Kai writes… Let me just tell you right out — I am biased.

But I think there’s really no better place in Southern California to talk about the what’s going on in the economy than the City of Commerce, just a handful of miles from our office in Downtown. And what’s a better place to talk about the economy then at an auction house in the city of Commerce.

We are here at the A.N. Abell Auction Company to look precisely at that: the economy and how the downgrade of the country’s debt is impacting everyone in the economic food chain, from the president of a major company, to a small business owner, to the rest of us: consumers.

Our guests today don’t stray so far from our ad hoc headquarters today in Commerce. Our guests on the show today include Dave Hirz, president of the Commerce-based Smart & Final; Vicent V., owner of the manufacturing company NicoNat, which is also based in Commerce. We also have Commerce’s city administrator Jorge Rifa. And bond analyst Asha Joshi will be here to make sense for us how our national debt factor into all aspects of the economy.

It’s 1:15 pm. About an hour from our Live show. Stay tuned.

***Marketplace examines the disconnect between the markets and the economy. Every day, we’re reporting on the divide between Wall Street and Main Street, and on what’s being done about it. Follow our up-to-the-minute coverage of the markets and economy in our special section and blog Market Mayhem/Economic Standstill. ***