the economy

The topics selected for our next meeting, Monday, December 1, '08, are:

1. How has the recession affected us at Sun City Shadow Hills? Is it going to get worse?
   
2. How's the bailout working? Should it be extended to other areas of the U.S. economy ?
   

Regarding item #1:

MSNBC: Cracked Nest Egg, New crisis in commercial real estate looms

Regarding item #2:

Earlier posts: The Bailout, Wall Street and Main Street

MSNBC: FHA-backed loans: the next subprime crisis?, Here's why it's so hard to modify a mortgage

NY Times: White House Philosophy Stoked Mortgage Bonfire

what to discuss?

During our November 17, '08, meeting, we discussed:

1. the HOA board meeting held earlier that day and
   
2. the process by which topics are selected.
   

Regarding the latter, we reviewed the role of the advisory committee and its chairperson in choosing topics. It was concluded that the topics recommended for discussion by the committee be limited to those brought up previously at committee meetings. The committee chairperson has no discretion beyond selecting among those topics. Of course, the club and its officers can substitute any topics of their own choosing for any reason at any time. The committee's role then is to keep a list of topics ready to be drawn upon.

What are the criteria we should use in selecting topics:

• narrow or broad?
  
• bland or controversial?
  
• visceral or cerebral?
  
• simple or complex?
• consequence - fleeting or persistent?
• scope - local or global?
  
• personal or impersonal?

Also:

• how much discussion time is needed?
• how to phrase the topic??

U.S. election

These topics, from the November 4 election, are scheduled for our November 3rd rmeeting:

1. On our own ballots, who will win and what measures will pass?  By what margins?
2. What about ballot measures in other States?

Regarding item #1:

November 4 ballot: Smartvoter, California Ballot Measures

League of Women Voters: Easy Voter Guide, How to Evaluate Initiatives, An Overview of State Bond Debt

Regarding item #2:

MSNBC: Hot-button social issues highlight state ballots, Outcome

freeway interchange

The Desert Sun had an article about our freeway interchange here and here.  

The public has until the end of the month to comment on all the alternatives

Here's a PDF on our portal that contains the 3 current alternatives.  The complete document and technical studies are available for review at City Hall and the library.

Animal rights /California redistricting / Indio User Tax

The discussion topics for our October 20, 2008, meeting come from the November 4 election ballot:

1. Proposition 2: Shall certain farm animals be allowed, for the majority of every day, to fully extend their limbs or wings, lie down, stand up and turn around?
2. Proposition 11. Redistricting -- State of California (Initiative Constitutional Amendment and Statute - Majority Approval Required) Shall the authority for establishing state office boundaries be changed from elected representatives to a commission comprised of Democrats, Republicans, and representatives of neither party selected from the registered voter pool in a multilevel process?
3. Measure K. Amending User's Tax Ordinance -- City of Indio (Majority Approval Required) Shall the city of Indio amend and modernize the city's utility users' tax ordinance?

Regarding item #1:  

Voter guide: Proposition 2

N.Y. Times: editorial

Regarding item #2:  

Voter guide: Proposition 11 

Regarding item #3:

Voter guide: Measure K

Desert Sun: Measure K an important step forward for Indio

Claremont Insider: Indio Spin Class

Per Gustavo: The City of Indio Utility User Fee Application For Exemption is now available at the HOA office.  If you're 62+ or disabled, you may qualify.

The Bailout

October 6, 2008, meeting topic: 

The Bailout, a review of the $700,000,000,000 "rescue plan" by the federal government of the US financial industry

Was this action needed or should the industry have found another way to resolve the problem?
Are the taxpayers protected?
Why are foreign financial institutions benefiting from the act?  Are they?
Where will the US get the money to fund the act?
Why was the amount $700 billion selected?
Is the act an example of Socialism?

This American Life (radio): Another Frightening Show About the Economy

L.A. Times: Schwarzenegger to U.S.: State may need $7-billion loan

Wall Street and Main Street

September 22, 2008 meeting.

Neither a borrower nor a lender be. Polonius in Hamlet

At the end of every seven years thou shalt make a release. Deuteronomy 15

On Sunday 9/7, the U.S. government took control of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Here are some links related to that and subsequent actions:

NPR update: The Week America's Economy Almost Died

NY Times: A Bailout Plan, but Will It All Work?, Bipartisan Support for Wall St. Rescue Plan Emerges

Newsweek: too international to fail

NY Times: As Crisis Grew, One Option Remained , Few Stand to Gain on This Bailout, and Many Lose, ’08 Rivals Have Ties to Loan Giants, What Created This Monster(Newsweek: credit default swaps), Freakonomics blog

Charlie Rose: BAILOUT featuring Dr. Doom, Nouriel Roubini

NPR: If Fannie And Freddie Had Failed, Fannie's Lesson: The Real Scandals Are Legal

PBS: 11 minute July segment, moral hazard, featuring Bird and Fortune

Scientific American: Economics in a Full World (original)

Slate: Daniel Mudd on Foreclosure, The Death of the Credit Card Economy

MSNBC: How Fannie and Freddie weren't reigned-in

Here's a year-ago online piece about the then federal effort to stem the foreclosure tide.

ethanol / California insurance surcharge

These topics were originally scheduled for September 22::

1. In the United States, as much as one-third of the maize crop this year will go to the gas tank and this is a huge blow to the world food supply.   Should we continue developing biofuels as an alternative to the use of oil?
   
2. Gov Schwarzenegger proposes a surcharge on property insurance statewide to defray the state's cost for fire protection and emergency response.  Should all taxpayers subsidize people who choose to live in fire-prone areas?  
   

Regarding item #1:

From my other blog: ethanol

Regarding item #2:

Press-Enterprise: Fire burdens

foreign tech worker visas / HOA board qualifications / golf course

The discussion topics for the September 8, 2008 meeting are:

1. H-1B visas. American companies recruit foreign born and trained engineers, scientists and high tech workers to help staff their businesses. US law limits the number of such new recruits to 65,000 annually. Should the quota be increased?
2. Resident Board member qualifications for the HOA Board election, Monday, Sept. 29, 2 p.m. Note: A Board candidate forum was held Wednesday, September 3, 2008, 6 - 9 p.m., ahead of our discussion meeting.
   

Our Pete Anderson gave a thorough golf course update.

Regarding item #1:
Wikipedia: H-1B visas

Regarding item #2:
September View pages 10 and 11, for limited statement.
BallotBoxServices login ID: scsh74 . Click on View Candidates at the top for detailed completed questionnaires from the 8 candidates. With his very impressive resume, one of my own picks is Roland Dilda.  Cumulative voting is in effect, so you can cast 2 votes for one candidate.

alternative energy / price of oil

The discussion topics for the August 25, 2008 meeting are:

1. The November ballot initiative Prop 10 to authorize the sale of $5 billion in general fund bonds to provide alternative energy rebates and incentives, covering only vehicles powered by natural gas.
   
2. Is it good or bad for the price of oil to be high?
   

Regarding item #1:
Ballotpedia: Prop 10
Natural Gas: A Primer, Newsweek- NG Vehicles
From my blog on Peak Oil: (T. Boone) Pickens Plan

Regarding item #2:
From my Peak Oil blog: ethics
From another blogger: explaining the oscillations

sex education / NAFTA

The discussion questions for the August 11, 2008 meeting are:

1. Should federal funding be provided for a sex education program that is restricted to an abstinence only policy?
2. Is NAFTA good for the US Economy? Have the benefits provided exceeded the loss of jobs created by the act?

Regarding item #1:
NPR poll: Sex Education in America

MSNBC 8/13/08 update: The opposite of sex? Adults, teens beg to differ

Regarding item #2:
Wikipedia: NAFTA

We also discussed the Indio utility tax and the status of our clubhouse upgrades.

Islam / investing

The discussion topics for our July 28, 2008, meeting are:

1. Is Islam a peaceful religion?
2. Where should we invest our retirement dollars in this down market?

Regarding item #1:
One site you might consider: Jihad Watch

Regarding item #2:
Not inside your mattress.

mortgage crisis / construction litigation / HOA financials

The discussion topics for our July 14, 2008, meeting are:

1. How should the US mortgage/housing crisis be resolved?
2. Review of construction litigation letter received from Milstein, Adelman & Kreger LLP.
3. Review of the 12/31/07 Homeowner Association Financial statement.

Regarding item #1:
Washington Post: article
Los Angeles Times: California extends help
Wikipedia: credit crunch, Subprime mortgage crisis

Indio / tax rebate / same sex marriage

There’s a Special Meeting here, Monday, June 23, with invited guests from the wider community, to discuss ‘what is going on in Indio’.
Indio City Council meeting packets and actions(dating back to 1930!) can be viewed from the City Clerk's web page. Current Council meetings are video-taped for play on Time Warner channel 17 on Fridays at 9 a.m. and Sundays at 8 p.m. They are also sometimes placed on-demand on TW channel 110.


The discussion topics for our Regular Meeting on June 30, 2008, meeting are:

1. Federal tax rebate - What is the source of the funds used for the Federal tax rebate? What will you do with the money? Will the rebate help our economy?
2. Should same sex couples be allowed to marry? Why do we care? Will the voters approve the constitutional amendment in November?

Regarding item #1:
Wikipedia article
NPR: Are Consumers Spending or Saving?
IRS: Rebate information

Regarding item #2:
Wikipedia article
Desert Sun: Legal minefield awaits gay marriages

Church & state / California budget / July 4th

The discussion topics for the 6/16/08 meeting are:

1. Is there a separation of church and state in the US?
2. Should California cut services, borrow funds secured by future lottery collections, or increase sales tax to balance its budget for the 2008-2009 fiscal year?
3. Added: 4^th of July, What does it mean to us today?

Regarding item #1

Wikipedia: separation of church and state

Regarding item #2Google: CA budget

Regarding item #3
Wikipedia: Patriotism , Liberty and Freedom
Wikiquote: Patriotism