Businesses are rightfully grateful for the events that bring visitors and their money to Mesa County. A recent analysis conducted by an economics professor at Colorado Mesa University estimated the economic benefits of the annual Country Jam music festival at $11 million. That total includes not only money directly spent on staging Country Jam, but […]
The common lament among business owners is that federal regulations cost trillions of dollars, money that could better be spent on expanding operations and creating jobs. The common response that invariably follows from some quarters is that such claims are overblown. Surely the situation isn’t as bad as all that. A new study estimates federal […]
If there’s one pure example this election season of crony capitalism, it must be pony-parlay-panacea: Amendment 68. It seems as though we have people all across the state really jonesing to place a bet on the ponies or reach a back door deal with Joey Bagadonuts’ employers — all under the only reason to pass […]
Anyone who knows me well knows I love fall. The Grand Valley offers many of the things I grew up with in Michigan. We have crisp mornings. The fall colors in the mountains rival any I recall from my youth. Orchards abound, and therefore, so does cider! My favorite holiday — Thanksgiving — nears, bringing […]
The latest labor estimates as well as the outlook for small businesses affirm once again the necessity of the well-worn wish for the one-armed economist. One the one hand, the monthly unemployment rate in Mesa County has slipped below 6 percent to its lowest level in almost six years. On the other hand, the local […]
Anyone with even a passing familiarity with Sue Tuffin knows how she’s put the work and force into the Mesa County Workforce Center in Grand Junction. As the administer of the center since the facility opened in 1998, Tuffin has labored tirelessly and fearlessly to develop a remarkable one-stop shop that offers a wide range […]
At the end of the day, Great Britain remains a United Kingdom. By a 55 percent to 45 percent margin, Scottish voters elected to remain part of the realm rather than have a go at it on their own. The result was met by many, myself included, with great relief. In large part, it must […]
The debate over immigration reform often strays from sound economics, getting lost in misguided politics and faulty economic thinking. Indeed, it’s important to stay focused on the actual economics of immigration, including that immigrants overwhelmingly come to the United States seeking greater economic opportunity; they largely complement, rather than replace, native-born workers at all skill […]
Plans by Burger King to purchase Canadian coffee-and-donut chain Tim Horton’s would have generated little interest outside the business-watching world — or even in Canada, where devotion to Tim Horton’s is almost religious, which doesn’t make any sense to me either, but just trust me on this one — were it not for the fact […]
The Mesa County Workforce Center long has served as an important matchmaker in the Grand Valley in assisting businesses looking for employees and people looking for jobs. The role of the center is highlighted in September, though, as part of the annual observance of Workforce Development Month in Colorado. A series of activities are planned […]