SOUNDING OFF:

In my neighborhood there is a lovely family, one member of which, along with two siblings, operates a family business that celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. Started by their father, this business grew from one man operating out of his bedroom, trying to support his growing family, into a thriving business employing more than a dozen people.

The business did almost everything right as it grew. The owners provided an exceptional and unique service combined with superior products that made it a legend in its industry. They nurtured close relationships with suppliers and made themselves an indispensable partner to their customers.

As the demands of that growing company outstripped the ability of the siblings to manage it alone they took great pains to hire just the right people to support that growth, carefully blending the necessary skills and attitudes into their organization. Those dedicated employees were provided with an outstanding, familial working environment, excellent salaries, a fully paid health plan, and the opportunity to participate in the profitability of the company through a SEP-IRA plan and bonuses as the financial condition of the company permitted.

Eighteen months ago it became clear that the industry they support — the real estate development business — was in for some shaky times. Those shaky times turned out to be an 8 on the Richter Scale, as the bottom fell out of their industry.

Late in 2007 they laid off the first person for economic reasons. Unfortunately, she would not be the last. A week ago they laid off what they hope will be the final two staff members to go, reducing their head count to what it was a decade ago. The remaining staff members have been asked to take drastic reductions in salary, although a much smaller cut than the owners themselves are taking. These Draconian measures were necessary because their most optimistic sales projections for the next couple of years will place them at a revenue level where they were more than a decade ago.

The departure of each staff member over the past several months was an event filled with much angst and many tears. Those folks had become like members of the family, so sitting across a desk and telling them they no longer had a job through no fault of their own was painful, especially since there are few prospects for them these days.

So, our neighbors join the rest of us trying to stay afloat during this crisis. They will continue to cautiously make their way through this tunnel of darkness, looking for the light at the end. So far, all they see is more tunnel.

We all hope our new, inexperienced president will find a way to craft an economic recovery that will not bankrupt our society and burden our children and grandchildren with the bills through their lifetimes. Right now, that seems very unlikely.

GEOFF WEST is a resident of Costa Mesa.