Well this is a highly recommended piece for those who care about the functioning of the trade center, the prospects of a new hotel on Hutchinson Island, future development of the island, the pressures on local spending as federal subsidies…
More on the value ($$$s) of on-street parking
In my Savannah Morning News column today, I focus on the monetary value of on-street parking: New parking on Price will spur economic activity. A single parking space near a vibrant retail area could result in tens of thousands of…
Seasonality in labor markets — and political manipulation of the results
At the end of my Savannah Morning News column today, I talk about the “absurd” characterizations in the Georgia Department of Labor’s press release about employment in the state. Here I’m going to expand on some of those thoughts. As…
Looking at regional disparities in unemployment rates (or: why are things so bad in the South?)
Unemployment data is really slippery, and I’ll post something on Sunday as a follow up to a portion of my SMN column in which I mention some of the political sleight of hand of blaming seasonal factors for numbers that…
Federal government, immigration among key drivers of job growth in Texas
I already posted about some of the less than stellar data regarding job growth in Texas. That’s a subject that has been — and will be — much in the news as long as Rick Perry’s run for the Republican…
Savannah housing market showing improvement in year-over-year sales; long recovery still ahead
There literally isn’t anything in the latest Savannah area MLS data that jumps out at me. (The numbers are typically available on the 9th of each month but I’m just now looking closely at them.) The total number of sales…
Statesboro bank closed by the FDIC
It’s been more than a month since a Georgia bank was closed, but that changed today with the failure of First Southern National Bank of Statesboro. From the FDIC press release: First Southern National Bank, Statesboro, Georgia, was closed today…
Gas prices should continue downward slide
I predicted over a week ago that we should see average gas prices in the Savannah area fall eventually to $3.30 per gallon or less. But the price of crude has been bouncing around a bit, which could make that…
Washington Post: Long economic recovery ahead
From the Department of Duh, here’s a pretty cogent piece in the The Washington Post about our current sluggish economy: Recovery could be one of the longest, most difficult in history, economists say. I’ve been writing and talking about this…
West Memphis Three might be freed as early as today
A bit of a departure for this blog today. I don’t comment much on national news outside the realm of politics and economics, and I try not to focus on salacious topics just for the sake of the salacious. But,…
Local press covers Price Street changes
I posted a couple of weeks ago about the looming changes to Price Street in Savannah, which will likely turn from a horrid two-lane, one-way speedway to a much friendlier street with one lane of vehicular traffic, a bike lane,…
Maps tell the story about new West Chatham high school site
[UPDATE, 4/4/12: This high school is now officially called New Hampstead High School, after the name of the New Hampstead development that has been almost completely stalled since the housing bust.] The Savannah-Chatham County public school system is moving ahead…