavoussi - February 2, 2012 - College graduates and advanced degree holders, once they are unemployed, are as vulnerable as high school dropouts to long-term joblessness, a new study has found.                              Thirty five percent of unemployed college graduates and those with advanced degrees have been without a job for more than a year, the same rate as unemployed high school dropouts, according to a Pew Fiscal Analysis Initiative study published Wednesday. In fact, the long-term unemployment rate, for those 25 and older without a job, is nearly the same across all levels of educational attainment, the report says.....                      The long-term unemployed also often face job discrimination, as many employers prefer to hire workers with fresh experience. A number of employers require job applicants to be "currently employed" in order to be considered for a position.

Long-Term Unemployment Remains High, Millions Leave Labor Force - CNSNews.com through the Blog The Destructionist - Matt Cover - February 3, 2012 - Despite a January jobs report that saw slightly stronger private sector job growth than in recent months, long-term unemployment remains at record high levels and revised statistics show that another 1.2 million [in just one month] have left the labor force.                According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of long-term unemployed – those out of work for 27 weeks or more, was unchanged at 5.5 million in January, near its record of 6.7 million in April 2010. That number has been at historic highs of 5-6 million since August 2009.                  BLS figures also reveal that the number of people who have left the labor force entirely was much higher than previously thought – 1.2 million higher.

Deconstructing The “Massive Beat” in Employment Data- Corrected - The Wall Street Examiner - Lee Adler - February 3, 2012 - I like to look behind the headlines at the real unadjusted, unmassaged, unmanipulated numbers to get some idea of what’s really going on. Here’s where things get strange. Total reported employment and full time employment plunged in January, as is normal for that month. So the Gummit survey data doesn’t square with the tax collections. Had we based our forecast for the headlines (which is the only thing that matters to the market in the short run) on the withholding data, we would have gotten it right, but for the wrong reasons. It’s a head scratcher that suggests that the Gummit’s employment numbers shouldn’t be trusted, which isn’t news. What we do know for sure is that there was a gigantic surge in withholding taxes from late December to mid January, and that surge disappeared completely in the last week......                             Meanwhile, the government’s own survey data show that 7.4 million fewer people have full time jobs today than was the case 4 years ago. Those 7 million jobs were the fake jobs spawned by the housing and credit bubbles. Those jobs were vaporized when the bubble economy collapsed. They are NEVER coming back. The “new normal” is just the old normal without the added froth. What we are left with is the bitter reality of fewer people carrying the tax load and more people needing government assistance. We have yet to see any real proof that the trends are improving enough to ameliorate those burdens on the economy.

House prices hit post-bubble low - Washington Post - Peter Whoriskey - January 31, 2012 - Data released Tuesday showed that seasonally adjusted housing prices have reached a post-bubble low, as the minor surge that began in 2009 fizzled, to be followed by the almost continuous slide of the past 18 months. The housing bust, in other words, appears to be even worse than it was at the nadir of the recession. For millions of homeowners, that’s an unsettling reality, and potentially an issue in the presidential campaign. But the damage may be far more widespread........
“The trend is down and there are few, if any, signs in the numbers that a turning point is close at hand,” said David M. Blitzer of S&P Indices. “I spent the weekend scratching my head and saying, ‘Isn’t there some good number in here?’ ” The Standard & Poor’s Case-Shiller seasonally adjusted housing index for 20 cities dropped again in November, the last month for which data were available, falling to a level not seen since 2003.......                   “Housing starts have been at 60-year lows for 38 months — it’s incredible,” said Karl E. Case, emeritus professor of economics at Wellesley College and co-founder of the housing price index. “It’s a complete depression.” Case noted, for example, the slump’s profound effect on the residential construction industry: Annual housing starts in the United States peaked at 2.37 million and have fallen to fewer than 700,000. “Eighty percent of a major industry in the United States just disappeared,” he said....                  The recent white paper from the Fed noted, for example, that housing prices have fallen an average of about 33 percent from their peak, erasing $7 trillion in household wealth. With that, according to the paper, comes a “ratcheting down” of what people buy.

Bank of America Would Spare Only Two Headquarters in Plan to Sell Offices - Bloomberg - Hugh Son - February 3, 2012 - Bank of America Corp., the second- largest U.S. lender by assets, may sell all its offices as part of the company’s effort to cut costs, sparing only its headquarters in North Carolina and New York City.                “We are currently reviewing all of our properties across our portfolio, with the exception of Bank of America Corporate Center in Charlotte and Bank of America Tower at One Bryant Park” in Manhattan, Kelli Raulerson, a spokeswoman, said today. The lender owned or leased about 120 million square feet in 26,910 locations at the end of 2010, mostly in the U.S., according to its last annual report.                    Chief Executive Officer Brian T. Moynihan, 52, is reevaluating the bank’s real estate needs as he eliminates at least 30,000 positions and seeks to trim as much as $8 billion in annual expenses. If Bank of America sells buildings, it will lease back space for operations, avoiding impact on employees, the company said in a statement provided by Raulerson.

How US Fascism Comes Out on Top Via 'Too-Big-to-Fail'? - The Daily Bell - Thursday, February 02, 2012 - Too-big-to-fail legislation is toxic on every level. It marries government to private industry, drains competition from the marketplace and ensures that the most important elements of the modern financial system are further constrained by regulatory fiat.      Of course, one could argue that the modern system – one that has been built on the monetary fraud of central banking – is not worth saving anyway. We would agree with that, in fact. The current financial system not only deserves to collapse, it DID collapse three years ago.           The dollar reserve system, from our point of view, is already dead. From what we can tell, central banks – at the behest of their controlling power elite – have injected some US$50 TRILLION into the system worldwide.       These horrible numbers are actually incomprehensible. The larger financial system is effectively frozen. It has not been allowed to shed its failing elements, and one could argue, in fact, that these failing facilities have been enshrined at the heart of the system's decisive economic dysfunction.     In other words, the very entities that are the most important to the system's current operation are the ones that should be allowed to fail. They exist only because the system – worldwide – is a kind of elite command-and-control operation that has little or nothing to do with free markets.          But as the current central banking system becomes more and more dysfunctional, the costs of keeping it going are rising exponentially. As we have pointed out, the current environment has a manifest logic, and it's not a pleasant one.             There is no economic justification for "too-big-to-fail" except the brutal logic that government funds must compensate for private failures. This will work for a while, but not forever. Eventually, the dysfunction will be too big even for governments' large pockets. In the meantime, we will have "isms" – specifically, growing fascism in the US. Europe, we would argue, is headed in the same direction.          Remove competition from the marketplace and you end up with a collection of enterprises that perform inconsequential functions incompetently. More importantly, you end up with a federalized private sector and a series of disastrous "public-private" partnerships.        The result is ruin – ruin of every kind. Militarism thrives in a fascist environment. So does a certain kind of ignorance, civic dysfunction and increasingly poverty and civil violence. Chaos looms. Of course, out of chaos ... order. A New World Order. That's obviously the plan.           But as we often point out, we would tend to believe that what we call the Internet Reformation will make the elite's main dream rather hard to achieve. The more that the powers-that-be plot to increase the dysfunction of the Western world and especially America, the more push back is generated, in our view. It may turn out that ordinary people in the Internet era are far more resistant to fascism – statism – than elites currently believe.         Conclusion: Will the world-spanning plans of the Anglosphere be realized? Just as too-big-too-fail is ultimately an insupportable concept, so is the idea of world government. They are both based on enormous economic fallacies and carry within their implementation the seeds of their own destruction.

Usury - I personally have problems with Bill Mahers personality, but this is a good interview thanks to Elizabeth Warren. Yeah I know, she's a Democrat, but what she says here makes sense.

City of Hickory Bits and Pieces - February 4, 2012

2012-02-04T02:29:00.000-05:00

This was provided by one of the followers to the Hickory Hound:

I was curious and asked myself: how many of these farmers grow in Catawba County? Out of 38 vendors listed on the HFM website, I confirmed 8 of them (21%) grow or prepare products in Catawba County.

Anna’s Sweet Treats - ?
John H. Bigelow Photography - Mt. Pleasant, NC
Beam Family Farm - Lawndale, NC
Bluebird Farm - Morganton, NC
Blue Ridge Apiaries - Hudson, NC
Childers Farm - Whittier, NC
Coto Family Farms - Vale, NC
Crane/Herbville Farm - Granite Falls and Lenoir, NC
Crowe’s Produce - Morganton, NC
Daphine & Sons Asparagus Farm - ?
Davis and Son Orchard - Lawndale, NC
Diane’s Bakery - Hickory, NC
The Dog House - ?
Donna Wood - ?
Farmer's Daughter - Taylorsville, NC
Gayle’s Gardens - Caser, NC
Hoffman Farms - Lincolnton, NC
Ed Huss - ?
Interior's by Betsy - ?
Jerry Harris - ?
Richard Hill Farm - Lawndale, NC
Keller's Gourd Barn Crafts - Cornelius, NC
Lisa’s Baked Goods - Hickory, NC
Living Greener Days - Hickory, NC
Mills Garden Herb Farm - Statesville, NC
Muddy Creek Mushroom Farm - Morganton, NC
Nancy Jaeger - ?
O My Soap! - Newton, NC
Open Hearts Bakery - Morganton, NC
Raby’s Greenhouse - Hickory, NC
Ripshin Goat Dairy - Lenoir, NC
Rock House Farm - Morganton, NC
Setzer’s Nursery - Claremont, NC
Sipe Angus Farm - Claremont, NC
Snyder Family Farm - Granite Falls, NC
Summer Fresh Flowers - Newton, NC
Tumbling Shoals Farm - Millers Creek, NC
Whippoorville Farms - Hickory, NC

I was unable to find addresses for the other 8 (21%) of vendors.

A friend who is a chef in Atlanta, who is from here, left me a note when I asked about his thoughts on this issue.

This is a HUGE movement here in Atlanta too. Many of the more upscale restaurants buy from local, state, and regional growers, dairies, and farms. I would support anyone that offers a quality product or service that is produced as close as the ones you have listed here. Hickory's business community in general could try this as common practice and enjoy numerous benefits.

I asked Harry about his thoughts

Personally, if these folks are in our "region" I wouldn't quibble too much about, though Mt Pleasant and Whittier seem a bit far. My beef is with folks that farm at MDI then sell it. By the way, it seems that we didn't have too much trouble finding $140K to fix up 5 tennis courts. I have no problem with tennis courts, they aren't pools after all - (sic). HH

The Hound thinks this shows that we aren't focusing the farmer's market on local farmers per se, as some have (mis)led us to believe. In December, when a couple of threads were devoted to this issue, we were led on communicative ramblings that insinuated that the market was being limited in size and scope to help maintain price levels to make the marketplace function profitably for the local farmer/vendors. I don't know exactly how much of what Harry is stating about reselling from corporate purveyors is going on, but it would most definitely be interesting to have that proven and quantified. But aren't most of these purveyors going around a regional circuit? Going to 4 (or more) sites a week to sell their goods.

What our friend from Atlanta endorses is exactly what we have talked about on this very blog. And when we see the geography of where these vendors are homebased, then it shows that what we are discussing/proposing is already reality to a great extent. The only thing inhibiting the possibility of growth of this marketplace are the usual forces that have determined that everything must revolve around Union Square and their personal interests.

Take the leash off and Hickory will grow. This is the 10,000 pound gorilla. This is what is killing our local economy. And very few say anything about it and even fewer do anything about it.

Speaking of which, In an article on WHKY's website entitled Five City Tennis Courts to Close for Repair - 2/3/2012

Five City of Hickory tennis courts will close on Monday, February 6, while the courts are rebuilt over the next few months.

Tennis courts one through five at Hickory City Park, 1515 12th Street Drive N.W., will be closed, but the lower courts (six through eight) will remain open throughout the construction process. Construction is expected to continue through April.

The tennis courts designated for repair were built in the late 1970s and have severe cracks and splits. The cost to rebuild the courts is $140,000 and will include a new asphalt surface, along with new posts and nets.

The City has a total of 17 tennis courts. The remaining 12 will continue to be open for play.

The City will have a Dog and Pony show about the YMCA swimming initiative at this week's City Council meeting. The Mayor talks about this issue of kids learning how to swim. That's great, but the bigger issue is a focused program of Aquatic Recreation, Leisure, Sports, Exercise, and Rehabilitation. Where are these kids going to swim? Their toilet bowl?

If you want to hear the propaganda, then I suggest you be there, because if they don't address any relevant issues relating to getting an aquatic center built in Hickory, then I won't be writing about it on this blog. The YMCA is a good place for people who can afford it and don't talk to me about scholarships, that isn't affording it and the YMCA is already overcrowded. I'm going to be at the City Council meeting to report on happenings that impact your life. I'm not a subservient mindnumbed trick pony programmed to regurgitate nonsense.

Reality and the 2012 Presidential Election

2012-02-03T04:08:00.001-05:00

For those of you who aren't afraid of the real current events watch the information above. You rob a convenience store and they put you in prison for 7 years plus. You see the man, reported on locally, who has fenced maybe a million dollars in goods on Craig's list etc. Yet, John Corzine has swindled billions of dollars through MF Global and he isn't even being questioned. We have a Congress that is allowed to insider trade and we have a Senator here in North Carolina who voted against legislation that would move forward ending this. And don't think this makes the Democrats better, because they are in on it too. As I showed in the Economic Stories of Relevance (1/15/2012) a few weeks ago, Goldman Sachs was the largest campaign contributor to Obama in 2008 and so far in 2012 they are the largest contributor to the Romney Campaign.

News on Quantitative Easing 3

This is what happens in Third World Nations. The United States is way down the list on most world rankings in relation to education, healthcare, quality of life, human rights... This is what happens in an imploding economy. This is what happens under the auspices of austerity.

Most of Newt Gingrich’s Twitter Followers Are Fake - gawker.com - August 1, 2012 - Newt employs a variety of agencies whose sole purpose is to procure Twitter followers for people who are shallow/insecure/unpopular enough to pay for them. As you might guess, Newt is most decidedly one of the people to which these agencies cater.

About 80 percent of those accounts are inactive or are dummy accounts created by various "follow agencies," another 10 percent are real people who are part of a network of folks who follow others back and are paying for followers themselves (Newt's profile just happens to be a part of these networks because he uses them, although he doesn't follow back), and the remaining 10 percent may, in fact, be real, sentient people who happen to like Newt Gingrich. If you simply scroll through his list of followers you'll see that most of them have odd usernames and no profile photos, which has to do with the fact that they were mass generated. Pathetic, isn't it?

What you are going to find out next year is that whoever is elected is not any different than the other when it comes to Obama, Romney, and/or Gingrich. I know that is going to upset the Republicans that think that Obama is the only Marxist. When you look at Massachusetts healthcare plan and compare it to Obamacare, you see that it's the exact same plan. Hey, that plan was instituted under Romney. You look at what has happened with MF Global and it is the same buy it up and strip it out Corporatism that Romney headed up at Bain Capital.

Oh, so if Romney is so bad and Obama is so bad, then that must mean that you endorse Gingrinch. Look at the dishonesty of his campaign. He is completely in it up to his eyeballs with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac (from Real Estate Depression fame):

And yet, over a span of eight years, according to Bloomberg News, The Gingrich Group was paid between $1.6 and $1.8 million by the Freddie Mac. At the same time, Freddie Mac was engaged in massive fraud. Gingrich suggested he was a “historian” for Freddie Mac. But the evidence clearly shows he was “throwing his weight” behind the two Government Sponsored Enterprises to prop them up, saying in one interview that Fannie and Freddie provided a more “liquid and stable housing finance system than we would have” without them. Ironically, President Obama, the man who Gingrich is seeking to oust from office, is keeping secret each and every Freddie Mac (and Fannie Mae) document, including those that could shed light on Gingrich’s relationship with Freddie.

Gingrich also has claimed, “I have never done lobbying of any kind.” However, as documented by the Washington Examiner’s Timothy Carney, Gingrich was a hired gun for the drug lobby who “worked hard to persuade Republican congressmen to vote for the Medicare drug subsidy that the industry favored.” Carney reports that the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America confirmed that they paid Gingrich. Bloomberg News “cited sources from leading drug companies AstraZeneca and Pfizer saying that those companies had also hired Gingrich.”

I don't agree with everything that Ron Paul says, but I trust him. I also don't think that he is a fruitcake. If you listen, then you will understand where I am coming from and where he is coming from. Where I disagree with him is in relation to a laissez faire philosophy towards foreign policy and domestic corporate regulation. I think the mega-corporations need to be reined in and while I agree that the endless wars need to be curtailed, we need to ensure that any cease fire related to current hostilities is recognized by all parties. The problem with the current U.S. foreign policy is that we do not expedite missions, we draw them out with no defined mission or conclusion.

I am tired of voting for the lesser of evils. I don't expect anyone to fulfill all of my desires related to philosophy. I just don't want a Flip Flopper or a Hypocrite or Obfuscator as the leader of this nation. If we are going to turn this country around, then we are going to have to have a straight shooter with convictions who at the same time is able to build consensus. Unfortunately, I just don't see that happening in this election cycle.

No Gloom, No Despair, No Agony -- A Solution oriented Challenge

2012-02-01T01:34:00.001-05:00

I went to a meeting at church tonight in which we talked about reality. There are children in local schools who are dependent on schools to provide their meals. Many of the children aren't eating when they go home at night. They aren't eating on the weekends. They aren't eating when school is out on break. One school administrator says the hardest thing he has to do is order the schools closed, because of inclement weather, because he knows that some of the children that depend on the schools aren't going to have any of the comfort of a heated building or anything to eat that day. That certainly gives one who enjoyed every snow day pause for perspective.

This is the reality of what is going on in this country. This isn't about ideology or self-reliance. This is about survival. In the land of plenty that are these United States, we should not have this. I know that some people that I have heard in this community think that this is a story of make believe, but I can assure you that it is not. It isn't about tugging on ones heart strings. It is about innocent people trying to survive.

Survival is the word of the day.. We have always had people struggling in this world. We have all faced adversity, but what I heard tonight is that we have an elementary school here in Hickory where over 97% of the children in that school are on the school meal program and this is the school where kids are falling through the cracks. Their families don't qualify for food stamps, but also don't have food in the house, because they don't have money. There are currently over 46 million people in the U.S. receiving Food Stamps according to the USDA.

This is a community problem and my church is looking for ways to address this issue. We are open to suggestions and possible solutions. We have ideas of our own that we are looking to move forward with in the very near future. The Church I attend is Mt. Olive Lutheran ELCA here in Hickory on Highway 127 in Viewmont.

Leave a comment below or send me an e-mail at hickoryhound@gmail.com or you can visit our Mt. Olive facebook page, if you have suggestions that may be helpful.

I will conclude that this is not about gloom, despair, or agony relating to the plight of these people who are in dire straights or our feelings related thereof. People want to talk about being solutions oriented. Well, here is their opportunity to put their money where their mouth is. There were thirteen people in that room tonight that feel a calling to embrace this challenge. We are humbled by this challenge and the journey that lies ahead. In some ways it seems daunting and in many other ways it is a wonderful challenge that allows us to glorify God.

In our mission, we aren't attempting to displace or change the other wonderful charitable endeavors that shape this community. What we are attempting to do is fulfill a niche. The Cooperative Christian Ministry (CCM), the Hickory Soup Kitchen, and other benevolent ministries fulfill overall invaluable missions. We realize that there is such need in the community, in this economy, that it isn't going to be easy to procure the food and other items needed to fulfill every deficiency, but we are going to start out small and take this process one step at a time. And we will keep you updated every step of the way.

May God help those in need in our community.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- January 29, 2012

2012-01-29T02:49:00.000-05:00

(The Hound): You can follow the themes and see what is being addressed and what is dying on the vines. What was said three years ago still has relevance today and I believe that what was said three years ago and today will have relevance three years from now. We will keep moving forward.

The State of Hickory 2012

The State of Hickory 2011

The State of Hickory 2010

The State of Hickory 2009

U.S. Bridges, Roads Being Built by Chinese Firms - ABC News - 9/23/2011 - Cities hire Chinese instead of American workers for building projects.

Mitt Romney's Bain Capital 'earned' $342 million by bankrupting a company and firing 850 Floridians - The Jed Report - Jed Lewis - January 23, 2012 - Mitt Romney's Bain Capital 'earned' $342 million by bankrupting a company and firing 850 Floridians. In addition to the $242 million, Bain took $100 million in management fees for running the company. But despite their $342 million payday, Bain led Dade directly into bankruptcy.
Bain ultimately relinquished its ownership claim, but it had already taken $342 million out of company, an 11-fold return on its $30 million investment in less than eight years. Fortunately, the bankruptcy didn't destroy the company, which emerged from bankruptcy and has prospered since Bain gave up its ownership stake. But even though Dade is now a successful company, its success comes despite Bain Capital—not because of it.                              Obviously, the story is timely because of the upcoming Florida primary and the fact that nearly one thousand Floridians lost their jobs as Bain bankrupted the firm, but if Romney gets the nomination, it won't simply fade away. Perhaps he can convince Republicans that questioning how he managed to "earn" $342 million while bankrupting a company is the same thing as assaulting free enterprise, but he won't be able to convince Americans of that. And given that Mitt Romney cites his private sector experience as the number one reason why he should be president, that's a big problem for Mitt Romney to have.

Drowning In Hypocrisy - Paul Craig Roberts - PaulCraigRoberts.org - January 24, 2012 -
The US government is so full of self-righteousness that it has become a caricature of hypocrisy. Leon Panetta, a former congressman who Obama appointed CIA director and now head of the Pentagon, just told the sailors on the USS Enterprise, an aircraft carrier, that the US is maintaining a fleet of 11 aircraft carriers in order to project sea power against Iran and to convince Iran that “it’s better for them to try to deal with us through diplomacy.” http://ap.stripes.com/dynamic/stories/U/US_PANETTA_AIRCRAFT_CARRIER?SITE=DCSAS&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2012-01-21-19-22-34 .....    If it requires 11 aircraft carriers to deal with Iran, how many will Panetta need to project power against Russia and China? But to get on with the main point, Iran has been trying “to deal with us through diplomacy.” The response from Washington has been belligerent threats of military attack, unfounded and irresponsible accusations that Iran is making a nuclear weapon, sanctions and an oil embargo. Washington’s accusations echo Israel’s and are contradicted by Washington’s own intelligence agencies and the International Atomic Energy Agency. Why doesn’t Washington respond to Iran in a civilized manner with diplomacy? Really, which of the two countries is the greatest threat to peace? ........                                Washington sends the FBI to raid the homes of peace activists and puts a grand jury to work to create a case against them for aiding a nebulous enemy by protesting Washington’s wars. The Department of Homeland Security unleashes goon cop thugs to brutalize peaceful Occupy Wall Street demonstrators. Washington fabricates cases against Bradley Manning, Julian Assange, and Tarek Mehanna that negate the First Amendment by equating free speech with terrorism and spying. Chicago mayor and former Obama White House chief-of-staff, Rahm Israel Emanuel, pushes an ordinance that outlaws public protests in the City of Chicago. The list goes on. And in the midst of it all Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and other Washington hypocrites accuse Russia and China of stifling dissent.

Sales of U.S. New Homes Unexpectedly Decline in December - Bloomberg - Alex Kowalski - January 26, 2012 - ... Purchases of single-family properties decreased 2.2 percent to a 307,000 annual pace, figures from the Commerce Department showed today in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of economists called for a rate of 321,000 home sales. Last year marked the worst year for the industry in records going back to 1963.             “Builders continue to contend with a number of existing homes that are deeply discounted,” said Anika Khan, an economist at Wells Fargo Securities LLC in Charlotte, North Carolina. “We’re expecting a bit of a pickup in 2012, but we won’t see a meaningful increase as long as new homes are competing with those existing homes.”

Warren Pollock on This Week in Money

The State Of Hickory 2012

2012-01-26T04:29:00.000-05:00

Skin in the Game

This is the fourth year in which I will attempt to define where Hickory and its surrounding area presently stand here in the year 2012, where we have been over the past few years, and where trends show us to be headed. As always, I have tried to take into account opinions from across the socioeconomic strata and the demographics of this area. The Hound has become an entity that leads the local area in the discussion of the economic, social, and cultural issues that face us all. We drive the news! We have developed relationships with many of the structures of governance in our area and developed legitimacy and credibility through the relevance of what is discussed here. We have awoken the local media to the point where submissions from this blog become part of their thought process and we believe this is a very good development.

Though I talk about the Hound's relevance above, I would like to reiterate that this mission is not about any endeavor of personal ego or esteem. This mission is as stated about the vitality, growth, and future of this area we live in. We want to make every part of this city and metro area relevant. We truly believe that everyone has a role to play, unlike the actions of most of the leadership of this area has shown. In the past year, it has been unfortunate that we have not progressed much and much of this has been due to the misguided priorities and the impediments that certain power brokers and elected leaders have created.

Certainly there are significant achievements that we can be proud of. Over the last year, we have seen the unelected structure of governance continue to gain ground on positions that they have staked out in trying to resurrect the local economy back to steady growth, but the elected bodies have struggled to say the least. The Catawba County Chamber of Commerce has formulated several initiatives in conjunction with the educational bodies and the Economic Development Corporation that are bearing fruit. These associations have continued to carry out actions related to creating new economic realities. We can look to several positives created by CVCC, which include the on-campus practice hospital. We can look at tangible gains made by the Economic Development Corporation, which include the Turbo Coating Manufacturing facility. We can look to the steady progress made by the Appalachian State Partnership, Lenoir-Rhyne University, and the entities associated with the Champions of Education. What we have not seen is a game changer. When it comes to the creation of a game changing event and/or entity, it is the opinion of most that it is going to take the hands on guidance of community leadership, most importantly elected leadership, to make it happen. I don't want to include the Catawba County leaders or Conover in with this, because both of these entities have been very responsive to input by independent entities in the area.

The most exciting event that took place in 2011 was the Edison event sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce in conjunction with the Small Business and Technology Development Center. This is the reason why the Catawba County commission should not be thrown under the bus, because they have been very supportive of initiatives such as this and a couple of the members of the Commission were present for the final event and the Commission Chair Kitty Barnes even was a presenter for the award. People talk about optimism, yet don't seem to understand that they have to put skin in the game and everything isn't about politics. I don't understand why local politicos would be anything other than supportive of initiatives such as the Edison Project.

Conover put skin in the game with the Conover Station Project. While the City of Hickory has touted the Brownfield grants as a way to revitalize unused, blighted properties, Conover has already taken action with the revitalization of the Warlong building by retrofitting this old building towards modern realities and concerns. This building looks to be a new, modern center of economic activity in Conover. In my opinion this will end up being Conover's new Downtown with several new sites of Economic Commerce, like the Manufacturing Solutions Center, surrounding this building. Where the City of Hickory and its power brokers have demanded that Union Square must be Hickory's Downtown, Conover has decided to take a more realistic and open minded approach towards the realities of the future.

Stagnation through Economic Uncertainty

For most of the area, 2011 seemed to be a year of staleness. A year of going through the motions and plodding along. What most would define as being in a rut. There has to be a lot more happen than what I describe above in order to turn the local economy around. Risks are going to have to be taken in order to regain the ground that has been lost since the turn of the century. Certainly these need to be informed, educated, and calculated risks, but they most certainly will be endeavors that may create economic exposure due to the uncertainty in every aspect of modern economic realities. The deal is that we are exposed right now. We have been exposed for a decade. The problem is that many of the people in decision making positions in this community have not been pushed to make the necessary changes and seem to be waiting for something perfect to fall into their laps before a complete collapse takes place. What they can't seem to mentally grasp is that the hour has grown late and the chances of winning the lottery are slim. We have to create our future.

I have never understood why local officials want to attack national surveys that measure local economic conditions. It is like a kid that doesn't want to acknowledge their school report card. It is what it is. Man up! I especially can't understand it, because I am sure that most of these people made good grades when they were in school. These surveys are impartial statistical assessments that measure predefined categories of interest. They are created to help people, governments, and businesses understand where communities are succeeding and failing. They aren't contouring the survey to ensure our community fails. We need to face the fact that we are failing. They aren't going to change the methodology of the survey to curry favor with us. We are going to have to change our economic realities to climb the ladder of success. Communities have arisen from just as bad of circumstances as we find ourselves in today, but they had to take action to move forward.

If it were one or two surveys, then we might be able to legitimately ignore the data, but the problem is that we are at the bottom of just about every national economic survey and have been in the bottom 10% of these surveys for years. This past year we were listed as the 6th saddest metropolitan area in the United States in a Gallup-Healthway study... Forbes listed this metro as the 189th (out of 200) Best Places to do Business in the U.S.... And the Milken Group listed the Hickory Metro as the 189th (out of 200) Best performing Cities in the U.S.

Those that want to say that we are destined to plod back to economic growth can look at several cities in the Milken Survey that climbed several notches in the past year. You see 15 metro areas that have climbed at least 50 positions in 2011 and these cities aren't region specific. We all know that a lot of this is due to the problems with the manufacturing predicament we found ourselves in over the last decade, but we have failed to take action to evolve rapidly towards new economic paradigms and realities, when the writing was on the wall over a decade ago. We have faced the issues related to the uncertainty related to globalization of industry since 2001 and local officials didn't even acknowledge the problems were structural issues until 2008. We were constantly told that about the feeling that "this is gonna be our year." We needed a lot more than feelings then and we need more than feelings now. We need action.

Action speaks louder than words

I hear it constantly that we need to quit talking about issues and take action on the issues. That we need to quit talking about problems and start taking action towards solutions. I have listened to fellow participants during brainstorming meetings that I have attended say that we are just talking in circles. I understand the frustrations, but we must all understand the need for good communication in a Democracy. And what these people, who complain about the lack of action, need to realize is that in the end they are just talking also. They haven't committed to any action.

What is the desire of many of the people who create the impediments towards progress? Many of these same people who constantly complain about too much talk and too little action are the same people who are quick on the trigger telling us what we as a community cannot do. They think we can tweek around the edges and rearrange the the deck chairs on the Titanic and everything will be just fine. They like the way things used to be and think they can take us back to some mind warped nostalgic era that they have dreamed of from their youth. What they won't admit to when they talk about how great Hickory was in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s is that Hickory was segregated and we aren't going back there. We have to enable ourselves to prosper under the modern realities associated with inclusiveness.

I agree that we have to take action. That action requires capital procurement. The Hickory City leadership went to Chattanooga, Tennessee in December and the leadership of Chattanooga flat out told the Hickory City leaders that they turned the city around through private contributions from businesses in the area, major individual benefactors, and public-private partnerships. Where have we seen major investments by such entities in this area?

We need leadership to have a heart-to-heart with local businessmen and tell them that they are going to have to put a little extra skin in the game, if they want to stop the implosion of this community. I can hear the vast majority of those businessmen saying, "How dare you. I do enough. I pay taxes, hire people, and work hard." Folks, we are in a hole and we are going to have to do some extraordinary things to get out of that hole. We don't need local elected officials to act as enablers for a certain segment of the business population who only want leadership to support their narrow personal interests and fail to take responsibility to ensure the vitality of this community's ecosystem. In the long run, if this community fails so will the long term viability of their business within the community.

We have to start looking at the big picture. I look to initiatives like Hickory By Choice 2030. The problem is that while the document serves a purpose, it doesn't create a mechanism to help institute an agenda big enough or specific enough to have meaning. Look what China does. They create very specific plans that have forward visions of 50 to 100 years. That doesn't mean that they are going to achieve 100% of those particular objectives. It means that they are forcing themselves to have a vision of the future through an implemented structural process. It is easier to set goals and tweak them than to try and piecemeal a future together haphazardly. 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!

We need leaders who know how to lead

One of the biggest issues that we face in this community is the loss of confidence. Where does that come from? I believe that it comes from the lack of leadership in this community and the lack of vision. Some think that it is the duty of citizens to ask local leadership what they can do to help. I think that local leadership ought to be able to convey a vision to citizens and tell them how they can help implement that vision. That would create confidence.

Think about being on a battlefield. You don't have the Sergeant telling the Corporals and Privates that it is their duty to figure out how to implement the plan of attack. The Sergeant is handed a battle plan and he informs the soldiers of what is expected of them. If anything goes wrong, then the highest ranking officer improvises tactics and communicates the plan to the soldiers. If the Sergeant cannot fulfill this important obligation, then he is removed and the next highest ranking officer makes the decisions.

As citizens of this community our input should be expected and appreciated, but in the end we must understand that elected leaders will be the decision makers. If they abdicate their responsibility, then it is incumbent upon the citizens to remove those who are not fulfilling their responsibility. Our elected leaders are paid a salary, benefits, and receive perks, privileges, and stature that regular citizens are not afforded. I have heard these benefits of office belittled many times as a stipend. These elected officials should realize that we have citizens in this community that are living on less than what this compensation affords. Many of our local citizens are doing without health insurance in these times. No, these elected officials are handsomely rewarded and if they don't think the job is worth their time, then they should step aside for someone who appreciates what is mentioned above.

Think about the issue of creating an economic entertainment dynamic within our community. As an example of the juxtaposition that those associated with the Hickory Hound find themselves in versus Hickory City Officials. We have talked about an amphitheater that would accommodate 3,000 people minimum with the possibility of 5,000. We believe this could bring value by bringing people from other communities into our area to attend concerts and spend money while visiting the area. Instead, the City decides to put up a tent on Union Square as a multi-purpose facility for the farmer's market and they say it can be used as an amphitheater. It is all about semantics. Mayor Wright says on the radio that he understands that some people in the community want a 5,000 seat amphitheater... well if he had his wish we would have a 17,500 seat arena for sports. You see the difference is that we aren't touting this idea, because we want a personal amusement. We are talking about an economic driver, while the Mayor is belittling our idea by personalizing it around himself.

If community leaders would get behind an effort such as Visionaire Jets and help them get Financing by whatever means and tie the economic incentives that we see being offered to other outside entities to job creation by Visionaire in our area, then you would see immediate excitement take root. I believe if we saw a Microlending function as an economic incentives package tied to paybacks and clawbacks, then we would see entrepreneurial development in our area.

Burke County, with an “entrepreneurial certified” effort, now has $378,000 of microlending in place with over 14 clients. This started several years ago with a very successful effort in Valdese led by their City Manager, Jeff Morse. The initial funding was from “One North Carolina”. This program was so effective that it was followed by a roll out to the entire county with additional funding from the "Gold Leaf Foundation" fund. The same mechanism and board that had learned in Valdese was left in place for the county wide effort.

We need to lose the egos. We need for local leaders to stop looking to themselves as politicians first. We don't need this "Bring it to me mentality," that breeds a sense of entitlement that everything has to be filtered through some absurd closed and arbitrary system. Leaders should not be waiting for ideas to be brought to them. They should be actively seeking ideas and fleshing them out. And decisions should not be manipulated to fit personal agendas. This is America, we don't need or deserve a King.

People are looking for signs of hope that the area is turning around and I think if we did have some local initiatives instituted by the people we elect and brought to fruition, then you would start seeing excitement build up and people in the community talking about how we are turning it around. If economic optimism were achievable through political platitudes and propaganda, then we would already have achieved it.

Its time to get Real

In hearing this week that we were the eighth worst metropolitan area to find a job, we found a local media that was trying to find a way to not be so negative about the circumstance. The message from the media is that we are going to take this bad news and turn it around. The unfortunate reality is that we have already been down this path umpteen times over the last several years. As I pointed out previously, we have bounced around the dregs of these surveys for the better part of a decade. Until 2008 no one admitted that we had structural issues, and since admitting that we do have structural issues it has been a constant drumbeat that we are going to turn it around. What makes you think that this is the time when we have bottomed out and are going to start addressing the issues that will start us towards turning the situation around?

When looking at that U.S. News and World Reports survey, the reporter states that the problems with the California cities that make up much of that bottom 10 list are related to the Real Estate bust and its lingering Depression. Our local officials and media have glommed onto this factoid and stated that our problem has nothing to do with the Real Estate Depression. I think they are missing something here also. Yes, our property values did not spike the way that they did in California, Florida, or Nevada; but haven't you seen the same issues they face with houses for sale and/or that have been foreclosed upon in this area. Have you seen the statistics related to people being underwater on their mortgages. This means that residential homes in our community are overvalued. This makes it easier for those who are deeply in the hole to walk away from their home. It also means that it is harder for those who don't want to take the hit on their credit to leave the community to seek employment elsewhere. And most all of us know people who are paying two mortgages. Eventually, if the economic momentum is not turned around, you will see housing prices and property values fall drastically in our area. What does that portend for those who have built significant equity in their property?

One problem that many of us see is that we have a local media that has been quick on the trigger to blame Washington and Raleigh, but refuse to make critical comments about what is happening here in this area. Many of us ascertain that this is because no one in Raleigh or Washington is listening to/reading what they have to say, but they will be getting a phone call or the cold shoulder if they ask questions deemed to be hostile towards community leaders. So what we have seen is that they basically hand the local leaders the microphone and let them have an open platform to direct their own interview or in the case of the print media submit whatever material they want unfettered.

Several Million dollars have been spent to compensate local leaders over the past decade. Criticism is naturally a part of accepting a public position. Think about a Professional Football team. You have a coach and a quarterback. If you have a terrible record, 4-12 or worse for several years, how long do they keep their positions? Does the media go around talking about how they are doing the best they can? Most of you have seen what happens. Do you keep doling out millions of dollars in compensation waiting for circumstances to change or do you aggressively demand accountability or seek to change circumstances. Who is in charge? The players or the owners?

In Conclusion

The things that are said on this blog are not presented lightly. I don't take joy in bluntly communicating this message to you. We are in a dead serious situation in dead serious times. The time is long past due for a put up or shut up agenda. It is time for accountability. The theme of 2012 is that we need to implement strategies that promote and exhibit decisive meaningful action... not padding you buddy's pocket... not moving forward your personal agenda... not making decisions based upon personal whims and fancies... Community First! We need to see actions this year that aren't related to low hanging fruit. We need some of that beautiful fruit that we have to climb the tree to obtain.

How long are we supposed to be patient? How long are we supposed to wait?

May God Bless this Community in the Upcoming Year!

The Corporate Media and the Control of Information - Silence DoGood

2012-01-25T04:32:00.001-05:00

“What is to be done?” If you’ve read any amount of political or social science material, you’ve no doubt run across those words. Vladimir Lenin began a treatise with them long before the October Revolution in order to solidify the party core to foment revolution. Nah, I’m not advocating a revolution, I think it’s on its way without my words, pro or con. But that is for the individual him or herself to decide based on what they know, what they see, and in the end, what they believe.

Many have talked about the quality of information we receive today. How it is rife and loaded with political correctness, how it is slanted and skewed to portray and lead one to draw a particular conclusion, a desirable opinion, a favorable point of view, all for the favor or benefit of the one who is providing that information or favored by them. News and information is loaded with bias and it is very difficult today to find just the facts of any situation, regardless of your personal bias, as to what the truth is. But we are inundated with news carrying a particular message, from a specific perspective, that seeks to match our own view of the world. So habitually sourcing one source for information can lend itself to a rather obtuse, irrelevant, and narrow point of view of the world, regardless of what side of the fence you happen to reside on. Fox, MSNBC, CNN, and all of the main stream networks are slaves to advertising and the dollars that are invested in them. Each of those has their own particular view to push and want you, the viewer to embrace it as well. The print media is no different. Sure the press is free. They are free to tell us about or more importantly, not tell us about, what they see fit to edit in or out of their particular medium, be it print or broadcast. And if the editor or publisher, or the director or producer is a bit too zealous with providing that information, those advertising dollars dry up.

The control of information in order to dominate is contrary to our society and any freedom you may hope to salvage in the ensuing years. But that is exactly what is happening in the United States of today. Information and situations are controlled, spun, told in half-truth, double speak, and contra-indicated in order to confuse, befuddle, twist, and in the end, influence. But that is not their job, nor, in the sense of what the framers of the Constitution had in mind with the 1st amendment, their purpose. The empowerment of the media via the Constitution was meant to allow the media to be the watchdogs of government and to inform the people of what was going on. To keep the people informed of the facts of what government is doing, going to do, or has done. The purpose of that is so that the people can make informed decisions regarding their representatives and know how they are being represented. That isn’t happening today nor has it for quite some time. From the original intent to the current end product seems to have undergone its metamorphosis shortly after the beginnings of the industrial revolution in the late 1800’s. The publishers and owners saw the kind of empire to be made with railroads, coal, steel, and all the trappings of a modern industrial society and decided that they too could apply those principles to their particular vocation and thus grow and prosper much to the detriment of the truth, the facts, or what is truly going on at any one particular point in time.

Does that mean that anything and everything should be made public? Certainly not, at least not in such a timely fashion that it would aid an enemy or thwart a truly favorable outcome for the United States. But the truth of the Kennedy assassination, the Martin Luther King assassination, Area 51, and any other governmental action or investigation that has taken place and for which the statute of limitations has expired, should be made public and not redacted. The truth, the cold hard facts of the issue is what is at stake and what the people deserve. It is often said that the people are stupid, the person is smart. In that regard, we are informing persons, not people. And if you care to notice, all of the major politicians are quite quick to foment what it is the “American People” want, expect, demand, deserve, or are looking for. Notice how often they use that word ‘people’, now that you know the context within which it is being used, since I just provided you a common maxim among those in politics and political science. And reports should not be sensationalized for the sake of entertainment. The news is not nor should it be entertaining. If you want to be entertained, watch “Survivor” or any of those shows of the same mindless ilk. News is, after all, news. Right or wrong, good or bad, mundane or sensational, it should be reported without colorful prose, fanciful words, or what anyone associated with the broadcasting of the story thinks. We don’t need to be told what we just saw in that regard. We just saw it, let it sink in. No one needs to be nostalgic about a State of the Union address or Presidential candidate debate that just ended. In the same regard, keep your so-called experts and send them packing. Apparently media outlets think that lending the word ‘expert’ to any number of commentators appearing ex post facto of a story to, again, tell us what we just saw and interpret what you just saw is somehow, empowering. No it isn’t. They are trying to influence and tell you what it is you need to think about what you just saw.

On the local level, politicians should not be allowed to enter into closed session to discuss anything other than those things which are strictly limited to closed session. And legal counsel should offer that advice as a matter of course prior to the closed session as a means of due diligence and as a precautionary measure to their client bodies’ politic. Local politicians should not be allowed to continue a policy or practice that is known to be wrong or illegal, despite what the historical premise is behind it.

And yet, knowing with relative certainty that there are those that read this blog with regularity that can bring that sort of information to the fore, refuse to do so, opting instead to be a member of the status quo and the laissez faire attitudes that comprise the conditions under which the vast majority of us now reside. On the basis of profit and as a wage slave, those same people have elected to succumb rather than do what is right.

You, me, us need quality information and all of the information concerning any issue in order to make a valid decision. The quantifiability of the decision is to the individual but the information should not influence the decision rendered. It needs to be whole, complete, unabridged, and factual in its entirety. We should expect and demand no less of the press and of government. Everywhere we look it has gotten to the point that the trust of either is dismal. It’s time we held both to a higher standard for the sake of all.

Optimism? Pessimism? Realism? - Personal Reflection

2012-01-24T03:21:00.001-05:00

Over the last few years with the economy in the dumps, many of us who have struggled have heard comments about how, as individuals, being more optimistic could help individuals move forward through their economic travails and get back on their feet sooner and headed towards the path to economic success. Some even surmise that our local community is suffering, because of a pervading pessimistic mood that has taken hold in the community like a contagion. I have been chastised time and time again for not being upbeat about this community. Maybe it is just my inherent personality, but I can't get a feel for what these people are saying.

I understand belief systems, I understand devotion, I understand perseverance and endurance... That is what keeps me going. That is what gives me hope that things will turn around. Yes, it is up to me as an individual to keep moving forward and keep challenging myself, but the anxiety and the depressed state of my emotions to me is understandable. I had no problem with making a modest income and not having all of the fancy trappings of life, but the last five years of my personal life have been a struggle; not in terms of making ends meet as much as not making personal economic progress -- closer to old age with nothing to show. I cannot do the physical work that I do when I get much older. And what does this treading water hold for my future?

I believe that intellectually through the necessity of the expansion of my cultural and social understanding that I have grown greatly. We have leaders on the local level all the way up to the top of the pyramid in this nation who think that if you have the opportunity, then you should work yourself to death. In my line of work, working on a line in a kitchen, you will not live very long if you work 60 hours a week. I used to do it up until a few years ago and it tears your body up and is mentally very stressful -- to the point of physical and mental exhaustion. In the end what I am espousing is that I believe that it has been necessary for my priorities to change.

Maybe it has been a blessing that so many have had to take a step back from the rat race. I have read stories lately about how the labor dynamic in this country has been permanently altered. Productivity is up, because of robotic automation. Jobs have been offshored due to transfer costs related to labor costs versus the bottom line Corporate Profit picture. While this has gone on, since the year 2000, we see the economic realities of a cost of living that has increased by at least 30% (Consumer Price Index), a median household income that in real terms has fallen by 10%, and a United States population that has grown by 10%. None of that bodes well for the economic future of this nation unless their are dramatic shifts in its economic realities.

As I have stated to others, many of us rightfully feel anger and frustration towards the apathy, ambivalence, and status quo mentality of many of the people in this community; who seem to be saying that the economy is bad around here, because we have bad attitudes. I disagree with that assessment and believe that the anger and frustration comes from the bad economy, a lack of vision of many people in this community, impediments by many in decision making positions towards taking action, and a lack of empathy towards those who are less fortunate.

I can tell you that I don't seek pity. I certainly don't want someone patronizing me. All anyone wants is opportunity. Impediments block opportunity. A lack of acknowledgement of those impediments makes the problems we face even worse.

I try to convey messages of relevance on this blog. I try to provide proper references and give detailed data and statistical summaries of what I proffer here. I also try to fully separate my opinion from the material presentations that are presented. Yes, I do display emotions, because I am a human being; but unlike the Dinosaur media, I don't try to pretend that I am impartial without a rooting interest, because I am an advocate, but I am an objective advocate.

One thing that I believe that we have spread here on this blog is that we must strive for excellence. That means that WE are going to have to take some risks and get out of our comfort zone I do realize that there are people who are still doing well economically. I know people from every segment of the socio-economic strata. Many of these people are going about their lives business as usual. I am an observant person. I see the cars people drive and many are obviously still going out to dinner and spending lots of money. But I also see the melancholy that has pervaded much of our society. There is a sense that something is missing. Maybe, just maybe, it is that God and spirituality have taken a back seat to material acquisitions. I see people who wear their religiosity on their sleeves, while promoting their personal material badges. I don't believe that those ideals go hand in hand. Think Humility.

When I speak of striving for excellence, I am not talking about the personal attainment of luxuries. I am talking about the overall "Quality of Life" environment that surrounds us as individuals. I believe that the ecosystem in which we live is integral to the excellence of us as individuals. If the people around me are happier, then I am going to be happier. If you are in a room of 100 people and 10 are in a bad mood, then you can still say that "there is always one in every crowd" and the attitude of the room will remain positive. If you have 50 in that room that are upset, then soon another 40 are going to be upset and the tables are going to be completely reversed. When I talk about momentum, this is exactly what I am talking about. Right now we have negative economic momentum in this community and in this nation.

I look to the fashion that has become ingrained in our culture and in some ways I have been a participant in it. This sense of dressing down and not being judged for how one looks. I think a lot of us have done this , because our jobs don't necessitate us being in a uniform or needing to be presentable. In my personal industry, we are around food and chemicals and we are actively working, so anything we wear is going to get ruined fairly soon. But, in saying that, I do realize that this style has become a reality as part of my every day wardrobe and since the dynamics of my personal life have been downtrodden, I have dressed the part on a mostly permanent basis over the last few years.

In my personal life, I have felt the blahs related to this negative momentum that could definitely be described as pessimism. I have gotten tired of being tired and achy. Some of this has been related to the feeling of mortality due to my grandmother's passing, some has been due to the loss of people in my life, some is related to knowing that my life is closer to over than beginning, and a lot of it is related to this survival mode that I have been in that feels like it is never going to end. I have told people that I have learned to embrace my bitterness. Much of this discomfort had caused me to not go to Church over the last several months and that was only snowballing these feelings. So, I made a New Year's resolution to take a stand, whether feeling like it or not, and get back to church and try to wear a suit when attending.

In the end, it is all about making an effort, even if one is just going through the motions in the beginning. I think for too long, many of us have found every way possible to follow the path of least resistance. I think the path of least resistance, and the false comfort that lies therein, is what has led this nation to where we are today. It is going to take a few of us, who are willing to take a stand, to turn the tide. We are going to have to create some resistance. Discomfort is coming whether we seek it or we wait on its arrival. Embrace the anxiety. It means you are alive.

Drumroll Please !!! - Hickory Metro is the 8th worst place in the United States to find a job. - U.S.News & World Report - Danielle Kurtzleben - January 23, 2012

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- January 22, 2012

2012-01-22T02:27:00.003-05:00

Bob Chapman - The International Forecaster - January 21, 2012 - If the entire financial system does not come down upon our heads and if we do not have another war, global growth is going nowhere in the year’s ahead. We had a mini-recovery, but it cost $1.8 trillion. We had a second recovery and that cost $1.5 trillion. We are entering a third of what is becoming yearly recoveries that will probably cost $1.3 trillion. In other worlds without these massive injections of money and credit we would probably be in a deflationary depression.          As a result of overspending and poor financial choices state, county and local governments continue layoffs, increase taxes, cut services and attempt to pay back unemployment loans from the Federal government by creating more debt, by floating additional bond issues. The people who run these governments just do not get it. They expect the next bull market is just around the corner and it isn’t. In 2014-2015 we can expect a housing inventory at banks of 9.8 million homes, all for sale. That guarantees no housing recovery for years to come.                    The massive exodus of good paying jobs, one million a year, due to free trade, globalization, offshoring and outsourcing and the loss of 450,000 manufactures will soon end, as a number of countries debate trade barriers. Such protectionism will initially cut back on world demand and the expansion of world debt. Austerity is already a by ward and means restrained spending as well. Governments will become more onerous with additional regulation and taxes, because they have no intention of really cutting spending. We have been waiting for more than three years for debt reduction and saving and it has not as yet really materialized on an ongoing basis. We ask, are American consumers capable of reducing debt and savings? If they do will personal consumption of GDP fall from 70% to lower levels? The answer is of course it will...                   House prices will fall 20% over the next three years and foreclosed inventory could reach close to 10 million homes. Even though your rent is rising, stay where you are for a few more years. If that in fact is the bottom how many years will house prices bump along the bottom? Will it be 8 years or 30 years? We don’t know, but a home is not a good investment at this time...                  As consumers eliminate debt and cut back on credit card usage, retail sales will fall. This tact could be a long-term phenomenon, as spenders use cash and debt cards, because they cannot control their spending otherwise. Even the lay-a-way plan is making a comeback, something we haven’t seen since the 1960s.

HOW DID WELLS FARGO INCREASE EARNINGS 20% IF REVENUE FELL 4%? - The Burning Platform - January 17, 2012 - How many companies do you know that can increase profits by 20% when their revenue falls 4%? It must be amazing productivity. Right?              Nope. Wells Fargo created $600 million of income out of thin air with a journal entry saying their losses will be lower in the future. Sounds familiar.                If you remove this fake income, it seems Wells Fargo’s income went up 3%.

John Williams: No Way Out–Hyperinflation by 2014 - Financial Sense - January 20, 2012 - (Youtube) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzKPvLDDz4g - Shadowstats.com

The Global Elite Are Hiding 18 Trillion Dollars In Offshore Banks - TheEconomicCollapse.com - In recent days, the fact that Mitt Romney has millions of dollars parked down in the Cayman Islands has made headlines all over the world. But when it comes to offshore banking, what Mitt Romney is doing is small potatoes. The truth is that the global elite are hiding an almost unbelievable amount of money in offshore banks. According to shocking research done by the IMF, the global elite are holding a total of 18 trillion dollars in offshore banks. And that figure does not even count any money being held in Switzerland. That is a staggering amount of money. Keep in mind that U.S. GDP in 2010 was only 14.58 trillion dollars. So why do the global elite go to such trouble to hide their money in offshore banks? Well, there are two main reasons. One is privacy and the other is low taxation. Privacy is a big issue for those that are involved in illegal enterprises such as drug running, but the biggest reason why people move money into offshore banks is in order to avoid taxes. Some set up bank accounts in foreign nations because they want to legally minimize their taxes and others set up bank accounts in foreign nations because they want to illegally avoid taxes. You would be absolutely amazed at what some large corporations and wealthy individuals do to get out of paying taxes. Unfortunately, the vast majority of the rest of us don't have the resources or the knowledge to play these games, so we get taxed into oblivion.

IRS data shows recession took heavy toll on sole proprietors (In North Carolina) - The Business Journal by Chris Bagley, Triangle Business Journal - January 20, 2012 - Sole proprietors in North Carolina saw their incomes shrink more dramatically and much earlier during the Great Recession than most other taxpayers, according to data recently released by the IRS. Analysts say the data reflect a sharp decline in consumer spending and businesses’ general difficulties in adjusting their own spending, particularly on labor. While business income began to decline in 2007, most of the resulting layoffs and wage freezes didn’t follow until 2009, these analysts say.

Gaston Co. schools to decide on proposed closing of 3 schools - WSOC-TV - January 17, 2012 - GASTON COUNTY, N.C. -- On Tuesday, Gaston County school officials will decide whether to shut down three schools. Parents have been fighting to keep Rhyne Elementary, York Chester Middle and McAdenville Elementary schools open. The district said closing the schools will save $27 million over five years. The school board is set to vote on the closures Tuesday night.

Insight: Recovery at risk as Americans raid savings - Reuters - By Jilian Mincer and Jonathan Spicer - January 17, 2012 - In an ominous sign for America's economic growth prospects, workers are paring back contributions to college funds and growing numbers are borrowing from their retirement accounts.           Some policymakers worry that a recent spike in credit card usage could mean that people, many of whom are struggling on incomes that have lagged inflation, are taking out new debt just to meet the costs of day-to-day living.            American households "have been spending recently in a way that did not seem in line with income growth. So somehow they've been doing that through perhaps additional credit card usage," Chicago Federal Reserve President Charles Evans said on Friday. "If they saw future income and employment increasing strongly then that would be reasonable. But I don't see that. So I've been puzzled by this," he said.          After a few years of relative frugality, the amount of money that Americans are saving has fallen back to its lowest level since December 2007 when the recession began. The personal saving rate dipped in November to 3.5 percent, down from 5.1 percent a year earlier, according to the U.S. Commerce Department. (The Hound: Why save money when the government is working hard to devalue the currency and the banks low-risk investments pay next to nothing. Why save for a child's education or retirement, when there is no assurance that the Investment Banks aren't going to steal it from you. That is the mindset!)

Treasury dips into pension funds to avoid debt - Reuters - Reporting By Rachelle Younglai; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and James Dalgleish - January 17, 2012 - The Treasury on Tuesday started dipping into federal pension funds in order to give the Obama administration more credit to pay government bills. Geithner said Treasury started suspending reinvestments in a federal pension fund known as the G-Fund -- a tool Treasury has had to employ six times over the past 20 years in order to keep the country below the statutory debt limit. The Treasury Department has already tapped another seldom-used fund in order to allow the government to continue borrowing without running afoul of the country's laws.

Insight: Top Justice officials connected to mortgage banks - Reuters - Scot J. Paltrow - January 20, 2012 - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and Lanny Breuer, head of the Justice Department's criminal division, were partners for years at a Washington law firm that represented a Who's Who of big banks and other companies at the center of alleged foreclosure fraud, a Reuters inquiry shows. The firm, Covington & Burling, is one of Washington's biggest white shoe law firms. Law professors and other federal ethics experts said that federal conflict of interest rules required Holder and Breuer to recuse themselves from any Justice Department decisions relating to law firm clients they personally had done work for.               Both the Justice Department and Covington declined to say if either official had personally worked on matters for the big mortgage industry clients. Justice Department spokeswoman Tracy Schmaler said Holder and Breuer had complied fully with conflict of interest regulations, but she declined to say if they had recused themselves from any matters related to the former clients.             Reuters reported in December that under Holder and Breuer, the Justice Department hasn't brought any criminal cases against big banks or other companies involved in mortgage servicing, even though copious evidence has surfaced of apparent criminal violations in foreclosure cases.            The evidence, including records from federal and state courts and local clerks' offices around the country, shows widespread forgery, perjury, obstruction of justice, and illegal foreclosures on the homes of thousands of active-duty military personnel.            In recent weeks the Justice Department has come under renewed pressure from members of Congress, state and local officials and homeowners' lawyers to open a wide-ranging criminal investigation of mortgage servicers, the biggest of which have been Covington clients. So far Justice officials haven't responded publicly to any of the requests.

Warren Pollock on Max Keiser Regarding Bank Holidays

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of January 17, 2012

2012-01-18T03:44:00.001-05:00

The Hound can see the great heart of the Citizens of Hickory through the endeavor above. Hank Guess showed the overall good guy that he is in the presentation above. One could not help but see what a beneficial event this was from the beginning of this process to what was displayed tonight.

Consent Agenda:
A. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from City of Hickory to Jane Deitz in Oakwood Cemetery

B. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from City of Hickory to Betty Anthony in Southside Cemetery

C. Transfer of Cemetery Deed from City of Hickory to Robert Dixon in Southside Cemetery

D. Special Event Permit Application to Use Union Square for Hickory Downtown Art Crawls on Thursday, May 17, 2012 and Thursday, September 20, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

E. Special Event Permit Application to Use Union Square for Swinging Under the Stars on Sunday, May 27, 2012 from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.

F. Special Event Permit Application to Use Union Square for Hickory Oktoberfest on Friday, October 12, Saturday, October 13, and Sunday, October 14, 2012 from 5:00 p.m. on Friday to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday)

G. Special Event Permit Application to Use Union Square for A Hickory Holiday! On Thursday, December 13, 2012 from 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.

H. Offer to Purchase From Mildred A. Mauney to City of Hickory to Purchase City-Owned Vacant Lot Located on 2nd Street SW (PIN No. 370211573006) in the Amount of $2,000.00 - Mildred A. Mauney has presented an offer to purchase the city-owned vacant lot located on 2nd Street SW in the amount of $2,000.00. This .26-acre vacant lot is located beside Ms. Mauney’s home, and she has cared for and maintained the lot for the past 27 years. The property is zoned R-4, which allows single-family, multi-family residential or manufactured homes. The contract states that the buyer agrees to the inclusion of a restriction in the general warranty deed prohibiting the placement of mobile homes upon the property. Habitat For Humanity is not interested in the lot since they want to concentrate in Ridgeview or other neighborhoods like Green Park. Staff recommends acceptance of the offer to purchase from Ms. Mauney and authorization to advertise for upset bids. Once the property is advertised, other parties will have ten (10) days to submit upset bids.

I. Amendment to Traffic Ordinance By Changing All Parking on Union Square from Drive Entrance at 2nd Street NW Westward to Drive Entrance at 3rd Street NW from Two (2) Hours to Three (3) Hours - The Hickory Downtown Development Association (HDDA) has requested an extension of the time limitation for public parking on Union Square. They feel this would better accommodate the needs of customers and clients of the downtown business owners. This was agreed upon by the HDDA Downtown Parking Task Force on October 4, 2011, approved by the HDDA General Membership on December 7, 2011, and approved by the HDDA Board of Directors on December 20, 2011. The Traffic Division has analyzed this request and feels it would be fitting. Changing the signage along this parking area would be simple, and the signs/markings shop has already taken the appropriate steps to ensure an easy transition. Staff recommends approval.

J. Budget Ordinance Amendments
1. To budget $250 of library donations in the Library Books line item.
2. To budget $1,237 of Local Government Revenue in the Police Department Overtime line item. This revenue is payment from Catawba County Mental Health for a portion of an Officers time spent when accompanying involuntary commitment patients.
3. To budget $1,000 of Appropriated General Fund Balance and budget in the Library’s Audio and Visual Materials line item. This revenue represents a grant awarded to the Patrick Beaver Library from the Hickory International Council at the end of June, 2011 to purchase materials. The award came too late in FY11 to process, therefore an amendment is necessary.
4. To budget $6,500 of insurance claim checks from Trident Insurance Company in the Traffic Division Capital Vehicles line item for damages sustained to a Traffic Van. To transfer $13,500 of Traffic permanent salaries to the Capital Vehicles line item to provide the additional funds needed to replace the vehicle.
5. To budget a $10,349 insurance claim check from Farm Bureau Insurance Company in the Water and Sewer Maintenance and Repair of Vehicles line item. This insurance claim check is for damage sustained to Water and Sewer Division truck.
6. To budget funds for the first phase of the Zahra Baker All-Children's Playground Project. This is for the purchase of playground equipment for this project. Revenues include a $102,231 donation from the Hickory Kiwanis Foundation and a $20,000 grant from KaBoom! (to be paid directly to the vendor) This project will be constructed at Kiwanis Park.

Informational Items
A. Report of City Manager Mick Berry’s travel to attend the Redevelopment and Economic Development Meeting in Chattanooga, TN on December 13 – 14, 2011 (room – $198.15; per diem - $60.86; rental car - $200.51; other expenses (fuel) - $136.25)

B. Report of Mayor Rudy Wright’s travel to attend the Redevelopment and Economic Development Meeting in Chattanooga, TN on December 13 – 14, 2011 (room - $198.15; per diem - $60.86)

C. Report of Alderman Brad Lail’s travel to attend the Redevelopment and Economic Development Meeting in Chattanooga, TN on December 13 – 14, 2011 (room $198.15; per diem - $60.86)

D. Report of Alderman Hank Guess’s travel to attend the Redevelopment and Economic Development Meeting in Chattanooga, TN on December 13 – 14, 2011 (room $198.15; per diem - $60.86)

E. Report of Alderwoman Jill Patton’s travel to attend the Redevelopment and Economic Development Meeting in Chattanooga, TN on December 13 – 14, 2011 (room - $198.15; per diem - $60.86)

The Hound: The minutes of this meeting, held in Chattanooga, can be found on this link. They were posted earlier today. We weren't privy to the happenings from this meeting, but I do find the discussions to be very interesting in an odd way even though we have to read between the lines of the subject matter.

They are talking about creating a commission for entertainment and apparently, although she was not present, the thoughts of Alder Fox are to hold some kind of conference/event that centers around this. These minutes were not voluminous, but mention is made of the HDDA being involved in this process. Once again City officials are adamant that Hickory Economic Development center around Union Square.

City Manager Berry talks about the issue of Wayfinding and makes a point that Downtown Parking Deck funds can be used for the project. Isn't it time that the Parking Deck fund was used to build a parking deck? As I stated with the Tent on Union Square, which is also utilizing this fund. This is not going to mitigate the parking issues that people complain about as the number one problem with the Union Square experience. The City does deserve a Thank You for extending the parking hours from 2 to 3 hours, which was a recommendation made over 3 years ago. If you aren't going to utilize the Parking Deck fund for its legislated intended purpose, then let's see some honest government and end this fund and a fund instituted called the "Union Square Pet Projects Fund."

In this meeting, they flat out say that a Hickory Furniture Museum won't work and I think that is ludicrous. No rhyme or reason why it won't work, but I know it would step on some toes and we see a conflict of interest in this conversation -- put the puzzle together...

The Mayor wants to focus on population growth 25 jobs at a time -- huh?!?!?!? Government jobs are recession proof -- well we will be finding out if that is true here pretty soon. He puts a number on the percentage of growth he would like to see in Manufacturing. How about we not put a number on it and create an environment where modern manufacturing can thrive. There are already efforts under way to do just that and we don't need to limit or constrain our capacity for growth with these numbers from nowhere. If Freightliner can add 1,100 jobs in Cleveland, NC and Solstace can create 500 in High Point, then we don't need to talk about landing such projects as though it is an impossibility.

Why is this blog called pessimistic and yet we point to things that can be done, while our leaders constantly tell us what can't be done and they are lauded for their optimism?

New Business - Departmental Reports:
1. Quarterly Financial Report - GENERAL FUND SUMMARY 50% OF THE YEAR COMPLETE . We have received 60.85% of our budgeted revenues. The 5 year average is 56.28%. Warren states that this is the first time we have been ahead of the game in a while. We have spent/encumbered 49.94% of our budgeted expenditures. The 5 year average is 49.50%. Revenues over (under) expenditures = $6,107,713. The 5 year average is $4,615,523. This is good news and is due to property tax revenues. Water/Sewer Fund - We have received 47.98% of our budgeted revenues. The 5 year average is 45.45%. We have spent/encumbered 52.02% of our budgeted expenditures. The 5 year average is 46.99%. Revenues over (under) expenditures = $189,529. The 5 year average is $173,608.This is a $20 million budget, so this is on target.

The above graph shows that Property Tax Revenues have met 71% of budgeted projections. That is a pleasant surprise, which is better than what has been seen in the last five years. They didn't see this happening, because of the bad building permit numbers. The problem with the lack of building permits is that it will eventually be a drag on revenue growth. Warren stated that the tax base estimate has remained stable (level), which is good news. He says, "so far, so good." This makes up 53% of revenue in the General Fund.

Sales Tax revenue makes up 15% of revenues. This represents 5 months. The City should meet the estimate for the year. There has been a $700,000 drop from peak sales tax revenues of 2008-2009. Investments have earned $36,000 this fiscal year. 90 day CDs are earning .1%. He believes that these earnings will increase in the second half of the year.

Wells Fargo Economic Outlook for 2012 - Expect 2% GDP growth during 2012. Threading the needle between low growth and recession. Continued slow job gains - 123,000 monthly. Modest improvement in income growth - 1%. Bottom Line: A repeat of 2011 assuming Europe and/or oil prices do not "blow up." This will give households another year to reduce their debt and increase savings (hopefully) resulting in increased confidence.

(National) Local Government Outlook - New Reality Slower Revenue Growth = Slower Spending Growth. Continued decline or stagnation of property values will negatively impact the tax base. This may continue to be an issue for years. Small improvement in consumer spending. Little need for new retail construction. Single family construction "dead in the water." Industrial fixed investment will be a bright spot.

What all of this means for us: We are beginning to see some stability and predictability in the numbers. We are not seeing net growth in revenue. Building permits are still at all time lows. Increased funding for fuel costs, health insurance costs, and capital replacement costs will be challenging. Cautious approach to undertaking initiatives that create annual recurring expenses. Will continue to recommend use of cash reserves for economic development related projects.

The Hound believes that Warren's report was an excellent summary rooted in current economic realities. I do believe that Europe is going to financially implode in the near future and the games being played in the Middle East do not bode well for oil price stability. The stability in local property values can be summarized as a dead cat bounce. We are lying on a plateau awaiting the next leg down. This was talked about at the Entrepreneurial Summit last week. We have local industrial property owners that are allowing aspiring entrepreneurs free rent just to keep buildings occupied for security purposes, because of crime such as copper theft of wiring that has been going on.

I think Warren is dead on in what he has pointed to over the last several years with the building permit numbers. The way things stand now; we have at least another decade, as it stands, before we will see any real growth in property values. The entire country is overbuilt and without job growth and commerce, you are not going to see anything pushing us towards the demand side of the equation when it comes to housing, commercial, or industrial needs. The increase in sales tax revenue is purely a reflection on inflation and is actually negative. Sure some industry might come back from overseas, but until we change the trade paradigm, we aren't going to see a renaissance in the business sector that will sustain robust growth. But, the reality is that if we do find the guts to stand up against the raping and pillaging of our Industrial Base and the Middle Class, then we can see the renaissance that can rebuild this nation.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- January 15, 2012

2012-01-15T03:24:00.000-05:00

The Hounds notes from the Regional Entrepreneur Summit (Part 1) - January 11. 2012
The Hounds notes from the Regional Entrepreneur Summit (Part 2) - January 11. 2012

The event above was a very good event that I feel went very well with some of the previous events that have been presented by the North Carolina Partnership in Innovation (NCPI) and the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce. The idea of holding these types of events was a big part of the discussions that have taken place during Future Economy Council meetings over the last three years. We have now seen two innovation events take place over the last 14 months and the first Edison Project Event. I truly believe these events have been fruitful and are developing a pattern which is moving the area forward and will bear fruit in the not to distant future.

The above event, which featured keynote speaker Ted Abernathy focused on collaboration, the event in November 2010 focused on creating networks that lead to innovation, and the Edison Project event was an initiative that put the rubber to the road leading to specific action. We still have a long way to go, but we are definitely way past baby steps and far down the path on this journey.

The Edison Project - Good News and Great Ventures - September 19, 2011
Innovation 2010 - Andrew Hargadon - Creating a Network of Innovation - November 11, 2010

JPM Explains Why The US Economy Is About To Hit A Brick Wall - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden January 13, 2012 - JPM's head economist Michael Feroli just joined the bandwagon of other Wall Streeters in cutting Q4 GDP, trimming his prior forecast of 3.5% to 3.0%. However, as this is backward looking, it is largely irrelevant if confirming what we already knew: that the economy was certainly not growing as fast as the market implied it was (yes, the manipulated market is not the economy, no matter how much the Fed would like that to be the case). A bigger question is what should one expect from the future. Yes - an in vitro future, isolated from the daily rumor mill of what may or may not happen to the French rating tomorrow or the day after. It is here that there is nothing good to expect: 'we think growth will downshift from 3.0% in 4Q11 to 2.0% in 1Q12. Looking beyond the first quarter, we expect a growing private domestic sector will contend with a fading drag from the external sector and a persistent drag from the public sector." Yet where JPM falls short, is its optimistic view on the private sector. As David Rosenberg showed yesterday, the ratio of negative to positive preannouncements just hit a multi-year high, with the primary culprit being the strong dollar. Unfortunately for Feroli's bullish angle, the private sector will not do all that well at all if the EURUSD remains in the mid 1.20s or falls further. In fact, corporate earnings will likely be trounced, which in combination with everything else that JPM lists out, correctly, could make the second half of 2012 a perfect storm for economic growth, an event which Obama's pre-electoral planners are all too aware of. What is the only possible recourse? Why more QE of course. The only unknown is "when."...

JPMorgan Profit Falls on Trading, Investment Bank Revenue - Bloomberg - Dawn Kopecki - January 13, 2012 - JPMorgan Chase & Co., the largest U.S. bank by assets, said fourth-quarter profit fell 23 percent as trading revenue and investment-banking fees declined. Net income dropped to $3.73 billion, or 90 cents a share, from $4.83 billion, or $1.12, in the same period a year earlier, the New York-based company said today in a statement. Earnings matched the average estimate of 28 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.... Investment banks are eliminating workers to compensate for falling trading revenue, disclosing plans to reduce staff by more than 200,000, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Royal Bank of Scotland Group Plc, Britain’s biggest government- owned bank, said this week it would cut about 4,800 jobs..... U.S. banks are in the middle of the industry’s worst two years of revenue growth since the Great Depression, according to Mike Mayo, an analyst with independent research firm CLSA in New York. Earnings across the industry were weak in the fourth quarter and won’t have much improvement this year, he said.....

Presenting Mitt Romney's Top Campaign Contributors - Tyler Durden on January 14, 2012 -

Corporate Welfare: State Taxpayers Pay to Train Workers for Large Corporations - AllGov - Noel Brinkerhoff - January 11, 2012 - Taxpayers are increasingly covering the cost of training for a corporation’s workforce, without getting any long-term benefit in return. For instance, North Carolina has spent a million dollars for 400 residents to learn skills for working in a Caterpillar factory, in addition to a $4.3 million on a community college program customized specifically to meet the company’s labor needs. While the investments are expected to help Caterpillar remain in the state, there are no assurances that will happen. Previously, the state spent $2 million to train employees for a Dell factory. Five years later, the computer maker closed down its operation, costing North Carolina nearly 1,000 jobs. Among the subsidies given to corporations, according to a report by Good Jobs First, are income tax credits, cash grants, low-cost or forgivable loans, reimbursement for worker training expenses and reductions in property taxes.

White-Collar Workers Join Crowd Straining Food Banks - Bloomberg - Patrick Cole - January 11, 2012 - After losing her job as a consultant for nonprofits, Martha Heassler and her husband, a graphic artist, no longer had money for their daughter’s college education, new clothing or groceries. We’re waiting for my husband’s paycheck, and we probably have less than $200 to our name,” Heassler, 55, said by phone. She now makes weekly trips to the Open Door Food Pantry in Gloucester, Massachusetts, to pick up bags of food that include meat, eggs, yogurt and vegetables. “Without the network of food pantries around us, I don’t know how we would have eaten,” said Heassler, who holds a bachelor’s degree in English literature from Gordon College, in Wenham, Massachusetts. As the sluggish economy idles more middle-class individuals and families, their donations to food banks and soup kitchens have evaporated, hitting the nonprofits from both ends..

DailyJobCuts.com
Layoffs - PNC to lay off 600 in NC after RBC merger - WRAL.com - January 6, 2012 - Rocky Mount and Raleigh
Hiring - Freightliner truck plant will add 1,100 jobs in N.C. - AP - Emery P. Dalesio - January 13, 2012 - Cleveland, NC
Hiring - Solstas seeks incentives to add 500 jobs in High Point - The Business Journal - Matt Evans - January 6, 2012 - High Point

Gerald Celente makes talks about Trends for 2012

The Hounds notes from the Regional Entrepreneur Summit (Part 2) - January 11. 2012

2012-01-14T04:25:00.000-05:00

The following is Part 2 of a summary of the information provided at the conference on Building Entrepreneurial Communities held this morning Wednesday, January 11, 2012 sponsored by the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce and the North Carolina Partners in Innovation (NCPI). The conference was held at the Crowne Plaza in Hickory and featured speaker Ted Abernathy who is the Executive Director of the Southern Growth Policies Board who believes that "Complex problems need collaborative solutions. Collaboration is not natural, but by following some basic rules communities can use collaboration to create a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurial businesses and collaboration are both a natural fit and a marriage of necessity."

In Part 1 of the presentation you will see local leaders provide ideas, information, and initiatives that can help to turn the Economic plight of our community around. Especially interesting was the information provided by Bill Parrish who is the Director of The Small Business and Technology Development Center and a fellow participant in the Future Economy Council. Much of the information provided within this presentation is relevant to the discussions that have been presented on the Hound.

Here in Part 2, I will write about the Presentation of Ted Abernathy, who in the past was the Director of the Research Triangle Park and wants to work in collaboration to help turn Hickory around. He worked in the past with Bill Parrish of the SBTDC. What you will see is that it isn't us against the World. There are many interested parties in this State that want to see this region turn it around and are willing to help us do just that.

Ted Abernathy - Entrepreneurial Development is Collaboration - Mr. Abernathy first began his presentation by exhibiting percentage of venture capital in the United States. He stated that we aren't going to solve (our problems) by thinking the way everyone else thinks. He added that he was brought in to speak about collaborative models and how we get people to work together to achieve something together. Economic Development has gone from being a game of checkers to becoming three dimensional chess. You have to anticipate and prepare.

Photos copyright: ©2012 Pat Appleson Studios, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Used By Permission

John F. Kennedy - "Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought."

Collaboration is the act of working with one or more people to do something that you can't do yourself.
Collaboration = Value - People collaborate when it is in their interest to do so.
Depends on where you sit - The successful process designs itself so that everyone sees the value in the back end
Crisis & Complacency - Motivation comes when Crisis exceeds Complacency
Context matters - Like a Habitat for Humanity House. Agree to the goal and roles of participants.

5 things that make collaboration hard
1) What is the new normal? 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. The Churn - there are always jobs being increased and lost in communities. Alvin Toffler - Future Shock - The pace of change is so fast it is making us ill (this was 40 years ago). We want and need to know about where we are headed in the future. Philip Tetlock - You can't know enough to predict.
2)Complexity Conundrum - Changing Trends. The complexity of the world causes most people to tune out. Global interdependence shows that the world is interconnected. Top percent GDP Growers in 2012 - They aren't all where you would think they would be. We are in a Matrix Paradox.
3) Cultural Fragmentation - News/Books/Music/Movies/Information. Lack of Familiarity. Today we get information from many more sources, so we aren't as familiar with where others are coming from.
4) We are in a bad mood - Lack of satisfaction in jobs. Most people say things are worse. 100 years ago the life expectancy was 47 years old.
5)The American Dream Crisis - Vision of America. Opportunity for all. It isn't how you were born; It is what you do with your talents. Mr. Abernathy asked what we thought America would be like in 2050. It is hard to be positive about the future when the media is so negative. Building competitive regional clusters is about enabling entrepreneurship through infrastructure, R&D, and training citizens. Global manufacturing - Top 10 drivers in competitiveness. America has to have a strong manufacturing base.

5 things that make for successful collaborations
1) Understanding motivations - "Their best interests." Regions are in this together. Motivations - The Sawyer effect - Create a message that resonates. Co-opts are created to help shops in an area, because vacancies drag down other businesses in an area. Likewise, regions are in this together. When motivating people to help you, you need to figure out how to motivate people to help you through what they want. All communities are competing for economic success. There will be winners and losers in this process. Specific language matters - Franks Luntz.
2)Build a team. Engage every partner. - Business Advantage Center. Evolution of Groups - they get familiar with each other, then build a common language based upon what they want to do, they create shared visions, then work together and eventually learn to trust one another. This builds Social Capital - or Hardwiring a Community. He addressed the people of Leadership Catawba and told them that if they weren't willing to lead, then they should quit the class. The experience is about networking and building trust.
3) Leadership is crucial and models are changing - Hierarchical or Grass Roots. Leadership is changing - Trust/Public/Private/Non-Profit. "Twilight of the Elite." Effective Regional Leadership. Martin Dempsey Quote. What do we want from leadership? Trust and Action. We want to believe that leaders have our interests at heart. There is a need for a catalyst. We get caught up on the fact we think that this is supposed to be hierarchy. Leadership depends on consensus. We need a shared regional narrative. How do we describe our area and talk about it. "A leader is a dealer in hope" - Napolean Bonaparte. “A society grows great when old men plant trees whose shade they know they shall never sit in.” - Greek Proverb. General Martin Dempsey recently said, "In the past, "we would have said we want men who are physically fit, educated, and disciplined. Now, what we way is that we want someone who wants to belong to a values-based group, who can communicate, who is inquisitive, and who has an instinct to collaborate."
4)Narrow whatever it is you are dealing with. The New Economy - how to prepare people and places to succeed in the New Economy. Define the geography. Let the function create the form. Collaborative Capacity -- if there is not a group to keep everything organized, then it will not work. If people don't think the objectives can succeed, then they will fail. You need to set realistic objectives. Collective Success depends on common agendas, shared measurements, mutually reinforcing activities, and support structures.
5) It takes capacity to hold groups together - How do you move people? Social influence - peer pressure. You model the behavior you expect. People get information in different ways, but they expect information. Collective Impact - Success is important.

People receive information in different ways. People are sure that society can't get along, but this isn't anything new. We knew this in the founding of the nation. James Madison - "The latent causes of faction are thus sown in the nature of man; and we see them everywhere brought into different degrees of activity, according to the different circumstances of civil society." Friction - checks and balances. Jacksonianism - Tea Party and other things have happened before and they reset America. Community Resilience was born out of Hurricane Katrina. How do you prepare people before critical times happen? Prepare today for negative events that may happen tomorrow. Communities have to be intentional in what they do in order to be successful. The more social capital, the better.

The Millennial Generation will be the most Entrepreneurial generation that we have ever had. They were born, technological, global, and expecting change to happen. They want to work for themselves.

Southern Growth Policies Board - Southern.org

The Hounds notes from the Regional Entrepreneur Summit (Part 1) - January 11. 2012

2012-01-12T01:37:00.003-05:00

The following is Part 1 of a summary of the information provided at the conference on Building Entrepreneurial Communities held this morning Wednesday, January 11, 2012 sponsored by the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce and the North Carolina Partners in Innovation (NCPI). The conference was held at the Crowne Plaza in Hickory and featured speaker Ted Abernathy who is the Executive Director of the Southern Growth Policies Board who believes that "Complex problems need collaborative solutions. Collaboration is not natural, but by following some basic rules communities can use collaboration to create a competitive advantage. Entrepreneurial businesses and collaboration are both a natural fit and a marriage of necessity."

In Part 1 of the presentation you will see local leaders provide ideas, information, and initiatives that can help to turn the Economic plight of our community around. Especially interesting was the information provided by Bill Parrish who is the Director of The Small Business and Technology Development Center and a fellow participant in the Future Economy Council. Much of the information provided within this presentation is relevant to the discussions that have been presented on the Hound. In Part 2, I will write about the Presentation of Ted Abernathy, who in the past was the Director of the Research Triangle Park and wants to work in collaboration to help turn Hickory around. What you will see is that it isn't us against the World. There are many interested parties in this State that want to see this region turn it around and are willing to help us do just that.

Michael Blackburn, CEO of Frye Regional Medical Center and the current chairman of the board of the Catawba County Chamber of Commerce mad introductions for each speaker at the event.

Dr. Jane Everson the Chair of the NCPI explained the purpose of the NCPI and how it consists of the UNC system and the region's Community Colleges along with the four county Chamber of Commerce's. She introduced the top three finalist winners of the Edison project and spoke about entrepreneurial initiatives in the area. Dr. Everson is the outgoing Director of the Appalachian State University - Hickory Partnership and the outgoing chair of the NCPI. It will be hard to fill her shoes in these positions, because she has worked hard getting these initiatives off the ground.

Dr Garrett Hinshaw, President of Catawba Valley Community College was the next speaker. He talked about how hard it was to define entrepreneurship and compared the economy of the 1990s to now. What has happened? The challenge comes in the uncertainty of the future. He spoke about Frye Regional Medical Center and a patient with a fibrillating heart. You have to do something. The community is going to have to provide the shock and create the vision and it includes a role to play for every person in the community. He challenged the people at the conference to help determine what the shock will be. We have to determine that action. The answer has to be created. He introduced Bill Parrish.

Bill Parrish is the Director of the The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC). He paid complements to the work of Dr.s Hinshaw and Everson. He talked about last years event - (Innovation 2010 - Andrew Hargadon - Creating a Network of Innovation). He gave credit to Dr. Jim Zuiches and Dr. Tom White of NC State University, stating this event couldn't have taken place without their help. Bill spoke of the Catawba County Chamber's role in this event and wanted to emphasize Catawba County Chamber President Danny Hearn's point that this is a regional event. He pointed to the organizations that have supported this event.

Bill talked about a study done by a group called Collaborative Economics. Entrepreneurship and small business plays a key role in economic development and is the single business driver of economic well being, technological innovation, and wealth creation. Entrepreneurs are innovators, connectors, and collaborators raising money from people they don't even know. Entrepreneur - a person who organizes and manages any enterprise, especially a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk, but their are more definition than can be counted.

Execution - the act of putting ones ideas into action... putting it into a business entity that is sustainable.
He pointed to the movie "The Sound of Music" and how Julie Andrews character got things done in spite of children that didn't like her and an overbearing father. Execution separate the dreamer with an idea from the business visionary who takes it forward and creates jobs. He pointed next to Steve Jobs, the president of Apple.

So what? Who Cares? What me worry? Carrying on with business as usual won't get us where we need to go. Manufacturing in the United States was 20% in 1990 and has fallen to below 12%. Manufacturing in the Catawba County was over 50% in 1990 and has fallen to 27%. Technology Explains Drop in Manufacturing Jobs.

U.S. Manufacturing Productivity and Output.

We have lost 35% of our jobs in the 1987-2010 time period shown in the graph above. 49% of rural folks who become unemployed find work in one year. That means that 51% didn't. 30% of these people made less than half of what they made in their previous job. North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center

Dashboard Indicators- Most Communities are not Entrepreneurial
Change in Output - Local Equivalent of the National Gross Domestic Product
Employment Growth
Productivity
Per Capita Income Growth - Jobs is one thing, but to sustain and grow, you need income growth.

Keys to Regional Growth
Skilled Workforce - We are dead last in educational attainment. Local initiatives have created programs to address this. It will take time to turn around.
Business Dynamics - Churning - Entrepreneurial turmoil where businesses are created and destroyed.
Legacy of Place - The cost of outdated facilities and the effects of a shrinking tax base.
Location Amenities - Quality of Life. Will people want to move here?

Environmental Ecosystem
Assets - Education Infrastructure, Financial Institutions, Broadband
Connections - Networking, Partnerships, Collaboration
Culture - The mindset and attitude of the community towards entrepreneurs of different lifestyles.
Quality of Life - The Environment and pools of talent in a community
Combination - Recipe of Ingredients. The community has to put the ingredients together and make them work.

National Trends 2011
Focus on Region - Action and tangible outcomes of regionalism
Reorganizing Economic Development
Access to Capital - As hard to come by as ever
Tax Incentives - NC has a number of them
New Commitments to Technology Based Economic Development (TBED) - More money being spent on targeted research.
Research Investment
Higher Education & Stem Incentives - Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics

Fortune 500 Replacement
Replacement of 1/3 of companies in 1960 took 20 years, in 1983 it took 11 years, in 1999 it was down to 4 years. Those are the big businesses where things turn slower. Think of the smaller businesses and this churn rate. The entrepreneurs are having to outrun the big guys.

Bill next talked about Facebook
130 - Average # of friends of users of Facebook
50% growth of users in 2011
800 million users worldwide
$70 Billion minimum market cap estimate for when the company goes public

Bill wants us to watch a story that will be broadcast on NBC on January 16, 2012 at 10pm that will discuss the restart of Cochran Furniture. The company is being reborn as Lincolnton Furniture. The company CEO is Bruce Cochran and he was interviewed by Carolina Business Review (starts at the 11:00 mark in the video below).

CBR 2115 - Bruce Cochrane, President & CEO, Lincolnton Furniture Company from WTVI Charlotte on Vimeo.

The Hound's take on Mayor Wright's Interview with Hal Row - 1/9/2012

2012-01-10T02:53:00.000-05:00

This morning I got up to listen to the Mayor on Hal Row’s show doing the “Monthly Morning Meeting.” Much of what was discussed seemed to be a rebuttal to what has been discussed here on the Hound.

In speaking with Harry about what we heard this morning. Harry had something very interesting that he pointed out. Remember Frank Luntz coming here last year and how everyone has bought into Frank Luntz’s word magic. It seems that the city is looking to take a page out of the Frank Luntz playbook and this is what they think branding is all about -- A game of semantics. They don’t like the fact that the $285,000 Big Tent on Union Square has been labeled that. They are jumping here, there, and everywhere to come up with some kind of descriptive moniker that will stick.

There was a comment in one of the earlier posts, about this subject, in which the responder stated that he didn’t think the Council understood the project. Although the wheels have been in motion on this thing for several months, I also don’t think the Council grasps the concept of what this structure is or its purpose and I think that this interview reiterated that point. The Mayor was using names like the gathering area, the Agora, meeting place, exhibit locations, pods, big pod, smaller pods, units, etc.; but it was almost as if he was doing an on air fishing expedition to find some way to describe what this thing is.

No matter how it is spun, this tent fulfills none of the capacities they are attempting to solve. I don’t know what the intrinsic artistic value will be worth, but it is plain as day to see its limitations. The Mayor said that there will be 16 to 20 pods. From what I understand there are presently 33 vendors at the Farmer’s market, where will the other 13 to 17+ vendors be placed? Does it make sense that this is supposed to be a permanent structure for the Farmer’s market and yet it doesn’t even sustain the current level of market activity? And does this not show that the Farmer’s Market on Union Square is maxed out and cannot grow anymore? And what about the fact that the fabric on the structure is going to have to be replaced in the not too distant future?

Then to call this structure an Amphitheater is a bastardization of that term. It will be less than two feet off the ground (look below your knees) with very limited seating and according to Mr. Zagaroli himself, this will not enhance the acoustics of that area. This token all purpose structure is being built to avoid a bolder, riskier move. So basically all they are doing is modernizing the current setup, yet we hear that there are still members of the City Council that want to see an end to some current events, such as Hickory Alive. So we are going to run off current draws with no guarantees of replacement events?

Once again, I don’t see where any of this adds up to helping recoup the $285,000+ that is being spent on this project, coming from the general fund and penalty money revenues that people have had to pay due to the poor parking situation on Union Square. One of the biggest issues we hear from citizens who complain about their Union Square experience is the parking problems. Yet, money is being diverted from the fund that was instituted under the guise of creating infrastructure to help solve those problems. This is the definition of a slush fund folks.

Much of what we discuss above is the very reasons why we don’t want the City be in charge of building and running anything of this nature. We saw what they did at the LP Frans this past September with the Gay Pride Festival and we know how they are trying to find problems with Hickory Alive. Have you ever inquired about using a facility that is operated by the City of Hickory? It ain’t cheap folks! Do you want the Hickory City Government micro-managing entertainment choices in this community?

All anyone has asked the City to do is to foster and facilitate ideas and maybe help with seed monies that will be recouped as soon as possible. Any entertainment venues need to be operated by an “Authority,” which would be a local autonomous public-private venture. The Hickory City Council should have zero input on such a venture, with the exception being current codes and ordinances.

If you are going to build any public venue, then you institute an initiative. You have public entities come forward with requests for proposals, then you take a look at the ideas and how they fit within the framework of a budget and then after taking all variables into consideration, you make the decision on the project and who will build the project. That is what we saw with the Google initiative and that is what we are supposed to see with all Governmental initiatives, especially expensive ones.

The next big issue discussed was the Mayor inferring that $5 million to $10 million was going to be spent on a project that will be implemented this year. The "Craftsman" idea is apparently the main theme behind whatever it is that council is going to do. So this $5-10 million is going to be spent with that in mind. Apparently, there is going to be some private investment as well. But this notion of Hickory is ___________... That blank is going to be filled in by the Council with the help of the City Manager's office and the Business Development team. But given the track record we have witnessed, the ”It” will be what the Mayor (with City Manager Berry’s tweaking) wants to do, is thinking, wants done.

It seems the BIG project might be a business incubator, such as what Alderman Lail described from the visit to Chattanooga. The specific place they visited connected business owners with entrepreneurs. The Company Lab - (Facebook) connects idea people with artists. He said this space was full of energy. That could be an excellent endeavor, but it will depend on the process. Will we see an honest and above board process or will this be another manipulation that pads club members’ pockets.

A cynical worry is that “Investment” monies will be directed towards the airport under the economic development banner; looking to cover the mismanagement by the prior operators, which the city allowed to go on for years, with an explanation that they are "restructuring" the airport. In layman’s terms, how much debt incurred by River Hawk is the City of Hickory on the hook for and how much is it going to cost to recover from the neglect and recklessness created by River Hawk?

As usual, the big question will be how much public input will be allowed and how will the City attempt to spin the issues revolving around this investment? They don't have a track record of listening to the public and implementing what the public wants. You can rest assured that if the Mayor has introduced this topic that something is already on the table and will soon find its way out from behind the curtain. As we have witnessed for years, the fix is always in and it's going to be all about the sales job.

Ironically, the initiatives that have been discussed here on the Hound have traction, but the Powers That Be are looking for ways to implement them “on the cheap.” They aren’t making the bold moves that we encourage. They are utilizing the initiatives discussed here as talking points, while we seek boldness and action. The Frank Luntz technique is all about political strategy through wordsmanship. I have nothing against Mr. Luntz, but I view him as a pop culture entertainer. He has no leadership capability and his methods create distrust; because we need people who say what they mean and mean what they say.

We must insist on accountability from the leadership of this community. That comes through cost/benefit analysis mechanisms, competitive bidding for projects, and real studies of the potential effectiveness of projects through compare/contrast analysis. The Big Tent deal is definitely not a template for a community to follow. The public is going to have to decide if they want mind games that lead to nowhere or real actions that can get us moving forward.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- January 8, 2012

2012-01-08T00:00:00.001-05:00

A new excellent website to see how the actual economy is doing is paulcraigroberts.org

The Dismal Economic Outlook For The New Year - paulcraigroberts.org - Paul Craig Roberts - January 6, 2012 - Jobs offshoring, financial deregulation, and ten years of wars have severely damaged the US economy and the economic prospects of 90% of the American population. The signs are everywhere in front of our eyes. They are in the income distribution data, the BLS jobs data, the Census data, the poverty figures, and the high number of food stamp recipients. The signs are in the foreclosed and boarded up homes and the accompanying homelessness. They are in closed strip malls, in office building, warehouse, and shopping mall vacancies, and in the huge population losses of America’s manufacturing cities. The New Economy was a hoax, like Saddam Hussein’s “weapons of mass destruction” and the “war on terror.” Americans were deceived by “their” corrupt government, by greed-driven corporations, and by corporate shills among economists and the pundit class into believing that they were trading middle class “dirty fingernail” jobs in manufacturing for better middle class “clean fingernail” high-tech service jobs. Instead, reasonably paid manufacturing and professional skill jobs, such as software engineering and information technology, were traded for lowly paid jobs as waitresses and bartenders and for jobs in ambulatory health care. Consequently, real median US income fell for the vast majority of the population. To keep consumers spending when they had no raises, the Federal Reserve used low interest rates to create a real estate and credit bubble. The low interest rates drove up housing prices, and Americans refinanced their mortgages and spent the equity in their homes. Americans maxed out credit cards. The rise in consumer indebtedness kept consumer demand growing and the economy afloat. But there is a limit to how far debt can outpace income, and the bubble burst. And when it burst the financial fraud that had been hidden in the euphoria was revealed. That set off the financial crisis.

US Economic Forecast for 2012 and the Election Year Cycle - Infowars.com - James Hall - January 4, 2012 - When it comes to business cycles, the former rules no longer seem to apply. The seminal events that changed the economic landscape after the 2008 financial crash still points to an uncertain future and marginal recovery. If you watch CNBC or Bloomberg business news, you hear that a modest recovery is in place. Accepting this kind of reporting may temporarily make you feel better, but in the real economy, the prospects for a rebound are mere fiction. Prosperity only exists for the chums of the insider financial system, who are immune from actual market conditions. Under the privileged and favoritism model, political subsidies and bailouts are more important than creative industry or innovative execution. The businesses that produce and service the everyday functions of society flounder in a sea of uncertainty and a desert of capital illiquidity. Within this context, the only realistic way to examine the prospects for 2012, must factor in the political component. Yet the promoters of the corporatist system build up false hope, while fudging the number. Analyze the valid question; Can We Trust The Moderate Growth Forecasts?

Lakshman Achuthan, chief operations officer of the Economic Cycle Research Institute, talks with Bloomberg about the next year in the U.S. Economic Outlook, Labor Market video.

Mr. Achuthan continues in a second video interview on the Daily Ticker – Says New Recession Unavoidable.

Top 12 Trends 2012 - rense.com - Trends Research Institute - Gerald Celente - December 21, 2011 -
1. Economic Martial Law: Given the current economic and geopolitical conditions, the central banks and world governments already have plans in place to declare economic martial law with the possibility of military martial law to follow.
2. Battlefield America: With a stroke of the Presidential pen, language was removed from an earlier version of the National Defense Authorization Act, granting the President authority to act as judge, jury and executioner. Citizens, welcome to "Battlefield America."
3. Invasion of the Occtupy: 15 years ago, Gerald Celente predicted in his book Trends 2000 that prolonged protests would hit Wall Street in the early years of the new millennium and would spread nationwide. The "Occtupy" is now upon us, and it is like nothing history has ever witnessed.
4. Climax Time: The financial house of cards is collapsing, and in 2012 many of the long-simmering socioeconomic and geopolitical trends that Celente has accurately forecast will come to a climax. Some will arrive with a big bang and others less dramatically but no less consequentially. Are you prepared? And what's next for the world?
5. Technocrat Takeover: "Democracy is Dead; Long Live the Technocrat!" A pair of lightning-quick financial coup d'états in Greece and Italy have installed two unelected figures as head of state. No one yet in the mainstream media is calling this merger of state and corporate powers by its proper name: Fascism, nor are they calling these "technocrats" by their proper name: Bankers! Can a rudderless ship be saved because technocrat is at the helm?
6. Repatriate! Repatriate!: It took a small, but financially and politically powerful group to sell the world on globalization, and it will take a large, committed and coordinated citizens' movement to "un-sell" it. "Repatriate! Repatriate!" will pit the creative instincts of a multitude of individuals against the repressive monopoly of the multinationals.
7. Secession Obsession: Winds of political change are blowing from Tunisia to Russia and everywhere in between, opening a window of opportunity through which previously unimaginable political options may now be considered: radical decentralization, Internet-based direct democracy, secession, and even the peaceful dissolution of nations, offering the possibility for a new world "disorder."
8. Safe Havens: As the signs of imminent economic and social collapse become more pronounced, legions of New Millennium survivalists are, or will be, thinking about looking for methods and ways to escape the resulting turmoil. Those "on-trend" have already taken measure to implement Gerald Celente's 3 G's: Gold, Guns and a Getaway plan. Where to go? What to do? Top Trends 2012 will guide the way.
9. Big Brother Internet: The coming year will be the beginning of the end of Internet Freedom: A battle between the governments and the people. Governments will propose legislation for a new "authentication technology," requiring Internet users to present the equivalent of a driver's license and/or bill of health to navigate cyberspace. For the general population it will represent yet another curtailing of freedom and level of governmental control.
10. Direct vs. Faux Democracy: In every corner of the world, a restive populace has made it clear that it's disgusted with "politics as usual" and is looking for change. Government, in all its forms democracy, autocracy, monarchy, socialism, communism just isn''t working. The only viable solution is to take the vote out of the hands of party politicians and institute Direct Democracy. If the Swiss can do it, why can't anyone else?
11. Alternative Energy 2012: Even under the cloud of Fukushima, the harnessing of nuclear power is being reinvigorated by a fuel that is significantly safer than uranium and by the introduction of small, modular, portable reactors that reduce costs and construction time. In addition, there are dozens of projects underway that explore the possibility of creating cleaner, competitively priced liquid fuels distilled from natural sources. Plan to start saying goodbye to conventional liquid fuels!
12. Going Out in Style: In the bleak terrain of 2012 and beyond, "Affordable sophistication" will direct and inspire products, fashion, music, the fine arts and entertainment at all levels. US businesses would be wise to wake up and tap into the dormant desire for old time quality and the America that was.

US Closes 2011 With Record $15.22 Trillion In Debt, Officially At 100.3% Debt/GDP, $14 Billion From Breaching Debt Ceiling - Zero Hedge.com - Tyler Durden on January 3, 2012 - While not news to Zero Hedge readers who knew about the final debt settlement of US debt about 10 days ahead of schedule, it is now official: according to the US Treasury, America has closed the books on 2011 with debt at an all time record $15,222,940,045,451.09. And, as was observed here first in all of the press, US debt to GDP is now officially over 100%, or 100.3% to be specific, a fact which the US government decided to delay exposing until the very end of the calendar year. We wonder, rhetorically, just how prominent of a talking point this historic event will be in any upcoming GOP primary debates. And yes, technically this number is greater than the debt ceiling but it excludes various accounting gimmicks. When accounting for those, the US has a debt ceiling buffer of... $14 billion, or one third the size of a typical bond auction.

DailyJobCuts.com
Charlie Trotter Closing Shop - NBCChicago.com - January 1, 2012 - Restaurant shutting down August 31
Florida hit hardest by Sears store closings - AP - December 29, 2011 - (List)
Sinbad restaurant serves final meal - Times-News - blueridgenow.com - January 1, 2012 - (Hendersonville, NC restaurant closes - Typical story about small business America in this economy)

The Bank Holiday is coming - Ann Barnhardt and I (Warren Pollock) have an open conversation organized to provide background to this crisis, the setting of legal precedent, netting, settlement, and future trends including a potential bank holiday. We talk about MF Global as it applies to savings and commercial banking, brokerage, insurance, and commodities. We talk about numeric impossibility of solving the problem, incest between government and finance, having the victim of the crisis pay rather than the fraudster. We explain how the MF Global bankruptcy process will define how customer funds will be treated in a bank holiday. We talk about the idea of having an honest bank holiday to root out fraud vs an economic crisis which plays to looting and criminal activity of vested interest.

The Hounds viewership grew by 42.7% in 2011

2012-01-06T00:40:00.000-05:00

We still have a lot of work to do when it comes to winning the public over and getting them to understand the validity of this newsource, but we are proud of what we have accomplished so far in the time of the existence of the Hickory Hound. Last year (2011) saw 22,920 unique viewers visiting this website compared to 16,058 in 2010 and 13,652 in 2009. That is an increase of 6,862 unique views from 2010 to 2011.

When looking at pageloads and people visiting various pages and documents on the site, the site grew to 39,865 pageloads in 2011 versus 28,374 pageloads in 2010. That is a 40.5% increase in pageloads. So one can see that the growth in the site was across the board and people are reading the site in depth.

Myself and the others who are associated with this site participate here, because we believe in the mission. We could spend time doing more leisurely activities and I am sure that there are many people who wish that we would "find something better to do." In the peril in which we find this community and our society, we feel we have a calling. Of course most of the input on this site comes from myself, but the connections that have been developed have been invaluable and we would not be growing at the rate we have without them. I thank each and every one of my colleagues from the bottom of my heart for being friends and talking issues out with me and providing expressed input themselves.

I remember a few weeks ago when we were accused of being one sided and narrow minded about the Union Square issues. People are starting to wake up around here and see through a lot of the rouse of simplistic labeling that goes on in this community. We have seen it all. First the insiders try to co-opt you. When that doesn't work, then they move on to saying you are a conspiracy theorist. When you have multiple incidents where your logic proves credible, then they move on to attacking your character. In the end the insiders don't understand that they are losing their grip, because people are witnessing the gamesmanship and as the scams are forced into higher and higher stakes, people are going to become more and more aware, because it is affecting more and more people personally.

When times were good, people weren't forced to pinch pennies and waste to a certain extent was acceptable. Now people have had to tighten their belts and scramble to keep financially level. Some people seem to think somebody else has to take the big haircut, while they trim around the edges. In times like these, all most of us expect is fairness when it comes to shared sacrifice. That is why we have pointed to certain issues involving economic and social equitability in this community. To me, Social Justice is not the bad word that some want to make it out to be; because we are not seeking equal outcomes. We are seeking a level playing field.

I think the growth of the blog shows the awakening going on in this community and to a certain extent legitimizes the message, which in turn brings with it a level of credibility. We will not take that for granted.

I don't know what the upcoming year has in store. I don't take for granted that this blog will continue to grow and growing at 40% in 2012 certainly isn't a given. I appreciate everyone of the 57,334 views that have been granted by the perusers of this site, even when they don't see eye-to-eye with me and vise-versa. It is certainly my hope that we will all enjoy the advancement and enhancement of our lives in the year ahead. And that is the goal we will continue to work towards in the many days ahead.

Peace Be with you all!!!

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of January 3, 2012

2012-01-04T03:29:00.000-05:00

Reaffirmation and Ratification of Second Readings. Votes recorded on first reading will be reaffirmed and ratified on second reading unless Council Members change their votes and so indicate on second reading.

A. Community Appearance Grant to the Hickory Elks Lodge – Non-Residential Property Located at 356 Main Avenue NW in the Amount of $5,000.00 (First Reading Vote: Unanimous)
B. Community Appearance Grant to Michael and Nora Perkett – Non-Residential Property Located at 813 Main Avenue SW in the Amount of $5,000.00 (First Reading Vote: Unanimous)
C. Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 11 (First Reading Vote: Unanimous)
D. Grant Project Ordinance No. 5 (First Reading Vote: Unanimous)
E. Grant Project Ordinance Amendment No. 6 (First Reading Vote: Unanimous)
F. Approval to Enter into an Economic Development Agreement with Punker, LLC (First Reading Vote: Unanimous)

The Hound's reason why I have put the above reaffirmation and ratification items as reported in the night's agenda is to ask where the vote is that took place at the last meeting pertaining to the Canopy/Tent structure that is to be built on Union Square. The Council voted 7-0 to vote upon to move forward on that item and now it is conveniently not included in the votes that were taken from that night. There was most definitely a vote that took place that night, as I have documented on this site. As I stated, they will place this in the Consent Agenda and there will be no discussion. B-I-N-G-O, just look below in the Consent Agenda under item B. Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 12, No 2. To appropriate $285,976 of Capital Reserve Parking Fund and budget for the construction of the Permanent Structure Canopy Project for Union Square. Credibility on display once again.

Consent Agenda:
A. Resolution of Intent for Petition of Hollar Hosiery Investments, LLC (James Clayton Neill, Manager) to Close a Portion of Highland Avenue, SE (Authorize Public Hearing on February 7, 2012)

B. Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 12
1. To transfer $44,474 of General Fund Contingency to the Unemployment Insurance line item. This transfer is necessary to cover an unexpected increase in the City of Hickory’s annual Unemployment Insurance expense to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.

2. To appropriate $285,976 of Capital Reserve Parking Fund and budget for the construction of the Permanent Structure Canopy Project for Union Square.

The Hound doesn't need to add any more to this than has already been alluded to over the past two weeks. If you haven't read it, I have provided the links below sequentially.

Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 20, 2011 -- Addendum on Union Square's largest Awning yet - $285,000 - 12/21/2011
Newsletter about the City Council meeting of December 20, 2011 - 12/22/2011
Subterfuge and Obfuscation by Hickory's Insiders -- Silence DoGood - 12/27/2011
No Public Hearing for the Big Tent on Union Square - 1/2/2012

C. Capital Project Ordinance No. 1
1. To accept a $285,976 appropriation of Capital Reserve Parking Fund Balance and budget for the Construction of the Permanent Structure Canopy Project for Union Square.

Departmental Reports:
1. Report on City Council Visit to Chattanooga, Tennessee - Assistant City Manager Andrea Surratt gave the presentation. and was introduced by City Manager Mick Berry who said that 4 City Council members attended a series of conversations, visits, and tours.Ms. Surratt stated that they were visiting areas that had planned well for their downtowns, redevelopment areas, and manufacturing areas that have experienced decline.

Chattanooga has a professional full time Mayor and the Head of the County Government. They talked about branding, vacant buildings, and wayfinding. They met with a lady named Missy Crutchfield who is the administrator of the administration arts and culture department.This is a Mayor appointed position that is equivalent to the Arts Council, the DDA, and some of the education groups (Champions of Education) all lumped into one function under her direction. They have transformed Chattanooga from being one of the most dirty cities in the U.S. to being one of the greenest cities in the U.S.

They went to an area called North Shore - The Chattanooga Riverfront Story - The Tennessee Aquarium. She talked about the Walnut Street Pedestrian Bridge. There is a lot of mixed use there. She talked about the LED lighting there. They visited the Chattanooga Business Development Center, which is a partnership between Chattanooga and Hamilton County. This is an incubator, which is a former manufacturing facility which is subdivided into units with central access to business needs.

Ms. Surratt talked about the multiple farmer's markets in Chattanooga and the group called Gaining Ground - (Facebook Page). She next showed a local youth hostile. She showed redeveloped areas along tyhe water front and the local aquarium. "They have a good presence about their public spaces." The last stop was the Volkswagen facility that incorporated a lot of open spaces.

Alderman Lail talked about the similarities of the MSAs of Chattanooga and Hickory. They have about the same size, but while Chattanooga's population is more centrally located around the city of Chattanooga, our population is more dispersed throughout the MSA. 150,000 people live in the City of Chattanooga, while only 40,000 people live in the City of Hickory. Alder Patton talked about the presence of corporate offices in downtown Chattanooga that made a huge difference in their downtown. They have a tremendous amount of private money available. When they want something done, they just put it out there and people jump on it. People step in and get things done to move things forward.

Alderman Lail talked about the major benefactor, the Lyndhurst family. Alder Patton talked about how there was art everywhere they went. Alderman Lail talked about what impressed him was the space that connected business owners with entrepreneurs. The Company Lab - (Facebook) connects idea people with artists. He said this space was full of energy. manager Berry spoke of a DVD that is available called Chattanooga's heroic drive and he passed it to other council members.

Alderman Lail asked Manager Berry to speak to how this is part of our process. Manager Berry spoke about how this was a different approach to the city's annual retreat. They have been to Roanoke, Burlington, Chattanooga and are looking to next go to Asheville and Greenville, SC. They will set out goals early in the Spring.

The Hound is glad that Hickory officials learned something from a city that is apparently making progress, because they aren't afraid to try some new things. Notice how they talked about a couple of specific Business Incubation Initiatives. Remember how Mayor Wright spoke out against such initiatives back in the Summer, because they compete against existing business.

I think it is great how this Council has great back and forth dialogue and brings more color to presentations and conversations when the Mayor isn't present. Maybe this isn't the Mayor's fault, but every time a Mayor Pro-Tem presides over a City Council meeting, the Council sure does perk up and bring some energy into their public deliberations.

Alder Patton stated, with some of the art, that a Chattanooga representative said that some people (1/3) are just deadset against anything, 1/3 love it, and another 1/3 take a wait and see approach. I think that is the dynamic of Hickory, but I also think a lot of those "deadset against" people serve in positions of power in our city. I don't think that can be said for most of you who read the Hound. We are definitely in favor of progressive actions.

What we are against is manipulations of process that take away the citizens' ability to have any input in the decision making process. The narrow mindedness doesn't come from people wanting to participate in local governance. It comes from people who don't respect the intelligence of the local citizens to make informed decisions and some governors work harder to keep people from being able to participate than if they would allow them onto the playing field. We have too many of the local governing decision makers that want to shape decisions towards their personal desires, instead of through consensus as to what is best for the entire community.

We also need local business stakeholders to realize that they have a selfless role to play if they want to revitalize the local marketplace. Look at what they espoused about Chattanooga's businesses investing in these projects. I hope that Council learned something here and doesn't take it as, "That's nice, but we can't do that in Hickory," because we can do this exact paradigm in Hickory.

Citizens Requesting to be Heard

Larry Pope once again comes before the Council. Mr. Pope talked about the lack of respect given to a citizen of the city. He goes on to address issues involving inaccessibility to his vision impairment involving the site construction of the "Canopy Structure" on Union Square. There are several problems due to how the square has been roped off for the building of the Farmer's Market "Canopy Structure" area.

Larry also spoke about the City Administration's policy of charging 25-cents per page for copies of public information that have been requested, 10-cents is reasonable. It is unreasonable that the city should be charging that much and the only reason they are is to try to make the costs for information requests cost prohibitive. The city has stated that part of the costs is to pay for administrative workers time involved in making copies. We shouldn't be paying for city workers to do what is supposed to be part of their job.

City Manager Berry stated that Ms. Arnita Dula (the city staff attorney) had placed the letter in the mail and he didn't know why Mr. Pope hadn't received it. He stated that he delivered a letter to the City of Hickory pertaining to the issue and was supposed to hear back within 10 days, but has not yet heard back and the deadline would have been Saturday. Mr. Pope stated that Mr. Berry should understand why he wouldn't take his word for it when the City has told so many untruths in the past. He is asked to put requests in writing, which he has others do due to his visual impairment. He talked about how the city talks about tight budgets, but has plenty of staff on hand and Mr. Berry has a new secretary in his office. He wondeers why the city can never find money to do things when it is needed, but when they want something, like the Farmer's Market building, they can find it.

Mr. Pope talked about what has gone on in the recent past and stated that it is obvious that the City (administration) is going to do what it wants to do. Why is it alright to spend money on this structure on Union Square, but it wasn't alright to spend money to fix the swimming pools in the poor and minority areas in South Hickory?

No Public Hearing for the Big Tent on Union Square

2012-01-02T00:49:00.000-05:00

You can go look at the Agenda for City Council meeting to be held on Tuesday night January 3, 2012. The appropriations for the "Canopy Structure" has been placed in the Consent Agenda. So once again you see that our "Conspiracy Theory" once again ends up being "Conspiracy Fact." Including the appropriations at the airport, they have now designated spending on short term projects right at $500,000, with no public discussion, in the past two weeks.

It would feel good to be right if this weren't another travesty of the Democratic Process, but Hickory most definitely has the governance it deserves. I'm not going any further into this, because I would only be forced to repeat myself for the 1,000+ time. Everyone that is paying attention knows what the deal is.

B. Budget Ordinance Amendment No. 12 (Exhibit VI.B.)
1. To transfer $44,474 of General Fund Contingency to the Unemployment Insurance line item. This transfer is necessary to cover an unexpected increase in the City of Hickory’s annual Unemployment Insurance expense to the North Carolina Employment Security Commission.
2. To appropriate $285,976 of Capital Reserve Parking Fund and budget for the construction of the Permanent Structure Canopy Project for Union Square.

C. Capital Project Ordinance No. 1 (Exhibit VI.C.)
1. To accept a $285,976 appropriation of Capital Reserve Parking Fund Balance and budget for the Construction of the Permanent Structure Canopy Project for Union Square.

Economic Stories of Relevance in Today's World -- January 1, 2012

2012-01-01T01:43:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year. Welcome to another year. Let's work hard to turn this thing around. It won't happen without action. It won't happen without effort. There are no easy answers and no knights in shining armor. The sooner everyone realizes that, the sooner we can correct the problems we face.

China, Japan to Back Direct Trade of Currencies - Bloomberg - By Toru Fujioka - December 26, 2011 - Japan and China will promote direct trading of the yen and yuan without using dollars and will encourage the development of a market for companies involved in the exchanges, the Japanese government said. Japan will also apply to buy Chinese bonds next year, allowing the investment of renminbi that leaves China during the transactions, the Japanese government said in a statement after a meeting between Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing yesterday. Encouraging direct yen- yuan settlement should reduce currency risks and trading costs, the Japanese and Chinese governments said.

How wealth of members of Congress has TRIPLED in 25 years - while average U.S. family has suffered a DROP in their worth - Daily Mail (UK) - David Richards - December 27, 2011 -

Median net worth of member of Congress rose from $280,000 to $725,000 between 1984 and 2009
Over same 25 years the wealth of the average U.S. family slipped from $20,500 from $20,600

From captains of industry to former finance executives members of Congress have always been richer than their fellow Americans. The reasons put forward for their wealth now include the high cost of entering politics in the first place as well as inheriting wealth and marrying into money. Protected from the economic ravages faced by the rest of the population the lawmakers are now edging into the '1 percenter' income group attacked by the Occupy Wall Street protesters. The anti-corporation protesters have given voice to rising concerns over banker bonuses, unemployment and distribution of wealth. The movement which began in New York in September - and marked its 100th day of protests last week - has spread to cities across the U.S. and across the world. While the rise in lawmaker's wealth might not attract controversy when times are good it starts to become an issue when times are tough....

The New York Times' report into the wealth of members of Congress found that they were also getting rich compared with affluent Americans. It found that the median net worth of members of Congress rose 15 per cent from 2004 to 2010 as the net worth of the richest 10 per cent of the country remained for the most part flat.

3.5 Million Homeless and 18.5 Million Vacant Homes in the US - Occupy America - Diane Sweet - December 30, 2011 - In the last few days, the U.S. government census figures have revealed that 1 in 2 Americans have fallen into poverty or are struggling to live on low incomes. And we know that the financial hardships faced by our neighbors, colleagues, and others in our communities will be all the more acutely felt over the holiday season.             Along with poverty and low incomes, the foreclosure rate has created its own crisis situation as the number of families removed from their homes has skyrocketed.                  Since 2007, banks have foreclosed around eight million homes. It is estimated that another eight to ten million homes will be foreclosed before the financial crisis is over. This approach to resolving one part of the financial crisis means many, many families are living without adequate and secure housing. In addition, approximately 3.5 million people in the U.S. are homeless, many of them veterans. It is worth noting that, at the same time, there are 18.5 million vacant homes in the country.                 The stark realities that persist mean that millions of families will be facing the holidays in temporary homes, or homes under threat, and far too many children will be wishing for an end to the uncertainty and distress their family is facing rather than an Xbox or Barbie doll.
Housing is a basic human need and a fundamental human right. Yet every day in the United States, banks are foreclosing on more than 10,000 mortgages and ordering evictions of individuals and families residing in foreclosed homes. The U.S. government’s steps to address the foreclosure crisis to date have been partial at best.             The depth and severity of the foreclosure crisis is a clear illustration of the urgent need for the U.S. government to put in place a system that respects, protects and fulfills human rights, including the right to housing. This includes implementing real protections to ensure that other actors, such as financial institutions, do not undermine or abuse human rights.

Young people using 'no stigma' solution of insolvency as record numbers are hit by the crippling cost of living - Mail Online - Becky Barrow - December 30, 2011 - Young people addicted to the ‘have now, pay later’ culture, or who cannot cope with the crippling cost of living, are being plunged into insolvency in record numbers, official figures revealed yesterday.            The shocking figures, from the Government’s Insolvency Service, said more young people are taking out a new type of insolvency than any other age group.                   Since the Debt Relief Order was introduced in April 2009, one in four have been taken out by a young person between the age of 25 and 34.....           In their late twenties and early thirties, many of their parents had got married, bought a home, had children and started to build up a pension.              But their children, who are now grown-up, have no chance of getting onto the property ladder, have large debts and little chance of being able to afford to pay into a pension.               Joanna Elson, chief executive of the Money Advice Trust, the debt advisers, said: ‘Many struggling 25 to 34-year-olds might have expected to be further up the financial ladder by now.             ‘At the same age, their parents would most likely have bought their first home, have a comfortable pension lined up and be saving for the future.                  ‘For today’s 25 to 34-year-olds, the picture is much bleaker.’            She said their debt situation is made worse by the fact that many young people took out debts, hoping that pay rises in future years would mean they could easily pay them off.                   In reality, millions of workers have seen their pay either frozen since the start of the recession in 2008, or have received paltry pay rises which are far below inflation............

Foreigners Dump Record Amount Of US Treasuries In Past Month - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - 12/30/2011 - With year end fund flows making absolutely no sense for the most part, thank you global central planning, as the euro plunges and the market refuses to follow, with risk assets rising on speculation the ECB (and/or Fed) are about to restart printing yet gold collapsing (on one or two hedge funds liquidating, yet econ PhDs already rewriting their theses on why the "gold bubble has popped"), and finally with Treasurys soaring to near all time highs (10 Year under 1.9% yesterday even as stocks surged on data from the National Advertisers of Realtors, aka NAR, of all fraudulent and corrupt entities), here is the latest observation to make the confusion complete. As the Fed's critical H.4.1 weekly update shows (which is leaps and bounds more accurate than the Treasury's TIC international fund flow data), in the week ended December 28, foreign investors sold the second highest amount of US bonds in history, or $23 billion, bringing total UST custodial holdings to $2.67 trillion, a level first crossed to the upside back in April. This number peaked at $2.75 trillion in mid-August, and as the chart below shows the foreign holdings of US paper have been virtually flat in all of 2011, something which is in stark contrast with what the price of the 10 Year would indicate vis-a-vis investor demand. And going back further, the last week is merely the latest in a series of Custodial account outflows. In fact, in the last month (trailing 4 weeks), foreigners have sold a record $69 billion in US paper, a monthly outflow that was approached only once - in the aftermath of the US downgrade (when erroneously it is said that a surge in demand for US paper pushed rates lower - obviously as the chart shows nothing could be further from the truth)....

As '11 Ends, 11 Charts Of 11 Disturbing 11 Year Trends - Zero Hedge - Tyler Durden - 12/30/2011 - Please Go check out the charts from this submission

Annual New Year's Eve economic forecast with Karl Denninger-On the Edge with Max Keiser-12-30-2011

The Trends for 2012

2011-12-31T04:46:00.000-05:00

We have been at this for a while now. Including the original Letters to the Editor in the local Paper, we are entering the 6th year of providing information on all levels of government and society. We have grown fairly well over this time. Sure, I wish we could grow faster and certainly this sometimes feels like a daunting task, but through persistence and perseverance, we will continue pushing forward through 2012.

What worries me is people's denial. I don't mind being labeled, but folks what good does it do you to throw out simplistic labels with no definition. People with ideas that you don't understand aren't radicals. People that will kill you, maim you, and imprison you are radicals. People with ideas that you don't agree with are people with another point of view. They might have a different perspective. They might be prescient. They might be on the cutting edge. Maybe you are the person with the problem.

When I listen to others and look at all of the inputs, I have a feeling that if you feel that 2011 was a wild ride, well you ain't seen nuthin' yet. It doesn't look like the real economy is turning around. Sure they can spin the job numbers, but the number one trend that I see involving society is that paper means nothing. Paper is not a valuable physical asset. Go write an IOU to a friend and then tear it up. Promissory notes, Deeds, and anything that must be notarized is still paper and it can easily be deemed worthless if all hell breaks loose. When the Government provides you a promise it is only as good as their word and that changes with the wind. It is the same thing when any Incorporated Entity (Including the Government) provides you with statistical data... Garbage in, Garbage out... Liars, Damned Liars, and Fools. GET OUT OF PAPER!!!

The next piece of advice that you should heed is to quit getting your information from media who do not provide in depth information. If you come to me and tell me that you heard something from a television news broadcast, then I will consider it hearsay. Most information provided on this blog is multi-sourced. Local investigative information is sometimes not, but it is either eye-witnessed or comes from reliable sources who I have been able to trust. I also separate events from opinion. You don't get that, for the most part, from electronic media. My job as an information source is to point to subjects, hopefully pique your curiosity, point to other sources, and hope that you will inform yourself and maybe become a source point for me and this network in the future.

Why do I think that the upcoming year will be a wild ride?

1) Election in chaos - Most people are not satisfied with President Obama. His approval rating is in the low 40% range and his disapproval is in the upper 40% to over 50% range. That should mean real difficulties for him with 7+ months to the Convention and 10 months to the election, but the Republicans have no clear frontrunner and most candidates down in the 20% range. People are very dissatisfied with their choices and this dissatifaction is going to lead to anger as the economy continues to faulter.

2) The Government can't paper over the Depression anymore. In the past 3 years, we have seen the National Debt increased by $4.5 trillion from $10.6 trillion to the current $15.1 trillion and Obama is asking for an increase in the debt ceiling to $16.8 trillion. The Debt Ceiling had just been increased by $2.4 trillion on July 31, 2011. So, we have basically blown through $2.4 trillion in 5 months. That should logically tell you when you add things up that we are running a $5.76 trillion dollar deficit (12months in a year/5 months since July* $2.4 trillion), at least... And are you feeling any improvement in the economy? A Ponzi Scheme by any other name is still a Ponzi Scheme. We are on a Parabolic Curve of Debt with no purpose. In the end it will break our currency and it will leave the economy in tatters.

3) No control over the economy - What I expressed to you above should scare the living bejesus out of you, but what is even scarier is that the government which is supposed to represent us has no control over our currency, because it has no control over the monetary supply. The Federal Reserve can manipulate the currency in any way it sees fit and The Federal Reserve is not an Entity of the United States Government. It is a Cartel that represents the handfull of megabanks that basically rule the economic world. To understand where we are today go read Ben Bernanke's speech before the National Economic Club on November 21, 2002 entitled Deflation - Making sure it doesn't happen here. We are at the mercy of a man's self-fulfilling theory. He is debasing the currency upon exactly what is expressed in this speech.

4) If you can't control the economy, then you have to control the people - If Fed Chairman Bernanke's prophecy above is fulfilled, then you are going to see a debasement of the currency along the lines of the scheme pulled by the Federal Reserve in 1933 in conjunction with Franklin Roosevelt's administration. People were made to turn in their gold. On April 5, 1933, Roosevelt signed Executive Order 6102, which ordered people to turn in their gold to the government at payment of $20.67 per ounce. Shortly after issuing his order, Roosevelt increased the price to $35 an ounce. That is a 69.3% debasement of the currency that happened in one fell swoop. We have already seen inflation take hold in commodities. Look at the increases in the price of food, precious metals, and fuel that have taken place over the last several years. You are the boiling frog. and the water is simmering. People are going to get angry and the government is going to attempt to control the dissent through their Homeland Security mechanism. They have taken advantage of the fear created after 9/11 and fostered it. They never cared about protecting the American people. They have only cared about protecting the government. Big Brother is watching over you. Does that make you feel better?

5) The World in turmoil - What happens with fuel prices if the fuse is lit with Iran. I see people everywhere saying that we should go ahead and fight Iran. What about the shaky situation with China. The United States and the mega corporations turned China into the giant it is today. Some of it was done to neutralize the power of the USSR, but much of it was done to offshore our manufacturing economy in the name of cheap labor and huge profits for the Wall Streeters. Now, China has made deals with Russia, India, and Japan to make direct economic trades without utilizing the US Dollar as a reserve currency. That does not bode well for the Dollar, but why should the Dollar be the Reserve Currency with the way it has been manipulated?

The Hound summarizes: It is hard to see from the darkness when you have your head firmly entrenched in your backside. I began the year by listening to an older gentleman waxing nostalgic about the glory days of yesteryear. How he liked the way things were and how we just need to tweak around the edges to get back to what we had. He didn't like the idea of transformation.

What this gentleman fails to realize is that we are not the transformers. What he is witnessing is evolution. We do not make the changes. We are chasing the evolution of the planet attempting to adapt in order to survive. We will either figure out a way to survive or we won't survive. It is as simple as that. So you can stand in the way of this evolutionary process, but if you fail to figure out how to ride this wave, then it is going to squash you like a bug. If you are scared, get out of the way. Do not impede the rest of us from trying to figure this thing out. 'Tis better to get in the back and ride than to drive us face first into the wave.

No Fear Baby!!! No Fear!