Dr. Riedy's Random Thoughts

Though not a stock analyst, when I read about the expansion running out of steam I suppose I should get nervous, but I don't--watchful and wary, maybe, but not nervous. As a retiree my investments are our primary nest egg so if they diminish in value it will hurt.  The question then would become, how long before those values recover? The three major indicators I consider in assessing future prospects are interest rates, the impact of tax cuts, and the effects of foreign trade and tariff policies of the U.S. government. 1. Stock markets hate uncertainty, especially about over-arching factors such as interest rates.  In that vein the Federal Reserve has made clear it intends to continue measured increases in the short term (Fed funds) rate. Their goal is to keep inflation in check as expansion occurs.  No uncertainty here. 2. Tax cuts are stimulating spending and sustaining consumer and business confidence, all of which tend to extend economic expansions.  We've pu...

OASIS is a non-profit organization dedicated to creating opportunities for rewarding and successful aging for individuals 50 and older.  I have become involved with this wonderful group since I retired and had lunch today with the CEO of the San Diego chapter, Simona Valanciute, and the VP of External Relations, Jolyn Parker.  They want to reduce costs and increase the organization's user-friendly programming for seniors by consolidating its north county programming.  At present, programs are held in dozens of small locations, from libraries to community centers, where rents are either free or extremely low cost. They believe creating a key OASIS location in the north county coastal region would be extremely beneficial to the audiences they serve. OASIS needs to find approximately 7,000 square feet of vacant space, at a discounted rent, with plentiful parking to accommodate the hundreds of individuals who currently participate in their north county activities on a daily...

Most of my blog posts will be more generalized than applying primarily to San Diego, so I apologize for being parochial in this one.  Of course, short-sighted public policies and policy-making processes certainly are not limited to the City of San Diego so in that sense these thoughts are also relevant to other regions of the country. In the November 2018 elections San Diego's voters are being asked to choose between two competing ballot initiatives for the redevelopment of land tied into the former Qualcomm football stadium site in Mission Valley.  Although each proposal adds a variety of sweeteners, at their core one is to make the land available for the future expansion of San Diego State University.  The competing initiative is to build a new soccer stadium, plus the sweeteners. Another major initiative facing voters for an up-or-down vote is expansion of the downtown waterfront Convention Center, financed by an expansion of the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT).  ...