Posts for July 21, 2010

SOUTHERN UTAH IN THE NEWS

PLANNING COMMISSION APPOINTS NEW CHAIRWOMAN

July 21, 2010 – St. George Spectrum – Cimaron Neugebauer

CEDAR CITY — A Tuesday evening meeting at the Cedar City office building began in its usual fashion; however, the only thing that made this Cedar City Planning Commission meeting different was the person leading it.

Kristie McMullin was appointed the new chairwoman for the Cedar City Planning Commission. The former chairman was Roger Black, who resigned June 15 to serve an LDS mission, said McMullin.

“It is an honor (to serve). It is a little bit of pressure, because sometimes public meetings get heated, depending on how much public input there is,” McMullin said. “But I think my ability to know a little bit about Robert’s Rule s of Order and my sense of humor will probably carry me through, when needed.”

McMullin who has been on the planning commission for three years, and said commission members had been joking about the appointment with her for a few months because the commission knew Black would resign.

But she didn’t think being appointed would actually happen. McMullin said she keeps an “industry input in mind” because of her work and experience with Southwest Applied Technology College.

Typical term limits for a commission member is two four-year terms, according to Cedar City code. While appointing a chairman is strictly a planning commission function, coming up with who makes up the planning commission in the first place falls on the shoulders of the mayor. But he said he isn’t alone; he has plenty of help and advice in making his decision.

Since Jan. 5, when Mayor Joe Burgess came into office, he has appointed three members to the city’s planning commission. Ron Adams, Paul Cozzens and Vance Smith were all people he appointed to serve on the commission. Burgess said his reasoning for choosing certain people follows a pretty simple formula.

“I think you always need to have a variety of people in the planning commission,” Burgess said. “That is probably the board that has the most influence of any in the city, in my opinion.”

Burgess said Adams was chosen because the commission needed to have a city council member serve on the board and Adams also had experience previously serving on the board of adjustments. Paul Cozzens, who was one of the first Burgess appointed, happens to be a friend of his. He also said he had recommendations for different people and from his staff. Cozzens is a resident and sub-contractor for Cozzens Cabinets.

Burgess said Cozzens was chosen because he didn’t necessarily want a developer on the commission that would have a conflict of interest and he believed Cozzens would provide an objective point of view. Smith was appointed to fill the vacancy left by Black until the remainder of his term. Burgess said he did not know Smith very well, but had people recommend him.

“When three or more people suggest the same person, it catches your eye,” Burgess said. The mayor appoints positions for the city planning commission, library board, board of adjustments and other advisory boards.

The mayor recommends members to city council and council approves them for a final decision.

EMPLOYMENT CHANGE IN UTAH: COUNTIES AND SECTORS

July 21, 2010 – UB Daily

Commerce Real Estate Solutions reports over the past three years job losses have occurred in 25 of Utah’s 29 counties. The four counties with job growth are: Tooele, Sanpete, Grand and Beaver. All of these counties are relatively small, and consequently employment trends can be significantly altered by the addition or expansion of just a few firms.
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GERMAN ECONOMY REBOUNDS POST-STIMULUS

July 21, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Europe's economic engine is back in gear after a painful recession; as foreign customers snap up cars and industrial machinery and the country reaps benefits of stimulus spending... continue

GOVERNOR HERBERT CALLS FOR THOUGHTFUL, RATIONAL APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION REFORM IN UTAH

July 21, 2010 – UB Daily

In a roundtable discussion on immigration reform Tuesday at the Utah Capitol, Governor Gary R. Herbert called for reason to guide discussions and action on illegal immigration in the State. “As Governor, I want to see our state take a thoughtful and rational approach to immigration reform,” Governor Herbert said in his opening remarks. View Full Article

UTAH NEEDS 168,863 NEW JOBS OVER THE NEXT DECADE

July 21, 2010 - EDCUtah

Economists predict some 103,000 individuals will enter the Utah workforce over the next decade, and Utah will need an economic revival robust enough to create 168,863 new jobs to meet the demands of the new workforce, plus restore the jobs lost during the current recession.
On a larger scale, the nation as a whole will need to create 20 million jobs over the next decade - restoring the 7 million jobs lost to the current recession, and creating another 13 million new jobs.

The job growth predictions come from "Enterprising States," a study released in May at a bipartisan summit of governors, state chamber executives, and business leaders at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce headquarters. The summit and study are part of the Chamber's American Free Enterprise. Dream Big. campaign. The study was prepared by the Praxis Group for the Chamber and its public policy think tank, the National Chamber Foundation. Through the study, the Chamber is highlighting bipartisan state and local policies - including those in Utah - that have proven to help create jobs that will be pivotal to a national economic recovery.

Driving Job Creation
The study's researchers found that "states are much more active than the federal government on the job creation and economic development front." Consequently, Enterprising States highlights six policy areas that drive job creation: innovation, productivity through investments in workforce development and training, science and technology, infrastructure, exporting, and competitive tax rates.

Utah was recognized as "strong across the board in both economic policies - and economic results." Furthermore, the study points out that Utah led the nation in middle class job growth from 2002 – 2009. Middle class job growth is an area of critical need, with the teen unemployment rate now over 24 percent nationally, compared to fewer than 15 percent in 2007.
Within the six policy areas that drive job creation, Utah ranks in the top 10 states in each area:
Utah's Rank Policy Area
3rd Exports and International Trade
4th Infrastructure
8th Taxes and Regulation
8th Entrepreneurship and Innovation
10th Workforce Development and Training

Among its strengths, "Utah's commitment to connecting businesses to international markets has placed it among the top states in the country when it comes to export growth," the study's writers say. "Exports have been an area of strength and continued growth for Utah, even during the recent recession. With over 2,400 businesses engaged in international trade, the state has been among a handful of states leading the way in export growth. Existing export strength in primary metals such as gold has been coupled with a focus on new and emerging opportunities in the chemical, fabricated metals, and computer and electronics industries to build a robust and healthy export sector."

Utah ShinesEDC
Utah President & CEO Jeff Edwards says Enterprising States reaffirms what so many people already know about Utah: "The combination of responsible state and local governments; low taxes; low costs; entrepreneurship; a young, highly educated workforce; and unparalleled quality of life make the state an exceptional place to do business. In study after study, ranking after ranking, Utah shines."

The Utah section of Enterprising States highlights how key activities in the Beehive State are playing a pivotal role in fostering the conditions for job growth, such as the Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR); establishing networking opportunities through the International Trade Hub; the implementation of a system of licensee grants through its Centers of Excellence Program; the Utah Educational Savings Plan (UESP); and tax credits for businesses conducting research.

According to Enterprising States, U.S. employment has been shifting, not to mega corporations, but to individuals and smaller units. Between 1980 and 2000, the number of self-employed individuals expanded tenfold to comprise 16 percent of the workforce.

"This enterprising spirit reflects a broad, long-term American trend," writes the study's co-author, Joel Kotkin. "America is a vast country made up of hundreds of diverse economies. The flexibility to match local strengths with global needs will be paramount. It is local knowledge and local energy - among local officials and individual businesspeople and entrepreneurs - that will make the difference. Washington can focus on a few overriding national priorities, but most of the new ideas, new companies, and new jobs will come from local initiative."

Overarching Message
The overarching message of Enterprising States is that "the 50 'little Republics' matter. State policies matter. Governors, state legislators, and local officials matter. Although the federal government has been driving stabilization policy during the recent recession, it is the states [and territories] that will lead a crucial new growth strategy in the next decade. And while the federal government will affect the situation on the ground in broad strokes and from a distance, governors and state and local governments will drive the types of new, experimental, flexible job-growth strategies that can match the speed of the global economy and achieve this growth imperative."

WILL UNEMPLOYMENT AID HELP BOOST RECOVERY?

July 21, 2010 – Today in Manufacturing.net
Injection of an estimated $33 billion into a $14.6 trillion economy won't be enough to energize the recovery, but economists say it could at least help sustain it ... continue