ROUND TOWN County Perspective Stratosphere Stockade: rarely agree; county employment development numbers showed 4,800 new jobs, a 4.6% rise, in April, over April 2012. The job segment to get the biggest increase, 21%? Arts and entertainment. Who knew? I can hear my Dad telling me not to depend on writing, to learn a mainstream skill I could ‘fall back’ on. Professional employment, including businesses that serve other businesses, saw a 14.2% increase in employment, followed closely by real estate employment, which climbed 11.8%. My decision to get back into aircraft ownership was the result of recent airline torture. With the economy improving, more travelers are crowding into fewer planes, each jammed with more seats and therein lies the rub, or more accurately, the crush. I got a bargain ticket on one of the nation’s venerable, (read: oldest) carriers. Planes were wall-to-wall packed, sticky, warm and claustrophobic. The employees to whom I was subjected deftly combined Simon Cowell’s warmth with Piers Morgan’s brains. On the return trip, the same massive weather system that frappéd Oklahoma, stood across our path. Strangely, the airline’s senior flight dispatchers were caught by surprise and failed to mobilize extra pilots or planes. They let their underlings absorb blowback from stranded passengers. I got home after 17 hours of travel. I was lucky. Certain things in good economies can be bad, and vice versa. Airline-wise, in down times, fewer flyers means more comfy planes, and airline employees looking to please. When business is booming, the bottom line looks rosy, but if you want recession-hungry customer service, well, get in line. The results of a study update from the Central Coast Economic Forecast Project, are a mixed bag; some good, some, well... For starters, there is some indication of solid job growth. April jobless rates shrank from 7.9% in 2012, to 6.1%, this year. The county’s employed labor force totaled 137,000 people, leaving 8,500 officially jobless. Compared to 2012, San Luis Obispo County picked up a solid 2,680 new jobs, bringing total nonfarm employment to 103,100. It should be noted that official figures The end result is a mixed bag; housing is more expensive – more about that in a moment – and some job segments lost employment, such as non-durable manufacturing and eco-friendly whole trade produce jobs, both of which fell by 3% or more. Taxable sales, a good indicator of economic growth, did well in most cities, except for Atascadero, where sales fell 6.1%, over the same period. The upbeat report also reminds us we aren’t out of the woods yet, but better news could be just ahead. Now if we can keep the politicians from monkeying with the thermostat; Sacramento is already pushing a minimum wage hike. Homes Climbing: Existing home sales rose for the 11th straight month, in the county, median homes now cost an average of $375,000, up from $345,000 a year ago. California realtors report homes rose 24.7% statewide; great if you’re about to snatch up a bargain in Boise, bad news if your job is here and you are a first-time homebuyer. By Bruce Curtis Sometimes it’s difficult to make sense of the numbers, whether they are temporary blips or a solid trend. One way to tell is by the number of homes sold, and in this case, the prices and number of homes sold are both on the rise. Sales of more affordable multifamily homes and condos rose a heady 70% over last year; now the median price for a condo is $279,000 in San Luis Obispo County. Existing home sales rose for the 11th straight month, in the county, median homes now cost an average of $375,000, up from $345,000 a year ago. New home construction would help; the county’s growth limit ordinance has a decent backlog. Water Pressure: A county committee has been formed to keep an eye on how quickly we are depleting our groundwater reserves, here in the Salinas Basin, where water levels have decreased 80 feet over the past 15 years. As a result of that decrease, a new task force is working toward forming the Paso Robles Groundwater Management District, one that will have teeth, in reducing water use and perhaps developing other water supplies. Kids Rights and Air Quality: 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson wasn’t pleased with an Air Pollution Board vote to reject a political document affirming children’s rights. Gibson wrote a scathing editorial condemning the County Air Pollution Control Board for rejecting endorsement of a Children’s Bill of Rights (CBR). Why exactly does Gibson or any politician think air quality regulators need to address children’s rights, rather than say, parents, PTA’s or the department of social services? Several citizens who spoke, considered it a glaring government overreach to bring air quality regulators into a family and social debate. “I don’t see that. It speaks to our aspiration to help our children be nurtured and enjoy a quality of life,” responds Gibson, “no, it is not at all a stretch.” Nationwide, such CBR’s have swept through local and regional governments. Parents and family rights groups have rejected CBR’s as Trojan horses, vehicles to undermine parental authority and legitimizing prostitution, same sex marriage and abortion on demand. Parental rights supporters like Focus on the Family and the Family Research Council say United Nation’s conventions drive the agenda pushing CBR’s. When the APCD rejected the county’s First Five coalition’s effort, Gibson responded with a newspaper missive blaming everyone from the Tea Party to right wing extremists. “It was quite disappointing for me to see folks coming in and spinning outrageous conspiracy theories about the Children’s Bill of Rights.” A number of individuals and parents addressed the APCD board with what appeared to be legitimate questions about why they were being asked to take a stand on a social issue document in the first place. Questions about social engineering by government, lost parental rights, even the agenda driving the move to adopt CBR’s, were brought up. APCD board members were persuaded and rejected the document. Gibson characterized opposition speakers as “extremists,” noting the debate had been uncivil. Public democracy uncivil? Puleeze. 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