Is one flight from JetBlue a handout?

Or token flight?  Absolutely!!

That is why we wanted MassPort as our owner to help us get opportunities like this.  The question is what we do with these handouts?   Do we support JetBlue like we did Direct Air, an awful airline.  Actually they were not even an airline.  

I think we will and the one flight will be a huge success, whereby JetBlue can charge more then they can out of either PRO or BOS and these flights will be profitable and will lead to more flights.   As far as a business plan for ORH, our business plan needs to be leisure flights to places like Florida, San Juan, and Myrtle Beach.

JetBlue formally announces Providence

Don't get derpressed these rumors started long before the ORH rumors and they have become a reality.   Still believe we get on flight to Florida by the end of the year.

Could this be called a token flight?  Sure--so what?  Lets sell it out and jetBlue will bring more. 

Stockton Part 1

Current City Council should watch this.  Never mind they are too busy listening to the Jim Polito show

Another question for Jahn

Lets suppose I want to sell you my house...  We figure the market value is 700,000, but there are some problems.  I have an old oil tank in the cellar that needs to be removed, the roof and the boiler is old.  You do your inspections, you and I  negotiate and I sell you my house for an agreed upon price of 500,000.   

With me so far?

After you buy the house, you realize the problems are worse then you thought and you really only should have paid 300,000:

1. Should I "step up" and give you $200,000 back
2. Should I say that I gave you permission to do all the due diligence that you wanted, I never lied about anything and negotiated fairly and owe you nothing.  Buyer beware!!
3. Should you ask the government for help to bail out your mistake for over-paying for my house

Before you answer read what some of our local delegation think, click here

Smartest guy in Worcester?

I pick City Auditor DelSignore...   This guy is basically on the Titanic right before it is hits an iceberg and is getting off into a life raft....  Imagine being the person replacing him??? 

Our unfunded liabilities are much more then anyone estimates and we will be lucky to merely balance the budgets, never mind putting any extra cash towards these outstanding debts.   After he retires I am going to go look for him and see if he will be willling to talk to me..

Chamber of Commerce Finances

Jahn:

I have a question for you.  The Chamber has not released their finances still for last year does that mean:

a) they had a great year last year and are flush with cash
b) their accountant is just real slow
c) their numbers are horrible and they are afraid to release them

Here is my next Ground Hog's Day Prediction.... Last year I said Direct Air would be out of business by Ground Hog's Day of 2012, but I missed it by one month.    By Ground Hog's Day of 2013, the gravity of the financial condition of the Worcester Chamber of Commerce will be public information and there will be a new Executive Director. 

Residential Tax Base

We always talk about the shrinking commercial tax base, maybe we better start worrying about the residential base.  You cross the line into any town and single family houses are being built.  In Worcester, I can not think of one new residential construction project.  Looking at my mother's neighborhood (Tatnuck), I am seeing some smaller single family houses selling under 100K??

This is a direct result of our mismanaged housing policy the past ten + years.     The over reliance on CDC's to build "affordable" housing when we are 50% that which is mandated by the Commonwealth of Massashusetts has lead to this.  

I can not emphasize enough how important the new Housing Plan is that is going to be released and hopefuly we can save our residential tax base?

Brad Wyatt in GQ

http://www.gq.com/news-politics/blogs/death-race/2012/07/whos-afraid-of-these-ron-paul-delegates.html

San Bernandino, CA

The San Bernardino City Council's decision to file for municipal bankruptcy came days after the city learned it had just $150,000 in its bank accounts, barely enough to make payroll June 15, city officials said. Shortly before the council's vote Tuesday night, City Atty. James Penman warned the city would "shut down," including public safety agencies, if it didn't have enough money to pay its employees

Scranton PA

Check out 

JetBlue prediction

Prediction one flight per week to start in October. A320 to Florida destination. Guessing SRQ-Sarasota Bradenton

City Manager on Jim Polito

According to Diane Williamson yesterday the City Manager was asked to no longer be on the Politio show by the majority of the City Council. 

I will miss him.     Although he will still be on the Levy show, I am not able to listen to that much in the afternoon..   On the other hand, the Polito slot was perfect and I learned alot about the city from the City Manager and various department heads that he would bring on the show.

Versus the City Manager and Department heads not being on the Polito show, they should be in more media outlets and social media to be in touch with the tax-payers??    Asking the City Manager not to be on this show is a complete disservice to the the tax-payers of Worcester...

I truly hope Jim Polito continues the :"Heroes Amongst Us" segment. 

Concerned about Will

Saturday night and not a group e-mail to hundreds of people around Worcester from Will from Wonderland posing to as myself directing people to a link on his blog...     Funny Dennis Irish actually sent me an e-mail asking me to take him of the e-mail list???   I told Dennis to walk next door and put in the request--wonder if he did....  
 


I would drive by to check up on him, but he would take me to court for harassment.  Hope you are okay Will and look forward to you next e-mail posing as me..

Mammoth Lakes, California

Cominig soon to Worcester, click here.   Votes like our City Council passed two weeks ago only confirms this will happen...  There is no doubt in my mind we are destined for bankruptcy the pension and medical unfunded liability will only grow and I think is underestiamted when we are basing our projections on an 8% return???

Worry after this last vote that our City Manager may decide to move on..   Camrbridge job would look dam good to me if I was him....    Where is our new Housing Policy anyhow??    

Fort Myers

The more I think about this, the more I like Fort Myers as the destination by jetBlue. 

JetBlue CEO on @flyorh twitter

Must read https://mobile.twitter.com/#!/flyorh

Chamber of Commerce Health Plans

The Chamber of Commerce plans have three carriers to choose from:

1. Harvard Pilgrim
2. Fallon
3. Health New England

Please note that Health New England is only appropriate for employers in Western Massachusetts.  Even with three carriers, there are a limited number of plan designs available.


Harvard-Pilgrim offers NO traditional "co-payment" plans, but only high "deductible" plans starting at $1,500 for their traditional larger network and $1,000 for the smaller "Focus" network. Similarily, Fallon has NO "co-payment" plans, and deductible plans start at 1,000 for all three of their networks: Select, Direct and the newly formed Steward.

Why join? There are discounts for these limited plans. How much? You can save 3% on the premium by going through the Chamber of Commerce versus going to the carrier direct. This discount, however, comes with a cost:

1. Annual membership fee:
2. Monthly administration fee: Harvard-Pilgrim charges $20 per month per subscriber. A group of two employees will be charged $40 per month or $480 for the year!!Fallon varies the monthly fee by coverage (single is $5/month, employee/child is $9/month, employee/spouse is $10/month, family is$15 per month).
3. Wellness Program Penalty: At the end of each calendar year subscribers who are active participants will be calculated. Businesses that fall short of a 60% active participation threshold will be assessed a one time $100 charge for each covered employee short of the threshold in the calendar year.

After the Annual Membership, monthly administration fee and any wellness penalties, how much of your 3% savings is left? And that assumes you like one of these high deductible plans. In addition, it also assumes that the rates are more competitive than Blue Cross or Tufts, which the Chamber of Commerce does not offer. We do not see this being viable until the up front discount is more in thee 5-10% range.

Chamber of Commerce

Still have no filed their financials for last year.   Not a good sign.   

Rosalie

Do we agree on everything politically?  No... so what.. 

I do, however, consider her a friends and respect how hard she has worked on her newspaper...  Just wanted to let you know my thoughts are with you this week.. 

Robert Z Nemeth

Missed his story last Sunday about the airport.   Read his story today.  Got to admit, Robert Z Nemeth nailed this one.

Good job Z.