A recent broadcast of the CBS Sunday Morning TV program focused on the US auto industry and its remarkable recovery even in a recessionary market. The story attributed the success to a collaborative effort between management, labor and government that focused on production, quality and incentives. Each group gave up its previous conceptions and methods in order to work together for the common good to build and sell quality cars at good prices. Thousands of jobs have been saved because of the agreement and strategy.

The so-called “living wage” experiment in Santa Fe is headed in exactly the opposite direction. In Santa Fe the labor group, in this case the City Council, has demonstrated little, if any, interest in the business-friendly reputation of the community or the local business climate, little to no interest in the quality of work or customer service, little to no interest in productivity or incentives, little to no interest in the competiveness of the local market and little to no interest in the workplace readiness skills of workers. It appears that the Council is only interested in votes from labor groups.

Santa Fe’s experiment with a locally mandated minimum wage is now nine years old. At this point it is effectively a constantly increasing tax on businesses who add entry-level employees. The mandated wage rises every year. It never goes down. Before the mandated minimum reaches $25 an hour let’s examine its consequences.

A few questions to ask:

• The wage has been sold as a solution to poverty. Is there any evidence at all that local poverty rates have declined? Isn’t the issue financial literacy?
• How many students have been incentivized to drop out of school by the temptations of a $10 an hour starting wage?
• There are dozens of closed businesses in Santa Fe. How many of them would have survived if they could compete with out of town businesses on a level playing field?
• How many layoffs have occurred because of the mandated wage?
• How many people have had hours cut?
• How many businesses have had to cut their charitable contributions?
• How many have cut benefits?
• How many businesses have cancelled plans to expand or relocate to Santa Fe?
• How many programs that employed interns or students have closed or cut back?

The only way businesses can survive is by raising prices. Which leads to a higher cost of living….the circle is complete. How much longer can Santa Fe businesses survive in a environment that prevents them from competing fairly with out of town companies?

In this tight economy the hardest hit are young people seeking their first job. What chance do they have of being hired if they are unable to gain any experience? More and more older people are reentering the workforce. They have experience and the workplace readiness skills that youth need so badly. And, why would anyone start a business that depends on entry level staff if the mandated entry-level wage could easily be $15, $17 or higher in a year or two?

The Santa Fe mandated minimum wage is now 27% higher than the rest of New Mexico. As businesses close, gross receipt tax collections will fall and repayment of bonds will become even more difficult.

Santa Fe businesses deserve an opportunity to compete on a level playing field with other businesses.

The Chamber urges an immediate freeze of the minimum wage at the current $9.85 an hour before we lose any more businesses and jobs and encourages a thorough and thoughtful examination of the consequences of the living wage impact on the business economy to date.

http://www.irsvideos.gov/SmallBusinessTaxpayer/Resources/SmallBusinessToolsResources

From Santa Fe New Mexican

In just over a year, and during the worst economic conditions for a long time, Ron Midgett has started New Earth Orchids and made the business turn a profit.

How did he do that?

“It’s a question we’ve been asking ourselves,” Midgett said in a recent interview. “I guess what we’ve done basically is develop a variety of revenue streams. … Not just one stream.”

Midgett also praised the local economic-development organizations — including the Small Business Development Center at Santa Fe Community College, the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce and Northern New Mexico Connect — for the advice and support they provided him.

Midgett started the business in September 2011 in a greenhouse on Jaguar Drive at Plaza Contenta with a clear mission in mind: He wanted to sell orchids ranging in price from $10 to $3,000 for rare specimens.

“Our mission is to provide Santa Fe and greater New Mexico with the best variety and quality orchids available,” Midgett said. “And to provide information and help to all who want to grow these incredible flowers through our workshops and newsletter.”

Midgett said New Earth Orchids’ retail store brings in about 25 percent of the company’s revenue through retail sales, with the leasing program providing another 25 percent. An additional 15 percent comes through wholesale, and the rest is Internet sales.

The orchid-leasing program continues to grow and develop, Midgett said, both from individuals and businesses.

“We’ve recognized that a lot of the homeowners in Santa Fe are wealthy,” Midgett said. “If we can continue to appeal to that clientele, it will help a lot. In fact, we have developed some business from the affluent customers who keep us busy.”

A major commercial client has been Thornburg Investment Management, a Santa Fe money-management firm, which bought 30 orchids at a company party and gave them away to those in attendance.

Sales also were strong at The Santa Fe Symphony and Chorus’ holiday party at Las Campanas.

“It’s a way for us to reach a segment of the population we wouldn’t normally have access to,” Midgett said. “It was good for our business. And some people bought additional plants at our greenhouse.”

New Earth Orchids also benefits from the fact that Midgett is such a well recognized orchid expert who travels the world to talk about a plant that is growing in popularity.

“Orchids have displaced poinsettias as the No. 1 household plant,” Midgett said. “Sales in the U.S. are very strong.”

Midgett spoke at the Hawaiian Tropical Flowers Association in Hilo, Hawaii, and later was invited by the Taiwan Growers Association as an American Orchid Society judge, one of only 12 society judges to provide judging at the Taiwan International Orchid Show.

“It was a very well-received talk,” Midgett said.

When it came to local business development, “my first contacts were Val Alonzo and Deborah Collins at the Small Business Development Center at Santa Fe Community College,” Midgett said. “Val directed me in setting up a business in New Mexico. It’s a lot more complicated than it was in New Jersey.”

In addition, “Northern New Mexico Connect has provided marketing support and website analysis to help us develop contacts and improve our website,” Midgett said.

Midgett also joined the Santa Fe Chamber of Commerce because it “was a way to get our name out there. We couldn’t have done it otherwise.”

He also hooked up with Clare Zurawski, who provides website optimization at WESST, a local business assistance group.

“I only had to pay 10 percent of the cost,” Midgett said. “The rest was picked up by Northern New Mexico Connect.”

Summing up, “we owe our success to … having worked with all of these groups.”

9 Minutes that can Save you $10,000+Independent Contractors and
the new IRS Voluntary Classification Settlement Program

http://santafe.toolsforbusiness.info/settlement/

Tuscany Trade Mission – March 23, 2012

Roundtrip air from ABQ

* 7 Nights Deluxe Hotel * 9 Meals * Florence City Tour * Statue of David * Basilica of St. Francis * San Gimingnano * Siena * Chianti Region (optional) * Lucca & Pisa (optional) * Italian Rivera (optional)

Price: 2599.00 per person based on a double occupancy

Contact Bridget Dixson bridget@santafechamber.com or 505-988-3279 ext 16

Retire Here, Not There

provided by

Ahhh, retirement. Nine holes in the morning, the beach on the weekends, sunset picnics and… the office for a few hours a day?

Not too long ago, the whole point of retirement was not working. But today’s retirees are increasingly counting themselves among the job-seekers. Roughly three out of four workers over age 50 say they plan to work at least part-time in retirement, according to a 2010 study by the Families and Work Institute; currently about 20% of retirees have a job. Indeed, working during retirement is becoming the “new normal,” the study says.

For some retirees working means an encore, a chance to dive into something they’ve always been passionate about. Others are driven by a desire to stay vital and stave off boredom. But for many people, working past 65 is a necessity, not a luxury. Considering the average boomer couple currently has a retirement savings shortfall of about $30,000, according to a recent study by the Employee Benefit Research Institute, it’s a trend that experts predict with accelerate. “Boomers aren’t as financially prepared for retirement as earlier generations,” says Mary Johnson, a senior policy analyst at The Senior Citizens League, a non-profit senior rights advocacy group.

Regardless of the reason, a post-career job hunt can drastically affect where you’re going to settle down when you retire. That’s why SmartMoney.com’s second annual survey of the best places to retire comes with a twist. Like last year, we’ve analyzed tax rates, cost-of-living numbers and real estate prices to compile a list of less expensive alternatives to several traditional retirement hotspots. But this year we also combed for relatively low unemployment rates and thriving job opportunities for seniors.

In the current economy, of course, finding work isn’t easy in most regions of the country. What’s more, it takes employees over 55 more than 40% longer to get hired than their younger counterparts, according to AARP. Meanwhile, nest eggs are shrinking and retiree income is stagnating. (One recent example: The Social Security cost-of-living increase announced last week is likely to be at least partially negated by rising Medicare premiums, experts say.) That means finding an affordable place to live has become more important — and more difficult. Palm Beach, Florida, for example, has a median home price of $827,300, a cost of living that’s 109% higher than average, and an unemployment rate pushing 10%, according to Sperling’s Best Places. In other words, not a keeper for the list.

Instead, here are seven underrated retirement havens (complete with comparisons to their more expensive alternatives) that are relatively affordable, delightful and full of opportunities for work and play.

Santa Fe, New Mexico

Joel Stein, a corporate bond broker from New York City, and his wife retired to Santa Fe in 1997. The reason: “It’s like a microcosm of New York but without the hustle and bustle,” he says. “It’s a small town but it’s sophisticated — there’s art, opera and hundreds of restaurants. It’s a nice place to retire but it doesn’t feel like a ‘retirement town’.”

Nicknamed “City Different,” Santa Fe is indeed unlike the trendier Sedona, an Arizona town that’s often touted as a best place to retire. Unemployment is just 5.3%, thanks to Santa Fe’s thriving tourism business and government payroll. (Santa Fe is the state capital.)

The arts scene is one of the best you’ll find anywhere. Santa Fe is dotted with 240 art galleries and the home of Art Santa Fe, an international art fair that attracts buyers and tourists from around the globe. In fact, Santa Fe’s art market is the fourth largest in the country in terms of sales, according to the University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research. Stein says he and his wife have embraced the scene. He leads historic walking tours of the area and works for pay at the Museum of Natural History; she is a docent at a local art museum.

For retirees who want to work, tourism-related jobs are a good bet, says Steve Lewis, a spokesperson for the Santa Fe Convention & Visitor’s Bureau. In addition, many people retire here to reinvent themselves. “We get a lot of people who have always wanted to be artists and they come here to do it,” he adds.

Medical and travel information: The Christus St. Vincent Regional Medicare Center, which is the regional medical center for northern New Mexico, is in Santa Fe. The Albuquerque airport, which serves 10 major airlines, is about an hour’s drive.

* Zillow real estate data not available for Santa Fe, so Trulia data used here.
** The unemployment rate for Flagstaff, AZ, the closest major locale, 30 miles from Sedona.
*** The unemployment rate in Sedona proper, according to Sperling’s Best Places.

Santa Fe’s roller coaster relationship with professional baseball is on the upswing for at least one full season.

Andrew Dunn, the president and commissioner of the independent Pecos League, said Thursday that his league has committed to six teams in 2012 that includes an expansion club in Santa Fe.

The team will go by the name Fuego and the primary colors will be black and teal.

Pending final city approval, all home games will be played at Fort Marcy Park.

The league also hired veteran skipper Bill Moore, 66, to manage the team Thursday.

Moore had entertained previous offers from other teams in the Pecos League before accepting the post in Santa Fe.

“It’s brand new, a fresh start,” said Moore in a telephone interview from his Arizona home. “I’m used to playing baseball in 110 degrees. It will be nice to be on the field when it’s 86 in June.”

“He makes Santa Fe an immediate contender,” Dunn said. “He brings credibility and a ton of experience with him. We’re lucky to have him, but he probably wouldn’t have come to us if Santa Fe didn’t have a team.”

Dunn and Moore will be in Santa Fe for the Nov. 9 City Council meeting in which the league will seek permission to sell beer at home games.

Regardless of the vote, Dunn said, the Pecos League is coming to The City Different.

“We’re ready and we’re going to play baseball,” Dunn said. “We’re making a commitment to that city and we’re going to be there.”

Moore’s first priorities are promoting the team and finding players willing to give Santa Fe’s
7,000-foot climate a try.

The latter won’t be too hard given a laundry list of contacts Moore made during his years coaching and managing in the Phoenix area. He also served as a scout for the Montreal Expos.

“I’m a pitching and defense guy, so finding a pitcher who will keep the ball down is a requirement, I think,” Moore said. “No matter what kind of players we find, I guarantee you they’ll be respectful to the fans, they’ll sign autographs every night and they’ll represent Santa Fe the best they can.”

The other five teams in the league will be the Alpine (Texas) Cowboys, Las Cruces Vaqueros, Roswell Invaders, White Sands (Alamogordo) Pupfish and the Trinidad (Colo.) Triggers.

Baseball is the national pastime. Hundreds of cities have local baseball teams and now Santa Fe has the opportunity to host a professional baseball team to play at Ft. Marcy stadium. The Chamber of Commerce believes that local baseball would be a valuable addition to our local community adding both commercial and leisure opportunities that will benefit our community.

Please attend the Public Hearing Nov. 9that to express your support for local baseball.

Ft. Marcy was the home of Santa Fe baseball many years ago. It is a historic stadium that perfectly fits our historic community.

Watching and playing baseball is a great way for our youth to learn about competition, strong role models, local heroes and the benefits of recreation.

A local baseball team would create jobs and benefit the local business community. Visiting teams would stay at local hotels. Fans could watch the games and then walk downtown to dine and enjoy other community activities. Local businesses could sponsor the team and special team events. Pride in the local team would create a market for shirts, hats and other associated merchandise.

Anyone who has visited the Boston area understands the civic pride that supports the Red Sox. Bankers, politicians, students, nurses and plumbers all wear Red Sox hats and shirts. The pride (and sometimes disappointment) in the local team is palpable. Santa Fe is lacking a symbol behind which we can all unite.

The serving of alcohol is a very important issue that deserves serious consideration. But the economics of local baseball are such that the team cannot exist without revenue from beer sales.

We propose that:

• Beer be only sold in designated areas by certified servers
• Tailgating is not permitted under any circumstances and outside alcohol is strictly prohibited
• A customer can only purchase a limited number of beers – a wristband system can easily monitor purchases
• Beer is already sold at the city-operated golf course with no detrimental effects
• Our neighbors to the south, the Isotopes, host thousands of fans, serve beer and have suffered had no serious consequences.

If traffic and/or parking become a strain on the neighborhood, we propose a system of shuttles or other public transportation solutions to alleviate any negative consequences.

Please support City Councilor Ron Trujillo in his efforts to bring baseball to Santa Fe. Plan on attending the City Finance Committee on Monday, Oct. 3^rd at 5pm to express your support.

Also call your Councilor and let them know that you support the Chamber’s position on local baseball.

David Coss, Mayor           955-6590

City Councilors:

Patti Bushee, Dist. 1                        955-2345

Chris Calvert, Dist. 1                        955-6812

Rosemary Romero, Dist. 2            955-6818

Rebecca Wurzburger, Dist. 2       955-6815

Miguel Chavez, Dist. 3                    955-6816

Carmichael Dominguez, Dist. 3   955-6814

Matthew Ortiz, Dist. 4                    955-6817

Ronald Trujillo, Dist. 4                     955-6811

“It is baseball in its simplest form– just ball, bats, gloves, and lifelong dreams.  The parks are generally small, the players, hardworking young men whom local fans are likely to run into the next day at the mall or maybe the corner bar.  A family of four can see a game, eat dinner–maybe even pick up a souvenir or two–without having to consider a second mortgage.  No lockouts, no holdouts, no five-dollar beers, and the umpire is the only one who can call a strike.  “Just the national pastime, played the game it is,”

The Minor League Baseball Book.

A couple of facts -

The City would not sell beer, they would simply grant a waiver to allow a snack bar to do so. As already takes place at Mart Sanchez Links.

The beer concession would be a tiny snack bar with hot dogs and crackerjacks. Not a rowdy sports bar.

The US consumes 50 billion pints of beer a year. Beer drinking is not a fringe activity but part of the culture.

http://www.santafenm.gov/DocumentView.aspx?DID=8879