Welcome to the February Tomorrow’s Business Leaders issue of NorthBay biz, not to be confused with our May cover theme, Leaders of the North Bay. This is a new cover topic for us and is in response to the changing demographic profile in our communities. We hope these stories resonate with you and help better prepare your business for the future.
In this issue, you’ll find a ballot for our annual BEST of the North Bay Readers Poll. This is the 23rd year the magazine has asked its readers to vote for what they believe are the best companies doing business in the North Bay. And it will be the 12th year we’ve held a celebratory awards party that has become, even if I have to say so myself, one of the best business events held during the entire year. I guess, though, that not everyone knows how great a celebration it is, since only the first and second place winners in the 39 categories are invited to the bash. This year, we’ll be partying at the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club on Thursday, May 17. For those of you who’ve never had a chance to attend, let me give you a brief description of the evening.
Award-winning guests arrive at 5:30 p.m. and are treated to at least a half dozen food stations serving both hot and cold hors d’oeuvres. The exquisite food prepared by the Santa Rosa Country Club, when paired with more than a dozen award-winning local wineries, becomes a sumptuous repast worthy of multiple stars in a Michelin review. To mention but a few of past award winning wineries will certainly make you yearn to have your company be voted BEST by our readers for 2012. They include: Kosta Browne, Jordan, Silver Oak, Ferrari Carrano, J Winery, La Crema, Rodney Strong, Markham, Rochioli, St. Francis, Gloria Ferrer, Dutcher Crossing and A. Rafanelli. The list goes on, but I think you get the idea.
After indulging the gourmand in you and networking with owners, CEOs and various executives of the award-winning companies, the award ceremony unfolds. Beginning around 7 p.m., every winning company is called to the stage and given an impressive memento signifying its accomplishment of being voted BEST in its respective business category. To give you an idea of the accomplishment, last year, we received approximately 2,350 ballots that translated to more than 42,000 individual votes in the 39 different categories. There were more than 1,100 companies and individuals who garnered votes, underscoring the depth and quality of the companies doing business in the North Bay. Company representatives are then given the opportunity to say a few words as they accept their award. And, believe it or not, the program ends by 8:30 p.m. No speechifying by NBB execs, no sales pitch, just a sincere recognition of all the hard work the BEST companies do every day in servicing the needs of their customers in exemplary fashion.
This year, we’re looking forward to another outstanding, memorable event and we’d like to see you there. So, if you’d like to join us on this exceptional night, please remember to vote. And it’s certainly OK if you vote for your own company. You can fill out the ballot in the magazine and mail or fax it to us, or you can go online and submit your votes that way too. We’re looking forward to seeing you on May 17 at the Santa Rosa Golf and Country Club.
Well, I’ve used up more than half of my allotted space, so this next part will have to be tight. Now I’m going to make a few statements and pose a few questions that are intended to make you think. This isn’t intended as a scare tactic, but rather to focus your attention on the gravity of our overall direction and fiscal plight as a nation.
Basically, the United States is tottering on the brink of insolvency, as are most European nations. Expecting growth in this environment is next to impossible. The federal and state solution of spending our way out of this mess is ludicrous. More of the same that got us here is a recipe to hasten our demise. Every government intervention over the past four years has only made the situation worse. Public entitlement economies, depending on more debt and expanding cash supply by simply printing more paper, are trying to extinguish the flames by throwing gas on the fire. That’s exactly the kind of policy that’s brought about and extended our current economic distress.
Look around at the social unrest in Europe, the flash mobs and the “occupy” protests happening here to see the potential trouble on the very near horizon. The impending local, state and federal elections happening across the country later in the year are probably the most important since I’ve been alive. I know it’s always thought that the next election is the one that’s crucial and will determine our ultimate future, but I truly believe we’re at a tipping point this time around.
The nation is fractured. Special interests, both public and private, hold entirely too much sway with the ruling elite at the direct expense and disadvantage to ordinary citizens. The fundamental rule of law is crumbling as politicians decide whether they want to enforce or not enforce the statutes. If they disagree, they choose to ignore enforcement instead of upholding their sworn duty. Separation of powers is being ignored daily, as if the executive branch were a monarchy instead of an elected post sworn to uphold every provision of the constitution. Governments have overstepped their bounds by unimagined levels of only a few decades ago in the pursuit of accumulating more and more power over our everyday lives. All in our best interest, of course. It’s past time to say: enough!
Think about these things as you prepare to vote later this year or, one of these days in the not-to-distant future, every position in government will be appointed instead of elected.
That’s it for now. Enjoy this month’s magazine.
