Contributors Opinion Bold 2015 I hatepredictions to say it, butfor government A new yearquestions affords must Recession Business Briefs do ... repeats more likesomething not-so-bold outnumber answers a new opportunity Business People Almanac to meet local needs THE he BUSINESS usiness T T Times IMES
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The word crops up with increasing regularity in everything from kitchen counter conversations to national news reports. For now, though, there are more questions than answers about the possibility of a recession. When could a recession occur? How severe will a recession be if one does occur? Howyear longalmost will it always last? Most important here in the What will A new brings an opportunity for Grand a freshValley: start and be the effects on local small and large? renewed ambition to dobusinesses things better. By one definition, a recession a declinecustomers in gross domestic product In business, that usually boils constitutes down to providing better products — broad faster measure produced inPart theof country — formust two andthe services andofatgoods lowerand costservices than competitors. the process consecutive quarters. For thosetokeeping score, GDP retreated percent in the include listening to customers determine what they actually1.6 need and then United in theAfter first quarter and little nine-tenths a percent in the second quarter. meetingStates that need. all, it does good toofoffer the latest and greatest if But actually like justwants about what everything that’s followed the COVID-19 pandemic, nobody you’reelse selling. the so-called normal isn’t normal. Just like new the businesses thatparticularly belong to the group, the Grand Junction Area Consider, for example, the lateststarts reportout from Labor Statistics. Chamber of Commerce invariably thethe newU.S. yearBureau with aofreassessment of Nonfarm payrolls increased itanprovides estimated 528,000 between Julymembers even as the the services and resources and how well they June matchand with unemployment rate slipped a tenth of a point to 3.5 percent. Bothofemployment needs. Jeff Franklin, the new chairman of the chamber board directors, and the unemployment have returned to pre-pandemic levels. Consider, suchcoming other personifies thisrate approach in describing what he considers his role too, for the indicators as rising income and increased retail sales. year: listen to members, determine their needs and then meet those needs. It’s a the Federal Reserve keepsas raising itspresident key short-term interest rate to curb role Still, with which Franklin is familiar market of Bank of Colorado. inflation. The move notaonly the economy, butinpush intochamber recession. The process willcould take on moreslow structured approach whatit the on the red. A to glance at the Under list thatthe plansOther as theindicators resumption of aeconomic program dashboard aptly calledflash Listening Business. appears the Business Times shows declines in the Consumer Index,to program,inbusiness owners participate in in-depth interviews to Confidence identify barriers Leading Economic Index and Small Business Optimism Index. The Conference growth and other problems they encounter. Board, New York-based thinktime tankto that calculates the firstclub. two of those indexes, Thethenew year offers a good join the proverbial expects could begin later yearneed or early next As aanrecession advertiser or reader, whatthis do you from theyear. Business Times? In Colorado, business leaders responding to the survey pushed news the Leeds While business journals traditionally gather andlatest report the relevant to Business Confidence Index down 12.8 points headingstreet. into the thirdespecially quarter. Attrue 41.1, readers, communication isn’t necessarily a one-way That’s as the below growth-neutral to its fifth-lowest reading Webindex sites dropped and e-mail make the dialogue 50 more convenient than ever. ever. Almost 23 percent of the leadersdon’t who exist responded to the survey theyto believe the U.S. Good publications in a vacuum. They said respond the needs of is already inand a recession, 30 percent said they needed. expect the economy to slip into advertisers readers. They provide what’s recession in the half of this year and 27 percent the first half of next year. So what dosecond you need? Nathan an economics professor at Colorado Mesayou University Is there Perry, additional news coverage that would help keep informedwho about tracks trends indevelopments? Western Colorado, reported in a that presentation June that if local business Are there features would beininteresting ora recession occurthat by the endmake of theyour year,jobs thena at least slower growth is likely useful? Is doesn’t there advice would little easier? for the six to nine months. It’snext equally important to ask what you don’t need. With limited time to On the otherand hand, there’s encouragement to be found in rebounding labor be produce content limited space in which to publish it, would time and space markets on national, state and local levels. In Mesa County, payrolls have grown better devoted to something else? 4.3 percent past isn’t? year even as needed? the market has isn’t? remained tight. What’s over good?theWhat What’s What Inflation and higher prices for gasoline and food could the trend.Times Web Let us know. Send us an e-mail. Comment online on alter the Business But spending, which accounts more thanwrite two-thirds of economicletter to site consumer at www.thebusinesstimes.com. You for could even an old-fashioned activity, remains mostly resilient. Tax collections, a measure of retail sales, increased the editor if you’d like. Your feedback, both positive and negative, is valued and in June on a year-over-year basis 10.1 percent in Mesa County and 8.5 percent in will be carefully considered. Grand Junction. Good publications are the result of not only the efforts of their staffs, but also Uncertainty is bad for business. There’s no shortage of that for more collaborative efforts involving advertisers andbeen readers. than Like two years. But good whenbusiness, it comes we to recession, perhaps a little uncertainty over any other want to listen to our customers, find out timing andneed degree better than the alternative. And that’s the certainty a what they andremains then meet those needs. recession, or worse, could present another It’s a new year. Please help us yet to do so. obstacle to businesses. F ✦
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Publisher/Owner: Craig R. Hall
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Subscribe or submit press releases online at www.thebusinesstimes.com The Grand Valley Business Times, a subsidiary of Hall Media Group LLC, is published twice monthly and distributed throughout Grand Junction, Fruita and Palisade. Advertising rates and deadlines are available upon request. Opinions expressed in this publication are those of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, editor, staff or advertisers. Copyright © 2015 — AllCopyright rights reserved. © 2022 — All rights reserved.
Normally — and I reiterate this It’s that of year whenpoint out for those whotime claim I always resolutionsyet andoffer prognostications abound. problems, no solutions — My first favorite saying New Year’s my instinct is toapplied get thetofederal resolutions isout in of saying they’re government whatever it’sbasically doing. a bunch of promises to break first week Removing government fromthe every of January. while I won’t predict a situation theAnd Constitution forbids it from whole lot, can pretty much accurately getting intoI always offers a better way to nail a problems. few things that without question solve will Except make the news. this time.You will see these are pretty, well, an predictable: There’s old ■ Prediction George Carlin jokeone: There will be some that comes to mind. sort ofabout weather event, It was being a natural disasterschools or kid in Catholic heinous occurrence and trying to play where the someone stump brotherwill or be interviewed sister in charge.and Thesay the following: “I’ve query was something neverif seen like God anything is all like that incan myhe create Craig Hall powerful, It’s he as can’t if this alifetime.” rock so big Craig Hall person is afrom required lift it? Ah, the wisdom of a child. As a attendee at every newsGod can do both. man of faith, I believe reporting While I understand I ask event. in kind: Can the federal most people’s perspective cantoo indeed limited government — and all manybestates, by, or contained within, their problems own personal counties and cities — create so experiences, is too much to ask to large it can’t itsolve them? consult historical perspective Thissome seems to be rule No. 1 forbefore a lot saying such a because thing? Yes, response can of politicians notthis fixing problems apply to some events. But on when it comes while continuing to work them with to weatherfocus and natural disasters, I’m pretty laser-like is key to re-election. sure this is No. simply repeating Sadly, rule 2 ishistory creating a policeitself. Sametoasassure it has no forother millions andismillions state entity allowed of years. important, the planet made it! to evenMore address the problems, let alone What didn’t species. How’s fix them. As were a mancertain of little to almost no that perspective? I believe many in faithfor in government, ■ Prediction two: WhenBut it comes to a government can do neither. it won’t crimethem or something thatOr occurs between stop from trying. not trying. humans, theonother required wind attendee at all It depends the political gauge. newsLet’s reporting events is theWhen person who take the border. was the saystime this: you “They we’re just that the nicest last heard about ongoing people, and in mainstream no way did Imedia see something disaster? Our stopped like this coming.” Exactly. covering the border crisis No the one day does most of theJoe time when it Vice comesPresident to President Biden put neighborsHarris and acquaintances. People should Kamala in charge. I ask this: Can be surprised what goesHarris on from anyone nameatone thing hastime doneto time in their neighborhoods, and to even alleviate the pressuretowns on our with people know because people are borders? Thethey question is rhetorical. She good. And the timesthing. that they hasn’t donefor a damned Youshouldn’t know be shocked with politicians, repeat how I know— thelike situation is bad? The offenders andmedia terrorists — even where’s the mainstream hasn’t taken interview says, “Thispiece doesn’t surprise the libertythat to run a puff on Harris’ me in the least.”to the border. And you can efforts related ■ about Prediction three: Something forget seeing a report on the good actual will happen economically, thewhere situation. Heck, we’re at aand point government will seeing take credit for it.the The most you aren’t even a report vice recent example is gas president is alive andprices, well. where people ask me why things I won’tgoing creditfor theold president How’s Mayorfor low gas My answer issituation? simple: Pete andprices. the transportation Government neverhe’s makes the to price of Name one action taken address something go problems down and outside simply takes supply chain of thecredit for good pricing is subject optics of news. flyingGas in baby formula fromto many global Nowabout there are Europe. You factors. can’t. How the government to addressing some of abysmal portanswers and trucking situation? Have them to keep stable forthousands Americans, we gone one prices week without of but ourdelayed government has none of themagain, in flights or cancelled? Then place. The only still things it has in South place inBend, the if the potholes abound
august 15-28, 11-24, 2015 2022 JANUARY
what can you expect from a guy who long run he always hurthusband consumers. Another bragged and his were able factget is formula that unemployment reaches a certain to while millions suffered level based the economy. And while the or who toldon Americans going under due government might the number low, to inflation to buy brag an electric car if isthey it’s more theAll government didwho don’t likethan gas likely prices? from a guy something to acause number being low faked riding bike that to work to get votes. — and notbrings in a good Conversely, when That us toway. our president and business picks up, it’s because the people Congress and their latest problem-solving who need to buy whoweeks were not skills. It was just widgets a few short ago buyingwas widgets because thereducing economythe was Biden bragging about contracting to naturalamount (or unnatural, “deficit” by due the greatest in history: government caused) we $1.3 TRILLION. If Ireasons, have to decided go into how better buya some The government reducing deficitwidgets. is still overspending had nothing to do this.really, really while meaning youwith really, ■ Prediction four: In keeping with overspent (by TRILLIONS) the year before things the government does, I predict the and a totally-ignorant-of-basic-economics governmentthen willstop manipulate argument, reading the nownumbers becauseto makedon’t the claim the economy getting you understand it or thisisnext point. betterdobecause hard it is just working to You realize of thehow government passed helpbills all ofinusthe “working Now two past fewAmericans.” weeks that have you might say, “Craig,deficit you always say this reduced that “historic reduction” about President Obama you don’tis by $1.2 TRILLION. So because basically, Biden like him.” You’rethe right in a sense. don’t saving America equivalent of Iprinting know the man,a rounding but what Ierror. knowI of him it’s and money equal mean, his thinking, I don’tsolike it ornot him one iota. only $100 billion, we’re talking Before you go off,let’s however, I didn’t real money. And not forget this like law of President Bush hisprint bailouts, stimulus economics: Youand don’t untold trillions and his abandoning the Ifree market to save into a recession. Oops, can’t use that the freesomarket. I don’t him word, I’ll callAnd it what it is.know A depression. either. What government does, rule and and the And thatthe leads to yet another onlysource thing it do, is the economy. the ofcan almost allhurt of America’s latest UnlessThe it does put criminals in a woes. old nothing rule was:orNever introduce jail instead them, nothing vaccine intoofa partnering pandemic.with (Then again, did the government willcolumn.) help. Always look they? That’s for does another at it the thisculprit way, whatever the government says But is COVID-19. That’s where it is doing, whatever name of theInlaw it everything went eventhe more wrong. using is passing, orpowers” whatevertothe name or the goal of “emergency shut down the bureaucracy it isgovernment presenting toeffectively the country, the federal people, expect the polar opposite to occur. shut down the world economy.And every I guess what is the thatresult exaggerated ill weI’m feelsaying today is perhaps it’sproblem time to above get outwas of our own of it. Each exacerbated perspective. There’s plentyofof history by COVID and the abuse emergency books and historical research out where there to powers. Why? Because it worked begin to understand that allZika, of this has SARS-1, global warming, myriad happened before. And it will again, flus and every other emergency has failed whether topic is people government. in gainingthe total control. The or government The best recommendation is to find succeeded in inserting COVID into some booksweordo. try that whole Google everything thing. There’s athe lotonly of information the Therefore, solution canoncome Greatgovernment. Depression.Only The truth is it wasn’t from government won’t even awhat good one no until the government got undo it has intention of undoing. involved. There’s alsothen plenty If you don’t think so, whyofisresearch on the medieval warm period when the everything an emergency nowadays? planet was muchthat’s warmer thanthe today with Simple. Because where power is. a whole lot less (andthe warmer well To solve thispeople situation, before man was at all). Andlaw, yep, government musthere rescind every people have killingresulting other surprised mandate andbeen regulation from people since historypowers. was firstThen written. COVID emergency rescind Maybepowers. some research will help stop emergency all ofOur these trends. Otherwise, we’ll government has created a be saying we’ve never seenbe anything like it in problem so large it can’t solved by our lives. And notitindidn’t a good way. government. And come from God. publisher of of the the Craig Hall is owner and publisher 424-5133 Business Times. Reach him at 424-5133 or publisher@thebusinesstimes.com. ✦ F
