CP&DR

Beverly Hills Gets Future Project At 2004 Prices

by Morris Newman on Jul 1, 2005

Deals, Vol. 20 No. 07 Jul 2005

In commodity futures markets, investors agree to pay a price today for the unknown cost of goods some time in the future. The City of Beverly Hills does not play the futures market, at least to my knowledge. >>read more

Cities Pursue Elaborate Swap to Save LA Base

Sep 1, 2003

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 18 No. 09 Sep 2003

Remember the frightening things your mother used to tell you in the name of safety when you were a child? If you went running around with scissors in your hand, you could put out an eye. Or if you went back into the swimming pool too quickly after eating, you could double up with cramps and drown.

Builders, Agencies Work To Co-exist On Rare Ground

Jul 1, 2003

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 18 No. 07 Jul 2003

The experiences of two developers — one a large-scale master plan developer and the other a smaller, apartment developer — are snapshots of the uneasy relationship between home building and environmental policy in North San Diego County at a time when newly minted environmental laws are racing to keep pace with rapid home building.

El Toro Auction Offers Something For Everyone

May 1, 2003

Deals, Military base reuse, Morris Newman, Orange County, Vol. 18 No. 05 May 2003

While it might be hard to convince some of my left-leaning brethren of the case, the forthcoming auction of El Toro will likely benefit the local community, the military and private business, in that order. The City of Irvine, not known to be a pushover on matters relating to the former Marine Corps base, seems just short of ecstatic about the arrangement.

Money Resolves Beaumont-Calimesa Annexation Dispute

Mar 1, 2003

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 18 No. 03 Mar 2003

"Your tax dollars at work!" proclaims a sign at the edge of the road, where a public works project is under construction. If we were to see this sign in Calimesa, a city in the San Gorgonio Pass area of western Riverside County, we might be forgiven for pausing and trying to parse its meaning.

Low-Cost Housing Gets Expensive In San Francisco

Jan 1, 2003

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 18 No. 01 Jan 2003

I have a cranky thesis about housing: Working-class people should not be forced to live in projects that advertise the poverty of the residents. "Welcome to Casa Pobreza! We Have Pride in Ourselves — Even if Nobody Else Does!"

Philanthropy Meets Redevelopment in City Heights

Nov 1, 2002

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 17 No. 11 Nov 2002

If something becomes famous, the painter Georges Braque once said, it is usually famous for the wrong reason. City Heights Urban Village in San Diego is famous for being the beneficiary of local businessman Sol Price, who has donated about $50 million in various forms through his charities and business affiliates.

School District Goes Shopping For New Campus

Sep 1, 2002

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 17 No. 09 Sep 2002

Some people react almost viscerally to the suggestion of combining schools with shopping centers, and with some reason. Education and retail are fundamentally different activities. Schools — at least our mental picture of them — are protective and cloistered, while shopping centers are bustling places wide open to the entire public. Like chocolate and onions, the two just do not seem to go together.

Symbiosis Finds The Baseball Diamond

Jul 1, 2002

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 17 No. 07 Jul 2002

One dim memory I have from sixth grade biology is that of the oxpecker, a small bird that sits on the back of the rhinoceros. Normally a dominating and irascible beast, the rhino tolerates the oxpecker because the bird does something the rhino cannot do for herself: relieve her of all the troublesome insects that worry her neck, back and hindquarters. As most sixth graders know, this relationship is an example of symbiosis, or the cooperation of two organisms to their mutual benefit.

San Jose's Loss Could Become A Win

May 1, 2002

Deals, Morris Newman, Vol. 17 No. 05 May 2002

Imagine this scenario: A major symphony orchestra woos an internationally renowned conductor to become its next music director. After extensive, high-tension negotiations, the conductor at last accepts the job. The day after, however, the orchestra discovers something disconcerting: The conductor is tone deaf. Truth be told, she does not care much for music. After the inevitable flap, the conductor withdraws from the contract, citing unspecified "unsuitable conditions." Given this situation, should

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