Rural Colorado Economic Status - Mid 2009 (Denver, Vail: rental car, fit in, rental)

[sterlinggirl]

Here's a nice link to a color-coded map showing U3 and U6 unemployment by state. Colorado is doing worse than any of our neighboring states. If you're looking for work, North Dakota has the lowest UE rate in the nation at 4%.

Broad Unemployment Across the U.S. - Interactive Graphic - NYTimes.com

[brightdoglover]

I just got back from a car trip across Utah and Colorado, and talked to people about local business, be it for tourists or whatever.
Things are hurting. "For Rent" and "For Sale" signs all over. (And don't even start with the scene in Las Vegas, where I unfortunately had to fly in- cranes standing there over dusty half-finished stuff. In Mesquite, the pathetic old motels empty or abandoned, closings everywhere).
A friend of mine who paints houses in Ridgway, CO, said it's odd, he always had trouble finding work in the boom times, and now he's hooked up with a former hotel owner who is doing painting contracting and booming with it. As friend said, "There are 4,000 people in Ouray Country, and two thousand are trying to make a living from the other two thousand. You either live with it or get out."
Restaurants hurting there, but hey, I do my share. I love to eat out on vacation. Also bought too much artwork but I love supporting the artists and their work is beautiful. I know art has always been a tough living, but those who haven't had it so tough for some time are hurting this year.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

I just got back from a car trip across Utah and Colorado, and talked to people about local business, be it for tourists or whatever.
Things are hurting. "For Rent" and "For Sale" signs all over. (And don't even start with the scene in Las Vegas, where I unfortunately had to fly in- cranes standing there over dusty half-finished stuff. In Mesquite, the pathetic old motels empty or abandoned, closings everywhere).
A friend of mine who paints houses in Ridgway, CO, said it's odd, he always had trouble finding work in the boom times, and now he's hooked up with a former hotel owner who is doing painting contracting and booming with it. As friend said, "There are 4,000 people in Ouray Country, and two thousand are trying to make a living from the other two thousand. You either live with it or get out."
Restaurants hurting there, but hey, I do my share. I love to eat out on vacation. Also bought too much artwork but I love supporting the artists and their work is beautiful. I know art has always been a tough living, but those who haven't had it so tough for some time are hurting this year.

If you want to see a truly grim scene, check out rural California. Up a couple of posts above, there is a link to an NYT map. So, overall, California is up there with MI, OH, SC and RI as part of the 20+% club by the expanded unemployed / underemployed measure. Even the standard measure is up around 25% in some of our rural counties. By the expanded measure you're talking 35+%.

[DOUBLE H]

Brightdoglover brings up a good point in regards to Mesquite, Neveada. That scenario has been going for a while now. I went through there early December last year and saw the Oasis casino parking lot completely empty! I stayed at the Virgin River just across the highway and learned from some of the people who worked there that (at that time) the casino might re-open in June if the economy improves. Also down the street the Casablanca was only open on weekends. Methinks Mesquite, Nevada has got problems!

[Josseppie]

I think this is the good news for Pueblo I was waiting for but to be honest I am not sure. So I thought I would post it and see what everyone thought.


NuQuest Inc., a business development firm, announced the signing of an exclusive Consulting Agreement with Sun and Wind Energy LLC of Pueblo, Colorado that enables NuQuest Inc., through its Capital MatchPoint web portal (www.capitalmatchpoint.com), to implement a complete business development and financing package designed to create a regional and national roll-out of their unique and proprietary capabilities as an economically viable solar energy and electricity provider moving America in the direction of energy independence.

The link: OfficialWire: Nuquest Announces Agreement With "Green" Energy Company

[jazzlover]

Originally Posted by Josseppie

I think this is the good news for Pueblo I was waiting for but to be honest I am not sure. So I thought I would post it and see what everyone thought.


NuQuest Inc., a business development firm, announced the signing of an exclusive Consulting Agreement with Sun and Wind Energy LLC of Pueblo, Colorado that enables NuQuest Inc., through its Capital MatchPoint web portal (www.capitalmatchpoint.com), to implement a complete business development and financing package designed to create a regional and national roll-out of their unique and proprietary capabilities as an economically viable solar energy and electricity provider moving America in the direction of energy independence.

The link: OfficialWire: Nuquest Announces Agreement With "Green" Energy Company

Possible translation: A start-up company with no currently viable product or tangible assets has hired a venture capital firm to try and scare up some money from some investors or lenders to get the lead balloon off the ground. For this, the venture capital company will either be paid a huge contingent fee if they can pull the trick off, or they will take a huge equity position in the venture if it actually manages to have some success. The press release has all of the buzzwords of a promotional scheme designed mainly to suck a bunch of gullible investors into parting with their hard-earned money into what may be a bottomless pit. Of course, if they are shrewd, the promoters will also convince the government to dump a bunch of taxpayer money into the pit, too. I could be wrong, but my years of experience tells me it smells an awful lot like another investment "fad"--you know, like chinchilla ranching, Florida swampland, etc., etc. My experience also is that the governmental economic development-types--economic development authorities, etc.--are as gullible or more so for the scammers out there as are those in the private sector. When it comes to stuff like this, I follow the advice I got years ago from sharp corporate attorney, "Trust in Allah, but keep your camels tied up."

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Possible translation: A start-up company with no currently viable product or tangible assets has hired a venture capital firm to try and scare up some money from some investors or lenders to get the lead balloon off the ground. For this, the venture capital company will either be paid a huge contingent fee if they can pull the trick off, or they will take a huge equity position in the venture if it actually manages to have some success. The press release has all of the buzzwords of a promotional scheme designed mainly to suck a bunch of gullible investors into parting with their hard-earned money into what may be a bottomless pit. Of course, if they are shrewd, the promoters will also convince the government to dump a bunch of taxpayer money into the pit, too. I could be wrong, but my years of experience tells me it smells an awful lot like another investment "fad"--you know, like chinchilla ranching, Florida swampland, etc., etc. My experience also is that the governmental economic development-types--economic development authorities, etc.--are as gullible or more so for the scammers out there as are those in the private sector. When it comes to stuff like this, I follow the advice I got years ago from sharp corporate attorney, "Trust in Allah, but keep your camels tied up."

I recall the stage play "The Producers" where the wiley old show producer (Nathan Lane) told the green young man that there were two rules for getting financing for a Broadway show:
1. Gently stated to the young man: "Never put your own money in the show."
2. Screaming loudly in the young man's ear: "NEVER PUT YOUR OWN MONEY IN THE SHOW!!!!"

[Josseppie]

Originally Posted by jazzlover

Possible translation: A start-up company with no currently viable product or tangible assets has hired a venture capital firm to try and scare up some money from some investors or lenders to get the lead balloon off the ground. For this, the venture capital company will either be paid a huge contingent fee if they can pull the trick off, or they will take a huge equity position in the venture if it actually manages to have some success. The press release has all of the buzzwords of a promotional scheme designed mainly to suck a bunch of gullible investors into parting with their hard-earned money into what may be a bottomless pit. Of course, if they are shrewd, the promoters will also convince the government to dump a bunch of taxpayer money into the pit, too. I could be wrong, but my years of experience tells me it smells an awful lot like another investment "fad"--you know, like chinchilla ranching, Florida swampland, etc., etc. My experience also is that the governmental economic development-types--economic development authorities, etc.--are as gullible or more so for the scammers out there as are those in the private sector. When it comes to stuff like this, I follow the advice I got years ago from sharp corporate attorney, "Trust in Allah, but keep your camels tied up."

This extensive agreement calls for NuQuest to provide Sun and Wind Energy with business model structuring and the creation and packaging for the financing of one initial Solar Power Facility (SPF) project under agreement for immediate construction

This makes me think that they could be building a "SPF" soon in Pueblo and I have heard 3 companies are looking.....

[sterlinggirl]

Therese Poletti's Tech Tales: Solar-panel glut may lead to more price implosion - MarketWatch

[ocean2026]

Colorado will come back more quickly than most places. LOL to the advice of moving to North Dakota for a job. Yes 9 out of 10 people in North Dakota have a job- Jim, Ralph, Bubba,Dale Dixie, and Tom work on farms, Petie hauls grain, and Janet and Butch work at the feed store. Butch is approaching 70 so there will be a job opening there in the not so distant future,however you will be competing with Howie who has been sitting around waiting for the opening for 7 years Go for it!