The Cheerleader has Arrived!!

Add comment March 13th, 2009

Gee, maybe he listened to my Feb. blog…
http://blogs.e-rockford.com/manufacturing/2009/02/23/heres-why-we-need-a-cheerleader/

Now we have a cheerleader!!   Cheerleader

Budget Cuts and Reality

2 comments March 13th, 2009

I guess in a way, it easy to have empathy with the budget cutting that needs to take place in the County and City budgets; its never pleasant to have to reduce personnel from your workforce.

At the same time, I know that many manufacturers are going through actual spending decisions that the county and city should consider.  Examples include…

Layoffs,

Shorter work hours (and pay) in lieu of layoffs,

Reduced salaries especially for owners,

Increased sharing by employees of  medical premiums,

Elimination of bonuses,

Eliminations or reductions to Retirement Accounts,

Reduction of expenses for travel, dinners, etc.

You see, when owners have real skin in the game, like having their home committed as collateral for a bank loan, or committing their life to their business and not job hopping, they have real skin in the game; its sink or swim.

I hear too much crying from government employees about  losing some of their “entitlements” to make me feel too sorry for those who have to have some of their candy taken away.

Listen to some of the local business owners and see what they are doing to survive. Try to understand why they also get frustrated when they see government trying to make it even more difficult to do business.

Hats off to the small business owners who are managing and surviving through this tough economy!

A Starting Point for Jobs

Add comment March 13th, 2009

In case you missed this story about what resources there are to find a job, here it is… JobStartingPoint

Employers and the Stimulus

Add comment March 13th, 2009

I had earlier posted  http://blogs.e-rockford.com/manufacturing/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=539

That link my reader posted is not the actual stimulus list. It’s a list of projects submitted in a 2008 report that was one of the bases for the stimulus package, but not the final list.

We’re getting a bunch of money so far, with hopes for more as things unfold. We’ve reported this here http://www.businessrockford.com/biznews/x286846746/Stimulus-spending-targets-not-set-in-stone

Some things we know we’re getting
- About $8.6 million in IDOT funding for road paving in Boone and Winnebago counties this year.
- $6.1 in local road projects chosen by the Rockford Metropolitan Agency for Planning.
- $3.7 million for local mass transit (most will likely go towards RMTD’s transfer center.
- $3 million for job training assistance.
- $22.6 million to area school districts
- $5 million to weatherize homes in Rockford threw the human services department.
- $4 million to the Rockford Housing Authority to replace windows, fix roofs and improve building exteriors around the city.
- $800,000 to Winnebago County Housing Authority for that above stuff. (We also know Boone County is getting some, but don’t know how much.)

That’s almost $52 million we know of for sure. That doesn’t include likely other stimulus grants - RFD might get some for its projects on tap, the city is applying for EPA money and flood control money, area colleges/universities could get grants … there’s a lot of potential for more.

But obviously we’re not getting nothing.

Thanks to Thomas Bona for clearing this up!

Where’s the Fire Truck?

Add comment March 13th, 2009

Well, even the Democrats are frustrated….   FireTruck