Our government lets us down when they grant benefits to their own workers that they don't mandate into the private workforce. That is the undeniable essence of the argument, courtesy of our friend Ed Ring. And from the February 16th issue of the LA Times:

The state government has guaranteed health benefits for tens of thousands of its current and future retirees without a plan to pay for them, and the liability threatens to return California to fiscal crisis, the Legislature's lead fiscal analyst said Friday.

The nonpartisan legislative analyst's office reported that the bill for workers already promised lifetime health insurance by the state is $40 billion to $70 billion over the next 30 years. And that sum is rising rapidly as more state workers become eligible. The price tag could trump even the cost of the $68-billion bond measure at the center of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to build roads, bridges, levees, jails and ourthouses.

No matter your politics, we have created a completely untenable situation that must be taken care of. Even the most liberal of the liberal, at some point, must say enough is enough. Paying taxes to provide benefits far superior to the taxpayer's is not feasible.

Ed brought this issue to our attention many months ago. I tried every way to argue the other side, but he finally has gotten to me.

His latest argument follows:

My biggest problem with unions isn't what they want for their members. It's their complete indifference to whether or not what they negotiate for their members bears even a slight similarity to what the rest of us get, or don't get, and the fact they don't care if getting these benefits bankrupts our economy. Public employee unions should be illegal because they don't have the constraint of fiscal solvency that private companies face. You can't bankrupt a public entity, you just raise taxes. This is why unions don't belong in the public sphere. Our government lets us down when they grant benefits to their own workers that they don't mandate into private workforce.

This sentiment, to me, is a core value towards the formation of a political center that currently is a vacuum. A center position that believes in more government, more benefits and services for ALL workers in the economy - at the same time as the benefits for government workers are reined in, downscaled to what is economically feasible for ALL workers. That must happen. Until the unions are exposed for NOT standing for what unions, ideally, stand for, which is rights and benefits for ALL workers, not just their specific brotherhood, and until unions are reformed accordingly, they are not unions in any positive context.

When is the last time you heard a centrist claim they wanted more government benefits and services at the same time they claimed public employee unions require drastic reformation? But that is our economic reality, and the momentum of our time. Will you get on board? Public employee unions as they are currently organized are destroying California. Let's not forget the "us vs. them" rhetoric intrinsic to union organizing that has infected the mind and work ethic of every public employee. That too must be broken.

Readers - do you have an opposing view or do you agree with Ed? Please post.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:50 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

When Sacramento-based Digital Music Group went public on February 1st, CEO Mitch Koulouris owned 567,752 shares. The stock is trading at $9.90 up from its initial price on 2/1 of $9.75. So, on paper, Mitch is worth a cool $5.6M.

That's better odds of becoming a millionaire than buying a lottery ticket. But founding a company and taking it public is a little more work than walking into your neighborhood gas station and buying a ticket. And for the fortune to hold up, the stock has to stay up until sale restrictions are removed. Let's hope that happens, as there are other local investors in the company also, including several Sacramento Angels.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Angels

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:17 AM | Permalink

Soon after settling on my latin beat salsa ringtone, I realized that many women 'of a certain age' had settled on the same ringtone as me. Are we living vicariously through our ringtone?

If you want something different, check out WolftramTones which allows you to compose your own personal ringtone with thousands of choices in multiple categories. You can even choose which blend of instruments you want. And the download charge is only around $2.

A pretty good chance you won't be digging in your pocket when someone else's phone is ringing.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:03 AM | Permalink

Mike Dunne, The Sacramento Bee's noted restaurant critic, named his top ten restaurants of 2005.

1. Biba, 2801 Capitol Ave., Sacramento; (916) 455-2422

2. Masque Ristorante, 3909 Park Drive, El Dorado Hills; (916) 933-8555

3. The Firehouse, 1112 Second St., Old Sacramento; (916) 442-4772

4. Lemon Grass, 601 Munroe St., Sacramento; (916) 486-4891

5. The Waterboy, 20th Street and Capitol Avenue; (916) 498-9891

6. Le Bilig French Cafe, 11750 Atwood Road, Auburn; (530) 888-1491

7. Dawson's American Bistro and Martinis, Hyatt Regency Sacramento, 1209 L St., Sacramento; (916) 321-3600 or (916) 443-1234

8. Paragary's Bar & Oven, 28th and N streets, Sacramento; (916) 457-5737

9. Lucca Restaurant & Bar, 1615 J St., Sacramento; (916) 669-5300

10. La Provence Restaurant and Terrace, 110 Diamond Creek Place, Roseville; (916) 789-2002

He notes that:

There's really not much difference between No. 1 and No. 10 on the final list, aside from style of food and personality of proprietors. They're all in the same league (fine dining), but different divisions (regional Italian, provincial French, New American).

They all more or less meet the same standards - they've been around awhile; they provide consistently fine service, though not necessarily without idiosyncrasies; their food is as creative in inspiration as it is steady in execution, which is to say their dishes represent imagination, precision, intellect; and their restaurant designs are individualistic, if not always elegant.

None is perfect. Sometime during the year I'm apt to get a complaint about any of them. Someone won't like the pacing of courses. Someone will feel that a server snubbed them. Someone will grouse about the size of portions. Complaints come with the territory, but the owners of these restaurants constantly try to improve, and to respond with speed and sensitivity when a shortcoming is pointed out.

Read the whole story here

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:52 AM | Permalink

Ed Ring was the winner of the Ski Trip for Two at the January Sacramento Executive event.
Here is his report:

Gillian, Pierre,

This email is to thank you for having such a great door prize at your first get-together. On Saturday 2-25 my nephew and I took advantage of the offer and joined Alpine Adventures for a trip to Sugar Bowl. We got on the bus at 7 a.m. and slept until they were entering the parking lot. What a great idea - I'm not sure I'll ever drive to a ski resort again for same-day skiing - we got there totally rested and ready to go onto the slopes. At the resort the folks from Alpine Adventures helped us navigate the ski rental ordeal which is always a bit hectic - they kept us company and made sure we got our equipment quickly and with a minimum of fuss. The weather was perfect, we skiied every mountain and rode every lift. I skied every blue run and several black runs, my hot-dog 18 year-old nephew who grew up on skis in Utah skied every black and double black run they had. The lines were short, the lifts were fast, there was no wind and it was sunny all day. We skipped lunch and went for nearly seven hours non-stop. At the end of the day we just had enough time to sit out on the deck at the new lodge beneath Judah mountain. This lodge has a giant deck on the south-west corner, and at 3:30 p.m. last Saturday, there were hundreds of contented skiers relaxing at the tables in their shirtsleeves, enjoying bright sun that brought the temperature up over 60 degrees. The smell of burgers and beer washed over us, there was a musician singing and playing guitar off to one corner, the white snow-covered mountains shone all around us, the air was clean and crisp, the sun was warm and it felt like a small slice of paradise. All in all taking this ski trip was a perfect way to spend a day after watching the winter olympics for the last two weeks. The ride back was comfortable and we were able to rest and relax instead of fight the traffic. Alpine Adventures is a class operation, we were made to feel like VIPs, and I can't thank you enough for offering their prize. We enjoyed it to the fullest.

Ed

Thanks Alpine Adventures for donating such a great prize. You can check out their website here

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Customer support is alive and well at Maui Jim. My husband bought a pair of these pretty expensive sunglasses several years ago. He bought them not because they were in fashion but because they fit him well. At least three times during the intervening years, he has sent them back for repair under the warranty program offered by the sunglass manufacturer. And every time they come back completely renewed.

A couple of weeks ago the screw fell out of one of the arms. The fact that he had found the sunglasses after a week at the bottom of our pool might have had something to do with that! We bundled them up and mailed them in. As soon as I mailed them, I realized I forgot to include the check for $8.95 for repair. So a couple of days later I called the company. They told me that they had already fixed them and we were receiving a one-time complimentary repair.

A couple more days later and the sunglasses arrive with a completely new frame.

We would certainly buy Maui Jims again...if we ever need to...these ones seem to go on forever.

Thanks Maui Jim...you really take good care of your customers..

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:03 AM | Permalink

Thanks to Pat Livingston, one of the artists at the Sacramento Executive event, who has sent a link with some great photos. Check it out Type in executive and the imagery will show up.

Thanks Pat, they look terrific.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 11:03 PM | Permalink

This is not a joke. This is an actual headline in today's Metro section of the Sacramento Bee.

Are these little piggies going to the market?

Have a great day!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:30 AM | Permalink

7 days and counting...March 1st, be there or be square...

Don't expect to get the $3000 prize for first in line. Glen Reynolds has already been camping out for several days and plans to be the first shopper prize winner.
And take heart that the Ikea folks do lots of demographic research before they decide to open stores and the Sacramento region met the criteria...and West Sacramento managed to nab the actual brick and mortar building.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 9:00 PM | Permalink

Are you an entrepreneur who has a good idea and is looking for an innovative way to develop the idea into a succesful company - look no further - check out Paul Graham's seed funding strategies at Y Combinator. Paul has real credibility - he co-founded Viaweb in 1995 and three years later sold it to Yahoo! for $49 million.

I first heard about Y Combinator a month ago from Mark Randall, founder of local start-up Serious Magic and again yesterday in a New York Times feature article. The Times article will no doubt flood Y Combinator's email "in basket".

Readers, do you think the Sacramento region could support a similar type of funding model?

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 6:03 PM | Permalink

From the Dallas Maverics website:

DALLAS (February 9, 2006) – The Dallas Mavericks have announced both a reduction in all upper bowl ticket prices and an increase in the number of tickets currently priced at $10 (from 1000 to 1800) starting with the 2006-07 season.

Tickets currently priced at $50 will be lowered to $48, $35 to $33, $19 to $18 and $10 to $9. In addition, for 10 pre-selected games fans will be able to purchase Terrace Level tickets for $2, $10, $20 and $32. Lower bowl ticket prices will remain the same.

“I am excited to announce that we are lowering all upper bowl ticket prices starting next season,” said Mavs owner Mark Cuban. “I’m anticipating a reduction in payroll next season and want to pass on the savings so more fans can experience the fun of a Mavs game at American Airlines Center. My goal is to keep the Dallas Mavericks an exciting and affordable source of entertainment regardless of what your entertainment budget is. With $2 tickets, Mavs games will be more affordable than ever.”

Mark Cuban sounds like a guy who wants to stick around Dallas for a long time.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:24 AM | Permalink

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:54 AM | Permalink

Sacramento Executive announces our upcoming event which continues our mission to link executives to all that is great in Sacramento. The Supper Club located on Del Paso Blvd is a triumph on the Sacramento dining scene. And one of its best kept secrets. Housed in an urban space and expertly tended by David Berkeley veterans, Matt and Yvette Woolston, the Sacramento Magazine says “The Supper Club is the place to Dine with a capital D — a place to savor with the eyes and the taste buds incredibly prepared food at tastefully adorned tables. This is an “occasion” restaurant.”

So what better place to hold Sacramento Executive's next quarterly collaboration building on the rave reviews of the January event at Mason's? Two hundred people registered for the event and had some great things to say. Check out the photos and more here.

Registration will include heavy hors d'oeuves and wine pairings. The all inclusive price before March 20th is $60. The cost will rise to $70 thereafter. Yvette has promised that no one will leave hungry and having experienced the quality and quantity of their exquisite appetizers at a previous event, I am absolutely sure she is correct.

We are looking forward to seeing you on the 19th. Please be sure to register right away because January's event sold out, people are asking on a daily basis to be added to our invitation list to the next event, and this venue is smaller than the previous one. It would be a shame if you wanted to attend and we had had to close out registration.

As always, no speeches, no interruptions. Just great business contacts, catching up with old acquaintances and meeting new ones, some special guests and some great prizes.

Register here. We think you are really going to love the Supper Club.

Gillian Parrillo
Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:52 AM | Permalink

How many times have you heard the idiomatic expression “don’t put all your eggs in one basket”? If you are an entrepreneur and you follow this saying, then you will have a high chance of failing in your business. Successful business people have a common trait – focus, focus, focus. They typically do one thing extremely well.

If you want to financially succeed, put all your eggs in one basket and mind that basket very well (props to Ben Franklin for this one). This is the secret to building great wealth and is contrary to almost all financial planners who say diversify, diversify, diversify. Diversification almost always yields mediocrity.

Here’s my proof – how did the following people make their money? Joyce Raley Teel, Buzz Oates, the McClatchy family, Mike Bibby, the Teichert family, Abe Alizadeh, Lina Fats, the Wicklands, the Ramos, Bob Pepper, Panattoni’s, Alex Spanos, the Tsakopoulos family, the Maloofs, Brian Strom, Randy Paragary and Roger Valine? They did it by staying focused on a single vision and working hard to make the vision a reality.

Remember, conventional wisdom is seldom the path to success. Just because 99 out of 100 people think an idea is a good idea, that doesn’t make it a good idea! To create extreme wealth, you must put all your eggs in one basket and mind that basket very well.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 9:19 AM | Permalink

Last night the Sacramento Speakers Series hosted Bob Newhart at the Memorial Auditorium. Bob was terrific! Look for next season's line-up to be announced at the March 15 event, where Jean Michel Cousteau will share his passion of the oceans with Sacramento.

I can't wait to see who will be Andy Eppinger's headliners for the second season.

Andy, well done!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:44 PM | Permalink

On 9th Street between J and K hidden behind a very inauspicious door, is a new entry on the Sacramento dining scene. Leonardo and Mina Fasulo, the owners of Davis standout, Osteria Fasulo, have opened a new restaurant in Sacramento, Il Posto, Italian for The Place.

I met a friend there for lunch yesterday. Neither of us had ever been to the restaurant before. In fact until a few days ago, neither of us had even heard of it. I arrived a few minutes early, and was slightly worried as it appeared a little shopworn for a new eatery. A visit to the bathroom showed that it had not been updated and when my friend arrived and we were led up the long stairway, the red carpet could have definitely done with being replaced or at least shampooed.

We were asked if we wanted to sit by the window, which we agreed to. As we gazed out at the alley and the dumpsters, we realized that urban dining has a life of its own!

But we were quickly greeted by our waiter and a very tasty lunch ensued. The restaurant is currently offering its winter menu. My friend ordered the ravioli filled butternut squash and served with a brown butter. The waiter suggested a salad also. When the salad arrived it was served in a parmesan basket. It looked scrumptious. I ordered the tuna, white bean and sweet onion salad and the waiter suggested some soup to accompany it. I chose a cup of the tomato soup and must say that it was probably the best tomato soup I ever ate, and the salad was pretty darn good too. The meal was accompanied by very tasty bread and a pesto like sauce for dipping.

As we ate our lunch, the restaurant began to fill, but the tables are well spaced and we never felt in the slightest bit crowded.

Prices are high for lunch compared to other local eateries. With only an ice tea to accompany our meal, the bill came to $40. This could be based on the fact that the restaurant is so close to the Capital and we have so many lobbyists in town!

But definitely I would try it again and maybe even plan on going for dinner and sitting in the Governor's Dining Room, where the owners have received special permission to display the official portraits of all 37 past Governors of California - the very same portraits that grace the halls of the State Capitol.

So, break out of the same old routine and try something new for lunch and dinner.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Nine key players who have shaped the local dining scene are featured. This photo, courtesy of Kevin German, Sacramento Bee, tells it all:

From left, Kurt Spataro, Taro Arai (sitting), Trong Nguyen, Lina Fat, Rick Mahan, Mai Pham, Joe Davalos, Biba Caggiano and Randy Paragary.

They are Sacramento icons, successful business owners and out and out foodies. We are proud to call you all our own! And we would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at the photoshoot!

Read the article by Mike Dunne

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:45 PM | Permalink

The unemployment rate is hovering around 4.7% nationwide. This is down from a high of more than 6% in mid 2003. Steadily, the tide is shifting from an “employer-driven market” to one where job seekers and career changes are in charge.

The Bureau of Labor statistics projects labor shortages of more than 10 million worker by 2010. This is fueled by the impending boomer retirement and an ever-increasing need for creative, nimble workers who can solve problems in a changing work environment. Strong reasoning skills, excellent communication skills and the ability to innovate will be in great demand.

So, what does this mean to you? If you are one of those “workers”, it increasingly makes no sense for you to stay with a job you dislike. It’s the right time to direct your career and your future, taking advantage of the developing talent shortage.

If you are an employer, retention of talent and succession planning should be at the very top of your list. A slow response will be both expensive and painful.

Tips for Career Changers in an Employee Driven Market

· Know what you are good at and be ready to articulate it. 80% of available employment is never listed anywhere, so networking is the key to your future.
· Consider short-term, practical training courses to focus your career in a new direction.
· Partner with friends or colleagues who what to re-direct their career. Encourage each other on a weekly basis over lunch or a cocktail
· Contact the employers you want to work for directly. Do not wait for an opening. Get to the decision-maker and make your case.
· Plan for both short-term re-alignment as well as the longer-term dreams. Don’t wait for the full-blown talent shortage to get your act together. You want to be ahead of the curve and enjoy an optimum career—fully taking advantage of the changing market.
·Start with an assessment; go to www.ElevateYourCareer.com for a complete career planning process.

By: Helen Scully, Nationally Certified Career Counselor
President, Scully Career Associates, Inc.
www.ScullyCareerAssociates.com

Thanks for your great insight, Helen

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 7:03 PM | Permalink

Today's top ten out of area visitors of the Sacramento Executive hail from:

10. Windermere, Florida
9. St. Paul, Minnesota
8. British Columbia
7. Windsor, Ontario
6. New South Wales, Australia
5. Aberdeen, Scotland
4. Tokyo, Japan
3. Belfast, Northern Ireland
2. Hamilton, New Zealand
1. Ivory Coast, Africa

Thank You!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:53 PM | Permalink

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:43 PM | Permalink

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

This is a great report which will provide lots of insights into real estate in this area for 2006.
The report is nationwide. If you click on the Northern California portion of the map you will have an opportunity to
check out prospects for:
The San Francisco Bay Area
Sacramento
Fresno
Reno
Central Valley
in multiple categories including: Office, Industrial, Retail, Investment and Land

Thanks Grubb & Ellis

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:51 PM | Permalink

The Sacramento Bee reports that Intel, greater Sacramento's largest private corporation, will add a major new building to itrs R&D complex in Folsom. And Microsft Corp., also announced plans to expand. Is the technology boom starting again? And will Sacramento be in on the action this time?

"This is what we've been kind of expecting," said David Lyons, labor market consultant at the California Employment Development Department. "We knew that the industry would turn around; it has taken longer than many of us expected."

You are right there, David. Every week I get calls from several highly qualified senior technology managers looking for a spot in Sacramento and it's getting depressing to have to tell them the pickings are slim.

Let's hope we can figure out how to slot these talented people into our local companies soon before they give up and move back to tbe Bay Area or further afield. What a loss that would be.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 1:14 PM | Permalink

This is the unedited version of the article I wrote on behalf of the Sacramento Angels for the Sacramento Bee's insert in the February 3, 2006 edition in celebration of the SARTA Technology Index Luncheon.

On Wednesday, I attended the monthly dinner meeting of the Sacramento Angels, an angel investment group. Two companies made appealing investor-focused presentations and then the Angel members began their usual questioning. How big is your market? How did you measure it? Tell me about any successful exits your team has had? When are you going to be breakeven? What’s your exit strategy? What percentage of the company equity will this round buy? Will any part of this investment go to retire old debt? What is your distribution strategy? Lots of preliminary decisions to invest or not invest are made solely on the answers to these rapid-fire questions.

Just one day later, I met in a private room at Mikunis over huge platters of sushi and sashimi to consider an investment in another company. This time the mood was different although I didn’t figure that out until I asked my first ‘professional Angel’ question. And realized that these entrepreneurs had no idea what I was talking about. “An exit strategy?” “Well, if an investor wants their money back, then the other investors could maybe pay them back,” they volunteered tentatively.

That’s when it really struck me. Angels come in many forms. Legally, an Angel, according to Regulation D of the Securities Act of 1933 must have a net worth in excess of $1 million, not including their primary residence. Alternatively, potential angels may have an income exceeding $200,000 in each of the two most recent years, or a joint income with a spouse exceeding $300,000 and a reasonable expectation of having the same income level in the current year. But how Angels decide what companies to invest in is much more complicated. Let’s look at two different types of many. I have termed these two the professional Angel and the affinity Angel.

The professional Angel, acting alone or as part of a group, has making money as a prime motivation, although helping an entrepreneur is an acceptable bi-product. They are serious about who they give their money to and believe in doing their research to lessen the risk level inherent in Angel investments. They act much more like venture capitalists in that they usually have a set of criteria they need companies to meet before an investment is considered. They weigh all this data to decide whether the company is capable of meeting certain milestones that will provide the Angel a satisfactory return within an acceptable time period.

The affinity Angel, who again may act alone or as part of group, has a prime motivation of helping entrepreneurs with making money a desired bi-product. They usually invest based on gut. They often invest in markets they don’t know much about, but have a gut feel it could be hot or huge, or both. They almost always invest because they know the entrepreneur and believe in him or her. They might know them professionally or personally, or have been introduced through a trusted acquaintance. This judgment often has nothing to do with the entrepreneur’s business skills or prior successes or failures. An affinity Angel just has a good sense of the person’s drive, character, honesty, or ethics. These investments are often in classically risky areas – movies, restaurants, and retail, for instance. Add this to the lack of sufficient inquiry into the business plan, and the risk just got higher.

Right now I have in front of me three very appealing high-risk investments that the affinity Angel in me thinks are ‘terrific’, mostly because I think the entrepreneurs are so talented and creative and ahead of their time. But my professional Angel reminds me of how many times we have been in this same position before and, just in case I might have forgotten, my professional Angel reminds me loudly just how many don’t seem so terrific now.

So, how can you tell which kind of investment opportunity is being presented to you? Look around the room where the entrepreneur is pitching. Is there one single person there who has had previous experience investing in this type of deal? For example, if this is a restaurant investment, I look to see if there is at least one person writing a check that has had experience investing in restaurants. Then I can persuade the professional Angel in me that this experienced investor has asked all the right questions to ensure this is a good investment. At that point I can feel better about indulging my affinity Angel. But having a room full of friends, family, patrons, and future accountant, lawyer, and landlord is not a good sign.

Affinity investors are often inexperienced investors. Although their money is helpful to an entrepreneur, and is often more forthcoming, in the long-term their participation may be harmful. Because they are inexperienced, they never imagine that they could lose their money. As they see the company doing poorly, they become more controlling, often hastening the demise of the company. And the loss will often ruin friendships, family and business relationships permanently. While professional Angels are not happy about losing their investment, they already expect that a large percentage of their investments will never flourish, but with a diverse enough portfolio, one winner will make up for a bunch of losers.

And some of us just keep looking for investments that make sense financially and also allow us to fuel our desire to back creative, high-energy entrepreneurs, especially those who are going to make Sacramento an even more exciting place to live and work. And, for goodness sake, they feed us sushi and sashimi at Mikuni’s and invite lots of ‘gut’ people to hang out with. It’s much more fun, even though it could be less lucrative.

And as far as I know, no one has tracked the returns of Angel investments based on the motivation behind them. Wouldn’t it be great if affinity Angels were getting as good a return as professional Angels and twice the fun!

Gillian Parrillo
Board Member
Sacramento Angels
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 12:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

25-year old startup entrepreneur Scott Hildebrand, CEO of Tubes, published a post here at Sacramento Executive on February 6. Gillian and I have published about 150 posts since our inception two months ago. We use software from www.sitemeter.com to provide us with valuable information about our readers such as what pages they read, how long they stay on our site, and how they find our site.

Yesterday afternoon I launched the software to review the traffic details for the day. Much to my amazement, over half of yesterday’s visitors entered Scott’s post on www.sacramentoexecutive.com via www.fuzzyblog.com.

I was taken by curiosity and began to investigate why we were getting so much traffic from FuzzyBlog. I had never heard of FuzzyBlog. Surprisingly, FuzzyBlog’s creator Scott Johnson had a link on his blog to Scott’s posting on our site. I was puzzled. Why would a Scott Johnson from FuzzyBlog be linking to a post on our site?

Well, my investigation revealed that Scott Johnson is the founder of Feedster, a very successful start-up company in the RSS space (syndication software). In fact, Feedster is the pioneer of RSS. It turns out that the two Scotts are friends and Scott H. had told Scott J. about the posting on our site. Apparently Scott H. had been in relative stealth mode about his company Tubes. Gillian and I suggested Scott should write a post about Tubes on our site because we were very impressed with the concept of a social network centered around free music from the independents. So Scott’s posting was a bit of a coming out party and his friends were anxious to see what he had to say.

I poked around on FuzzyBlog.com and quickly found the site to have tons of great podcasts on being an entrepreneur. This site is a must read for start-up entrepreneurs. Scott J. provides a tremendous amount of information on his lessons learned as a founder of Feedster. He has 42 podcasts and the list is growing. Podcast 42 is titled “Startup Husband, Startup Dad”. I think you will enjoy it.

I now subscribe to FuzzyBlog through an RSS feed to MyYahoo webpage. Scott Johnson is in stealth mode on a new company called Ookles. In sixteen days (Feb 28) Ookles will be introduced. I suspect Ookles will be a software solution that will capture the attention of the blogosphere in a big way.

Oh, by the way, Scott’s post is the number one entry page to SacramentoExecutive.com (even more than our homepage). Scott you taught us a valuable lesson on blogging. Well done!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 4:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

From Marketing VOX

The total number of U.S.-based searches conducted across approximately 60 search engines in December reached nearly 5.1 billion - or an increase of 55 percent from the 3.3 billion searches conducted in Dec. 2004, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Google accounted for nearly half - 48.9 percent - of the searches.

That's a lot of trips to the library that are not necessary anymore? Do you even remember what life was like before the Internet? And some people thought it was just a fad!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 4:22 AM | Permalink

Michael Theodoulou writes at the TimesOnLine

EIGHT decades have passed since the British archaeologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tutankhamun, the boy king, in Egypt in 1922. Most experts had abandoned hope of finding further treasures in the Valley of the Kings, the desert valley near the ancient city of Luxor where the pharaohs were buried.

They were wrong. Journalists were yesterday given their first peek inside a tomb that had, until last week, lain buried and unopened for three millennia. Inside were five wooden sarcophagi with painted masks, surrounded by more than 20 large alabaster storage jars, their seals intact. Such jars were used in sets of four to hold the mummified entrails of a dead person.

Edwin Brock, the co-director of an excavating team from the University of Memphis, Tennessee, that discovered the tomb less than eight yards from Tutankhamun’s burial chamber, said: “It was a wonderful thing. It was just so amazing to find an intact tomb here after all the work that’s been done before. This was totally unexpected.”

Zahi Hawass, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, said: “This is the most important discovery in the valley for 84 years.”

The discovery was made by chance. The team was working on the tomb of King Amenmeses, a late 19th-dynasty pharaoh, when it found the remains of ancient workmen’s huts. In their foundations the team found a vertical shaft 5ft deep leading to a door made of blocks of stone.

The team has cleared enough of the door to give a tantalising glimpse of the chamber within. At some point one of the sarcophagi had toppled towards the door, exposing its white painted face. Another is partially open, showing a brown cloth covering the mummy inside.

The coffins, dating from the 18th Dynasty (1567BC-1320BC), when Egyptian culture was at its peak, appeared to have suffered damage from termites.

Archaeologists will now study hieroglyphs on the sarcophogi for clues about their contents. Given the burial chamber’s proximity to that of Tutankhamun, it is possible that one of the caskets might contain an ancient queen.

Dr Hawass held out hope that one of the mummies could be that of a celebrated figure such as Nefertiti, the powerful queen of an 18th Dynasty pharaoh.

“No one can be buried in the Valley of the Kings except kings and important people related to the kings,” he said. “Therefore these mummies have to be kings or queens or important people such as nobles or the father or mother of a king.”

I have always been awed that there are still so amazing things left to be discovered. And the stories about how things are found are fascinating...it's usually a lucky accident...check out the story of how the Terracotta warriors were discovered.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 6:38 PM | Permalink

This article originally appeared in the January 15, 2006 edition of the Casey Energy Speculator, a monthly newsletter which focuses on junior exploration energy stocks. It's a very thought-provoking piece on what is causing the high price of oil.

All kinds of theories have been floated over the past few years to explain the rapidly rising price of oil. But few analysts have noted that expensive crude might not be a function of supply and demand, but rather a simple function of inflation.

Since the younger Bush took office, the U.S. has been frantically printing money to stave off recession and keep the bloated American economy from collapsing. Fiat dollars have made their way around the world and now constitute the major foreign currency holdings of most countries. Central banks in China and Japan hold an estimated combined total of $1.3 trillion. With the modern equivalent of printing presses going flat-out, the world supply of money has almost doubled since 2000, from less than $2.5 trillion to just below $4.5 trillion. Interestingly, as money supplies have increased, so too have oil prices. While there are certainly other factors at work, it is hard to ignore the correlation between the doubling of the money supply and the rise in crude.

Money Growth over IP and Oil Price moved together Is it just coincidence, or could soaring energy prices be more a function of Alan Greenspan's whims than of Saudi Arabia's geology? The increase in oil has indeed come at a time when prices for almost everything else have headed skyward. Houses, copper, Starbucks coffee... you name it, and chances are it's a lot more expensive than it was five years ago. (The exception is Wal-Mart consumer goods, which have become ridiculously cheap because of pennies-an-hour Chinese labor... itself a symptom of the over-inflated dollar.)

All of which suggests that inflation may be a much larger factor in the current crude price than most investors realize. Reports in mid-2005 from the Shanghai Securities News, in fact, suggested that China was already "exploring ways to use some of its huge foreign exchange reserves to buy imported oil."

Given that the U.S. shows no sign of curbing the torrent of new bucks flooding the market, we expect the money supply to keep exerting upward pressure on oil. In fact, the rise may accelerate as the American fiscal situation deteriorates further. Just this month, Nobel Prize winning economist Joseph Stiglitz and Linda Blimes of Harvard forecast that the war in Iraq will ultimately cost the U.S. upwards of $2 trillion... an almost unimaginably large overrun from the $50 billion cost of war previously estimated by the administration. A lot of new money will be needed to pay debts like these, as well as to pay for cleaning up the Biblical level of hurricane damage to the Gulf Coast -- meaning there will ultimately be more a lot more money chasing the same amount of oil.

The other implication is that real supply-and-demand problems may not yet be fully priced into the oil market, even with crude at $65. In fact, the ratio of the oil price to world money supply currently sits near its historical average (represented by the green line). That is, crude is not overly expensive, given the amount of money in the world.

Crude Price is not High Compared to Money Growth


Contrast this with the 1970s, when a major supply disruption--the Arab oil embargo--caused the crude-to-money ratio to spike to more than double where it sits today. If the ratio were to return to historic highs--due to a disturbance such as a war with Iran--the oil price would be sitting well north of $100 a barrel.

Readers, I'd love to hear some feedback on this.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:56 AM | Permalink

Consumers' plans for dropping wireline service in favor of wireless voice service are gaining significant momentum, reports In-Stat. About 9.5% of consumers in a recent In-Stat survey now use wireless as their primary phone, the high-tech market research firm says. In other findings from In-Stat's most recent Consumer Mobility Survey, declines in average revenue per wireless subscriber (ARPU) are being offset by increases in spending on data and messaging services.

"In every age group, 20% to 25% of the respondents said they're planning to use wireless as their primary phone," says David Chamberlain, In-Stat analyst. "Even among demographic groups that we expected would resist cutting the cord – people over age 55 – we are seeing about 25% thinking about cutting the cord.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:32 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

dBusiness News reports today:

SACRAMENTO -- Governor Arnold warzenegger's (sic) administration today unveiled a sweeping new "Green California" Web site, based on his vision of an energy efficient and environmentally friendly California.

The new Web site is filled with ideas, guidelines, reference materials, engineering data and environmentally friendly purchasing information to assist state and local government agencies and California businesses with the shift toward environmental sustainability, energy conservation and the reduction of landfill waste.

"We believe this new Web site will become the primary "go to" site - the new, centralized, electronic reference library - for engineers, architects, building managers, contractors, purchasing agents and other business and government officials and environmentalists in their quest for a Green California,'" said State and Consumer Services Agency Secretary Rosario Marin. "It will be a constantly expanding resource, as more and more links, Web pages and data are added. We believe it will demonstrate with facts and figures that environmentally smart business decisions can also save big bucks, while making life healthier for all of us."

The site, www.green.ca.gov, is focused primarily on two broad areas. It provides, in a single location, vital reference materials for the design, construction, benchmarking and operation of "green buildings." It also provides government and business purchasing officials with detailed information on environmentally friendly products and services, such as office supplies, paper products, office machines, vehicle supplies, building materials, medical supplies, etc.

You can read the whole article here

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:05 AM | Permalink

Cohen¨Durrett, LLP and The Supper Club will host the third annual Have a Heart for Children to benefit Sierra Adoption Services on March 25, 2006 at the Scottish Rite Temple. In its third year, this unique evening demonstrates how two local businesses can come together and have a huge impact in the lives of local children. “We are grateful to The Supper Club for joining us in our endeavor to help children waiting to be adopted. We think the food alone will be a real draw…and the evening will be a lot of fun”, says Dave Cohen.

Sierra Adoption Services serves children who are harder-to-place; children with tragic histories of abuse, neglect and abandonment. Since 1983, Sierra Adoption Services has found permanent homes for over 1,000 children. Over the past two years Have a Heart for Children has raised enough money to help place 8 children in a new, loving home. The goal for 2006 is to place 6 more children in forever homes.

For just $50 per person you can help. You will enjoy an evening of camaraderie, delicious food, entertainment, and a chance to bid on auction items including trips, golf and other sporting and civic tickets, artwork, wine, and much, much more. You may wish to donation auctions items as well.

To make a donation or to purchase tickets please contact Sejal Ojha at Cohen¨Durrett at 916-361-8797.

Sejal Ojha
Cohen Durrett, LLP

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:42 AM | Permalink

Yesterday was the 3rd Annual SARTA Tech Index Celebration held at the Sacramento Convention Center. Although the keynote speaker was Richard Belluzo, former president of Microsoft, the most important revelations came from the talk of Jadoo Power Systems CEO, Larry Bawden. For those in the crowd unaware of the potential of hydrogen fuel cells, it was an enlightening experience. Richard illuminated everyone with a combination of vision and perspective. Vision was provided in the form of today's headlines regarding energy policy and politics, including Iran, Iraq, and Russia, and the strains put upon supply by the growth and consumption of India and China. Anyone with their eyes open knows things look daunting. Perspective in terms of what his own company, and some of the current players in the industry, are doing with respect to fuel cells. To learn more about what his company is doing, here is the link. The Sacramento region is host to a number of fuel cell companies, and in addition, is home to the California Fuel Cell Partnership.

However, the main point for this post was not to just mention fuel cells. Today, the beautiful nation of Sweden made an astonishing revelation...... "Sweden aims for oil-free economy" by the year 2020. Here is the article link. Although we heard our president talk of America's "addiction to oil," this is the first real talk of action. It is good to see that things are starting to happen and awareness is building. The future is exciting and Sacramento's business community appears poised as a player to the upcoming changes.

Edward Hamati
CSUS MBA
Sacramento Entrepreneurship Academy Class of 2005

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:38 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

My name is Scott Hildebrand and I’m the CEO/founder of a local Sacramento startup called Tubes. I recently graduated from UC Davis with degrees in music and computer science, and instead of going straight to work or to grad school I started a company.

Tubes is about freedom of music. We believe that music should be free as promotion for artists. What we’re building with Tubes is a marketing and promotion infrastructure that works for artists, and also a way to make discovery of new music easy. It’s been a lot of fun building this and I expect it’ll keep me busy for quite some time.

My motivation for this was not “I’d like to start a company so now I need to come up with a good idea.” With Tubes it was the other way around, I had a great idea and I had to figure out how to make it happen. Fortunately the market size is huge and only getting bigger. Over the last few years, acquisitions for services similar to ours have been in the $350-$650 million range.

Starting a company is not a trivial or easy thing and there have definitely been ups and downs. The most important thing has been staying excessively tenacious and learning as much as possible from my own mistakes and the experiences of others. So now I’m working with a great lawyer at an international law firm in Sacramento, a great advisory board consisting of people who have experience at Sony, EMI, Disney, MTV and the original Napster, and a great development team that’s working on a beta release. You know you’re truly onto something when two of your developers tell you they only need food and a place to sleep in order to code full-time!

Why do we do this? Traditionally revenues from sales of recorded music never make their way to artists’ wallets. Artists usually get some sort of lump sum as part of a record contract, in which case the label owns the rights to the music. This amount plus any and all costs associated with developing or marketing the band, and costs to produce and ship a record must be paid back to the label before the artists themselves are eligible for any royalties. Another key thing to be aware of is that 7,000 CDs are released by major labels every year, and only about 300 of those are profitable.

A record company is very much like a VC; they invest in 10 bands/companies, most of them flop, a few might break even or make a modest return, and hopefully at least one hits it out of the ballpark. As a result of this most artists get dropped from their labels and their music is no longer owned by them. What this means is those recordings are tied up and the label no longer has any incentive to market or promote the artist. This is just how the music industry operates. It used to work but now it doesn’t and so we need another solution.

MTV and popular radio used to be absolutely essential in getting the word out about a new artist or single, but now the landscape is dramatically different because of digital music and the Internet. Artists and bands now get most of their promotion via word of mouth in person and through communication on the Internet. MTV hardly plays videos anymore and the music video has lost a lot of its influence in general. What is most relevant nowadays to the success of an artist are social networks and viral marketing. It also helps that for anybody tech-savvy and EVERYBODY under the age of 25, music is already free and easily accessible through P2P filesharing.

Please get in touch if you’d like more information or would like to get involved. Also thank you Pierre and Gillian for introducing Tubes to your readers.

Scott
scott@tubesmusic.com

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 10:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Sacramento Speakers Series's inaugural season has been a big hit and the hits just keep on coming. Next up is Bob Newhart on February 15, at Sacramento's Memorial Auditorium. I can't wait to see the slate of speakers that Andy Eppinger, CEO of Sacramento Speakers Series, is putting together for next year. For ticket information and upcoming events, visit Andy's website.

To sign up for the Sacramento Speakers Series free newsletter click here.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 2:24 PM | Permalink

Gillian reported on January 26 that Sacramento is a great place to have a baby. Here are more details on the subject.

Sacramento's local CBS affiliate, KOVR, reports on their website that Sacramento ranks in the top ten cities to have a baby in three different categories. The rankings are based on a study conducted by the magazine "Fit Pregnancy" of the fifty largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. The results are:

• Stroller Friendliness #9 (number of parks per capita, walking paths and clean air).


• Safety #9 (includes pedestrian collision rates).


• Affordability #10 (includes the cost of home ownership and available low-cost pre-natal care).

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 10:52 AM | Permalink

Cordova High School's Parade All-American football standout James Montgomery signed with the California Golden Bears on Wednesday. Montgomery, one of the Sacramento area's most prolific high school running backs of all time, and All-Metro Offensive Player of the Year for 2005, had an unbelievable senior year where he ran for 2,183 yards and scored 35 touchdowns. Against Oak Ridge, Montgomery amassed an amazing 452 yards on the ground, setting a Sacramento-area record. As a junior, Montgomery scored 9 touchdowns in a single game against Vacaville. Over his junior and senior years the Cal-bound stud scored 68 touchdowns and ran for 4,098 yards, averaging 3.4 TDs and 205 yards rushing per game.

GO BEARS!

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Exexcutive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 9:52 AM | Permalink

Yesterday was a very gratifying milestone for Gillian and I here at Sacramento Executive. Late last night the 2,500th person visited our blog since we put on our statistics tracking software in mid-December. In January, our first whole month of operations, 1,680 people visited the site. We are pleased with the support and interest from our readers, the local Sacramento Executives, and our Sponsors. Oh by the way, how did the 2,500th visitor reach our weblog? By a Google search on Sacramento's "Saca Towers". Very fitting, as the Saca Towers will be the tallest residential complex on the west coast. And here at Sacramento Executive, we hope to be the best of breed and model for linking executives to all that is great in Sacramento.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The unedited version of the article I wrote for the SARTA Technology Index supplement to the Sacramento Bee February 3, 2006 edition:

The day you first think about starting a company, you need to be laser-focused on building an exceptional team. You can never learn this lesson well enough, or soon enough – it’s always about the team. And most entrepreneurs never get it, and some get it but don’t get it right. And the ones who are successful are almost always those who get it right and get it right away and keep getting it right. Building and maintaining a great team is the hardest and most important work you will ever do.

And these days in Sacramento, building a team has gotten enormously easier. As experienced business people leave the Bay Area and move to the Sacramento region, they are a wonderful talent pool waiting to be tapped. Every week, I receive several calls or resumes from exceptionally talented and experienced executives who are looking to get involved in the local ecosystem. And every week, I am frustrated that local companies are not snapping them up. One by one, they decide not to move here or drift back to the Bay Area or move to other areas of the country, or move into areas in which they are completely inexperienced, and their talents are lost to Sacramento.

So let’s get smart about how we can bring these exceptional talents into our local companies and utilize them to move to higher levels. First, let’s define what a team is. It doesn’t have to be made up of permanent, full-time employees. If your company is struggling financially, you can often find well-qualified individuals who are willing to serve on your board or advisory board, or just simply as an adviser, for a small amount of stock options. And often the mere fact that these individuals have agreed to work with your company will immediately improve your financial position. Investors, for example, are very positively motivated towards companies that have surrounded themselves with experienced executives. In fact, the number one investment criterion of most investors is the quality of the team (which absolutely includes other than full-time employees). And these advisers often have large Rolodexes that they can access to help provide you with access to investors, customers, suppliers, manufacturers, and other potential ‘team’ members. And that’s not even mentioning the wealth of advice and experience they can provide you in terms of running a high-quality company.

Sometimes a potential adviser is in a position to invest his or her own funds into your company. Weigh this option carefully. Would you have wanted this individual as an adviser without the promise of money? If not, their involvement might be a negative and outweigh the investment they are making.

When evaluating potential advisers, consider whether an individual has relevant experience. If he or she has started a company in your exact field, gotten it funded, grown it to $50M or more, and sold it for an impressive multiple, and has the team that did it ready to move to your company, grab this person right away. If your great-uncle Marv said he met this guy at the casino and he acted like he knew something about ‘bizness’, run as fast as you can. And make sure that you check the references of your advisers as carefully as you would potential employees. If you can’t afford a full background check, it is easy to do some legwork yourself. For example, log onto the SEC website (www.sec.gov) and make sure that your candidate has never been fined by the SEC. Don’t laugh, it happened to me. Moments before I offered a guy a CEO position for a startup, I discovered he had been found guilty of lying to auditors and other crimes that you wouldn’t want someone involved with your company to have on their resume (or not on their resume in this case!).

What excuses are you using for not getting these amazing assets involved in your company?

- You don’t want to give away ownership in your company? So consider that you can own 100% of your company, that is currently valued at $5M, or you can give away 2% to someone who can double the valuation to $10M. That’s a no-brainer.

- How is an individual who was a CEO for a $50M company in Palo Alto going to help me? And does she have the fire in her belly anymore to give what it takes? Ask her, get a plan, agree on her part of making this plan work, monitor, assess, and measure. You have given her options that vest at some tiny percent per month, if it is doesn’t work out, what have you lost?

- They are going to be expecting Bay Area salaries and the company can’t afford them right now. I submit that the company can’t afford not to get them involved. If you have a compelling enough story, you will find a way to make it happen, including coming to terms on compensation. And most people worth getting involved in your company are going to expect some fair compensation, which can often be in the form of equity.

- Why would they want to work for my start-up? You better figure out why because it’s the same answer for why am I in business in the first place?

So, come on Sacramento. Let’s stop making excuses and figure out how to get these Bay area, and other area, transplants rooted in our local companies. We have a lingering reputation of only being an agricultural center of excellence. So, let’s go with this. The growing season is upon us and the harvest can be bountiful.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 2:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Punxsutawney Phil, the Pennsylvania woodchuck, saw his shadow today, foreboding six more weeks of winter. Go back to sleep Phil! See you next year Phil! Peace out on this Groundhog Day.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 10:12 PM | Permalink

Over the past couple of months I questioned the United States' position banning Cuba's baseball team from playing in the World Baseball Classic tournament in Puerto Rico in March. Per a recent post, the U.S. has reversed their decision.

When this issue first hit the mainstream press late last year, I petitioned my Congresswoman Doris Matsui, encouraging her to work to get this situation resolved. It gives me great pleasure to share with you a letter that I received today from Congresswoman Matsui on the Cuban embargo topic. Very seldom will I push a political issue in the Sacramento Executive forum. But in this case, because Matsui is a local Sacramento Congresswoman, I feel it is appropriate to communicate in this forum her view on Cuba. I recognize that this may be an opinion not shared by the majority of U.S. citizens, but it is extremely valuable to hear the dissenting opinion once in a while.

Dear Pierre:

Thank you for contacting me regarding the World Baseball Classic and U.S. policy towards Cuba. I appreciate the time you have taken to inform me of your views on this important issue.

As you may know, the Bush administration recently reversed its original decision to bar Cuba from participating in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. The Cubans will now be allowed to send a team to play in this first-ever international tournament. This is a positive development, and I believe that the time is right to expand our relationship with Cuba. Often, policies such as our approach towards Cuba are legislated through amendments to the annual appropriations bills. This year was no exception, and I voted for several amendments that would have eased the hard-line positions towards Cuba that were put in place during the Cold War and have been strengthened by the current Bush administration.

Specifically, I supported amendments that would have ended the outdated economic embargo, would have made it easier to send humanitarian aid, and would have eased the current travel restrictions. Unfortunately, all of these amendments were defeated. Please be assured that I will continue to monitor the situation, and will keep your comments in mind should any further legislation concerning Cuba come to the floor of the House of Representatives.

Again, thank you for letting me know your views on this matter. If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office.

Sincerely,

Congresswoman Doris O. Matsui
Member of Congress

Just maybe, Congresswoman Matsui will help me fulfill my life long dream - to be able to own a grand old house in Havana.

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:49 PM | Permalink

Pierre Cutler
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Pierre Cutler at 8:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Another meeting, another parking meter, no quarters. Is this on purpose, so I will for sure get a parking ticket?
And then I read an article about a parking meter that is actually user-friendly and gives municipalities five times the amount of revenue of current on-street meters. Nirvana.

Photo Violation Technology recently announced its parented PhotoViolationMeter. Product trials are underway.
Drivers have the option of paying by coin (multiple currency accepted), phone, debit, credit card, or smart card, right at their vehicle. User friendly options include a No-Fine option (where you have paid up front via credit card and the meter can automatically keep adding time until the vehicle pulls away), and a Grace Period option, which allows payment at the meter for expired time, rather than receiving a violation.

On the municipality-friendly side, the meter can enforce itself by issuing photo violations automatically. This drastically cuts down on violation disputes and court time by providing a picture of the offending license plate.

Come on, Mayor Fargo. Let's jump into the future, bring parking in Sacramento into the 21st century and stop once and for all those little three wheel vehicles doing U-turns to beat citizens to their car to give out those $50 tickets.
Now how will the City spend all that extra revenue?

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 8:23 PM | Permalink

Six years ago, Lichine's Liquor at 7101 South Land Park Drive (at 13th Street, just north of Florin Road), sold a $5M California Lottery ticket. Saturday they sold one of the two winning tickets for the $9M jackpot. Lichine's ranks 10th in the state in gross lottery ticket sales. Word has it that a regular customer walked in today to check his numbers with no clue at all that he was a winner. Minutes later he was on track to receive 26 annual payments starting at $113K and increasing to a final payment of $229K.

Since the lottery began, there have been 107 winners of $1M or more in Sacramento County.

Who's going to be next?

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 5:22 PM | Permalink

The Public Policy Institute of California reports its findings of a special survey it conducted in January 2006 on the California State Budget.

A large majority (68%) of Californians support the central proposal of Gov. Schwarzenegger’s recent State of the State speech—a $222 billion program for rebuilding the state’s infrastructure, financed with bonds. Education facilities (48%) are the most popular infrastructure priority, followed by transportation projects (25%), water systems (17%), jails and prisons (3%) and courts (2%). 60% of residents approve of the governor’s proposed 2006-2007 budget. But 61% also say the imbalance between state spending and revenue remains a big problem for California. Although Californians typically reject raising taxes on themselves, they find it more acceptable to raise taxes on specific subgroups, such as the richest Californians (65%) and cigarette smokers (71%). The governor’s overall approval rating improved to 40%, but approval for his handling of specific issues such as jobs and the economy (39%) and the state budget and taxes (35%) lag. This is the 63rd PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a series of special surveys focusing on the California budget and fiscal system, funded by The James Irvine Foundation

You can download the whole report for free by clicking here

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 3:03 PM | Permalink

Less than a week to go until the technology celebration of the year gets underway.

The Sacramento Regional Technology Alliance and the Sacramento Metro Chamber will host over 5oo area entrepreneurs, executives, venture capitalists, professional service providers, angel investors, political leaders and the SARTA Board of Directors at the Third Annual Technology Index Celebration.

The celebration honors the leading 50 high-tech companies who have earned a place on SARTA's Technology Index: the Sacramento Tech TRAQ.

The featured speaker will be Richard Belluzzo, the former President of Microsoft Corporation. He is a 25 year high tech industry veteran, turnaround specialist and current CEO of Quantum Corporation.

The event will be held February 7th at the Sacramento Convention Center beginning at 11AM. For more information or to register, please visit www.sartaevents.org

It's a great way to meet the who's who of technology in Sacramento. Tell them the Sacramento Executive sent you!

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive

Posted by Gillian Parrillo at 9:16 AM | Permalink