Unemployment would be above 14 percent in Pennsylvania and approaching 16 percent nationally if not for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and other federal action taken in the wake of the recession, according to a new report released by the Keystone Research Center Thursday.
But still more needs to be done, said the Harrisburg-based think tank in its annual “State of Working Pennsylvania” report.
"Our economy is a product of conscious policy choices," Mark Price, labor economist for the center, said. "Federal policy stopped the economic free fall. And policy choices at the national and state level will powerfully shape the future health of the economy for middle-class families."
Actions taken by the Federal Reserve, Bush and Obama administrations, and Congress have all helped curb unemployment, Price said. Early last year, before passage of the federal Recovery Act, Pennsylvania was losing nearly 30,000 jobs each month. The state by contrast has added 64,000 jobs during the first half of this year. Pennsylvania also benefited from Congress’ recent extension of federal Medicaid assistance to states and additional school funding to preserve teacher jobs, which kept the state from losing as many as 12,000 more jobs.
But Pennsylvania needs to add about 300,000 jobs to replace those lost since the recession began. The state’s unemployment rate, which as of July was 9.3 percent, is expected to be at 7.2 percent in 2014 — a full seven years after the recession began. The state’s job deficit and a deficit in the buying power of the middle class are both greater threats than closing the federal deficit, according to Stephen Herzenberg, center economist and executive director.
"The federal deficit is the wrong enemy," Herzenberg said. "Our economy will recover only when we put Americans back to work and pay them a fair wage."
Several recommendations were made in the report, including: Extending resources for Pennsylvania’s Way to Work Program set to expire Sept. 30, access to capital for small business, extension of unemployment insurance benefits as long as unemployment remains so high that it is impossible for many jobless workers to find jobs and allowing the Bush tax cuts to expire and repurposing the funds to other areas to create jobs.
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Two is the magic number for NASCAR in Phoenix.
Phoenix International Raceway in the Avondale will continue to host two Sprint Cup Series races next year.
NASCAR tweaked its 2011 schedule some, moving venue dates that added some races in some markets but took away races in others.
Phoenix hosts two races now and will host two next season.
PIR will continue to host the second to last race in the fall Sprint Cup. The Kobalt Tools 500 will occur Nov. 13, 2011. The Phoenix track also will host the second race of the 2011 season the Subway Fresh Fit 500 on Feb. 27. PIR now hosts a Saturday night race in April. That date is being switched to a Sunday afternoon time the week after the first race of the season the Daytona 500 guaranteed payday loan.
PIR officials are happy they are keeping two races.
February is a buys month sports wise in the Phoenix and nationally. The Waste Management Open golf tournament runs Jan. 31 to Feb. 6. Cactus League Spring Training starts the beginning of March and the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Coyotes are in the midst of their seasons.
The Super Bowl is being held at the new Cowboys Stadium in Dallas on February 6.
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After falling into the red in the second quarter and revising its 2009 results to show an even deeper loss, Espirito Santo Bank got some relief in the form of $10 million in capital from its parent company.
Portugal-based Banco Espirito Santo injected $10 million into its Miami-based subsidiary in the second quarter, according to its filing with the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council. That boosted its capital ratio to well above regulatory requirements.
It also helped soften the blow of the bank’s recent stumbles.
On June 1, Espirito Santo Bank restated its 2009 results to show a $3.3 million loss. It originally reported a $2.3 million loss for that year. The change came because the bank revised its expense to reserve for future loan losses to $9.2 million, increased from the originally reported expense of $8.2 million.
Sometimes, when banks review the problem loans, they recognize drops in the appraised values of the collateral properties, which causes them to go back and take additional reserves.
In the second quarter, Espirito Santo Bank lost $431,000, but it was still in positive territory for the year because it earned $954,000 in the first quarter.
The bank fell into the red mostly because its expenses to reserve for problem loans grew while it collected less revenue from net interest income.
Espirito Santo Bank made progress in reducing its level of problem loans. As of June 30, the bank had $19 million in noncurrent loans, representing 5.25 percent of its total loans. As of March 31, it had $26.2 million in noncurrent loans, representing 6.87 percent. The bank has restructured many of its loans that were delinquent.
The bank’s $7.3 million reserve for future loan losses covered 38 percent of its noncurrent loans at midyear. The restatement of its 2009 results increased that coverage ratio significantly from where it was originally at year-end.
Espirito Santo Bank was the 21st-largest bank chartered in South Florida as of March 31, with $569 million in assets. By June 30, it had grown to $580 million in assets. Its deposits were up to $480 million from $478 million over that period. However, the bank’s loans dropped to $355 million from $375 million.
James H. Batmasian, one of Boca Raton’s largest landowners, is filing multiple foreclosures against another of the city’s largest property owners.
In May, Batmasian bought four problem loans that Boca Raton-based Paradise Bank made to developer Gregory Talbott. He also secured a $4.5 million mortgage from the bank to support that purchase.
It didn’t take Batmasian long to decide what to do with those loans.
On July 15, Batmasian filed three foreclosure suits against Talbott – bringing the troubled developer’s foreclosure tally up to 14 properties.
The largest case was against Talbott personally, and his wife, over a $3.2 million mortgage. Batmasian wants to take over their 3,000-square-foot, waterfront home at 541 Kay Terrace.
Another case was against Talbott and his 400 East Palmetto Park Road LLC over a $3 million mortgage granted in 2007 no faxing payday loan. If Batmasian succeeds, he would seize the 7,425-square-foot retail building at the same address. The tenant is clothing store Maus & Hoffman.
In the third lawsuit, Batmasian is suing Talbott and his 400 East Royal Palm Road LLC concerning a $975,000 mortgage covering the 1,455-square-foot house at the same address.
The fourth mortgage sold by Paradise Bank, which Batmasian has not foreclosed on so far, is a $202,500 loan to Talbott Aviation over a hanger condo unit at Boca Raton Airport.
Something tells me that Talbott has been grounded.
Polymer Group Inc. has started a major expansion of its Waynesboro, Va., plant, with the project representing a $65 million investment.
The Charlotte-based nonwovens manufacturer is installing production equipment at the site through a lease agreement provided by a joint venture between GE Capital and ING Capital.
“This expansion continues to build upon PGI’s ability to employ industry-leading technologies, combined with recent proprietary technological development,” says Daniel Guerrero, Polymer Group vice president and general manager of the U.S. region. “The installation of this advanced equipment enables PGI to deliver differentiated products to customers that will achieve enhanced and improved barrier, softness and opacity compared to the current marketplace capabilities for use in such products as diapers, and surgical gowns and drapes.”
The project will add 41 jobs to the Waynesboro operation paydayloans. The expansion is slated for completion in the second half of 2011.
Polymer Group chose the Virginia site for the project earlier this year, selecting it over the company’s Mooresville plant. Incentives may have been the key to the deal. Virginia promised $1.5 million in two grants, as well as job-training assistance for the new employees. The two operations competed for the project for at least six months.
The addition would have nearly doubled the size of the company’s 210,000-square-foot plant in Mooresville Business Park. The facility employs 115 workers.
The company (OTCBB:POLGA) is based in Harris Corners Business Park in north Charlotte. Polymer Group has 14 manufacturing and converting facilities in nine countries.
Oshkosh Corp.'s defense division said Thursday that it has begun delivering to the U.S. Army the first of its Family of Medium Tactical Vehicles ahead of schedule.
The vehicles being delivered are part of the estimated $3 billion contract that Oshkosh-based Oshkosh Defense retained after a challenge by competing suppliers resulted in a re-evaluation of the award process. The five-year FMTV contract is for the production of an estimated 23,000 vehicles and trailers, as well as for support services and training.
Oshkosh (NYSE: OSK) said the first deliveries, originally slated to begin in October, left the company's Oshkosh campus Wednesday.
Production deliveries under existing orders run through December 2011. To date, Oshkosh has received orders to deliver 5,209 FMTV trucks and trailers.
General Motors has made a final payment of $5.8 billion to the U.S. and Canadian governments, paying off the last of its $6.7 billion in loans, the company said Wednesday.
"I am very pleased to announce that, as of today, General Motors has repaid, in full and with interest, the loans made last July by the U.S. Treasury and Export Development Canada," said GM chief executive Ed Whitacre, speaking at a plant in Fairfax, Kan., where GM builds Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse sedans.
Whitacre also announced that GM would make two big investments for production of the next-generation Malibu: $136 million in the Fairfax facility, which will become the primary production point for the car, and $121 million in its Detroit-Hamtramck plant, which will provide additional production at times of peak demand.
GM has already begun manufacturing the Chevrolet Volt electric car in Hamtramck, where it also makes the Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS large cars.
On Tuesday night, the automaker wired $4.7 billion to the U.S. Treasury Department and $1.1 billion to Canada.
"GM’s ability to pay back our loans ahead of schedule is a sign that our plan is working," Whitacre said.
But the loan money is only a fraction of the financial support that the federal government gave to GM over the past 12 months to stop it from going out of business.
Overall, GM received $50 billion in federal help. In return, the government got $2 billion in preferred stock and 61% of the company’s privately held common shares.
Taxpayers could recoup money from a possible sale of GM stock to the public in the future.
A White House report issued shortly after GM’s announcement was upbeat on the progress that both General Motors and Chrysler have made since coming out of bankruptcy but noted that the government would likely not make a profit on the funds it had invested.
"Overall, the investments made by the prior and current administration in GM, Chrysler, and GMAC will likely result in some loss, but the U.S. Treasury anticipates it to be much lower than forecast last year," the report said.
Mark Reuss, president of GM’s North American operations, said in an interview with CNNMoney.com that he was "positive" that GM’s stock would ultimately be profitable for taxpayers.
The U.S. House of Representatives Sunday night is debating and voting on health-care reform.
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Gas prices have continued to creep up in Texas as well as nationally, hitting $2.68 for a gallon of unleaded regular today following four week run-up, according to AAA Texas.
In a press release, AAA Corporate Communications Manager Dan Ronan noted that the cost of filling up a typical 14-gallon tank in Texas has reached $37.
However, fears that the cost of crude could put a dent in spring break travel plans are proving unfounded, with a AAA Texas Travel poll finding that 58% of Texans plan on driving to their revelry destination.
Nearly half — 48% — of Texas spring break travelers intend to make their journey to another part of the state personal loans for people with bad credit.
In Texas, the average price for gallon of unleaded regular is up to $2.68 from $2.64, an increase of four cents. Nationally, prices increased three cents from $2.77 to $2.80. Texas continues to remain below the national average, and this week gas prices in the state are 12 cents lower than the national average, according to AAA Texas.
Data from AAA Texas showed the price of gas as of March 18 nationally at $2.80, in Dallas at $2.68 and in Fort Worth at $2.67.
Huge losses in the Small Business Administration’s main loan program have led President Barack Obama to propose phasing out the government subsidy for 7(a) loans beginning in fiscal 2012.
This would force the agency to support its government-guaranteed loans by charging higher fees on borrowers and lenders. That’s what occurred when Congress ended the subsidy for 7(a) loans – at President George W. Bush’s request – in 2004. Congress restored the subsidy this fiscal year, at a cost of $80 million.
The economic stimulus bill provided the SBA with an additional $375 million to waive fees for borrowers on most 7(a) loans and 504 loans, which mostly finance real estate, and increase the government guarantee on SBA loans from the typical 75 percent to 90 percent. Those enhancements made the loans more affordable for borrowers and less risky for lenders, enabling SBA lending to rebound after cratering during the financial crisis.
SBA loans are an important source of credit for small businesses that can’t obtain conventional loans.
In December, Congress came up with another $125 million to extend the fee reductions and higher loan guarantee until the end of February. Obama wants Congress to pass additional legislation extending them through Sept. 30, the end of the fiscal year.
The president’s budget proposal for next fiscal year, however, reveals that defaults on SBA loans have exploded over the past year, costing the government a projected $4.5 billion. Most of the problem loans were made between 2005 and 2007.
The administration proposes a $165 million subsidy for 7(a) loans next year, double this year’s subsidy if economic stimulus funds are excluded.
Beginning in 2012, however, Obama wants to give the SBA “the flexibility to adjust fees in the program to enable it to be self-sustaining over time,” according to the president’s budget plan. This would “strengthen the program’s long-term economic foundation,” the budget plan states.
Default rates for 7(a) loans aren’t much worse than the default rates for conventional loans, said Tony Wilkinson, president and CEO of the National Association of Government Guaranteed Lenders, which represents SBA lenders.
If the economy improves, default rates should fall, he said. A better business climate also could make an end to the government subsidy for 7(a) loans bearable, he said.
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