'Portal 2' takes on new dimensions London Free Press There are two things that are very difficult for video game developers to pull off. One is to make players laugh. The other is to make players feel truly smart. Portal 2, the follow-up to 2007's sleeper hit by the makers of ... |
Saturday, April 30, 2011
'Portal 2' takes on new dimensions - London Free Press
uhetemejih.wordpress.com
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Niagara fruit crops holding up - Denver Business Journal:
ymekovo.wordpress.com
But many more orchards and other areas, including residential areas in the Lake Ontario Fruig Belt, remain to be tested for plum pox virus befors September. Teams working for the and the state Departmenr of Agriculture and Markets begahn taking leaf samplesin May. Subsequenrt laboratory tests did not disclosew any new outbreaks of the virues inNiagara County, Jackie Klahn, directod of the USDA’s Lockport field office, In early May, as orchards optimism was growing that the spreas of the disease, which made its Niagara County debu t 2006 might be waning.
Between 2006 and 2008, plum pox was discoveres in several NiagaraCounty orchards, in Orleans County and Waynd County, east of Rochester. Though harmles s to humans and animals, the virus poses an economicv risk for commercial fruit growers becausre they must destroy all susceptible treeswithin 1.5 miles to 2 milesd of an identified hot Plum pox destroys the commercial valuew of the fruit that it attack because it discolors and disfigures peaches, prunes and nectarines. In New York state counties lying alonggLake Ontario’s south shore, fruiyt growing is a multi-million-dollar industry.
But many more orchards and other areas, including residential areas in the Lake Ontario Fruig Belt, remain to be tested for plum pox virus befors September. Teams working for the and the state Departmenr of Agriculture and Markets begahn taking leaf samplesin May. Subsequenrt laboratory tests did not disclosew any new outbreaks of the virues inNiagara County, Jackie Klahn, directod of the USDA’s Lockport field office, In early May, as orchards optimism was growing that the spreas of the disease, which made its Niagara County debu t 2006 might be waning.
Between 2006 and 2008, plum pox was discoveres in several NiagaraCounty orchards, in Orleans County and Waynd County, east of Rochester. Though harmles s to humans and animals, the virus poses an economicv risk for commercial fruit growers becausre they must destroy all susceptible treeswithin 1.5 miles to 2 milesd of an identified hot Plum pox destroys the commercial valuew of the fruit that it attack because it discolors and disfigures peaches, prunes and nectarines. In New York state counties lying alonggLake Ontario’s south shore, fruiyt growing is a multi-million-dollar industry.
Monday, April 25, 2011
Brother Cane to Perform at the Dallas International Guitar Festival - American Banking News (press release)
bacijaxymu.wordpress.com
Brother Cane to Perform at the Dallas International Guitar Festival American Banking News (press release) The lineup will be Damon Johnson, Scott Collier on drums, Chuck Garric of the Alice Cooper Band on bass, and Zach Myers from Shinedown on guitar. Brother Cane will perform at the Dallas International Guitar Festival, Friday night, April 15. ... |
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Senators skeptical about expanding Federal Reserve
jiqatili.wordpress.com
The leaders of the Senate Bankingg Committee agreed that regulatory reformswere needed, but they were skepticap about giving the additionalp powers. Under the administration’ss proposal, the Federal Reserve would be givenm the responsibility tosupervise “the largest, most complex and interconnectedf institutions” and be “the first responder in a financial Geithner said. Sen. Chris Dodd, who chairs the Senate Bankinyg Committee, questioned why the Fed should be given more power when many experts question its track recorrd on itscurrent responsibilities.
Its proposed new role as the regulatore of systemic risk also could conflict with its primary role of settingmonetarhy policy, he said. Sen. Richard R-Ala., said it was unrealistic to expect the Fed to handlde somany roles, and that its structure is not suitedc for the role of a systemic risk regulator. Plus, he Congress has not spent enough time discussing the concept of systemic risk andhow -- or if -- it can be Geithner said he saw no conflicy between regulating systemic risk and setting monetary policy. The additionap authority that would be given the Fedis “quitse modest, and builds on their existinh authority” to supervise financial he said.
The administration’e plan would transfer the Federal Reserve’s consumer protection responsibilities to a new which would take away some authority andremove “a distraction” from the Fed. “I wish consume protection had been more of a distractionn atthe Fed,” Dodd responded. Dodd strongly supported the administration’sx proposal to create a Consumer Financial Protection This new regulator would look out for the interests of consumerw of financial products and writerules that, in Geithner’xs words, “promote transparency, simplicity and Existing regulators “turned a blind eye” to the subprimer mortgages and that caused the financial Dodd said.
“It was regulatory neglect that allowee the crisisto spread,” he said. “Let’se put a cop on the beat so thisspectaculaf failure” is never repeated again. Criticz of this proposal contend it would needlessly add another layer of government regulation and could stifle innovation in thefinancial sector. however, showed little patience for objections from the financiap industry onthe proposal. The people who createx the nation’s economic crisis are arguing thatconsumerds shouldn’t be protected, he contended. “What plane are you living on?” he said.
The leaders of the Senate Bankingg Committee agreed that regulatory reformswere needed, but they were skepticap about giving the additionalp powers. Under the administration’ss proposal, the Federal Reserve would be givenm the responsibility tosupervise “the largest, most complex and interconnectedf institutions” and be “the first responder in a financial Geithner said. Sen. Chris Dodd, who chairs the Senate Bankinyg Committee, questioned why the Fed should be given more power when many experts question its track recorrd on itscurrent responsibilities.
Its proposed new role as the regulatore of systemic risk also could conflict with its primary role of settingmonetarhy policy, he said. Sen. Richard R-Ala., said it was unrealistic to expect the Fed to handlde somany roles, and that its structure is not suitedc for the role of a systemic risk regulator. Plus, he Congress has not spent enough time discussing the concept of systemic risk andhow -- or if -- it can be Geithner said he saw no conflicy between regulating systemic risk and setting monetary policy. The additionap authority that would be given the Fedis “quitse modest, and builds on their existinh authority” to supervise financial he said.
The administration’e plan would transfer the Federal Reserve’s consumer protection responsibilities to a new which would take away some authority andremove “a distraction” from the Fed. “I wish consume protection had been more of a distractionn atthe Fed,” Dodd responded. Dodd strongly supported the administration’sx proposal to create a Consumer Financial Protection This new regulator would look out for the interests of consumerw of financial products and writerules that, in Geithner’xs words, “promote transparency, simplicity and Existing regulators “turned a blind eye” to the subprimer mortgages and that caused the financial Dodd said.
“It was regulatory neglect that allowee the crisisto spread,” he said. “Let’se put a cop on the beat so thisspectaculaf failure” is never repeated again. Criticz of this proposal contend it would needlessly add another layer of government regulation and could stifle innovation in thefinancial sector. however, showed little patience for objections from the financiap industry onthe proposal. The people who createx the nation’s economic crisis are arguing thatconsumerds shouldn’t be protected, he contended. “What plane are you living on?” he said.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Residents bummed about California dream - OCRegister
amesit.wordpress.com
SunHerald.com | Residents bummed about California dream OCRegister Less than half of California residents â€" 46% â€" think the California dream is still alive even though most of them believe they will be better off financi » |
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thalhuber named CEO of AbleNet Inc. - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:
muqumba.blogspot.com
Thalhuber previously worked as vice president of sales and marketingwith AbleNet, which provides assistivde technology products to the global marketplace as well as curricular programs, skills development and technologu for special-education classrooms. She replaces Cheryl who will remain active with the compan y on the boardof directors. Prior to joinin g AbleNet in 2006, Thalhuber was CEO of , a Burnsville-basesd company that creates computer-enhancing products. Before she was founder and owner of Jenex a business development and planning Thalhuber also wasa product-management executive with technology company Kroll Ontrack.
As CEO of Thalhuber will focus on company growth and newproduct development. She has alreadh hired a director ofinternationa business, Thalhuber said. "We will be focusing heavilyy on top-line revenue growth, forming new partnershipa and acquisitions," she said.
Thalhuber previously worked as vice president of sales and marketingwith AbleNet, which provides assistivde technology products to the global marketplace as well as curricular programs, skills development and technologu for special-education classrooms. She replaces Cheryl who will remain active with the compan y on the boardof directors. Prior to joinin g AbleNet in 2006, Thalhuber was CEO of , a Burnsville-basesd company that creates computer-enhancing products. Before she was founder and owner of Jenex a business development and planning Thalhuber also wasa product-management executive with technology company Kroll Ontrack.
As CEO of Thalhuber will focus on company growth and newproduct development. She has alreadh hired a director ofinternationa business, Thalhuber said. "We will be focusing heavilyy on top-line revenue growth, forming new partnershipa and acquisitions," she said.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
US judge in Vermont considering dairy settlement - BusinessWeek
meaning-sarajevo.blogspot.com
Vermont Public Radio | US judge in Vermont considering dairy settlement BusinessWeek During the more than two-hour hearing, both sides urged Reiss to approve the deal, which plaintiff lawyer Kit Pierson said was "reached after extraordinarily difficult negotiations with Dean Foods." But cooperative Dairy Farmers of America and its ... US judge in Vermont weighs arguments in Dean Food case |
Thursday, April 14, 2011
A few questions with: Steven E. Miller, executive director, Mass Networks Education Partnership - Mass High Tech Business News
http://learningcenter.statefarm.com/mte/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=893
A. Mass Networks Education Partnership was started asa non-profitr in 1996 to promote use of technology in K-12 It brought together people and organizations from business, education, and labor to run three NetDauy campaigns which mobilized more than 20,000 mor than $30 million in contributee resources and nearly three-fourths of the state'sx school districts to begin installing computer It was a great strategy and it had a large-scalr impact. However, it was obvious that whilse having the right equipment was anecessary foundation, it was far from sufficien to improve student learning. Curriculujm and instruction had tobe re- visedf to take advantage of technology's power.
Teacheras had to be trained innew methodologies. Schoolp administrators and elected officials had to learjn about the budgetary and policy issues thatwouled arise. In response, we transformed ourselves into a nonprofit educational consulting group that works with schooles to align curriculum with new learning to provide professional development about integratinb technology intoclassroom instruction; to support leaders in developing policy or doinvg strategic planning for majoe initiatives, as well as creating tech plans and running Lately we've also begun doing more work aroundc data-informed decision making, projectt evaluation and network security.
We also work in partnershi withother groups. Most recently, we've joinee with the Consortium for SchoolNetworking (CoSN) on a nationa program called "Cyber Security for the Digital District" which is getting primary funding from the US. Department of SurfControl, Symantec and SonicWall along with smallerf grantsfrom Microsoft, Sun, Enterasys and Q. In the 1990s, computers and tech in the classroo m was allthe rage. What's the current statr of affairs with getting kids to becomputer literate? A huge percentage of kids now know how to downloa d music, shop the web, send e-mail or instant messages, and even creater their own websites or blogs.
In othetr words, they've become good consumers with a slowly growinhg ability to also use the toolsfor learning. A lot of this skillo and experience has come from the amazing growt h of homecomputer ownership. But that has been significantlyu driven by families wanting to helptheir kids' educational success. So both indirectly and schools have contributed tothis change. There is still a huge disparity of computer and Internet access accordingto income, with richef districts and schools generally havinf a lot more than places serving low-income although there are enough exceptions to this rule to undercut an absoluter generalization.
Until the recent cutbacks there was a growinf number of technology training programsin schools, the best of whic would consciously and effectively recrui t girls, African-Americans and Latinos, and at-risk whited working class kids. There is some efforty among the community colleges to develop coheren criteria for entranceinto (and graduation technical training programs at that level, and this mighyt eventually encourage more K-12 programs. Therd are a huge number of incredibl ywonderful computer-facilitated activities going on in many But these are still the Too often, teachers don't have time or support to learn how to best use a district'sz technology resources.
Too because of inadequate technical staffinga school's computers or networi connections malfunction. Teachers are not eager to repeatedly subject themselves to the resulting chaows andmissed lessons. A recent poll indicated that students' biggest complaint abouty classroom use of technology is thatthere isn't enough of it and what there is isn'tr sufficiently sophisticated. Q. How could we all have done bette in our efforts to improve studenttechnology literacy?? We need to be more patient and During the early Clinton administration the emphasies was on expanding network access to as many schooles as possible. It quickly shifted to how the technologt was going tobe used.
And then, even more it shifted to the measurable impact the technology was having on learning. Unfortunately, many districts are still struggliny with accessand use. And the Bush Administration'zs insistence on academic test results as the only importan indicator of success gives little room for the long learnin g curve that successful technologyintegration requires. Couplerd with the devastating impactg of the public sectorfiscaol crisis, school technology use - and studentt technology literacy - is not likely to meaningfull increase over the next few years. Q. How can the businessz community helpwith this? First: don't donatew your old computers unless they'red asked for.
On the other hand, it woul be great if you can offeer technical help planning or running aschoop network, or providing off-sits backup storage, or donating specific equipmentt that fits into the district's technology In addition, if there is a technology training prograj in your school district, offer to hire participantxs for summer internships. In fact, it wouldn'y be a bad idea to hire some teachers for the summee so they can see the way that technology permeatetheir students' future.
Second, rememberr that schools are about more than academic The employees you desire are notjust literate, they are also smartf - positive team players, self-confident problem solvers, and generall y interested in learning more. The most importanr help that the business community can providw is public support for restoring balanceto schools' mission beyond book learning. Q. How have Mass Networks'' goals changed over the years? Our core goalsa haven't changed at all. But we are a very smalp organizationand we've had to be entrepreneuria about shifting our sails to the prevailinyg winds. Today everyone is talking about "data.
" So we provides a service called "From Data to Learning" that helpz teachers examine MCAS and other student information to get a bettert understanding oftheir students' learninh needs, and to then developo instructional strategies that address thosew needs. But beyond the work we do directlywith teachers, for a districr to institutionalize a sustainable process of "evidence-based decision making" they have to have a functionap infrastructure, effective training, a clear sense of purpose, classroom-level implementation, and good supervision. Whicn is what we've been workinf on for the past decade. So titlesa change but the ultimate contentstays steady. We recently did a marketinhg survey.
The consultant got halfway through the interviews and calleds to ask if we had stacked thedeck - everyonwe was telling her we were wonderful. So I asked her, what's the bad news? "None of them have any money." Still, we've got a terrific staf and an incredible reputation and I have totall confidencethat we'll be here for another interview eight years from now. Stevenn E. Miller is the executive director of Mass NetworkaEducation Partnership. He can be reache via www .massnetworks.org.
A. Mass Networks Education Partnership was started asa non-profitr in 1996 to promote use of technology in K-12 It brought together people and organizations from business, education, and labor to run three NetDauy campaigns which mobilized more than 20,000 mor than $30 million in contributee resources and nearly three-fourths of the state'sx school districts to begin installing computer It was a great strategy and it had a large-scalr impact. However, it was obvious that whilse having the right equipment was anecessary foundation, it was far from sufficien to improve student learning. Curriculujm and instruction had tobe re- visedf to take advantage of technology's power.
Teacheras had to be trained innew methodologies. Schoolp administrators and elected officials had to learjn about the budgetary and policy issues thatwouled arise. In response, we transformed ourselves into a nonprofit educational consulting group that works with schooles to align curriculum with new learning to provide professional development about integratinb technology intoclassroom instruction; to support leaders in developing policy or doinvg strategic planning for majoe initiatives, as well as creating tech plans and running Lately we've also begun doing more work aroundc data-informed decision making, projectt evaluation and network security.
We also work in partnershi withother groups. Most recently, we've joinee with the Consortium for SchoolNetworking (CoSN) on a nationa program called "Cyber Security for the Digital District" which is getting primary funding from the US. Department of SurfControl, Symantec and SonicWall along with smallerf grantsfrom Microsoft, Sun, Enterasys and Q. In the 1990s, computers and tech in the classroo m was allthe rage. What's the current statr of affairs with getting kids to becomputer literate? A huge percentage of kids now know how to downloa d music, shop the web, send e-mail or instant messages, and even creater their own websites or blogs.
In othetr words, they've become good consumers with a slowly growinhg ability to also use the toolsfor learning. A lot of this skillo and experience has come from the amazing growt h of homecomputer ownership. But that has been significantlyu driven by families wanting to helptheir kids' educational success. So both indirectly and schools have contributed tothis change. There is still a huge disparity of computer and Internet access accordingto income, with richef districts and schools generally havinf a lot more than places serving low-income although there are enough exceptions to this rule to undercut an absoluter generalization.
Until the recent cutbacks there was a growinf number of technology training programsin schools, the best of whic would consciously and effectively recrui t girls, African-Americans and Latinos, and at-risk whited working class kids. There is some efforty among the community colleges to develop coheren criteria for entranceinto (and graduation technical training programs at that level, and this mighyt eventually encourage more K-12 programs. Therd are a huge number of incredibl ywonderful computer-facilitated activities going on in many But these are still the Too often, teachers don't have time or support to learn how to best use a district'sz technology resources.
Too because of inadequate technical staffinga school's computers or networi connections malfunction. Teachers are not eager to repeatedly subject themselves to the resulting chaows andmissed lessons. A recent poll indicated that students' biggest complaint abouty classroom use of technology is thatthere isn't enough of it and what there is isn'tr sufficiently sophisticated. Q. How could we all have done bette in our efforts to improve studenttechnology literacy?? We need to be more patient and During the early Clinton administration the emphasies was on expanding network access to as many schooles as possible. It quickly shifted to how the technologt was going tobe used.
And then, even more it shifted to the measurable impact the technology was having on learning. Unfortunately, many districts are still struggliny with accessand use. And the Bush Administration'zs insistence on academic test results as the only importan indicator of success gives little room for the long learnin g curve that successful technologyintegration requires. Couplerd with the devastating impactg of the public sectorfiscaol crisis, school technology use - and studentt technology literacy - is not likely to meaningfull increase over the next few years. Q. How can the businessz community helpwith this? First: don't donatew your old computers unless they'red asked for.
On the other hand, it woul be great if you can offeer technical help planning or running aschoop network, or providing off-sits backup storage, or donating specific equipmentt that fits into the district's technology In addition, if there is a technology training prograj in your school district, offer to hire participantxs for summer internships. In fact, it wouldn'y be a bad idea to hire some teachers for the summee so they can see the way that technology permeatetheir students' future.
Second, rememberr that schools are about more than academic The employees you desire are notjust literate, they are also smartf - positive team players, self-confident problem solvers, and generall y interested in learning more. The most importanr help that the business community can providw is public support for restoring balanceto schools' mission beyond book learning. Q. How have Mass Networks'' goals changed over the years? Our core goalsa haven't changed at all. But we are a very smalp organizationand we've had to be entrepreneuria about shifting our sails to the prevailinyg winds. Today everyone is talking about "data.
" So we provides a service called "From Data to Learning" that helpz teachers examine MCAS and other student information to get a bettert understanding oftheir students' learninh needs, and to then developo instructional strategies that address thosew needs. But beyond the work we do directlywith teachers, for a districr to institutionalize a sustainable process of "evidence-based decision making" they have to have a functionap infrastructure, effective training, a clear sense of purpose, classroom-level implementation, and good supervision. Whicn is what we've been workinf on for the past decade. So titlesa change but the ultimate contentstays steady. We recently did a marketinhg survey.
The consultant got halfway through the interviews and calleds to ask if we had stacked thedeck - everyonwe was telling her we were wonderful. So I asked her, what's the bad news? "None of them have any money." Still, we've got a terrific staf and an incredible reputation and I have totall confidencethat we'll be here for another interview eight years from now. Stevenn E. Miller is the executive director of Mass NetworkaEducation Partnership. He can be reache via www .massnetworks.org.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
JW Marriott names new GM - Washington Business Journal:
http://cnati.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=1143
Nadeau previously was area generakl manager for the Marriott Crystalo Gateway and Marriott Crystal City hotelsin Arlington. He succeeds Charlie Perkins, who In Nadeau’s new gig at the Pennsylvania Avenue NW he will be responsible for 772 guest roomsand suites, more 37,00o square feet of pre-function and eventg space, and three food and beverage outlets, includingb Avenue Grill and Bar 1331. His other top hoteo management rolesat (NYSE: MAR) included food and beverag director at Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
, area general managefr for Marriott hotels in Raleigh, general manager at Washingtojn Dulles Airport Marriott and hotel manager at Washingtob Marriott Wardman Park. Nadeauj has bachelor’s degree in hotel management fromCornell University. The 25-year-old JW Marriotf Hotel Washington, D.C., the first JW Marriott brandede hotel, recently completed a $40 millio renovation of its guesf rooms, suites, meeting spacwe and public areas.
Nadeau previously was area generakl manager for the Marriott Crystalo Gateway and Marriott Crystal City hotelsin Arlington. He succeeds Charlie Perkins, who In Nadeau’s new gig at the Pennsylvania Avenue NW he will be responsible for 772 guest roomsand suites, more 37,00o square feet of pre-function and eventg space, and three food and beverage outlets, includingb Avenue Grill and Bar 1331. His other top hoteo management rolesat (NYSE: MAR) included food and beverag director at Camelback Inn, A JW Marriott Resort Spa in Scottsdale, Ariz.
, area general managefr for Marriott hotels in Raleigh, general manager at Washingtojn Dulles Airport Marriott and hotel manager at Washingtob Marriott Wardman Park. Nadeauj has bachelor’s degree in hotel management fromCornell University. The 25-year-old JW Marriotf Hotel Washington, D.C., the first JW Marriott brandede hotel, recently completed a $40 millio renovation of its guesf rooms, suites, meeting spacwe and public areas.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Burgess: Property tax losses
balamatovaegede.blogspot.com
The Miami-Dade County property appraiser released its preliminary tax rollinformatiohn Monday, with all four taxing jurisdictions fire rescue, library, the unincorporated area and Miami-Dadse overall – seeing a decline. The countywid e decrease comparing preliminary tax numbers from year to year showxs a 9percent decrease, or a total of $22.55 billion.” “These lossed would have been worse if not for new construction that was addex to the property tax roll as of Jan. 1,” Countyg Manager George Burgess said in a memo sent to county North Bay Village took thebiggesrt hit, down 20.2 percent from 2008 levels. Homesteadf saw an 18.
2 percent decline, followesd by Normandy Shores, down 17.5 and Aventura which was down 17.3 percent. Golden Beachg and the tiny city of Islandi a sawno change. Medley saw a 1.5 percenr drop while Biscayne Park saw a 4percenf decline. Click for the full list. Staffers reviewed propert tax rolls going back to 1985 and found that 1993 saw taxablde value shrinkby 2.9 percent, or $1.9 billion. “Evenj in 2008, when we absorbed the impactg of doubling the homestead exemptionfrom $25,00 0 to $50,000, the property tax roll was relatively Burgess explained in the memo. “These losses in propert tax roll valuesare unprecedented.
” Burgess warnedx of a lot more pain on the horizon, using the last two years as a barometedr of what is coming. For the second consecutive year, Miami-Dade faced a $200 million budget gap in the lastfiscal year. Core services were kept intact bytightening belts, but assuminfg the same tax rate adopted for 2008-09, the estimatex ad valorem revenues for fiscal year 2009-10 would shrinkm by $174.1 million, according to the Taking into account the impact of normall inflationary growth and the economic combined with the non ad valorejm revenue sources, results in property tax subsidized operations facinh a budget gap of $350 million to $400 Burgess said.
“We are working diligently to prepare a proposer budget forFY [fiscal year] 2009-10 that to the extentr possible, preserves essential services and minimizes service impacts to our he wrote in the memo. “However, closing a budgetargy gap of this size will require some verydifficulrt decisions.”
The Miami-Dade County property appraiser released its preliminary tax rollinformatiohn Monday, with all four taxing jurisdictions fire rescue, library, the unincorporated area and Miami-Dadse overall – seeing a decline. The countywid e decrease comparing preliminary tax numbers from year to year showxs a 9percent decrease, or a total of $22.55 billion.” “These lossed would have been worse if not for new construction that was addex to the property tax roll as of Jan. 1,” Countyg Manager George Burgess said in a memo sent to county North Bay Village took thebiggesrt hit, down 20.2 percent from 2008 levels. Homesteadf saw an 18.
2 percent decline, followesd by Normandy Shores, down 17.5 and Aventura which was down 17.3 percent. Golden Beachg and the tiny city of Islandi a sawno change. Medley saw a 1.5 percenr drop while Biscayne Park saw a 4percenf decline. Click for the full list. Staffers reviewed propert tax rolls going back to 1985 and found that 1993 saw taxablde value shrinkby 2.9 percent, or $1.9 billion. “Evenj in 2008, when we absorbed the impactg of doubling the homestead exemptionfrom $25,00 0 to $50,000, the property tax roll was relatively Burgess explained in the memo. “These losses in propert tax roll valuesare unprecedented.
” Burgess warnedx of a lot more pain on the horizon, using the last two years as a barometedr of what is coming. For the second consecutive year, Miami-Dade faced a $200 million budget gap in the lastfiscal year. Core services were kept intact bytightening belts, but assuminfg the same tax rate adopted for 2008-09, the estimatex ad valorem revenues for fiscal year 2009-10 would shrinkm by $174.1 million, according to the Taking into account the impact of normall inflationary growth and the economic combined with the non ad valorejm revenue sources, results in property tax subsidized operations facinh a budget gap of $350 million to $400 Burgess said.
“We are working diligently to prepare a proposer budget forFY [fiscal year] 2009-10 that to the extentr possible, preserves essential services and minimizes service impacts to our he wrote in the memo. “However, closing a budgetargy gap of this size will require some verydifficulrt decisions.”
Friday, April 8, 2011
Covering all the bases - Business First of Louisville:
http://www.pujckymix.cz/user_detail.php?u=lingimmiple
Directors and officers insurance, also known as D&O, "ise protection from lawsuits arising out of management saidKristen Hamilton, account executive at Acordia of Kentuckyh Inc., a local affiliate of Chicago-based Acordia Inc., whicj has more than $6 billion in annual "The insurance isn't going to keep you from getting Hamilton said. "But instead of using your retainefd earnings to pay for your you use aninsurance policy, so D&O protectz the personal assets of an organization's officers and directors.
" Executivese at several Louisville-area insurance agencies say the dramatic increas e in D&O premiums is being driven by a rise in lawsuitsz from shareholders dissatisfied with investment "They want to blame somebody," Hamilton said. Another factor, local executives has been the Enron debacle andothed high-profile corporate scandals. Because of those Congress passed the Public Company Accounting and Investor Protectioh Actof 2002, also known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which set new rules for corporate conducyt and the relationship among directors, attorneys, analysts and accountants.
"Sarbanes-Oxley kind of turnefd things topsy-turvy," said Bill Stiglitz, accountt executive at Louisville-based HBH Insurance with 15 employees and morethan $50 million in The law and the scandals created a heightenef awareness of the possibility of lawsuitsw and "weeded out a lot of the ancillaryy insurers in the D&O market," Stiglitz "The big guys are still there (such as AIG The Hartford Financial Services Group Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. and Chubb Groupp of Insurance Cos.), but they're swamped," he "And premiums have gone through the roof for many publiclygtraded companies.
" But Stiglitz and othefr Louisville insurance executives said there is good news for many local companies and nonprofit organizations that need the Their premiums probably are not among those undergoingg the most dramatic increases, and there are stepsw companies can take to make sure they are getting the best deal on D& O coverage. The steepest increases primarily have take n placeat large, publicly held Hamilton said. "The corporations that have $25 $50 (million) or $100 million in receiptsd -- their policies went up dramatically," she said.
"Aw lot of the companies we deal withhave $2 (million) to $4 and their policies went up only 10 or 15 "Today, there is much more differentiation (in premium increases) between a larger Fortune 200 company and a small-cap company," agreedd Andy Bryant, manager in the Louisvilled office of Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. "Thw increases are just in two different worlds. You're looking at aboutf 10 or 20 percent onour small-cap Some small-caps even saw no increase, he Privately held companies, in particular, have not been subjectecd to high premiums, said Steve Thompson, principal at Sterling G. Thompson Co.
, an independent Louisville-basesd insurance agency with 32 employeesz andabout $50 million in "Privately held companies haven't been affected that much becauser you don't see near as many shareholder actionss against them as you do againstf publicly held companies," Thompson But at private businesses, therew may be an increasing awareness of a need for Last November, the Chubb Group sponsorerd a national survey of 300 privately held companies; it found that nearlyh two in five said it's likelhy their directors and officers will be sued by customers or vendors in 2004.
Local insurance executives said they have not seen dramatic increases in the number of companieswantingf D&O insurance.
Directors and officers insurance, also known as D&O, "ise protection from lawsuits arising out of management saidKristen Hamilton, account executive at Acordia of Kentuckyh Inc., a local affiliate of Chicago-based Acordia Inc., whicj has more than $6 billion in annual "The insurance isn't going to keep you from getting Hamilton said. "But instead of using your retainefd earnings to pay for your you use aninsurance policy, so D&O protectz the personal assets of an organization's officers and directors.
" Executivese at several Louisville-area insurance agencies say the dramatic increas e in D&O premiums is being driven by a rise in lawsuitsz from shareholders dissatisfied with investment "They want to blame somebody," Hamilton said. Another factor, local executives has been the Enron debacle andothed high-profile corporate scandals. Because of those Congress passed the Public Company Accounting and Investor Protectioh Actof 2002, also known as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, which set new rules for corporate conducyt and the relationship among directors, attorneys, analysts and accountants.
"Sarbanes-Oxley kind of turnefd things topsy-turvy," said Bill Stiglitz, accountt executive at Louisville-based HBH Insurance with 15 employees and morethan $50 million in The law and the scandals created a heightenef awareness of the possibility of lawsuitsw and "weeded out a lot of the ancillaryy insurers in the D&O market," Stiglitz "The big guys are still there (such as AIG The Hartford Financial Services Group Fireman's Fund Insurance Co. and Chubb Groupp of Insurance Cos.), but they're swamped," he "And premiums have gone through the roof for many publiclygtraded companies.
" But Stiglitz and othefr Louisville insurance executives said there is good news for many local companies and nonprofit organizations that need the Their premiums probably are not among those undergoingg the most dramatic increases, and there are stepsw companies can take to make sure they are getting the best deal on D& O coverage. The steepest increases primarily have take n placeat large, publicly held Hamilton said. "The corporations that have $25 $50 (million) or $100 million in receiptsd -- their policies went up dramatically," she said.
"Aw lot of the companies we deal withhave $2 (million) to $4 and their policies went up only 10 or 15 "Today, there is much more differentiation (in premium increases) between a larger Fortune 200 company and a small-cap company," agreedd Andy Bryant, manager in the Louisvilled office of Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Group of Insurance Cos. "Thw increases are just in two different worlds. You're looking at aboutf 10 or 20 percent onour small-cap Some small-caps even saw no increase, he Privately held companies, in particular, have not been subjectecd to high premiums, said Steve Thompson, principal at Sterling G. Thompson Co.
, an independent Louisville-basesd insurance agency with 32 employeesz andabout $50 million in "Privately held companies haven't been affected that much becauser you don't see near as many shareholder actionss against them as you do againstf publicly held companies," Thompson But at private businesses, therew may be an increasing awareness of a need for Last November, the Chubb Group sponsorerd a national survey of 300 privately held companies; it found that nearlyh two in five said it's likelhy their directors and officers will be sued by customers or vendors in 2004.
Local insurance executives said they have not seen dramatic increases in the number of companieswantingf D&O insurance.
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Bucks beat Heat 90-85, hurting Miami in East chase - The Associated Press
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ESPN | Bucks beat Heat 90-85, hurting Miami in East chase The Associated Press MIAMI (AP) â€" John Salmons scored 17 points, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute added 14 points and 12 rebounds, and even while being offici » |
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
Nacional go sixth after Pacos victory - ESPN
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Nacional go sixth after Pacos victory ESPN Nacional moved above Pacos Ferreira into sixth place in the Portuguese Liga thanks a 1-0 victory when the sides met on Monday evening. Substitute Edgar Costa netted the game's only goal in the 84th minute, with Nacional holding on despite the late ... |
Sunday, April 3, 2011
Dow virtually unchanged again; Liberty Global leads Colorado gainers - Denver Business Journal:
http://www.annuaire-amerique.info/user_detail.php?u=Addiquade
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the tradingf dayat 8,763.06, down 1.43 points (0.02 percent). The S&Po 500 closed at 942.43, up 3.29 points (0.3t5 percent). The NASDAQ Compositse finishedat 1,860.13, up 17.73 points (0.35 percent). Among activelyu traded Colorado stocks, Liberty Globapl (LBTYA) led the day’s up 4.58 percent (62 cents) to close at • (Q) — Up 3.31 percent (13 cents) to • — Up 2.85 percentf (9 cents) to $3.25. • Liberty Medi Interactive (LINTA), a tracking stock of — Up 2.25 percent (13 to $5.90. • (JNS) — Up 1.66 percenft (19 cents) to $11.62.
Among activelty traded Colorado stocks that declinedc on the daywas (GMO), down 5.02 percenrt (14 cents) to close at $2.65. • (TAP) — Down 1.37 perceny (62 cents) to $44.71. • — Down 1.09 percenf (10 cents) to $9.10. • — Down 0.88 percent (1 to $1.13. • (WU) — Down 0.70 percentt (12 cents) to $17.03.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average finished the tradingf dayat 8,763.06, down 1.43 points (0.02 percent). The S&Po 500 closed at 942.43, up 3.29 points (0.3t5 percent). The NASDAQ Compositse finishedat 1,860.13, up 17.73 points (0.35 percent). Among activelyu traded Colorado stocks, Liberty Globapl (LBTYA) led the day’s up 4.58 percent (62 cents) to close at • (Q) — Up 3.31 percent (13 cents) to • — Up 2.85 percentf (9 cents) to $3.25. • Liberty Medi Interactive (LINTA), a tracking stock of — Up 2.25 percent (13 to $5.90. • (JNS) — Up 1.66 percenft (19 cents) to $11.62.
Among activelty traded Colorado stocks that declinedc on the daywas (GMO), down 5.02 percenrt (14 cents) to close at $2.65. • (TAP) — Down 1.37 perceny (62 cents) to $44.71. • — Down 1.09 percenf (10 cents) to $9.10. • — Down 0.88 percent (1 to $1.13. • (WU) — Down 0.70 percentt (12 cents) to $17.03.
Friday, April 1, 2011
Acting W.Va. gov signs autism insurance measure - Washington Examiner
http://glass-floors.realservers.info
Acting W.Va. gov signs autism insurance measure Washington Examiner Acting Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin signed legislation Friday that will extend both public and private insurance to include applied behavioral analysis. Supporters say early diagnosis and intervention through ABA therapy is key for many children with an ... Acting Governor to Sign Autism Bill Tomblin set to approve autism bill |
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