State Of Labor On Central Coast

It's always good to start the New Year with a firm grasp of last year's economic facts for the state of California.

Unemployment and Labor statistics, for example. How bad or how good is the jobless rate? What's the change since last year? The US Bureau of Labor provides a handy reference in their website. The data is fresh from their October, 2008 tabulations.

Here's the info for the Central Coast. To make easier for you, I've set the following three links:

Santa Barbara-Santa Maria, San Luis Obispo-Paso Robles and Oxnard-Thousand Oaks-Ventura.

The 100 Mile Per Gallon California Car

The American auto industry may be in the throes of its reinvention, over the next painful transition years. But here's my bit to help us all through it.

Look on the bright side--there's an entrepreneurial, start-up car company that makes today what Detroit may not manage ever to do.

Build the 100 mpg car! It is the Aptera and is priced in the mid-$20,000 range; it's a winner.

One of Detroit's Big three could buy this company and make the car for the national market.

On second thought, Aptera would be better to stay away from the old mindset of Detroit. This is a complete reinvention of the automobile, from top to bottom, complete with a new company culture.

The inventors are headquartered in Vista, California and produce the composite body parts in Carlsbad, California. What fun and only from the west coast!

(I don't drive one of these yet, but would not turn down the opportunity to represent the manufacturer if asked.)

2009: Newest Bank Bailout News

Happy New Year's Day! And an even happier new year for some bankers on the central coast.

Curious to know which central coast banks are getting federal "bailout" money? Here's a list, courtesy ProPublica.org:

>> Santa Lucia Bancorp, Atascadero: $4 million.
>> Pacific Capital Bank Santa Barbara, operating First Bank of San Luis Obispo: $188 million.
>> Community West Bancshares, Goleta: $15.6 million.
>> California Oaks State Bank, Thousand Oaks: $3.3 million.
>> Mission Community Bancorp, San Luis Obispo: $5.1 million.

Source material also from: US Department of the Treasury; Bloomberg; Dow Jones; and the companies.

Toasting The New Year!

Thank you for visiting the NewsMission this year!

There will be more posts and perhaps even news will be reported here for the first time.

My resolution is to pour more into the CCNM and give you better reasons to keep coming back. This will be a year of change and rebuilding, locally and nationally.

What is your biggest New Year's resolution for 2009?

Lompoc's Hidden Value: LompocNet

The big headline in the paper this morning screams Lompoc's Wi-Fi Internet service is losing money. Could there be a another side to the story?

Read it, do the math and you'll know there's only one conclusion. 750 more customers are needed for our municipal internet service to break even!

More advertising to reach potential customers about this value will get more sign-ups. More info here.

Following my own inspiration to support "local Lompoc" goods and services, here's my free ad for this bargain priced ($4.99/mo.) city wireless service.

Are there reception problems with LompocNet? One might like to get a strong signal at Ocean and H Streets, but reports tell us there's more work to be done on the signal strength of the system.

Let's see the City Council improve this situation while facing the honest truth in 2009!

Beyond The Usual In Lompoc

Life between Santa Maria and Santa Barbara is interesting, especially the political life in Lompoc. Now, some change is in the air.

After ten years in the Mayor's office, my impression was that "the good old boys" running the city included city council, mayor and others. I thought that included the Lompoc Record columnist and outspoken local civic critic and long-time resident, Ron Fink.

Got a big surprise Saturday when I opened the Lompoc Record's letters to the editor page. Took me aback to see--in print--the Lompoc Mayor, Dick DeWees, disagree with "local activist" Ron Fink. I thought they were always on the same page.

DeWees, who narrowly won re-election in November, explained why he did not appoint Mr. Fink to the city planning commission.

The Mayor's problem, in his words, was how Mr. Fink's "columns frequently distort or manipulate facts, or provide misleading or inaccurate information." 

Can't help agreeing that a newspaper columnist encourages people to view that columnist as an authority figure.

Public officials have the responsibility to "convey accurate information to the public they serve," wrote the Mayor. "Based upon his journalistic history, I am convinced that Mr. Fink would be unable to fulfill that obligation."

Mr. DeWees, thank you for knowing the importance of how real qualifications for office require an honest person who really can tell the public the unvarnished truth.

And thank you for saying it to Mr. Fink, in print!

2009 In A Center Left Country!

Is America really a "center-right" country? Will Obama have to govern a country that "leans right?" Have you had enough of this national debate?

Yeah, so have I. Here's a fresh Zogby/Lear poll which asked 42 typology questions of 3,167 adults nationwide. 21 statements had majority support from the entire sample. (How would you answer these?)

The results reveal three groups: 41% Red, 34% Blue and 24% Purple.

Who are the "purples?"

"Purples" are a significant group (24%) who split their answers between "Red" and "Blue" points of view. (44% red, 56% blue).

Call them centrists if you like. Add it up and the results are clear: the USA leans center-left. 52% Blue vs 48% Red.

A sample of the 21 statements: "Foreigners who immigrate to America want the chance to work for a better life."

Green Shopping Helps Everyone

How can you give everyone in your town a meaningful gift all at once? Eliminate the hassle of shopping for 3,000 of your nearby neighbors? Just do one simple thing (which yields green results!)

Buy everything you need from a locally owned business. That will do the trick and here's why, according to Stacy Mitchell author of Big Box Swindle:

"Of every $100 spent in a chain store, $14 goes back into the local economy...for a locally owned business, $45 goes back!"

Wow! This gives new meaning to being "Green:" good for the earth, your carbon footprint and your community's economy. It inspired me to post this while reading yesterday's USA Weekend insert in the Lompoc Record. Page 16.

Where to start? Here's a link to a "shop Lompoc" site to help you find the locally owned stores which stock what you may want in my neighborhood. To find where to buy locally in your town, search Google for the phrase "shop (your town)" and have a good, green time.