Choppy Waters for California Almond Producers

The University of California at Davis publishes an excellent agriculture newsletter. In the Sept/Oct 2022 issue, Prof. Colin A. Carter and Sandro Steinbach offer the following insights into the California almond industry (big business here in the Central Valley): “California almond tree acreage has expanded by roughly three-fold since 2000. As a result, the industry …

Fresno County Unemployment Rate 2006-2016

This chart shows the unemployment rate in Fresno County (on a monthly basis) from 2006 to 2016.  It is based on the official data compiled by the California Economic Development Department. (click to enlarge) Some points of interest: ● The highest monthly unemployment rate was 18.4% in February 2010. ● The lowest monthly unemployment rate …

Bankruptcy Filings Decrease Again in 2015

The federal bankruptcy courts publish detailed statistics on bankruptcy filings. California has four federal judicial districts, with Fresno located in the Eastern District. The 2011-2015 bankruptcy filings for the Eastern District of California continue to show a substantial decline, as shown in this table: Truly, the overall decline from 2011 to 2015 is astonishing, and …

Study Says Number of Farm Workers Increased in California

A recent study published by the U. C. Giannini Foundation of Agricultural Economics reports an increase in the number of agricultural employees in California.  Using data from the Employment Development Department, the authors conclude “since 1990, average employment in [California] agriculture rose 10%.” To support their conclusion, the authors “extracted all SSNs reported by agricultural …

Huge Decline in California Bankruptcy Filings

The federal bankruptcy courts publish detailed statistics on bankruptcy filings.  California has four federal judicial districts, with Fresno located in the Eastern District. The 2011-2014 bankruptcy filings for the Eastern District of California show a substantial decline, as shown in this table:   E.D. Cal. total filings Chapter 7 cases Chapter 11 cases Chapter 12 …

Prof. Ribstein Proposes a Single, Unified Standard for Fiduciary Obligations

Prof. Larry E. Ribstein from the University of Illinois School of Law, a leading scholar on business entities, has given considerable thought to the concept of fiduciary duties.  When this author thinks of fiduciary duties, he thinks of three broad obligations – care, confidentiality, and impartiality. Prof. Ribstein, in a recent article, seeks a unified …

Thomas Schoenbaum on the Causes of Global Financial Crisis – Part 2

Professor Thomas Schoenbaum from George Washington University has written a paper discussing the worldwide financial crisis.  His paper entitled “Saving the Global Financial System: International Financial Reforms and United States Financial Reform, Will They Do the Job?”, identifies 12 factors as triggering the financial crisis. The second six are as follows (the first six are …

Thomas Schoenbaum on the Causes of Global Financial Crisis – Part 1

Professor Thomas Schoenbaum from George Washington University has written a paper discussing the worldwide financial crisis.  His paper entitled “Saving the Global Financial System: International Financial Reforms and United States Financial Reform, Will They Do the Job?”, identifies 12 factors as triggering the financial crisis. The first six are as follows (the second six are …

A Fiduciary Duty for All Investment Professionals?

Wading hip deep into the debate over the standard of conduct applicable to investment advisors, author Kristina A. Fausti brings helpful insight in A Fiduciary Duty for All? Ms. Fausti is the Director of Legal and Regulatory Affairs for Fiduciary360, and is knowledgeable about the investment world. What she demonstrates is that the investment world …

Lenders Behaving Badly

Professor Brent T. White from The University of Arizona Law School has followed up his report issued last fall regarding troubled loans.  Prof. White personally communicated with more than 350 individuals regarding their mortgage problems. His new report raises a number of troubling issues, but none more so than the dissembling tactics of lenders. Writes …