Browsing Category sideblog

If we could all set our budgets the way government does

Shocking.A $3.3 million budget shortfall is forcing Albemarle County to consider reducing school programs, among other money-saving measures, officials confirmed Tuesday.County leaders had predicted a slowdown in the housing market, but County Executive Robert W….  said in an e-mail to Albemarle schools Superintendent Pam Moran and the Board of Supervisors that “the extent of the slowdown is greater and has occurred more quickly than expected.”The county collects real-estate taxes twice per year and bases its budget on revenue projections.  This year, the county had projected that residents’ property reassessments would rise 5 percent.  The new projection pegs the number at 0.8 percent, leaving the county with a hole to fill.This demonstrates in painful term the perils of 1) basing your budget on hopes rather than concrete money-in-hand and 2) spending every nickel taken from the taxpayers.It’s a shame that the schools depend so heavily on property taxes.

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Blog down-time

Their estimated time is an hour and a half.”  And that’s why my blog was down today.Not exactly confidence-inspiring.  My blog has become a part of my business, if only for the fact that I run so many email addresses through it….  Time to find a new host that gives a damn.Bluehost needs to do better.

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Agent 2.0

(to me) Aware of and open to new innovations, and how they can fit into one’s business (ed.  note: just because a technology is “new” doesn’t mean it’s “effective”In tune with consumer trends and changes in buyer/seller behavior (e.g., Gen X/Y)Appreciation for “old school” techniques but with an understanding of the value in adapting these techniques to new mediumsAs I said earlier this year in an Inman Article (PDF):”The challenge that we’re facing from the technology standpoint is that there is not a critical mass yet for bleeding-edge technology.  If only one person in the market has heard of it — it’s cool to be in the leading edge but it doesn’t do any good if nobody else is using it.  The balance is knowing and using what is new and cool but also knowing and using what everyone else is (using),” he said.The article also highlights its author, Kelly Roark; she is an example of the caliber of mind they have at Trulia – she (and they) “get it.”

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