Pacific Progressive

Transparent Lending to Small Business

by Jitinder Kohli

This article was published by the Center for American Progress.

President Obama during his recent meeting at the White House with some of the nation’s top banking executives “urged these institutions here today to go back and take a third and fourth look about how they are operating when it comes to small business lending. My main message in today's meeting was very simple: that America's banks received extraordinary assistance from American taxpayers to rebuild their industry, and now that they're back on their feet, we expect an extraordinary commitment from them to help rebuild our economy.”

The president is absolutely right. The American people have really dug deep to support the banking sector. They provided hundreds of billions dollars to the banks since the crisis began. There was no alternative, of course, to rescuing the banking system a year ago—not to have done so would have caused the Great Recession to become instead the second Great Depression. But knowing that does not really help those Americans who are without a job today as a result of the crisis, or indeed those businesses that are struggling to get credit from the very banks that they bailed out with their tax dollars.

What Americans want is to know that banks are playing their part in getting the economy going again now that they are returning to profit.

It's Easy Being Green: O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum

This article was published by the Center for American Progress.

Read more articles from the "It's Easy Being Green" series

Is a real Christmas tree or an artificial tree the more environmentally friendly option? The debate is ongoing, but there’s a large consensus that a real tree is better.

It may appear at first that an artificial tree would be a wiser choice. After all, you can reuse it, which means not having to spend money or cut down a tree year after year. But that’s not the whole story.

Artificial trees are usually made from polyvinyl chloride, or PVC—a petroleum-derived plastic that unless made from recycled plastic requires oil for its manufacturing and may leach chemicals after disposal. These trees are also usually manufactured overseas so the transportation emissions are high. The National Christmas Tree Association reports that 85 percent of artificial trees sold in the United States come from China.

Not to mention that in order to make the PVC needles on artificial trees more malleable, the manufacturers may use lead and other additives that have been linked to liver, kidney, neurological, and reproductive system damage in lab studies on animals.

Primary Care for All in This Rhode Island Town

by Andrew Villegas, KHN Staff Writer

This article is from Kaiser Health News.

Scituate, R.I., with its population of 10,000, has some big ideas about keeping its residents healthy. The town has created a means for all of its residents to have access to the most basic types of preventive health care, regardless of their ability to pay. 

It all started in 2000 when town officials were looking to provide cheaper health insurance for their employees. This effort led to establishment of theScituate Health Alliance, which now provides the town's uninsured people – about a hundred – with primary health care services to head off serious health issues before they start. It is not health insurance. The program does not pay for hospitalizations or procedures such as root canals, hip replacements or cancer treatment. Instead, it focuses on annual physicals and sick visits to doctors, flu clinics, health screenings, eye exams and prenatal and breastfeeding information. 

The alliance, a community-based non-profit organization, cobbles together the funding for this program from a variety of sources – the town itself, its community block grants, and even from bake sales and walk-a-thons. The annual budget, which generally hovers around $30,000 a year, pays participating doctors $25 per patient per month. The only cost to the patient is $10 per visit. The reasoning behind the town's plan is it will enable people to address the relatively minor health problems while also receiving the preventive services that go a long way toward lowering health care costs.

$35.2 Million Available to Help Californian's Buy Energy Efficient Appliances

The U.S. Department of Energy has awarded $35.2 million to provide rebates for California consumers who purchase energy-efficient home appliances in 2010.

The new program will be administered by the California Energy Commission, which is scheduled to announce its final program guidelines later this month and begin issuing rebates in early spring 2010. Proposed rebates will be $100 for clothes washers, $75 for refrigerators, and $50 for room air conditioners. To qualify, the appliances must be on the ENERGY STAR list of energy-efficient appliances and meet all state efficiency standards. These new rebates are in addition to existing rebates offered by California’s utilities and appliance manufacturers.

For details and updates on the new rebate program, use this link. For more information on ENERGY STAR appliances, use this link. To find out about other appliance rebate programs for California consumers, use this link.

This rebate program, which was funded by Congress as part of theAmerican Recovery and Reinvestment Act, will stimulate sales and job creation in the appliance industry, save money for consumers, and save energy by replacing inefficient appliances with more efficient ones.  

5th Annual Mesa Verde Classic Golf Tournament - March 29

Costa Mesa United raises money to build athletic facilities for local youth to play sports in.  Their annual golf tournament is a fun way to get in a round of golf and support youth sports.

The tournament is being held on Monday, January 18, 2010 at the Mesa Verde Country Club.  Registration and putting contest start at 8:30 AM, followed by a 10:30 AM shotgun start.  Lunch will be provided during play.   After the tournament is the awards dinner with both silent and live auction items.  Ed Fawcett, the President and CEO of the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce will be honored at the dinner.

The cost is $275 per golfer.  Sponsorships are still available.  Sign up here.

Human Rights in Vietnam Must Remain a Priority for the US

Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez (CA-47), Co-Chair of the Congressional Caucus on Vietnam, today issued the following statement regarding Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s speech on human rights at Georgetown University:

“During her speech on human rights earlier today, Secretary Clinton stated that the success – or failure – of our human rights agenda can be determined by asking the following question: ‘Are more people in more places better able to exercise their universal rights and live up to their potential because of our actions?’  By that metric, this Administration’s efforts to promote and expand human rights in Vietnam have not yet been successful.

“Despite repeated calls from Members of this Congress to place Vietnam back on the State Department’s ‘Countries of Particular Concern’ list for its abuses of religious freedom, the designation has not yet been reinstated.  We have to hold Vietnam, and other countries like it, accountable for their actions.  The Administration must carry out its stated obligation to ‘demand’ that governments like Nguyen Minh Triet’s respect basic civil, political, and religious liberties.

Join the E-March to Protect Public Education in California's Next Budget

Governor Schwarzenegger is working on the 2010-2011 budget, which will be present on January 11, 2010.  Join the electronic march to demand adequate funding for public education in next year's budget proposal.  

Join here!

Stopping the Sale of the Fairgrounds - Who is Against the Sale

Who is has signed on against the sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds?

Assemblyman Jose Solorio

Assemblyman Jim Silva

Assemblyman Van Tran

Buena Park - 12/22 agenda

Costa Mesa - Mayor Allan Mansoor, Mayor Pro Tem Wendy Leece, Councilmember Katrina Foley, Councilmember Eric Bever, Councilman Gary Monahan

County of Orange - Supervisor Pat Bates, Supervisor Janet Nguyen, Supervisor John Moorlach, Supervisor Bill Campbell, Supervisor Chris Norby

Cypress - 12/15 agenda

Fountain Valley - Mayor Larry Crandall, Mayor Pro Tem Cheryl Brothers, Councilmember Guy Carozzon, Councilmember John Colllins, Councilmember Steve Nagel

Fullerton - Mayor Don Bankhead, Mayor Pro Tem Pam Keller, Councilmember F. Richard Jones, Councilmember Shawn Nelson, Councilmember Sharon Quirk-Silva

Huntington Beach - 12/21 agenda

La Habra - 12/21 agenda

Laguna Hills - 1/8 agenda

Laguna Niguel - 12/15 agenda

Lake Forest - 12/15 agenda

Newport Beach - Mayor Keith Curry, Mayor Pro Tem Michael Henn, Councilmember Steven Rosansky, Councilmember Don Webb, Councilmember Leslie Daigle, Councilmember Edward Selich, Councilmember Nancy Gardner

Orange - Mayor Carolyn Cavecche, Mayor Pro Tem Tita Smith, Councilmember Mark Murphy, Councilmember Denis Bilodeau, Councilmember Joh Dumitru

San Clemente - 12/15 agenda

Santa Ana - Mayor Miguel Pulido, Mayor Pro Tem Claudia Alvarez, Councilmember Michele Martinez, Councilmember Carlos Bustamante, Councilmember David Benavides, Councilmember Sal Tinajero, Councilmember Vincent Sarmiento

Economic Snapshot for December 2009

by Christian E. Weller

This article was published by the Center for American Progress.

Download the snapshot with full graphs (pdf)

Financial markets have eased, the economy is in recovery, and job losses are shrinking. Economic policy now has two challenges: ensuring strong job growth and securing durable economic growth. These goals are intertwined. Millions of Americans need to find jobs that will allow them to repay their large debts and avoid high foreclosures, credit card defaults, and bankruptcies, which in turn will boost business investment and economic growth.

The successes of past economic policies are apparent. Credit markets have substantially eased from the panic of last year, and the recession ended more quickly than would have been the case without the stimulus. Public policy interventions now need to help bring back millions of jobs and create stronger long-term growth.

1. The U.S. economy has turned the corner. GDP grew at an annual rate of 2.8% in the third quarter of 2009, the first increase since the second quarter of 2008 and the largest gain since the third quarter of 2007. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act helped to increase consumer spending, home purchases, and federal government spending in the summer of 2009, which all contributed to faster growth.

2. Job losses continue. The U.S. economy shed 11,000 jobs in November 2009. The economy has lost 7.2 million jobs since the recession began in December 2007.

3. The rate of job loss has markedly slowed. Job losses averaged 87,000 from September to November 2009, down 72% from the preceding three months and 82% from the average during March, April, and May 2009.

National Day of Action to Defend Education - March 4

From Wesley Strong, organizer for March 4th National Day of Action to Defend Education

As people throughout the country struggle under the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, public education from pre-K to higher and adult education is threatened by budget cuts, layoffs, privatization, tuition and fee increases, and other attacks. Budget cuts degrade the quality of public education by decreasing student services and increasing class size, while tuition hikes and layoffs force the cost of the recession onto students and teachers and off of the financial institutions that caused the recession in the first place. Non-unionized charter schools threaten to divide, weaken and privatize the public school system and damage teachers’ unions, which are needed now more than ever. More and more students are going deep into debt to finance their education, while high unemployment forces many students and youth to join the military to receive a higher education. And all of the attacks described above have hit working people and people of color the hardest.

In California, students, teachers, workers, parents, and faculty have taken action against these attacks. They took to the streets in a one-day strike on September 24th, organized strikes and actions across the state during the University of California Board of Regents meeting from November 18th to 20th, and have called for a state-wide day of action on March 4th. These actions have created a broad mass movement in California, drawing in students from all over the state to create a powerful struggle. As the effects of the economic crisis continue to spread into the education system nationally, it’s time to join our voices with students and workers in California and draw inspiration from their example.

Chipping Away at the Estate Tax

by Michael Linden

This article was published by the Center for American Progress.

Last week, the House of Representatives passed a $233 billion tax cut for the very wealthiest of wealthy Americans—a cut that would benefit fewer than 50,000 people in the entire country. The Senate has yet to pass a similar tax cut in part because some senators believe it would be a big mistake to enact the bill as it was passed in the House without some major changes. Many of the senators opposed to passing the House’s tax cut bill expressed serious reservations about the size of our future budget deficits and would like to see concrete steps taken to close that fiscal gap.

Here is where things get strange. The senators who have called for deficit reduction and more fiscal discipline aren’t opposing the House’s bill because it’s a big giveaway to the very wealthy at a time when we simply can’t afford such profligacy. They’re opposing it because it isn’t big enough. Instead, they think the tax cut should be $330 billion. And they believe that extra $100 billion should go exclusively to the richest 0.2 percent of Americans. Interestingly, they have proposed absolutely no way to pay for this budget buster.

This seemingly odd situation came about as a result of a Bush-era budgeting gimmick concerning the estate tax. The estate tax is applied to the transfer of the property—such as stocks, cash, real estate, trust funds—from a deceased person to their heir. Very few estates are actually subject to this tax, however, because the tax only applies to estates that are worth more than a given exemption amount. In 2009, the exemption is $7 million for a married couple. In other words, any inheritance worth less than that is completely tax free. As a result, this year 99.7 percent of estates will pay no estate tax.

The 2009 estate tax is actually much smaller than it used to be. As part of the 2001 and 2003 Bush tax cuts the estate tax was gradually reduced—cut seven times over the past eight years, in fact—by both raising the exemption and lowering the tax rate itself. In 2010, the estate tax is scheduled to disappear completely.

Reality and Perception Diverge - Changing Demographics of Orange County

Many people, including residents of Orange County, believe the County to be white, conservative, and well off.  Any one who doesn't fit the mold is generally ignored by the mainstream press or villainized as causing the "downfall" of the County.  Like all parts of America, Orange County had the space to grow, the jobs to accommodate new  people, and attracted many with these opportunities.

In the last 60 years, Orange County has gone from groves of orange trees with population 130,760 in 1940 to over 2.8 million in 2000. (Currently, Fullerton has about 133,000 people living in their city.)  During the same period, the nearly all-white face of the County in the 1950's shifted to about 50% white by 2000.  The "whiteness" is not uniformly spread thru the area but is concentrated in Seal Beach, Newport Beach, Laguna Beach, Coto de Caza and Tustin Foothills.  The center of the County - Buena Park,Cypress, Fullerton, Orange, Fountain Valley, Costa Mesa, Tustin, Irvine,  Anaheim, La Habra,  Stanton, Westminster, Garden Grove, and Santa Ana - have much greater diversity in their residents. 

Accompanying this demographic shift is an economic shift - more families living in or near poverty.  In 1970, only 6% of Orange County families lived in poverty compared to 20% nationwide.  By 2000, 10% of Orange County families were in poverty, but only 14%  of US families overall. While the poverty trend was going down across the nation, it was going up in Orange County.   Using another measure of poverty recommended by the National Academy of Sciences, almost 1 in 4 (24.9%) of County residents were economically disadvantaged in 2008.

The least well off areas are in the center of the County - Santa Ana, Stanton, Westminster, Garden Grove, Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, and Orange. Several cities - Aliso Viejo, Tustin Foothills, Yorba Linda, Rancho Santa Margarita, Rossmoor, Portola Hills, Villa Park,  and Coto de Caza - have less than 3.5% of their populations living below the poverty line.

Orange County has split and many people don't realize it yet.  There are areas in the center and north County which need economic stimulus and workforce development efforts to increase the standard of living in these areas.  At the same time, quality affordable housing needs to be built in these same areas to improve the living conditions many families face.  In south County and a few areas in north County, residents who can afford to live in higher end communities where there is a significant economic barrier to entry.  

For more on how Orange County demographics are shifting, see The Orange Crush:  The Squeezing of Orange County's Middle Class by John R. Hipp. 

4 Senators and 4 Assemblymembers Need to Get on Board to Stop Sale

We have not heard from these members of our Orange County Sacramento delegation to find out where they stand on stopping the sale of the Fairgrounds.  At this time of the year, the Legislature is home in their districts, so it is a great time to stop by the district office and talk with them about why they sale of the Orange County Fairgrounds must be stopped.  

Ask these elected officials to tell the Governor to stop the sale and to support AB 1590 put forward by Assm. Jose Solorio.

Who We Need to Hear From:  Sen. Bob Huff, Sen. Lou Correa, Sen. Mark Wyland, Sen. Mimi Walters, Assm. Curt Hagman, Assm. Diane Harkey, Assm. Jeff Miller, Assm. Tony Mendoza

Senator Bob Huff - Chairman of the Republican Caucus , 29th Senatorial District

District includes La Habra, Brea, Placentia, Anaheim Hills and Yorba Linda

20888 Amar Road, Suite 205
Walnut, CA 91789
Phone: (909) 598-3981
Fax: (909) 598-6459

Senator Lou Correa - 34th Senatorial District

District includes Anaheim, Buena Park, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Santa Ana, Stanton and Westminster

(714) 558-4400
2323 N. Broadway, Ste. 245
Santa Ana,  CA  92706

Senator Mark Wyland - 38th Senatorial District

District includes San Clemente and San Juan Capistrano

27126-A Paseo Espada, #1621

San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
Phone: (949) 489-9838 
Fax: (949) 489-8354

Senator Mimi Walters - 33rd Senatorial District

District includes Buena Park, Fullerton, Anaheim, Orange, Villa Park, Santa Ana, Tustin, Tustin Foothills, Lake Forest, Canyon Areas, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Woods, Mission Viejo, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, Foothill Ranch, Portola Hills, Coto de Caza

24031 El Toro Rd. Suite 210
Laguna Hills, CA 92653
Phone: (949) 457-7333
Fax: (949) 457-7305

Assemblyman Curt Hagman - 60th Assembly District

District includes Anaheim, La Habra, Orange, Villa Park, Yorba Linda

13920 City Center Drive, #260
Chino Hills, CA 91709
(909) 627-7021
(909) 627-1841 fax

Assemblywoman Diane Harkey - 73rd Assembly District

District includes Also Viejo, Dana Point, Laguna Hills, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, San Juan Capistrano

29122 Rancho Viejo Road, Suite 111
San Juan Capistrano, CA 92675
(949) 347-7301
(949) 347-7302 fax

Assemblyman Jeff Miller - 71st Assembly District

District includes Anaheim, Irvine, Mission Viejo, Orange, Rancho Santa Margarita, Santa Ana, Tustin

20532 El Toro Rd, Suite 203
Mission Viejo, CA 92692
(949) 598-7171
(949) 598-7170 fax

Assemblyman Tony Mendoza - 56th Assembly District 

District includes Buena Park

12501 E. Imperial Highway 
Suite 210 
Norwalk, CA 90650 
Tel: (562) 864-5600 
Fax: (562) 863-7466

Southwest Community Center Destroyed by Fire - How to Help - Dec 15-18

On Tuesday, December 15, 2009, the Southwest Community Center in Santa Ana was almost burned to the ground by an electrical fire. The center serves food to the hungry on a daily basis and provides clothing, food baskets, toys to families needing assistance.  

Please do not take donations to the Southwest Community Center because the site is not safe and they need to clean up after the fire. The United Way of Orange County is coordinating collecting food, clothing, money, toys and blankets for the center.  

From December 15-18, 2009, drop off donations at Orange County United Way, 18012 Mitchell Ave South Irvine, CA 92614.  Specific items needed are canned food for food baskets (corn, beans, rice, tuna, etc); clothing for men, women and children; blankets; new, unwrapped toys for children aged 0-12.  

If you prefer to donate money, use this link to make a donation.  If you don't want to use a credit card over the internet, you can print out the form and mail it in.

Orange County and Costa Mesa Sign MOU to Protect Fairgrounds

Yesterday, Orange County and Costa Mesa agreed to work together to produce a bid to buy and run the Orange County Fairgrounds.  The reality of this action is this is something that neither the County or Costa Mesa should have to do and this is the last line of defense against redevelopment of the Fairgrounds.  The documents are available here. 

As Costa Mesa City Council Member Katrina Foley has said again and again, we should not have to buy back something we already own.  We are being forced to buy the Fairgrounds, which we already own.  

Orange County and Costa Mesa putting in a bid is the last line of defense against a future Kristina Dodge Sports Stadium and Entertainment Complex.  Any private party (and yes, a non-profit is a private party) who buys the Fairgrounds and says they will keep it the Fairgrounds is not to be believed. Even if the near term plan is to keep the Fairgrounds the way it is, the long term financial pressures created by the debt from the sale will force the eventual redevelopment of the property.  From a real estate and financial perspective, it makes perfect sense to put a stadium or major entertainment complex on the site.

To try their best to keep the Fairgrounds, both Costa Mesa and Orange County will be forced to sell bonds at a time when it is difficult to sell bonds and quite frankly, neither party has the money for this nonsense.

And remember this all happened because the Fair Board, now led by Chair of Both the Board and Foundation Kristina Dodge, decided to ask to have the Fairgrounds put up for sale.  Really, with all of the mess these folks have caused, should they still be allowed to run Fairgrounds?