Math Education at Sonoma County Schools

Math Education Gets Extreme 

Makeover in Regional Schools

By Jean Wasp

Does math education need an extreme makeover?

Just ask Education Professor Kathy Morris from Sonoma State University. 

Morris is looking at a "fabulous opportunity" to provide better and far more coherent mathematics education, thanks to a recent $250,000 grant from the California Postsecondary Education Commission (now part of the California Department of Education).

She is guiding a team of K-12 teacher leaders from five northern California counties as they learn to support teachers in their region with the implementation of the new Common Core Standards. The next weekend teacher leader training is Jan. 13-14.

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Sonoma County Entrepreneurs Create Jobs - Their Own!

Want a Job?

MAKE one...

By Vesta Copestakes

Sounds easy - and quite honestly - it’s easier than you think. The key ingredients are motivation and self-discipline. Without those two elements you will fail. With them, you can do anything. I know…I’ve been self-employed most of my adult life.

Many people are creating their own businesses doing what they love. That’s key. There are some jobs - like sales - where money can be a big enough motivator to get you going every morning. But if money doesn’t get you excited beyond paying bills, you have to explore your heart to find what will give you the drive to push forward, day after day, until you succeed.

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Retirement Planning in Today's Economy

The New Face of Retirement Planning 

By David M. Wasley
(In conjunction with Lincoln Financial Advisors, a registered investment advisor) 

Retirement these days just isn’t what it used to be. A generation ago, many Americans spent their golden years pursuing mostly sedentary activities like fishing or golfing. Today’s retirees are redefining this phase. Retirement now often means traveling the world, giving back to the community through volunteer work or starting a little business. But can these activities be financed with today’s escalating retirement bills?

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Teaching Money Skills to Children

by Lee Alderman,
Assistant Vice President of Training & Financial Literacy, Redwood Credit Union

As back-to-school season begins, your children and teens will learn subjects such as English, math, history, and science. But what about financial management? Like many essential life skills, the basics of money management will come from you, their parents.

Raising children who are money-savvy— a challenging task for most parents—is perhaps even more difficult in today’s economy. However, the current economic environment makes basic money management skills more important then ever. Many financial leaders nationwide believe that a lack of basic financial understanding contributed significantly to the economic troubles we face today.

Parents as Teachers
As a parent, you can teach your children financial basics such as saving, earning, spending wisely, donating and even the concept of credit. More importantly, you have the opportunity to guide, cultivate, and reinforce sound financial habits to prepare them for managing their money in the future. Here are some suggested fundamentals to help you get started:

Early years, ages 3-7:
• Show them how to save coins using a clear jar or piggy bank that allows them to see the money “growing” inside.
• Explain how money is used to buy things. Consider letting them hand the clerk money when buying ice cream or other desirable items to demonstrate how money is exchanged for goods.
• Introduce the concept of saving for a goal. For example, if your family is planning a vacation to Disneyland. You can use this goal to discuss how you will skip buying items today so you can reach that goal sooner.

Pre-teens, ages 8–12:
• Introduce a weekly allowance and begin teaching the experience of paying for items with money they’ve earned.
• Familiarize them with what financial institutions do and help them open their own savings account.
• Explain the idea of “wants” versus “needs”—this concept plays a key role in making financial decisions.
Encourage them to save their own money for things they want, such as video games.

Teens, ages 13 – 18:
• Explain how credit cards work, and the pros (convenience) and cons (debt) of using them.
• Help your older teens open a checking account and teach them the skills—and necessity—of tracking your money through check registers or online banking.

Parents as Role Models
A parent’s job as role model is just as important as that of teacher. Your children learn a lot about how things work “in the real world” by watching your actions. If you pull out the credit card every time you buy something, they will learn that there’s no need to save as long as you have the “magic” plastic card.

Here are some additional recommendations to help you impart strong money skills to your children:
• Create a family budget with input from the whole family and allow your children to see where money comes from and where it goes.
• Set future financial goals as a family so your children begin to understand why unnecessary purchases, such as the latest fad toy, impact that family goal.
• Ask your children to help you as you pay monthly bills and help them understand why these payments must be made first.
• If the family decides to have a special movie and pizza night on the town (or any other similar expense), show your children how you decide what you can afford and how that impacts the family budget.

Education is an important part of every child’s life. In school, they develop intellectual and social skills that will last a lifetime. At home, they learn to help with chores, ride bikes, and a myriad of other skills. As parents, it’s important to ensure that one of these skills is basic money management as you help prepare your children for the future.

For additional tips on teaching your children to be money-smart, as well as online articles and exercises they will enjoy, visit
www.redwoodcu.org/youth

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Sonoma County Adopts Budget

Board of Supervisors Adopts Fair, 

Responsible and On Time Budget

County uses limited resources to preserve vital services and maintain fiscal responsibility

On June 16th, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors unanimously adopted a $1.2 Billion balanced budget for Fiscal Year 2011-2012 which begins on July 1st. The adopted Budget supports the County’s public safety, health and human service programs and invests in needed road maintenance. In addition, the Budget maintains a $3 million contingency for future uncertainties and preserves one time funds for one time purposes. The Board’s action concludes four days of public hearings and months of preparation to responsibly close a $42.8 million gap in the County’s General Fund created by the struggling economy and increased need for services.

Board Chair and Fifth District Supervisor Efren Carrillo commented, “This is a fair, responsible and compassionate budget. It reflects the priorities of the County to provide needed services with limited resources. I am proud of the public’s engagement, the Board’s ability to craft an effective blueprint for next fiscal year and our employees’ ongoing commitment to quality services.”

Board Vice Chair and Third District Supervisor Shirlee Zane commented, “This balanced budget will take care of our residents who need our help. It funds law enforcement services that assist victims of domestic violence, provides caring services for the most vulnerable children and our aging populations, and was crafted through an inclusive process. We were able to work together which is exactly what the public expects of us.”

Supervisor Mike McGuire, “Balancing the County’s budget, and making many of the hard decisions this year, is an important first step to getting us back onto a strong financial foundation. There are tough choices still ahead. The County has gone from over 4,200 full time employees to approximately 3,650 while still investing in the quality of life needs of our many communities.”

Supervisor Valerie Brown commented, “This budget came down to ensuring core services were in place. Protecting children, the vulnerable and having a strong investment in public safety remain top priorities. The Budget is a road map through this next year and gives the community the programs required to support their needs as we move through a sluggish economy towards a more robust recovery.”

Supervisor David Rabbitt commented, “Sonoma County is innovative and always is looking for new, better and more efficient ways of doing things. This Budget embraces those intentions. Departments have found different ways to do business, leverage scarce resources with our incredible non-profit community partners and invests in the foundations of our communities. We will have challenges next year and this Budget is a proper step forward in addressing them.”

County Administrator Veronica Ferguson stated, “The Board adopted a responsible budget which will require focus, compassion and the continued innovation that are hallmark characteristics of our County. The Budget moves us forward and allows the County to provide vital services while we continue the re-design of our County to align core responsibilities with available resources and re-new the county government. Going forward, our staff will be working collaboratively to meet the community’s needs as much as financially possible.

The $42.8 million gap was closed by:
- Program and Position Reductions = $35.0 million
- Limited use of one time funds = $2.8 million
- Improved sales tax estimates (Prop. 172 and Local) = $2.9 million
- Reducing contingencies = $2.1 million

The budget reduces the number of county full time equivalent positions by 171 and will result in an estimated 39 layoffs. The Board restored a number of programs by redirecting some existing ongoing revenues, minimally utilizing one time funds and without touching General Fund reserves. Some of the restored services and programs include:
- The Sierra Youth Camp, a program which serves at risk girls with innovative directed services;
- Henry One, the County’s search and rescue helicopter program;
- Funding for the Sheriff’s anti-gang intervention efforts;
- A victims advocate in the District Attorney’s Office;
- Veterans’ Claims workers;
- Capital projects funds for the next phase of building the Sonoma County Family Justice Center.

In addition to the large cuts the County made, the Board provided direction to the staff to tightly monitor and bring back to the Board reviews of a number of fiscal and policy matters designed to help address future projected budget gaps. The County’s Fiscal Year starts July 1st, 2010 and ends on June 30th, 2011.

All budget documents are available online at www.sonoma-county.org

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Love & Taxes - IRS Refunds for Registers Couples

New Mandatory Federal tax Filing Requirements 

for RegIstered Domestic Partners 

and Same Sex married Couples

March 28th WEBINAR

6 to 7:30 PM PDT

This could be a financial windfall for you - make sure you sign up - space is limited

ALSO: consult your CPA when filing taxes for 2010 - this is a MANDATORY Filing requirement!
State Board of Ewualization member betty T. Yee, in cooperation with Ewuality California (EQCA) and the national center for lesbian Rights (NCLR), invotes yyou to attend a Webinar on MOnday, march 28th, discussing the mandatory tax filing requirements for register domestiv partners and same sex married couples.

DOES THE IRS OWE YOU MONEY?

The recent acknowledgment by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in a June 2010 Chief Counsel Advice, and subsequent directives clarify that community property rights are extended to same sex married couples, as well as Registered Domestiv partners.

The IRS is requiring legally related same sex couples to split their community property income on 2010 federal returns, and allowing those who may benefit, to amen 2007, 2008 and 2009 tax returns.

Join Steve Sims and Pat Kusiak from the Franchise Tax Board (FTB); Chris Kollaja, CPA; Karen Stogdill, EA; and Deb L. Kinney, sq. for an informative seminar to understand the new IRS rules and requirements. Learn what you need to know to file tax returns correctly.

SPACE IS LIMITED:
Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www2.gotomeeting.com/island/webinar/registration.tmpl;jsessionid=abcyRX5bUz8Umd2Cbdv7s?id=305442394
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.

System Requirements:
PC-based attendees: Windows 7, Vista XP, or 2003 Server
MAC-based attendees: Max OS X 1-.4.11 (Tiger) or newer

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Returning to a LEGAL Tax System - OPINION

Pat Palmer of Sebastopol on Celebrating tax Season...an opinion...

'Tis the tax season, so this is a timely topic, especially after reading stories of tight money from so many in this county. Instead of complaining, let's consider remedies. One solution that most of us can employ: get a raise in pay. No, your business isn't going to give you more, but you can take more home: by not volunteering to donate up to half of your pay to the IRS.

Note to "tax protesters": the "income" tax law is indeed constitutional, as written. It is an excise tax, like sales tax -which is voluntary, (you don't have to choose to buy stuff).

Just what is being taxed? Not earnings. According to the IRS code: "the exercise of Federal privilege" is being taxed, and it is measured by "gross income" or "wages" (revenue accumulated via the privilege). What Federal privilege are you exercising today? Earning a living? Existing? (there's no law preventing us from giving up our rights.) This "privilege" is defined in law, and most of us don't fall into that category.

What is unconstitutional is the way the IRS collects money: This excise tax is  fraudulently enforced as a mandatory, direct tax on earnings—and extorted by threat of imprisonment. Looks like criminal behavior to me! Racketeering defined: “Organized conspiracy to defraud or extort.” This accurately describes the “income” tax scheme which relieves its victims of up to half of their money every payday.

After 60 years of trial-and-error legal challenges to the "new" personal withholding tax (started in WWII, as the voluntary, and temporary "Victory Tax"), resulting in losses and jail time for well-meaning but legally ignorant tax-justice advocates, the IRS Code was finally cracked in 2002. The only safe, legal way to un-volunteer from this racket was uncovered by legal scholar Peter Eric Hendrickson. You can prove it to yourself by studying his website at www.losthorizons.com and reading his book: Cracking the Code: The Fascinating Truth About Taxation in America (12th edition). This is the result of his reading the entire 3.5-million-word, deliberately obfuscated statutes, regulations and legal precedents for the "income" tax, as far back as 1862.

After satisfying yourself as to the veracity of my words, you might be more comfortable acting on my proposed solution; in a nutshell: to start with, demand that your payer ("employer" means US Gov't) stop all “voluntary” withholding from your paycheck and then enjoy an instant pay raise of 30 percent or more. At the end of the year, you file your 1040 and 540 affidavits of self-assessment of the status of your compensation: as non-privileged (non-taxable), if applicable. Then you MUST rebut your payer's false allegations of “wages” paid, via the W-2 and/or 1099 forms. You do this by using "corrected 1099 information returns" and/or substitute W-2's: form 4852 for U.S. and form 3525 for California.

Lastly, if your payer had unlawfully refused to stop withholding, then you can claim a full refund of all of your weekly tax deposits -right on the U.S. and California tax returns. Enjoy the bigger check! You are now helping to stimulate the economy, like thousands of folks before you.

I can’t imagine why a payer would not want to stop withholding. >From a balance-sheet perspective: thousands of dollars per year, per worker could be saved in payer’s contributions. Only fear of the racketeers would stop them, unless they could find honest lawyers who would choose to apply the law.

I can hear the liberals moan about how their social programs (and for the conservatives -their military adventures) would lose funding if we fail to volunteer our compliance with the “income” tax scheme. Poppycock! Have you ever looked at the reverse of your tax payment check? It was cashed by a private bank called Federal Reserve, not the U.S. Treasury. Your donations never see a government program—those are paid for by loans. All income tax receipts pay the interest on the so-called "national debt".

The definition of "federal privilege" needs to clarified in order to make sure all the loopholes are closed, so that all who use it will pay for it.

Only the innocent are benefited by my proposed solution. This excise tax on federally privileged activities will finally be properly paid by all federal employees, contractors and beneficiaries of federally-created monopoly advantage, such as medical doctors, lawyers, bankers, pro sports team owners, etc. Also include corporations that possess federal concessions such as oil, mining, utilities, broadcasting, drugs, banks, etc. And don't forget international business: U.S. corporations that rely on federal political pressure, military and intelligence activities to acquire and protect their foreign assets. These infamous non-payers are definitely “federally privileged.”

As you can see, returning to a legal tax system accomplishes fiscal relief for the private worker while the fat cats who use lobbying to get government corporate welfare will be properly charged for their advantages. As Moses declared, “Let my people go!” Make the legally liable taxpayers pay their fair share, and release the non-liable. Let us (private earners) seize our rights by grassroots action, because rights are not going to be given from on-high.  Vote with your wallet and your public servants will cease to be your masters.

Pat Palmer, Sebastopol

For more information on the Law & Logic behind this opinion - please visit http://www.losthorizons.com/

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LEETERS: Collpapse of the Housing Market Events

Dear Vesta,

The author of subject article had written, "...it was big business and the wealthy who gamed the deregulated financial system to make huge profits. Their speculation in the home mortage markets triggered the Great Recession..". But the collapse of the housing market need to rescue several banks was caused primarily by other events.

The four fundamental events that let to the housing bust of 2008, which spread to the financial markets and beyond are:

EVENT 1: In 1997 Congress passed the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) to address alleged discrimination by banks in making loans to poor people and minorities. The Act required banks to meet credit needs of communities in which they are chartered. In 1989, Congress amended the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act requiring banks to collect racial data on mortgage applications. The Boston Federal Reserve Bank alleged systemic discrimination in loan making. Although the Boston Fed Reserve allegation was disproven by a University of Texas study and other studies, it became the standard on which government policy was based.

In 1995 the Clinton administration Treasury Department issued regulations tracking loans by neighborhoods, income groups, and races to rate the performance of banks. These ratings were used by regulators to determine whether the government would approve bank mergers, acquisitions, and new branches. Racial data collected and these regulations encouraged ACORN and other groups to file petitions with regulators to slow banks from conducting business and to extort huge pools of money for the purpose of ACORN home lending. Government, together with ACORN, forced banks to abandon traditional lending standards and to make “subprime” loans to people without sufficient incomes necessary to repay the loans. These became known as CRA-eligible loans; one estimate puts their total at $4.5 trillion.

EVENT 2: In 1992 the Department of Housing and Urban Development pressured Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae to purchase, or “securitize” large bundles of CRA loans for the purpose of diversifying risk and making even more money available to banks to make further risky loans. Congress also passed the Federal Housing Enterprise Financial Safety and Soundness Act, mandating that Fred and Fan purchase 45 percent of all loans from people of low and moderate incomes, creating a secondary market for these loans. In 1995 the Treasury Department established the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund, which provided banks with tax dollars to encourage even more risky loans. But this was not enough. Top Congressional Democrats, including Rep Barney Frank, Sen. Chris Dodd, and Sen. Charles Schumer, among others, repeatedly ignored warnings of pending disaster, insisting that they were overstated and opposed efforts to force Fred and Fan to comply with usual business and oversight practices. Top executives, including Franklin Raines and Jamie Garelick, resisted reform while they were cooking the books in order to reward themselves tens of millions of dollars in bonuses. Franklin Raines earned $90 million by inflating reported loan amounts.

EVENT 3: Fed and Fan reinvented the “derivative” for application to the subprime mortgage market to redistribute these risky loans to unsuspecting investors and thus further increase the market for these loans. The derivative would turn the subprime market into a ticking time bomb that would magnify the housing bust by orders of magnitude. A derivative is a contract where one party sells the RISK associated with the mortgage to another party in exchange for payments to that company based on the value of the mortgage. It was both a betting system and a form of insurance. The bet set the value. So long as the bet was covered, the mortgage was secured. Derivatives were a way to capitalize in an exponential manor on appreciating real-estate prices. But if derivatives ever collapsed, and since mark to market rules were resisted by government, the actual price of properties would fall out of proportion to what would have been the case had derivatives not existed. As bets on the underlying derivatives declined, banks were forced to devalue assets accordingly, placing banks in jeopardy of failing. Hedge funds, financial institutions and insurance companies, including American International Group (AIG) invested heavily in derivatives.

EVENT 4: The Federal Reserve Board slashed interest rates repeatedly starting in January 2001, from 6.5 percent until they reached a low in June 2003 of 1.0 percent. When the easy money policy became too inflationary for comfort, Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan (at the beginning) and Ben Bernanke (at the end) began to steadily raise the Fed rate back from 1.0 percent in June 2004 to 5.25 percent in June 2006. This artificial manipulation or the housing market contributed to destabilization of the economy.

Sincerely,
Rod Hug
Santa Rosa

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Many Ways to Love

Our annual LOVE issue is one of my favorites of the year. I’m in love with love and all its ramifications. I have a fervent belief that if we all treated each other the way we wish to be treated, our world would be just fine. Yes, I know it’s totally unrealistic in its simplicity. It seems so simple, and yet, so very complicated when anger rises in our chest, indignation…any number of emotions that take us away from a centered place.

Love is not just romantic love of course. And kindness goes hand-in-hand with consideration, and even that is not simple. Consideration involves thinking ahead to the consequences of our actions. If we do this…then that will happen. And another one…if we don’t do this, than that won’t happen.

A simple example of the last one is part of why I have articles on financial planning in this love issue. I know of two young families who lost a parent recently. One to illness, the other to an accident. These parents did not have life insurance. This left the other parent financially alone to continue raising their children.

People claim they don’t have enough money to cover this expense, but literally, less than $20 a month would have saved the surviving parent the stress of carrying on solo. We can throw away $20 in an afternoon, or on treats we don’t need. How different these peoples lives would be if that one expense had been met.

On the same financial planning subject, we have parents planning for their demise - again for their children. No one gets out of this alive! Last month we had an article written by Robert Feuer on how he realized that he needed to take care of his aging parents. You have no idea how many people this happens to - suddenly - without warning. Aging, parents are fine then all of a sudden they are not. The task of loving care falls on the next generation. Pre-planning makes that so much easier on everyone.

So along with the joys of romantic love, we have family love, friendship...and pet love. It’s what makes our hearts swell with warmth...even a sunrise or sunset - whatever!

The up-side of life wraps itself around our hearts in the most wonderful way. Wouldn’t it be perfect if life was all happiness and joy? Well - maybe. If you believe in the yin/yang balance of everything in the Universe, you know that love balances hate, joy balances anger, peace balances war, good balances bad. So in the end...it’s ALL good. Life is designed to balance.

OK....enough of all that - happy love Day/Month/Year & Life! ~ Vesta

How to Make
Love Last

‘Til Death Do Us Part

By Vesta Copestakes
I’m going to get real personal here because I think I’ve discovered something truly remarkable...lasting love. See that picture?

That’s my sweetheart Alan and me, taken without a moment of preparation so it’s as real as it gets. Dani-Sheehan-Meyer captured the very essence of our happiness with each other. Total comfort. We’re home.

I was talking with my sister-in-law, Sharon, about how happy I am with Alan - how very home I feel. She lamented that she had felt exactly the same way until my brother was killed almost four years ago. She was home. Wherever she was with Dave, was home. It’s one of the ways to define love - do you feel safe? Relaxed? Totally at-ease and accepted for who you are? Then you are with the right person. That’s home.

Many years ago I interviewed a couple who had been together for more than 70 years. They looked genuinely happy with each other. Not just happy - but happy to be sharing life together. They told me what defined why it worked so well for them.

Chemistry - it’s the spark that starts many love affairs, and also the one that holds love together when stress, tension, anger, etc. get in the way. The desire to be close melts barriers when they rise between lovers.

Similar Values - you both look at life through the same colored lenses - value the same people, things, ways of being and interacting with the world. When you assess a situation you tend to come to the same conclusion whether you have discussed it with your mate or not.

Spirituality - whether it’s religion or a philosophy of life, you both approach faith in a similar fashion. It doesn’t mean you have to go to the same church, or both be Christian, or Muslim, Hindu or Buddhist. It does mean that whatever faith is the language you speak, you share belief or dis-belief in a similar way.

Tolerance - no one is perfect in every way, so couples who share life successfully tend to be very patient and tolerant of their sweetheart. No differences of opinion, different ways of doing things, etc., are so important that they get in the way of loving. You thrive on your differences as much as you do on your similarities.

What was remarkable about the elderly couple I interviewed, is that they had met and married within two weeks when they were very young. For most of us, romance is more a series of relationships until we define who we are as an individual, and what works and doesn’t work for us as a couple. For Alan and I, we didn’t find this lovely balance until we were 52. Lucky us that we found each other at all.

Last February, I wrote about The Rule of Two & a Half Years that defined how long it takes for most people to come to the conclusion that they either do - or do not - belong together. Once you cross that line and feel confident you can relax into love, the rewards are spectacular. That’s happiness you can wrap your arms around.

The most rewarding aspect of what I call “mature love,” is that when we get older, we aren’t in such a rush. Our expectations have been tempered by time, and yes, disappointment. How fortunate are the few who find this kind of love when they are young. If it survives raising a family with all the stress that entails, then they are the blessed few.

Any person who knows the profound joy of sharing life with someone they love, knows exactly what I’m writing about. And as Sharon knows - the cliche “it’s better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all.” is very real and true.



The Hidden Power of Friendships
by Melissa Smith Baker

I’ve often wondered why we choose the friends we do. We pick friends for the joy and comfort they bring us; but if we’re willing to get close, they might also help us with the unresolved emotional issues that we’re still carrying from the families in which we were raised.

I had never thought of this possibility until I was caring for a friend who was dying of cancer. Every time I visited her, unexpected revelations arose. As I witnessed my friend Betty’s process, I realized how much she and her husband, Pete, reminded me of my own parents. There were striking parallels between the two relationships. Each couple shared similar marital issues, yet they handled the death of their spouse completely differently. Betty and Pete, unbeknownst to them, became a catalyst in helping me heal part of my past.

When my mother was diagnosed with liver cancer, my father couldn’t accept her illness and the likelihood of her death. He banned family and friends from visiting her. After a few months he was emotionally incapable of caring for his wife whom he’d been married to for over 40 years. To get better care and find peace, my mother decided to leave her home and go die at the home of a best friend.

As with my parents, Betty and Pete didn’t share many interests as the years went by, and their marriage had become constrained and unsatisfying. What was contrary to my parents’ scenario was the fact that as soon as Pete heard that Betty had ovarian cancer, he rallied to serve her. He helped her set up a community of caregivers, took her for drives out to the coast, and redecorated their home so that everything would be peaceful for her healing. Was Pete making amends and acting out of guilt? Perhaps in part, but if he hadn’t tapped into his love for Betty, he wouldn’t have been able to be steadfast and resolute for so many months on end. The situation in the lives of both of these couples cried out for action, bringing out the best in Pete and the worst in my father.

Poignantly I watched as Pete did what my father hadn’t been able to do; namely, care for my mother and show his love during the final year of her life. Betty expressed and asked for what she needed and wanted, and in turn got to witness and receive her husband’s heroism. They hadn’t always been there for each other during their long-term marriage; yet, during this crisis while Betty became empowered, Pete gathered his strength to redeem himself.

Witnessing the transformation of a husband and a wife in a real-life situation—not in a novel, play or film—I felt as though the ending of my parents’ story was being rewritten, too. Even though the marital dynamic of these two couples was almost identical, replete with infidelity and addiction, Pete and Betty succeeded where my parents had failed.

The final days of my parents' relationship could have been a heroic moment. One of the greatest gifts parents can give their children is a model of their growing, thriving marriage. That was not my parents’ legacy to me. Betty and Pete's exemplary behavior helped me see that my parents weren't a tragic and pathetic couple since they were struggling with marital trials and tribulations that take place in many long-term relationships. I no longer was ashamed of their inability to resolve their problems. I could “rewrite” their final chapter and integrate the best of who my parents were instead of the worst.

Whether or not a loved one is dead or alive, it’s never too late to untie the knots that bind us to our past, even though it’s often not possible to untangle them within our own birth families. When I had gotten to know and love Betty and Pete, sometimes I had judged them for their all-too-visible problems, not conscious that those very issues were ones that I had been familiar with as a child. I am grateful to Betty and Pete for inviting me into their lives and exemplifying what my parents might have become.

If Betty’s dying had been a play, it couldn’t have been more perfectly scripted for me. It moved me to discover compassion for my parents’ humanness and to step more fully into my adulthood. I honor friends as much as family these days and am being more careful about criticizing them, knowing that their painful issues might very well be the keys to the unraveling and healing of my own past.

A Lesson in Loving

By Joy Lovinger
My father died in 1994. My mother had been his caregiver and it was a very prolonged, painful death. Mom was on her own after that, after 52 years of marriage. I wasn’t worried about her – she had lots of friends and was a very social person. I talked to her daily, even though she lived in Florida and I lived in California. Just a “hey, how are you, I’m thinking of you and I love you” kind of call.

Then one day in 2000 I called her and she sounded different. When I asked what was wrong, she said “potato” and kept repeating the word. I called a neighbor and he went over and was told by my mom that her best friend tried to poison her by sticking something sharp in a baked potato. Turned out the bridge in her mouth had broken and the wire was loose and exposed. I flew to Florida and saw that her apartment was in disarray. There was food in the freezer dated 1991; drawers were filled with receipts from Publishers Clearing House, money and jewelry was stuffed in pockets of bathrobes. I had no clue what was wrong – I only knew something wasn’t right. I quickly made plans to move her to California and found her what I thought was the perfect living situation. After about 6 months, it was clear she wasn’t functioning well – she couldn’t dress herself, take her medications or even shower. Cold cereal ended up in the fridge and milk in the pantry. I took her to the doctor who diagnosed Alzheimers disease.

At this point, Mom had run out of money and I was at my wit’s end. I brought her home to live with me and spent the next couple of years going through my savings taking care of her. I know now that much of what I did early on, even though it was done with the best of intentions, was not right. In frustration I argued with her about small details that, in the big scheme of things, really didn’t matter. When asked where my father or some relative was, I told her they had died. I acted like a disciplinarian instead of loving caretaker. I was taking away her dignity and independence. It often felt like a duty rather than a labor of love and I am still fighting with the guilt.

When Mom finally broke her hip, the hospital discharged her to an excellent skilled nursing facility where she remained for the rest of her life. She lost her speech and still did inappropriate things but she was almost always smiling and safe.
You hear all these stories about Alzheimers and it is a horrible, horrible disease. But there are lots of moments of joy that people don’t talk about. Like the almost childish delight I gave my mother when I gave her a dish of ice cream; or the giggling fit she had when I gave her a talking donkey stuffed animal; like the way she held and kissed my foot when I leaned back and rested it on her wheelchair; like the way she laughed when Brian, my partner, hid from her and made strange sounds and the determined way she set about trying to find him.

At the time it was hard for me to see what a gift I had been given. I was so caught up in her physical demands and so tired all the time that I often forgot to enjoy my time with her. I realize now that I had given her a couple of great years while she was still cognizant enough to enjoy them. And I learned patience, understanding and what unconditional love is all about. It may have been the toughest experience in my life but it was an invaluable experience and one that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

Protect the Ones You Love
By Ute Scott-Smith, CHFC
Last month we focused on general steps to shape up your finances. This month we will address one of the most important ways you can protect your loved ones.
Building a strong financial future is very much like building a pyramid. The most critical part of a pyramid is the foundation and the foundation of your financial pyramid is an emergency fund that can cover 3-6 months of living expenses and insurance protection in the event of unforeseen circumstances.

As an individual you need Health, Auto and Homeowner’s insurance. More difficult to determine is the need for Disability, Renter’s, Umbrella and Long-Term Care insurance.

If anyone else’s financial security is dependent upon your income, such as a spouse, partner, child or dependent parents, you will also need to consider obtaining life insurance.

You need to buy insurance wisely: the right kind…the right amount…at the right time…at the best price.

Not sure if you need insurance?
Let me tell you the story of friends of mine. He was a well compensated bank manager and she gave up her job as a producer for a T.V. network when the first of their two sons was born. They did not own life insurance and his sudden death dramatically changed her life. She could no longer afford the mortgage, had to sell the house and move to a different town near her parents so they could watch her two young sons after school while she worked all day at a low-paying office job. Those kids not only lost their father, but their home, school and friends in one fell swoop. Now imagine if she had received a life insurance benefit that was sufficient for her to keep the house, enable her to get job training and thereby obtain a well paying part-time job while also taking care of her sons?

What kind of Life Insurance is right for you?
When you seek to protect your loved ones from the loss of your income during your working years, the best option is inexpensive term life insurance with a guaranteed level cost for a specific number of years. This is pure insurance without any savings component and by far the least expensive option.

If you will need cash at your death to pay high estate taxes or provide liquidity because funds are tied up in a business or real estate, then buy permanent insurance such as whole or universal life. Permanent insurance also has a savings component in addition to the insurance.

What is the right amount of term life insurance?
A very simple general rule is to buy 15 times your income when you are the main breadwinner; 10 times if you have two income earners. You also need to account for a mortgage, business ownership, desire to fund a child’s college education and more. Each situation deserves a special calculation and a good advisor will sit down with her clients and discuss your assets, liabilities and goals to determine the appropriate amount.

Once you have sufficient assets or children are grown, insurance may no longer be necessary and coverage can be adjusted or discontinued.

What is the right time to buy insurance?
If you think you should have insurance, the right time is now!
As part of the application process for insurance coverage, the insurance carrier will review your medical records, test cholesterol, blood pressure and weight to determine if you qualify for the best rates. It is always best to apply while you are healthy.

Dear Readers: Do you have a financial question in mind? Ute Scott-Smith, ChFC, of The Social Equity Group, is an independent, fee-based investment advisor specializing in socially responsible investment management and financial planning. Ute lives in Graton and maintains her office in Sebastopol. Please contact her at (707) 495-7084, email uscott-smith@fwg.com or through her website www.socialequity.com.

Love your Family, Start Planning Now

By Carolyn Kelly
How many times have you thought, “What will happen to my family and my property when I die, or become incapacitated?”

If you’re like most people, you don’t think about it often because the subject is so unpleasant and you suspect that “putting your affairs in order” will involve time and money you don’t have right now. You also might have heard that estate planning is only for millionaires. You are inclined to put the whole subject on the back burner until something happens that makes you think about it, such as a trip to a foreign country, your son marries a girl you’re not crazy about, or, you have a serious illness.

The problem is, none of us know when one of the big D’s - death or disability - will strike. Either could happen before we are prodded into action, and then it will be too late.

But do you really need to plan for your estate?
Yes. Everyone has an “estate” and should have an estate plan. An estate is everything you own and have the right to dispose of at your death.

If you don’t set up a plan, your family will be forced into court upon your death or disability. The court will offer up a default plan (per statute) which may be quite different from the plan you have in mind.

Plus, the court process allows many of your relatives (and occasionally other interested parties) to have a say in what they think is best. Is that what you want?

I’ve participated in a number of contested conservatorship cases (where the court appoints a person to manage the affairs of another person unable to care for themselves or their finances). One case involved brothers fighting over the care and custody of their aging father. The trial costs for just one of the brothers was $85,000, payable from the father’s estate. Then the appeals began.

Similarly, dying without a Will in place (or other testamentary disposition, such as a Revocable Trust) can cause trouble. The “intestate” distribution of your estate through the court will be fairly straightforward, but ancient tensions may cause family members to fight over other matters to be decided during the proceeding.

You can avoid this whole mess
A properly executed Uniform Statutory Form Power of Attorney and Advance Health Care Directive would have avoided the conservatorship case mentioned above. A properly executed Will (or Revocable Trust with a “pour-over” Will) can avoid unneeded court intervention altogether.

What you need to do
(1) Prepare a Power of Attorney ( a statutory form is found at Probate Code §4401). This document authorizes another person to manage your finances for you if you become incapacitated.
(2) Prepare an Advance Health Care Directive (a statutory form is found at Probate Code §4701). This document authorizes another person to make health care decisions for you if you become incapacitated, including who will “pull the plug” for you and when.
(3) Prepare a Will. A Will directs who gets your assets at your death except for those assets which pass outside your Will, by law, by some other means, such as life insurance, retirement accounts, or joint ownership of some kind.
(4) Or, consider creating a Revocable Trust (with a pour-over Will, designed to “pour” assets into the Trust at your death, if necessary). A Trust is an entity which holds your assets for life (except certain assets, referred to above), sets out how to manage them if you are incapacitated, and directs how to distribute them at your death. The key is to get, and keep, all possible assets transferred into the Trust so there is no need for a probate of the Will at your death.

A Will requires a public probate which can be costly and slow, but is safe because the court is involved. A Trust is private and provides for faster distribution of assets, but is less safe and may be more costly in the long run if the Trust is mismanaged.

So let’s get started
The hardest part is collecting all your asset information. Contact me at Carolyn@ElderEstatePlanning.com or 829-1471 and I will send you a simple questionnaire to complete and take to your attorney, or, if you don’t have an attorney, you can always contact me.
You love your family and want to leave them happy memories of you, not headaches. Give them a Valentine’s Day present they’ll never forget; a properly prepared estate plan. Happy planning!

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LandPaths People Powered Parks Program

A Cure for the Closed Park Blues

By Craig Anderson
In what has become something of an annual tradition, State Parks’ recently announced another round of “service reductions”. With this announcement comes the closure of many trailheads, beach access points, and campgrounds.

We are reminded of last year’s threats from Sacramento that Annadel and other local gems would be shuttered. With public funds increasing scarce, it is clear that we need another solution to keep our local parks open and cared for. To combat the ‘closed park blues’, we need ‘People Power.’

On a recent weekend at a 30-acre park of ancient redwoods near Occidental, “people power” was in action. Despite the steady rain, 40 neighbors and other park users from as far away as Santa Rosa and Cazadero gathered to steward this ridgetop forest. By maintaining trails and clearing fuel loads to reduce fire risk, these Friends of the Grove took action to keep the Grove of Old Trees open to the public – and strengthened community connections in the process.

With volunteer help like this, LandPaths, a Sonoma County non-profit, has been providing a new way of “opening” open space and parks since 1997. Today, with the recent defeat of Proposition 21 (the State Parks budget initiative) and with public budgets continuing on a downward spiral, the need for ‘people power’ has never been greater. Through this model, over 5,400 acres of local state, county, and city land that would otherwise be closed to the public is instead open and cared for.

“The enthusiasm for this model is fantastic,” said Caryl Hart, the new Sonoma County Regional Parks Director, while attending a recent Taylor Mountain permit orientation along with 100 other hikers, bikers and horseback riders. “It’s going to have tremendous influence on the future of how we open new parks.”

Barefoot Winery Co-Founders and long-time conservation supporters Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey also received their permits for use. Houlihan commented, “By giving people a stake in the land, LandPaths provides open access where public budgets have fallen short.” This approach engages users in a new paradigm of increased personal and community investment and ownership. Gary Abreim, committee chair of Friends of the Grove, is enthusiastic about the role he plays in providing access, upkeep, and support. “Neighbors and communities have to take a bold step and come together to protect our parks. We can’t count on Washington and Sacramento anymore,” he says.

People Power is not only good for the land and park users, it’s also cost effective. At the Willow Creek addition to Sonoma Coast State Park, users-turned-stewards utilize their access as an opportunity for care and stewardship. Hikers, bikers and equestrians pick up garbage, report on maintenance and safety issues, organize public tours, and even volunteer to assist in trail upkeep & invasive species removal – saving public agencies hundreds of thousands of dollars while keeping parks open.

With People Powered Parks, LandPaths provides public agencies and private landowners not only with volunteers to reduce management costs, but also with the professional oversight and insurance to reduce liability costs. “In my estimation it’s the cheapest date in government; they’re running parks for pennies on the dollar,” says Rick Ryan, Jenner resident, businessman and Willow Creek Park permit holder.

This “cheap date” is quickly garnering attention around the region and state. “We are looking at the public adoption of open space work that LandPaths is pioneering as a model for to help shape the future direction of land trusts statewide” says Bill Leahy, co-chair of the California Council of Land Trusts.

Most of us would like nothing more than to see our park agency budgets restored to functional levels and will continue to work toward that goal. In the meantime, however, we can keep the ‘closed park blues’ at bay with a strong dose of ‘People Power.’

Craig Anderson has been the executive director of LandPaths since 1997. Established in 1996, the organization’s mission is to “Foster a Love of the Land.” LandPaths is powered by hundreds of volunteers and 11 staff from offices at 618 Fourth St, Santa Rosa, CA 95404 (707)544-7284. Additional information and schedules of orientation sessions at all four People Powered Parks are available at http://www.landpaths.org/.

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WalMart Rohnert Park Superstore Challenged

Battle Against Sprawl

Costs Outweigh Benefits

By Martin J. Bennett
Rohnert Park is now the epicenter for the battle against sprawl and big box development in the North Bay.

In April, the Rohnert Park Planning Commission unanimously denied the proposal by Wal-Mart to enlarge its existing discount store into a 167,000 square- foot supercenter. Wal-Mart appealed the decision to the city council and in July the council, after more than five hours of public comment, voted to approve the project. Council member Jake Mackenzie was the lone dissenting vote.

A broad coalition of labor, environmental, and community organizations from across the county organized a grassroots campaign against the supercenter. This year-long effort included canvassing most households in the city, tabling at local supermarkets, and phone banking city residents. Hundreds of opponents packed both the planning and city council meetings, and the coalition delivered more than 4000 signatures to the city council from residents opposed to the project. Following the city council vote, Sonoma County Conservation Action and the Sierra Club filed a lawsuit challenging the approval of the EIR and the project.

The coalition is continuing to make the case to the community that the costs of the project far outweigh the benefits.

Impacts are Regional
The economic and environmental impacts of the proposed supercenter are regional and extend beyond the City of Rohnert Park. The controversy raises fundamental questions about future growth and the necessity for proactive city and regional planning to promote equitable and sustainable development.

Development in Sonoma County is inevitable. According to the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG), the population of Sonoma County will increase by twenty-three percent over the next twenty years. In 2008, voters approved a landmark initiative to meet this challenge, creating the two-county SMART train that will run on tracks adjacent to Highway 101 from Cloverdale to Larkspur. The build-out of the train system provides the opportunity for city-centered ‘transit-oriented development’ (TOD) around the fourteen SMART train stations--development that could accommodate ninety percent of the projected population growth.

Transit-oriented development is densely-built, mixed-use development within one-half mile of transit stations, accessible by bicycle and foot, and with a variety of retail, office, and small businesses. Through land-use planning and public funding, municipalities can promote development near transit stations that includes good jobs paying family-supporting wages, affordable housing for all income groups, open space, and walkable neighborhoods. The proposed Wal-Mart supercenter located a quarter of a mile from the site of the planned Rohnert Park SMART train station is a direct threat to such careful and appropriate planning.

Opponents of the Wal-Mart supercenter believe it undermines compact and equitable development in Rohnert Park, and violates the city’s general plan, which mandates access by residents to neighbourhood supermarkets. The project undercuts transit-oriented development’s efforts to reduce low-wage work, support local business, tackle global warming, and lay the foundation for a robust regional economy.

Working Poor
Nearly one third of the workforce in Sonoma County are currently ‘working poor’ and do not earn a self-sufficiency, or ‘living wage.’ According to the Insight Center for Community and Economic Development in 2008, two parents working full-time to support two children in Sonoma County must each earn $14.90 an hour or $62,940 a year to pay for food, housing, medical care, child care, and transportation.

Sonoma State University economist Robert Eyler reports that the supercenter will contribute to job quality decline and increase the problem of working poverty. According to his analysis, the county will lose 105-211 jobs--mostly good jobs that pay hourly wages for full-time workers ranging from $17.67 per hour at Pacific Market, a local independent grocer, to $23.36 at Raley’s and Safeway. The Wal-Mart supercenter will employ 450 workers, and, according to the company, the typical full-time worker at Wal-Mart earns $12.10 an hour.

Traffic Impacts
With regard to global warming, the supercenter will have adverse effects on air quality and greenhouse gas emissions. In order to comply with AB 32, a 2006 state legislative measure, all nine cities and the county have pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions twenty-five percent by 2015. However, the Eyler report notes that Pacific Market will close if the supercenter is built, and its 8,000 customers will drive an extra 28,400 miles each week to shop for groceries.

Further, Stacy Mitchell, author of Big Box Swindle, reports that vehicle miles driven per customer will increase because a supercenter draws shoppers from a greater distance than a discount store. Indeed, since Wal-Mart’s rapid expansion in the late 1970s, miles traveled per household to shop has skyrocketed by three hundred percent, while total household driving increased by seventy- five percent.

Local vs. National Suppliers
As for local business, there are sixty local suppliers that provide produce and merchandise to Pacific Market, and more than seventy supply Oliver’s, the largest grocery in nearby Cotati. Wal-Mart suppliers, on the other hand, are nearly 100 percent national and global irms (and that means increased truck traffic into the county).

The ‘Go Local’ movement has demonstrated that patronizing local businesses ensures that more dollars remain in the community. Studies by Civic Economics demonstrate that locally-owned firms produce two to three times more economic activity within the local economy than national chains --including locally-retained profits, wages paid to local residents, purchases from local suppliers, and contributions to local nonprofits.

Equitable Development
The Wal-Mart supercenter will undermine transit-oriented and equitable development in the North Bay. To accommodate population growth and to promote sustainable development, all cities along the 101 corridor in Marin and Sonoma counties must prioritize the creation of good jobs and affordable housing near SMART train stations.

A favorable outcome of the lawsuit could force the City of Rohnert Park to revisit the decision to approve the Wal-Mart expansion. Two planning commissioners who voted against the Wal-Mart expansion, John Borba and Amy Ahanotu, werecandidates for the city council this fall. The battle to halt the supercenter is far from over.

Martin J. Bennett teaches American history at Santa Rosa Junior College, serves as Co-Chair of the Living Wage Coalition of Sonoma County and is on the board of Sonoma County Conservation Action. For more information about the Wal-Mart superstore campaign go to: http://www.livingwagesonoma.org.

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Sonoma County Solar Installation at Juvenile Hall Saves $

New photovoltaic system at 
Juvenile Justice Center 

will reduce green house gases emissions by 662 tons per year, 
save $3.2 million and produce local private sector jobs.

In May 2010, the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors approved the installation of a 750 kilowatt solar energy system at the Los Guilicos Juvenile Justice Center. This project will cut greenhouse gas emissions by 662 tons per year, save the County $3.2 million dollars and help produce 45 private sector jobs in the community. The Solar Array is being funded by future energy savings financing, federal stimulus funds and utility rebates.

Sonoma County Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Valerie Brown commented, “This is a smart investment in sustainability. At a time when the county budget is strained, this endeavor will reduce our costs and our climate impact. This is exactly the type of enterprise our county needs and it eloquently reflects our Board’s economic and environmental goals.”

Jose Obregon, Director of County General Services added, “The Juvenile Hall will have 80% of its energy needs provided by a clean renewable source, the Sun, and at a reduced price. Our innovative public-private partnership with Aircon has yielded a 30% per watt savings compared with average solar arrays. This means instead of paying $8.00 per watt, we will be paying only $5.75 per watt and this project will have a positive cash flow from day one!”

The total cost for the project is $4.6 million and during its life time it will generate over $3.2 million in net savings. The Los Guilicos Solar Array, located at Juvenile Justice Center at Los Guilicos Campus, 7425 Rancho Los Guilicos Rd., Santa Rosa, is one of 38 county facility energy efficiency projects slated for 24 county buildings that will ultimately save $41.6 million in energy use once completed.

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SPG Solar Expands Commercial Services

SPG SOLAR now offers

a Full Suite of Funding Resources 

and Expertise to the Commercial Solar Market

SPG Solar, a leading US solar installer and recently ranked as the second largest in California, announced today that it will offer access to a full array of financial resources and expertise on public funding and tax credit opportunities for commercial solar projects. SPG Solar’s Structured Finance Group will be headed by Michael Johnson, the former Managing Director of the Renewable Energy Investment Program for the National Development Council, who joined SPG Solar in June, 2010 as Vice President of Project Finance.

With the formation of its Structured Finance Group, SPG Solar becomes an industry leader as one of the few companies able to provide this combination of expertise and access to the private and public funding needed to make solar projects economically viable and a sound investment for the long-term. Due to SPG Solar’s track record of success and reliable installations, the Structured Finance Group within SPG can now offer its customers access to its third party funding partners for Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), debt and equity investment, operating and capital lease arrangements and participation in Renewable Energy Funds. The Group also brings together the industry’s leading experts on federal and state government Solar Renewable Energy Credits, available public funding through CREB bond offerings, Department of Energy Grants and utility incentive programs.

“We are taking the mystery out of a very complex funding process for our customers,” noted SPG Solar President and CEO, Thomas Rooney. ‘SPG Solar is a relationship-based company, and we will build upon this as we make the connections between our customers and the investment community.”

About SPG Solar, Inc.

SPG Solar is a leading developer of distributed solar projects for large, government and public energy users. Located in Novato, California, SPG Solar is helping to meet rising energy demand by developing clean power using solar systems located where they are needed most - at the site of the user. The company prides itself on unique and custom solar solutions such as developing the Floatovoltaic™, the world’s first floating solar system, making it possible for businesses to switch to clean, solar power without having to give up valuable land and receive unique water benefits. SPG Solar currently manages more than 1,500 solar system installations from coast-to-coast. For more information on SPG Solar and distributed solar power, please visit www.spgsolar.com.

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Local vs. Super-Centers in Sonoma County

Local vs. Super-Centers

By Will Shonbrun
The Rohnert Park City Council decided to approve a proposal by Wal-Mart to expand its Rohnert Park store by more than 40,000 square feet, becoming a super-center selling both groceries and retail. Rohnert Park’s Planning Commission voted to turn down Wal-Mart’s proposal in April, but the company appealed the decision to the city council…and won.


 
There are pros and cons regarding this massive project though the negatives far outweigh the positives. What can be said in favor of the proposal, and has been said in a number of letters to the Press Democrat, is that it will provide a place for inexpensive foods and goods to many people on very limited incomes. It is also said that it will provide more jobs in the community though these are very low-paying ones, most with no health benefits.

Counter to the argument for jobs gained is the potential for jobs lost by local businesses that might well be forced to close; good jobs paying decent wages and providing benefits, such as those at Pacific Market, Oliver’s and other groceries, and the 50-60 local and regional businesses that would be affected by their closure. Just a few of these local suppliers are Amy’s Organics, Alvarado Street Bakery, Wildwood Natural Foods, Redwood Hill Farms, Kozlowski Farms and La Tortilla Factory. Nationally Wal-Mart has wiped out thousands of local businesses and their suppliers leading to an urban decay in neighborhood shopping centers where stores like Pacific Market are the anchor and draw for other small businesses.

Therefore the potential for jobs lost would far surpass jobs gained. Finally, in favor of the expansion it’s argued that it will increase tax revenue for the city, but this is debatable. Most of the expansion will be for nontaxable food items, and what the super-center might provide in increased tax revenue may well be offset by decreased tax money from affected local businesses.

Wal-Mart has become a retail behemoth by keeping costs low: wages, health benefits, reducing full timers to part time, keeping unions out and buying cheap goods from foreign sources. Giants like Wal-Mart have closed tens of thousands of local independent businesses nationally, including pharmacies, hardware stores, bookstores, groceries and other retailers. According to a University of Missouri report that examined 1,749 counties where Wal-Mart located and the resulting loss of jobs were taken into account, “The superstores contributed just 30 jobs on average” Furthermore, most of the dollars that go to Wal-Mart stores leave the local economy. A policy study authored by Stacy Mitchell, a senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, cites a report by the firm Civic Economics, which found that “…every $100 spent at an independent store generates $23 more in local economic activity than $100 spent at a chain.”

In addition, local businesses tend to be much more community involved than large out-of-state chains when it comes to charitable contributions and participation in community services and neighborhood organizations. Profits generated from Wal-Marts go back to corporate headquarters in Arkansas, whereas locally generated business revenue stays primarily in the community.

There has been a strong movement in Sonoma County and other Northern California regions to “shop local and eat local,” taking advantage of the many small businesses that produce local foods, goods and services. A perfect example of this is the growing popularity of weekly farmers’ markets in practically all of the county’s nine cities. 

Local businesses are supporters of schools, community organizations, community projects and non-profits, as well as the primary suppliers of local jobs. Buying from these businesses keeps the money circulating in the local economy, greatly serves the community’s needs and means a good deal less driving longer distances, which translates to a healthier environment.

Will Shonbrun is a freelance journalist in Sonoma. To view more of his writing, visit http://shonbrunreport.blogspot.com/

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Sales Increase at Locally Owned Businesess

"Buy Local" is on the minds of more shoppers.
Holiday Sales Increase at Independent Businesses, National Survey Finds

By Stacy Mitchell
More holiday shoppers deliberately sought out locally owned businesses this year, according to a national survey of more than 1,800 independent businesses.

The survey found that holiday sales for independent retailers were up an average of 2.2%. That contrasts with the Commerce Department figures released today, which show that overall retail sales were down 0.3% in December and up 1.8% in November.

The survey also found that independent retailers in cities with active "Buy Local" or "Think Local First" campaigns reported stronger holiday sales than those in cities without such campaigns. These campaigns have been launched by local business alliances in more than 100 cities and towns. Independent retailers in these cities reported an average increase in holiday sales of 3.0%, compared to 1.0% for those in cities without an active Buy Local initiative.

Nearly 80% of those surveyed said public awareness of the value of choosing locally owned businesses had increased in the last year (16% said it had stayed the same).

"The buzz about buying local was louder among my customers this year than any other year," said a shoe store owner in Michigan.

"We've had many customers say they are making a real effort to 'Buy Local' this year. A number of customers said they saw an item at a chain store or online, and came back to us to purchase it," said a retailer in Maine.

A bookstore owner in Oregon added that the growing public awareness and support for independent businesses "has been critical to our ability to stay in business during down economic times."

The survey was conducted by the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, a nonprofit research organization, in partnership with several business organizations, including the American Booksellers Association, American Independent Business Alliance, American Specialty Toy Retailers Association, Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, and National Bicycle Dealers Association.

Similar surveys in 2009 and 2008 likewise found that independent businesses in cities with Buy Local campaigns reported stronger sales than those in communities without such an initiative.

"This survey adds to the growing body of evidence that people are increasingly bypassing big business in favor of local entrepreneurs," said Stacy Mitchell, senior researcher with the Institute for Local Self-Reliance. "Amid the worst downturn in more than 60 years, independent businesses are managing to succeed by emphasizing their community roots and local ownership."

"These results reinforce what we've heard from our local affiliates -- that their campaigns are yielding real dividends and shifting local spending," said Jennifer Rockne, director of the American Independent Business Alliance. "That's good news for their local economies. Studies show that small businesses keep more dollars circulating locally and generate the majority of new jobs."

"For the third year in a row, this study demonstrates the bottom-line impact of local business alliances running Think Local First campaigns," said Michelle Long, executive director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. "Local entrepreneurs are the bedrock of the U.S. economy and, when they work together, they make our communities more resilient, unique, and rewarding places to live."

"This survey demonstrates how important a Buy Local/Local First campaign is in helping independent businesses achieve greater sales," said American Booksellers Association CEO Oren Teicher. "This insight about consumers' preferences is consistent with what we have seen since the launch of IndieBound in 2008. Shoppers value authenticity, they want to connect with and to strengthen their communities, and they recognize that bigger is not always better. Because of that, we believe that this is a time of great potential for locally owned businesses that are committed to working together."

Stacy Mitchell | New Rules Project | 207-774-6792 | www.newrules.org

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Money Movement to Support Local Banks

Keep your Money in Sonoma County
where it supports our Community!

We keep talking about it, writing articles about using CASH instead of CREDIT and it's becoming a movement. Remember “We're mad as hell and we're not going to take it any more?” The more people are aware of how greedy people steal from every person who earns a living, the more we have a chance to fight back and support the people who support us. It's all about aligning ourselves with people and institutions who share our values systems.

Check out the latest movement to take your money OUT of greedy banks and put it INTO local banks and credit unions. Put your MONEY where your value systems are supported - where your money goes to support your home community.

In Sonoma County we have credit unions and banks (see list and links below) who keep their money here - and the web site below was developed to help people find a local bank for their money.

http://moveyourmoney.info/

But don't just take their word for it - do a little research of your own to find out how these banks USE your money. “The devil is in the details!”

Here are some SUGGESTIONS from Reader Magi Discoe and SCG Author Alan Joseph:

Hi Vesta,
The Huffington Post had an article yesterday entitled "A New Year's Resolution" ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html ) that suggested we, as citizens, take our money out of the giant banks and place our money into community banks. It sounded like a great idea to me, but I am not sure which banks are "community banks" and which are just fronts for the ultra large banks. I think it would be a great service for the Gazette to encourage this theme and list real community banks.

This seems to be an idea gaining momentum and as background I would recommend the latest issue of Mother Jones (February).
Magi Discoe

Thanks Magi,
As you know - we've run two articles so far on keeping our money at home - it's becoming a movement which I support!!! Thank you! Here’s a more detailed response from Alan Joseph who wrote those two articles on keeping our money in Sonoma County.
- Vesta

Hi Magi,
Vesta, told me about your interest in local banks. I've been on this path for some time. As Vesta noted, she has published two articles....I wrote them both. The point I made in those two articles was to pay with cash as much as possible.....avoiding the 3% merchant fees and finance charges flying money out of the county....to the sum of millions of dollars every year.

More to your point, I have also made it a personal mission to place my business and personal money in local banks and have some recommendations:

1. Community First Credit Union was started as the Sonoma County Teacher's Credit Union. This is truly a home grown venture with money put right back into our community. www.comfirstcu.org

2. Luther Burbank Savings was founded by the Trioni family....privately held, serving their community instead of their share holders. www.lutherburbanksavings.com

3. Circle Bank is a fairly new venture but noteworthy because it was started and run by women.....www.circlebank.com Their Santa Rosa offices have a childrens' play area and they bake cookies for their waiting room twice a day.....a refreshing approach.

4. Exchange Bank is the oldest local bank in the area. Founded by Frank Doyle, they have a long local history. I know lots of people who swear by them, but I have to say that in the last year or so, they have been in the headlines waaaay too much surrounding real estate loan losses in the Sacramento Valley. I pulled a substantial sum of money out of their bank this last year because of that, but will keep an ear and eye out to see what they do in the future.

I hope this helps with your quest.....and thank you very much for caring. - Alan Joseph

Just one more comment (their's) on two more LOCAL MONEY INSTITUTIONS:

Redwood Credit Union (RCU) is a full-service financial cooperative, assisting local consumers and small business owners with achieving their financial goals and dreams since 1950. As a Member-owned, not-for-profit cooperative, our focus is simply to provide our Members and communities with trusted financial services, friendly personal service and free financial education. www.redwoodcu.org, or call (707) 545-4000.

Summit State Bank - opened its doors in 1984. Headquartered in Santa Rosa, we serve Sonoma County and the greater Bay Area with branches in Santa Rosa, Healdsburg, Rohnert Park and Petaluma. As a community bank, we are committed to giving back to our community. We offer a generous Nonprofit Partnership Program, and support the local organizations and programs that serve Sonoma County.
http://www.summitstatebank.com/


Here's a BOOK SUGGESTION from our Ask EcoGirl columnist, Patricia Dines:

The book Agenda for a New Economy is amazingly hard-hitting, fact-based, and constructive. The author David Korten has been writing on these issues for decades and brings such a great perspective to this, laying out distinctions and a model that instantly make sense and finally for me give words to what we're trying to say - about what we don't want, what we do, how to frame the difference, and how to create the latter. I don't agree with everything, but he gives the conversation a much-needed shove in the right direction. Something I'm not seeing even in radical books let alone, of course, the mainstream conversation. I had the idea of everyone sending this book to Obama, that's how on-point I feel it is.

David Korten Biography

In addition to an active schedule of writing and speaking on global issues, I serve as president of the People-Centered Development Forum, chair the board of YES! Magazine (yesmagazine.org), serve on the board of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies. (living economies .org), and co-chair the New Economy Working Group. For more information and periodic updates, visit my website davidkorten.org. You can also follow me on twitter.com/dkorten and facebook.com. The Great Turning has an active facebook.com group.

AND - just in from a Gazette reader:

The Huffington Post had an article yesterday entitled "A New Year's Resolution" ( http://www.huffingtonpost.com/arianna-huffington/move-your-money-a-new-yea_b_406022.html ) that suggested we, as citizens, take our money out of the giant banks and place our money into community banks. It sounded like a great idea to me, but I am not sure which banks are "community banks" and which are just fronts for the ultra large banks. I think it would be a great service for the Gazette to encourage this theme and list real community banks. This seems to be an idea gaining momentum and as background I would recommend the latest issue of Mother Jones (February). - Magi

AND...You'll also find this other web site interesting with videos on senate hearings about our financial institution crisis

http://video.google.com/videosearch?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&source=hp&q=Senate+hearings+on+AIG&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=2C49S5L_GJCIswOQiJTWAw&sa=X&oi=video_result_group&ct=title&resnum=4&ved=0CCAQqwQwAw#

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