23Feb
Lots of talk lately about the stimulus package; some are unhappy with the fiscal policy and it seems to be leading to calls for a new Tea Party. Not only have they been organized around the country, but it appears we will be having a Tea Party right here in fort worth.
The Tea Party will be held at Cowtown Bar and Grill this Friday the 27th of February, from 3 PM until 7 PM. Ogranizers of the event request that you bring only your “protest signs and indignant taxpayer attitude”. Apparently they would like to have as much media attention as possible.
I am impressed with the ambition locally, and yet unimpressed with the location. We’ll see how much attention it gets, the idea seems to be spreading in the blagosphere.
Tea Party Fort Worth
23Feb
Just today I have spoken to three people who have lost their jobs, and things don’t seem to be getting much better. A new study released by the National Association for Business Economics says that the economy will get worse further into 2009. They expect a rebound to begin in 2010. Unemployment anticipation for 2009 rises about 2 point to top out at 9%, certainly a notably recession by historic standards, but about half as much as the great depression. A summary of the NABE survey can be found here.
NABE expects a 5% decline in housing prices during 2009. Here is the interesting part. They expect to see home sales and construction make a low point mid year, which could certainly assist the overall economy. They clarify though that prices may continue to fall thereafter.
23Feb
T. Boone Pickens will be holding a “town hall meeting” at TCU to discuss his “Pickens Plan: Ending our dependence on Foreign Oil”. The event will be hosted by the TCU Energy Club, Energy Institute, and TCU Environmental Club. Apparently some students wrote Mr. Pickens requesting he speak at TCU and to their surprise he agreed. Pickens has recently met with several officials from the Obama administration, and they have begun an effort to convert around 400,000 federal eighteen-wheelers to natural gas engines. The idea is to slowly broaden the concept throughout federal vehicles as a model for the private sector.
Copies of Pickens’ book “The First Billion is the Hardest” will be for sale, and Mr. Pickens will be available for book signing.
It’s free, but you have to RSVP or you might not get a seat.
RSVP to: OfficialEventsRSVP@TCU.edu or call 817-257-5976.
22Feb
The Startlegram wrote an article about an increasing number of people resorting to lenders who will pay their property taxes. Apparently the trend seems to be on the rise, while the county has seen only marginal increases in the number of unpaid property taxes. They seem to be bracing for more accounts becoming delinquent as the economy worsens. I suppose that property taxes are a fairly decent gauge of the overall local economy, and if that is indeed the case then we don’t seem to crippled for the time being.
Here is something I bet most people don’t know. If you have signed a lease with an oil and gas company, and your property is part of a producing unit, you may have a friend. If the county issues a lien against your property for unpaid taxes, and the issue goes to court, the company may step in and pay the taxes for you. You see, they don’t want your home to become foreclosed on because they will lose the lease, so they would rather pay the taxes and deduct it from future royalty payments.
You certainly can’t rely on this, and it would only arise in dire circumstances, but I bet most people are unaware of that.
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