Kitsap Business and Economy

Dow Jones Industrials
High: 10,601.79
Low: 10,526.52
Close: 10,567.33
Change: +2.95
Other Indexes
Standard&Poors 500 Index: 1145.61 +5.16
NYSE Index: 7327.67 +33.65
Nasdaq Composite Index: 2358.95 +18.27
AMEX Composite Index: 1881.91 —20.77
Russell 2000 Index: 674.93 +5.30
DJ U.S. TotalStkMkt: 11,936.21 +61.52
Volume
NYSE floor volume: 1,162,731,691
NYSE consolidated volume: 5,434,640,707
Total number of issues traded: 3,194
Issues higher in price: 2,064
Issues lower in price: 1,001
Issues unchanged: 129

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

If you’re a defense contractor, read this and call me. Rachel Pritchett, 475-3783

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-03-10/house-democrats-announce-ban-on-funneling-earmarks-to-companies.html

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

Hi Bloggers,

Work soon will resume on the so-called cross-SKIA connector road, which eventually will run from Highway 3 around the north end of the Bremerton National Airport, then south to Lake Flora and Old Clifton Roads.

A pause on the work was taken over the winter, but Port of Bremerton staff are out today installing signs thanking stimulus funds.

Speaking of stimulus funds, port commission President Bill Mahan, the port’s own version of Norm Dicks when it comes to securing federal funds, says there’s a good chance the port will receive more funds in a second round of stimulus funds. That would enable the port to build the next portion of the road.

He’s thinking about an additional $5 million.

Stay tuned; Mahan thinks he’ll hear in the next 30 days.

Once completed, the road would open up the expansive South Kitsap Industrial Area to development, but of course would eventually squeeze out Bremerton MotorParks Speedway.

They should come up with a better name.

Rachel Pritchett, reporter, 475-3783

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

at 10,561.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

Now at 10,606.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

NEW YORK (AP) — Guns. Religion. Abortion. These are the no-win arguments that spoil family gatherings — and the stuff of retailers’ nightmares.
Starbucks has found itself in the middle of just such an argument as its stores became forums for demonstrations by both pro-gun and gun-control advocates. All for a firearm policy that hasn’t changed and is the same as most retailers’: follow the local law. If it’s legal to carry a firearm in town, it’s allowed in the stores.
In recent months, the “open-carry” arm of the gun-rights movement, which advocates that gun owners carry visible weapons as they go about their daily business, have been exercising their rights. They’ve been proudly displaying their sidearms in public places, sometimes meeting up in groups.
Starbucks’ association with a politically liberal, “latte sipper” ethos, made it a tempting target for gun-control advocates. The Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence attracted more than 26,000 signatures demanding that Starbucks “offer espresso shots, not gunshots.”
Starbucks’ response? It reiterated its policy of following state and local laws and politely asked everyone to leave it out of the debate.
It’s frightful territory for a business, which risks alienating customers and losing sales by taking sides on such emotional debates.
“They want you to like them. They don’t want to be red brands or blue brands,” said Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates in New York. “Generally, Starbucks wants to be socially responsible and not take stands on divisive issues. Clearly they’re being pulled in here because people want to use them to do that.”
Starbucks’ situation is unusual in that it became a symbol of a debate not of its own making. But other companies have dealt with politically fraught situations where they risk alienating customers no matter what they do.
This holiday season, the Christian group American Family Association urged a boycott of retailers, including The Gap and Old Navy, for not using the word “Christmas” in their holiday advertising. But other customers resent focusing on the Christian holiday.
Marketing experts say standing firm was probably the best option Starbucks had.
Charles R. Taylor, professor of marketing at Villanova School of Business, said changing its position would diminish the company’s reputation and alienate people on the opposite side of the debate.
Some businesses are taking a stand, even if it costs them customers. California Pizza Kitchen and Peet’s Coffee & Tea banned customers with guns after open-carry advocates started showing up earlier this year. So has Great American Restaurants, a chain of 10 restaurants and a bakery in northern Virginia.
The company’s CEO, Randy Norton, said he decided to ban gun owners from carrying weapons when they planned large gatherings at his chain.
“I’m just not interested in having large groups of gun owners coming in and making a point,” he said. “The gun people got enraged and they have made a point of boycotting us, but we haven’t felt any economic effect from this.”
Such a stance carries risks, though the effects on business are hard to pinpoint. Some who feel passionately about an issue might decide to take their business elsewhere, but those on the other side might give a company more business.
“It’s too early to see the real impact right now, but this will have an effect,” said Fred Taub, an Ohio consumer advocate who is a consultant to companies on boycotts.
“The Hollywood view is any PR is good. But from a business standpoint, this is a no-win,” he said.
Starbucks is hardly unique in following state and local laws that allow weapons to be carried openly, which is legal in 43 states.
Most large retailers, among them Target Corp., Home Depot Inc. and Best Buy Inc., say they follow state and local laws. The world’s largest retailer, Wal-Mart Stores Inc., didn’t respond to queries, but open-carry advocates also count it among those that don’t restrict patrons from openly carrying weapons.
Such policies are “pretty much the majority rule” among large retailers, said John Pierce, the co-founder of OpenCarry.org, a gun rights advocacy group.
Jim Snyder, a 59-year-old retired military member in northern Virginia now goes out of his way to visit Starbucks to show his support for its stance. He’s not even a coffee drinker, but sips hot chocolate while wearing a 9 mm handgun strapped to his belt.
“Quite frankly, if I saw a sign up there and it said no guns, I wouldn’t go in there, even if I wasn’t carrying,” said Snyder, who has been carrying his weapon in stores and restaurants for about 15 years. “And there’s a lot of gun owners who feel that way.”
Snyder’s opposites in the gun control debate are using the situation as a rallying cry to garner more support.
Abby Spangler, founder of ProtestEasyGuns.com, asked her supporters to urge Starbucks to declare its stores gun-free zones.
“We just want to drink our coffee and have our children eat their scones in peace,” she said.
Matt Wood, 44, a Seattle resident taking a break at a Starbucks in San Francisco’s Financial District, sees both sides of the argument but thinks the demonstrations are getting too much attention.
“I mean, who carries a gun into a coffee shop?”

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

By Rachel Pritchett
rpritchett@kitsapsun.com
SILVERDALE
The long-anticipated “Cash for Appliances” program, in which consumers can trade in their energy-hog appliances for new energy-savers and save up to $100 per appliance, begins March 15.
Patterned after last year’s Cash for Clunkers program, this one uses federal stimulus money to provide as many as 60,000 rebates in Washington.
Rebates are available only for clothes washers and refrigerators. Consumers who purchase a qualifying washer can get a rebate of $100. Those who buy a refrigerator can get $75.
Organizers of the program at the state Department of Commerce and retailers say that while the program is slated to go through the end of 2011, it really ends when the money runs out.
And that’s probably sooner than later.
“We anticipate that the rebate money will go quickly, so we encourage that all of our customers take advantage of the refunds as soon as possible,” said Connie Elia-Boushie, manager of the Sears at Kitsap Mall.
Just like the Cash for Clunkers program that removed gas guzzlers off roads for cleaner air, the Cash for Appliances program aims to encourage consumers to be mindful of the environment, and not just the price.
“We really want to create that new awareness,” said Rebecca Stillings, Commerce program manager.
Not all Energy Star appliances will qualify for the rebate.
For the washers, many of the qualifiers will be the higher-end ones with efficiency ratings greater than 2.46 percent.
Refrigerators will have to have nine cubic feet of space or more to qualify; wine coolers or dormitory refrigerators won’t.
Recycling clunker refrigerators, or at least taking them off the electrical grid, will be required. Recycling clunker washers will be encouraged, Stiller said.
Rebates are available for one washer and one refrigerator per household. Developers, landlords and businesses are not eligible.
Some $5.6 million is available in Washington for the rebates.
Local retailers hope the new incentives will get cautious consumers off the fence.
“I absolutely know there’ll be a reaction,” said Elia-Boushie of Sears.
Joyce Anderson, owner of Schmidt’s Home Appliance and Sleep Center on Bainbridge Island, has already seen a lot of interest.
“I actually have had people asking me about it,” she said.
Bruce Nilsen of Nilsen’s Appliance in Silverdale said Northwest customers already have the environment in mind when they’re selecting an appliance, and this can only help.
“It’s huge,” he said.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

Bloggers,

This statement from the Washington Employment Security Department this afternoon. Rachel Pritchett

OLYMPIA – On the heels of the first month of positive job numbers in more than a year, a new job-vacancy report provides further evidence that Washington’s economic outlook may be brightening.

Job openings fell an estimated 2 percent between spring 2009 and fall 2009, according to Employment Security’s Fall 2009 Washington Job-Vacancy Survey.

At first glance, not great news. But consider what happened during the same span in 2008: job vacancies dropped by 32 percent.

“Two percent is a very small drop, especially compared to last year, and possibly an indicator of job growth on the horizon,” said Dave Wallace, chief economist for Employment Security.

According to the survey, job vacancies last fall were highest in the metropolitan areas of King, Pierce, Snohomish and Spokane counties. In terms of industries, vacancies were highest in health care, retail, professional and technical services, and accommodation.

The survey is done twice a year, once in the spring and again in the fall. More than 18,500 Washington employers were surveyed last fall about their job vacancies for the latest report. The survey indicated Washington companies had an estimated 32,037 openings, compared to 32,635 openings in spring 2009, and 50,593 openings in fall 2008.

The health-care sector added 1,271 vacancies between the spring and fall surveys, continuing to lead all industries in vacancies.

An estimated 43 percent of all openings were in King County, 9 percent in Pierce County and 7 percent in Snohomish County. About 6 percent of the vacancies were in Spokane County, while another 6 percent were located in Southwest Washington.

The survey also illustrated the value of education. The median wage rises with each increase in the level of education, peaking at $29.57 per hour for openings requiring a graduate degree.

The largest number of unfilled jobs were positions requiring a bachelor’s degree, which accounted for 27 percent of vacancies. Jobs that require no education or only a high school diploma comprised 46 percent of all vacancies.

Jobs that had no educational requirements had a median wage of $11.71 per hour, while openings requiring only a high school diploma paid $17.08 per hour.

The report also indicates that smaller firms are more likely than large firms to have vacancies, and that the highest wages are found in Washington’s medium-sized firms (50 to 99 workers).

The full report is available online at http://www.workforceexplorer.com/admin/uploadedPublications/10229_JVSOct_09Rep.pdf.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

to buy a refrigerator or clothes washer if you got a $75 to $100 rebate, similar to cash for clunkers? The program starts Monday. Call me or blog here.

Rachel Pritchett, reporter, 475-3783

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post 

… this from Sen. Patty Murray’s office on Boeing now being the sole bidder for the giant Air Force tanker replacement program.

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) released the following statement after Northrup Grumman announced they would be dropping out of the bidding process in the competition to provide the Air Force’s next generation of aerial refueling tankers.

“This competition has always been about delivering the best plane for our men and women in uniform at the best price for taxpayers, and today’s news doesn’t change that. Boeing still must bring a very competitive bid to the table that meets all the requirements the Pentagon has set forth.

“This is not a competition between bidders, it’s a competition against the requirements. Requirements like providing a tanker that has improved capabilities to meet the modern needs of our military, that can carry the fuel and cargo to meet varied missions, and that provides the best protections to keep our forces safe in every corner of the globe.

“I have no doubt that Washington workers are ready to deliver for our service members on all of these requirements. And I am going to work to ensure that in the end this contract serves the taxpayers’ best interests.

“Washington workers deserve this opportunity. They have delivered a combat ready tanker before and they’re ready to do it again. But today’s news is by no means the end of the line, and this contract is no slam dunk. It’s important to remember that the American people are the customers, and that we drive a hard bargain.

Share on Facebook

Tweet This Post