June 2016
Supported By
Recruit 3 & You're FREE
 
Recruit at least 3 new Builder or Associate members in 2016 and
your next membership renewal will be free. Affiliate members or members being reinstated within 1 year not included in promotion.

If you are referring the new member to  SIF Workers' Comp Program (which could pay for their first year's dues,) please make sure to TELL LAUREN (504.837.2700 or [email protected]) that you recruited them prior to the Board of Directors meeting that month.

If your 2016 membership renewal comes up prior to recruiting the 3 members, your 2017 renewal will be comped. Only the first 3 members will be counted (recruiting 6 new members does not grant 2 years of membership renewal.)


Resources:
  • Use the SPIKE ROLODEX to help identify potential new members that you work with daily. Give the completed Rolodex to Lauren to find out who's already a member. 
NAHB Outstanding Student Award - Lynn Greco
 
Congratulations to Lynn Greco, recent graduate of Delgado's Architectural/Design Construction Technology program, and a local student chapter member. Lynn was very active in HBA functions, and has received the Outstanding Student Awards from NAHB at the 2016 IBS in Las Vegas. 

Lynn, we are very proud of you, and wish you a very happy and successful career!
Government Assistance Increases Wages!
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached at [email protected]. His daily 70 word economics and policy blog can be seen at www.econ70.com.


All too frequently the argument is made that government assistance programs subsidize low wage employers. That is, firms like Wal-Mart, McDonalds and Target, to name just a few, are able to pay very low wages precisely because management knows that their low paid employees will qualify for Medicaid, food stamps (officially known as the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) and other such public assistance. As a result, it's assumed that these public programs allow firms to pay lower wages than would be possible were these programs not to exist. To be blunt, this position is completely wrong.
Rather than subsidizing low-wage employers, public assistance programs generally reduce the supply of low-skilled workers who are willing to work for low pay and poor benefits. This is because in many cases, benefits are more generous when family incomes are very low or zero. As family income rises, benefits are frequently cut back or eliminated entirely. By reducing the pool of workers willing to take poorly paying jobs, Medicaid and most public assistance programs tend to increase, rather than decrease, wages at the bottom of the pay scale. Were these programs not to exist, the unemployed would be more eager to work than they currently are, and thus more willing to work at a lower wage.
Again, the availability of health insurance, food stamps, and other assistance when work is not a requirement means that paid employment is somewhat less attractive than would otherwise be the case. Moreover, the fact that in many cases benefits are reduced as earnings rise means that work is financially less rewarding to these households than it is to unsubsidized households. In short, programs that offer more generous payments to those with no earnings than to those with higher incomes reduces the supply of workers willing to work at very low pay. This is quite the opposite of a subsidy to low-wage paying firms.
Two programs that are exceptions to the above are the Earned Income tax Credit (EITC) and childcare subsidies targeted at working families with low incomes. Because benefits are only paid to families with a parent who is employed, these programs encourage work. By boosting the supply of low-wage labor, these programs increase labor supply and thus decrease wages. However, these programs are not really subsidies to low-wage employers. Rather, they are programs that offer inducements for low-wage workers to enter the job market and take jobs that do not offer adequate pay by making it financially advantageous to do so. The goal of the EITC is to improve the standard of living of low-income families and encourage work, without fear that as a result of a rise in earned income, public benefits will be lost. In this way the EITC makes work pay.
In conclusion, public assistance programs that offer benefits to non-working Americans reduce the incentive to work, thus boosting wages. Similarly, programs that dramatically reduce benefits as household income rises also boost wages by making work less attractive. There are no subsidies here. While programs that incentivize work, like the EITC, increase the supply of workers and thus decrease wages slightly, calling such programs employer subsidies is essentially mistaking the bathwater for the baby.


Calling All Entries!
Entry Deadline: Tuesday, November 1
FROM LAST MONTH
In Remembrance
HBAGNO Past President and found of LAS Enterprises, Leon A. Szyller passed away last Wednesday, April 27 at the age of 88. We owe much of our good fortune to our past leaders, and thank Mr. Szyller for his contributions to the industry. We wish the best to his family. 

Services were held Thursday, April 28. For those wishing to show support, the family asks to please consider a donation to the Northshore Jewish Congregation and/or Congregation Gates of Prayer in Metairie.
It's National Home Remodeling Month!
Utilize your website, social media, and print materials to publicize National Home Remodeling Month in May!

The National Association of Home Builders provides lots of resources -including the banner ad to the right - to help your campaign. Check them out here: http://bit.ly/1NGqVwE 


Join us for our next Remodelers Council meeting! Thursday, May 12 here at the HBA office - 2424 N. Arnoult Road. Professionals from  AdvantaClean will be sharing information on how to control mold & moisture in buildings - a major issue for our area! RSVP to Lauren if you are interested in attending. 
Ample Ammunition
Elliot Eisenberg, Ph.D. is President of GraphsandLaughs, LLC and can be reached at [email protected]. His daily 70 word economics and policy blog can be seen at www.econ70.com.

There exists concern among many that should another recession come soon, the government will have few, if any, tools to bring the economy back towards growth and prosperity because interest rates are already near rock bottom. As a result, it is feared that our economy could quite possibly remain in the doldrums for some time. Fortunately, this is simply not true. There remain numerous tools at the disposal of the Fed and of the Congress. Below are some ideas that are surely being considered should more intervention become necessary.
To begin, the central bank could once again ramp up its purchases of Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) through another round of quantitative easing. But rather than sticking to just Treasuries and MBS, this time the Fed could buy a much broader range of assets, including high-yield bonds, stocks, and even real estate to get asset prices up and markets out of the doldrums.
Another step the Fed could take is to push interest rates into negative territory, meaning it would start charging, yes charging, banks to keep money on deposit rather than paying them the current rate of 0.5%. While this seems preposterous, at present central banks in Denmark, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland, along with the European Central Bank are doing precisely this. The aim would be to encourage banks to lend by penalizing them to hold cash. In a similar vein, the Fed could alternatively pay banks to lend money to borrowers. This policy is less harmful than using negative interest rates, as it does not reduce bank profits nor does it encourage banks to charge their depositors to keep deposits on hand to recoup the money paid to the Fed. Paying banks is akin to using a carrot, lower rates; a stick.
In addition to the above, the Fed could also promise to keep mortgage rates at or below a certain level for an extended period of time with the explicit aim being to boost lending activity by enabling more people to qualify for a mortgage. This would boost home sales and residential construction activity.
Another way to boost spending and inflation is for the government to announce a tax cut and issue bonds to finance it. But, rather than selling the bonds to private investors (which takes money out of circulation), the Fed would buy the bonds. This "Helicopter money" (HM) named in honor of Milton Friedman and which fuses fiscal and monetary policy, is as close as you can get to raining cash from the clear blue sky like manna down on households. While HM is not to be rushed into, in a deep recession or global crisis, it might well make sense. And, if it were coordinated by a group of rich countries, all the better.
Lastly, the Congress could surprise us and use fiscal policy and pass structural reforms. Fiscal policy such as large tax cuts or spending on large infrastructure projects would give private sector firms more confidence about future demand and thus make a recovery more likely. Structural reforms could include tax reform and increased deregulation.
In short, the government is far from being out of policies that could be employed to jump-start the economy in the event of a recession in the near future. While some policies will undoubtedly work better than others, the key will be to implement a number of them at once.

Member Rebate Program
The Member Rebate Program is a free member benefit of your State & Local Home Builders Association.

There are over 40 of the country's leading manufacturer brands participating in the Member Rebate Program.

Visit Member Benefits for more information, or CLICK HERE to view an online brochure with helpful information about the program.
In This Issue:
NAHB Outstanding Student Award
Editorial: Assistance Increases Wages!
Calling All Entries!
From Last Month
NEW JOB POSTING

Also Supported By: 

 

 

 

Did you know you can renew your membership online? 

Just login from the HBAGNO homepage to renew your membership.

June Calendar of Events
All Events held at HBA office unless otherwise noted 

See details below for 
"Featured Events"

1) PWB Luncheon @ 11am
Old Rail Brewing Company, 639 Girod Street, Mandeville

4-5 & 11-12) Parade of Homes

10-12) Southern Sportsman's Festivel & Expo

16) Advanced Building Practices Council Meeting @ 12pm

17-18) Fishing Rodeo, Venice, LA

21) HBA Executive Committee Meeting @ 3pm

21) HBA Board of Directors Meeting @ 4pm

30) Membership CONTACT DAY @ 8:30am
FEATURED EVENTS
Wednesday, June 1
11am - 1pm


Professional Women in Building Council Luncheon

Location: Old Rail Brewing Company, 
639 Girod St., Mandeville

Saturdays & Sundays, 
June 4-5 & 11-12
1 - 5pm

www.nolaPOH.org
Friday, June 10 - Sunday, June 12
 
www.ssf-e.com

Thursday, June 16
12 - 1pm
 

Advanced Building Practices 
Council Meeting

Topic: Pervious Concrete Applications for Residential Construction

Location: HBA Office, 2424 N. Arnoult Road, Metairie

Friday, June 17 - 
Saturday, June 18
 
Wess Wyman Memorial Fishing Rodeo

Location: Cypress Cove Marina, Venice, LA

Registration fee goes up after June ! Get your team in today.

Job Postings
Warehouse/Forklift Operator
Goldin Metals
Harvey, LA

Email:
or Visit:

Apply in person at Harvey facility.
Salesperson
Goldin Metals
Harvey, LA 

or Visit:

Apply in person at Harvey facility.
Project Manager
Orleans Sheet Metal Works & Roofing 


Apply in person at Harvey facility.
Quick Links & Resources



* Under Compliance, click on Employers' Workers' Compensation Coverage Verification
NAHB Online Courses Logo
2016 Senior Officers of the Board

President, Floyd Simeon
Vice President, Mike LeCorgne
Treasurer, Frank Morse
Secretary, Michael Kraft
Immediate Past President, Roy Olsen

2016 Board of Directors

Steve Albert
John Arms
Alexis Brown
Nick Castjohn
Charlie Fontenelle
David Gaspard
Phil Hoffman
Kevin Katner

Jo Ann Kostik
Peter Lanaux
Bruce Layburn
Harold LeBlanc
Brian Mills
Scott Morse
Helmut Mundt
Randy Noel
Lynda Nugent Smith
Rolf Parelius
Kimberly Rooney
Dorothy Stanich
Zach Tyson
Kirk Williamson
Steve Wobbema
Wes Wyman


HBA Staff Contacts

Jon Luther, Executive Vice President
Philip Thomas, Education Director & NOEL Program Director  [email protected]
Lauren Galliano, Director of Membership & Industry Relations   [email protected]g
Rita Bautista, Governmental Affairs Representative    [email protected]
Shane Gray, Accountant  [email protected]


Did We Miss Something?
Please contact Lauren at the HBA office with any pertinent industry-related issues and/or professional achievements you'd like to share with your association members.

Feature Articles in upcoming issues of sticks & bricks or HBA's printed publication, the homebuilder quarterly(HQ), are FREE opportunities for HBA members to market themselves to 1,000+ industry professionals.

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