as of Wednesday, March 18 2009. Click here for a current list.
Saturday Mar 21
Sunday Mar 22
Monday Apr 6
I'm looking for good news around the Bay. If you find some, please Comment and link. - Thanks; Leo
Creative Entrepreneurship in a DownturnHarvard Business Review, February 23, 2009by Martha LagaceEntrepreneurs, take heart. True, the global economic malaise removes opportunities and precious resources—but also adds them in new and interesting ways, argues HBS senior lecturer Bhaskar Chakravorti. In this Q&A he identifies reasons for optimism, and shows how entrepreneurs can think differently about bad news. Key concepts include:
Obama's plan to stem foreclosures is key to economic recoveryContra Costa TimesPosted: 02/22/2009 12:01:00 AM PST
THE OBAMA administration has launched a promising $275 billion effort to substantially slow down the rate of housing foreclosures. It is designed to keep more families in their homes by helping them and lenders with restructured mortgages and to stem the decline in housing prices
President Barack Obama correctly emphasized that using taxpayer money to stem foreclosures is not just in the interest of those who are struggling and failing to make mortgage payments.
The massive number of foreclosures and plummeting real estate values affects everyone. It is the folding of the housing market that is at the root of the current economic crisis and what makes this recession different from previous ones.
Housing plan must help the undeservingSunday, February 22, 2009, San Francisco Chronicle
President Obama's new housing plan is as elegant a solution as we're going to see to end the foreclosure crisis. That doesn't mean it's perfect.
It will help some people who don't "deserve" to be helped, just as the bank bailouts have helped Wall Street executives - none of whom deserved to be helped. But no effective solution to the economic crisis facing this country is going to feel fair to the vast majority of Americans who played by the rules. What would be even less fair would be for Americans to refuse to support this quite good solution out of spite. Stopping the cycle of foreclosures is the only thing that will slow our country's downward economic spiral.
Some residents see opportunity as gold spikes upBy Jondi Gumz, Santa Cruz SentinelPosted: 02/21/2009 01:30:26 AM PST
Some were curious, some were downsizing and some had bills to pay.
That's why they brought gold rings, lockets and necklaces to the Capitola Mall Friday to be evaluated by Gold Buyers. The company, based in Appleton, Wis., visits malls across the country offering to turn gold into cash.
As the line formed a few minutes before 10 a.m., the spot price for gold topped $1,000 an ounce in New York trading before dropping back. Analysts said investors sought a safe haven from a wild ride in the global markets.
Funding for Sacramento region road rehabilitation authorizedBy Bill Lindelof, Sacramento BeePublished: Friday, Feb. 20, 2009 - 8:23 am
Even before the federal stimulus money is in hand, the transportation board responsible for funding projects in the Sacramento region has authorized $32 million for road rehabilitation.
The Sacramento Area Council of Governments authorized release of the money Thursday for projects in Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties. Transportation funds from the Economic Recovery Act first pass through the state Department of Transportation with a portion based on a formula going to SACOG.
Will Obama's mortgage plan help Silicon Valley homeowners?By Pete Carey and Sue McAllister, Mercury NewsPosted: 02/19/2009 12:25:46 AM PST
The Obama administration unveiled a three-pronged plan to stop the nationwide slide in real estate values, saying it offers potential relief for struggling homeowners and a possible shot in the arm for an ailing economy.
The package could help up to 9 million homeowners, many of whom could face foreclosure, the administration said.
But it's unclear how many in Silicon Valley will benefit since so many homeowners have big mortgages that may not qualify for one of the programs announced Wednesday.
Overall, the plan was greeted warmly by the housing industry and economists, who said it provides a way for homeowners to reduce their loan payments while helping ease the gridlock in the nation's home lending sector.
Foreclosure wave, stocks' slide sink Silicon Valley home pricesBy Sue McAllister, Mercury NewsPosted: 02/19/2009 10:50:21 AM PST
Bargain-minded buyers snapped up deals on foreclosed properties in Santa Clara County in January, even as some high-priced Silicon Valley cities saw a record-low number of sales during the same period.
The number of homes sold in the county rose by more than one-third last month compared with January 2008. But with home values still generally sliding and foreclosure properties accounting for about half of all sales, the median price fell precipitously from last year.
The median price of resale, single-family homes sold last month in the county was $420,000, down 39 percent from January 2008 and down 8 percent from December 2008, according to a report MDA DataQuick released Thursday. The last time the county's median price was lower was in February 2000, when the figure was $417,500. The median price of condos sold in January was $262,000, down 43 percent from a year earlier, and 13 percent from December.
Obama's mortgage relief not designed for high-cost areas February 19, by Broderick Perkins, Examiner
Struggling homeowners in California and other high-cost housing markets will benefit less from the Obama administration's "Homeowner Affordability and Stability Plan (HASP)" than those in lower-cost housing markets.
The $275 Billion Plan, with a planned March 4 rollout, includes a refinancing program for "responsible" borrowers who haven't missed payments and whose loans are larger than the value of their homes, and a loan modification provision with incentives for lenders to modify certain mortgages.
Many Californians and others in high cost areas may not see much immediate relief but federal aid earmarked for those areas could follow.
Questions and answers about Obama's plan to avert foreclosuresBy the Mercury NewsPosted: 02/18/2009 09:00:00 PM PST
Who will be helped? Those who may be at risk of foreclosure as well as some homeowners who are "underwater" on their loans.
What are the broad outlines of the plan? A refinancing option for those who are making payments but are paying high interest rates and would otherwise not be able to refinance, either because they do not have enough equity or because their houses are worth less than they borrowed.
Groups back remedy for Silicon Valley downturnSan Jose Business JournalTuesday, February 17, 2009
More green energy development and better job training are being called for in a report that details the sudden drop in the Silicon Valley economy last fall.
The annual Silicon Valley Index from Joint Venture: Silicon Valley Network and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation show a region that abruptly shifted from its long recovery from the tech bust at the turn of the century.
The report compiles many previously released statistics from 2008 that show three quarters of growth and a sudden downturn that began in the fourth quarter and continues this year.
Yesterday's caucus was an exciting experience. Congratulations to Tony Alexander & Hellen Sims on winning. Good luck to both of you in Denver! I know you will represent us well as true Obama pledged delegates loyal to the ideals and goals that Barack stands for & has for our entire country.
In case you missed it, check this out! Here's the SJ Mercury News link with highlights of the caucuses:
http://www.mercurynews.com/elections
(I edited this link as requested; so now if you click on this link and then on the left hand side of the page are the videos; look for the one entitled, "Delegate Hopefuls".)
As a candidate, I want to again thank everyone who was a volunteer at the caucus & made it run so smoothly. I appreciate you giving your time & effort. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Christy
I posted this to one group, but I feel very strongly about it, such that I am blogging it here as well to the other groups I am participating in.....
