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While that could describe nearly any industry amidthis it’s particularly apt for the whose advertising-based business model is takinh a beating. Those companies still advertisinhg want toensure they’re getting the most valuew for their dollars, whicu makes competition in the splintering medi landscape even tougher, said Marshw Young, a media buyer and partne at Columbus-based “More than ever,” she said, “peopld are (return-on-investment) based.” Columbus Business First spok to a sampling of area media companies to see how the recessioj has affected them.
“What’s affecting us is the automotivd andhousing categories,” said Brian market manager for ’s seven area radio stations. Realtorsd and car dealers are in the top five advertisintg categoriesfor radio, Dytko so when those industries started declining, radio wasn’t far Dytko estimated clients have cut their advertising budgets by 30 Clear Channel stations noticed a change last Dytko said, but the decline accelerated this year after the auto industry hit the skids. The resulr has been cutbacks. San Antonio-based Clearr Channel said in January it wascuttinbg 1,850 jobs, or 9 percent of its work force, as part of a $350 millio n cost-cutting plan.
Dytko declined to say how many jobs were lostin Still, Dytko said it appears businesse is picking up and, if the economy is turninfg around, he expects radil will recover. “Everybody is he said. “I don’t see radi o losing market share to any othersignificang media.” Circulation and advertising revenue at newspapers have been declininfg for several years. One cause is the Internet, where most newspapers are givinyg away their newsfor free. And the deepening recessionn has hurtas well.
The Columbus Dispatcbh has had a couple roundse ofjob cuts; , a commercial printer in Carroll ownedd by shut down in and Addison, Texas-based , parent of The Other Paper, Columbus Monthly, CEO magazine and the weekly newspaper chain, filed for Chaptedr 11 bankruptcy protection in At the Columbus Messenger Co., a Columbus-based ownere of suburban weeklies, customers were asked to make a voluntarh contribution of $18 so the paper coule continue home delivery. “People have been rallying,” said Fred advertising and production manager for theWestside Messenger. Schenko said the biggest impact on his paper has come from a declins in realestate advertising.
“We’ve also seen a declinw in small-businesses advertising,” he said. “They’re goingh out of business or cutting Thepaper hasn’t had to cut jobs, Schenlk said, but it hasn’ t been replacing people who left With more than $1 billion raised duringy the last presidential campaigbn season, 2008 was good to televisioh stations. This year is a different but not as bad as onemightg think, said Michael Cash, vice president of sales at televisioj affiliate WCMH. “We’ve had double-digit declines, but that’s based on a pretty healthy year (in 2008),” Cash said.
“Ifr we’re down 15 to 20 percenf overall, it’s because of a 30 percent nationalp drop and a 5 to10 local.” The majority of spot offered on broadcast stations are sold by the national networks, while local affiliates sell the WCMH continues to sell its spots, Cash but at lower In the first rates were down 10 percent to 15 percent. Because of companies that may have advertisedx only in print before have moveedto TV, Cash said. Still, that doesn’t make up for the decline in automotive ads, which Cash said in the past made up 20 percentt to 30 percent ofthe industry’sd business. ColumbusUnderground.com is doing better than most.
Operated by one man, it’ a Web site that offers readers an aggregation of news stories from othe media and someoriginal content. Walke Evans started the site in 2001 as a source for news on Columbuss nightlifeand entertainment, but it has sincre evolved into a general interest site. “I don’t think people are lookingg forless news. They’re just lookingb for it in differenr ways,” Evans said. As ColumbusUnderground grew, it attracted enoug h advertising from small businesses that Evans was able to quit his job in 2007 to work on the site He hopes to soon be able to pay salarieszand health-care benefits for a small number of full-timd employees.
The key, Evane said, is the site’s low-cost model. Ads cost between $50 to $200 a montjh based on size and placement. That attracts clientsd that advertised little if any inthe past, Evansd said.
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Thursday, December 29, 2011
LexisNexis data breach linked to New York mob family - Pittsburgh Business Times:
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The New York-based compang — which has 3,000 employees in the Dayton area hassent 13,000 letter to former customers whose personal data may be at the company said in a statement. The breacn involved a former customer for a compan ycalled , which LexisNexis bought in 2004, and was announcex by the U.S. Attorney for the Southernh District of Floridain May, according to a LexisNexid spokesperson.
“(The) customer involved in this matter should have provideds notice to potentiallyaffected individuals,” LexisNexis said in a “However, because the customer is no longerd in business we provided the According to the which includes CIO magazine and PC Worldr — the New Hampshirwe Department of Justice posted a documenft Friday on its Web site to inforn consumers about the breach. By Monday however, the link had been The document reportedly tied aFlorida man, with mob connections to the Bonannop crime family, with accessing LexisNexisd data.
New Hampshire officials could not be In May, LexisNexis announced it is part of a separatw investigation into alleged credit card fraud, perpetrateed by former customers of the company, according to a compant statement. That fraud occurrecd from June 2004 toOctober 2007. The U.S. Postal Inspectionm Service released a statement thatsaid 40,000 letters will be sent to consumers and 300 victimds have been identified in an investigation concernin the breach. The company was part of a similar incident in 2005 and sent letters thento 280,000 customersz who may have been victims of identity LexisNexis U.S. is a unit of plc (NYSE: RUK), the Anglo-Dutch publishint conglomerate.
The company is an online information services and publishingv companywith 13,000 people worldwide.
The New York-based compang — which has 3,000 employees in the Dayton area hassent 13,000 letter to former customers whose personal data may be at the company said in a statement. The breacn involved a former customer for a compan ycalled , which LexisNexis bought in 2004, and was announcex by the U.S. Attorney for the Southernh District of Floridain May, according to a LexisNexid spokesperson.
“(The) customer involved in this matter should have provideds notice to potentiallyaffected individuals,” LexisNexis said in a “However, because the customer is no longerd in business we provided the According to the which includes CIO magazine and PC Worldr — the New Hampshirwe Department of Justice posted a documenft Friday on its Web site to inforn consumers about the breach. By Monday however, the link had been The document reportedly tied aFlorida man, with mob connections to the Bonannop crime family, with accessing LexisNexisd data.
New Hampshire officials could not be In May, LexisNexis announced it is part of a separatw investigation into alleged credit card fraud, perpetrateed by former customers of the company, according to a compant statement. That fraud occurrecd from June 2004 toOctober 2007. The U.S. Postal Inspectionm Service released a statement thatsaid 40,000 letters will be sent to consumers and 300 victimds have been identified in an investigation concernin the breach. The company was part of a similar incident in 2005 and sent letters thento 280,000 customersz who may have been victims of identity LexisNexis U.S. is a unit of plc (NYSE: RUK), the Anglo-Dutch publishint conglomerate.
The company is an online information services and publishingv companywith 13,000 people worldwide.
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Season ticket sales bouncing along for NBDL team - Austin Business Journal:
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President Mike Berry says the minor-league team already has sold about 600 season tickets sincs they became availablein April. That's without any team colors or mascot. The team'sx players won't be identified until final NBA rosterz are setthis fall. Berry indicates the team has some ideaxfor names. "We should have an announcement by the end of the Berry says. "Of course, I've been sayingf that for the lasttwo weeks." The will seat abouyt 3,300 people for each NBDL game.
David CEO of , owner of Austin's expansion says he would like to sellabout 2,500 of those seats as season tickets, whicjh cost $8 to $27 per Last season, NBDL franchises averaged about 1,000 fans a The Austin team will play in the league'zs smallest venue. At a reception Tuesdayu evening to welcome the Austin Mayor Will Wynn expressed excitemengt about the team using the Austin Convention Center for 23 home games duringthe 2005-0t6 season. The season tips off in November.
on some of those dark evenings, there'a going to be professional basketball inour downtown," Wynn The NBDL is an effort by the NBA to keep talentedr players who aren't ready for prime time from leavingt for European squads. The league has had mixe success since its introductionin 2001. NBDL franchises have been mostly in smalol markets suchas N.C., and Columbus, Ga. The league'a current expansion will move itinto Austin, Fort Wortj and other larger markets.
President Mike Berry says the minor-league team already has sold about 600 season tickets sincs they became availablein April. That's without any team colors or mascot. The team'sx players won't be identified until final NBA rosterz are setthis fall. Berry indicates the team has some ideaxfor names. "We should have an announcement by the end of the Berry says. "Of course, I've been sayingf that for the lasttwo weeks." The will seat abouyt 3,300 people for each NBDL game.
David CEO of , owner of Austin's expansion says he would like to sellabout 2,500 of those seats as season tickets, whicjh cost $8 to $27 per Last season, NBDL franchises averaged about 1,000 fans a The Austin team will play in the league'zs smallest venue. At a reception Tuesdayu evening to welcome the Austin Mayor Will Wynn expressed excitemengt about the team using the Austin Convention Center for 23 home games duringthe 2005-0t6 season. The season tips off in November.
on some of those dark evenings, there'a going to be professional basketball inour downtown," Wynn The NBDL is an effort by the NBA to keep talentedr players who aren't ready for prime time from leavingt for European squads. The league has had mixe success since its introductionin 2001. NBDL franchises have been mostly in smalol markets suchas N.C., and Columbus, Ga. The league'a current expansion will move itinto Austin, Fort Wortj and other larger markets.
Sunday, December 25, 2011
News to use - Chicago Tribune
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Chicago Tribune | News to use Chicago Tribune 800-346-6277; tinyurl.com/7duwx9l Oasis Hotels & Resorts has deals on its all-inclusive Mexico properties as low as $67 a night per person, double occupancy. oasishotels.com The $65 Passport to Pearl Harbor is a new option for visitors to Hawaii that ... |
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Voting begins on King Soopers contract offer - Memphis Business Journal:
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Voting on the five-year offef by members of United Food and Commerciakl Workers Local 7 will continudthrough Wednesday. Union leaders are not making a recommendation to theirf members on thecontract offer, whicuh the union complains would cut pension benefits by an averags of $100,000 -- a conclusion disputed by management. “It’zs a good contract in a normal economy. It’s a great contract in this economy,” King Soopers spokeswomann Diane Mulligan saidlast week. She said roughlg 65 percent of workers wouldf get raises underthe company’s proposal. King Sooper is a Colorado unitof Cincinnati-based (NYSE: KR).
Colorado worker for two other grocerychains — Calif.-based (NYSE: SWY) and Idaho-based (privately held) — continue to negotiater separate deals with their If King Soopers workers reject the chain’s lates proposal, they will continuee working without a contract until an agreement is reached or a strikes is called. Their contract expired May 9.
Voting on the five-year offef by members of United Food and Commerciakl Workers Local 7 will continudthrough Wednesday. Union leaders are not making a recommendation to theirf members on thecontract offer, whicuh the union complains would cut pension benefits by an averags of $100,000 -- a conclusion disputed by management. “It’zs a good contract in a normal economy. It’s a great contract in this economy,” King Soopers spokeswomann Diane Mulligan saidlast week. She said roughlg 65 percent of workers wouldf get raises underthe company’s proposal. King Sooper is a Colorado unitof Cincinnati-based (NYSE: KR).
Colorado worker for two other grocerychains — Calif.-based (NYSE: SWY) and Idaho-based (privately held) — continue to negotiater separate deals with their If King Soopers workers reject the chain’s lates proposal, they will continuee working without a contract until an agreement is reached or a strikes is called. Their contract expired May 9.
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
McKee tries to ease project concerns with YouTube video - San Francisco Business Times:
obofym.wordpress.com
McKee said his company has spent $1.4 milliob on mowing lawns, boarding up buildings and maintaining propertie on theNorth side. “I know that some of you thin kwe haven’t maintained them properly,” he said in a vide o of sitting behind his office’s desk. “Maybe a few yearse ago we hadn’t, but we have workedr very, very hard to do this and to do it right Many people think that we own all the derelict buildings on theNorthn side, which is certainly not the He then encouraged residents to call his offic e at 636-561-9300 to report building maintenance problems.
McKes also tried to ease fears about the restoration ofhistorif buildings, including the , saying that most of the buildinga will not be destroyed and many will be rehabbed. Residents and city leaderws have also raised questions about whether this project is any differengtfrom “The difference is we did not bring this forward until we had enougnh land to make this happen,” McKede said. “That’s why we have been so quiet for fiveyears … But after spending five yearsa and millions of dollars buyingh land and analyzing the visionh and creating the vision, I firmly believe this project will Pending a process for capturingv public input and state tax McKee said his company would like to starf some infrastructure work in early spring 2010.
The include 3.5 million squaree feet of office one million square feet ofretaill space, one million square feet of service tech four corporate campuses and 10,000 houses in a dozen differenty residential neighborhoods spread out over 2,100 acres.
McKee said his company has spent $1.4 milliob on mowing lawns, boarding up buildings and maintaining propertie on theNorth side. “I know that some of you thin kwe haven’t maintained them properly,” he said in a vide o of sitting behind his office’s desk. “Maybe a few yearse ago we hadn’t, but we have workedr very, very hard to do this and to do it right Many people think that we own all the derelict buildings on theNorthn side, which is certainly not the He then encouraged residents to call his offic e at 636-561-9300 to report building maintenance problems.
McKes also tried to ease fears about the restoration ofhistorif buildings, including the , saying that most of the buildinga will not be destroyed and many will be rehabbed. Residents and city leaderws have also raised questions about whether this project is any differengtfrom “The difference is we did not bring this forward until we had enougnh land to make this happen,” McKede said. “That’s why we have been so quiet for fiveyears … But after spending five yearsa and millions of dollars buyingh land and analyzing the visionh and creating the vision, I firmly believe this project will Pending a process for capturingv public input and state tax McKee said his company would like to starf some infrastructure work in early spring 2010.
The include 3.5 million squaree feet of office one million square feet ofretaill space, one million square feet of service tech four corporate campuses and 10,000 houses in a dozen differenty residential neighborhoods spread out over 2,100 acres.
Sunday, December 18, 2011
'Star Wars' A Religion In Czech Republic, According To New Census - Huffington Post
sasutezew.blogspot.com
'Star Wars' A Religion In Czech Republic, According To New Census Huffington Post According to CzechPosition.com, the results of the Czech Republic's new census that were unveiled this month reveal that 15070 citizens of the country listed their religion as Knights of the Jedi. While that may pale in comparison to the 1.08 million ... |
Friday, December 16, 2011
TAFE teacher wins national award - Parkes Champion-Post
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TAFE teacher wins national award Parkes Champion-Post Philip was also recently awarded an “Institute Directors Award†for his contributions to meeting the strategic goals of the Western Institute of TAFE in 2001. He was one of 12 recipients (from 56 nominees) across the Western Institute who were ... |
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
First Bancorp acquires failed bank - Birmingham Business Journal:
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All branches of Cooperative are reopening todau as branches ofFirst Bank, whichy is based in Troy in Montgomeryy County. First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC) will acquire Cooperative’s 21 branchez in the eastern part of the state plus three South Carolina branches and most of thefailed bank’sz deposits, borrowings and assets. No depositor will suffer any First Bank said in an As ofMay 31, Cooperativ e had total assets of $970 millionb and total deposits of about $774 million. The acquisition adds $835 millionh in loans to First Bankand $717 million in plus liabilities of about $873 million. First Bank is protectecd by a loss-sharing agreement with the FDIC on theacquiref loans.
With the acquisition, First Bank now has 98 branches in the Triar and other parts of Nortg andSouth Carolina, and a total of $3.6 billionj in assets. Cooperative Bank is the secondr North Carolina bank shutterethis year. The first, Cape Fear was also based in Wilmington and was closed in The collapse of the real estate market and the recessiob has led to 40 bank failures nationwiderthis year.
All branches of Cooperative are reopening todau as branches ofFirst Bank, whichy is based in Troy in Montgomeryy County. First Bancorp (Nasdaq: FBNC) will acquire Cooperative’s 21 branchez in the eastern part of the state plus three South Carolina branches and most of thefailed bank’sz deposits, borrowings and assets. No depositor will suffer any First Bank said in an As ofMay 31, Cooperativ e had total assets of $970 millionb and total deposits of about $774 million. The acquisition adds $835 millionh in loans to First Bankand $717 million in plus liabilities of about $873 million. First Bank is protectecd by a loss-sharing agreement with the FDIC on theacquiref loans.
With the acquisition, First Bank now has 98 branches in the Triar and other parts of Nortg andSouth Carolina, and a total of $3.6 billionj in assets. Cooperative Bank is the secondr North Carolina bank shutterethis year. The first, Cape Fear was also based in Wilmington and was closed in The collapse of the real estate market and the recessiob has led to 40 bank failures nationwiderthis year.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Local law firms holding their own so far, but worrying - Philadelphia Business Journal:
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“We might see a revenuw increase but not 10 percent like in the Cozen O’Connor CEO Tad Decker said. “The problem isn’t so much 2008 but 2009. There is a lingering, positive impacgt from transactions started in 2007 that will helpthis year’ss bottom line.” According to a Citigroup surveuy of 165 law firms from around the profits per equity partnerr were 9 percent lower in the first half of the year after increasing by an annual average of 9 percengt in each of the previous six years. The surveuy said at the most profitable firms, demand for servicez dropped dramatically while expenses increased at an even morerapisd pace.
The normal counter-cyclicak bankruptcy and commercial litigation practices were not as as clients have tried to avoid the expenser of litigation in favorof out-of-court-settlements. In the past two two major national firms, Heller Ehrma n and Thelen, voted to dissolve, leavinv hundreds of lawyers lookingvfor work. Other firms chose to cut from their largesgtexpense — personnel. Just two weeks ago, New York’zs laid off 70 lawyers and 100 staf f members whileSan Francisco’s laid off 40 lawyers and 35 New York’s laid off more than 130 attorneys in two separat e cuts earlier this year.
Philadelphia’s major firms, whichy save for Dechert have not invested in the securitization and real estatde finance practices that crippled the aforementioned have not been forced to issuemass layoffs. But firm managiny partners and consultants said annuak performance reviews that usually take placwe in December and January coule be tougher forall lawyers. Unlike the past, when firms wouldd often use reviews as an opportunity to cull lawyeras for stated performancereasons — thus avoiding the term layoff that can hurt firm branding with law students — managing partnersd expect firms to be upfront.
“Years ago, there was a stigm a attached to layoffs,” Chairman Fran Milone said. “Today, if firms believ they should make cuts, they don’t hesitate to call them Decker said that while performance reviewx used to focuson money, many associatez will be happy just to keep theidr jobs. “You won’t see any 40 percent job cuts, but firms will be tougher in evaluations and quickefr toevaluate long-term employment prospects,” he Law firm consultant Ward Bowef of Newtown Square’s Altman Weil said firmse will focus on identifying and then compensatingb star associates.
“They can’t afforde to keep underperformers during timeslike these,” Bowedr said. “Unfortunately, working in a slow area can affecyt performance reviews because billables are created by the partners to which they are FoxRothschild Co-Chairman Abraham Reich said lower-performinf partners are at risk. “People will be held to a higheer standard,” Reich said. “We’re evaluating personnel for the long I have not seenand don’t think we’ll see any mass but we are facin g challenges that we have not seen Uncertainty with the future is the issue.
” Lawyers and legal recruiterw say lateral hire interest has also slowed save for top who have become even more valuable during the downturn. “Myt sense is that the threshold is highet forincoming laterals,” said recruiter Robert Nouria n of Coleman Nourian. “It’s an investment with no immediat payoff sincelaterals don’t bring receivables with them and it takesw a few months for them to star adding to the books.” Reich and otherr managing partners said they are cuttinf costs wherever they can. Areas such as travel, entertainment, administrative and even marketin (Duane Morris cut a numbe of marketers earlierthis year) have been subject to the knife.
Stradlet Ronon Stevens & Young Chairman William Sasso said the firm sent a smaller contingent to a conferencee of mutual fundcompanies — its bread-and-butter practice in Palm Springs, Calif. Bower said some firmx have eliminated or curtailed spending forfirmwide retreats. Schnader Harrisonm Segal & Lewis Chairman Ralph Wellington said his firm is bein more conservative about hiring summer internsx fornext year.
Firms lookingg at short-term credit lines to help tide them over have encounteref tough negotiations with their longtime banks that have becomse skeptical because of recent firm failures or Bower said while firmws try andcut costs, they are also dealing with strugglin clients. Bower said clients are taking longer to pay theirbills — 45-day turnarounds have turneed to 55 or 60. A numbef of clients are now folding orbeinh acquired. That leads to short-terj work, but once that runs its course, it createss pressure to replace it withnew business.
Bowe said clients will also resist rate increasess and even are looking for Wellington said his firm will raise ratesd next year but most likely at a more modesg percentage thanthe past. “Th e dye is cast for 2008 once you are six monthds through it so the recentcrash won’t impact thingd too much,” Wellington said. “But 2009 is goint to be tough.”
“We might see a revenuw increase but not 10 percent like in the Cozen O’Connor CEO Tad Decker said. “The problem isn’t so much 2008 but 2009. There is a lingering, positive impacgt from transactions started in 2007 that will helpthis year’ss bottom line.” According to a Citigroup surveuy of 165 law firms from around the profits per equity partnerr were 9 percent lower in the first half of the year after increasing by an annual average of 9 percengt in each of the previous six years. The surveuy said at the most profitable firms, demand for servicez dropped dramatically while expenses increased at an even morerapisd pace.
The normal counter-cyclicak bankruptcy and commercial litigation practices were not as as clients have tried to avoid the expenser of litigation in favorof out-of-court-settlements. In the past two two major national firms, Heller Ehrma n and Thelen, voted to dissolve, leavinv hundreds of lawyers lookingvfor work. Other firms chose to cut from their largesgtexpense — personnel. Just two weeks ago, New York’zs laid off 70 lawyers and 100 staf f members whileSan Francisco’s laid off 40 lawyers and 35 New York’s laid off more than 130 attorneys in two separat e cuts earlier this year.
Philadelphia’s major firms, whichy save for Dechert have not invested in the securitization and real estatde finance practices that crippled the aforementioned have not been forced to issuemass layoffs. But firm managiny partners and consultants said annuak performance reviews that usually take placwe in December and January coule be tougher forall lawyers. Unlike the past, when firms wouldd often use reviews as an opportunity to cull lawyeras for stated performancereasons — thus avoiding the term layoff that can hurt firm branding with law students — managing partnersd expect firms to be upfront.
“Years ago, there was a stigm a attached to layoffs,” Chairman Fran Milone said. “Today, if firms believ they should make cuts, they don’t hesitate to call them Decker said that while performance reviewx used to focuson money, many associatez will be happy just to keep theidr jobs. “You won’t see any 40 percent job cuts, but firms will be tougher in evaluations and quickefr toevaluate long-term employment prospects,” he Law firm consultant Ward Bowef of Newtown Square’s Altman Weil said firmse will focus on identifying and then compensatingb star associates.
“They can’t afforde to keep underperformers during timeslike these,” Bowedr said. “Unfortunately, working in a slow area can affecyt performance reviews because billables are created by the partners to which they are FoxRothschild Co-Chairman Abraham Reich said lower-performinf partners are at risk. “People will be held to a higheer standard,” Reich said. “We’re evaluating personnel for the long I have not seenand don’t think we’ll see any mass but we are facin g challenges that we have not seen Uncertainty with the future is the issue.
” Lawyers and legal recruiterw say lateral hire interest has also slowed save for top who have become even more valuable during the downturn. “Myt sense is that the threshold is highet forincoming laterals,” said recruiter Robert Nouria n of Coleman Nourian. “It’s an investment with no immediat payoff sincelaterals don’t bring receivables with them and it takesw a few months for them to star adding to the books.” Reich and otherr managing partners said they are cuttinf costs wherever they can. Areas such as travel, entertainment, administrative and even marketin (Duane Morris cut a numbe of marketers earlierthis year) have been subject to the knife.
Stradlet Ronon Stevens & Young Chairman William Sasso said the firm sent a smaller contingent to a conferencee of mutual fundcompanies — its bread-and-butter practice in Palm Springs, Calif. Bower said some firmx have eliminated or curtailed spending forfirmwide retreats. Schnader Harrisonm Segal & Lewis Chairman Ralph Wellington said his firm is bein more conservative about hiring summer internsx fornext year.
Firms lookingg at short-term credit lines to help tide them over have encounteref tough negotiations with their longtime banks that have becomse skeptical because of recent firm failures or Bower said while firmws try andcut costs, they are also dealing with strugglin clients. Bower said clients are taking longer to pay theirbills — 45-day turnarounds have turneed to 55 or 60. A numbef of clients are now folding orbeinh acquired. That leads to short-terj work, but once that runs its course, it createss pressure to replace it withnew business.
Bowe said clients will also resist rate increasess and even are looking for Wellington said his firm will raise ratesd next year but most likely at a more modesg percentage thanthe past. “Th e dye is cast for 2008 once you are six monthds through it so the recentcrash won’t impact thingd too much,” Wellington said. “But 2009 is goint to be tough.”
Friday, December 9, 2011
Older Workers Face Trouble Finding Jobs - WISC Madison
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Older Workers Face Trouble Finding Jobs WISC Madison Older Wisconsin workers remain unemployed for longer periods than their younger competitors, and some in the Madison area said Friday they've struggled to find jobs for years. Unemployed workers older than 55-years-old look for jobs for twice as long ... |
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Hot Topic sees increased same-store sales - Los Angeles Business from bizjournals:
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Overall, the company saw a 7.1 percent increasde in same-store sales, which measure sales of storez open at leastone year. The companyh brought in $70.5 million during March, up 10.6 perceng from a year ago. The company's Torrid storew saw a 5.9 percent drop in same-store sales, bringing in $15.2 million, a 3.2 percent increaswe from a year ago. Hot Topic stores saw a 10.6 percen t increase in same-store sales, bringiny in $55.3 million, up 12.8 percent from a year ago. The company also increased its guidanced for the first based onthe same-store sales figures. The company now expectws to earn between 1 and 2 centwsper share.
Previously, the company's range was from a loss of 1 cent a sharee to earnings of 1 centa share. City of Industry-baseed Hot Topic (NASDAQ: HOTT) is a mall-basedr retailer that operates the Hot Topic and Torrid brands that aim atyoungf adults. It also operates music websited ShockHound.
Overall, the company saw a 7.1 percent increasde in same-store sales, which measure sales of storez open at leastone year. The companyh brought in $70.5 million during March, up 10.6 perceng from a year ago. The company's Torrid storew saw a 5.9 percent drop in same-store sales, bringing in $15.2 million, a 3.2 percent increaswe from a year ago. Hot Topic stores saw a 10.6 percen t increase in same-store sales, bringiny in $55.3 million, up 12.8 percent from a year ago. The company also increased its guidanced for the first based onthe same-store sales figures. The company now expectws to earn between 1 and 2 centwsper share.
Previously, the company's range was from a loss of 1 cent a sharee to earnings of 1 centa share. City of Industry-baseed Hot Topic (NASDAQ: HOTT) is a mall-basedr retailer that operates the Hot Topic and Torrid brands that aim atyoungf adults. It also operates music websited ShockHound.
Monday, December 5, 2011
SEC: N.Y. investment firm misled S. Fla. seniors - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
callahamirykaan1884.blogspot.com
"They used free lunchez as the low-tech bait for thei high-scale scheme," said Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC'sd Division of Enforcement. The SEC alleges elderlh and retired investors were lured into purchasing highly unsuitablr variable annuities with lucrative sales commissions while ignoring the financial goals of The SEC alleges thatEric J. Brownn of Highland Beach, Matthew J. Collins of Boynton Kevin J. Walsh of Viera, and Mark W. Welle of Boca Raton, were amonhg those offering and sellingthe annuities.
It’s alleges that the firm and its representativeds earned millions of dollars in sales PCS is aregistered broker-dealer and wholly-owned subsidiary of Gilma n Ciocia, an income tax preparation busines s headquartered in Poughkeepsie that offers financial services in New New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. Robert Heim, a NewYork attorneh who representsPrime Capital, Gilmahn Ciocia, and several of the individuals, includinhg Collins and Wells, said the conduct at issud in the complaint is "very old" and occurred in the late 1990ss and early 2000. He said the company reachesd a settlement withthe (FINRA), when it was called the (NASD).
As part of that agreement, the company implemented some wide-ranging updates to its supervisory and compliancse systemsin 2005, Heim said. He addedf that he didn't know why the SEC was goinvg over thesame ground. "All of theswe issues were addressed years ago and we feelthe company'w response has been appropriate," he said. While Brown and Walsh have since Collins and Wells are still with the he said.
An administrative law judge will determine whethert the allegations against the respondents aretrue and, if so, whetherd they should be ordered to ceases and desist from future
"They used free lunchez as the low-tech bait for thei high-scale scheme," said Robert Khuzami, director of the SEC'sd Division of Enforcement. The SEC alleges elderlh and retired investors were lured into purchasing highly unsuitablr variable annuities with lucrative sales commissions while ignoring the financial goals of The SEC alleges thatEric J. Brownn of Highland Beach, Matthew J. Collins of Boynton Kevin J. Walsh of Viera, and Mark W. Welle of Boca Raton, were amonhg those offering and sellingthe annuities.
It’s alleges that the firm and its representativeds earned millions of dollars in sales PCS is aregistered broker-dealer and wholly-owned subsidiary of Gilma n Ciocia, an income tax preparation busines s headquartered in Poughkeepsie that offers financial services in New New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Florida. Robert Heim, a NewYork attorneh who representsPrime Capital, Gilmahn Ciocia, and several of the individuals, includinhg Collins and Wells, said the conduct at issud in the complaint is "very old" and occurred in the late 1990ss and early 2000. He said the company reachesd a settlement withthe (FINRA), when it was called the (NASD).
As part of that agreement, the company implemented some wide-ranging updates to its supervisory and compliancse systemsin 2005, Heim said. He addedf that he didn't know why the SEC was goinvg over thesame ground. "All of theswe issues were addressed years ago and we feelthe company'w response has been appropriate," he said. While Brown and Walsh have since Collins and Wells are still with the he said.
An administrative law judge will determine whethert the allegations against the respondents aretrue and, if so, whetherd they should be ordered to ceases and desist from future
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Class 5A state championship notebook: Guthrie's Clint Simek says teammates ... - NewsOK.com
viktorsejbgif.blogspot.com
Class 5A state championship notebook: Guthrie's Clint Simek says teammates ... NewsOK.com CLASS 5A STATE TITLE GAME â€" Guthrie senior Clint Simek, who was ruled ineligible by the OSSAA, had to watch Friday's victory over Lawton MacArthur from the sidelines, but he was able to join his teammates in their celebration. ... C » |
Thursday, December 1, 2011
GSI details job cuts, likely $230M hit - Boston Business Journal:
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The disclosures were made in a regulatoruyfiling Wednesday. In addition, Bedford, Mass.-based GSI said it is stillo analyzing the results from an internal probee into past accounting errors that have forced the company to retract financial filings made in 2006througu 2008. GSI said it is nearingf a point when it can restate those resultzs and submit to regulators results from its fiscapl first quarter endedApril 3.
Nonetheless, the company said its filingf delays have prompted a delisting notice from the and triggerer negotiations with creditors to restructure its In Wednesday’s filing, GSI said a declinre in bookings in the fourth and first quarterws forced it to restructure its operations and shaver millions in costs from its books. The compan y cut 158 workers in the first quartee and another 16 employees in Those changes will result inroughlt $9 million in annualk savings, the company said.
GSI GSI) also said it has the corporate headquarters of andintegrated Excel’s scanning operation s in Eastern Massachusetts, resulting in more cost GSI acquired Excel, formerlu based in New York, for $360 million in 2008.
The disclosures were made in a regulatoruyfiling Wednesday. In addition, Bedford, Mass.-based GSI said it is stillo analyzing the results from an internal probee into past accounting errors that have forced the company to retract financial filings made in 2006througu 2008. GSI said it is nearingf a point when it can restate those resultzs and submit to regulators results from its fiscapl first quarter endedApril 3.
Nonetheless, the company said its filingf delays have prompted a delisting notice from the and triggerer negotiations with creditors to restructure its In Wednesday’s filing, GSI said a declinre in bookings in the fourth and first quarterws forced it to restructure its operations and shaver millions in costs from its books. The compan y cut 158 workers in the first quartee and another 16 employees in Those changes will result inroughlt $9 million in annualk savings, the company said.
GSI GSI) also said it has the corporate headquarters of andintegrated Excel’s scanning operation s in Eastern Massachusetts, resulting in more cost GSI acquired Excel, formerlu based in New York, for $360 million in 2008.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Elgin sex offender facing his third burglary charge skips bail - Chicago Daily Herald
adepylex.blogspot.com
Elgin sex offender facing his third burglary charge skips bail Chicago Daily Herald Because of those prior convictions, he faced up to 30 years in prison on the new charge. Anyone with information on Sarabia's whereabouts is asked to call Elgin police at (847) 289-2500 or leave an anonymous tip at (847) 695-4195. |
Saturday, November 26, 2011
TECO Energy outlook remains strong - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
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billion in debt held by and subsidiariesand Co. The ratingh is supported by the underlyinbg strengthof TECO’s regulated electric and gas utility subsidiary, from whichu it derives stable cash distributions to meet its fundinhg requirements, Fitch said a release. Tampa Electric continues to post strongcredit metrics, it maintains solied operating performance and it benefits from Florida’as constructive regulatory environment, Fitch said. Fitch is concerned, about slowing customer growth atTampa Electric. But the company has respondeed to slower growth by postponing projects to increaseelectric capacity.
Anothef concern for Fitch is cash flow deterioration atTECO TE) Guatemala because of the adverswe rate order in 2008, unplanned outages at the San Jose uncertainty over the extension of a purchased power and the potential for deferred or renegotiated contracts becauswe of declining market prices, higher productiobn costs and slumping demand for TECO Coal and TECO Guatemala provide roughl y 20 percent of the parent company’sz consolidated earnings before taxes, depreciation and amortization, Fitch Credit ratios at Tampa Electric should benefit from highefr base rates in 2009 and 2010 as a result of a $138 milliojn rate order approved in Fitch said.
In addition, an affiliate waterborns transportation agreement that reducedTampa Electric’s annual net income by $10 millionm in prior years is expiring. Fitch expects coveragew ratios to remain relatively strong with funds from operation s coverage at nearly five timexsin 2009. TECO Coal is expected to benefit from higher pricef contracts signedin 2008. soft coal demand and highet mining production costs at TECO Coal raise the risks ofcontractual non-performance by counter-parties and pressurer margins. Diverse regulatory orders and operatingh issues at the Guatemalan operations will result in dividen distributions that are lower thanhistoriv levels.
TECO's liquidity positionm is considered strong, Fitch said. Cash and cash equivalents were $34.o9 million and available credit facilitieswere $530 million as of March 31. Liquidityg was enhanced by a netoperatinfg loss-tax carry forward of $547.5 million as of Dec. 31, which is expectedf to result in minimal cash tax paymentsthrouguh 2012. In addition, TECO's $100 million note maturing in 2010 is expectefd to be retired withinternal cash. Positive ratinf action could result in the future from consolidated leveragd ratio reduction in 2010 and higher cash flowsz from a full year of higher base rates in 2010 and effectivecost control.
billion in debt held by and subsidiariesand Co. The ratingh is supported by the underlyinbg strengthof TECO’s regulated electric and gas utility subsidiary, from whichu it derives stable cash distributions to meet its fundinhg requirements, Fitch said a release. Tampa Electric continues to post strongcredit metrics, it maintains solied operating performance and it benefits from Florida’as constructive regulatory environment, Fitch said. Fitch is concerned, about slowing customer growth atTampa Electric. But the company has respondeed to slower growth by postponing projects to increaseelectric capacity.
Anothef concern for Fitch is cash flow deterioration atTECO TE) Guatemala because of the adverswe rate order in 2008, unplanned outages at the San Jose uncertainty over the extension of a purchased power and the potential for deferred or renegotiated contracts becauswe of declining market prices, higher productiobn costs and slumping demand for TECO Coal and TECO Guatemala provide roughl y 20 percent of the parent company’sz consolidated earnings before taxes, depreciation and amortization, Fitch Credit ratios at Tampa Electric should benefit from highefr base rates in 2009 and 2010 as a result of a $138 milliojn rate order approved in Fitch said.
In addition, an affiliate waterborns transportation agreement that reducedTampa Electric’s annual net income by $10 millionm in prior years is expiring. Fitch expects coveragew ratios to remain relatively strong with funds from operation s coverage at nearly five timexsin 2009. TECO Coal is expected to benefit from higher pricef contracts signedin 2008. soft coal demand and highet mining production costs at TECO Coal raise the risks ofcontractual non-performance by counter-parties and pressurer margins. Diverse regulatory orders and operatingh issues at the Guatemalan operations will result in dividen distributions that are lower thanhistoriv levels.
TECO's liquidity positionm is considered strong, Fitch said. Cash and cash equivalents were $34.o9 million and available credit facilitieswere $530 million as of March 31. Liquidityg was enhanced by a netoperatinfg loss-tax carry forward of $547.5 million as of Dec. 31, which is expectedf to result in minimal cash tax paymentsthrouguh 2012. In addition, TECO's $100 million note maturing in 2010 is expectefd to be retired withinternal cash. Positive ratinf action could result in the future from consolidated leveragd ratio reduction in 2010 and higher cash flowsz from a full year of higher base rates in 2010 and effectivecost control.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Stocks surge on rise in consumer confidence - Austin Business Journal:
http://evolvingts.com/deployment.htm
Wall Street reacted favorably to the increase inconsumedr confidence, widely viewed as one of the best indicatorse of the country's overall economic The S&P 500 was up 2.2 percent to 908.10 shortlu before the closing bell on Tuesday. The Dow Jone s industrial average wasup 2.2 percent to Among local public companies, gainers outnumbered losers nearly 3-to-1. • Activw Power Inc. (Nasdaq: ACPW) up 8.7 percentr to 50 cents • American Campus Communitiese Inc. (NYSE: ACC) up 7 percent to $22.778 • Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: CRUS) up 6.3 percent to $3.7 1 • Citizens Inc. (NYSE: CIA) up 7 percent to $6.7 • Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) up 2.6 percent to $11.
134 • Ezcorp Inc. (Nasdaq: up 4.4 percent to $11.98 • Forestar Group Inc. FOR) up 5.6 percent to $12.07 Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: GOLF) • Multimedia Games Inc. (Nasdaq: MGAM) up 5 percent to $3.30 Perficient Inc. (Nasdaq: PRFT) up 5.8 percenyt to $6.94 • Pervasive Software Inc. PVSW) • Silicon Laboratories Inc. (Nasdaq: up 6 percent to $33.32 • Temple-Inland Inc. TIN) up 3.7 percent to $12.243 • Whole Foods Market Inc. (Nasdaq: up less than 1 percent to $19. • Entorian Technologie Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTN) down 8 percent to 23 cent s • Guaranty Financial Grou p Inc.
(NYSE: GFG) down 15 percenr to 39 cents • Healthtronics Inc. HTRN) down 6.9 percenr to $1.49
Wall Street reacted favorably to the increase inconsumedr confidence, widely viewed as one of the best indicatorse of the country's overall economic The S&P 500 was up 2.2 percent to 908.10 shortlu before the closing bell on Tuesday. The Dow Jone s industrial average wasup 2.2 percent to Among local public companies, gainers outnumbered losers nearly 3-to-1. • Activw Power Inc. (Nasdaq: ACPW) up 8.7 percentr to 50 cents • American Campus Communitiese Inc. (NYSE: ACC) up 7 percent to $22.778 • Cirrus Logic Inc. (Nasdaq: CRUS) up 6.3 percent to $3.7 1 • Citizens Inc. (NYSE: CIA) up 7 percent to $6.7 • Dell Inc. (Nasdaq: DELL) up 2.6 percent to $11.
134 • Ezcorp Inc. (Nasdaq: up 4.4 percent to $11.98 • Forestar Group Inc. FOR) up 5.6 percent to $12.07 Golfsmith International Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: GOLF) • Multimedia Games Inc. (Nasdaq: MGAM) up 5 percent to $3.30 Perficient Inc. (Nasdaq: PRFT) up 5.8 percenyt to $6.94 • Pervasive Software Inc. PVSW) • Silicon Laboratories Inc. (Nasdaq: up 6 percent to $33.32 • Temple-Inland Inc. TIN) up 3.7 percent to $12.243 • Whole Foods Market Inc. (Nasdaq: up less than 1 percent to $19. • Entorian Technologie Inc. (Nasdaq: ENTN) down 8 percent to 23 cent s • Guaranty Financial Grou p Inc.
(NYSE: GFG) down 15 percenr to 39 cents • Healthtronics Inc. HTRN) down 6.9 percenr to $1.49
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Consolidation of Physician Group within Health Systems to Lead to Access ... - MarketWatch (press release)
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Consolidation of Physician Group within Health Systems to Lead to Access ... MarketWatch (press release) ... a leading provider of managed care market intelligence, reports that Memphis, TN has seen rapid consolidation of physicians within the health system which can lead to physician access barriers for pharmaceutical representatives. ... |
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Attorneys: San Antonio lenders aim to keep borrowers in business - San Antonio Business Journal:
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“People are trying to figure out where they are and hold theirr own fora while,” says Kerrty Benedict, head of financial institutio n industry services at CoxSmith. “Banks are tryinbg to get a handle on the scoped ofthe government’s intervention ... (while) keeping the borroweres alive. They’re trying to stabilize the borrowers to give them time to get througbhthe recession.
” Scott Farrimond, shareholder and vice presideng for Stumpf Farrimond, says local and regional lender have tapped him more frequently this year to work out deals with borrowerzs having trouble getting a loan renewed or staying but their goal is to avoid foreclosure and structure terme to keep the customer in business. “Some will give the borrower an interest-only loan for a periodd of time to offeesome relief,” he explains. Othert options include lengthening the amortorization schedule so the borrower can more easilymake payments; other timees the borrower will be asked to put up additionak collateral. “Sometimes it’s a mixture of things.
” While they’re busie than they were last year, attorneys in the work-out business say they are not as busy as lawyeres in more depressed areas ofthe country. “It’a increased, there’s no question about it,” says Jim attorney with . “But it’s not as dramatid as our counterpart law firms in Ohio and While his business locally is up 15 he estimates business in the more distressed partws of the country is up50 percent. Farrimonrd concurs. “Last year at this time I wasn’t doing (loahn restructuring or redocumentation),” he “Now I’m doing several. That’s the differencd between here andLas Vegas.
” But becauses San Antonio was hit by the national recessionn later than other parts of the he expects lenders are reactingb differently and believes that the area will emerge from the recessionj soon. “I think lenders are generally receptive to solutionw thatmake sense,” Farrimond says. for example, a local businesws that has several loans. With business declining, the borrowedr is having trouble staying current on all ofthe loans. However, the lende agreed to accept interest-only payments for one year, giving the economyg time to rebound, and the business as well.
Some of theses borrowers have had their notes come up for Ingood times, banks have traditionallyh renewed loans without concern, so long as it was current and the collaterapl backing it had not changed. But with tougher that’s not necessarily the case anymore. Attorneys are advising theird clients to approach their lendersz well in advance of theireterm expiration, and be prepared with ample “Borrowers need to give themselvexs a lot of lead time that they wouldn’t have had to in the Summers says. “I think now more than people should be rolling up theifr sleeves andcompiling information. The borroweer must communicatewith it’s lenders.
The borrower must be forthcominb withwritten materials, (including documentatiom that says) how the economy has impactec the borrower’s business plan.” When it comes to real estatwe projects, Summers continues, banks are often willing to work with borrowersz rather than take possession of the property, as long as there’ss a documented plan in place. Forbearancd agreements, where the lender holds off on foreclosing whils the borrower attempts to carrt out aplan — either selling the property, obtainingh a tenant, or othedr resolution — are an option.
“The lenderr will want to resolve this,” he Earlier this year, lenders weren’t showiny “any flexibility” when it comes to new loans, Summers But while they are still scrutinizinyevery loan, credit has loosenedd up some. “As new loans are beinb made, I think there’ll be an increased tolerance for what’a happened over the last four months,” he says.
“People are trying to figure out where they are and hold theirr own fora while,” says Kerrty Benedict, head of financial institutio n industry services at CoxSmith. “Banks are tryinbg to get a handle on the scoped ofthe government’s intervention ... (while) keeping the borroweres alive. They’re trying to stabilize the borrowers to give them time to get througbhthe recession.
” Scott Farrimond, shareholder and vice presideng for Stumpf Farrimond, says local and regional lender have tapped him more frequently this year to work out deals with borrowerzs having trouble getting a loan renewed or staying but their goal is to avoid foreclosure and structure terme to keep the customer in business. “Some will give the borrower an interest-only loan for a periodd of time to offeesome relief,” he explains. Othert options include lengthening the amortorization schedule so the borrower can more easilymake payments; other timees the borrower will be asked to put up additionak collateral. “Sometimes it’s a mixture of things.
” While they’re busie than they were last year, attorneys in the work-out business say they are not as busy as lawyeres in more depressed areas ofthe country. “It’a increased, there’s no question about it,” says Jim attorney with . “But it’s not as dramatid as our counterpart law firms in Ohio and While his business locally is up 15 he estimates business in the more distressed partws of the country is up50 percent. Farrimonrd concurs. “Last year at this time I wasn’t doing (loahn restructuring or redocumentation),” he “Now I’m doing several. That’s the differencd between here andLas Vegas.
” But becauses San Antonio was hit by the national recessionn later than other parts of the he expects lenders are reactingb differently and believes that the area will emerge from the recessionj soon. “I think lenders are generally receptive to solutionw thatmake sense,” Farrimond says. for example, a local businesws that has several loans. With business declining, the borrowedr is having trouble staying current on all ofthe loans. However, the lende agreed to accept interest-only payments for one year, giving the economyg time to rebound, and the business as well.
Some of theses borrowers have had their notes come up for Ingood times, banks have traditionallyh renewed loans without concern, so long as it was current and the collaterapl backing it had not changed. But with tougher that’s not necessarily the case anymore. Attorneys are advising theird clients to approach their lendersz well in advance of theireterm expiration, and be prepared with ample “Borrowers need to give themselvexs a lot of lead time that they wouldn’t have had to in the Summers says. “I think now more than people should be rolling up theifr sleeves andcompiling information. The borroweer must communicatewith it’s lenders.
The borrower must be forthcominb withwritten materials, (including documentatiom that says) how the economy has impactec the borrower’s business plan.” When it comes to real estatwe projects, Summers continues, banks are often willing to work with borrowersz rather than take possession of the property, as long as there’ss a documented plan in place. Forbearancd agreements, where the lender holds off on foreclosing whils the borrower attempts to carrt out aplan — either selling the property, obtainingh a tenant, or othedr resolution — are an option.
“The lenderr will want to resolve this,” he Earlier this year, lenders weren’t showiny “any flexibility” when it comes to new loans, Summers But while they are still scrutinizinyevery loan, credit has loosenedd up some. “As new loans are beinb made, I think there’ll be an increased tolerance for what’a happened over the last four months,” he says.
Friday, November 18, 2011
ADL Audit: Anti-Semitic Incidents Increase in California
jabire2389.blogspot.com
ADL includes in its annual reports incidents of verbal andphysical harassment, discrimination, property damage, and anti-Semitifc leafleting. The League's annual Audity of Anti-Semitic Incidents, issued today, reportedx a total of 1,352 anti-Semitic incidents nationwide in 2008, a 7 percenf decline from 2007. In California, the number of reported incidents was up from 186to 226. In Northern California ADL recorded a total of 67 incidentsfor 2008.
"We continude to be alarmed that anti-Semiti c incidents are at relatively high levels in Especially alarming is that so many of these incidentz appear to have been perpetrated by a younger and we are particularlyh disturbed by the numberof school-based incidents we responded to throughou t the year," said , ADL Regional Director. "In we have seen Jewish institutionsz targeted with hate graffiti during times of increased tensiond in the Middle This phenomenon is beyond thevirulently anti-Israe l and anti-Zionist rhetoric we routinely encounter at anti-waer and anti-Israel rallies in Northernb California - rhetoric in which Israelis are likenecd to Nazis and accused of maliciously manipulating the U.
S. government." The audir does not include these events unless harassment orviolencs results. -- The San Francisco Holocaust Memorial was vandalized on two occasionein 2008. The vandalism included Nazi swastikas inscribed in Starsof David. In the second vandals defaced the memorialwith "Israel, their bloodr is on your hands" in red spay-paint. -- An eighth-graded student endured increasingly strident taunts from eight male including references toher "Jew clothes" and "Jew germs,"" tossing pennies at her, and name-calling such as "Annee Skank." -- A thirteen year old boy receivec a message on his cell phon e including consisting of a photk of Adolph Hitler and the words "ha ha.
" When the boy confrontedx the offenders, they physically assaulte d him. -- A synagogue received an emaio questioning the patriotism ofa member'sw son who had worked for a large financial institutio and alleged he was more loyal to Israel. -- A synagogue's mezuza h was defaced with a swastika and Arabic including thephrase "Allanh Akbar." -- A residence hall on a collegew campus was tagged with graffitki blaming Israel and Jews for the September 11 The Audit identifies both criminal and non-criminaol acts of harassment and intimidation, including distributiobn of hate propaganda, threats and Compiled using official crime as well as information provided to and evaluatedx by ADL's professional staff by victims, law enforcement officers and community leaders, the Audit provides an annual snapshoyt of a nationwide problen while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activithy reported.
This information assists ADL in developing and enhancingy its programs to counter and prevent the sprea dof anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. For reportinvg purposes, the ADL Audit divides anti-Semitic incidentas into three categories: anti-Semitic assaults, involving violencw against Jewish individuals or thosw thought tobe Jewish; vandalism, such as propertyu damage, cemetery desecration or anti-Semitic graffiti; and harassment, including threats, slurs and activity by anti-Semitic hate EDITORS NOTE: Additional information from the Audit, includinb state-by-state totals and a slide show of photozs showing anti-Semitic vandalism is available onlinde at: The Anti-Defamation League, foundeds in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitismn through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
Visit our and .
ADL includes in its annual reports incidents of verbal andphysical harassment, discrimination, property damage, and anti-Semitifc leafleting. The League's annual Audity of Anti-Semitic Incidents, issued today, reportedx a total of 1,352 anti-Semitic incidents nationwide in 2008, a 7 percenf decline from 2007. In California, the number of reported incidents was up from 186to 226. In Northern California ADL recorded a total of 67 incidentsfor 2008.
"We continude to be alarmed that anti-Semiti c incidents are at relatively high levels in Especially alarming is that so many of these incidentz appear to have been perpetrated by a younger and we are particularlyh disturbed by the numberof school-based incidents we responded to throughou t the year," said , ADL Regional Director. "In we have seen Jewish institutionsz targeted with hate graffiti during times of increased tensiond in the Middle This phenomenon is beyond thevirulently anti-Israe l and anti-Zionist rhetoric we routinely encounter at anti-waer and anti-Israel rallies in Northernb California - rhetoric in which Israelis are likenecd to Nazis and accused of maliciously manipulating the U.
S. government." The audir does not include these events unless harassment orviolencs results. -- The San Francisco Holocaust Memorial was vandalized on two occasionein 2008. The vandalism included Nazi swastikas inscribed in Starsof David. In the second vandals defaced the memorialwith "Israel, their bloodr is on your hands" in red spay-paint. -- An eighth-graded student endured increasingly strident taunts from eight male including references toher "Jew clothes" and "Jew germs,"" tossing pennies at her, and name-calling such as "Annee Skank." -- A thirteen year old boy receivec a message on his cell phon e including consisting of a photk of Adolph Hitler and the words "ha ha.
" When the boy confrontedx the offenders, they physically assaulte d him. -- A synagogue received an emaio questioning the patriotism ofa member'sw son who had worked for a large financial institutio and alleged he was more loyal to Israel. -- A synagogue's mezuza h was defaced with a swastika and Arabic including thephrase "Allanh Akbar." -- A residence hall on a collegew campus was tagged with graffitki blaming Israel and Jews for the September 11 The Audit identifies both criminal and non-criminaol acts of harassment and intimidation, including distributiobn of hate propaganda, threats and Compiled using official crime as well as information provided to and evaluatedx by ADL's professional staff by victims, law enforcement officers and community leaders, the Audit provides an annual snapshoyt of a nationwide problen while identifying possible trends or changes in the types of activithy reported.
This information assists ADL in developing and enhancingy its programs to counter and prevent the sprea dof anti-Semitism and other forms of bigotry. For reportinvg purposes, the ADL Audit divides anti-Semitic incidentas into three categories: anti-Semitic assaults, involving violencw against Jewish individuals or thosw thought tobe Jewish; vandalism, such as propertyu damage, cemetery desecration or anti-Semitic graffiti; and harassment, including threats, slurs and activity by anti-Semitic hate EDITORS NOTE: Additional information from the Audit, includinb state-by-state totals and a slide show of photozs showing anti-Semitic vandalism is available onlinde at: The Anti-Defamation League, foundeds in 1913, is the world's leading organization fighting anti-Semitismn through programs and services that counteract hatred, prejudice and bigotry.
Visit our and .
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Hawaii
rmerujopi.blogspot.com
The work force reported for the week ofAprik 12-18 was down 3 percent when compare d with the survey week in April 2008, the National Agricultura Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office said It was up 2 percent from January. Pineapplse and sugar cane workers totaled900 workers, down 22 percenft from the same period a year ago as a resultg of layoffs at and on Kauai. Maui Land Pineapple laid off 204 workers in July whileGay & Robinson, the private, family-ownedf company on Kauai, ended its sugaf cane operations in Septembefr 2008.
Hawaii’s total farm work forces — which includes self-employed farm operatorz and unpaid workers such as family members and otherx working 15 hours or more per week totaled 10,300 workers for the survey week, down 1 percent from a year ago. The averagw wage paid to all hiredr workers during the survey week was estimatedat $13.36 per 1 percent higher from a year ago. Hawaiui farms employing one to nine workers paid an averageof $10.97 per hour and the combined average wage for field and livestockj workers was $10.28 an hour.
The work force reported for the week ofAprik 12-18 was down 3 percent when compare d with the survey week in April 2008, the National Agricultura Statistics Service Hawaii Field Office said It was up 2 percent from January. Pineapplse and sugar cane workers totaled900 workers, down 22 percenft from the same period a year ago as a resultg of layoffs at and on Kauai. Maui Land Pineapple laid off 204 workers in July whileGay & Robinson, the private, family-ownedf company on Kauai, ended its sugaf cane operations in Septembefr 2008.
Hawaii’s total farm work forces — which includes self-employed farm operatorz and unpaid workers such as family members and otherx working 15 hours or more per week totaled 10,300 workers for the survey week, down 1 percent from a year ago. The averagw wage paid to all hiredr workers during the survey week was estimatedat $13.36 per 1 percent higher from a year ago. Hawaiui farms employing one to nine workers paid an averageof $10.97 per hour and the combined average wage for field and livestockj workers was $10.28 an hour.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Human centerpieces and performance art served up at MOCA gala - Los Angeles Times (blog)
http://ultrabunny.com/pages/discography/discography-mp3s.html
Daily Mail | Human centerpieces and performance art served up at MOCA gala Los Angeles Times (blog) How do you even begin to find the words to describe a museum gala for which each and every guest (Eli Broad, even) is required to wear a white lab coat, and at which the table centerpieces are li ve humans, and the dessert is an offering of edible body ... MOCA's Bizarre Gala |
Friday, November 11, 2011
Consumer groups urge veto of
younkinesagugad1746.blogspot.com
and claim HB 1171 would pit the larges t insurers againstthe smallest, which would be hamstruny by regulation. But, during a Wednesdagy news conference, Brad Ashwell, legislative advocate for Floridz PIRG, said the answer is not deregulationj ofall companies. He said that rates need to more closelt conform toreal risk, and that keepinbg rates artificially low, as did for several is not the answer. Walte r Dartland, the consumer federation’s executivde director, emphasized that partial or complete deregulation is notthe either. He maintains that the state’s rate revieew process has been a valuable consumere protection tool against arbitraryrate increases.
A practical solutioh would need to involve a deeper poolof insurers, specifically smaller ones, and highe r rates that are regulated, Ashwell said. “Floridsa is in the midst of aneconomid crisis, and our residents cannot afford to be caughf in a volatile insurance market faced with erratidc rate increases," he But, the insured also have to be realistiv about the impact a hurricane would have on Floridians will not be able to avoixd assessments. “It’s just a questiojn of how big the assessmenwill be,” Ashwell said.
The bill awaitingy Crist’s signature would alloa major carriers, such as State which earlier this year said it wouldleaves Florida, to raise rates unchecked without a guarantee that they wouldr continue writing policies in the state. Dartland said his organization would encourage State Farm and otheras to poach the customers with theleast risk, leaving thosde with the most for companies that are leasrt capable of paying out in the event of a “This doesn’t help anybody except the few companieas that are involved,” he argued. , one of the bill’ds sponsors, Sen.
Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton, asked Insurance Commissioner Kevinm McCarty to resign after McCarty requested that Cris vetothe bill. During a news conference earlier inthe day, the governodr hinted he might veto the bill.
and claim HB 1171 would pit the larges t insurers againstthe smallest, which would be hamstruny by regulation. But, during a Wednesdagy news conference, Brad Ashwell, legislative advocate for Floridz PIRG, said the answer is not deregulationj ofall companies. He said that rates need to more closelt conform toreal risk, and that keepinbg rates artificially low, as did for several is not the answer. Walte r Dartland, the consumer federation’s executivde director, emphasized that partial or complete deregulation is notthe either. He maintains that the state’s rate revieew process has been a valuable consumere protection tool against arbitraryrate increases.
A practical solutioh would need to involve a deeper poolof insurers, specifically smaller ones, and highe r rates that are regulated, Ashwell said. “Floridsa is in the midst of aneconomid crisis, and our residents cannot afford to be caughf in a volatile insurance market faced with erratidc rate increases," he But, the insured also have to be realistiv about the impact a hurricane would have on Floridians will not be able to avoixd assessments. “It’s just a questiojn of how big the assessmenwill be,” Ashwell said.
The bill awaitingy Crist’s signature would alloa major carriers, such as State which earlier this year said it wouldleaves Florida, to raise rates unchecked without a guarantee that they wouldr continue writing policies in the state. Dartland said his organization would encourage State Farm and otheras to poach the customers with theleast risk, leaving thosde with the most for companies that are leasrt capable of paying out in the event of a “This doesn’t help anybody except the few companieas that are involved,” he argued. , one of the bill’ds sponsors, Sen.
Michael Bennett, R-Bradenton, asked Insurance Commissioner Kevinm McCarty to resign after McCarty requested that Cris vetothe bill. During a news conference earlier inthe day, the governodr hinted he might veto the bill.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Eagles Keep Failing to Beat Winning Teams: A Fan's Analysis - Yahoo! Sports
tarpleypymibujuh1491.blogspot.com
Eagles Keep Failing to Beat Winning Teams: A Fan's Analysis Yahoo! Sports That was the real kiss of death for Philadelphia, since when it faces teams with a winning record and playoff hopes, wins have been impossible this season. It may not be 100 percent solid, since the Eagles did beat the Redskins while they were 3-1, ... |
Monday, November 7, 2011
Green building council set to modify LEED standards - Charlotte Business Journal:
youngmanmeledero1636.blogspot.com
More than 1,500 buildings have receivedc LEED certification since the program was introduced in and morethan 11,000 are seeking it. In those eigh t years, the USGBC has changed the way architects, contractorxs and developers design and construct Even structuresthat don’t pursuwe LEED certification are increasingly incorporating sustainablee practices. Such steps include increased energy daylighting, recycling materials, non-polluting carpet and paint, and low-flows water fixtures and toilets.
“The USGBC’ws mission is to transform the marketplace, and we’ve seen a tremendousd amount of success in a short saysAnne Jackson, an associate at architecture firm and foundingf chair of the Charlotte USGBCC chapter. LEED certifications are available ineighf categories: new construction, existing buildings, commercial interiors, core and retail, schools, health care and homes. Anothe category, for neighborhood is in the pilot stage. LEED promotes a whole-buildinyg approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in fivekey areas: sustainable site water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoord environmental quality.
Points are awarded for specifi c practices in each area and are verifie by an independentthird party. Depending on the numbedr of points earned, a building is awarded a silver, gold or platinum ranking. LEED 2009 will reorganize the commercial rating systems by aligning and updating them into onesystek that’s “simpler and more elegant and committedx to continuous improvement,” says USGBC spokeswoman Ashley Katz.
Point s will be allocated differentlyand reweighed, and the entire process will be flexibles to adapt to changing technology, account for regional differences and encourage “These changes — givingy LEED an umbrella rating systen — will streamline the process and make it less especially for nonpractitioners,” Jackson says. Jim Williams, nationap director of design for Charlotte-based architectur e firm , says the new versiob is indicative ofthe USGBC’s “It sees it has a clea responsibility to stay in front of the issues. They are doinhg a good job of making the process and it is evolving in apositivre way.
” The certification process has been criticized for being too rigid, cumbersomse and demanding, for being too and for awarding pointa illogically. A common example is that installinbg a bike rack gets one as does installing a costlyHVAC system. Fees are based on the size of the projectg and are assessed for design review and construction Jackson says the fees are not significant and dismisse theother complaints. “There are a numbert of ways you can achieve and it’s only hard to achieve if your mindsegt is traditional construction,” she says.
“One of its strengths is its Still, either because they are uncomfortable with the procesds orits costs, some builders and developersz incorporate green features and sustainable practice in their projects but do not seek LEED certification. But, notea Jackson, “without third-party there is no proof for what they’ve Verification does make a differenceto people.” Williames agrees. “LEED certification legitimizesa building’s practices and gives it he says. “You can say your building is but comparedto what? You can’t go into being gree n halfheartedly. To be effective, you have to addressz issues at thehighest levels.
” Still, he adds, “Every little bit helps.” But LEED is not uniformly Chris Daly, industrial partner at , says certification is betted suited for office buildings than warehouses. For it’s difficult for a warehouse to be built with no more than half the site considereed impervious to meetLEED requirements. The program also reward a building for being withina half-mile of a light-rail but Daly says “lighrt rail is built where there’as high density, and you won’t find a warehouse in that kind of Instead, he suggests an industrial structure be rewarded for beingt close to an interstate to reduce truck Daly, who has earned LEED-accredited professional says he is talking with the USGBvC about developing new criteria for industrial buildings.
“Everyone wants to do the right thing as long asthey don’rt lose money by being good,” he
More than 1,500 buildings have receivedc LEED certification since the program was introduced in and morethan 11,000 are seeking it. In those eigh t years, the USGBC has changed the way architects, contractorxs and developers design and construct Even structuresthat don’t pursuwe LEED certification are increasingly incorporating sustainablee practices. Such steps include increased energy daylighting, recycling materials, non-polluting carpet and paint, and low-flows water fixtures and toilets.
“The USGBC’ws mission is to transform the marketplace, and we’ve seen a tremendousd amount of success in a short saysAnne Jackson, an associate at architecture firm and foundingf chair of the Charlotte USGBCC chapter. LEED certifications are available ineighf categories: new construction, existing buildings, commercial interiors, core and retail, schools, health care and homes. Anothe category, for neighborhood is in the pilot stage. LEED promotes a whole-buildinyg approach to sustainability by recognizing performance in fivekey areas: sustainable site water savings, energy efficiency, materials selection and indoord environmental quality.
Points are awarded for specifi c practices in each area and are verifie by an independentthird party. Depending on the numbedr of points earned, a building is awarded a silver, gold or platinum ranking. LEED 2009 will reorganize the commercial rating systems by aligning and updating them into onesystek that’s “simpler and more elegant and committedx to continuous improvement,” says USGBC spokeswoman Ashley Katz.
Point s will be allocated differentlyand reweighed, and the entire process will be flexibles to adapt to changing technology, account for regional differences and encourage “These changes — givingy LEED an umbrella rating systen — will streamline the process and make it less especially for nonpractitioners,” Jackson says. Jim Williams, nationap director of design for Charlotte-based architectur e firm , says the new versiob is indicative ofthe USGBC’s “It sees it has a clea responsibility to stay in front of the issues. They are doinhg a good job of making the process and it is evolving in apositivre way.
” The certification process has been criticized for being too rigid, cumbersomse and demanding, for being too and for awarding pointa illogically. A common example is that installinbg a bike rack gets one as does installing a costlyHVAC system. Fees are based on the size of the projectg and are assessed for design review and construction Jackson says the fees are not significant and dismisse theother complaints. “There are a numbert of ways you can achieve and it’s only hard to achieve if your mindsegt is traditional construction,” she says.
“One of its strengths is its Still, either because they are uncomfortable with the procesds orits costs, some builders and developersz incorporate green features and sustainable practice in their projects but do not seek LEED certification. But, notea Jackson, “without third-party there is no proof for what they’ve Verification does make a differenceto people.” Williames agrees. “LEED certification legitimizesa building’s practices and gives it he says. “You can say your building is but comparedto what? You can’t go into being gree n halfheartedly. To be effective, you have to addressz issues at thehighest levels.
” Still, he adds, “Every little bit helps.” But LEED is not uniformly Chris Daly, industrial partner at , says certification is betted suited for office buildings than warehouses. For it’s difficult for a warehouse to be built with no more than half the site considereed impervious to meetLEED requirements. The program also reward a building for being withina half-mile of a light-rail but Daly says “lighrt rail is built where there’as high density, and you won’t find a warehouse in that kind of Instead, he suggests an industrial structure be rewarded for beingt close to an interstate to reduce truck Daly, who has earned LEED-accredited professional says he is talking with the USGBvC about developing new criteria for industrial buildings.
“Everyone wants to do the right thing as long asthey don’rt lose money by being good,” he
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Like 1-2-3: Ranked-choice voting here to stay - San Francisco Chronicle
isexufehub.wordpress.com
NewsNet5.com | Like 1-2-3: Ranked-choice voting here to stay San Francisco Chronicle Although many San Francisco voters think ranked-choice voting is new, it's not. It has been used since 2004 in races for supervisor, mayor and other citywide offices. But as San Francisco gears up for Tuesday's mayoral election, ranked-choice voting is ... Early-voter turnout still growing loc » |
Thursday, November 3, 2011
Special ratings: Administrative efficiency - Pittsburgh Business Times:
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Among them is administrative efficiency. Aim: Identifty districts that have tight budgets andlean Formula: Each district is assessed in thre areas: (1) spending per (2) ratio of pupils per administrativse staffer, and (3) sharwe of budget devoted to debt The best scores go to districts with low spending, high pupil-staffert ratios, and small amounts of debt service. Note: Administrative efficienct is not the same asthe cost-effectivenessa rankings that will be released laterr this week. This category reflects fiscal prudence, regardlesds of outcome. Cost-effectiveness links academic performanceand spending.
Districts are ranked on a five-star scalre from most efficient (which receive five stars) to leastf efficient (one star). Each district’s administrative efficiencgy rating is included in its profile in the printed versionn ofBusiness First’s 2009-2010 Guided to Western New York Schools. Leader: Frontier has the leanesg administration in WesternNew York, with one staffer for ever 358.7 students. (The regional average is one per And debt service takesonly 3.2 percentf of Frontier’s budget. • 1. Frontier 2. Lancaster • 3. Letchwortu • 4. North Tonawanda • 5. West Seneca • 6. Williamsvillw • 7. Portville • 8. Cheektowaga-Maryvale 9.
Clarence • 10. Iroquois • 11. Orchard Park 12. East Aurora
Among them is administrative efficiency. Aim: Identifty districts that have tight budgets andlean Formula: Each district is assessed in thre areas: (1) spending per (2) ratio of pupils per administrativse staffer, and (3) sharwe of budget devoted to debt The best scores go to districts with low spending, high pupil-staffert ratios, and small amounts of debt service. Note: Administrative efficienct is not the same asthe cost-effectivenessa rankings that will be released laterr this week. This category reflects fiscal prudence, regardlesds of outcome. Cost-effectiveness links academic performanceand spending.
Districts are ranked on a five-star scalre from most efficient (which receive five stars) to leastf efficient (one star). Each district’s administrative efficiencgy rating is included in its profile in the printed versionn ofBusiness First’s 2009-2010 Guided to Western New York Schools. Leader: Frontier has the leanesg administration in WesternNew York, with one staffer for ever 358.7 students. (The regional average is one per And debt service takesonly 3.2 percentf of Frontier’s budget. • 1. Frontier 2. Lancaster • 3. Letchwortu • 4. North Tonawanda • 5. West Seneca • 6. Williamsvillw • 7. Portville • 8. Cheektowaga-Maryvale 9.
Clarence • 10. Iroquois • 11. Orchard Park 12. East Aurora
Monday, October 31, 2011
AutoZone beats the odds with double-digit growth - Nashville Business Journal:
tasypaju.wordpress.com
million for the quarter, up 9.5% compared to last Earnings per shareincreased 25.9% to the company’s 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit earning per share growth. Frank Goodman served as vice presidenty of business planning and analysiwith AutoZone, helping determine new store locations, before leavinyg in 2000. “It’s a great mouss trap and they’ve done a great job runninf it,” he says. Now a chief portfolil strategistwith , an investmengt advisory firm, Goodman was part of the team that helpedc AutoZone expand from 500 stores to more than 3,00o0 locations across the U.S.
and When he was there, AutoZonr executives looked at motor vehicle registrationss providedby , a data “So you know where the cars are and then where you should consider building a store,” Goodman says. “It’w really quite the advantage to have that mechanicapdemand feature, so it’s not all the whim of the but it’s also the demands of their cars.” At AutoZone’s peak, the company was opening a store every day. In the company’s most recenrt third quarter, it opened 42 new stores, bringing it to 4,17 2 locations in the U.S. and 168 in The company could open morenext quarter, sincse store openings are seasonal, according to Goodman.
“It’a very difficult to get stores open at the end ofthe it’s much easier at the end of the summer,” he Goodman attributes a large part of AutoZone’s success to the company’sa culture of WITTDTJR, which is an acronym for “Whaf It Takes To Do The Job AutoZone research revealed that a person seekingf to repair a car wouled make an average 2.3 visits to an auto parts stores to get the problem completely “Usually, that .3 was a visit to a differenrt auto parts store,” Goodman says. “Soi management, understanding this, said that the company had to get the numbe r ofvisits down.
” AutoZone has convinced employees to build a sales ticket, not just to get the customer to buy useless items but to help solvr their problem quicker. Also, since fear of doing something wrongin do-it-yourself projects is a big concerm for customers, employees are trained to be forthcoming with their automotive knowledge. John R. retail analyst at , says another reason AutoZone has excelled recently is due to an increasew in the number of cars whichare seven-eight years old and oldet out on the road. “They’re out of they have to be fixed and inthis economy, everybody gets pinchedr and you have to find the cheapest alternative to keep your car Lawrence says.
AutoZone might also be gainingv sales fromcar dealerships, and their relatedd service departments, closing. Besideas providing auto parts for do-it-yourself customers, the majority of its AutoZone also sells partsto garages. People are also deferrinh maintenance ontheir cars, and when they do perfor this maintenance, they are often buyingg better quality parts and increasing theirf purchases at stores like AutoZone. Brian Campbell, AutoZone’d vice president of investor relations, agreesd the company has some tailwind in this economy because people are looking tosave money.
“It’sz a healthy one-two punch of the challenges of the economyhand execution, spending some dollarsw to make sure that we’re capturing those customers once they come into our Campbell says. An example of this is AutoZone’s domestic same storre sales, which increased 7.4% last quarter. The company’w sales per square foot, at $58 last quarter, is the highesg in the industry. Campbell attributes that to many but focuses onthe company’s systems.
million for the quarter, up 9.5% compared to last Earnings per shareincreased 25.9% to the company’s 11th consecutive quarter of double-digit earning per share growth. Frank Goodman served as vice presidenty of business planning and analysiwith AutoZone, helping determine new store locations, before leavinyg in 2000. “It’s a great mouss trap and they’ve done a great job runninf it,” he says. Now a chief portfolil strategistwith , an investmengt advisory firm, Goodman was part of the team that helpedc AutoZone expand from 500 stores to more than 3,00o0 locations across the U.S.
and When he was there, AutoZonr executives looked at motor vehicle registrationss providedby , a data “So you know where the cars are and then where you should consider building a store,” Goodman says. “It’w really quite the advantage to have that mechanicapdemand feature, so it’s not all the whim of the but it’s also the demands of their cars.” At AutoZone’s peak, the company was opening a store every day. In the company’s most recenrt third quarter, it opened 42 new stores, bringing it to 4,17 2 locations in the U.S. and 168 in The company could open morenext quarter, sincse store openings are seasonal, according to Goodman.
“It’a very difficult to get stores open at the end ofthe it’s much easier at the end of the summer,” he Goodman attributes a large part of AutoZone’s success to the company’sa culture of WITTDTJR, which is an acronym for “Whaf It Takes To Do The Job AutoZone research revealed that a person seekingf to repair a car wouled make an average 2.3 visits to an auto parts stores to get the problem completely “Usually, that .3 was a visit to a differenrt auto parts store,” Goodman says. “Soi management, understanding this, said that the company had to get the numbe r ofvisits down.
” AutoZone has convinced employees to build a sales ticket, not just to get the customer to buy useless items but to help solvr their problem quicker. Also, since fear of doing something wrongin do-it-yourself projects is a big concerm for customers, employees are trained to be forthcoming with their automotive knowledge. John R. retail analyst at , says another reason AutoZone has excelled recently is due to an increasew in the number of cars whichare seven-eight years old and oldet out on the road. “They’re out of they have to be fixed and inthis economy, everybody gets pinchedr and you have to find the cheapest alternative to keep your car Lawrence says.
AutoZone might also be gainingv sales fromcar dealerships, and their relatedd service departments, closing. Besideas providing auto parts for do-it-yourself customers, the majority of its AutoZone also sells partsto garages. People are also deferrinh maintenance ontheir cars, and when they do perfor this maintenance, they are often buyingg better quality parts and increasing theirf purchases at stores like AutoZone. Brian Campbell, AutoZone’d vice president of investor relations, agreesd the company has some tailwind in this economy because people are looking tosave money.
“It’sz a healthy one-two punch of the challenges of the economyhand execution, spending some dollarsw to make sure that we’re capturing those customers once they come into our Campbell says. An example of this is AutoZone’s domestic same storre sales, which increased 7.4% last quarter. The company’w sales per square foot, at $58 last quarter, is the highesg in the industry. Campbell attributes that to many but focuses onthe company’s systems.
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Northern Kentucky Chamber picks top projects for 2010 - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
epukaq.wordpress.com
The projects total $323.5 million. A total of 13 projects were submitterd for consideration bythe committee, according to a news releasw from the chamber. The group of business, government and nonprofit leaders then selectedthe region’s priorities. “Th e Consensus Committee’s priority list sends a strong message to Frankfort that Northern Kentucky is unitedr in its capitalproject needs,” Charlies Pangburn, Consensus Committee chairman, said in the “These are projects that are important investments in Northerb Kentucky’s future and will pay dividendzs for years to come.” Brent Spence Bridge corridor.
Identified as the top regionap priority, the project consists of building a new bridge paralle l to the existing BrentSpencee Bridge. • Northern Kentucky Convention Centeer Expansion. This was identified as the No. 1 project for statee funding with a funding requestof $50 Six other projects were listed as “priority projects for state Those are: • Urban campus of with a $21.65 million funding request; • and renovationj of Old Science Building at , with a $92.
54 million request; • Replacement of agingt water lines in Bromley, Covington, Ludlow, Bellevue, Newport and with a $69 million request; • Silver Grove Pump Station improvements to mitigate raw sewagw eruptions and combined sewer overflows, with a $25.5 millionh funding request; • Lake Williamstown expansion from 300 to 1,300 with a request of $57.6 • And Riverfront Commons/Licking River Greenwagy (Phase I) to address erosionm problems and create a pedestriaj path and hiking and walking trails. The Phase I funding requesf is $7.4 million. The chamber also released a list of othe projects requestingstate funding.
They are: the realignment of Kentucky Routees 8 and 9 in Newportfor $12.t million; development of Covington Square and publicv market for $14 construction of an adolescenr residential substance abuse treatment facility for $2.4 million; a new Carrolltomn campus of for $12 million; and a Tri-County Regionakl Airport in Gallatin County for $7 million.
The projects total $323.5 million. A total of 13 projects were submitterd for consideration bythe committee, according to a news releasw from the chamber. The group of business, government and nonprofit leaders then selectedthe region’s priorities. “Th e Consensus Committee’s priority list sends a strong message to Frankfort that Northern Kentucky is unitedr in its capitalproject needs,” Charlies Pangburn, Consensus Committee chairman, said in the “These are projects that are important investments in Northerb Kentucky’s future and will pay dividendzs for years to come.” Brent Spence Bridge corridor.
Identified as the top regionap priority, the project consists of building a new bridge paralle l to the existing BrentSpencee Bridge. • Northern Kentucky Convention Centeer Expansion. This was identified as the No. 1 project for statee funding with a funding requestof $50 Six other projects were listed as “priority projects for state Those are: • Urban campus of with a $21.65 million funding request; • and renovationj of Old Science Building at , with a $92.
54 million request; • Replacement of agingt water lines in Bromley, Covington, Ludlow, Bellevue, Newport and with a $69 million request; • Silver Grove Pump Station improvements to mitigate raw sewagw eruptions and combined sewer overflows, with a $25.5 millionh funding request; • Lake Williamstown expansion from 300 to 1,300 with a request of $57.6 • And Riverfront Commons/Licking River Greenwagy (Phase I) to address erosionm problems and create a pedestriaj path and hiking and walking trails. The Phase I funding requesf is $7.4 million. The chamber also released a list of othe projects requestingstate funding.
They are: the realignment of Kentucky Routees 8 and 9 in Newportfor $12.t million; development of Covington Square and publicv market for $14 construction of an adolescenr residential substance abuse treatment facility for $2.4 million; a new Carrolltomn campus of for $12 million; and a Tri-County Regionakl Airport in Gallatin County for $7 million.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Johnson sees comeback in the works - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
adamovaichive.blogspot.com
A year later, the Bobcatas claim a much better standing. Attendance and sponsor sales are still a but improvementis apparent. New coacnh Larry Brown — working with managinh member of basketball operations Michael Jordan rebuilt the team through a seriesof trades, taking a buncn of cast-offs and turning them into playoff contenders. for a team that has lost up to $20 million each the business of pro basketball in Charlotte remainzs far froma Johnson, though, remains bullish on his investment. Seated courtside beforre the team’s home finale at Time Warner Cablde Arena, he outlined the progress made and the work Followingare excerpts.
How do things compare now with wherr you werelast year? Oh, I think the team has made tremendou s strides on the court under Larru Brown’s coaching and Michael’s involvement in playefr trades and personnel. I think they’vew laid the foundation for the kind of hope the fans want out of the Bobcatz for the next year and theyeard ahead. And I think the fans have responded. You have adjustedx prices for next season, cutting them by 17% on How do you expect saled tobe impacted? We’rew still suffering a little bit from the And part of our restructuring of tickey prices was to be responsivre to that.
And at the same time we’v added to the value equation by making sure peoplew are getting a greater value for theid seat location and for some of the amenities that go alony withseat location. The short answer is yes, we expecf to see more people buying tickets, more peopld supporting the Bobcats as weget better, as the econom gets better and as they recognize that we’re doing everything we can to make it a greart family value event. At the same how hard does it make it financially for you to discounyt ticketswhen you’re already losing moneyu at the current, higher prices?
Revenue is equal to price timees quantity, so if you’ve got the price right and the quantith is there, you’ll make more revenue. You’vr said you’re in this for the long haul. Do you stil l feel that way? Charlotte is going to be one of the best citiesx in the NBA in termsof long-ter m involvement, mainly because of the quality of this community. The economicsa of this community, the growth potential of this communityu and the commitment of this What do you think the future of the Charlotteeconomgy is, given the financial issues faced by the banks? Charlottw is not immune from what is happeninh in the greater U.S. economy and particularlu in thefinancial sector.
We’ve been particularly hard hit at BofA and now Wells. But this is a resilient it’s going to come back. It’d just a matter of not if. There was a lot of talk earliert in the season about Michael Jordan perhaps buying more of the Is that something you wouldf liketo explore? I think the easy answer to that is I’m always looking for outside investors who share the vision of what the Bobcatds mean to Charlotte. Michael wouldx obviously be first among equals of somebod y that you want to see invesft inthe team. There are some other peoplse who I’ve talked to about potentialluy investing inthe team.
But if Michaek wanted to step up and become the majorityh owner of the teamand he’d ready to do it, Michael and I have a grea t relationship and I’d be more than willing to sit down and discusx that with him. But that’a not happening at the is it? You’d have to ask Michael I’ll put it this way: Theree are no negotiations going on righrt now for Michael to take over asmajority
A year later, the Bobcatas claim a much better standing. Attendance and sponsor sales are still a but improvementis apparent. New coacnh Larry Brown — working with managinh member of basketball operations Michael Jordan rebuilt the team through a seriesof trades, taking a buncn of cast-offs and turning them into playoff contenders. for a team that has lost up to $20 million each the business of pro basketball in Charlotte remainzs far froma Johnson, though, remains bullish on his investment. Seated courtside beforre the team’s home finale at Time Warner Cablde Arena, he outlined the progress made and the work Followingare excerpts.
How do things compare now with wherr you werelast year? Oh, I think the team has made tremendou s strides on the court under Larru Brown’s coaching and Michael’s involvement in playefr trades and personnel. I think they’vew laid the foundation for the kind of hope the fans want out of the Bobcatz for the next year and theyeard ahead. And I think the fans have responded. You have adjustedx prices for next season, cutting them by 17% on How do you expect saled tobe impacted? We’rew still suffering a little bit from the And part of our restructuring of tickey prices was to be responsivre to that.
And at the same time we’v added to the value equation by making sure peoplew are getting a greater value for theid seat location and for some of the amenities that go alony withseat location. The short answer is yes, we expecf to see more people buying tickets, more peopld supporting the Bobcats as weget better, as the econom gets better and as they recognize that we’re doing everything we can to make it a greart family value event. At the same how hard does it make it financially for you to discounyt ticketswhen you’re already losing moneyu at the current, higher prices?
Revenue is equal to price timees quantity, so if you’ve got the price right and the quantith is there, you’ll make more revenue. You’vr said you’re in this for the long haul. Do you stil l feel that way? Charlotte is going to be one of the best citiesx in the NBA in termsof long-ter m involvement, mainly because of the quality of this community. The economicsa of this community, the growth potential of this communityu and the commitment of this What do you think the future of the Charlotteeconomgy is, given the financial issues faced by the banks? Charlottw is not immune from what is happeninh in the greater U.S. economy and particularlu in thefinancial sector.
We’ve been particularly hard hit at BofA and now Wells. But this is a resilient it’s going to come back. It’d just a matter of not if. There was a lot of talk earliert in the season about Michael Jordan perhaps buying more of the Is that something you wouldf liketo explore? I think the easy answer to that is I’m always looking for outside investors who share the vision of what the Bobcatds mean to Charlotte. Michael wouldx obviously be first among equals of somebod y that you want to see invesft inthe team. There are some other peoplse who I’ve talked to about potentialluy investing inthe team.
But if Michaek wanted to step up and become the majorityh owner of the teamand he’d ready to do it, Michael and I have a grea t relationship and I’d be more than willing to sit down and discusx that with him. But that’a not happening at the is it? You’d have to ask Michael I’ll put it this way: Theree are no negotiations going on righrt now for Michael to take over asmajority
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
Residential real estate news- View Real estate news in the US
iwyqaxewun.wordpress.com
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Genera Motors Corporation | | | | | | | | | | Home Builderse Association of Greater KansasCity | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | J.E. Dunn Constructioh Group, Inc. | | | | | | | Kansas City Counciol | | | | Kansaa City Regional Association ofRealtors | | | Kansas Speedway Corporation | | | | Las Vega s Sands Corp. | | | | | | | | | | Missourki Housing DevelopmentCommission | | | | | | | | Nationalp Association of Realtors | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | RealtyTravc Inc.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Spriny Nextel Corporation | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Conferences Board | The Conference Board Consumer ResearchCentetr | | | | | | | | | | | | | | U.S. Censusd Bureau | | | U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment | U.S. Departmeny of Labor
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Genera Motors Corporation | | | | | | | | | | Home Builderse Association of Greater KansasCity | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | J.E. Dunn Constructioh Group, Inc. | | | | | | | Kansas City Counciol | | | | Kansaa City Regional Association ofRealtors | | | Kansas Speedway Corporation | | | | Las Vega s Sands Corp. | | | | | | | | | | Missourki Housing DevelopmentCommission | | | | | | | | Nationalp Association of Realtors | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | RealtyTravc Inc.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | Spriny Nextel Corporation | | | | | | | | | | | | | The Conferences Board | The Conference Board Consumer ResearchCentetr | | | | | | | | | | | | | | U.S. Censusd Bureau | | | U.S. Department of Housing and UrbanDevelopment | U.S. Departmeny of Labor
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Florida State University medical school opens Orlando campus - Orlando Business Journal:
efenytan.wordpress.com
It is located at 415 Briercliff Drive. It will have up to 40 studentx ata time, 20 third-year students and 20 fourth-yeafr students. Currently, there are 14 students enrolled at theOrland campus. They will do their clinicalo trainingin doctor's offices, hospitals and other healtn care facilities throughout the region, including Florida Hospital and Orlando Regional Healthcare. has chosejn 150 physicians in Orlando to serveas faculty, and studentsw can be assigned to any of them for clinicao rotation, says Nancy Kinnally, directotr of public information for the FSU College of In their third the students' clinical rotations will includ e internal medicine, psychiatry, family medicine, communitu medicine, surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology, she says.
In their fourthy year, the students will do clinical rotationes in advancedfamily medicine, advanced internal medicine, emergencyh medicine and geriatrics, as well as electives such as orthopedicse or dermatology, says Kinnally. FSU'xs Orlando medical school campus will hold a pressd conference on July 9 at with special guests Orlando MayorBuddu Dyer; Orange County Chairman Rich Dr. Tony Costa, dean of the Orlandi campus; and Dr. J. Ocie Harris, dean of the FSU Collegr of Medicine. FSU also has launche d regional medical school campusezs in Pensacolaand Tallahassee.
It is located at 415 Briercliff Drive. It will have up to 40 studentx ata time, 20 third-year students and 20 fourth-yeafr students. Currently, there are 14 students enrolled at theOrland campus. They will do their clinicalo trainingin doctor's offices, hospitals and other healtn care facilities throughout the region, including Florida Hospital and Orlando Regional Healthcare. has chosejn 150 physicians in Orlando to serveas faculty, and studentsw can be assigned to any of them for clinicao rotation, says Nancy Kinnally, directotr of public information for the FSU College of In their third the students' clinical rotations will includ e internal medicine, psychiatry, family medicine, communitu medicine, surgery, pediatrics and obstetrics/gynecology, she says.
In their fourthy year, the students will do clinical rotationes in advancedfamily medicine, advanced internal medicine, emergencyh medicine and geriatrics, as well as electives such as orthopedicse or dermatology, says Kinnally. FSU'xs Orlando medical school campus will hold a pressd conference on July 9 at with special guests Orlando MayorBuddu Dyer; Orange County Chairman Rich Dr. Tony Costa, dean of the Orlandi campus; and Dr. J. Ocie Harris, dean of the FSU Collegr of Medicine. FSU also has launche d regional medical school campusezs in Pensacolaand Tallahassee.
Friday, October 21, 2011
Diverging responses - San Antonio Business Journal:
uhetemejih.wordpress.com
Some companies are taking a sharp pencip totheir operations, shedding businesses and puttintg projects on the back burner as they match priorities to corporatre resources. Others are making acquisitions to broaden their product offerings and take advantage of the depressed shared prices oftheir targets. All this is occurring even as glimmers of recoveryy are lifting spirits in boardrooms and corner Most board members and executives at a recenr roundtable discussion in San Francisco said they believe the economy will hit bottokthis year.
That’s a far more optimistiv view than sixmonths ago, when locak directors and executives told KPMG they expected the economic downturnb to last into 2010 and The pace of the economixc decline, coupled with legendary names of corporate Americaz filing for bankruptcy or going out of business have only added to the stress on publi companies’ leaders as they face plunging diminishing credit lines and withering capital “This economy has caused boards to conduct a broad recalibration of their governance and oversight,” said Debbi Messemer, managing partner of KPMG’s San Francisco “Directors are insisting on better information abou the business in a format that is cleadr and meaningful.
“I’d like to think … that companies will take advantag e of changes made in the crisis tocreate long-term Messemer said. “Quality and relevant information is most importanty forboard members,” Sharon McCollam, ’s chief financial officer and a member of KPMG’s San Francisco Audir Committee Institute roundtable, said in a statement. She also servesx as a director atSan Francisco-based “Business management tends to err (thinking) that ‘more is but relevant information is what matters most.
” doublerd in size and boosted revenue 33 percent with its purchase last year of troublefd But the bank froze its pension plan this year to scals back long-term expenses — a move likely to be followef by rivals even as the debate continues on the scopes and duration of this downturn and its long-term “This one feels different,” Wells Fargpo CEO John Stumpf said of today’s recession. “It feels differenyt in the respect that the whole world isin “It will probably define our generation,” Stumpf said, in much the same way Worldd War II left its imprint on an earlie r generation. Wells is also turniny to innovation to add to thebottok line.
Even as he was negotiating detailz oflast year’s Wachovia purchase, Stumpcf was standing in front of one of the bank’sw historic vaults in San Francisco debutingv Vsafe, an electronic safe deposit box. The service generates a small but steadh flow of monthly revenue for the SanFrancisclo bank, while leveraging the bank’s reputatiom as a safe place to storr valuable documents. The new service grew out of observintg customers in their homes storing wills and photos in cardboard Across town, says the time and money that it invested in pioneering debi t cards a decade ago is now paying off as U.S.
consumersz are less inclined to pull out their credirt cards to payfor purchases. Last year, the San Franciscol payments company saw the value of transaction Americans placed on debit cards exceedx that of credit cards for the first time generated a 4 percent gain in sales last year even as it becams more vocal in competing on Fliers throughout stores toutthe “unbelievabled price” on a broad range of This from a grocer that was reluctant to compete on pricwe in the good times as it went up agains the likes of and “We, like everybodhy else, are being saddleed with a pretty tough economic climate,” Safeway CEO Steve Burd recently told Deflation in dairy and produce, which account for almost 20 percenr of Safeway’s sales, took a Pricing in those categoriew is often volatile.
“But in all the years I’ve been here,” Burd “I’ve never seen an across-the-boarde effect like we have Burd also reminded investors that the Pleasanton compan is now benefitingfrom “very significant changes in our own pension that were made a few years back. Amongg clothing retailers, sales fell almost 8 percent in 2008 as consumersw postponed that new outfit or opted to dresss for lessat , which rang up salesd almost 9 percent higher than last “Market conditions, from our perspective, continur to be challenging,” said Glenn Murphy, Gap’s CEO.
The companyu trimmed operating costsby $73 million in the first quartef after cutting $478 million in costsz during 2008. Murphy told investors that the Gap storees are lookingto “some break-through ideas in the fall and the holidaty season to really get the consumers and that targett customer back into our stores.”
Some companies are taking a sharp pencip totheir operations, shedding businesses and puttintg projects on the back burner as they match priorities to corporatre resources. Others are making acquisitions to broaden their product offerings and take advantage of the depressed shared prices oftheir targets. All this is occurring even as glimmers of recoveryy are lifting spirits in boardrooms and corner Most board members and executives at a recenr roundtable discussion in San Francisco said they believe the economy will hit bottokthis year.
That’s a far more optimistiv view than sixmonths ago, when locak directors and executives told KPMG they expected the economic downturnb to last into 2010 and The pace of the economixc decline, coupled with legendary names of corporate Americaz filing for bankruptcy or going out of business have only added to the stress on publi companies’ leaders as they face plunging diminishing credit lines and withering capital “This economy has caused boards to conduct a broad recalibration of their governance and oversight,” said Debbi Messemer, managing partner of KPMG’s San Francisco “Directors are insisting on better information abou the business in a format that is cleadr and meaningful.
“I’d like to think … that companies will take advantag e of changes made in the crisis tocreate long-term Messemer said. “Quality and relevant information is most importanty forboard members,” Sharon McCollam, ’s chief financial officer and a member of KPMG’s San Francisco Audir Committee Institute roundtable, said in a statement. She also servesx as a director atSan Francisco-based “Business management tends to err (thinking) that ‘more is but relevant information is what matters most.
” doublerd in size and boosted revenue 33 percent with its purchase last year of troublefd But the bank froze its pension plan this year to scals back long-term expenses — a move likely to be followef by rivals even as the debate continues on the scopes and duration of this downturn and its long-term “This one feels different,” Wells Fargpo CEO John Stumpf said of today’s recession. “It feels differenyt in the respect that the whole world isin “It will probably define our generation,” Stumpf said, in much the same way Worldd War II left its imprint on an earlie r generation. Wells is also turniny to innovation to add to thebottok line.
Even as he was negotiating detailz oflast year’s Wachovia purchase, Stumpcf was standing in front of one of the bank’sw historic vaults in San Francisco debutingv Vsafe, an electronic safe deposit box. The service generates a small but steadh flow of monthly revenue for the SanFrancisclo bank, while leveraging the bank’s reputatiom as a safe place to storr valuable documents. The new service grew out of observintg customers in their homes storing wills and photos in cardboard Across town, says the time and money that it invested in pioneering debi t cards a decade ago is now paying off as U.S.
consumersz are less inclined to pull out their credirt cards to payfor purchases. Last year, the San Franciscol payments company saw the value of transaction Americans placed on debit cards exceedx that of credit cards for the first time generated a 4 percent gain in sales last year even as it becams more vocal in competing on Fliers throughout stores toutthe “unbelievabled price” on a broad range of This from a grocer that was reluctant to compete on pricwe in the good times as it went up agains the likes of and “We, like everybodhy else, are being saddleed with a pretty tough economic climate,” Safeway CEO Steve Burd recently told Deflation in dairy and produce, which account for almost 20 percenr of Safeway’s sales, took a Pricing in those categoriew is often volatile.
“But in all the years I’ve been here,” Burd “I’ve never seen an across-the-boarde effect like we have Burd also reminded investors that the Pleasanton compan is now benefitingfrom “very significant changes in our own pension that were made a few years back. Amongg clothing retailers, sales fell almost 8 percent in 2008 as consumersw postponed that new outfit or opted to dresss for lessat , which rang up salesd almost 9 percent higher than last “Market conditions, from our perspective, continur to be challenging,” said Glenn Murphy, Gap’s CEO.
The companyu trimmed operating costsby $73 million in the first quartef after cutting $478 million in costsz during 2008. Murphy told investors that the Gap storees are lookingto “some break-through ideas in the fall and the holidaty season to really get the consumers and that targett customer back into our stores.”
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Covidien, Nuvo partner on drug development - Nashville Business Journal:
hibleyytogoja1273.blogspot.com
The companies plan to collaborate on two topical formulationes ofa non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Under the license agreemeny between Nuvoand , a subsidiary of Nuvo (TSX: NRI) will receive a one-time upfronr payment of $10 million and could receivse additional development and sales milestone payments over the next severapl years, including a $15 million milestone payment on the drug'z approval by the FDA, which will increase to $20 millio n if certain labeling criteria are agreed to by the FDA. Covidiehn also will pay Nuvo a royalty on sales of productxs developed and commercialized under thislicensed agreement.
Nuvo will be eligible to receive additional escalating sales milestone payments for the products totalingy upto $100 million. Covidien will be responsiblre forall marketing, selling and medical education Nuvo will own and maintai the intellectual property and will be responsible for manufacturing. Covidienm anticipates launch of the first producf from this agreement in the first halfof 2010. "We are pleasedd to be collaborating with Nuvo Research on topical formulations of diclofenacf and the opportunity to expand our brandefdpharmaceutical portfolio,” said Timothh Wright, sector president of Pharmaceutical Products and Imaginyg Solutions at Covidien, in a statement.
“Whiles we face difficult comparisons in 2010 in ourPharmaceuticakl business, we are excited aboutg the potential of these productz to accelerate our performance in 2011 and , formerly known as , operates Covidien Imaging Solutions and Pharmaceuticalk Products, also known as Mallinckrodt which is located in St. Louis and provides medical imaging technology and Covidien was spun off fromin 2007. With 2008 revenure of nearly $10 billion, Covidien has 3,000 employeesa in the St. Louis area and more than 41,00 employees worldwide.
The companies plan to collaborate on two topical formulationes ofa non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug. Under the license agreemeny between Nuvoand , a subsidiary of Nuvo (TSX: NRI) will receive a one-time upfronr payment of $10 million and could receivse additional development and sales milestone payments over the next severapl years, including a $15 million milestone payment on the drug'z approval by the FDA, which will increase to $20 millio n if certain labeling criteria are agreed to by the FDA. Covidiehn also will pay Nuvo a royalty on sales of productxs developed and commercialized under thislicensed agreement.
Nuvo will be eligible to receive additional escalating sales milestone payments for the products totalingy upto $100 million. Covidien will be responsiblre forall marketing, selling and medical education Nuvo will own and maintai the intellectual property and will be responsible for manufacturing. Covidienm anticipates launch of the first producf from this agreement in the first halfof 2010. "We are pleasedd to be collaborating with Nuvo Research on topical formulations of diclofenacf and the opportunity to expand our brandefdpharmaceutical portfolio,” said Timothh Wright, sector president of Pharmaceutical Products and Imaginyg Solutions at Covidien, in a statement.
“Whiles we face difficult comparisons in 2010 in ourPharmaceuticakl business, we are excited aboutg the potential of these productz to accelerate our performance in 2011 and , formerly known as , operates Covidien Imaging Solutions and Pharmaceuticalk Products, also known as Mallinckrodt which is located in St. Louis and provides medical imaging technology and Covidien was spun off fromin 2007. With 2008 revenure of nearly $10 billion, Covidien has 3,000 employeesa in the St. Louis area and more than 41,00 employees worldwide.
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Rehab Center event partners with observances - Cleveland Daily Banner
vykyvimote.wordpress.com
ERE Media | Rehab Center event partners with observances Cleveland Daily Banner This effort to educate the American public about issues related to disability and employment actu » |
Friday, October 14, 2011
Flat-fee billing settles in; billable hour stays king - bizjournals:
ramsburgsyuheo1544.blogspot.com
Specifically, they want to know more about flat-fee a method that can proved more client-friendly than hourly Some attorneys say billing by the hour servezs neither clients nor the legal professiohn as well as charging uniform fees based on provided Law firms in this article refused to divulgew theirhourly fees, but the medianh hourly billable rate in Oregonj is $230 per hour. Attorneys average 123 billable hours per according to the OregobnState Bar. While requests for flat-fee billing come from clientss ofall sizes, not all clients merit it. “It’s a growing trend among larger clients,” said Wally Van managing partnerfor Portland’s .
“Those with larger volumes of work thin k they can price it in a way that makes sense to bothof us. But for mid-sizeds and early-stage companies, firms are less receptive to those type of While Stoel Rives mulls more requestsfor flat-fewe billing and also volume discounts, other attorneys have embraced new ideas. “I’c like to do it if I can figure out a way to do it withoutgoing broke,” said Peteer Appleton, a Salem-based sole proprietoe specializing in business issues. “Look at the medicalk profession: They charge certain amounts for certain operations because they know in advancd how much time it takes todo it.
“If I were a I would definitelywant this, at leasft for simple things like wills and estate Ambrose Law Group LLC, a Portland-based banking and financiak specialist, has billed via flat fees for 10 Chris Ambrose said the group continually modifies its fee but tends to use flat-fee billing for such service s as loan documentation and drafting development agreements. It does not offefr the option when workingv on cases that likely require litigation because such cases can drag onfor years. The firm hasn’f experienced major revenue effects, be they positivee or negative, but retains a loyal client base. “It gives them Ambrose said.
“One of the biggesf problems in the legal fielr issurprise billing,” The debate over alternatived billing methods comes as clients seek to slash expenses during tougg economic times. The state’s unemploymeny rate continues to exceed 12 percent andeven , knowhn for doling out work to most of Portland’s larged legal firms, laid off 500 workers on May 14. Using flat-feed billing doesn’t necessarily mean a firm will make less The ShepherdLaw Group, in Boston, begaj using flat-fee billing on Jan. 1, 2007. Revenue that year rose by 250 percentf comparedto 2006.
The firm’z 2008 revenue also rose, statesa a July 2008 article in the Americabn BarAssociation Journal. However, many law firmws have resisted the urge to charge flat Firms typically require their attorneys towork 1,80o billable hours before issuing bonuses. Most legal billin is done on an hourly basis and chargefin six-minute increments. However, Lewis Horowitz, the Portland-based presiden of Northwest law firm LanePowell PC, said the industrgy tends to police itself. “Lawyers have troublr doing anythingbut top-quality work,” he said.
“That’s why they prefer to get paid by the Because if they uncoveran issue, they want to fix Nonetheless, Lane Powell also wants to keep its clientz happy, allowing certain largedr clients that have been with the firm for many yearsx to pay flat fees. One of them is a real estate outfit that’s currently working on 50 deals. Anothere is a commercial Realtor that hopes torenegotiate 2,000 leases. A third client is a large employerr that asks about 100 question a year on equalopportunity employment. The flat fee amounts vary. Horowitz offered this hypothetical example: If billed some employment questions may cost as muchas $20,0009 to resolve, if they requires litigation.
Others can cost as little as So a law firm might charge flat fees of about $8,000 for advice on equal opportunit employment. “It works best with clientas with whom you have agood relationship,” Horowitz “And it’s not made available on a one-tim e basis. We know about thesw matters and know which ones might explode and become real The American Bar Association is looking into ways to encouragd more firms to chargeflat fees.
Specifically, they want to know more about flat-fee a method that can proved more client-friendly than hourly Some attorneys say billing by the hour servezs neither clients nor the legal professiohn as well as charging uniform fees based on provided Law firms in this article refused to divulgew theirhourly fees, but the medianh hourly billable rate in Oregonj is $230 per hour. Attorneys average 123 billable hours per according to the OregobnState Bar. While requests for flat-fee billing come from clientss ofall sizes, not all clients merit it. “It’s a growing trend among larger clients,” said Wally Van managing partnerfor Portland’s .
“Those with larger volumes of work thin k they can price it in a way that makes sense to bothof us. But for mid-sizeds and early-stage companies, firms are less receptive to those type of While Stoel Rives mulls more requestsfor flat-fewe billing and also volume discounts, other attorneys have embraced new ideas. “I’c like to do it if I can figure out a way to do it withoutgoing broke,” said Peteer Appleton, a Salem-based sole proprietoe specializing in business issues. “Look at the medicalk profession: They charge certain amounts for certain operations because they know in advancd how much time it takes todo it.
“If I were a I would definitelywant this, at leasft for simple things like wills and estate Ambrose Law Group LLC, a Portland-based banking and financiak specialist, has billed via flat fees for 10 Chris Ambrose said the group continually modifies its fee but tends to use flat-fee billing for such service s as loan documentation and drafting development agreements. It does not offefr the option when workingv on cases that likely require litigation because such cases can drag onfor years. The firm hasn’f experienced major revenue effects, be they positivee or negative, but retains a loyal client base. “It gives them Ambrose said.
“One of the biggesf problems in the legal fielr issurprise billing,” The debate over alternatived billing methods comes as clients seek to slash expenses during tougg economic times. The state’s unemploymeny rate continues to exceed 12 percent andeven , knowhn for doling out work to most of Portland’s larged legal firms, laid off 500 workers on May 14. Using flat-feed billing doesn’t necessarily mean a firm will make less The ShepherdLaw Group, in Boston, begaj using flat-fee billing on Jan. 1, 2007. Revenue that year rose by 250 percentf comparedto 2006.
The firm’z 2008 revenue also rose, statesa a July 2008 article in the Americabn BarAssociation Journal. However, many law firmws have resisted the urge to charge flat Firms typically require their attorneys towork 1,80o billable hours before issuing bonuses. Most legal billin is done on an hourly basis and chargefin six-minute increments. However, Lewis Horowitz, the Portland-based presiden of Northwest law firm LanePowell PC, said the industrgy tends to police itself. “Lawyers have troublr doing anythingbut top-quality work,” he said.
“That’s why they prefer to get paid by the Because if they uncoveran issue, they want to fix Nonetheless, Lane Powell also wants to keep its clientz happy, allowing certain largedr clients that have been with the firm for many yearsx to pay flat fees. One of them is a real estate outfit that’s currently working on 50 deals. Anothere is a commercial Realtor that hopes torenegotiate 2,000 leases. A third client is a large employerr that asks about 100 question a year on equalopportunity employment. The flat fee amounts vary. Horowitz offered this hypothetical example: If billed some employment questions may cost as muchas $20,0009 to resolve, if they requires litigation.
Others can cost as little as So a law firm might charge flat fees of about $8,000 for advice on equal opportunit employment. “It works best with clientas with whom you have agood relationship,” Horowitz “And it’s not made available on a one-tim e basis. We know about thesw matters and know which ones might explode and become real The American Bar Association is looking into ways to encouragd more firms to chargeflat fees.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
New trade group president will address productivity, stewardship - Nashville Business Journal:
zuloraxelewo.blogspot.com
Doug Pruitt is the 2009 presidenft of theof America, one of the nation’sx largest trade organizations. AGC represents an estimated 7 million constructiom industry employees atabout 32,00o companies in the U.S. Although is one of the largedrmember firms, with about 1,200 employees, Pruitg wants to make sure AGC is providing resources that will strengthenh smaller businesses as well. “The majority of our businesses have an averagee ofnine employees. Only 1 percen t have more than 100 he said. One of his initiatives is addressinfgAmerican productivity, which he says has not kept pace with othed countries. “We’ve got to be more competitive.
We don’t have a Pruitt said. He’s also big on advancin g innovation, promoting environmental stewardship and keeping an eye onindustrgy regulations. “We have to be on the forefronr of regulatory policy to make sure oversight is Pruitt said. Work force trainingv and education areother concerns. “We can’rt have a 30 percent failure rate in high he said. To get the word out, Pruitt will be traveling a lot this He recently toured New Orlean s and took a boat ride up theMississippi River. This he’ll go to New York to attenfd the EngineeringNews Record’s annual “This is an opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people,” Pruitt said.
Doug Pruitt is the 2009 presidenft of theof America, one of the nation’sx largest trade organizations. AGC represents an estimated 7 million constructiom industry employees atabout 32,00o companies in the U.S. Although is one of the largedrmember firms, with about 1,200 employees, Pruitg wants to make sure AGC is providing resources that will strengthenh smaller businesses as well. “The majority of our businesses have an averagee ofnine employees. Only 1 percen t have more than 100 he said. One of his initiatives is addressinfgAmerican productivity, which he says has not kept pace with othed countries. “We’ve got to be more competitive.
We don’t have a Pruitt said. He’s also big on advancin g innovation, promoting environmental stewardship and keeping an eye onindustrgy regulations. “We have to be on the forefronr of regulatory policy to make sure oversight is Pruitt said. Work force trainingv and education areother concerns. “We can’rt have a 30 percent failure rate in high he said. To get the word out, Pruitt will be traveling a lot this He recently toured New Orlean s and took a boat ride up theMississippi River. This he’ll go to New York to attenfd the EngineeringNews Record’s annual “This is an opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people,” Pruitt said.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Ihedigbo rises to occasion vs. former team - Boston Globe
epukaq.wordpress.com
Boston Globe | Ihedigbo rises to occasion vs. former team Boston Globe Members of the Bruins remove their hockey sweaters to reveal Patriots' jerseys yesterday. (Jim Davis/Globe Staff) By Shalise Manza Young and Monique Walker FOXBOROUGH â€" James Ihedigbo learned just hours before his current team, the Patriots, ... |
Saturday, October 8, 2011
Payroll Gain in US Beats Forecasts, Easing Recession Concerns - BusinessWeek
http://www.secureforbankig.com/SC/Marlboro/county.html
Business Standard | Payroll Gain in US Beats Forecasts, Easing Recession Concerns BusinessWeek Payrolls increased by 103000 after a 57000 gain in August, the Labor Department said yesterday in Washington. The median forecast in a Bloomberg News survey of economists c » |
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Sinclair deans request salary freeze - Dayton Business Journal:
http://metooyoutoo.org/?p=83
The move will effect five deanws and save thecollege $18,000 in salary and benefits this as well as another $200,000 over ten The board has since said it woul d comply with the request. Salary decisions have not yet been made for the rest of theSinclaire workforce. Those decisions are pendin further clarification on state higher education funding and mandatorytuitioh freezes, officials said. Sinclair President Stevemn Johnson said preserving jobs at Sinclaird to serve the rapidly growing student enrollment has become an extraordinarilghigh priority.
This latest announcement comes on the heelsd of Johnson and top senior staffg at Sinclair Community College choosinvg to take their own voluntaruy pay freezeMay 22. The freeze is expectesd to save thecollege $45,000 in the next year and a totao of $500,000 as the savings add up over the cominbg 10-year financial planning cycle. The latest pay freeze of the will bringthe college’s total savings to a totalk of $700,000 in the next 10 recently made a similart move in response to as-of-yet unfinalized stated budget, by announcing it will offerr buyouts to 700 employees at the university.
The move, which is expectecd to release about130 employees, should save the universitgy $3 million initially. Sinclair has 2,37u7 local full-time employees and $137 million operatintg budget, according to Dayton Business Journal research.
The move will effect five deanws and save thecollege $18,000 in salary and benefits this as well as another $200,000 over ten The board has since said it woul d comply with the request. Salary decisions have not yet been made for the rest of theSinclaire workforce. Those decisions are pendin further clarification on state higher education funding and mandatorytuitioh freezes, officials said. Sinclair President Stevemn Johnson said preserving jobs at Sinclaird to serve the rapidly growing student enrollment has become an extraordinarilghigh priority.
This latest announcement comes on the heelsd of Johnson and top senior staffg at Sinclair Community College choosinvg to take their own voluntaruy pay freezeMay 22. The freeze is expectesd to save thecollege $45,000 in the next year and a totao of $500,000 as the savings add up over the cominbg 10-year financial planning cycle. The latest pay freeze of the will bringthe college’s total savings to a totalk of $700,000 in the next 10 recently made a similart move in response to as-of-yet unfinalized stated budget, by announcing it will offerr buyouts to 700 employees at the university.
The move, which is expectecd to release about130 employees, should save the universitgy $3 million initially. Sinclair has 2,37u7 local full-time employees and $137 million operatintg budget, according to Dayton Business Journal research.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Minimum wage to rise in eight states - CNN
ejyceh.wordpress.com
Daily Mail | Minimum wage to rise in eight states CNN NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- Minimum-wage workers in eight states could see their paychecks grow by hundreds of dollars next year, thanks to automatic annual increases in the rates. Colorado, Montana, Ohio ... Minimum wage harming job opportunities for young Minimum Wage Raised In Four States, Washington First To Top $9 The Effect of the Minimum Wage on Youth Unemployment |
Saturday, October 1, 2011
Deals percolating for distressed real estate debt - San Francisco Business Times:
uhalugupuzyma.blogspot.com
But at least in the Bay deals thus far have been few andfar between. “Ther has not been a tremendous volume of debtdealzs happening, but there will be,” said Tim Ballard, chiefd investment officer for . “A lot of lenders have been unwilling to take the They have been unwilling to facethe music. And until they are forceds to, they will be unwilling to do Meanwhile, opportunistic investors are on the prowlo for performing notes that lenders are willinhg to unload at a discount often 30 percent ormore — or distressesd loans that create opportunities to gain possession of propertyt through foreclosure.
Local investors active in the debt area includeSan Francisco-basee Divco West, which has forme a joint venture with Loancore; Rockwood Buchanan Street Partners; and . San Francisco debt dealws hitting the market have mostlhy focused on properties ownes by two highly leveraged local the and David Chooof . Last year, hit the marketf with a $163 million Lembi 1 Portfolio A-note, a loan on a 24-building a piece of which was bought byLos Angeles-based . , the lendee on David Choo’s multi-parcel developmenf site at First andMission streets, has sold some of that debt to Waltomn Street.
Meanwhile, investors are expecting lenders will be increasingly desperate to cleart their books oftroubled loans. Ballard said Buchanahn Street Partners is monitoringa $3 billionj pipeline of potential debt deals, with some $150 million in debt on San Franciscol buildings. He declined to identify the properties involved but said at least one is a California Streeftoffice building. Matt Field, a managing director at , said his compangy is looking atdebt deals, “bu t they are few and far between in the inner Bay Area.
” He said most lenderx are focusing on their most distressed and those have mostly been mostly in othe parts of the “I don’t think it’s a lack of it’s more of a lack of said Field. He said TMG looked at the Choo debt on Firsty and Mission streets but itwas “hard to price,” givenb the lack of transactions over the last 12 months and the fact that the area is in the midst of the Transbay Terminal So for now, the gap between buyerzs and sellers of debt is still wide, accordingb to industry sources.
Chris Seyfarth, a partner with ’s transaction real estat division, said a 20 percentage point differenc exists between what buyers think distressedd debt is worth and what the lendersx are willing to part withit for. But that gap will closd as banks come under increasingg pressure to move bad loans offtheir books. “Thered are not at the moment a lot of deals goingh on relative to the size ofthe problem,” said “What investors want to pay is not what sellers want to sell for. The botto m line for the banks isthat it’s realluy the only way out in terms of reducingf their exposure.
They are going to have to move them off theit balance sheet one way or He said investors across the country are raising money to be in optimakl position when banks start feeling pressure to sell debt atsteel discount. “I’m not sure banks have the luxury of sittingon non-performinfg loans,” said Seyfarth. “Theuy are like a cancefr that continues toget worse, and the only way to cure this cancetr is to get rid of it and move it off your balancew sheets.” Part of the trouble is that theres have been so few transactions of any kind in the last year as leasinhg and building sales have dried up, according to TMG’sa Field.
Until commercial leasing and office salespick up, it will be tough to get a handlwe on what the debt or the underlyingy asset is worth. Any commerciap loan originated in 2006 or 2007 should be pricerd at a 30percent discount, said Ballard. “As bankse are shut down, those will happen in You’ll see increasing bank closures in the seconc halfthis year,” said He said big banks are waiting to see whether TARP — the federal government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program — will be willing to buy some of the troublee commercial loans, and how much it woulde be willing to pay.
“Until there becomes more clarity on what TARPwill be, I don’t think you’ll see a lot of tradinvg volume,” said Ballard. Jeffrey Eliason of said a client looke d at selling debt on a parcek in Silicon Valley but that the bids came in at 65 percen to 70 percent ofthe note. “They think the land is worth twice as much asthe note, so they are goinhg to keep it,” he said. “Everybodyh wants to buy distressed debt, but we have not heard of anyon reallybuying it.
”
But at least in the Bay deals thus far have been few andfar between. “Ther has not been a tremendous volume of debtdealzs happening, but there will be,” said Tim Ballard, chiefd investment officer for . “A lot of lenders have been unwilling to take the They have been unwilling to facethe music. And until they are forceds to, they will be unwilling to do Meanwhile, opportunistic investors are on the prowlo for performing notes that lenders are willinhg to unload at a discount often 30 percent ormore — or distressesd loans that create opportunities to gain possession of propertyt through foreclosure.
Local investors active in the debt area includeSan Francisco-basee Divco West, which has forme a joint venture with Loancore; Rockwood Buchanan Street Partners; and . San Francisco debt dealws hitting the market have mostlhy focused on properties ownes by two highly leveraged local the and David Chooof . Last year, hit the marketf with a $163 million Lembi 1 Portfolio A-note, a loan on a 24-building a piece of which was bought byLos Angeles-based . , the lendee on David Choo’s multi-parcel developmenf site at First andMission streets, has sold some of that debt to Waltomn Street.
Meanwhile, investors are expecting lenders will be increasingly desperate to cleart their books oftroubled loans. Ballard said Buchanahn Street Partners is monitoringa $3 billionj pipeline of potential debt deals, with some $150 million in debt on San Franciscol buildings. He declined to identify the properties involved but said at least one is a California Streeftoffice building. Matt Field, a managing director at , said his compangy is looking atdebt deals, “bu t they are few and far between in the inner Bay Area.
” He said most lenderx are focusing on their most distressed and those have mostly been mostly in othe parts of the “I don’t think it’s a lack of it’s more of a lack of said Field. He said TMG looked at the Choo debt on Firsty and Mission streets but itwas “hard to price,” givenb the lack of transactions over the last 12 months and the fact that the area is in the midst of the Transbay Terminal So for now, the gap between buyerzs and sellers of debt is still wide, accordingb to industry sources.
Chris Seyfarth, a partner with ’s transaction real estat division, said a 20 percentage point differenc exists between what buyers think distressedd debt is worth and what the lendersx are willing to part withit for. But that gap will closd as banks come under increasingg pressure to move bad loans offtheir books. “Thered are not at the moment a lot of deals goingh on relative to the size ofthe problem,” said “What investors want to pay is not what sellers want to sell for. The botto m line for the banks isthat it’s realluy the only way out in terms of reducingf their exposure.
They are going to have to move them off theit balance sheet one way or He said investors across the country are raising money to be in optimakl position when banks start feeling pressure to sell debt atsteel discount. “I’m not sure banks have the luxury of sittingon non-performinfg loans,” said Seyfarth. “Theuy are like a cancefr that continues toget worse, and the only way to cure this cancetr is to get rid of it and move it off your balancew sheets.” Part of the trouble is that theres have been so few transactions of any kind in the last year as leasinhg and building sales have dried up, according to TMG’sa Field.
Until commercial leasing and office salespick up, it will be tough to get a handlwe on what the debt or the underlyingy asset is worth. Any commerciap loan originated in 2006 or 2007 should be pricerd at a 30percent discount, said Ballard. “As bankse are shut down, those will happen in You’ll see increasing bank closures in the seconc halfthis year,” said He said big banks are waiting to see whether TARP — the federal government’s Troubled Asset Relief Program — will be willing to buy some of the troublee commercial loans, and how much it woulde be willing to pay.
“Until there becomes more clarity on what TARPwill be, I don’t think you’ll see a lot of tradinvg volume,” said Ballard. Jeffrey Eliason of said a client looke d at selling debt on a parcek in Silicon Valley but that the bids came in at 65 percen to 70 percent ofthe note. “They think the land is worth twice as much asthe note, so they are goinhg to keep it,” he said. “Everybodyh wants to buy distressed debt, but we have not heard of anyon reallybuying it.
”
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Sanctions hit WellPoint Medicare enrollment - Sacramento Business Journal:
ignatiywulyxura.blogspot.com
The sanctions started Jan. 12, when regulators determinecd the company’s conduct “poses a serious threat to the health and safety of Medicare after system failures deniedf thousands of patients access to criticao medications forheart seizures, diabetes, asthma and other conditions. Stilo in effect, the suspension has prompted many seniores to call the local Medicare advocacy prograj that helps them wade through their optionsand sign-up for plans. At WellPoint, it stallsd membership of a business sector that grew almost 16 percengt last year for prescription drugplans alone. The company has abou 450,000 Medicare Advantage and 1.
9 million Medicarr Part D prescription drug planmembers nationwide, including about 2,600 in the Sacramenti area. The federal action does not affectfthe company’s 800,000 Medicare Supplement plan member nationwide. WellPoint has taken steps to resolve the prepared detailedaction plans, hired an independent third partu to assess compliance and continues to work with federal regulators to removs the suspension as quickly as possible, company officials said in a preparedr statement. The sanctions will remain in place until all problems are saidJoe Kuchler, a spokesman for , the federal agency that overseesz the program.
It is not unusual for a Medicare contractor to have deficiencies and correctiveactiobn plans, as the programj is closely monitored, sources say. But several contract violations in multiplw products indicates systemic problems with a significant player in theMedicarde market. Problems with WellPoint’s information technology and administration of the prograkm were first identified in internal and CMS auditzin mid-2008. But they got much worse in earlgy January, with a sharp increase in complaints, according to a Jan.
12 lettee from CMS that said WellPoint: • Faile to meet call center requirements, and, amongb other charges, • Failed to pay cleam claims to non-contracted providers within federal time WellPoint could have requestef a hearing onthe issues, but didn’t, Kuchler “Regrettably, on Jan. 1 2009, some of our Medicarre members experienced issues assessing thei r Medicare Part Dpharmacyh benefits,” Wellpoint spokeswoman Janice Kyser wrote in an e-mail this “Once we became aware of the we acted with urgency.
” WellPointy informed network pharmacies of the problen within 24 hours and established a manual overrided process to make sure members got their Kyser said. “We deeply regret this isolated incident and are pleased to report that as a resulrt of the steps we our Medicare members were able to accesstheidr benefits,” she said. “We take member access to benefits and membed safetyvery seriously.
” The sanctions have not taken the toll they mightr have because most Medicare sign-ups take place before The real issue for WellPoint will be how long the suspension
The sanctions started Jan. 12, when regulators determinecd the company’s conduct “poses a serious threat to the health and safety of Medicare after system failures deniedf thousands of patients access to criticao medications forheart seizures, diabetes, asthma and other conditions. Stilo in effect, the suspension has prompted many seniores to call the local Medicare advocacy prograj that helps them wade through their optionsand sign-up for plans. At WellPoint, it stallsd membership of a business sector that grew almost 16 percengt last year for prescription drugplans alone. The company has abou 450,000 Medicare Advantage and 1.
9 million Medicarr Part D prescription drug planmembers nationwide, including about 2,600 in the Sacramenti area. The federal action does not affectfthe company’s 800,000 Medicare Supplement plan member nationwide. WellPoint has taken steps to resolve the prepared detailedaction plans, hired an independent third partu to assess compliance and continues to work with federal regulators to removs the suspension as quickly as possible, company officials said in a preparedr statement. The sanctions will remain in place until all problems are saidJoe Kuchler, a spokesman for , the federal agency that overseesz the program.
It is not unusual for a Medicare contractor to have deficiencies and correctiveactiobn plans, as the programj is closely monitored, sources say. But several contract violations in multiplw products indicates systemic problems with a significant player in theMedicarde market. Problems with WellPoint’s information technology and administration of the prograkm were first identified in internal and CMS auditzin mid-2008. But they got much worse in earlgy January, with a sharp increase in complaints, according to a Jan.
12 lettee from CMS that said WellPoint: • Faile to meet call center requirements, and, amongb other charges, • Failed to pay cleam claims to non-contracted providers within federal time WellPoint could have requestef a hearing onthe issues, but didn’t, Kuchler “Regrettably, on Jan. 1 2009, some of our Medicarre members experienced issues assessing thei r Medicare Part Dpharmacyh benefits,” Wellpoint spokeswoman Janice Kyser wrote in an e-mail this “Once we became aware of the we acted with urgency.
” WellPointy informed network pharmacies of the problen within 24 hours and established a manual overrided process to make sure members got their Kyser said. “We deeply regret this isolated incident and are pleased to report that as a resulrt of the steps we our Medicare members were able to accesstheidr benefits,” she said. “We take member access to benefits and membed safetyvery seriously.
” The sanctions have not taken the toll they mightr have because most Medicare sign-ups take place before The real issue for WellPoint will be how long the suspension
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Lowering prices doesn
idellecromwell1991.blogspot.com
Bad decision. I’m reminded of a TV commercial that demonstratez what happens when you sella high-pricefd experience. In the commercial, instant coffee is serveds to diners ata high-end San Francisco restaurant. When asked aboutg the coffee, the dinerds rave about it. The assumption drives the experience you are not tastingthe coffee, you savor the Price is more than the quid pro quo for the servicre you provide. Like money, price talks. It changes Price communicates the quality that purchasers can We expecta high-priced item to perfor m very well.
But price does more than just As those diners in thecommercial demonstrate, a high pricwe can convince us that something we have regardless of the quality, was actually very Price does not merely change assumptions and perceptions. Pricd changes the actual experience of usinghthe service: A high price actually improves the experience. If it costxs more, it must be better. Unlike coffee which can be evaluated on physicall characteristics suchas aroma, body, flavor and acidity services such as legal, accounting and consultingv offer fewer objective and tangible characteristics to assess.
Those who use these services are more vulnerable to strange influences like The price of a servic influences what theprospect expects, and what the client perceivees and experiences. Price helps create the rose-colored glassesw through which people viewa service. While we may welcomr the savings and recognizethe service’s good value, we do not appreciatwe its quality and assume we could do better. Watch what your price says. Take the case of which is known for its legendary guitarxs madein Kalamazoo, Mich. It pioneered the electricc guitar, including the famous Les Paul Custom, and evergy serious guitarist has noticed that Eric Clapton and many othef headliners often usea Gibson.
But with the growtnh of guitar-based rock and popular music in the 1960as came a floodof competition, particularly from Japanese By the mid-1980s, the legendary guitar maker was on the vergd of becoming just a legend. Gibson’s solutiojn was to lower its prices so that its guitarsw weremore competitive. At worst, Gibson’s executivese reasoned, they would increase their volume of units sold and stabilizre theirmarket share. Gibson’s price reductionsx resulted in fewer units sold becaus those buying a guitar interpreted a lowere price aslower quality. The rule that reducing prices increasesa demand didnot apply.
When it became clear that lower prices were further threateninh the survival ofthe company, Gibson abandonexd that strategy and increased the price of its products. Demand increased. The more Gibson increased its prices, the more guitarsz it sold. Faced with two identical services, one relatively low-pricefd and the other relatively high-priced, the person who can reasonablh afford either service often choosesthe higher-priced service, often for no othetr reason than its high price. Increasing your in other words, will not necessarily decrease your any more than decreasing it will increasryour volume.
Like so many tacticsx in marketing, these pricing tactics often have the oppositw of theirexpected effect. The higherf your price, the higherf your perceived quality.
Bad decision. I’m reminded of a TV commercial that demonstratez what happens when you sella high-pricefd experience. In the commercial, instant coffee is serveds to diners ata high-end San Francisco restaurant. When asked aboutg the coffee, the dinerds rave about it. The assumption drives the experience you are not tastingthe coffee, you savor the Price is more than the quid pro quo for the servicre you provide. Like money, price talks. It changes Price communicates the quality that purchasers can We expecta high-priced item to perfor m very well.
But price does more than just As those diners in thecommercial demonstrate, a high pricwe can convince us that something we have regardless of the quality, was actually very Price does not merely change assumptions and perceptions. Pricd changes the actual experience of usinghthe service: A high price actually improves the experience. If it costxs more, it must be better. Unlike coffee which can be evaluated on physicall characteristics suchas aroma, body, flavor and acidity services such as legal, accounting and consultingv offer fewer objective and tangible characteristics to assess.
Those who use these services are more vulnerable to strange influences like The price of a servic influences what theprospect expects, and what the client perceivees and experiences. Price helps create the rose-colored glassesw through which people viewa service. While we may welcomr the savings and recognizethe service’s good value, we do not appreciatwe its quality and assume we could do better. Watch what your price says. Take the case of which is known for its legendary guitarxs madein Kalamazoo, Mich. It pioneered the electricc guitar, including the famous Les Paul Custom, and evergy serious guitarist has noticed that Eric Clapton and many othef headliners often usea Gibson.
But with the growtnh of guitar-based rock and popular music in the 1960as came a floodof competition, particularly from Japanese By the mid-1980s, the legendary guitar maker was on the vergd of becoming just a legend. Gibson’s solutiojn was to lower its prices so that its guitarsw weremore competitive. At worst, Gibson’s executivese reasoned, they would increase their volume of units sold and stabilizre theirmarket share. Gibson’s price reductionsx resulted in fewer units sold becaus those buying a guitar interpreted a lowere price aslower quality. The rule that reducing prices increasesa demand didnot apply.
When it became clear that lower prices were further threateninh the survival ofthe company, Gibson abandonexd that strategy and increased the price of its products. Demand increased. The more Gibson increased its prices, the more guitarsz it sold. Faced with two identical services, one relatively low-pricefd and the other relatively high-priced, the person who can reasonablh afford either service often choosesthe higher-priced service, often for no othetr reason than its high price. Increasing your in other words, will not necessarily decrease your any more than decreasing it will increasryour volume.
Like so many tacticsx in marketing, these pricing tactics often have the oppositw of theirexpected effect. The higherf your price, the higherf your perceived quality.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Kansas State's Bryce and Arthur Brown return to South Florida - Sun-Sentinel
Godrej Refrigerators
Kansas State's Bryce and Arthur Brown return to South Florida Sun-Sentinel When linebacker Arthur Brown signed with UM in February of 2008, he was the cap on an already impressive recruiting class. A few weeks later, his younger brother, Bryce, gave a verbal commitment to the Hurricanes. ... |
Friday, September 23, 2011
Ivy Tech schedules hearing on tuition - Philadelphia Business Journal:
isexufehub.wordpress.com
in the fourth floor auditorium of the North Meridiajn Center atIvy Tech’s downtown Indianapolis The campus is located 50 W. Fall Creek Parkway North Drive. The 2008-09 in-state student tuitionh rate is $95 per credit hour with a $40 per-semestedr technology fee. The proposed rates are $99.65 per credit hour with a $50 per-semestedr technology fee for the 2009-10 year and $104.55 per credit hour and $60 per-semester technology fee for the 2010-112 year. The cost for full-tim e students, who take 15 credit hours, woul d increase by $79.75 per semester in 2009-10 and by $83.500 in 2010-11.
Indiana residenta who want to address the committeebut can’t are encouraged to send written commentsd to Bob Holmes, vice president for financd and treasurer of the college, at bholmes@ivytech.edu or mailee to him at the Ivy Tech Communityh College, 50 W. Fall Creelk Parkway North Drive, Ind., 46208. Ivy Tech, the state’s community college operates 23 campusesin Indiana, including a Southern Indianaq campus in Sellersburg.
in the fourth floor auditorium of the North Meridiajn Center atIvy Tech’s downtown Indianapolis The campus is located 50 W. Fall Creek Parkway North Drive. The 2008-09 in-state student tuitionh rate is $95 per credit hour with a $40 per-semestedr technology fee. The proposed rates are $99.65 per credit hour with a $50 per-semestedr technology fee for the 2009-10 year and $104.55 per credit hour and $60 per-semester technology fee for the 2010-112 year. The cost for full-tim e students, who take 15 credit hours, woul d increase by $79.75 per semester in 2009-10 and by $83.500 in 2010-11.
Indiana residenta who want to address the committeebut can’t are encouraged to send written commentsd to Bob Holmes, vice president for financd and treasurer of the college, at bholmes@ivytech.edu or mailee to him at the Ivy Tech Communityh College, 50 W. Fall Creelk Parkway North Drive, Ind., 46208. Ivy Tech, the state’s community college operates 23 campusesin Indiana, including a Southern Indianaq campus in Sellersburg.
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Aurora's Southlands shopping center damaged by tornado - St. Louis Business Journal:
vanbeekdulejos1771.blogspot.com
A twister reportedly touched down nearbyat 1:49 p.m. Sunday and crossed through the area onan eight-- to 10-mile-long path for about 30 minutes, the said. . Firefighters founs moderate damageat Southlands, locatee at E-470 and Smoky Hill CBS4 News reported. Rooftop heating, venting and air-conditioningy units were damaged, windows were broken, a shed was and a car was overturned. Natural-gasx leaks also were noted. Authorities shut down gas servics to Southlands earlySunday afternoon.
No serious injuriex were reported onthe shopping-center but a man in a nearby neighborhood who was tryin g to take pictures reportedly was hospitalized with unspecifiedf serious injuries, according to news reports. A Southlands spokeswomaj told CBS4 most ofthe center's stores will be closed Mondaty to allow for continued damagee assessment. She said customers should call individual stored to verify whether they are closedor open. which opened in 2006, is the Denvef area's largest shopping center by retail space, at 1.7 million squarew feet. It consists of severalk freestanding buildings connected by pedestriabn corridorsand streets.
The complex is owned by Granite Southlands Town Center LLC and managed by Forest City CommerciaklManagement Inc. Four other tornadoes were spotted nortuh and east of Denver Sunday and baseball-sized hail strucko some areas. As many as 3,000 customers were withouyt power for a time in partss of Auroraand Centennial. .
A twister reportedly touched down nearbyat 1:49 p.m. Sunday and crossed through the area onan eight-- to 10-mile-long path for about 30 minutes, the said. . Firefighters founs moderate damageat Southlands, locatee at E-470 and Smoky Hill CBS4 News reported. Rooftop heating, venting and air-conditioningy units were damaged, windows were broken, a shed was and a car was overturned. Natural-gasx leaks also were noted. Authorities shut down gas servics to Southlands earlySunday afternoon.
No serious injuriex were reported onthe shopping-center but a man in a nearby neighborhood who was tryin g to take pictures reportedly was hospitalized with unspecifiedf serious injuries, according to news reports. A Southlands spokeswomaj told CBS4 most ofthe center's stores will be closed Mondaty to allow for continued damagee assessment. She said customers should call individual stored to verify whether they are closedor open. which opened in 2006, is the Denvef area's largest shopping center by retail space, at 1.7 million squarew feet. It consists of severalk freestanding buildings connected by pedestriabn corridorsand streets.
The complex is owned by Granite Southlands Town Center LLC and managed by Forest City CommerciaklManagement Inc. Four other tornadoes were spotted nortuh and east of Denver Sunday and baseball-sized hail strucko some areas. As many as 3,000 customers were withouyt power for a time in partss of Auroraand Centennial. .
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Portland-area economy weakens Q1 - Portland Business Journal:
xoqylyjibo.wordpress.com
percent, an accelerating decline compared tothe 13.5 percen (revised) drop in the fourth quarter of 2008. Of the nine indicator s included inthe index, six declined significantly, said Tim Duy, directo r of the Oregon Economic Forum and a UO adjunct assistanrt professor, Labor market trends continue to Help-wanted advertising in The Oregonian fell during the quarter, consistengt with a decrease in hiring demand. initial unemployment claims continuedto rise, reaching a month average of 16,819 Non-farm payrolls continue to fall as under the dual forces of increases layoffs and slack hiring demand; payrolla stand 3.9 percent lower than year-ago levels.
The expected slowdowbn in lodging activity finally cameto pass, said Duy,with estimatex lodging revenue (seasonally and inflation down 15.4 percent from the fourth quarter. Passenger trafficf at Portland International Airport was effectively unchanged from thepreviousd quarter. Housing markets were generally weaker. Housinf sales were effectively unchanged, whilee average days-on-market fell, partially offsetting a particularlt sharp rise in the fourtn quarterof 2008, attributable to the intensificationn of the financial crisis and unusual weather conditions, said Duy. Ongoing declines in the in point to continued economic deterioration in thePortlandc region, he added.
Signx of stabilization are difficult to he said; expectations for a firming of economic activity in the second half of 2009 are largely base on some tentative signs of stability in the nationapl economy. Moreover, the impact of fiscal and monetaryg policies should become more evideny as theyear progresses. Still, the pace of the recoveryu is expected to be subdued as the economy adjust s to an environment less dependenton debt-supported consumet spending growth.
percent, an accelerating decline compared tothe 13.5 percen (revised) drop in the fourth quarter of 2008. Of the nine indicator s included inthe index, six declined significantly, said Tim Duy, directo r of the Oregon Economic Forum and a UO adjunct assistanrt professor, Labor market trends continue to Help-wanted advertising in The Oregonian fell during the quarter, consistengt with a decrease in hiring demand. initial unemployment claims continuedto rise, reaching a month average of 16,819 Non-farm payrolls continue to fall as under the dual forces of increases layoffs and slack hiring demand; payrolla stand 3.9 percent lower than year-ago levels.
The expected slowdowbn in lodging activity finally cameto pass, said Duy,with estimatex lodging revenue (seasonally and inflation down 15.4 percent from the fourth quarter. Passenger trafficf at Portland International Airport was effectively unchanged from thepreviousd quarter. Housing markets were generally weaker. Housinf sales were effectively unchanged, whilee average days-on-market fell, partially offsetting a particularlt sharp rise in the fourtn quarterof 2008, attributable to the intensificationn of the financial crisis and unusual weather conditions, said Duy. Ongoing declines in the in point to continued economic deterioration in thePortlandc region, he added.
Signx of stabilization are difficult to he said; expectations for a firming of economic activity in the second half of 2009 are largely base on some tentative signs of stability in the nationapl economy. Moreover, the impact of fiscal and monetaryg policies should become more evideny as theyear progresses. Still, the pace of the recoveryu is expected to be subdued as the economy adjust s to an environment less dependenton debt-supported consumet spending growth.
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