DailyHoroscope.com | Daily horoscopes written by Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer

DailyHoroscope.com | Daily horoscopes written by Rick Levine & Jeff Jawer

Stockton May be on the Cusp of the rebound

Yes, the same Stockton that's on the verge of filing for bankruptcy protection. In fact, it's leading all California metro areas in job growth. From Reuters:

The Business Forecasting Center of the University of the Pacific in Stockton estimates a 5 percent increase in payrolls in the Stockton region for the 12 -month period ending in March. Jeff Michael, the center's director, said the city's economy is finally starting to recover from the knock-on effects of the area's dramatic housing crash. The region has "clearly joined the recovery," he told Reuters on Thursday. Local job growth will run at about 4 percent this year and about 2 percent annually through 2016, he said.
Of course, all this take time to move through the system - possibly too much time to avoid a trip to bankruptcy court. "If I had to bet, I'd bet the city would probably enter bankruptcy," Michael said. "The problem is too deep and too complex and involves too many parties to reach a negotiated solution in a few months." At this point, there are three possibilities: Slashing more services and staff, restructuring debt by working with creditors, or filing for Chapter 9, which is municipal bankruptcy. City officials presented those options at a Town Hall meeting. From the Stockton Record:

A participant elicited applause by next suggesting the city could save $300,000 a year by firing [City Manager Bob Deis]. The city manager - at the time seated with his back to the personal attack - shook his head and smiled. City firefighter and Stockton resident Mike Pasqualicchio took aim at [Mayor Ann Johnston] for being on the City Council in the 1990s that cast "uneducated" votes for increasing city retirees' health care - the bulk of Stockton's problems today. Johnston responded that Stockton got caught in a statewide trend that began when the California Highway Patrol first received enhanced retirement benefits. "Yes, I voted on a couple of those," Johnston said. "I was assured by city staff that this was something we could afford. Did I ask the right questions? I thought I did at the time." Deis defended Johnston by saying that city staff at the time was at fault for failing to provide the council members with the fine print.

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Expert sees potential in S.J. for businesses

By Reed Fujii
Record Staff Writer
March 01, 2012 12:00 AM
STOCKTON - Revving up San Joaquin County's economic engine, particularly its existing transportation and distribution assets, was the focus Wednesday as area business development officials gathered to hear from an international logistics and site selection consultant.

Adam Wasserman, a principal of Global Logistics Development Partners of Scottsdale, Ariz., said the county was "an interesting location," at the fulcrum of the growing Central Valley and close to the Bay Area.

It has two major north-south freeways, two major railroad intermodal centers, Stockton Metropolitan Airport and the Port of Stockton.

"You sit on an inland waterway right here, and there are a lot of people very excited about the potential of what it can do," Wasserman said.

The pending opening of the marine highway, on which barges would shuttle container cargo between the Port of Oakland on the bay and inland ports in Stockton and West Sacramento, is a model for similar projects nationwide.

One now under study is the M5 Highway, a proposal to move cargo by ship along the West Coast instead of by truck along Interstate 5.

"The San Joaquin proposal is sort of a forerunner to that," Wasserman said.

But there are still many questions about whether marine shipping could compete with trucking and whether private investors will pay to find out.

"It's going to be tough," he said.

It took a federal transportation grant to underwrite the Stockton-Sacramento-Oakland marine highway project.

In addition, there are changes occurring in global transportation and challenges to overcome.

The U.S. lacks a coherent trade and transportation policy, particularly one aimed at bolstering economic growth instead of simply raising cargo volumes, Wasserman said. Such policies are a major focus, however, for trading nations from the Old World to emerging economies such as Vietnam, he said.

"They're outspending us; they're outthinking us," he said.

Another example is the Panama Canal expansion project, expected to double its capacity by 2014. It likely will redirect cargo from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, in particular, to landings on the Gulf Coast, in Florida or even on the East Coast. Canada and Mexico, too, have designs on attracting cargo flows away from the United States.

It will take a continued effort for San Joaquin County to attract and accommodate new businesses in such a dynamic, global market, he said.

"You have a lot of the right ingredients, but it's not going to happen naturally," Wasserman said.

The global trade expert Wednesday toured parts of San Joaquin County and addressed a lunch meeting of the Business Team San Joaquin, a group organized by Fran Aguilera of San Joaquin County Worknet and Michael Ammann of the San Joaquin Partnership.

Team members include economic development officials from Stockton, Tracy, Lodi, Manteca and Lathrop, the county, the partnership and the Lodi Chamber of Commerce.

"We're trying to project this regionwide attunement to development," Ammann said.

On Tuesday, Wasserman was one of a half-dozen consultants addressing a forum in Sacramento organized by TeamCalifornia, a statewide group of economic development experts.

This Is the World We "LOVE"

I remember the days when we were all surrounded by joy, laughter, and excitement.  The times of family bonding that I now hold so dearly. Those days are long gone, but we can re-live them if we choose to love thy neighbor. When the whole world unites through the understanding of love, then we will be back in the glory days. Until that day comes, we are all giving each other hell for unknown reasons. Some will even go out of their way to derail someone else, in an effort to slow down their progress.

This Song Is So Meaningful To Me

This Song so reminds me of my wonderful wife. "She talks to angels" is the only way I can explain how Strong of a woman she is. Some women think they are strong, but it's not only mental strength, but her passions, goals, and the fact that she resembles what it means to be independent. She is the most courageous woman I have met. What she feels is right, usually is, but sometimes she can go overboard.

I will be the first to admit she has a tendency to take things to early extremes, and this is why most will push away from her. If you can get past her initial always right attitude, you will learn a lot from her, I know I did!!

What To Make Of It All

As WW3 Seems to be in the near future, there are to many signs pointing to things going bad, but as of the last four days, I am noticing this change going on in other individuals as well. The positive gears are finally spinning in the right direction, meaning the shift has begun. The 1% will become the 99%, karma is catching up to people right now, and they are beginning to realize what the value of each living being is when we are being manipulated by a handful who are collectively working harmoniously to achieve "a perceived" greatness.

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Today's Quote from Oh Zee

"Love Is Contagious, allowing the Vibration to be felt, from anywhere near yours." - Oh Zee