Comments on: Boulder County Colorado – a bright spot in a gloomy forecast http://blogtherockies.com/2008/12/09/boulder-county-colorado-a-bright-spot-in-a-gloomy-forecast/ Boulder Colorado Real Estate Thu, 08 Mar 2012 04:48:38 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Justin Tyme http://blogtherockies.com/2008/12/09/boulder-county-colorado-a-bright-spot-in-a-gloomy-forecast/comment-page-1/#comment-1123 Justin Tyme Wed, 18 Feb 2009 07:04:25 +0000 http://blogtherockies.com/?p=1090#comment-1123 Please explain how, "...The Boulder Daily Camera highlighted today the economic forecast for the state, stating that “next year 1000’s of people might loose thir jobs, retail sales will be sluggish and the state’s housing market will continue to slide”...is good news. (I left the typo from the original in there, to highlight the consistent quality of the Camera's reporting. Folks, how can you not spell check a word (thir)that does not exist?) Anyway, if you see this as "good news," then you still are drinking the "it seems OK today" Kool-Aid. The responsibility needed is to accept what is clearly on the horizon (EX: ARMS mortgages guaranteed to fail) and deal with it. Not, "Americans completely under water and unable to pay mortgages" followed by, "Home prices seem normal NOW." I mean, if your prediction is that, "...the retail , information sector, finance, insurance and real estate are expected to cut jobs..." wouldn't the average high school student surmise that there might be a ripple effect? Say, for example...less spending? Hmmm, less spending? Could that ripple into other businesses? This mini rant is aimed at the people who need to fill "X" amount of square inches of paper to sell one. The Camera is really reaching here to make a feel good story in a space that requires candor and treating its readers like adults. Not children who need to be shielded from the facts. (Of course, we are talking about a paper that listed 14th Street Restaurant's address as "unknown" in a restaurant review piece. Priceless!) I love Boulder, and believe it will fare better than most. Much of that is an extension of the self fulfilling prophecy that "yes we can..." and yes we will. Please explain how, “…The Boulder Daily Camera highlighted today the economic forecast for the state, stating that “next year 1000’s of people might loose thir jobs, retail sales will be sluggish and the state’s housing market will continue to slide”…is good news. (I left the typo from the original in there, to highlight the consistent quality of the Camera’s reporting. Folks, how can you not spell check a word (thir)that does not exist?)

Anyway, if you see this as “good news,” then you still are drinking the “it seems OK today” Kool-Aid. The responsibility needed is to accept what is clearly on the horizon (EX: ARMS mortgages guaranteed to fail) and deal with it. Not, “Americans completely under water and unable to pay mortgages” followed by, “Home prices seem normal NOW.”

I mean, if your prediction is that, “…the retail , information sector, finance, insurance and real estate are expected to cut jobs…” wouldn’t the average high school student surmise that there might be a ripple effect? Say, for example…less spending? Hmmm, less spending? Could that ripple into other businesses?

This mini rant is aimed at the people who need to fill “X” amount of square inches of paper to sell one. The Camera is really reaching here to make a feel good story in a space that requires candor and treating its readers like adults. Not children who need to be shielded from the facts.

(Of course, we are talking about a paper that listed 14th Street Restaurant’s address as “unknown” in a restaurant review piece. Priceless!)

I love Boulder, and believe it will fare better than most. Much of that is an extension of the self fulfilling prophecy that “yes we can…” and yes we will.

]]> By: Rags @ Boulder Net http://blogtherockies.com/2008/12/09/boulder-county-colorado-a-bright-spot-in-a-gloomy-forecast/comment-page-1/#comment-870 Rags @ Boulder Net Sun, 25 Jan 2009 15:41:00 +0000 http://blogtherockies.com/?p=1090#comment-870 You mention that the unique mix of employers and high concentration of well paying jobs Boulder will sustain at higher level. I read the original BLS.Gov report as well that reported better numbers for Boulder. I recently conducted a poll of LinkedIn professionals (those within 20 mile radius of Boulder and are registered LinkedIn members). I found a higher percentage of these professionals, nearly 25% (margin of error 9%) reporting as unemployed and 30% reported being laid off in the past six months. I admit that the poll may have methodology errors in terms of self selection and over representation but so does the labor department way of finding unemployment figures. I believe the number is not as low as 4.8% for professionals but some where near 15%. the poll results can be seen at http://bouldernet.blogspot.com/2009/01/boulder-metro-employment-status-poll.html You mention that the unique mix of employers and high concentration of well paying jobs Boulder will sustain at higher level. I read the original BLS.Gov report as well that reported better numbers for Boulder.
I recently conducted a poll of LinkedIn professionals (those within 20 mile radius of Boulder and are registered LinkedIn members). I found a higher percentage of these professionals, nearly 25% (margin of error 9%) reporting as unemployed and 30% reported being laid off in the past six months.

I admit that the poll may have methodology errors in terms of self selection and over representation but so does the labor department way of finding unemployment figures. I believe the number is not as low as 4.8% for professionals but some where near 15%.

the poll results can be seen at
http://bouldernet.blogspot.com/2009/01/boulder-metro-employment-status-poll.html

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