Michelle Griffith - The Spectrum Magazine

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As I Was Saying…(Continued from p6) Community Interest (Continued from p13) annual car allowance and their health and dental coverage, which are covered in full by taxpayers. In case you don’t remember, the county has a $100 million budget deficit. There are currently over 1,000 county employees who earn $100,000 or more. The raises themselves are not the only issue here. I can’t really argue that the job is worthy of such a salary. It is more about retirement benefits. Take, for instance, Supervisor Rich Gordon, who terms out next year and will be running for state Assembly. When salaries are increased, his retirement benefits will be calculated at the last salary he is earning. He has already stated he will accept the salary increase and defended it with some lame excuse about others voting on the increase, even though he was one of those doing so. It’s all business as usual for elected officials, even though they expect others to make sacrifices. I am not one who totally supports union and government high salaries — when was the last time one of them had to produce the revenues needed to pay their salaries? — but if the salary increase goes into effect, it is just a slap in the face to those who made sacrifices “for the team.” Can you imagine being an in-home support-services employee and being asked to have your salary frozen or decreased from $11.50 per hour? Then you have to hear about this. Just not fair, is it? I want to take this opportunity to wish our readers the happiest of holidays! I feel so fortunate and truly blessed to have the opportunity to work with such professional and community-minded individuals here. To get the response we do from our readers is amazing. Thank you, thank you, thank you! As I was saying… .… changes to the 50-50 Balanced Plan as part of its public process, amendments can similarly be made in the federal review. But Lewis said DMB isn’t asking for a formal review at all, instead asking the corps what it thinks while maintaining an ability to claim it has no jurisdiction. In its notice of the federal assessment, DMB officials focused on the environmental aspects of the planned tidal marsh habitats. “We believe that this would be the largest private marsh creation effort ever mounted on the San Francisco Bay,” Bruno said in a prepared statement. “While government and taxpayer-funded restoration efforts continue to struggle for funding, we are prepared to privately fund this program and to commence restoration as soon as the 50-50 Balanced Plan is approved.” Approval of the plan is far from a given, however. The City Council — and candidates recently running in the November election — all agreed the final outcome could likely stray from the current proposal. The city recently opted against including the Cargill property in the revamp of its general plan, deciding to visit zoning and land use issues later. The city also hired a consultant to coordinate the review of the 50-50 Balanced Plan to make sure it is a complete proposal before moving to an Environmental Impact Report. Happy Holidays from The Spectrum Magazine NOTICE OF VACANCIES PLANNING COMMISSION Two vacancies will occur on the Redwood City Planning Commission. The terms are for two unexpired seats. One seat expires June 30, 2010 and the other expires June 30, 2012. The Commission regularly meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 7pm, but may hold additional meetings. Members of the Planning Commission receive no compensation and at the time of their appointment and continuously during their incumbencies, be residents and electors of the City. They cannot hold any other public office or position in the City while serving as members of the Commission. They also have an annual requirement to disclose Economic Interests. The general objectives of the Planning Commission shall be: • To exercise all powers and duties granted to it by ordinance or resolution of the City Council; • To recommend to the City Council, for adoption, a comprehensive long-term general plan for the physical development of the City; • To exercise such additional powers and duties as may be provided for by such general laws of the State of California as are not in conflict with local procedures. • The Commission also plays a role in the administration of the City Zoning Ordinance and Subdivision Ordinance. Please get acquainted with the Planning Commission current topics by reading prior minutes or reviewing agendas. The recruitment period is from November 9, 2009 until 5:00 pm on December 7, 2009. The application is available online at the redwoodcity.org website and paper copies are available at the Office of the City Clerk, City Hall 1017 Middlefield Road, Redwood City. Silvia Vonderlinden City Clerk November 23, 2009 www.SpectrumMagazine.net
Finance: Changing “Seasons” of Life May Require Changes in Investment Strategy By David Amann, Special to The Spectrum As we make the transition from autumn to winter, you may be reminded that seasons don’t just change on the calendar — they also change in your life. And as you move from one season of your life to another, you’ll find that some of your goals may have changed. Consequently, as time goes by, you may need to adjust your financial strategies as well. To illustrate the “seasonal” nature of your investment strategies, let’s quickly go through a typical life cycle and look at the differing financial goals at each stage: Starting out When you are beginning your career, you may not have a lot of money to invest, but it’s important to try to put away something each month. If you have a 401(k) where you work, take advantage of it. Your money is deducted, pretax, from your paychecks, so it’s an easy way to start investing. And at this stage of your life, consider investing primarily for growth. Of course, when you invest in growth-oriented vehicles, you typically assume an above-average degree of risk because the price of these investments can fluctuate greatly over time. However, if you buy quality investments and hold them for many years, you may be able to overcome the “blips” along the way and benefit from the growth prospects these vehicles can offer. Middle years During this season of your life, things have likely changed. Your kids may have already graduated from college or otherwise left home, so you may need to re-evaluate your life insurance needs. You’re likely earning more money and have more available to invest. This means, among other things, that you should consider “maxing out” on your IRA and also putting as much as you afford into your 401(k) or other employersponsored retirement plan. Because you may have a decade or more until you retire, you still may need considerable growth potential from your investments. At the same time, though, you might not want to invest quite as aggressively as you did when you started out, so you may want to increase the percentage of bonds and other fixed-income vehicles in your portfolio. Retirement years Many people assume their expenses will drop when they retire. And some will drop, but others, such as health care, will increase. Furthermore, it’s not at all unusual for people to spend two, or even three, decades in an active retirement, and during those years, inflation can be a factor. Consequently, even as a retiree, you’ll find that growth-oriented investments are important, balanced with others that provide income. Furthermore, you’ll want to manage the withdrawals you take from your IRA, 401(k) or other employer-sponsored retirement plan to help make sure you don’t outlive your resources. At the same time, you should consider exploring estate-planning techniques, such as life insurance trusts, that can help you leave the legacy you want without burdening your heirs with heavy estate taxes. To help you meet these needs, work with your tax advisor and estate-planning professional. The seasons of the year change every three months. The seasons of your life change much more slowly, but these changes can have a big impact on your financial situation. Editor’s note: This article was written by David Amann of Edward Jones for use by The Spectrum Magazine. Senior Activities The Veterans Memorial Senior Center, 1455 Madison Ave., Redwood City, provides the following activities that are open to the public during the month of December. Friday Movies for Everyone Every Friday, 1:15 p.m. (unless otherwise announced) Come to the VMSC in December for a free featured movie in our state-of-the-art movie theater! Dec. 4: “The Maiden Heist” Dec. 11: “The Ugly Truth” Dec. 18: “Julie & Julia” Dec. 25: No movie (holiday) Holiday Gift Bag Assembly Celebrate the holiday season by helping seniors and children in need throughout the community. Sponsor a holiday gift bag for children of lowincome families and seniors who are homebound or without family by making a donation to the Holiday Gift Giving Project at the Veterans Memorial Senior Center. Donation envelopes and additional information is available at 650-780-7313. Beating Those Holiday Blues Thursday, Dec. 10, 1–2 p.m. Sunset Room Free We are told that the holidays are a time of joy and happiness. But if that’s the case, how come so many of us feel blue? This lecture will talk about the holiday blues and provide tools for working through them. West Bay Community Band Holiday Concert Saturday, Dec. 12, 7–9 p.m. Theatre $10 early bird reservations / $15 at door The VMSC is happy to welcome back the West Bay Community Band for a very special holiday concert. Enjoy a no-host bar from 7–7:30 p.m., with the concert starting at promptly 7:30. To receive the discounted price of $10, please call 650-780-7264 and your name will be placed on our VIP Will Call List. If your name is not on the list, your cost will be $15 at the door. VMSC Closure Dates The Veterans Memorial Senior Center will be closed Thursday, Dec. 24, through Monday, Jan. 4, for Winter Break. Sunday Bingo will be open on Dec. 27 and Jan. 2. SAVE THE DATE! Free Home Repairs From Rebuilding Together Peninsula Wednesday, Jan. 13, 1–2 p.m. Sunset Room Free Rebuilding Together Peninsula rehabilitates homes and community facilities for senior, lowincome and disabled homeowners so they can live independently in warmth and safety. All services are free. Learn about the program at this information session. Valentine’s Dinner Dance Friday, Feb. 12, 6–10 p.m. Redwood Room $20 per person Love is in the air! Enjoy a wonderful dance with live music compliments of the Fun After Fifty Band! Singles and couples alike are welcome. A three-course dinner will be served and dancing will follow. Tickets will be available in January. To learn more about the Veterans Memorial Senior Center, call 650-780-7270. Redwood City Parks, Recreation and Community Services Department provides recreational facilities and activities for all ages and interests, and supplies building and custodial services for city buildings. Redwood City Parks also operates the Veterans Memorial Senior Center and the Fair Oaks Community Center, providing social, educational and cultural activities, as well as information, referral and counseling services to persons living in Redwood City and neighboring communities. The Spectrum 29
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