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ST. LOUIS NEWS TODAY - Thursday, January 5, 2006
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ST. LOUIS, (January 5, 2006) - (L. to R.) In a press conference following their trip to Dearborn, Michigan, St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley, Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr and Governor Matt Blunt discussed the future of Ford in Missouri.
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Future of Ford's Hazelwood Plant Remains Uncertain
by Bob Moore, SLFP.com
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 5, 2006 - A delegation of Missouri officials, led by St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley, Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr and Governor Matt Blunt, returned from their visit to Dearborn, Michigan to promote Missouri's business case.
Following an evening press conference, Hazelwood Mayor T.R. Carr spoke about their meeting and the future of the Hazelwood facility. "What we really wanted to do was to communicate to Ford that we're willing to work with them, to partner with them, understand their needs and come back and put together a series of proposals for them."
The meeting only lasted about an hour, stated Mayor Carr. "That's typical of the last three meetings we've had with them." He commented that they met with the chief operating officer for Ford of the Americas.
"It was a formal presentation," he said. "They were curious about some of the options that we were discussing. They will take some time to review the options as alternatives. We will get their feedback and hopefully we'll be able to create a genuine package to keep a long term future for this plant," stated Mayor Carr, adding that he felt the talks were very productive.
"We want to work with Ford so they can reinvest in the facility which allows them to bring in more jobs. Of course, we are talking about innovation and new technology. We're talking about lots of things they can produce at the Hazelwood Assembly Plant."
"There is creativity on our part and creativity on Ford's part. But there's no free money," confirmed Mayor Carr. "The offers we are able to make really are contingent on levels of investment that Ford Motor Company makes."
In 2003, when Ford agreed to invest nearly $100 million in the plant, Hazelwood came up with incentives scattered over four years to help the company make the investment.
"We believe that no matter what announcement is made in January, we are hoping that this process will continue," stated Mayor Carr. "We recognize that Ford is looking for a secured footing for the future. They are trying to build for the future and I believe that we can lay that foundation."
When asked if Ford was looking for more incentives from Missouri, Mayor Carr responded that "They are looking for a mechanism for investment at any of their plants. We are hopeful that we can meet their needs," concluded Mayor Carr.
Last year, the Hazelwood facility was named Ford's Best Quality Assembly Plant in North America.
Missouri Department of Economic Development Re-Organizes to Boost Economy
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 1, 2006 - In a rapid response to Gov. Matt Blunt's call for aggressive efforts to attract jobs and business to Missouri, the Department of Economic Development has completed a major internal re-organization that builds on current strengths and incorporates a private sector approach to doing business.
Just four months after beginning the re-organization effort, the department announced the creation of the new Business and Community Services Division, which merges the former divisions of Business Development and Trade with Community Development in order to take advantage of the combined expertise of both divisions. The department's other development agencies, the divisions of workforce development and tourism, will not be significantly impacted by the changes.
"Our re-organization is now complete and the department is better prepared to promote Missouri as a great place to conduct business and stimulate our economy through the creation of new family-supporting jobs and private investment," said Greg Steinhoff, director of the Department of Economic Development. "We have successfully put progress ahead of process, quickly and efficiently creating an environment that focuses on results and not red tape."
Within the new division, four new teams have been built around sales, marketing, finance and compliance. The new structure required staff re-alignment, changes to some job classifications and job descriptions, all of which has been largely completed. There is the potential for additional hires within the new business plan.
"Thanks to Gov. Matt Blunt's vision and support, the Department of Economic Development is now poised to better serve our clients while putting Missouri in a stronger position to compete in the global marketplace," Steinhoff said. ``We look forward to results that ultimately will improve the quality of life for all Missourians."
The department's new sales team, headed by Kevin Stover, is responsible for seeking out and responding to regional and national economic development opportunities while partnering with local officials to create jobs, stimulate private investment and increase local revenues. The marketing team being lead by Jodi Krantz supports the activities of the sales team by promoting Missouri as a great place to work and do business both nationally and internationally.
The department's finance team, headed by Judy Gehrke and Ann Perry, is putting together financial incentive packages designed to attract industry and jobs to Missouri. The department's compliance team headed by Andy Papen is monitoring the use of state and federal programs to ensure recipients meet compliance standards.
Under the new department structure, Sallie Hemenway is serving as director or operations while Mike Downing is the new director of promotions. Hemenway previously served as director of the Community Development Division while Downing was manager of business development within the Business, Development and Trade Division.
The governor's support and that of the Office of Administration have been crucial in completing the reorganization efficiently and effectively.
Americans Paring Down Credit Card Debt
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 1, 2006 - According to the annual Credit Card Survey conducted by Myvesta, a nonprofit consumer education organization, the average amount of credit card debt carried by individuals has declined by 11.4 percent. The average American is now carrying $2,328 in credit card debt, down from $2,627 in 2004. Individuals also haven't added any new credit cards to their wallets in the past year. Americans still hold an average of 2.9 cards each, the same as in 2004.
"While it's great that many Americans have been able to reduce their overall credit card debt, let's hope we don't wake up to a holiday hangover when the credit card bills for this holiday season start arriving in January," said Steve Rhode, president of Myvesta. "If consumers used credit for their holiday purchases this year, they might erase any progress they have made toward paying down their debt."
According to the annual Holiday Shopping Survey conducted by Myvesta, the average American planned to spend $747 on their holiday purchases in 2005. If that amount was charged on credit cards and added to the average credit card debt of $2,328, the total would be $3,075.
Some other results from Myvesta's Credit Card Survey include:
- Males have an average of $2,369 of credit card debt spread out over 2.8
cards; females average $2,289 of credit card debt on 3.1 cards.
- Married individuals have an average of $2,625 of credit card debt; non-
married individuals have an average of $1,744 of credit card debt.
- Individuals in the West are carrying the most credit card debt with an
average of $2,547. People in the Midwest are carrying the smallest
balances with an average of $1,972 of credit card debt. Individuals in
the South have an average of $2,465 on their cards and those in the
Northeast carry an average balance of $2,199.
Myvesta's annual Credit Card Survey was conducted November 4-6 in a random telephone survey of 1,000 people.
Reputation Plays a Vital Role in Choice of Hospital
ST. LOUIS, (SLFP.com), January 1, 2006 - Patient perceptions of a hospital's reputation plays an important role in hospital selection, according to the newly released J.D. Power and Associates 2005 National Hospital Service Performance StudySM.
The study, which measures satisfaction among recently discharged hospital patients, finds that three-fourths of patients use reputation-related information as their primary criteria in selecting a hospital. Nearly one-half (48%) of patients say that the hospital's overall reputation was their primary criterion for selection, while 25 percent say the availability of good doctors and having skilled nurses on staff was most important in their selection.
"Perception plays an important role in the choices today's healthcare consumers make," said Steven D. Wood, senior vice president and general manager of the healthcare practice at J.D. Power and Associates. "More than ever before, patients have a choice for their healthcare providers, and this choice depends a great deal on the personal services rendered at a highly emotional time in their lives. As patient choices increase, hospitals need to continue to enhance the clinical and experiential quality of patient care and effectively communicate their performance in the communities they serve."
The study finds that 59 percent of respondents whose hospital stay was planned indicate that they were involved in the hospital selection decision either solely or with a doctor, while only 8 percent felt they were constrained by what their health plan would allow. Among patients who were "delighted" with their hospital experience (providing a score of 10 on a 10-point scale), a strong majority (86 percent) say they are likely to choose the same hospital in the future should the need arise, and 83 percent would recommend the hospital to others.
The study measures overall patient satisfaction in five categories: dignity and respect; speed and efficiency; comfort; information and communication; and emotional support.
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