Fresh Food Trucks for Eureka’s Five Wards?

How much would it cost the city of Eureka to subsidize one (1) fresh produce truck to operate 5 days a week in the city limits?

Really it seems like the truck could generate enough income to partially support itself, even if prices were kept low.

The truck would spend one day a week in each of Eurekas five wards. Maybe tuesday through saturday. maybe mornings one place and afternoons another. So 10 opportunities a week for the community to buy fresh food. Food could be locally sourced when possible and reasonably priced. this would go a ways in remedy of a few serious food deserts in our community. Henderson Center and Old Town East are a couple of obvious ones. I am sure there are more.

Is this worth talking about? Yes I know it would compete with the farmers market.  On the other hand it would actually BE a market for local farmers and they wouldn’t have to spend their time at a booth in Eureka,  they could spend their time growing food.

have a peaceful day,

Bill

humboldt.organizer@gmail.com

It’s Time to Tax Empty Storefronts in Eureka

The economy is cratering in Eureka.   How many empty storefronts in Eureka?  Anyone keeping tabs?

Its time to tax empty storefronts.   How about a monthly 25 cent per square foot tax on empty storefronts?  That would cost the landlord (many of them absentee landlords) of an empty 1,000 square foot shoppe about $250 per month and would incentify them to reduce their rents and rent to entrepreneurs.

This would bring needed revenue to the city and it would stimulate the local economy.

Any landlord who failed to pay the tax would have a lien slapped on and the city could take the property and sell it on the open market to someone who is serious about renting the property.

What do you all think?

have a peaceful day, Bill

PS Anyone who might want to talk about an initiative campaign to pass this ordinance in Eureka please contact me humboldt.organizer@gmail.com

Thanks to Fred Mangels for spreading the word on this proposal http://humboldtlib.blogspot.com/2012/12/tax-eurekas-empty-storefronts.html

If we can get about 10 people we can form a committee, firm up the proposal and present it to the city council for starters.  If they refuse to act and we still believe in it then we can pursue the initiative process.  It will take about 10 people.

Ukiah Restaurant Shuts – 65 Newly Unemployed

via Ukiah Daily Journal:

Branches abruptly closes doors, 65 without jobs

Owner hopes to reopen, says closure is ‘regrouping’

By JUSTINE FREDERIKSEN The Daily Journal

Updated: 01/11/2012 05:55:59 PM PST

“Branches, the enormous restaurant complex on Airport Park Boulevard which included a meat market and bakery, closed Wednesday morning.

The restaurant’s Facebook page and a sign on the doors said it is closed for repairs and remodeling, but numerous employees reported they were told to leave as soon as they reported for work Wednesday and that the locks had been changed.”

http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_19720600

Poll: Where will the U.S. economy be in 12 months?

Poll:  Where will the U.S. economy be in 12 months?

or on polldaddy: 

$12,000 Federal & California Tax Credits Stimulate Economy – Of China!

“A startup California developer of electric cars said Wednesday its first model will be manufactured in China and go on sale in the United States this year.”

“In California, CODA’s sedan will retail for $44,900, or $32,400 after a $7,500 federal tax credit and a $5,000 state government credit, said Forrest Beanum, CODA’s vice president for communications.”

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2011/03/02/financial/f030701S73.DTL

more here @ “CODA Automotive Death Watch”  :

http://urlet.com/exhausted.edt or:

http://sfcitizen.com/blog/2011/03/02/coda-automotive-deathwatch-day-143-its-official-therell-be-no-electric-car-factory-running-in-the-east-bay-this-year/

The Unemployed Forsee a Bleak Future

The Shattered American Dream: Unemployed Workers are Losing Faith in their Futures

National survey documents impact of prolonged joblessness

December 16, 2010EDITOR’S NOTE:

ATTENTION BUSINESS, ASSIGNMENT EDITORS, for more information or to arrange an interview, contact Professor Carl Van Horn, vanhorn@rutgers.edu or 732-932-4100, ext. 6305; Professor Cliff Zukin, zukin@rutgers.edu or 732-932-4100, ext. 6205; or Robb C. Sewell, senior writer/editor, rcsewell@rutgers.edu or 732-932-4100, ext. 6312. Copies of The Shattered American Dream are available at http://bit.ly/hDB6q4.

NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – “A new survey of unemployed American workers documents dramatic erosion in the quality of life for millions of Americans. Their financial reserves are exhausted, their job prospects nil, their family relations stressed and their belief in government’s ability to help them is negligible. They feel hopeless and powerless, unable to see their way out of the Great Recession that has claimed 8.5 million jobs.

These are some of the main findings of The Shattered American Dream: Unemployed Workers Lose Ground, Hope, and Faith in their Futures, a new report from the John J. Heldrich Center for Workforce Development at Rutgers,

The survey shows that only one-quarter of those first interviewed in August 2009 have found full-time jobs some 15 months later. And most of those who have become re-employed have taken jobs they did not really want for less pay. Moreover, the recession has wreaked havoc on the retirement plans of older workers.”

http://news.rutgers.edu/medrel/news-releases/2010/12/the-shattered-americ-20101216

the 99ers

UPDATE: 99ers plan rally on Wall St. Thursday!

http://www.nydailynews.com/ny_local/2010/08/08/2010-08-08_99ers_looking_for_help_a_curse_becomes_a_cause_as_jobless_benefits_expire.html

“Ms. Jarrin, 49, wound up at a motel here, putting down $260 she had managed to scrape together from friends and from selling her living room set, enough for a weeklong stay. It was essentially all the money she had left after her unemployment benefits expired in March. Now she is facing a previously unimaginable situation for a woman who, not that long ago, had a corporate job near New York City and was enrolled in a graduate business school, whose sticker is still emblazoned on her back windshield.

“Barring a miracle, I’m going to be in my car,” she said.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/03/us/03unemployed.html

and:

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/opinions/view/opinion/Who-Are-the-99ers-4317

The Greatest Financial Con of All Time

“If the goal were to encourage “investing” while reining in the sort of speculations which “earn” hedge fund managers $600 million each (no typo, that was the average of the top 10 hedgies’ personal take of their funds gains), then all unearned income (interest, dividends, capital gains, rents from property, oil wells, etc.) up to $6,000 a year would be free–no tax. Unearned income between $6,000 and $60,000 would be taxed at 20%, roughly half the top rate for earned income. This would leave 95% of U.S. households properly encouraged to invest via low tax rates.

Above $60,000, then unearned income would be taxed the same as earned income, and above $1 million (the top 1/10 of 1% of households) then it would be taxed at 50%. Above $10 million, it would be taxed at 60%. Such a system would offer disincentives to the speculative hauls made by the top 1/10 of 1% while encouraging investing in the lower 99%.”

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly10/con-of-decade-pt2-07-10.html

http://www.oftwominds.com/blogjuly10/con-of-decade07-10.html

http://www.oftwominds.com/blog.html

Our Criminal Congress

Our Democratic-Republican Congress is considering a “jobs bill“ that will cost over $100 billion dollars, but it contains a  pill that is poisonous to our democracy.  While it is full of Demo-pork and Republican style tax gadgets, farm subsidies and a give back to doctors it will do little to provide jobs to the 20% of us non-governmental people who are desperate for  living wage jobs today.

The bill contains provisions that will once again renew the unconstitutional and overreaching Patriot Act.  The Democratic-Republican Party has overstepped its customary plain old greed and incompetence and is now venturing into anticonstitutional criminal behavior with a great deal of deception.  We were used to this kind of bullshit under George Bush.  But Bush has been gone for over a year now. 

The Patriot Act must be repealed, not extended!

We need to kick the Democratic-Republican criminals out of Congress!

have a peaceful day,

Bill

End State Is California finished?

http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/end-state?page=0,6