SDI Economist and Senior Fellow quoted in Union-Tribune and North County Times
Friday, May 30, 2008
SDI's Economist and Senior Fellow, Kelly Cunningham, was quoted in stories in the North County Time and the Union-Tribune. Mr. Cunningham continues to be one of the "go to" sources for commentary and information on the San Diego Economy.
SDI's Cheif Economist and Senior Fellow Kelly Cunningham was the keynote speaker at the fifth annual Realshare Conference held on May 29th in San Diego. You can read a summary of that conference and Mr. Cunningham's views on the region's future economic prospects by clicking the following link.
A growing number of cities and counties grappling with water shortages are turning to a solution that may be tough for some homeowners to stomach: purifying wastewater so that residents can drink it...
The Fed's inflation gauge isn't realistic, critics say
Dean Calbreath, San Diego Union-Tribune
Friday, April 18, 2008
You've seen the cost of a gallon of premium gas breach the $4 mark at local stations. You've seen the price of milk, eggs, corn and bread surge at your supermarket. Yesterday, the government confirmed that prices are continuing to rise at a very brisk pace...
Although the Labor Department does not release monthly data on regional inflation, its annual data show that in the past five years, consumer prices in the county have jumped 22 percent, compared with 16 percent nationwide.
“The three main reasons were our housing prices, gas prices, and electricity and utility rates, which were all rising faster than the national average,” said Kelly Cunningham, an economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research.
Cunningham on the condition of North County commercial real estate
Friday, April 18, 2008
San Diego County's real estate problem is not just housing anymore. Office vacancy rates hit their highest points in more than a decade in the first quarter this year and businesses contracted, raising concerns about a weakening regional economy…
Weakness in commercial real estate typically correlates with job losses as businesses shut down or downsize, said Kelly Cunningham, an economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, a free market-oriented think tank.
As printed in the North County Times; November 30, 2007
Bradley Fikes
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
San Diego County's economic outlook deteriorated again in October...Kelly Cunningham, a veteran local economist, reiterated his earlier statements that the economy is likely to avoid a recession in technical terms, but the sharp slowdown would appear to be a recession to most people.
As printed in the Statesman-Journal (Salem, OR), November 28, 2007
Vince Vasquez
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
In the November 28, 2007 edition of the Salem Oregon Statemen Journal SDI Senior Analyst Vince Vasquez authored an column on Ashland OR's efforts to put in place free municipal wi-fi and the risks to taxpayers from this proposal.
As printed in the San Diego Union-Tribune, November 27, 2007
Mike Freeman
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
The housing downturn and continued foreclosure crisis could erase $1.5 billion of economic activity in San Diego County next year, as nervous consumers cut back on spending and housing-related companies lay off more workers...
As printed in the San Diego Business Journal; November 27, 2007
Mike Allen, San Diego Business Journal
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Maybe it’s the sun, or the proximity of the holiday season, or the fact that the Chargers are finally playing up to their potential, but San Diegans are generally optimistic about the city’s future, according to a survey done this month by Competitive Edge Research for a local think tank.
San Diego Institute Views on Wildfire's Economic Impact Widely Reported
Monday, October 29, 2007
San Diego Institute for Policy Research's Senior Fellow and Economist Kelly Cunningham was sought out as an expert on the San Diego economy as reporters discussed the economic impacts of the October 2007 Fires...
SDI/CERC polling data on water policy options cited by Senator Christine Kehoe
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
On Monday, October 16, 2007 Senator Christine Kehoe cited extensively from the September SDI/CERC Barometer and our findings pertaining to water conservation.
As posted on the Voice of San Diego; October 8, 2007
Kelly Bennet, Voice of San Diego
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Local economists are growing increasingly concerned about the effects of the slumping housing market on the health of the general economy, as real estate and construction sectors continue to contract payrolls and consumer confidence dwindles.
SDI/CERC survey finds public supports water conservation efforts
As printed in the San Diego Daily Transcript
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
According to public opinion research released Thursday by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research (SDI), residents of the county view water availability as an important regional issue and are willing to consider policies to address the problem.
Poll shows water conservation message may be sinking in
As printed in the San Diego Union-Tribune; September 28, 2007
Mike Lee, Union-Tribune
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders asked again Friday for more water conservation. Like him, politicians and water managers countywide have made such appeals an almost daily ritual as the region faces potentially deep cuts to its water supply.
But do the calls for voluntary conservation work? A new poll suggests the message is sinking in, though not as quickly as officials might have hoped.
Managed Competition - The Left and The Right - Aguirre and Francis?
As posted on blogofsandiego; September 13, 2007
Pat Flannery, Editor
Friday, September 14, 2007
On September 5, 2007 the City's Independent Budget Analyst (IBA) issued a report on the Mayor's lack of implementation of the Managed Competition mandated by Prop C. The Mayor's staff responded with a report on September 7, 2007. It was written by Anna Danegger, the Mayor's acting Project Manager for Managed Competition. Sanders has not even appointed a permanent project manager!
Then along comes Steve Francis, rolling a political smoke bomb down the musty corridors of City Hall with his own well researched Report on Managed Competition. He cites case studies of cities and counties around the country that have incorporated Competition into government. Here is a video segment of his call to action.
Privatization Study Finds Potential for City Savings
As posted on San Diego Business Journal Online; September 13, 2007
Mike Allen, Staff Writer
Friday, September 14, 2007
San Diego taxpayers could be saving between $80 million and $200 million annually if government agencies turned over more of their work to the private sector, according to a study released Sept. 12 by two conservative think tanks.
The report done by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, established by former mayoral candidate Steve Francis, and the Reason Foundation identified 11 areas within San Diego city government that are ripe for managed competition.
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; September 12, 2007
Matthew Hall, The Union Tribune
Friday, September 14, 2007
A few days after Mayor Jerry Sanders said new delays put him months away from picking city functions that could be outsourced, his likeliest mayoral opponent, businessman Steve Francis, is promoting a host of possibilities.
A new report commissioned by Francis' fledgling think tank, the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, estimates that outsourcing a range of services could save San Diego $80 million to $200 million a year, leaving more money for other priorities in a budget that now stands at $2.88 billion overall.
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; September 9, 2007
Dean Calbreath, The Union Tribune
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
According to the employment department, registered nurses are the “hottest” profession in the county (their word, not mine), meaning they have the best combination of relatively high pay and good prospects for job growth.
Nurses are also an important component of one of the “hottest” industries in the county (my word, not theirs), according to the San Diego Institute for Policy Research.
In a report last month, the institute noted that with 127,000 workers and a $5 billion annual payroll, San Diego's health care and social services industry is nearly as big as the tourist industry, but with a much heftier payroll. Health care is three times the size of the biotech industry, which gets so much attention from economic-development types.
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; September 2, 2007
Vince Vasquez, Senior Policy Analyst
Tuesday, September 4, 2007
Keep government out of broadband market
Regarding Robert de Posada's “Neutralizing our online future?” (Opinion, Aug. 30):
As senior policy analyst for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, I want to state that de Posada is right on net neutrality – government intervention in the broadband marketplace is unnecessary and harmful. Net neutrality legislation would only create new price controls and corporate red tape that would discourage future investment, hurting low-income households and Latino neighborhoods the most. Rather than roll back our progress in bridging the digital divide, state and federal lawmakers should protect market forces in the Internet frontier.
As posted on the voiceofsandiego.org; August 30, 2007
Kelly Bennett, Staff Writer
Friday, August 31, 2007
I got to speak with Kelly Cunningham this afternoon; he's the economist for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, the conservative think tank founded by Steve Francis.
He shared some thoughts from his examination of the Census numbers released yesterday:
Out of 500-some metropolitan statistical areas, San Diego rates 162 for its poverty level. Among the 30-some such areas in California, San Diego rates 12th.
But because of a much higher cost of living in this region than in many nationwide, Cunningham said the threshold accounts for just a fraction of the people who live in poverty here -- an analysis that jives with a lot of what Murtaza Baxamusa, economist with the left-leaning Center on Policy Initiatives, said yesterday.
Poverty Rate in U.S. Drops, But More People Uninsured
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; August 29, 2007
Dean Calbreath, The Union Tribune
Friday, August 31, 2007
On its face, the county's poverty rate makes it sound as if San Diego is doing much better than the rest of the nation. But because the local cost of living is so much higher than the national average, the percentage of comparatively poor people is likely to be much higher than the official poverty rate suggests.
“What the federal government considers poverty would be extreme poverty in San Diego,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “For a family of four with an income of $20,000 in San Diego, it would be hard to find enough food to exist, much less find adequate housing.”
As printed in the Liberty Foundation Magazine; September 2007 Issue
Vince Vasquez, Senior Policy Analyst
Thursday, August 30, 2007
International media outlets reported this March that rebel fighters in war-torn Somalia shot down a foreign military helicopter in the nation's largest city, dragging the bodies of dead soldiers through rotting streets with an air of jubilation. The scene evoked memories of the United Nations' earlier, failed intervention in the anarchic country, an intervention that resulted in the loss of 18 U.S. soldiers. Though many would conclude that little has changed in this lawless land between 1993 and now, an economic blossom has emerged from the national rubble with more peacemaking power than any military mission or unanimous resolution passed on the floor of the Security Council.
Few corners of the world evoke more images of despair than Africa, home of some of the most broken, poverty-stricken nations on the planet. Chief among those is Somalia, a country of more than 8 million people that has lacked a functioning central government for over a decade and is beset with one of the highest infant mortality rates in the region. But it wasn't always that way.
As posted on Heartland Institute; September 1, 2007
Steven Titch, Senior Fellow
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Vince Vasquez, senior policy analyst with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, finds the trend toward municipalities' anchor tenancy ironic. "Lost in this debate are the reasons government said we needed government-provided access--to get access for the poor," he noted.
Municipal wireless bids, Vasquez said, are in reality attempts by private-sector actors to secure exclusive access to municipal right-of-way. In essence, Vasquez said, cities are recreating the same regulated infrastructure monopolies set up in the past for incumbent telephone and cable companies.
SDI's Economist Kelly Cunningham Has Two Upcoming Speaking Engagements.
Monday, August 27, 2007
SDI's economist Kelly Cunningham has two upcoming speaking engagements.
Pt. Loma Optomists want him to speak at their 7:00 am breakfast meeting next Tuesday morning (August 28).
CALPASC (California Professional Association of Specialty Contractors) scheduled Kelly to speak along with Malin Burnham at their annual conference on September 28th. (See attached flyer)
As printed in the North County Times; August 17, 2007
Bradley J. Fikes, Staff Writer
Monday, August 20, 2007
San Diego County's unemployment rate rose in July to an estimated 4.8 percent, up from 4.6 percent in June and 4.4 percent a year ago, the California Employment Development Department reported Friday. California's unemployment rate rose to 5.3 percent in July, from 5.2 percent in June and 4.8 percent a year ago.
Local economists Alan Gin and Kelly Cunningham said that the county's unemployment report was mixed. The increase in unemployment over a year ago was worrisome, they said, but local businesses still added more than 13,000 jobs. That's a big turnaround from last month's report, which said that only 1,600 jobs had been added locally over the last year.
The job growth reversed a trend that would have resulted in job losses, said Cunningham, of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. A monthly report on leading economic indicators for the county by Gin has consistently predicted a slowing economy, perhaps lapsing into outright recession.
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; August 18, 2007
Dean Calbreath, The Union Tribune
Monday, August 20, 2007
Summertime layoffs caused a loss of 7,900 jobs and a rise in the unemployment rate in San Diego County in July, according to data released yesterday by the California Employment Development Department.
But the monthly decline in jobs was so shallow that local economists interpreted it as good news, especially since it was accompanied by a rise in construction and scientific jobs.
Even though employment during the month softened, year-to-year figures showed that San Diego is still adding jobs. From July 2006 to July 2007, San Diego added 13,800 jobs, an increase of 1.1 percent, slightly behind the 1.3 percent growth in the size of the labor force.
“It's a very pleasant surprise that we're adding jobs as well as we're doing,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “Looking at it year over year, the numbers look pretty good.”
As printed in San Diego Metropolitan Magazine; July 2007 Edition
San Diego Metropolitan Magazine
Monday, July 23, 2007
Has tech supplanted tourism as San Diego’s third largest industry? Apparently. The Economic Census of 2002, a report issued every five years, pegged San Diego’s economy at $117.6 billion. Scouring its details, economist Kelly Cunningham found that two decades of growth in what he calls the “professional service technology industry” was worth “at least” $7.4 billion, moving tech into third ahead of the visitor industry ($5 billion). The tech group, which includes communications, computer and software, biotech and information tech, trailed manufacturing ($25.1 billion) and defense/military ($10.1 billion). Cunningham, who works for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, says tourism and tech remain the strongest growing components of the regional economy, which hit $150 billion last year and should reach $157 billion this year.
As printed in the North County Times; July 20, 2007
Bradley J. Fikes, Staff Writer
Monday, July 23, 2007
Job growth has nearly ground to a halt in San Diego County, raising the risk of a recession later this year, two economists who track the local business climate said Friday.
The latest monthly employment report shows that woes in real estate and construction have spilled over into the local economy, said the economists, Kelly Cunningham of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research and Alan Gin of the University of San Diego.
The county's unemployment rose to an estimated 4.6 percent in June, from 4.2 percent in May, the California Employment Development Department reported Friday. The unadjusted rate was also 4.2 percent in June 2006. California's unemployment rate for June was 5.2 percent, the same as in May and up from last June's rate of 4.9 percent.
Real Estate, Construction Woes Slow Calif. Job Growth to a Crawl
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; July 21, 2007
Dean Calbreath, The Union Tribune
Monday, July 23, 2007
Unemployment in San Diego jumped from 4.2 percent in May to 4.6 percent in June, just a fraction below the unadjusted national rate of 4.7 percent, but still well below California's unadjusted rate of 5.2 percent. It was San Diego's highest unemployment rate in two years.
Economists pinned the blame for slow job growth on the local housing market. In the past year, home sales declined 24 percent, meaning less work for mortgage and real estate brokers. And applications for residential-construction permits have declined in nine of the past 10 months, meaning less work for builders.
“It really is the real estate market that's causing this,” said Kelly Cunningham, an economist at the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “Even though job growth in the visitors industry and the professional business sector is still positive, we're losing as many jobs as we are adding.”
As posted on the voiceofsandiego.org; July 20, 2007
Scott Lewis, Executive Editor
Friday, July 20, 2007
The guys at the San Diego Institute for Policy Research just sent over this note related to the comparison of the county library system to the city's. They turned over an interesting little rock:
The announcement earlier this month by Gaylord Entertainment that it was pulling out a project it had invested millions of dollars in stands as an important reminder. Although San Diego is blessed with sun , beaches and great weather, those factors do not render obsolete basic rules of economics.
Sanders v Aguirre = Downtick Sanders & More Negatives Aguirre
As posted on Red County San Diego; July 11, 2007
posted by The Mighty Thor
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Just in from SDI's latest Barometer of Public Opinion. Polls make it pretty clear… Aguirre can be beaten. This should encourage the folks who are looking at the race right now.
Decline in Public's Job Approval of Mayor Jerry Sanders
Neither he nor City Attorney Mike Aguirre 'win' from Sunroad Enterprise Matter
While most San Diegans approve of the job being done by Mayor Jerry Sanders, that support has fallen significantly between May and early July according to survey information released by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research (SDI).
As posted on San Diego Business Journal Online; July 11, 2007
Brad Graves, Internet Editor, Staff Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Mayor Jerry Sanders’ job approval slipped 4 percent to 60 percent between May and July, according to a poll commissioned by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. The group released its poll July 11.
Sixty percent of respondents contacted in late June and early July said they approved of the job Sanders was doing, versus 64 percent in May. Twenty-two percent in the recent survey said they disapproved, versus 17 percent in May.
As posted on the voiceofsandiego.org; July 11, 2007
Will Carless, Staff Writer
Thursday, July 12, 2007
A report funded by ex-mayoral candidate Steve Francis’ nonprofit organization the San Diego Institute shows that the public’s approval for Mayor Jerry Sanders has slipped 4 percent since May.
Major caveat: Francis hasn't ruled out running against Sanders in the 2008 election, as he did in 2005.
The poll, which was carried out by Competitive Edge Research and Communication, shows that Sanders’ approval rating fell from 64 percent in May to 60 percent in July. Among registered voters, approval dropped from 70 percent to 60 percent. In May, 17 percent disapproved of the mayor’s job performance, that’s up to 21 percent in the latest poll.
The Manpower Workforce Report: A San Diego Labor Market Snapshot
Workforce Edition: Volume VI Issue 10, July 2 2007
San Diego Workforce Partnership’s Research and Labor Market Intelligence Team
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
• San Diego Institute for Policy Research index also shows local economic slowdown.
The continuing slowdown in residential construction darkened the countywide economic outlook in April, according to an index developed by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. The Institute’s index continued its downward trend, led by a 45% decline in residential building permits and a sluggish job market, which affected local consumer confidence. A rise in the local stock index and an increase in the issuance of new business permits had positive impacts on the index. (San Diego Economic Ledger, June 2007)
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; June 28, 2007
Onell R. Soto, The Union Tribune
Thursday, June 28, 2007
The $1.7 billion San Diego County estimate is based on a San Diego Union-Tribune analysis of the proportion of slots and table games in the county compared with the statewide total.
Economists argue that gambling is good for the local economy if it brings people in from elsewhere or keeps locals from spending that money somewhere else – read Las Vegas.
“It is an economic benefit or boost for San Diego, but it's not as big as other industries,” said economist Kelly Cunningham, of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research.
As posted on San Diego Business Journal Online; June 21, 2007
Mike Allen, Staff Writer
Thursday, June 21, 2007
San Diego’s economy continues to lag compared with where it was a year ago, according to a June 20 report from the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, a privately funded think tank.
While three of five measurements of an economic index increased in April from March, all five showed declines when compared with the index of April 2006.
Local Payrolls Grow Only Marginally, Unemployment Rises
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; June 15, 2007
Dean Calbreath, The Union Tribune
Monday, June 18, 2007
San Diego payrolls grew an anemic 0.3 percent between May 2006 and May 2007, as the county continued to struggle with the weak housing market, according to data released Friday by the California Employment Development Department.
At the same time, the local unemployment rate, which was once far below the national average, has risen from 3.7 percent to 4.2 percent, just a fraction below the national rate of 4.3 percent. In April, the local jobless rate was 4.1 percent.
“The unemployment numbers are not too bad, although they're rising,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “The economy just seems to be 'lulling' right now, with job growth continuing to slow. I still don't foresee us going into a recession, either in San Diego or in Southern California. But we are in a lull.”
On June 4th, Erik Bruvold, SDI's President and CEO testified against San Diego City Council's ban on Wal-Mart Superstores. He made explicit reference to the survey data that SDI collected in January that showed 56.5% of San Diegans opposed the ban with only 37% favoring the prohibition. In its report KOGO radio referenced SDI's study and and included a clip from Mr. Bruvold's testimony.
SDI Barometer results noted by a number of opponents to Council's ban on Wal-Mart Supercenters
As posted on the voiceofsandiego.org; June 5, 2007
Evan McLaughlin, Voice Staff Writer
Tuesday, June 5, 2007
The Voice of San Diego noted that several speakers at the San Diego City Council meeting made prominent reference to SDI's polling results which showed that 56.5% of San Diegans oppose the proposed ban with only 37% supporting it. SDI's President and CEO Erik Bruvold gave testimony to the Council reminding them of these results.
As posted on the voiceofsandiego.org; May 29, 2007
Evan McLaughlin, Voice Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
With just six weeks to go before the 2005 mayoral election, Steve Francis looked the part of an also-ran.
One opinion poll showed him earning just 3 percent of residents' support, placing him far behind two of the city's more recognizable public servants, Councilwoman Donna Frye and former police Chief Jerry Sanders.
But Francis, who was largely unknown outside of business and conservative political circles, had armed himself with international political consultants. He flooded local television broadcasts with sleek commercials.
As printed in the North County Times; May 14, 2007
Ann Perry, North County Times
Thursday, May 17, 2007
There's a new gauge for testing San Diego County's economic waters, and its first reading shows that the temperature is growing chilly. The gauge can be found in the first volumes of the San Diego Economic Ledger, a newsletter published every two months by the San Diego Institute for Policy Research (www.sandiegoinstitute.com).
The institute was set up in recent months by businessman Steven Francis, founder of AMN Healthcare Services Inc. in Carmel Valley, the nation's largest provider of temporary health care workers.
One argument is that selling Montgomery would help the City through its financial crisis. Early this year, the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, a think tank run by former mayoral candidate Steven Francis, asked 503 randomly selected San Diegans how they would prefer to deal with the crisis: would they sell off assets or raise taxes? A full 61.8 percent said selling assets such as Montgomery would be their first (37.7 percent) or second (24.1 percent) choice. Only 12 percent opposed this stratagem, although many financial experts warn that selling off juicy assets to skate past a crisis is self-destructive in the long run. Raising taxes was the first or second choice of only 44.7 percent of those polled.
As posted on San Diego Business Journal Online; May 1, 2007
San Diego Business Journal
Thursday, May 3, 2007
A bimonthly report from the San Diego Institute for Policy Research for February is less optimistic about the region’s economic situation, with only one out of five economic indicators showing growth from the previous February.
The findings were based on a random sample of 500 San Diego residents and their attitudes toward personal finances and the local economy.
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; May 2, 2007
Dean Calbreath, The Union Tribune
Thursday, May 3, 2007
A think tank founded by health care entrepreneur and former mayoral candidate Steven Francis launched a new barometer yesterday for measuring the county's economic health.
And the economy isn't looking too swift, according to Francis' San Diego Institute for Policy Research, which opened in January.
Four out of five indicators of economic activity in San Diego County declined sharply over the past several months, according to a report compiled by Kelly Cunningham, a former economist for the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce who now works at Francis' institute.
Connect-Dex to Appear Each Quarter, Charting Business Launches
As printed in the San Diego Business Journal; March 21, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
A recent analysis of data by Connect shows that just 14 percent of the technology-based firms started here lately were biotechnology or pharmaceutical companies.
The period reviewed, July 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006, showed 45 percent of businesses launched during the period were communications technology firms, such as Internet-related operations or mobile device companies. Software companies comprised 30 percent.
Connect, a life sciences and technology networking group that matches entrepreneurs with investors, will begin releasing such economic indicator data each quarter on its Web site. To be called Connect-dex, the index will feature data that will be used to evaluate economic progress and potential here. Connect is compiling the data in partnership with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research and Roth Capital Partners.
Connect launches new index to track local technology startups
As printed in the San Diego Daily Transcript; March 20, 2007
JERAN WITTENSTEIN, The Daily Transcript
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
“(The index) allows us to measure how well we are doing in fostering the entrepreneurial climate in San Diego,” said Steve Francis, entrepreneur and founder of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, which will compile and monitor the data for Connect. “It can help us pinpoint areas of concern and to focus our attention on what can be done to help small companies thrive and grow into big ones.”
Index to track the creation of high-tech firms: Connect's goal to follow fluctuations in sectors, provide better support
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; March 21, 2007
Dean Calbreath, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
“These companies are San Diego's future. Some of them might be the Qualcomm of tomorrow,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, who compiled the index using new business filings compiled by Dun & Bradstreet and InfoUSA.
Poll: Many Against Proposed Chargers Stadium Project
As printed in the San Diego Business Journal; March 21, 2007
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
Nearly half of San Diego County residents responding to a recent survey are opposed to the San Diego Chargers building a new football-only stadium, according to a poll conducted on behalf of the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, a think tank founded by former mayoral candidate Steve Francis.
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; March 20, 2007
By Ronald W. Powell, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
While more than 87 percent of county residents believe professional sports teams add to the region's quality of life, nearly 49 percent do not support a new Chargers football stadium, according to a poll released Monday by a business-focused public policy group.
The San Diego Institute for Policy Research also reported that those polled by telephone this month prefer the stadium remain in San Diego's Mission Valley.
SDI Senior Fellow and Economist Kelly Cunningham Offers Insight into San Diego's 2008 GDP
As printed in the San Diego Daily Transcript; March 7, 2007
THOR KAMBAN BIBERMAN, The Daily Transcript
Wednesday, March 7, 2007
San Diego County's gross domestic product amounted to about $149.88 billion in 2006 and is projected to exceed $157 billion this year and more than $165 billion in 2008.
During a recent Society for Marketing Professional Services at the Mission Valley Doubletree Hotel, Kelly Cunningham, economist for the San Diego Institute for Policy Research, said if the county were a country, it would rank 36th in the world in 2005; California, with a $1.62 trillion GDP, would have been ranked eighth between Italy and Spain.
SDI Senior Fellow and Economist Kelly Cunningham comments on China stock slump and impact on US economy
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; February 28, 2007
Dean Calbreath, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
Wednesday, February 28, 2007
“If China really tanks, that could certainly affect the U.S., since they're underwriting a lot of our debt,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “But even though I think we're in for a slowdown, I don't see the U.S. falling into recession.”
Rosy future painted for county; 20% job growth predicted through 2015, study says
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; February 17, 2007
Tuesday, February 20, 2007
Thanks to its steadily growing industries, the San Diego County economy is poised to outpace the growth of the national and state economies through at least 2015, according to projections released yesterday by Palo Alto's Center for Continuing Study of the California Economy.
A needed shift; Move city workers to a 401(k)-style pension
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; February 5, 2007
Monday, February 5, 2007
One major campaign promise that Mayor Jerry Sanders has not yet fulfilled is to close San Diego's debt-ridden pension system to new hires and replace it with a 401(k)-style retirement plan such as most private-sector workers have. This proposed shift faces vociferous opposition from City Hall's powerful public employee unions. But a poll just released by the new San Diego Institute for Policy Research shows that San Diegans generally support the idea of giving municipal workers the same kind of pension plan that prevails in the private workplace.
SDI Senior Fellow and Economist Kelly Cunningham Comments on San Diego's 2007 Economic Forecast
As printed in the San Diego Union Tribune; December 31, 2006
Dean Calbreath
Sunday, December 31, 2006
“The declining dollar has a beneficial factor for San Diego, since it will encourage foreign visitors to come here as an inexpensive vacation spot,” said Kelly Cunningham, economist with the San Diego Institute for Policy Research. “That's good for our visitors industry and good for San Diego.”
