Nuevo Latinos: “A Commitment to Culture and Success”

We are excited to have Gary Acosta as our guest blogger today! Gary is a 20-year veteran of the mortgage banking industry and the co-founder and CEO of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (NAHREP). - The KCM Crew
“We come in peace…but we have you surrounded”.

Cheech Marin, referring to the massive population growth of Latinos in America

   Ever since the 1980’s people have predicted that Latinos would be the “next big thing.” Most of those predictions have panned out. There are a lot of us here, so the population and household formation numbers have met or exceeded those early estimates. From a business standpoint, Spanish language television has fared extremely well, but in terms of overall economic and political advancement; it has never really felt like things were materializing like many of us had hoped.

In part one of my blog series, I explained why I believe the Latino phenomenon is changing in a big way and introduced my concept of the Nuevo Latinos. I shared some of the positive trends I have observed in my own circle and with a number of prominent Latino leaders. I also explained how these well­‐known individuals are guiding the Latino masses to greater heights and possibilities. In part two I will dig deeper in defining exactly what makes a Nuevo Latino and further illustrate why they are such a transformational force.

What makes someone a Nuevo Latino?

A Nuevo Latino is a state of mind and is my own characterization for successful and assimilated American Latinos who love their culture and who have a basic understanding of the exceptional political and economic power that Latinos have today.

Let me break it down to a few bullets:

• Nuevo Latinos love their heritage and openly enjoy many of the aspects of Latin culture such as food, music, entertainment and style.
• They are equally comfortable in both Latino and non‐Latino environments and frequently move between both worlds.
• Nuevo Latinos are not exclusive to any particular national origin or geography, though most reside in a major city.
• Most are bilingual, however, many do not speak Spanish fluently.
• Many, but not all, Nuevo Latinos participate in some form of Hispanic advocacy.
• Most importantly, Nuevo Latinos are ambitious and opportunistic. They want to succeed in a BIG way. They understand the power of their Latinism and are comfortable capitalizing on it to advance their goals and careers.

Nuevo Latinos have the best of all worlds and they KNOW IT. They’re the ones at 5‐star restaurants casually chatting­‐it‐up with the Spanish‐speaking busboys or shuffling into a hotel lobby with Marc Anthony’s latest hit blaring in their headphones. My friends at NAHREP are like this. They own businesses, love being Latino­‐American and are ready to conquer the world.

Eva Longoria is a great example of a Nuevo Latino. Her mainstream success and political advocacy distinguishes her. As almost everyone knows, Eva hit the big­‐time as one of the stars of the hit prime‐time soap Desperate Housewives and quickly became one of the most well known celebrities in contemporary pop culture. In recent years, Eva has been recognized for her work in Latino related causes and earned a masters degree in Chicano Studies. The two time “Hottest Woman in the World” (according to Maxim Magazine) flaunts her Latinism without fear of prejudice or of Hollywood typecasting. She places no limits on herself or her career and is a modern role model for millions of young Latinos who are searching for their own path to success and happiness.

Chef Douglas Rodriguez is another. I have great respect for the man that first coined the term “Nuevo Latino” when he described the innovative cuisine he created that helped spark the celebrity chef phenomena. Chef Rodriguez is a mentor and former teacher to many of the top chefs in the world including: Aaron Sanchez from the television show “Chopped” and reining Iron Chef Jose Garces. More than anything else, however, Chef Rodriguez is almost singlehandedly responsible for elevating Latin cuisine to the elite levels of fine dining in the top culinary circles across America.

The Nuevo Latinos are moving the image and influence of successful Latinos from the neighborhood to the mainstream. The power of this shift has the capacity to drive our economy and transform our political landscape – and it has only just begun to take shape.










Article and Photos Sourced From: http://www.keepingcurrentmatters.com/2014/01/30/nuevo-latinos-a-commitment-to-culture-and-success/

Go Ahead, Take a Peek at Google's $82M Private Jet Facility

Not content to continually out-weird itself when it comes to office design—we're talking walls of blue hair and indoor orange grove levels of wackadoo—Googlewill soon be using a private airport terminal to transport executives to and from its various unsubtle HQs. Breaking ground in January, this $82M addition to the San José International Airport will house and service the personal aircraft of Google higher-ups, as well as those of other deep-pocketed Silicon Valley clients, including Hewlett Packard. The 29-acre facility, contracted by private aviation firm Signature Flight Support, will feature an executive terminal, hangars, aircraft servicing facilities, and its very own green wall, whose assorted flora will likely grow twice as fast from constant exposure to the radiant auras of so many besuited type-A go-getters.

Designed by Gensler Architects, the 270,000-square-foot LEED-gold-certified facility will also look a lot more inviting than the stern, austere airports of your travel nightmares, with a huge latticed canopy shading an outdoor lounge and a minimal, preeminently chic executive terminal. If you feel a fit of jealousy coming on—which would be understandable, especially during the holiday season, when everyone's worst airport memories get dredged up once again—remember that the project will open up 150 to 200 construction jobs, and provide the San Jose airport with $2.6M in annual rent. If you still feel at all resentful at the idea of Silicon Valley execs getting their own airport terminal, remember who you have to blame for the phenomenon: Jay Z and Ashton Kutcher, for not getting "Uber for planes" off the ground.

Article & Photo Sourced from: http://curbed.com/archives/2013/12/23/this-is-what-googles-82m-corporate-jet-facility-will-look-like.php

California’s Economy Poised to Pass Italy, Russia

Just how strong is California’s economic recovery?

Strong enough that the state will pull past Italy and Russia by the end of 2013 to stand alone as the eighth-largest economy in the world.

California was tied with Italy and Russia for eighth largest economy in 2012, but the state has enjoyed strong job gains and a rising  gross domestic product (GDP) this year while Europe remains mired in recession, according to Stephen Levy, director and senior economist of Center For Continuing Study of the California Economy.

GDP measures the value of all economic goods and services, and California, Italy, and Russia each posted a GDP of $2 trillion in 2012, Levy said in a new report. The United States remained the world’s largest economy, with a GDP of $15.7 trillion, followed by China ($8.2 trillion), Japan ($6 trillion), Germany ($3.4 trillion), France ($2.6 trillion), the United Kingdom ($2.4 trillion), and Brazil ($2.3 trillion).

California’s huge economic impact has long been recognized by economists, but Levy’s report also highlights the value of the state’s regional economies.

The Bay Area, for example, had a GDP of $594 billion in 2012, making it the 20th largest economy in the world, between Switzerland and Sweden. The GDP of the Los Angeles Basin was measured at $925 billion, making it the 16th largest, between South Korea and Indonesia.
Levy noted that California tied with Minnesota for the fifth fastest rate of GDP growth in 2012 after five years of below-average gains.

In an earlier report, Levy said the Bay Area leads California in job growth, adding 100,000 new jobs over the past year while reporting the lowest unemployment rates in the state.

It’s this kind of economic growth that helps boost buying power in real estate markets and fuels optimism here at Pacific Union that 2013 will continue to attract both homebuyers and sellers and generate strong, sustained market growth.

Where did the Bay Area Roadways Get Their Names?

 

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When it comes to naming roads, bridges and tunnels after distinguished citizens, all's fair in love, politics and vital signs.

"It used to be that a politician had to be retired (to be honored)," said state Sen. Mark DeSaulnier, who in 2007 proposed the second span of the Benicia Bridge be named after Rep. George Miller. "Now you're supposed to be dead. I explained it to (Miller), that the rules say you have to be deceased. I said, 'Now George, I've always wanted to follow you into Congress. I think we're looking at a win-win here.'" 

Happily, DeSaulnier was able to convince his fellow legislators that Miller deserved the honor while he was still around to enjoy it. But the process spotlights the risk-reward dynamic inherent to naming transportation infrastructure for people.

The reward is obvious. Miller is tickled, especially because the original span of the Benicia Bridge was named for his father, longtime state Sen. George Miller Jr. That honor was posthumous, bestowed in 1975.

"My father never got to see me drive across his bridge," Miller said. "My grandkids were there for my ceremony. That was really fun. The youngest one, whenever we go over it, will say something about Papa's bridge."

Some of the risk is borne by the honorees. Douglas MacArthur, Chester Nimitz and Thomas Caldecott had their names affixed to what were, at the time, transformational transportation projects. Decades later, gridlocked commuters tend to

forget the men as they blaspheme the names associated with the maze, the freeway and the tunnel for being traffic nightmares.

That's something former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown might want to prepare for. On Thursday, Assemblyman Isadore Hall, D-Compton, introduced a resolution to name the western span of the Bay Bridge after Brown.

These days, the California Legislature is responsible for approving names for state-operated infrastructure. A resolution can be proposed by a member of either the Assembly or the state Senate. The resolution must clear that house's transportation committee and be passed by vote, then go through the same process in the other house.

It wasn't always that way. MacArthur, the celebrated Army general, was retreating from the Bataan Peninsula to Australia in March 1942 when the Oakland City Council honored him by naming the Moss Avenue approach to the Bay Bridge in his honor. Eventually, his name also was given the adjacent freeway, Interstate 580, and the cement tangle now known as the MacArthur Maze.

State legislators made the call in 1958 when it came time to honor another World War II hero, Navy Adm. Chester Nimitz. Nimitz cut the ribbon on the $50 million Interstate 880 freeway

The Nimitz Freeway and the Interstate 80 Freeway interchange.

project, which included the first double-deck structure ever completed in California. Standing atop what would become known as the ill-fated Cypress Structure, Nimitz expressed the hope that "this great freeway will be not only an avenue ... but will also be a 'safeway' helping to cut down on the tremendous loss of life on our highways." 

Caldecott was the mayor of Berkeley, an Alameda County supervisor and president of Joint Highway District 13, which built the first two bores of the tunnel. Ten thousand cars queued up to pass through the engineering marvel when it opened Dec. 5, 1937. Originally known as the Broadway Tunnel, it was renamed for Caldecott in 1960, nine years after his death. As with other named infrastructure, the new handle took awhile to become part of the regional lexicon.
"Think the new name will catch on?" wrote Oakland Tribune columnist George Ross. "I know people who still call MacArthur Blvd. 'Excelsior.'"
Sometimes the risk is to those who bestow the honor. After Cardinals slugger Mark McGwire broke the single-season home run record in 1998, a stretch of Interstate 70 in St. Louis was named in his honor. Years later, McGwire admitted he had used performance-enhancing drugs during his celebrated season. That stretch of freeway is now named for Mark Twain.
"The current generation remembers that, gee, the Caldecott is nothing but a bottleneck. With my bridge," he said, chuckling, "there was this bottleneck, and then it went away. It was like I did that."
The impact of other honorees is not as obvious. Retired Contra Costa County Registrar Steve Weir raised funds for the signage when a stretch of Interstate 680 was named for former state Sen. Daniel Boatwright.
"He sought the money to get 680 improvements," Weir said. "When it began to deteriorate, he got the funds to have it laser-etched to get the road smoothed out. You go after what you want and you deliver for your district. He had that attitude in spades."
So did San Jose City Councilman Joe Colla, who was moved to action when budget cuts halted the construction of the 680/280/101 interchange in the mid-1970s, leaving a 200-foot section of disembodied roadway looming incongruously over the landscape. Colla arranged for a crane to hoist a car atop the roadway, joined it there via helicopter, and had his picture taken with arms spread wide as if to say, "What now?"
He followed that stunt with a 300-car caravan to Sacramento to ask for funding to complete the project. He got it. Colla died in 1995, and the interchange was named in his honor in 2010. It would be difficult to find a more appropriately named piece of infrastructure.
The same could be said for the overpasses honoring law enforcement officials who died in the line of duty. DeSaulnier said there are discussions about naming an overpass on I-680 for CHP officer Kenyon Youngstrom, who was gunned down by a motorist in September.

Highway 85 in Santa Clara County won't lead you directly to San Jose's airport, but both are fittingly named for Norman Mineta (the airport by a vote of the San Jose City Council), former San Jose councilman and mayor, congressman, U.S. secretary of commerce and U.S. secretary of transportation.

But the name-association game is a funny thing.
"We refer to the Nimitz and the Grove-Shafter (freeways) by name," Weir said, "but no one's going to talk about the Boatwright or the Don Doyle. If I'm crossing the (former state Sen. John) Nejedly Bridge, that sticks for me. So does the (Al) Zampa Bridge" (named after an ironworker who worked on several Bay Area spans).

As one of the few living honorees, Miller said he feels a responsibility to live up to his status.
"In a funny way, you do," he said. "You don't want people driving on your bridge and going, 'Hey, that SOB.' That's why they wanted you to be dead, because then they knew you wouldn't become a criminal and run away with the state treasury."

Miller joked that he might repay DeSaulnier by having his name placed on the fourth bore of the Caldecott Tunnel. DeSaulnier has his own plan for that.

"(Former California Transportation commissioners) Jeremiah Hallisey and James Kellogg were instrumental in getting the money for the project," he said. "I joked about naming one end of the tunnel for one of them, and the other end after the other because, 'you're the biggest bores I know.'"


Article & Photo Sourced From:  http://www.contracostatimes.com/breaking-news/ci_23454233/bay-area-roadways-whered-names-come-from

California Leads in Solar Panels

California leads the nation in the number of homes with solar panels installed, thanks in part to an assortment of state and federal rebates and incentives designed to cut reliance on fossil-fuel energy sources.

More than 95,000 homes in the state draw power from sunlight, according to the California Public Utilities Commission, and that number is expected to grow considerably as the cost of solar systems continues falling.

The Solar Energy Industries Association reported recently that the price for average residential solar systems was down 20 percent in the fourth quarter of 2012 from a year earlier.

Solar power systems were installed in more than 82,000 homes nationwide last year, and the association said the power capacity of all new solar systems — for homes, businesses, and public utilities — rose 76 percent to 3,300 megawatts. One-third of that new capacity was in California.

The California Solar Initiative, which operates a state-sponsored rebate program for homeowners, estimates the total cost of a residential photovoltaic solar power system at $34,800, with annual rates of return between 9 and 14 percent.

After factoring in rebates (both state and federal), reduced power bills, and income from excess energy sold to public utilities, the agency said a typical residential system would cost just over $19,000, with a payback period of 12 years.

Such a system can generate 81 percent of a home’s overall electrical needs and reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 5,459 pounds per year.

Solar Panels in San Francisco

To qualify for the program, homeowners must buy electricity from one of California’s three investor-owned utilities — PG&E in the Bay Area – and have roof or ground space that gets unobstructed sunlight year-round from 11 a.m. to sunset.

The California Solar Initiative’s website explains rebate and installation guidelines in detail, with links to downloadable copies of the hefty California Solar Initiative Program Handbook and the CSI-Thermal Program Handbook.



(Photo courtesy of Mikecogh, via Flickr.)
(Photo Courtesy of The SF Chronicle)