Farewell, The Cat’s Meow

As I previously posted, The Cat’s Meow, a Portland landmark for over 23 years is shutting its doors. Today I made my final trip to The Cat’s Meow, to say good-bye and also take advantage of the going-out-of-business discount.

I first stumbled upon The Cat’s Meow during the summer of 2007. I had just moved to Portland (for the first time) and was spending 99% of my time studying for the Oregon Bar Exam. While I was studying I decided that if the whole “law thing” didn’t work out, I would open a store called “The Cat’s Meow” and sell cat toys, food, and cat-themed merchandise for cat enthusiasts like myself. One evening I visited the Hawthorne Avenue neighborhood for the first time and I saw it: The Cat’s Meow: a corner building with cats and yarn painted on the side. Inside the store the displays were filled with cat toys, food, and cat-themed merchandise for cat enthusiasts like myself. I couldn’t believe it.

In February 2008 I moved to Portland (a second time) and settled in the Hawthorne neighborhood. I frequented The Cat’s Meow whenever I needed treats or toys or food. For a short period, The Cat’s Meow even sold dog stuff.

Before today I had never visited a store that was on the verge of no longer existing. Everything is for sale: fixtures, display cases, rugs, everything. It is like going to a funeral, but at the funeral they let everyone pick over the items that belonged to the person who died.

With a heavy heart I made my last purchase: a candle, a toy, a mug, a rug, a basket, some cards, and some reindeer antlers for Wink and Sheba. It all came to $30.

In the end, neither the “law thing” nor The Cat’s Meow worked out…and only one of those things I am sad about.

Farewell and Thank You, The Cat’s Meow!

Sometimes it’s Good to be the Underdog

When you’re the underdog the pressure is off: the expectations are low, and in the off-chance you do win a handful of people stand to win big in their NCAA Basketball Tournament office pools.

The same principle works for the minority party in Congress. The expectations of you actually passing your legislation is low, so you may as well shoot for the stars. Both parties do this when they find themselves in the minority and the House Republicans are no exception. They unveiled a revised budget proposal, that, unlike their last alternative to the Obama budget, is heavy on details. And, in the off-chance these underdogs win, a handful of people do stand to win big, but at a greater cost to the losers than $10 and the shame of watching Louisville lose in the Elite Eight.

From the Washington Post:

House Republicans Unveil Revised Budget Proposal

By Lori Montgomery

Washington Post Staff Writer
Thursday, April 2, 2009; Page A06

After getting blasted last week for presenting a budget plan light on details, House Republicans yesterday unveiled a more complete proposal that would cut taxes for businesses and the wealthy, freeze most government spending for five years, halt spending approved in the economic stimulus package and slash federal health programs for the poor and elderly.

Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), the senior Republican on the House Budget Committee, said the plan would stabilize the rising national debt by requiring the nation to borrow about $6 trillion over the next 10 years, $3.3 trillion less than would be required under the budget request submitted by President Obama.

Annual deficits also would be slightly lower than under the revised budget plans that emerged last week from the House and Senate budget committees. The revised Democratic proposals would require the nation to borrow about $4 trillion over the next five years, compared with $3.1 trillion in new borrowing under the GOP alternative.

Still, the national debt would continue to climb under the GOP plan, topping out at around 75 percent of the economy, Ryan said — an improvement over Obama’s proposal but a good deal higher than the 40 percent debt the nation was running before the recession began.

The proposal comes as the House and Senate debate Obama’s $3.5 trillion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins in October. Leaders in both chambers expect the Obama plan to pass easily when final votes are held by the end of the week.

While the minority party in Congress typically offers an alternative budget plan that is widely ignored, this year’s proposal has drawn fresh attention thanks to the scathing GOP criticism of Obama’s budget plans and the president’s challenge to the GOP to offer a constructive alternative.

Republicans cast their budget plan as just that, with Ryan saying it offers “lower spending, lower deficits, lower debt and more jobs.” Democrats argued that the GOP proposal relies on massive cuts to social programs, measures that even many Republicans would resist.

“It’s hard to believe you can get to where they say they’re going to get to without doing some things the American people would reject,” said House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.).

Dear Small Business: Thanks for the Memories

Independently owned shops and restaurants have always defined the character of a community or neighborhood. They are places you can visit only on that particular street, in that particular town.

My street is particularly defined by small independent businesses: coffee shops, bars, restaurants, Tibetan clothing and craft shops, herb shops, gift shops and pet food stores. As the recession deepens, my street’s distinct charm is fading as more businesses go under. The Cat’s Meow, a Hawthorne staple for over twenty years, is closing its doors. The two resident cats have to find new homes. My favorite Hawthorne restaurant, The Italian Joint, abruptly closed two weeks ago. Further west a pet food store and Christian store are also going out of business. How can these niche stores survive in this economic climate? Will my street, and streets like it in communities around the country, soon be home to more empty store fronts than shops? Main streets in small towns have long struggled against the superstores popping up outside of town. Why go the local drugstore when you can get your prescription for much less at Walgreens or Wal-Mart?

It’s important to support small business because it is small business that defines our community’s character. By supporting those businesses you support your neighbors and friends. You also support what makes your community special. From the smallest town to the biggest city, it is the small unique businesses that cultivate a sense of pride in community. Support your local small businesses….before the liquidation sale.

Recessions are harmless too. Really.

As the recession deepens, I can’t help but think Republicans hate poor people. No, wait. Everyone. They must hate everyone.

I know a lot of people who have been personally affected by the bad economic climate. I have friends who’ve been laid off, and my own job isn’t secure for the long-term. My boyfriend and I luckily live in a tiny apartment and don’t have a mortgage or children, but I do have a lot of debt thanks to my education and past spending habits. I don’t feel like we’re poor, but I do feel some loathing from the Republican Party.

There’s a segment of the Republican Party that feels like if you’ve fallen on hard times it’s your fault. They’re right. It’s your fault if you bought into the “American Dream”. If you mortgaged your future on your $30,000-a-year job to buy a house in the suburbs, an SUV, i-pods for the kids, then you deserve to literally have the rug pulled out from under you and the front door locked. The car repossessed and the i-pods sold on e-bay (for pennies). You knew you couldn’t afford that stuff, but you somehow allowed yourself to believe the spending was validated by the fact the banker gave you the loan for the house and the credit card repeatedly increased your limit.

The banks bundled your risky loan with other risky loans and sold them. The credit card company hedged its bets on making loads of money of your mostly interest-only minimum monthly payments. Stores and companies made money off the stuff you bought…everyone makes money as you spend, spend, spend. New companies made new products with new flashy commercials and you want, want, want. You thought you were living the American Dream. You had stuff and a house and a job. Then you lost the job, and the house quickly followed.

Now those same people who made you want, want, want and profited off your spending are blaming you for own irresponsible spending. It is your fault. It’s my fault too – but it’s hard to not be irresponsible when there are so many things out there to want and buy. I don’t think we spenders should be “bailed out” or let off the hook entirely. I just want those Republicans out there who harbor loathing towards those who need help to see that the private enterprise they love so much holds a share of the blame.

Candice’s Bailout Proposal

Just when you think the Senate is going to send the Auto executives back to Detroit empty-handed, they just pull you back in.  I imagine some legislative aide, going on an hour of sleep and some coffee-Red Bull fusion drink, running out to the tarmac, waving the Big Three executives down as they board their private jets.

Since Congress is being so generous these days, I think it’s a good time to suggest some other bailouts.  The American Auto Industry isn’t the only one who needs a helping hand this year.  I can think of few other industries that could use a leg-up from the powers that be:

The Service Industry

They bring you your food, they make your drinks, they park your car.  They’re the service industry and they’ve been working hard and deserve to be rewarded for their efforts.  This industry employs around 2.4 million people (well, it did in May 2007) and they make an average of about $16,000 a year.  They work long, physically demanding hours and have to deal with hungry, cranky, drunk people, and that’s of course if they are lucky enough to have a job. A worsening economy will likely leave more Americans reconsidering a night out, or even their weekday lunch decisions.  Less people spending money at a restaurant means the restaurant loses money, forcing it to cut paychecks by cutting hours and staff.  I’m sure even the Auto Execs would agree with bailing this one out – they do need their Old Fashioneds after-all. 

The Retail Industry

They are the people trying to get you to buy, well, almost anything:  clothes, appliances, furniture, cars (people still buy cars?).  The retail industry is a tough sell in a recession.  You don’t have any money, the restaurant you used to serve at went under, and you have many other necessities and financial obligations on the priority list ahead of a new sweater or television set.  So, because a lot of Americans are tightening their belts (is it a Bible Belt?), Retail suffers. So, sorry Retail.  You may employ 4.4 million people, but you’re not worth the bailout. 

Grad Students

Sure, graduate students aren’t an industry, but they are the dumbest people you will ever meet. Instead of pursuing something practical and recession-proof like healthcare services or education, they spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on degrees in fine arts and political science.  Sure, that thesis on the impacts of global warming on international law is interesting, but it’s not gonna pay the rent.  It’s only after accumulating $150,000 in debt and realizing they only went to law school to pursue the perfect cap to their liberal arts education, and not to be a lawyer, that they start to look for a practical job.  They, like the American Auto Industry, made some bad financial decisions.  They deserve a bailout too.

The Pet Care Industry

Actually, they are doing fine.  

Maybe its time for the Auto Industry to feel the true pinch of capitalism.  It hurts.

—

Source of employment statistics:  U.S. Department of Labor, Labor Bureau Statistics, Occupational Employment Statistics.

Mission: Nihilist.

What a great time to have a temporary job…

CNN Money Article

At least this recession won’t be of “Biblical proportions” – whatever that means.

Why We Shouldn’t Bail Out Detroit

As a fervent supporter of the bank bailout in September and supporter of government intervention in economics a fair share of the time, I initially supported a bailout for the troubled American automakers. I also based this support on concerns of what bankruptcy would do to auto workers, suppliers, dealers, the Michigan economy, and the American car. Finally, I based this support on the opportunity it could potentially provide environmentally. I thought this could be an opportunity to force automakers who accepted government money to develop electric and hydro-powered cars and decrease fuel emissions.

A discussion with a co-worker today made me reconsider my position in bailing out Detroit. My co-workers and I typically solve the world’s problems, so tackling the fledging auto industry was no surprise. Also, we combined his late night viewing of Charlie Rose and my readership of The Economist to develop our sweet plan. We in no way are economists or have any sort of expertise in this field. We’re just a couple of people trying to solve the world’s problems.

Anyway, we decided as follows:

The companies should be allowed to fail. The auto industry is not like the banking industry; it’s failure will not effect every aspect of the economy. The banks needed saved because banks lend each other, and us, money, and it is that money that keeps our payroll checks coming in, our grocery store shelves stocked, and our daily lives humming along. GM going under will have a ripple effect on dealers, suppliers, and towns beholden to the auto industry. This is where I still want a bailout, but instead of bailing out the companies themselves perhaps the federal government can use that money to bailout these effected parties. Re-train workers, encourage towns to find new, innovative industries, provide health insurance, pay pensions, etc.

The federal government should set up some kind of fund to insure the warranties of new cars made by a company that is going through bankruptcy. This way perhaps Americans would not be deterred from buying an American car.

Something needs to be done in regards to the Union contracts. Bankruptcy law was a few years ago, but according to the Wikipedia page about bankruptcy, union contracts can be canceled if doing so is financially favorable to the company and its creditors. They could likely be canceled or renegotiated if the government chose to bail out the company, depending on what the government chose to do. While bad business decisions clearly led to the American auto makers demise (Honda and Toyota seem to be doing fine), but high salaries and health insurance benefits negotiated by unions certainly did not help.

The bottom line is that at some point our lawmakers will have to set some sort of criteria for what industries get the wave of the magical federal relief wand, and which ones don’t. I believe that the American car can be saved, but it will have to be a different car. There are emerging markets internationally and plenty of room for growth and innovation in terms of developing fuel efficient cars. That said, whatever happens will sting for awhile. No matter which road the federal government and car companies take jobs will be lost and towns dependent on this industry will suffer. However, that may not be such a terrible thing. If our government can find a fair way to take care of these innocent casualties, perhaps a phoenix can rise from the ashes in the form of new, sustainable industry in these towns and better jobs for their inhabitants.