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Home My WebLink AboutCorrespondence - #22 Orozco, Norma From: courtney hatzenbuhler <courtneyhatz@yahoo.com> Sent: Friday, April 14, 2023 2:27 PM To: eComment Subject: Low cost spay and neuter Hello, I am reaching out in regards to the overpopulation of cats in Orange County, specifically Santa Ana. As an independent rescuer, it has become very obvious that the reason there are so many unwanted cat lives, is because there are not many resources. We need low cost spay and neuter for senior citizens and low income families. We also need a feral cat clinic that is affordable and does not cost close to$200 to spay each cat. Courtney H. 1 Orozco, Norma From: Karen Alvarez <karen2891 @gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, April 15, 2023 11:11 AM To: eComment Subject: Free Spay And Neuter Clinics Needed Hi City of Santa Ana, I just took your survey but there was no comment section. Wanted to add that it's very important to offer free spay and neuter services for low-income residents, individuals with fixed income like people on disability, senior citizens and veterans, as well as independent cat trappers and rescue groups. There are so many feral cats in Santa Ana and this could really help curb those populations. Thank you! Kind Regards, Karen Alvarez Santa Ana Resident& Homeowner i Orozco, Norma From: Victor D Mendez <vicdmendez@gmail.com> Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2023 2:01 PM To: Amezcua, Valerie; Lopez, Jessie; Hernandez, Johnathan; Bacerra, Phil; Phan, Thai; Penaloza, David; Vazquez, Benjamin Cc: Ridge, Kristine; Downs, Kathryn; eComment Subject: Interview with Wall St Journal re: Consumer Spending Attached please find a recent article published in the Wall Street Journal on the state of US Consumer Spending. The article quotes myself (as an American consumer) and several economic experts in various consumer sectors. I believe there is a respectable alignment to this article and the current revenue assumptions of the 2023-2024 budget; however, I am bullish on the residences of Santa Ana and even with the prospects of some type of recession in the clouds, I think core consumer-oriented revenues iin Santa Ana should weather any problem that could arise for this year and into next; however, property tax levels will probably remain pretty stagnant without new developments. Retail Sales Report Shows Americans Pulled Back on Big-Ticket Purchases as Interest Rates Rose - WSJ The issue for me is not revenue or even what Santa Ana spends their money on, but how they spend it. I do believe the City can bend the cost curve, close the margin between expenditures and revenue, and avoid service cuts post Measure X with some greater business discipline. Something every household must do here in the City and which I have advocated for the past 2 and 1/2 years but have not seen any concrete effort to date. VICTOR D MENDEZ I i This copy is for your personal,non-commercial use only.Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law.For non-personal use or to order multiple copies,please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1-800-843-0008 or visit www.djreprints.com. https://www.wsj.com/articles/us-economy-retai I-sales-march-2023-d86c682f ECONOMYU.S.ECONOMY Retail Sales Report Shows Americans Pulled Back on Big-Ticket Purchases as Interest Rates Rose Sales fell 1% in March, led by lower spending on vehicles; manufacturing output declined By Harriet Torry Follow Updated April 14,2023 3:45 pm ET American consumers cut their retail spending for the second straight month in March, adding to signs of a slowing economy. Shoppers pulled back on purchases of items such as vehicles, furniture and appliances amid climbing interest rates. Overall purchases at stores, restaurants and online declined a seasonally adjusted 1%in March from the prior month, the Commerce Department said Friday. Consumers also spent less on gasoline, reflecting a downward trend in prices. Retail and food-services sales,change from prior month 3.5% 3.0 2.5 2.0 1.5 1.0 0.5 0 -0.5 -1.0 -1.5 -2.0 2022 '23 Note:Seasonally adjusted Source:Commerce Dept The decline in retail sales could suggest that higher interest rates are working to slow down the economy as Federal Reserve officials have intended. They think economic activity needs to ease to bring down inflation,which has cooled recently but remains stubbornly high. Fed officials have signaled they could raise rates again at their meeting early next month to keep downward pressure on inflation. Manufacturing output,which is also sensitive to interest rates, declined 0.5%in March from the prior month, and is down from a year earlier, the Fed said in a separate report Friday. And after a strong start to the year, hiring has eased for two straight months and the number of job openings has declined, signs the red-hot labor market is also cooling. I � I nl 1� VERSACE DOLCE&GABBANA Overall purchases at stores,restaurants and online declined in March. PHOTO:LM OTERO/ASSOCIATED PRESS Declining retail sales "is the type of slowing policy makers would want to see," said Sonia Meskin, an economist at BNY Mellon Investment Management. "The consumer has remained overall remarkably resilient in the face of rate rises by the Fed," she said. The U.S. economy grew at a solid pace in the first quarter, recent data indicate, in part reflecting a surge in January retail spending. March retail spending,change from February -6% -5 -4 -3 -2 -1 0 1 2 3 Gasoline stations Department stores Electronics and appliance Home improvement Motor vehicle dealers Furniture Total Grocery Restaurant and bars Online Note:Seasonally adjusted Source:Commerce Department In a speech Friday, Federal Reserve governor Christopher Waller said "this growth would mean that, so far, tighter monetary policy and credit conditions are not doing much to restrain aggregate demand." Mr. Waller said he was prepared to approve another interest-rate increase because recent banking-system stresses haven't produced a significant pullback in lending while high inflation remains supported by strong growth. The Fed raised its benchmark interest rate last month to a range between 4.75% and 5%, extending the fastest pace of rate increases since the early 1980s. The Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's gross domestic product tracker on Friday estimated a 2.5%growth rate for GDP in the first quarter, only slightly slower than late last year. S&P Global Market Intelligence on Friday estimated 1.9%growth in the first quarter, and a 0.2% contraction in the second quarter. The Commerce Department's first-quarter GDP reading is due out later this month. The retail-sales report mainly captures spending on goods rather than most services such as travel, rent and utilities, offering only a partial picture of spending. The Commerce Department will release more complete figures later this month. Spending on air travel was robust in March but outlays on other services such as hotels declined, transaction data from Bank of America credit and debit cards showed. And the cost of shelter has increased faster than the overall rate of inflation, federal data show. Some Americans have had to make adjustments to allow them to keep spending. Victor Mendez, 64 years old, recently started working as a substitute teacher in Orange County, Calif., partly to supplement his Social Security income. "It's pretty good money, and I can pick the days I want to work," he said. t F t .I z Victor Mendez says he looks for savings where he can. PHOTO:VICTOR MENDEZ Mr. Mendez watches what he spends and looks for savings where he can, for instance using apps and rewards when he shops. He recently purchased a new Subaru vehicle with a good financing deal and "decided at that interest rate it would be OK." While his rent has gone up, and "that was a bite," he said he had noticed some prices starting to come down, such as chicken breasts at the grocery store. Recent data suggest many consumers are more cautious about purchases of goods they often have to borrow money to buy. In March, spending declined in big-ticket categories including vehicle sales, electronics, furniture, and at home-improvement and department stores. "The current challenges in the used auto industry are well documented," CarMax Inc. Chief Executive Bill Nash said on a call with analysts this week, "with affordability pressured by broad inflation, climbing interest rates, tightening lending standards and prolonged low consumer confidence." Consumer sentiment ticked up slightly in April but remained at a subdued level, the University of Michigan said Friday. Spending increased online in March, and rose slightly at bars and restaurants, the Commerce Department said. Analysts say lower tax refunds compared with last year were also a factor holding down spending in March. The amount refunded to taxpayers through March 31 was 10.4%lower than in 2022, the Internal Revenue Service said. And an extra boost in food-stamps assistance for low-income households that Congress authorized at the start of the pandemic ended in a number of states in March as well. From a year earlier, retail sales increased 2.9%in March, the smallest gain since June 2020, when the economy was emerging from pandemic lockdowns. March's year-over-year increase was below the 5%rate of inflation. "Consumers may be tempted to save more in 2023 because of all the talk of recession," said Jitender Miglani, senior forecast analyst at Forrester Research Inc. Staff at the Fed anticipate a recession could start later this year because of the fallout from banking-sector stresses. March retail spending,change from a year earlier -20% -15 -10 -5 0 5 10 15 Gasoline stations Electronics and appliance Home improvement Furniture Department stores Motor vehicle dealers Total Grocery Online Restaurant and bars Note:Seasonally adjusted Source:Commerce Department Write to Harriet Torry at harriet.torry@wsj.com We want to hear from you What price increase in your life has been most surprising or painful? For example, has your haircut gotten more expensive,or is your favorite salsa being sold in a smaller container?Tell us about it in the form below. Name* Email-` City,State SUBMIT By submitting your response to this questionnaire,you consent to Dow Jones processing yours pecial categories of personal information and are indicating that your answers maybe investigated and published by The Wall Street Journal and you are willing to be contacted by a Journal reporter to discuss your answers further.In an article on this subject,the Journal will not attribute your answers to you by name unless a reporter contacts you and you provide that consent. Inflation and the Economy Analysis from The Wall Street Journal, selected by the editors INFLATION PRICE TRACKER U.S. Inflation Eased to 5%in March Food Prices Are New Inflation Threat Hiring Is Gradually Cooling The Hottest Job Markets in the U.S. Financial Shocks Raise Odds of Recession Why the Economy Seems Weird What Is Supercore Inflation? What to Know About Inflation Appeared in the April I5,2023,print edition as'Consumers Again Scale Back Retail Spending Orozco, Norma From: nancy de fusco <imtonice@hotmail.com> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2023 2:06 PM To: eComment Subject: Budget We desperately need a free tnr program. Please consider this in your budget. The community cat population has exploded since the shelter stopped their program. Nancy De Fusco 1801 W Camden PI Santa Ana, CA 92704 (714)235-6686 Sent from my T-Mobile 4G LTE Device 1 Orozco, Norma From: Christina M <celestialcitra38@aol.com> Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2023 10:26 PM To: eComment Subject: Santa Ana Budget survey FY2023-2024 Hi, I just completed the survey as a resisdent of Santa Ana 92704. Along with some of the questions, I wanted to add additional comments on resources Santa Residents could use. We need FREE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS in Santa Ana for low-income residents, especially for independent cat trappers and rescue groups. Thank you for your time, Christina i