Region's Economy Could Stall Unless Other Industries Start to Hire

High-tech job growth has sparked the Bay Area's rebound from the recession, but experts warn that the region's economy could stall unless other industries start to hire.

Over the first nine months of 2011, the technology industry added 26,200 workers, 65 percent of all the jobs created in the Bay Area, this newspaper's analysis of data compiled by state officials and Beacon Economics shows. High-tech jobs account for 18 percent of the Bay Area's workforce.

"If the Bay Area jobs recovery doesn't broaden, it is in danger of fizzling out completely," said Scott Anderson, senior economist with Wells Fargo Bank.

The key, according to a number of economists, would be a recovery in the long-troubled housing industry.

"We need a normal housing market," said Jeffrey Michael, director of the Business Forecasting Center at University of the Pacific in Stockton. "We have to have a construction industry that has a pulse."

Much in the way the financial industry bolsters New York City's economy, real estate is an economic bulwark for the Bay Area. Real estate and high-tech produce strong ripple effects throughout the economy, creating many jobs in many industries.

"Technology workers are more likely to buy a home, make home improvements or go to the spa," said Jon Haveman, chief economist with the Bay Area Council's Economic Institute. "They will dine out more often. They spend more at the mall."

Much the same is true with the housing industry. Rising demand spurs construction of new homes and apartments. Newly purchased houses are filled with furniture, often new. Backyards receive upgrades, with the help of frequent trips to the hardware store or garden supply shop. Mortgage providers hire loan agents. Commissions for real estate agents swell. Those virtuous cycles vanished when the housing bubble popped.

The employment gains in the Bay Area housing sector during the peak year of 2005, compared with now, illustrate the problem. In the first nine months of 2011, Bay Area construction companies added 3,200 jobs. Over the first nine months of 2005, construction gained 4,700 jobs. The difference is akin to a Solyndra solar plant. The contrast is even starker in the finance, insurance and real estate sectors, which have numerous jobs linked to housing. In the first nine months of 2011, Bay Area financial businesses shed 1,500 jobs. During the same nine months of 2005, financial companies added 3,100 jobs. That 4,600-job swing equates to a NUMMI factory.

"We don't need construction to go all the way back to the 2005 levels," Michael said. "But it has to get off the floor, to improve from these abnormally low levels."

For now, the thousands of new jobs in construction are a welcome sign.

"Things are looking a little better," Brent Judd, a project supervisor for Tilton Pacific, said of local construction activity. "It's not dramatic. But things have stabilized."

Tilton Pacific is the general contractor for a new shopping center in Pleasanton that will be anchored by a big Safeway store. Joining construction in the upswing are transportation and warehousing, which gained 9,500 jobs, and retail, which added 2,300 jobs. Even the battered manufacturing sector rose by 3,900 jobs.

"We are hiring people all the time," said Nathan Tyson, an engineer at Chevron's refinery in Richmond.

He started a few years ago as a tank turnaround engineer for the Richmond refinery. He now works as a design engineer at the plant.

The improvement in retail is significant because it reflects a stronger job market in other sectors. If residents are working, they are more likely to shop. New entrants into the supermarket sector, coupled with Safeway's store expansions and revamps, also may have spurred some hiring.

Fresh & Easy and Sprouts Farmers Markets have been opening new stores. REI opened a new store in Dublin. Auto dealers have been growing. Whole Foods and Sunflower Farmers Markets have announced, or recently opened, new stores in the Bay Area.

Safeway held a jobs fair recently for its new Pleasanton store. The supermarket estimated that 600 people showed up in person and 1,000 applied online.

"We ended up hiring 240 employees," said Susan Houghton, a spokeswoman for Safeway.

Despite the hopeful signs, weaknesses persist in the Bay Area -- meaning it will take years to fully recover. Arts and entertainment, hotels and dining and beverage establishments, along with government, have shed jobs lately.

"It's going to take a certain amount of time to bleed off the excess debt in the economy because of the credit and housing bubbles," said Michael Yoshikami, chief investment officer with Walnut Creek-based YCMNet. "We won't see a meaningful jobs rebound for a few years."

MVLA Named First Green District in Bay Area

The Santa Clara Green Business Program recently named the Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District a Certified Green high school district.

Following the recent green certification for Alta Vista High School, the MVLA Adult School and the District Office, the high school district was recognized as the first totally green school district in the Bay Area.

The Mountain View Los Altos Union High School District turned on its solar panel system at Los Altos High, left, in April.

Los Altos High School led the way in 2010 when it became one of only three county high schools to receive green certification, followed last year by Mountain View High School, the fourth in the county to earn the recognition.

To secure green certification, organizations and businesses must meet high standards of environmental performance in the areas of solid-waste reduction and recycling, water and energy conservation, pollution prevention and greenhouse-gas emission controls. In each of these areas, the district exceeded the number of required and recommended green actions.

Many individuals and organizations contributed to meeting the certification standards. The MVLA Board of Trustees made sustainability a strong district priority. Principals Wynne Satterwhite (Los Altos), Keith Moody (Mountain View), Bill Pierce (Alta Vista) and Director Laura Stefanski (Adult Education) were instrumental in the process.

Students on each school’s green teams, parent liaisons and Environmental Club advisers Greg Stoehr (Los Altos), Teri Faught (Mountain View) and Elvis Lopez of the District Office supported the program.

“Because of their efforts, we will continue to go green,” Superintendent Barry Groves said.

The district presented a report, “Energy Efficiency Makes for Successful Bond Campaigns,” to the statewide Green Technology conference in Pasadena Oct. 17.

Dodge Boosts Share of Female Car Buyers in the Bay Area

Female car buyers in the San Francisco market are making up a larger customer base for Dodge cars and trucks, according to an analysis by Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information.

The Bay Area market analysis found that of all automotive brands, Dodge has by far made the largest market share gain among women. From January through August 2011 the female share for the mainstream domestic brand has grown to 28 percent, compared to 24 percent during the same period last year. The growth accounts for a 16.7 percent proportional change for the brand year over year.

Biggest Increase in San Francisco Female Market Share, By Brand

Buick placed second in San Francisco by improving its share of sales to women by 10.0%. Luxury brands Porsche (+10.0%) and Infiniti (+9.4%) placed third and fourth, respectively, while GMC (+7.7%) rounded out the top five. Overall, women account for 39 percent of all new cars registered in San Francisco this year -- down about 1.5 percent compared to last year, but on par with the nationwide average.

"One thing that the top five brands have in common is that their shares of female buyers all fall well below the industry average of 39 percent within the Bay Area market," notes Edmunds.com Senior Analyst Jessica Caldwell. "It's smart for these brands to develop new and refreshed products that have a stronger appeal with women so that they don't miss out on an important part of the market."

Not every car brand is boosting its appeal with women in San Francisco. Chrysler has seen its market share of females shift from 40 percent in the first eight months of 2010 to 34 percent during the same period in 2011, for a proportional change of -15.0 percent. Korean brands Hyundai (-9.3%) and Kia (-8.2%) followed in the bottom five.

Bay Area's First Electric Car Charging Station

To complete this study, Edmunds.com analysts examined new car registration data provided by Polk during the periods of January 2010-August 2010 and January 2011-August 2011. Only brands selling a minimum of 50 vehicles to females within the market during each time period were considered for the analysis.

For more automotive trends and analysis, please visit Edmunds.com's Data Center at http://www.autoobserver.com/car-data-center/ .

About Edmunds.com, Inc. ( http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/index.html )

Edmunds.com Inc. publishes Web sites that empower, engage and educate automotive consumers, enthusiasts and insiders. Edmunds.com, the premier online resource for automotive information, launched in 1995 as the first automotive information Web site. Its mobile site, accessible from any smartphone at www.edmunds.com , makes car pricing and other research tools available for car shoppers at dealerships and otherwise on the go. InsideLine.com is the most-read automotive enthusiast Web site. Its mobile site, accessible from any smartphone at www.insideline.com , features the wireless Web's highest quality car photos and videos. AutoObserver.com provides insightful automotive industry commentary and analysis. Edmunds.com Inc. is headquartered in Santa Monica, California, and maintains a satellite office in suburban Detroit. Follow Edmunds.com on Twitter@edmunds and like Edmunds.com on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/edmunds .

Bucs in London a Win-Lose Situation for Tampa Area

It's supposed to be a perfect weekend here, with just enough of a nip in the air to turn your thoughts to football. We can only imagine what the scene would have been like at Raymond James Stadium for the game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Chicago Bears.

Imagination is our sole option because, as we know, the Bucs and Bears will be in London this Sunday while Ray Jay will stand empty. For the second time in three years, your local NFL franchise shipped a home game across the pond.

General manager Mark Dominik told Sky Sports in Great Britain that when given the chance to make the move "we quickly grabbed it."

And since NFL international business vice president Chris Parsons said the league believes "… there is a tremendous benefit for a team to return to the U.K. on an annual basis" we can see where this thing seems to be headed.

Even if local officials wanted to fight back, the wizards who negotiated the original lease on the taxpayers' behalf (cough, cough) gave the Bucs the right to move one game a year to anywhere they want.

You can look it up – Page 39, Clause 7B.

Point of clarity: those negotiators were on our side, right?

While you're chewing on that, here's more proof the world is upside down. The Bucs actually savethe Tampa Sports Authority about $230,000 in related game-day expenses by not playing this game at Ray Jay.

Feel free to insert your own snarky joke about how much the authority would save if the Bucs moved all of their games to somewhere else, keeping in mind to be careful what you wish for.

"It's not clear cut to come down on one side or the other," county commissioner Ken Hagan said.

"Clearly, a team like Chicago sells. They travel, they stay in our hotels and eat in our restaurants. We lose that economic impact, but you have to balance that with the reality of the way the lease is structured at the stadium."

Hagan, we should hasten to add, had nothing to do with the original lease "negotiations" that led to the current pickle where it's actually more cost-effective for the Bucs to not play a home game in their own stadium.

Those talks happened about 15 years ago and included, among other people, former Tampa mayor Dick Greco. I could be wrong but it doesn't seem like the word "no" was ever used.

The sports authority's position can best be summed up by director of stadium operations Mickey Farrell, who called the London move "a business decision for the Bucs."

And Hagan added, "As a fan, I think it's a loss. I think the community loses but you can't ignore the fact there will be a savings of almost a quarter-million dollars."

Fair enough. Here's my problem, though.

Hillsborough County voters agreed to raise their taxes by a half-penny in 1996 to pay for Ray Jay and a lot of other projects. We know it as the community investment tax, and I have to believe voters assumed the Bucs would play all their home games in the place you and I are paying for.

The Bears game had a good chance to sell out here, but there likely would have been thousands of Chicago fans in the house. That would have been embarrassing to the Bucs, but, as Hagan noted, it also would have meant a lot of extra money in the community.

The NFL gave the Bucs financial incentives to move, but the American viewing audience will barely notice. It's not even a national TV game, showing only throughout Florida, parts of the Midwest, the Dakotas, Arizona and New Mexico. The game between Atlanta and Detroit will reach a wider audience on Fox than the Bucs.

The Bucs will be developing a fan base in London, though. Read into that what you will.

"Honestly, there are advantages and disadvantages to this scenario. It depends what perspective you're looking at," Hagan said. "The season ticket holders lose and the community at large loses when you take away a home game from our schedule. That's why very few teams volunteer to do that."

But one team did and it's not the first time.

From the sound of things, it also might not be the last.

Western Star Bay Area Nursery Certified as Preferred Small Business for Alameda County

Western Star Nursery, a wholesale nursery in the Bay Area and Sacramento, is excited to announce it has recently been approved as a small business under the County of Alameda's Small, Local and Emerging Business (SLEB) Program. The program, which aims to promote the patronage of small and local businesses, gives preference points to bids from contractors for government jobs within the County when they partner with SLEB businesses.

Any business bidding on a city, county, state or federal project that will be installed in Alameda County can qualify for up to10% preference points (5% local and 5% certified) by partnering with Bay Area landscape supply wholesaler Western Star Nursery.

"This competitive advantage may very well mean the difference in the job being awarded to you," says Sally Painter, owner of Western Star Nursery. "Please call us to for our certification number and a copy of the certificate to include with your bid(s)."

The program was developed because "the County is vitally interested in promoting the growth of small and emerging local businesses by means of increasing the participation of these businesses in the County's purchase of goods and services." For more information about the Alameda County SLEB program, visit www.acgov.org/auditor/sleb/.

For more information about partnering with Western Star Nursery to receive SLEB points on a bid in Alameda County, or any of the Bay Area landscape design company's products or services, call them at (925) 233-0023 (East Bay) or (209) 744-2552 (South Sacramento), view them on the web at western-star-nursery.com, or visit one of their locations in Sunol or Galt.

About Western Star Nursery 

Western Star Nursery is a wholesale nursery in Sacramento and the Bay Area serving landscaping contractors, developers, and commercial nurseries. Founded in 1996 by Robert and Sally Painter, Western Star Nursery has earned a reputation for growing high-quality products and offering superior service. From the most commonly used ornamental varieties to unusual phormiums, they stock a large and diversified selection of 1 gallon through 36" box trees and shrubs on over 100 acres. They also offer an efficient brokerage service and contract growing. The Western Star staff, many of whom have been with the company since its start, bring with them many years of nursery and customer service experience. Western Star features will-call, delivery and shipping services.

Western Star Nursery has locations in Sunol and Galt, and provides landscape design services and landscape supply to the Bay Area, Sacramento, and northern California. They offer delivery service throughout California and Nevada.

Bay Area Council Unveils Roadmap for Creating a High-Value Healthcare

The Bay Area Council today released its “Roadmap to a High-Value Health System ,” which outlines a series of concrete strategies for leveraging California’s power as an innovator to control rising healthcare costs for business and individuals. The Roadmap will serve as the foundation for the Council’s ongoing engagement with healthcare reform implementation, value-based healthcare purchasing by Bay Area businesses, and health system transformation.

“Reigning in rapidly rising healthcare costs is critical for maintaining the competitive edge of Bay Area and California businesses in our global economy,” said Jim Wunderman, President and CEO of the Bay Area Council. “We have the intellectual and innovation power to level the playing field on healthcare costs and free businesses to compete more aggressively on the merits of their products and services. That’s how the Bay Area and California are going to maintain that competitive edge and this Roadmap shows us how we can get there.”

Tampa Bay area - Health Care, Public Relations, Real Estate and Technology News

Sean Randolph, President of the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, explains that, “Our goal is to produce thorough fact-based analyses that will improve public understanding of issues that are critical to the economy and that will identify strategies to meet key economic goals. The quality and affordability of health care is an issue that directly impacts business, citizens and governments at every level.”

“The roadmap is aimed at the state’s business leaders who have an essential role in shaping the vision of a high-value health system, mapping it out, and creating systems for measuring progress toward our goals,” said Greg Adams, President, Northern California, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan & Hospitals and chair of the Council’s Healthcare Committee. “This report lays out the specific actions by healthcare providers, insurers, businesses, governments, and individuals that will improve affordability and access to high quality care in California.”

About the Bay Area Council

The Bay Area Council is a business-sponsored, public-policy advocacy organization for the nine-county Bay Area. The Council proactively advocates for a strong economy, a vital business environment, and a better quality of life for everyone who lives here. Founded in 1945, the Bay Area Council is widely respected by elected officials, policy makers and other civic leaders as the voice of Bay Area business. Today, approximately 275 of the largest employers in the region support the Bay Area Council and offer their CEO or top executive as a member. Our members employ more than 4.43 million workers and have revenues of $1.94 trillion, worldwide. http://www.bayareacouncil.org/index.php

About the Bay Area Council Economic Institute

The Bay Area Council Economic Institute-a public-private partnership of business with labor, government and higher education-works to support the economic vitality and competitiveness of California and the Bay Area. Its work builds on the twenty-year record of fact-based economic analysis and policy leadership of the Bay Area Economic Forum, which merged with the Bay Area Council in January 2008. http://www.bayareaeconomy.org/

Jancis Robinson Hired Well-Known Bay Area Wine Blogger Alder Yarrow

Wine guru and publisher Jancis Robinsonsaid Tuesday she’s hired well-known Bay Area wine blogger Alder Yarrow, of the award-winning Vinography.com blog, to join London-based JancisRobinson.com as a columnist.

Yarrow, who has won a number of blogging awards, actually broke the news late Monday on Facebook .

He will report on the “American wine scene,” much of it in the greater San Francisco Bay Area and the Golden State, which accounts for about 90 percent of U.S. wine exports.

Robinson said the choice of Yarrow to help expand her site’s coverage of American wine culture “reflects the vibrancy of the wine blogging world, her appreciation of the growing universe of online wine voices and Yarrow’s impressive body of work” and insights on American wine.

Yarrow’s “Alder on America” column will debut at JancisRobinson.com Wednesday, beginning with an analysis of wine critic extraordinaire Robert Parker’s retreat from reviewing California wine and the appointment of Antonio Galloni as the Wine Advocate’s new California correspondent. Alder’s first column will be free. After that, it's available only to paid subscribers.

“Alder represents the best of the wine blogosphere,” said Robinson. “His writing at Vinography.com is refreshing, thoughtful, objective and literate, qualities that have been justly rewarded by a large readership and six Wine Blog Awards.”

Rock Wall Wine Co. Will Host Summer Rocks Event

JancisRobinson.com was founded in 2000 with a paid-subscription element, Purple pages, added in 2001. It has members in 100 countries, Robinson said in the Oct. 18 statement, and includes a backlog of 60,000 wine reviews.

Yarrow began publishing his blog, Vinography, in 2004, as a part-time labor of love.

Jobs, Legislative Plans Topics as Gov. Rick Scott Makes two Bay Area Stops

At two stops Monday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott was asked about the things that have come to dominate his public schedule: his plan for the 2012 legislative session, his belief that the state doesn't need more anthropology majors and his inconsistent math when it comes to creating 700,000 private-sector jobs in the state.

During a morning visit at Advanced Protection Technologies, a Clearwater manufacturer that produces industrial surge protectors, Scott reiterated a legislative agenda for next year that includes business tax cuts despite a projected budget shortfall.

Scott toured the manufacturing plant for about 30 minutes before meeting with a handful of workers, asking them for ideas on how to create jobs.

The East Bay Posted a Gain of 8,100 Jobs During June

One worker asked about the prospect of Cuba drilling for oil near Florida's coast, and whether Florida should drill itself. "Right now, we ought to be careful," Scott answered.

Later, Scott rolled through more of his legislative agenda during a 25-minute talk to the Westshore Alliance, a Tampa business group.

Scott told the group he wants to emphasize science, technology, engineering and math degrees, or "degrees in things where you can get jobs." Scott faced criticism last week when he told a radio talk show host that Florida doesn't need "a lot more anthropologists in this state."

One of Scott's daughters, Jordan Kandah, has an anthropology degree from the College of William and Mary.

"I love anthropology degrees, just so you know," Scott told the crowd of about 400, which included Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn.

Scott then recounted a phone conversation with his daughter after the story broke.

" 'Dad, do you know I'm the No. 1 story on Yahoo! today?' " Scott said, mimicking his daughter to laughter.

Later in a session with reporters, Scott was again asked to explain how he planned to keep his central campaign promise of creating 700,000 private-sector jobs over seven years. During his campaign, Scott said those jobs would be in addition to "what's projected" as normal growth. State economists projected Florida would gain 1 million jobs in the same period, regardless of who was elected governor.

Scott deflected the predictions of state economists Monday, as well as his previous statements.

"Whether the economy goes up or goes down, my focus is what I've committed to, 700,000 jobs over the next seven years," Scott said.

Bay Area CEOs' Dark Outlook Casts Doubts on Hiring

"Say this for Bay Area business leaders: They're an optimistic lot," I wrote in July. Since then, they seem to have contracted a bad case of the economic blues.

According to the Bay Area Council's latest survey, local CEOs are "expressing strong disappointment with the pace of recovery over the past six months and offering an equally unsettled outlook for significant improvement in the coming six months."

The council's business confidence index - based on responses from 450 CEOs and top executives in the nine Bay Area counties - has plummeted 11 points, from 62 to 51, since the spring survey. That's the biggest quarterly drop since 2002. "Many of those whose attitudes have shifted now believe economic conditions will generally remain the same or worsen slightly over the coming months," the report says.

Compare that with the council's last quarterly report, when two-thirds of those surveyed thought the local economy was not only better but would continue to improve.

So, unless the CEOs regain their previously sunny disposition, don't expect a noticeable uptick in hiring anytime soon. Sixty percent of the executives surveyed said their workforce will stay the same over the next six months. Almost a fifth said they're looking at layoffs, with just 21 percent planning additions to their payroll. A major obstacle to hiring: rising health care costs, the business leaders say.

"Controlling health care cost is one of our top priorities as we work with state legislators and others to influence how national health care reform gets implemented here in California," said council CEO Jim Wunderman.

Business leaders in the leisure and hospitality industries, and those in San Francisco, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, are more positive about the future than those in the construction, manufacturing and retail trades, or who are running businesses in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Those in the public sector, unsurprisingly, are the gloomiest of all.

"The drop in business confidence is consistent with what we're seeing nationwide, although our region's comparative economic advantages" - access to capital, proximity to global markets, the entrepreneurial spirit - "offer a ray of sunshine," said Lenny Mendonca, a director at McKinsey & Co. and past chairman of the Bay Area Council.

The power of more positive thinking might help a bit, too. (The complete report will be posted on the council's website, www.bayareacouncil.org, this morning.)

New "Amazon tax" bill: With the war between Amazon.com and the state of California now over, attention is shifting to Washington, where, all sides agree, the issue of online retailers paying sales tax needs to be settled nationally.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-Hillsborough, offered a bipartisan bill Wednesday that seeks to do just that.

The Marketplace Equity Act, co-written by Rep. Steve Womack, R-Ark., requires online companies, such as Amazon and Overstock.com, to collect and remit sales taxes on goods sold in states that require the tax payment, whether the companies have a physical presence there or not.

Such legislation would supersede a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that allows Amazon and other online retailers to avoid paying sales taxes in states where they say they have no physical presence, or "nexus."

Unlike a similar bill introduced last year by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., Speier's bill would not require California and other states to sign on to the Streamlined Sales and Use Tax Agreement, which seeks to simplify and make uniform sales-tax procedures and covers 44 states.

Amazon, however, supports Durbin's bill and the Streamlined Sales initiative, which California and other large states have consistently rejected on the grounds that it limits their taxing authority.

"Ours is a different model," Speier said. "It doesn't trample on states' rights. It allows states to choose whether to impose the tax, how to collect it - or not to impose it at all."

The bill also contains an exemption for smaller online retailers with sales of no more than $100,000 in an individual state per year, or no more than $1 million nationally.
Speier's bill has the backing of the influential Retail Industry Leaders Association and a California coalition including state Board of Equalization Member Betty Yee and the California Retailers Association, which was instrumental in pushing California's law.
 

"It's a more realistic approach to the problem that potentially can get broad support from retailers and the states," said Bill Dombrowski, president of the California Retailers Association. "That should lead to bipartisan legislative support."

That's what Speier is hoping for. The next step, she said, is to get more signatures on the bill, from both sides of the aisle, before handing it over to the congressional sausage machine.

Whatever happens, California will begin collecting online sales tax from Amazon and others by September - unless, come January 2013, by some miracle, federal legislation actually gets passed.

Perfect timing: On Tuesday, the Senate voted overwhelmingly to seek trade sanctions against China unless it stops what the bill's supporters (and many others) say is China's deliberate undervaluing of its currency. Much controversy and angry finger-pointing ensues.

On Saturday, the University of San Francisco is hosting a conference on "the globalization of the Chinese yuan and its effect on financial markets worldwide." Executives from Merrill Lynch, HSBC, Silicon Valley Bank, IBM, Cisco Systems and Chinese companies Huawei and Neusoft are slated to attend.

The program is "designed to help achieve a deeper understanding of the key issues and challenges involved with doing business in China," said Stanley Kwong, director of China programs at USF.

No wonder the conference (at USF's Lone Mountain Conference Center, 1:30 to 6 p.m.) is fully booked. But I'm told more seats may be added, and if you're interested in the free conference, e-mail stanley.kwong@yahoo.com.

Business Confidence Plunges in the Bay Area Amid Plans for more Layoffs

Bay Area executives have soured about the region's economic outlook and have intensified their plans to chop jobs in the coming months, according to a new survey released Thursday.

The quarterly business confidence index compiled by the Bay Area Council plummeted, hitting 51 on a scale of 1 to 100. The summer 2011 reading on the index represented an 11-point drop from the reading for the spring -- and the worst quarterly decline since 2002.

"There is a lot of negative sentiment out there," said Michael Yoshikami, chief investment strategist with Walnut Creek-based YCMNet, an investment firm. "There is a lot of uncertainty."

The latest survey found that 21 percent of businesses in the Bay Area intend to increase staffing levels in the region in the coming six months. That's down sharply from the 33 percent that had planned to increase hiring in the spring survey.

"When CEOs are uncertain, they hold back on hiring," Yoshikami said.

An estimated 17 percent of Bay Area businesses plan to slash their regional workforce, the most recent study found. That was up from 13 percent of employers that were planning layoffs in the spring survey.

Bay Area executives said the prospect of rising health care costs has curbed their appetite to add workers.

"The drop in business confidence in the Bay Area is consistent with what we're seeing nationwide," said Lenny Mendonca, a member of the executive committee of the Bay Area Council, and a director at McKinsey, a consulting firm.

The region's economy has eroded in recent months, business leaders told the researchers.

Business conditions in the Bay Area are getting worse, according to 26 percent of the executives surveyed for the summer report. During the spring, just 9 percent said things had become worse.

The summer survey found that an estimated 31 percent of businesses in the region saw an improving economy. In the spring survey, 64 percent of businesses said the Bay Area economy was on the upswing.

Despite the dreary outlook, business leaders said the Bay Area still is better off than the country generally.

"Our region's comparative economic advantages offer a ray of sunshine," Mendonca said.

Among them: Bay Area businesses have good access to capital, the region boasts a well-educated workforce, the area is close to global markets and the area has a strong entrepreneurial spirit.

The survey polled about 450 CEOs and top executives in the nine Bay Area counties. A reading above 50 for the index shows positive economic conditions and a reading below that shows a negative situation. The index is derived from a compilation of the executives' assessment of local and national conditions for the economy and their industries, as well as their hiring and firing plans.

The Bay Area and the nation should manage to avoid a second recession, Yoshikami said. But that doesn't mean boom times beckon.

"We will have a slow recovery," Yoshikami said. "But for most people, it's going to feel like the recession never ended."

Business Leaders Choose Candidates for Politician School

A new political institute funded by the Tampa Bay area's biggest corporations has chosen more than 20 local residents it will groom for office.

The question is: Will the Tampa Bay Public Leadership Institute's students look out for the broader community when they run for office or the narrow interests of business?

Mark Mills, an Orlando public-relations executive, helped organize similar political institutes in Jacksonville and Orlando and has turned his attention to the Bay area.

He solicited contributions from the likes of Publix Super Markets, Outback Steakhouse, Progress Energy, TECO Energy and Verizon to pick up the costs for students.

A selection committee chose the institute's first class members out of a pool of 48 applicants, Mills said. They started off with a two-day boot camp at Eckerd College in June, the "Future Leaders School," and are meeting regularly through May.

Mills insists that his group chooses applicants based on business savvy and leadership qualities, not political party. Still, he acknowledges that of the students, 14 identified themselves as Republicans, six said they were Democrats and the others didn't disclose a party.

Mills said the corporate sponsors hope to encourage skilled businesspeople and leaders to run for office, but they have no set agenda.

"Our particular niche is the premise that if you've dealt with balancing budgets, creating jobs, you're going to understand those issues once you get into office," said Mills, once a staffer for former U.S. Sen. Connie Mack, R-Fla.

A Tampa-based consumer activist was skeptical Tuesday.

"This is what the Occupy Tampa people are concerned about," said Bill Newton, executive director of the Florida Consumer Action Network. "They see our politics being taken over by corporations."

Among notable members of this year's class are David Singer, campaign manager for Moving Hillsborough Forward, the unsuccessful effort to pass a new transportation tax in Hillsborough County; Alan Suskey, a lobbyist and former staffer for U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Indian Shores; and several former candidates for city councils, county commissions and the Florida Legislature.

Mills wouldn't say how much each corporate sponsor gave. He estimated that each student's training is worth $2,100.

The Tampa Bay Public Leadership Institute is organized under a nonprofit called the Political Leadership Innovation Institute, based in Orlando.

The institute took in $49,000 in contributions last year, according to financial-disclosure forms filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

The institute hasn't yet filed a disclosure form for 2011, and Mills would not say how much it has taken in this year.

One student, Tampa intellectual-property lawyer Christopher Paradies, said he has been impressed that the training has been nonpartisan. He's a Republican but said one of the best presentations was from an expert who leans Democratic, speaking on direct-mail strategies.

"It was a little scary," Paradies said. "They were very good at pillorying their opponents and making their own candidate look good."

If he runs, Paradies said, it will probably be for state office.

He spent a day following a Pinellas County commissioner and was startled by how the state's Sunshine Law limited commissioners from talking with one another outside an advertised meeting.

As to his plans, Paradies already is speaking like a politician: "I'm not ready to announce anything at this time, but certainly in my life plan, I wouldn't rule that out."

These are the Hillsborough County students in the Tampa Bay Public Leadership Institute: Cristina Abreu, Carter Andersen, Tony DeSisto, Ken Lark, Guido Maniscalco, Dan Molloy, David Singer, Scott Strepina, Ben Walker, Christopher Paradies, Brian Willis and Jason Wilson.

And these are the students from Pinellas County: Nick DiCeglie, Erin Kane, Tom Kennedy, Brian Melton, Alizza Punzalan, Tami Simms and Alan Suskey. From Pasco County are: Glenn Hanff and Kathryn Starkey. From Manatee County are: David Fernandez, Patricia Staebler and Leslie Wilson.

Nonprofit, Business and Philanthropy Leaders Gather for Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy's Conference on African Americans Competing in the Regional Economy

On October 12, nonprofit, business and philanthropy leaders will join the Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy to celebrate local black philanthropists and confer on solutions that can fuel employment, entrepreneurship and innovation for African Americans in the region.

"We are eager to honor the generous contributions of individuals and organizations who strengthen this region by investing their time and resources in important causes," said Cedric Brown, Chair of Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy (BABIP). "We benefit from living in one of the world's hotspots for innovation, and we aim to bring some of that energy to bear to collectively tackle issues facing Black communities."

The public is invited to attend the "Celebrating Black Philanthropy" Gala Reception, on Wednesday, October 12, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., at Stanford University's Black Community Services Center.

This year's Community Impact Award recipients are:

-- Gloria Rhodes Brown, retired former Director of the University of California Cooperative Extension Service for San Mateo and San Francisco counties;

-- Michael C. Bush, Founder of The MattMar Group Inc.;

-- James Lowell Gibbs, Stanford University's Martin Luther King Jr. Centennial Professor of Anthropology Emeritus, and Dr. Jewelle Taylor Gibbs, author and retired Zellerbach Family Fund Professor of Social Policy, Community Change and Practice at UC Berkeley;

-- Valerie Coleman Morris, leading financial literacy journalist and author;

-- Keena Turner, Vice President of Football Affairs for the San Francisco 49ers;

-- and Verizon Wireless.

In addition, BABIP's "State of the Race" conference on African Americans competing in the regional economy will take place 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Silicon Valley Community Foundation Conference Center in San Mateo. Conference speakers include: Angela Benton, CEO of Black Web Media and Co-Founder of NewMe Accelerator; Cheryl Contee, Partner at Fission Strategy and Founder of "Jack and Jill" blog; Allen Fernandez-Smith, President and CEO of Urban Habitat; Ted Howard, Executive Director of the Democracy Collaborative; Dr. Steven Pitts, Labor Policy Specialist at UC Berkeley Labor Center; and Junious Williams Jr., CEO of Urban Strategies Council.

Registration fees are $50 for the conference and $50 for the reception. Both the conference and reception are $75 for BABIP members, $90 for non-BABIP members. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit babip2011.eventbrite.com.

Marvell Recignized as One of the Healthiest Companies in the Bay Area

Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL), a worldwide leader in integrated silicon solutions, today announced that the Company has been recognized as one of the healthiest companies in the Bay Area. The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, in partnership with its sister paper, The San Francisco Business Times, ranked Marvell among the top ten companies with more than 2,000 employees, to receive a 2011 Healthiest Employers of the Bay Area award.

"Wellness at Marvell is more than just eating right and exercising. Marvell's Wellness Program takes into account the various physical and mental aspects that contribute to employees' overall wellbeing," said Reid Linney, vice president of Human Resources at Marvell Semiconductor, Inc. "We view wellness as the Company's ability to assist employees with resources for personal and family care, financial fitness and maintaining a work-life balance. By providing for employees in this way, we hope to promote a culture of wellness extending from the workplace to the home."

According to the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal, companies ranked in this publication know that healthy employees are happy and productive employees. They understand that creating a culture where good health practices are encouraged and incentivized is an investment that pays off both in attraction and retention of a quality workforce. With this ranking of the healthiest employers in the Greater Bay Area, the Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal takes a snapshot of companies that invest time resources, training and dollars in creative policies and programs that promote wellness and healthy lifestyles.

Nearly 100 companies, representing 146,000 employees, nominated themselves for this award. Winners were selected by the Healthiest Employers LLC based on their scores from a comprehensive online survey.

Marvell accepted the award on Sept. 30, 2011, at a ceremony at the Hotel Sofitel in Redwood City, Calif.

About Marvell

Marvell (NASDAQ: MRVL) is a world leader in the development of storage, communications and consumer silicon solutions. Marvell's diverse product portfolio includes switching, transceiver, communications controller, wireless and storage solutions that power the entire communications infrastructure, including enterprise, metro, home and storage networking. As used in this release, the term "Marvell" refers to Marvell Technology Group Ltd. and its subsidiaries. For more information, visit Marvell.com.

Top Ten Video Countdown by Bay Area Block Report

Bay Area Block Report is announcing its Top Ten Video Countdown coming to Comcast Hometown Network CHN this Fall. Videos will be promoted in Comcast Home Network channel 1O4 and Bay Area Block Report YouTube channel, The Erika Blue Show on Oz Cat Radio KZCT 89.5 fm. With total exposure via TV, FM Radio and internet promotions, this is a high impact marketing, advertising and promotions of artist videos at its best.

“Need help promoting your music, event, or business? Come to the place where local artists and businesses get to shine. Bay Area Block Report and The Erika Blue Show work together to promote Local Music, New Artists, Local Events and businesses. Bay Area Block Report airs on BET through nation, local media networks and over FM radio. We provide New Artists with a complete cross platform promotional service to get their start in the recording industry. If your not on the Bay Area Block Report, Your not on the Block! Call or email us to get started today.,” said Tim Lewis of Bay Area Block Report.

Bay Area Block Report’s top ten countdown is a great idea for local artists to promote their talents to everyone online and on air at an affordable rate. It is offering commercial ad placement for local, regional and national TV on BET MTV and Vh1 Networks. The top 4O artists can have their music videos, promo commercials and YouTube Videos seen on Network TV. They can submit there videos to be played on the show with a $5 submission fee per video. They can send the video to videos@bayareablockreport.com in mpg, mov or avi format. All their videos will be reviewed and chosen videos will be featured on the show. This is also an opportunity for Event Promoters and Businesses to use Mass media promotions to build their product demands regionally, locally or nationally. This upcoming project of Bay Area Block Report definitely brings everyone the heat from the street and what's hot on the block.

For more information about Bay Area Block Report, call (877) 448-4845 or visit www.bayareablockreport.com.

About Bay Area Block Report

The Bay Area Block Report is the best place to hear new, upcoming artists from throughout the San Francisco Bay Area. Through Television, Radio and Digital Promotions and Distribution, Bay Area Block Report gives local artists and businesses a multi-media approach to promote their music, events and businesses.

Blue Sky Moving, Inc. Celebrates Their 35 Years of Providing Moving Services

Blue Sky Moving Inc. is a Bay Area commercial moving and home company specializing in relocation services and office furniture. For more than 35 years, Blue Sky Moving Inc. has provided its clientele with nothing less than personal and attentive customer care. Conveniently located in San Ramon, their moving professionals are known for taking the load off clients' shoulders by eliminating all concerns that come with moving.

Their team of commercial moving professionals specializes in the reconfiguration of office cubicles and work stations. If a business is in need of furniture on short notice, Blue Sky can have the desired style of office furniture on site within 24 hours.

"We are a very small company offering moving services for both residential and commercial entities," said Bob Hollenback of Blue Sky Moving, Inc. "We also sell new and pre-owned office furniture as well as workstation/cubical reconfiguration services.”

Blue Sky Moving, the premier Bay Area relocation services company maintains facilities stocked with well-kept, new and used office furniture. Their staff is fully trained to ensure that each box is packaged, placed and transported according to its weight, size and content.

"I have been doing this for more than 35 years and have a lot of key contacts which allows me to provide these services professionally at a price point unparalleled in this industry," Bob added.

For more information on Blue Sky Moving, Inc., give them a call at (510) 240-1696.

About Blue Sky Moving, Inc.

Blue Sky Moving Inc. is a Bay Area used furniture, home moving and commercial moving company specializing in relocation services, work stations, new and used office furniture, full service-packages, pick-up and delivery.

Owner frustrated by Rays' Financials

The Rangers sent the Rays home Tuesday afternoon -- not that many Tampa Bay area fans were in attendance to see it.

After selling out Game 3 to the tune of 32,828 fans, only 28,299 showed up for what turned out to be Texas' ALDS-clinching 4-3 victory.

"We replicated last year and our numbers were down," Tampa Bay owner Stuart Sternberg said. "The (television) ratings were down. The rubber has got to hit the road at some point. We're four years into winning. We're getting to the point where we don't control our own destiny. This is untenable as a model."

Tampa Bay has reached the playoffs three times in the past four years, including two AL East titles and a World Series appearance in 2008. But despite the success, declining attendance has become an ongoing trend at the domed Tropicana Field, where the Rays play their home games.

"When I came in here in '05 and '06, I saw the stars, and I was confident that we could put a winning product on the field -- and I was told by you guys and others that all we needed was a winning team," said Sternberg, who assumed principle control of the franchise in 2005. "Well, we won. We won. We won. And we won. And it didn't do it."

Last September, Rays star third baseman Evan Longoria pleaded with fans to raise attendance and support the team.

"We've been playing great baseball all year. Since I've been here in (2006), the fans have wanted a good baseball team. They've wanted to watch a contender," Longoria told reporters at the time. "And for us to play good baseball for three years now, and for us to be in a spot to clinch again and go to the playoffs, we're all confused as to why it's only 15,000 to 20,000 in the building."

Sternberg's criticism comes after the Rays reached the postseason despite an epic offseason purge that chopped the team's 2010 payroll of $71.9 million to $ 41.9 on Opening Day this season, the second-lowest in baseball.

Local civic leaders are currently exploring options for a new stadium, but the effort is in the preliminary phases.

"You can look at us and potentially Oakland as the only teams in that respect," Sternberg said, referring to the only team who drew fewer fans than Tampa this season, the Oakland A's. "And Oakland by hook and crook will have a situation clearer well before we will, and we will be the last man standing. Or in this case, lying down."

Jamba Juice Named One of The Bay Area’s Healthiest EmployersJamba Inc. (NASDAQ:JMBA), a leading healthy, active lifestyle brand, has been named to the 2011 list of the Bay Area’s Healthiest Employers.

Jamba Inc. (NASDAQ:JMBA), a leading healthy, active lifestyle brand, has been named to the 2011 list of the Bay Area’s Healthiest Employers.

The list, organized by The Silicon Valley/San Jose Business Journal and the San Francisco Business Times, in collaboration with Healthiest Employers, a research company focused on wellness, recognizes companies who are demonstrating innovation and leadership in employee wellness programs.

“Jamba aims to promote a healthy, active lifestyle for our consumers but we also live that mission in all that we do as a Company and as individuals,” said Kathy Wright, vice president Human Resources, Jamba Juice Company. “We join in congratulating all those who are being recognized today, as we all strive to promote a healthier world for generations to come.”

For more than twenty years, Jamba has lived a mission to inspire and simplify healthy living. This mission extends to Jamba’s Company store workforce, who enjoys access to a broad offering of benefits in support of maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle. Innovative benefits available to Company employees include:
An employee stock option program; 

A CEO Health Challenge program that rewards participants with discounts on health care benefits;
Telecommuting options to alleviate the stresses associated with daily commuting;
An orientation website to help onboard new employees quickly;
An intranet site dedicated to employee training, recognition, and engagement;
Gym membership discounts;
Medical and dental benefits;
Paid time off eligibility for volunteer activities;
A pay for performance program with semi-annual bonus eligibility;
An employee discount meal program;
Access to a variety of personal services at a discounted rate;
A dedicated lactation lounge for working mothers;
Access to locker/shower facilities at Jamba’s HQ building, along with secure, indoor bicycle storage for alternate vehicle commuters.

Jamba’s commitment to maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle also extends into the communities where Jamba Juice stores are located. Founded on the belief that maintaining a balance of physical activity, good nutrition, and community involvement are critical to healthy living, Jamba works with a variety of non-profit organizations including the National PTA to provide much needed fundraising for school and youth oriented programs Jamba provides healthier options for school lunch programs in over 40 California school districts and is the proud sponsor of a grant program to promote nutrition education and gardening among youth organizations and schools through KidsGardening.org, a division of the National Gardening Association. Jamba also partners with organizations including WNBA, Venus Williams, Tara Gidus, Cal South Youth Soccer, and USA Water Polo to engage youth in being more active and healthy. Through their initiative “Team up for a Healthy America,” Jamba has become a proud sponsor of the National Geographic Kids “Let’s Jump” initiative, launched with the goal of raising awareness of childhood obesity and the need to engage kids in being more active.

Members of the Jamba management team were on hand to accept the award at a celebration of corporate wellness in the Bay Area on September 30.

For more information, please visit http://www.jambajuice.com, become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JambaJuice or follow us on Twitter at @JambaJuice or pledge to join us in the Let’s Jump initiative at www.teamupandpledge.com.