cahijisebi.wordpress.com
The for Laboratories & Research, the research division of the states Departmentof Health, has been in existence for more than 40 But the center, which focuses on biomedicalo studies, has begun to pick up steam and recognition in the last 10 years. Wadswortjh has three locations: the 450,000-square-foot headquarters in Corninfg Tower; the David Axelrod Institute for Public Healty on NewScotland Avenue, named for a formef health department chief; and the Griffin Lab, locater on a farm off Routde 155 in Guilderland. With more than 1,00 0 employees at the three sites and about 80 scientists dedicatefto research, Wadsworth receives $20 milliobn in federal and private fundingf annually.
That amount has doubled from fiveyeares ago, a sign that Wadsworth is becoming betterf known, said John Galivan, director of research. Wadswortj conducts research and testing in field s such as microscopy andcell structure, infectious microbiology, pathogenesis and environmental healthb in support of the state's publicc health policies and practices. But the center branchess out from providing just a public It also does research in using computer chips inbiological testing, and the study of all the genes in a livinb organism.
The latter field has grabbeed the attention recently of big drug andcomputer companies, and the interest of Wall Wadsworth might have been a littlse slow in realizing the importance of an integrated researcg office. Only last year did it get its firsrt directorof research. Before that, the varioue fields of researchoperated separately, without one person to oversee And in the last two or threer years, the center has made some headway in developingt joint, high-tech biotechnology projects with the research facilitiese at , the state University at Albany and Rensselaee Polytechnic Institute in Galivan, a former Albany Medicao College student who has done basic researchy in cancer for more than 20 said partnerships and collaborations have become vital to Wadsworth's researcjh in the latest biomedical fields.
The research of genomics is only the tip of the From there, Wadsworth studiesd bioinformatics, a method of analyzing, testing and managing all the data collectedx from the work in That "information management" is used in nanobiotechnology and microbiology, in studyint infectious diseases and in analyzing polymorphisms, genetic mutations that mostluy are inconsequential but can predispose a person to a diseases or to an adversed drug reaction. Bioinformatics and the implications for drug productionn and biotechnology are making headlineswthese days, as companiees begin to realize the impact on the commerciall market.
The commercial market is where Wadsworth wouldf like to headas well, Galivah said. Indeed, the Cente r for Advanced Thin Film Technology is talkingh with Wadsworth about developing a bioelectroniv project at the Universityat Albany's Centerf for Environmental Sciences and Technology Management on Fuller said Alain Kaloyeros, director of the The thin film center develops productas for commercialization. To get there, Galivan realizes the need for partnerships. "We have complemental strengths" with area researcn facilities, he said. "There's a lot of fertile grouned we're exploring.
" Wadsworth is discussing the possibility of a bioinformaticz centerwith RPI, said Carmen who researches molecular science at Wadsworth. Mannellaz is involved with developing the bioinformatics projectat RPI. Using genomicsa and bioinformatics, the time for testing for various diseasexs is cut virtuallyto nothing, Mannellas said. Bits of DNA that make up gene s or fragments of genes are placedx on computer chips and insertec into ananalytical instrument. Then scientistss perform many experiments at a fraction of the cost and time requirefd fortraditional tests, he said.
The college has computer scientistdand engineers, and Wadsworth has the molecular studiese for this type of work, Mannellaz said. "On the experimentak side, [Wadsworth] is strong" and RPI's core of computationalp scientists with some knowledge of biology is exactlyy what the bioinformaticscenterd requires, he said.
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Love Funding jumps to sixth largest FHA lender - St. Louis Business Journal:
ekaterinaiuvo.blogspot.com
The mortgage banking company tripled its revenues over the last three yearss due in part to an increasefd focus on Federal HousingAdministration (FHA) insure d loans, said Harry president. Love Funding is the sixth-largesy mortgagee for the FHA, according to a 2003 rankingb bythe administration. It has been an FHA mortgagede since the mortgage banking firm was established in but has gone from having a small part of the businesas dedicatedto FHA-insured loans to about 70 Love Funding closed more than $200 milliom in FHA loans during fiscal 2003 and on a totall of almost $347 million in loans acrosxs all property types.
The firm was aided by several includinga 35-year low in mortgage interest rates and increased interest in investing in which Love historically has financed. A new Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative focusinv on senior housing also was a boon forLove Funding. Love alreadty had a senior housinb and care division and was able to target the HUD The federal agency decided to emphasize insurinv mortgages for senior housing when lenders were becoming skittish about making loans for those kinds of properties because of cuts in Medicarwe reimbursement tocare providers, Cheatham said. The rate of HUD insurances on senior housing grewfrom $3.
5 billiojn a year to $7 billion two yearws ago and is on track for $10 billion this year, Cheathanm said. "Our business increased in a similar fashion." In the past four Love Funding doubled the number ofits FHA-insured loan underwritersa and originators to 40. Anothe boost to mortgage banking firms like Love is arefinanciny boom, said Tom Zensen, vice presidenft of Professional Equities Inc., an apartment development and managint firm that works with Love "Everyone in the industrg who can refinance is refinancinbg because interest rates are so low. Love Funding is in the middl of it and pursuingit aggressively.
" Professional Equitiea also has seen an increase in financing through the FHA, Zensenj said. Currently, Professional Equities and Love Fundiny are working ona $20 million apartment developmentf near the intersection of Hamilton and Delmar in the city of St. Louix that likely will include funding througuthe FHA, he said. Clayton-based Love Funding is an offshooyt of Love RealEstate Co., founded by Edwibn K. Love in 1875. Principald Larry Schiffer and Andy Love own the as well as interests inHeartland Bank.
The mortgage banking company tripled its revenues over the last three yearss due in part to an increasefd focus on Federal HousingAdministration (FHA) insure d loans, said Harry president. Love Funding is the sixth-largesy mortgagee for the FHA, according to a 2003 rankingb bythe administration. It has been an FHA mortgagede since the mortgage banking firm was established in but has gone from having a small part of the businesas dedicatedto FHA-insured loans to about 70 Love Funding closed more than $200 milliom in FHA loans during fiscal 2003 and on a totall of almost $347 million in loans acrosxs all property types.
The firm was aided by several includinga 35-year low in mortgage interest rates and increased interest in investing in which Love historically has financed. A new Housing and Urban Development (HUD) initiative focusinv on senior housing also was a boon forLove Funding. Love alreadty had a senior housinb and care division and was able to target the HUD The federal agency decided to emphasize insurinv mortgages for senior housing when lenders were becoming skittish about making loans for those kinds of properties because of cuts in Medicarwe reimbursement tocare providers, Cheatham said. The rate of HUD insurances on senior housing grewfrom $3.
5 billiojn a year to $7 billion two yearws ago and is on track for $10 billion this year, Cheathanm said. "Our business increased in a similar fashion." In the past four Love Funding doubled the number ofits FHA-insured loan underwritersa and originators to 40. Anothe boost to mortgage banking firms like Love is arefinanciny boom, said Tom Zensen, vice presidenft of Professional Equities Inc., an apartment development and managint firm that works with Love "Everyone in the industrg who can refinance is refinancinbg because interest rates are so low. Love Funding is in the middl of it and pursuingit aggressively.
" Professional Equitiea also has seen an increase in financing through the FHA, Zensenj said. Currently, Professional Equities and Love Fundiny are working ona $20 million apartment developmentf near the intersection of Hamilton and Delmar in the city of St. Louix that likely will include funding througuthe FHA, he said. Clayton-based Love Funding is an offshooyt of Love RealEstate Co., founded by Edwibn K. Love in 1875. Principald Larry Schiffer and Andy Love own the as well as interests inHeartland Bank.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Exercise caution in employment matters - bizjournals:
lebexab.wordpress.com
Q: What is the most common mistake companies make when they lay offan employee? A: Companieas occasionally use a reduction-in-force as an “easier” way to rid itselc of a non-performer. They are often unwilling to confronty theproblem employees, so when its time for a they tell those “challenging” employees that, their number just came up. It’s not true, and the employeew will look for a reason they were Usually the reason the employee turns tois It’s really a case of poor management, not discrimination, but a discriminatiojn theory provides them with the key they need to open the courthouswe door. Employers need to be honesg andconfront non-performers.
If you selected this employes forthe “layoff,” tell them the They were selected due to their They should not be surprised by this If they are, then it means you have not givenb them fair notice that their performance was not meeting the company’s If you can’t provse they had fair notice of the then you have a potentially high-risk termination that needs further Q: What can employerxs do to save money on potentialo employee lawsuits? A. Employers should consider juryand class-actio waivers for all employees and provide supervisorws with the training they need to more effectivelyt manage their employees. Lawsuits are abouy management, not discrimination.
Giving your supervisorsd the tools they need to be effective leaderse is the key to avoiding If supervisors are trained andstillo don’t lead, then they shouldn’t be supervising. Q: What industrg would be most affected by the Employee FreeChoice Act, if passed? A: No industry is safe. So everhy business should take steps to get theitr housein order. Conduct a survey to determind if your company is vulnerable touniom organization. Are your employees unhappy? Identify the problems and fix them. Use this as an opportunitt to make yourcompany stronger. If you wait until the union knocks on your door before you dothis analysis, it may be too The campaign has already started.
Q: What either state or federal, are coming down the pike that will impactfGeorgia companies? A. The Fair Pay Act of 2009 wouls prohibit employers from paying lower wagesw for jobs dominated by women or minorities than paid for jobs dominaterdby men, if the jobs are equivalent. The legislation woulc also expand the current law by permittin g the recovery of compensatory andpunitive damages, and woulf require employers to provide reports to the EEOC that includde information disclosing the wage rates paid to employees, includinf information with respect to the sex, race and nationapl origin of employees at each wage rate.
Q: What is the most common mistake companies make when they lay offan employee? A: Companieas occasionally use a reduction-in-force as an “easier” way to rid itselc of a non-performer. They are often unwilling to confronty theproblem employees, so when its time for a they tell those “challenging” employees that, their number just came up. It’s not true, and the employeew will look for a reason they were Usually the reason the employee turns tois It’s really a case of poor management, not discrimination, but a discriminatiojn theory provides them with the key they need to open the courthouswe door. Employers need to be honesg andconfront non-performers.
If you selected this employes forthe “layoff,” tell them the They were selected due to their They should not be surprised by this If they are, then it means you have not givenb them fair notice that their performance was not meeting the company’s If you can’t provse they had fair notice of the then you have a potentially high-risk termination that needs further Q: What can employerxs do to save money on potentialo employee lawsuits? A. Employers should consider juryand class-actio waivers for all employees and provide supervisorws with the training they need to more effectivelyt manage their employees. Lawsuits are abouy management, not discrimination.
Giving your supervisorsd the tools they need to be effective leaderse is the key to avoiding If supervisors are trained andstillo don’t lead, then they shouldn’t be supervising. Q: What industrg would be most affected by the Employee FreeChoice Act, if passed? A: No industry is safe. So everhy business should take steps to get theitr housein order. Conduct a survey to determind if your company is vulnerable touniom organization. Are your employees unhappy? Identify the problems and fix them. Use this as an opportunitt to make yourcompany stronger. If you wait until the union knocks on your door before you dothis analysis, it may be too The campaign has already started.
Q: What either state or federal, are coming down the pike that will impactfGeorgia companies? A. The Fair Pay Act of 2009 wouls prohibit employers from paying lower wagesw for jobs dominated by women or minorities than paid for jobs dominaterdby men, if the jobs are equivalent. The legislation woulc also expand the current law by permittin g the recovery of compensatory andpunitive damages, and woulf require employers to provide reports to the EEOC that includde information disclosing the wage rates paid to employees, includinf information with respect to the sex, race and nationapl origin of employees at each wage rate.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Funeral industry gears up for boomers
jiqatili.wordpress.com
The projects the annual number of deathas in the United States will risefrom 2.6 million next year to 3 milliob in 2024 — and 4 million in 2043. “We hear the tidal wave is saidChris Meyer, owner of in Carmichael. “We’ve knowhn the (baby boomer trend) has been cominvg for some time, so the industry has been gearinv up for thatto happen,” said Bob Rosson, a Mississippji funeral home operator and an executiv e board member of the . “We’ll be able to handles it.” But the industry firsy has to survive the currentdeath trough. The number of deathsz in the United States declinedby 0.
9 percent from 2005 to in part because of a mild flu according to the . Health care advanceds have ledto record-high life expectancies and lowef annual death rates for a range of including stroke, heart disease and diabetes. “Wwe have actually felt a lightercase load,” Meyerd said. “I think some of the bigger funeral homes have felt a precipitou sdrop off.” Baby boomers might live longe r than their parents, but sooner or lated they’ve got to go. Those who want traditiona burials should prepare forrising prices.
The mediann cost of a funeral in the United Stateswas $6,1965 in 2006, according to a Nationalk Funeral Directors Association survey released last That price, which includes a $2,255t metal casket, was 11 percent highedr than in the association’s survey in 2004. With the inclusiohn of a concrete vault, which many cemeteries the price risesto $7,323. “That’ss the funeral that is going outof vogue,” said Joshuwa Slocum, executive director of nonprofit . He predictw that the funeral industryy will respond to the rising death rate by offering cheapet servicesto compete. “This is not goinvg to cause a runon embalmers,” he said.
“Iff anybody’s going to jump into the embalminhg businessthinking it’s recession-proof, they’red misguided. Baby boomers are not interested intheifr grandma’s funeral.” Cremation rates in the United States increased from 26 percenf in 2000 to 35 percent in according to the . The association projects a rate of 39 percent next year and 59 percentby 2025. “In some places of California, like Marin County, you’re lookinf at a 90 percent cremation rate,” Slocum said. Cost is a big but there are also demographicx changesat work.
“They say the ‘greatest generation’ were more more religious people,” Meyer “Now, more educated people, more liberao thinkers (who are) less religious in many ways, tend to ‘It’s all about economics for ” Meyer, whose mortuary offers both crematioj andembalming services, said a traditional burial costsd $6,000 to $10,000, depending on the casket. Crematio n costs about $1,000 to $2,000. In the Sacramento Meyer said, “there’s been an explosiom of storefrontcremation places.” Bodies come in and get shippef to off-site crematoriums. The ashes are returned in an urn.
“Theg don’t have the facilities to embalm,” Meyerf said. “They don’t have a It’s wildly cheaper. It’s sort of the Wal-Martification of the funeral industry.” or “natural” burials are also growing in popularity. Peopls are buried in a casket made of a biodegradable such as pineor wicker, or they can skip the caskef and just be buried in a shroud. Only one cemetery in in Mill Valley, offers green burials. It startefd offering the servicein 2004.
The projects the annual number of deathas in the United States will risefrom 2.6 million next year to 3 milliob in 2024 — and 4 million in 2043. “We hear the tidal wave is saidChris Meyer, owner of in Carmichael. “We’ve knowhn the (baby boomer trend) has been cominvg for some time, so the industry has been gearinv up for thatto happen,” said Bob Rosson, a Mississippji funeral home operator and an executiv e board member of the . “We’ll be able to handles it.” But the industry firsy has to survive the currentdeath trough. The number of deathsz in the United States declinedby 0.
9 percent from 2005 to in part because of a mild flu according to the . Health care advanceds have ledto record-high life expectancies and lowef annual death rates for a range of including stroke, heart disease and diabetes. “Wwe have actually felt a lightercase load,” Meyerd said. “I think some of the bigger funeral homes have felt a precipitou sdrop off.” Baby boomers might live longe r than their parents, but sooner or lated they’ve got to go. Those who want traditiona burials should prepare forrising prices.
The mediann cost of a funeral in the United Stateswas $6,1965 in 2006, according to a Nationalk Funeral Directors Association survey released last That price, which includes a $2,255t metal casket, was 11 percent highedr than in the association’s survey in 2004. With the inclusiohn of a concrete vault, which many cemeteries the price risesto $7,323. “That’ss the funeral that is going outof vogue,” said Joshuwa Slocum, executive director of nonprofit . He predictw that the funeral industryy will respond to the rising death rate by offering cheapet servicesto compete. “This is not goinvg to cause a runon embalmers,” he said.
“Iff anybody’s going to jump into the embalminhg businessthinking it’s recession-proof, they’red misguided. Baby boomers are not interested intheifr grandma’s funeral.” Cremation rates in the United States increased from 26 percenf in 2000 to 35 percent in according to the . The association projects a rate of 39 percent next year and 59 percentby 2025. “In some places of California, like Marin County, you’re lookinf at a 90 percent cremation rate,” Slocum said. Cost is a big but there are also demographicx changesat work.
“They say the ‘greatest generation’ were more more religious people,” Meyer “Now, more educated people, more liberao thinkers (who are) less religious in many ways, tend to ‘It’s all about economics for ” Meyer, whose mortuary offers both crematioj andembalming services, said a traditional burial costsd $6,000 to $10,000, depending on the casket. Crematio n costs about $1,000 to $2,000. In the Sacramento Meyer said, “there’s been an explosiom of storefrontcremation places.” Bodies come in and get shippef to off-site crematoriums. The ashes are returned in an urn.
“Theg don’t have the facilities to embalm,” Meyerf said. “They don’t have a It’s wildly cheaper. It’s sort of the Wal-Martification of the funeral industry.” or “natural” burials are also growing in popularity. Peopls are buried in a casket made of a biodegradable such as pineor wicker, or they can skip the caskef and just be buried in a shroud. Only one cemetery in in Mill Valley, offers green burials. It startefd offering the servicein 2004.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Rockwell to shut plants in Georgia, Iowa - Atlanta Business Chronicle:
retention-jackjacks.blogspot.com
and Sumner, Iowa, in 2010, leaving more than 300 workerewithout jobs. The Georgia facility, whicyh employs 145 workers, is scheduled to close by July 2010. It opened in 1979 and supplies printef circuitboard sub-assemblies and finished goodw manufacturing support for Rockwell Automation’zs Integrated Architecture products. “The cost challenges we face are significant. we must close some of our production saidMarty Thomas, senior vice president of operations and engineering services for Rockwelpl (NYSE: ROK). The Milwaukee-based manufacturer of industriak automation systems and controlss plans to close theIowa plant, whicb has 163 workers, by the end of 2010.
Workers were notifies Tuesday. Work and resources from the Georgias and Iowa plants will be shifted to existintg Rockwell facilities in Iowaand Mexico. The plant closures will generatwe cost savings byconsolidating operations, according to Rockwelol management. The work transfers will also create a simplefsupply chain, enabling bettef customer service, the companu said. There will be no immediatw job impacts for employees ineither facility, accordinv to Rockwell. Advance notification will be provided to employeesw related to their individual positions and severanc and transition support will be thecompany said.
“We recognize the impacg this decision has onour employees, and the Thomas said. “We are makinfg this announcement today to provide as much advance notice to our employees as possiblse and will work with them to suppory them throughoutthe transition.”
and Sumner, Iowa, in 2010, leaving more than 300 workerewithout jobs. The Georgia facility, whicyh employs 145 workers, is scheduled to close by July 2010. It opened in 1979 and supplies printef circuitboard sub-assemblies and finished goodw manufacturing support for Rockwell Automation’zs Integrated Architecture products. “The cost challenges we face are significant. we must close some of our production saidMarty Thomas, senior vice president of operations and engineering services for Rockwelpl (NYSE: ROK). The Milwaukee-based manufacturer of industriak automation systems and controlss plans to close theIowa plant, whicb has 163 workers, by the end of 2010.
Workers were notifies Tuesday. Work and resources from the Georgias and Iowa plants will be shifted to existintg Rockwell facilities in Iowaand Mexico. The plant closures will generatwe cost savings byconsolidating operations, according to Rockwelol management. The work transfers will also create a simplefsupply chain, enabling bettef customer service, the companu said. There will be no immediatw job impacts for employees ineither facility, accordinv to Rockwell. Advance notification will be provided to employeesw related to their individual positions and severanc and transition support will be thecompany said.
“We recognize the impacg this decision has onour employees, and the Thomas said. “We are makinfg this announcement today to provide as much advance notice to our employees as possiblse and will work with them to suppory them throughoutthe transition.”
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Photon Energy, San Jose Diocese in solar deal - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
ovaluleq.wordpress.com
Los Altos-based Photon Energy said it will providse solar energy for fiveschools -- Holy Holy Family, St. Christopher, Queen of Apostles, St. Lucy -- along with Gate of Heaveh Cemetery inLos Altos. Phase one of the installation begins this month and will continued through theearly summer. Once complete, the systems will generatew enough electricity to provide approximately 70 percent ofeach site's collective electrical needs. Dustin Keele, executive vice presiden t of Photon, said that over the life of the syste the sixsites "will eliminate approximatelyy 19,000 tons of CO2. That is equivalent to planting 345 acreds of trees orremoving 4,74p0 cars from the road for one year.
" Termzs of the deal were not disclosed. Photojn Energy said it has signeed morethan $30 million in solar projecte and is pursuing projects throughout California, New Jersey, Hawaiii and Florida.
Los Altos-based Photon Energy said it will providse solar energy for fiveschools -- Holy Holy Family, St. Christopher, Queen of Apostles, St. Lucy -- along with Gate of Heaveh Cemetery inLos Altos. Phase one of the installation begins this month and will continued through theearly summer. Once complete, the systems will generatew enough electricity to provide approximately 70 percent ofeach site's collective electrical needs. Dustin Keele, executive vice presiden t of Photon, said that over the life of the syste the sixsites "will eliminate approximatelyy 19,000 tons of CO2. That is equivalent to planting 345 acreds of trees orremoving 4,74p0 cars from the road for one year.
" Termzs of the deal were not disclosed. Photojn Energy said it has signeed morethan $30 million in solar projecte and is pursuing projects throughout California, New Jersey, Hawaiii and Florida.
Saturday, September 22, 2012
PM pitches for inclusive, faster and sustainable development - Hindustan Times
ovaluleq.wordpress.com
Business Today | PM pitches for inclusive, faster and sustainable development Hindustan Times Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said India needed reform to restore confidence in the economy and draw much-needed foreign investment. The PM was addressing an international academic conference on economic growth and changes of ... PM pitches fo r inclusive, faster and sustainable growth Address to nation: Reforms agenda is driven by need to protect citizens, drive ... PM Manmohan Singh says decisions taken recently are to protect citizens and ... |
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Portland's new Web site should spark the area
lebexab.wordpress.com
The site will also detail potential carbob andenergy savings, as well as how much a consumer could save using various tax credits and other incentives. City officials say the tool, callefd the Oregon Clean Energgy Map, will boost the profile of one ofthe state’ss fastest growing industries and promote Portland as a national hotberd of solar energy activity. “The idea is to really get peoplee excited about solar and show them that othere people in the community are doing it and that solaer worksin Portland,” said Lee Rahr, solar programk coordinator for the city’s Bureau of Planning and The project is the result of Portland’s designatiohn as a Solar America City, a U.
S. Department of Energ program in which 25 cities receive a totapof $4.9 million in grants and technical assistanced to invest in solar technology. The city received a two-yead $200,000 cash grant as part of the It also receivesabout $250,000 in technicalo assistance from the Department of Energy, whichu covered the estimated $30,000 cost of the Oregobn Clean Energy Map. Portland will become one of about a dozej of the Solar America cities to use the program to deploy solar map Web sites in a project being led out of the Portlane officeof , the global engineering firm headquartered near Denver that was founded in The idea was spawned a few yeare ago after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom launched a goal of havin 10,000 San Francisco rooftops adorned with solar photovoltaivc systems by 2010.
San Francisco then contracterd with CH2M Hill to come up witha “The No. 1 thing they needed to do is educate the saidSteph Stoppenhagen, who is leading the solar mappinyg initiative out of CH2M Hill’s office s near Portland State University. San Francisco’z solar map was launched two years ago, with CH2M Hill retaininyg the licensing rights to the program so it coulc offer it toother cities. Using Googlew Map satellite images, CH2M Hill’s system prompts user to type intheir address. The map zooms in and highlightsxtheir rooftop.
A box will pop up detailinvg the roof’s square footage, its estimated photovoltaic the amount of electricity a sola electric systemcould produce, how much electricity woulde be saved per year, and how many pounds of carbob would be spared by employing a system. In a separate box, usersa can get price estimates for varying sizes of residential andcommercialk systems. The Web site will then calculate discountss from incentive and tax credit which in Oregon can account for up to 80 percentt of the cost of a CH2M Hill can add or subtracyt featuresif necessary.
Salt Lake City, for example, is considering a featured that would allow users to judg aesthetic appeal by dragging and dropping pictures of commonly used solarr panels onto the image of their In Sacramento, the company worked with the electri utility on a function that allows users to see how much moneyt they would have saved on previouz electric bills by using a solar photovoltaic system. Portland’as map, for now, will be a basic with dots showing existing photovoltaic and solar thermal installationse while helping users calculate the cost savingsd and benefits of installing solarr ontheir rooftop.
It will also feature a thermometer denotingvthe city’s progress in reaching its goal of hostinbg 5 megawatts of installed solar energy systems by 2012. The city is now at 3.2 Unlike other cities, Portland opted not to call the sitea “Solat Map.” Instead, it chose the name Oregon Clean Energy Map out of the hope that othefr municipal governments might want to work with the city on expandint the map’s territory, which now just covers Portland and Multnomah County.
The site will also detail potential carbob andenergy savings, as well as how much a consumer could save using various tax credits and other incentives. City officials say the tool, callefd the Oregon Clean Energgy Map, will boost the profile of one ofthe state’ss fastest growing industries and promote Portland as a national hotberd of solar energy activity. “The idea is to really get peoplee excited about solar and show them that othere people in the community are doing it and that solaer worksin Portland,” said Lee Rahr, solar programk coordinator for the city’s Bureau of Planning and The project is the result of Portland’s designatiohn as a Solar America City, a U.
S. Department of Energ program in which 25 cities receive a totapof $4.9 million in grants and technical assistanced to invest in solar technology. The city received a two-yead $200,000 cash grant as part of the It also receivesabout $250,000 in technicalo assistance from the Department of Energy, whichu covered the estimated $30,000 cost of the Oregobn Clean Energy Map. Portland will become one of about a dozej of the Solar America cities to use the program to deploy solar map Web sites in a project being led out of the Portlane officeof , the global engineering firm headquartered near Denver that was founded in The idea was spawned a few yeare ago after San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom launched a goal of havin 10,000 San Francisco rooftops adorned with solar photovoltaivc systems by 2010.
San Francisco then contracterd with CH2M Hill to come up witha “The No. 1 thing they needed to do is educate the saidSteph Stoppenhagen, who is leading the solar mappinyg initiative out of CH2M Hill’s office s near Portland State University. San Francisco’z solar map was launched two years ago, with CH2M Hill retaininyg the licensing rights to the program so it coulc offer it toother cities. Using Googlew Map satellite images, CH2M Hill’s system prompts user to type intheir address. The map zooms in and highlightsxtheir rooftop.
A box will pop up detailinvg the roof’s square footage, its estimated photovoltaic the amount of electricity a sola electric systemcould produce, how much electricity woulde be saved per year, and how many pounds of carbob would be spared by employing a system. In a separate box, usersa can get price estimates for varying sizes of residential andcommercialk systems. The Web site will then calculate discountss from incentive and tax credit which in Oregon can account for up to 80 percentt of the cost of a CH2M Hill can add or subtracyt featuresif necessary.
Salt Lake City, for example, is considering a featured that would allow users to judg aesthetic appeal by dragging and dropping pictures of commonly used solarr panels onto the image of their In Sacramento, the company worked with the electri utility on a function that allows users to see how much moneyt they would have saved on previouz electric bills by using a solar photovoltaic system. Portland’as map, for now, will be a basic with dots showing existing photovoltaic and solar thermal installationse while helping users calculate the cost savingsd and benefits of installing solarr ontheir rooftop.
It will also feature a thermometer denotingvthe city’s progress in reaching its goal of hostinbg 5 megawatts of installed solar energy systems by 2012. The city is now at 3.2 Unlike other cities, Portland opted not to call the sitea “Solat Map.” Instead, it chose the name Oregon Clean Energy Map out of the hope that othefr municipal governments might want to work with the city on expandint the map’s territory, which now just covers Portland and Multnomah County.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Who Regulates Oklahoma Pipelines? No One, Until They're Built or Broken - StateImpact Oklahoma
ishinlyuboqemija.blogspot.com
Who Regulates Oklahoma Pipelines? No One, Until They're Built or Broken StateImpact Oklahoma Landowners in Major County who depend on aquifer water say a planned crude oil pipeline threatens the Cimarron Aquifer â€" their primary water source. Rural homeowners use well water from the aquifer, which also feeds nearby towns and comprises about ... |
Ecotourism Helps Amazon Jungle Communities Survive Inter Press Service The Mapajo Indigenous Community Ecotourism Company “is the result of a decision reached by the women and men of the Tsimane community, to have a source of income in order to educate our children, because we saw that it was impossible to do so with ... |
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Burgess: Property tax losses
yqyqynesara.blogspot.com
The Miami-Dade County property appraiser released its preliminary tax rollinformation Monday, with all four taxing jurisdictione – fire rescue, library, the unincorporater area and Miami-Dade overall – seeing a decline. The countywidr decrease comparing preliminary tax numbers from year to year shows a 9percenyt decrease, or a total of $22.55 billion.” “These lossess would have been worss if not for new constructiomn that was added to the propertyu tax roll as of Jan. 1,” County Managed George Burgess said in a memo sent tocounth commissioners. North Bay Village took the biggest hit, down 20.2 percengt from 2008 levels. Homesteaf saw an 18.
2 percent decline, followed by Normandt Shores, down 17.5 percent, and Aventura whichy was down 17.3 percent. Golden Beacgh and the tiny city of Islandia saw no Medley sawa 1.5 percent drop while Biscaynde Park saw a 4 percent decline. Click for the full Staffers reviewed property tax rolls going back to 1985 and founxd that 1993 saw taxable value shrinkby 2.9 percent, or $1.9 “Even in 2008, when we absorbed the impact of doubling the homestead exemption from $25,000 to the property tax roll was relatively Burgess explained in the “These losses in propertuy tax roll values are unprecedented.
” Burgess warned of a lot more pain on the using the last two years as a barometer of what is For the second consecutive year, Miami-Dadr faced a $200 million budget gap in the last fiscall year. Core services were kept intactt bytightening belts, but assuming the same tax rate adopter for 2008-09, the estimated ad valorem revenues for fiscal year 2009-10 would shrink by $174.1 according to the memo. Taking into accouny the impact of normal inflationaryh growth and theeconomic slowdown, combined with the non ad valore revenue sources, results in property tax subsidized operationsd facing a budget gap of $350 million to $400 Burgess said.
“We are workin g diligently to prepare a proposed budget forFY [fiscal 2009-10 that to the extent preserves essential services and minimizes service impactx to our residents,” he wrote in the “However, closing a budgetary gap of this size will requirse some very difficult decisions.”
The Miami-Dade County property appraiser released its preliminary tax rollinformation Monday, with all four taxing jurisdictione – fire rescue, library, the unincorporater area and Miami-Dade overall – seeing a decline. The countywidr decrease comparing preliminary tax numbers from year to year shows a 9percenyt decrease, or a total of $22.55 billion.” “These lossess would have been worss if not for new constructiomn that was added to the propertyu tax roll as of Jan. 1,” County Managed George Burgess said in a memo sent tocounth commissioners. North Bay Village took the biggest hit, down 20.2 percengt from 2008 levels. Homesteaf saw an 18.
2 percent decline, followed by Normandt Shores, down 17.5 percent, and Aventura whichy was down 17.3 percent. Golden Beacgh and the tiny city of Islandia saw no Medley sawa 1.5 percent drop while Biscaynde Park saw a 4 percent decline. Click for the full Staffers reviewed property tax rolls going back to 1985 and founxd that 1993 saw taxable value shrinkby 2.9 percent, or $1.9 “Even in 2008, when we absorbed the impact of doubling the homestead exemption from $25,000 to the property tax roll was relatively Burgess explained in the “These losses in propertuy tax roll values are unprecedented.
” Burgess warned of a lot more pain on the using the last two years as a barometer of what is For the second consecutive year, Miami-Dadr faced a $200 million budget gap in the last fiscall year. Core services were kept intactt bytightening belts, but assuming the same tax rate adopter for 2008-09, the estimated ad valorem revenues for fiscal year 2009-10 would shrink by $174.1 according to the memo. Taking into accouny the impact of normal inflationaryh growth and theeconomic slowdown, combined with the non ad valore revenue sources, results in property tax subsidized operationsd facing a budget gap of $350 million to $400 Burgess said.
“We are workin g diligently to prepare a proposed budget forFY [fiscal 2009-10 that to the extent preserves essential services and minimizes service impactx to our residents,” he wrote in the “However, closing a budgetary gap of this size will requirse some very difficult decisions.”
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Texas Cord Blood Bank expands to Houston - San Antonio Business Journal:
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Although umbilical cords are usuallg discarded after the birth ofa baby, umbilicakl cord blood is rich in stem cells that make blood. Cord bloof can also be used to treat diseases suchas leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, severe immune-systemn disorders, as well as neurologicalp problems and genetic defects affecting the blood-makinb system. Health officials at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospitalo and in Houston have already begujn collecting umbilical cords donated by Houston families to thepublic cord-blood bank. Since last November, some 300 cord blood units havebeen collected.
The Texas Cord Blood Bank is a division of the in San The blood bank has a missionh of providing treatment options for thenearlgy 30,000 individuals worldwide who are on the waitingy list for a stem cell Expanding to Houston through these type of partnerships will help the bloocd bank achieve its goal. The blood bank already has relationshipws with a number of hospitals in San Dallas and the Rio Grande Valley region to gatherr and extract umbilicalcord blood.
“The collaboration with the Texas Cord Bloox Bank andTexas Children’s Hospital will be a valuablre asset to our patients and the community as it givee the opportunity to providse the option and benefits of public banking,” says Amy vice chair of the Departmen t of Obstetrics and Gynecology at . Medical researcheras are exploring new uses for umbilicakl cordstem cells, including the treatment of premature infants, cancer, cardiogenic disorders, diabetes and asthma.
It may be possibled to store a newborn’s own cord blood to ensurde that the baby will have a sourcew of stem cells that is anexact match, with no risk of A baby’s siblings may possibly provide an exact stem cell match as well. “This is an importantg time in the Texas CordBloodx Bank’s history, as we expand opportunities throughout the state,” says Norman D. the president and CEO of the Soutg TexasBlood & Tissue Center, the parentf organization of the Texas Cord Blood Bank.
“This partnership is important as we look for opportunities to grow the By the endof 2008, we had secured the participatio n of nine hospitals in less than two years, which has alloweds us to already begin supplying this life-savingt resource to people of all ages. ...” Web www.bloodntissue.org
Although umbilical cords are usuallg discarded after the birth ofa baby, umbilicakl cord blood is rich in stem cells that make blood. Cord bloof can also be used to treat diseases suchas leukemia, sickle-cell anemia, severe immune-systemn disorders, as well as neurologicalp problems and genetic defects affecting the blood-makinb system. Health officials at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospitalo and in Houston have already begujn collecting umbilical cords donated by Houston families to thepublic cord-blood bank. Since last November, some 300 cord blood units havebeen collected.
The Texas Cord Blood Bank is a division of the in San The blood bank has a missionh of providing treatment options for thenearlgy 30,000 individuals worldwide who are on the waitingy list for a stem cell Expanding to Houston through these type of partnerships will help the bloocd bank achieve its goal. The blood bank already has relationshipws with a number of hospitals in San Dallas and the Rio Grande Valley region to gatherr and extract umbilicalcord blood.
“The collaboration with the Texas Cord Bloox Bank andTexas Children’s Hospital will be a valuablre asset to our patients and the community as it givee the opportunity to providse the option and benefits of public banking,” says Amy vice chair of the Departmen t of Obstetrics and Gynecology at . Medical researcheras are exploring new uses for umbilicakl cordstem cells, including the treatment of premature infants, cancer, cardiogenic disorders, diabetes and asthma.
It may be possibled to store a newborn’s own cord blood to ensurde that the baby will have a sourcew of stem cells that is anexact match, with no risk of A baby’s siblings may possibly provide an exact stem cell match as well. “This is an importantg time in the Texas CordBloodx Bank’s history, as we expand opportunities throughout the state,” says Norman D. the president and CEO of the Soutg TexasBlood & Tissue Center, the parentf organization of the Texas Cord Blood Bank.
“This partnership is important as we look for opportunities to grow the By the endof 2008, we had secured the participatio n of nine hospitals in less than two years, which has alloweds us to already begin supplying this life-savingt resource to people of all ages. ...” Web www.bloodntissue.org
Sunday, September 9, 2012
Madoff gets 150 years in prison - Business First of Buffalo:
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“I’m not surprised. That’s what he deserved,” said Adelwe Fox of Tamarac, who lost thousands of dollar to Madoff's scheme. The mastermind behind the biggest Ponzi schemin U.S. history was sentencedc on Monday morning in federal courf in Manhattan to 150 years behind the maximum requested byfederaol prosecutors. Madoff's attorney had asked for a far more lenieny sentence of12 years. In sentencing Madoff, U.S. Districtr Judge Denny Chin called thefraux “staggering” and said that the “breach of trust was The judge described his acts as “extraordinaril evil.
” “No other white-collar case is comparable in termw of the scope, duration and enormityu of the fraud and the degree of the betrayal,” Chin Madoff confessed in March to 11 countz including fraud, money laundering thef and perjury, among other things. His victims reportedly number morethan 1,30 0 and stretch across the Their losses are estimated at more than $13 billion. Priorr to sentencing, Chin heard from nine of the victim s who talked about thedevastation Madoff’sd fraud had caused to their lives and theirt families. Many of Madoff’s wealthy clients livede in South Florida and lost their life savingds tohis scheme.
Fox, 86, said she is stillo furious that the and the federagovernment didn’t expose Madoff’s fraud “The SEC is just as guilty as Madoff and they failerd us. Nobody seems to do anything about it,” Fox said. She also took issue with the large fees beinhg paid to people such asIrving H. Picard, the trustewe who is handling the liquidatiob ofBernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. “The trusteew Picard is making hisown rules. They’re paying these guys milliondsof dollars. It wouldr be better to pay theinvestorsw directly,” Fox said.
Fox, a widowe who once worked as secretaryu inNew York, said she invested $50,000 in 1987 because she was relateed to Madoff’s accountant, Jerry Horowitz. She said she was able to get some moneyh back from Social Securitypayments she’d made over the years on “phantom” income from Madofd accounts. However, she is worried that her disbursementss may eventually be targeted in clawbacok efforts by the trustee in bankruptcu proceedings who has begun sendingv out letters demanding the return of profits derived fromtheit investments.
Guy Fronstin a Boca Raton attorney who hasadvised Fox, said the governmentr has “been good about refundinh taxes quickly” but there are delays in processingf claims to the Securities Investor Protection “Some of the peoplde I know are too busy with these othe r issues to really care that much about what happeneed today. They believed he woulf spend the rest of his days in Fronstin said. Jan Atlas, an attorney with Adorno Yoss, said he believe the court had little choice but to levy the maximum sentenceeon Madoff.
“I don’t think the victims shouldr have been victimized again by havinb him be able to leave prisomone day,” said Atlas, whose firm continuesa to advise clients about tax returns and possibly futures claims against investment advisors who invested with Madoff. “I’k wondering if the trustee will be able to locatde more than the billion plusthat he’z located, and what is the real Atlas said. In addition to his prisonb term, Madoff was ordered to forfeitnearlyg $170 billion, which represents the proceedse of, and property involved in certain of his crimes, according to a news release from the U.S. Departmenrt of Justice.
“While today’s sentence is an important the investigationis continuing,” Lev L. Dassi, acting U.S. Attorney for the Souther District ofNew York, said in a news “We are focused on restraining and liquidating assets to maximizew recoveries for the victims.”
“I’m not surprised. That’s what he deserved,” said Adelwe Fox of Tamarac, who lost thousands of dollar to Madoff's scheme. The mastermind behind the biggest Ponzi schemin U.S. history was sentencedc on Monday morning in federal courf in Manhattan to 150 years behind the maximum requested byfederaol prosecutors. Madoff's attorney had asked for a far more lenieny sentence of12 years. In sentencing Madoff, U.S. Districtr Judge Denny Chin called thefraux “staggering” and said that the “breach of trust was The judge described his acts as “extraordinaril evil.
” “No other white-collar case is comparable in termw of the scope, duration and enormityu of the fraud and the degree of the betrayal,” Chin Madoff confessed in March to 11 countz including fraud, money laundering thef and perjury, among other things. His victims reportedly number morethan 1,30 0 and stretch across the Their losses are estimated at more than $13 billion. Priorr to sentencing, Chin heard from nine of the victim s who talked about thedevastation Madoff’sd fraud had caused to their lives and theirt families. Many of Madoff’s wealthy clients livede in South Florida and lost their life savingds tohis scheme.
Fox, 86, said she is stillo furious that the and the federagovernment didn’t expose Madoff’s fraud “The SEC is just as guilty as Madoff and they failerd us. Nobody seems to do anything about it,” Fox said. She also took issue with the large fees beinhg paid to people such asIrving H. Picard, the trustewe who is handling the liquidatiob ofBernard L. Madoff Investment Securities. “The trusteew Picard is making hisown rules. They’re paying these guys milliondsof dollars. It wouldr be better to pay theinvestorsw directly,” Fox said.
Fox, a widowe who once worked as secretaryu inNew York, said she invested $50,000 in 1987 because she was relateed to Madoff’s accountant, Jerry Horowitz. She said she was able to get some moneyh back from Social Securitypayments she’d made over the years on “phantom” income from Madofd accounts. However, she is worried that her disbursementss may eventually be targeted in clawbacok efforts by the trustee in bankruptcu proceedings who has begun sendingv out letters demanding the return of profits derived fromtheit investments.
Guy Fronstin a Boca Raton attorney who hasadvised Fox, said the governmentr has “been good about refundinh taxes quickly” but there are delays in processingf claims to the Securities Investor Protection “Some of the peoplde I know are too busy with these othe r issues to really care that much about what happeneed today. They believed he woulf spend the rest of his days in Fronstin said. Jan Atlas, an attorney with Adorno Yoss, said he believe the court had little choice but to levy the maximum sentenceeon Madoff.
“I don’t think the victims shouldr have been victimized again by havinb him be able to leave prisomone day,” said Atlas, whose firm continuesa to advise clients about tax returns and possibly futures claims against investment advisors who invested with Madoff. “I’k wondering if the trustee will be able to locatde more than the billion plusthat he’z located, and what is the real Atlas said. In addition to his prisonb term, Madoff was ordered to forfeitnearlyg $170 billion, which represents the proceedse of, and property involved in certain of his crimes, according to a news release from the U.S. Departmenrt of Justice.
“While today’s sentence is an important the investigationis continuing,” Lev L. Dassi, acting U.S. Attorney for the Souther District ofNew York, said in a news “We are focused on restraining and liquidating assets to maximizew recoveries for the victims.”
Saturday, September 8, 2012
Abercrombie shutting struggling Ruehl chain - Austin Business Journal:
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The New Albany-based appare l merchant said Wednesday it willshut Ruehl’x 29 stores and direct-to-consumer operations and will be “substantiall complete” with the effort by the end of next The decision comes a month after Abercrombie (NYSE:ANF) took a deep strategic look at the which targets young adults with clothes and Ruehl, whose only Ohio storwe is at Easton Town generated a pretax operating loss of $58 million last The chain regularly was Abercrombie’s weakest sales performer at storea open at least a year. Ruehl’d same-store sales were off 33 percentin May. Abercrombied earned $272.3 million on $3.55 billion in revenue last year.
“It has been a difficul decision toclose Ruehl, a bransd we continue to believe couls have been successful in differenrt circumstances,” CEO Michael Jeffries said in a statement. given the current economic environment, we believd it is in the best interestsz of the company to focus its efforts and resourcexs on the growth opportunities affordedx by our other particularly internationally.” The company didn’t disclose the effects on the chain’sx work force, nor did it indicatse the number of jobs tied to The review of which opened in 2004, cost the companu about $51 million in impairment chargesa in its first quarter.
Abercrombie expects to book about $65 millionb in pretax charges through the rest of the fiscalk year as it winds down The company Wednesday also said it amendedc a credit agreement to excludsome Ruehl-related charges from requirements undet its covenant with the lendet and reduced its available crediy to $350 million from $450 million. Jeffrieas said the company is confident is has sufficienyt cash on handbut “we believe it is prudent to make theswe changes” in light of the recession-battered retail environmenrt and the one-time Ruehl costs. In addition to the 29 Ruehll stores, Abercrombie runs 350 flagship stores and 733 others underthe Abercrombie, Hollister Co.
and Gilly Hicks nameplates.
The New Albany-based appare l merchant said Wednesday it willshut Ruehl’x 29 stores and direct-to-consumer operations and will be “substantiall complete” with the effort by the end of next The decision comes a month after Abercrombie (NYSE:ANF) took a deep strategic look at the which targets young adults with clothes and Ruehl, whose only Ohio storwe is at Easton Town generated a pretax operating loss of $58 million last The chain regularly was Abercrombie’s weakest sales performer at storea open at least a year. Ruehl’d same-store sales were off 33 percentin May. Abercrombied earned $272.3 million on $3.55 billion in revenue last year.
“It has been a difficul decision toclose Ruehl, a bransd we continue to believe couls have been successful in differenrt circumstances,” CEO Michael Jeffries said in a statement. given the current economic environment, we believd it is in the best interestsz of the company to focus its efforts and resourcexs on the growth opportunities affordedx by our other particularly internationally.” The company didn’t disclose the effects on the chain’sx work force, nor did it indicatse the number of jobs tied to The review of which opened in 2004, cost the companu about $51 million in impairment chargesa in its first quarter.
Abercrombie expects to book about $65 millionb in pretax charges through the rest of the fiscalk year as it winds down The company Wednesday also said it amendedc a credit agreement to excludsome Ruehl-related charges from requirements undet its covenant with the lendet and reduced its available crediy to $350 million from $450 million. Jeffrieas said the company is confident is has sufficienyt cash on handbut “we believe it is prudent to make theswe changes” in light of the recession-battered retail environmenrt and the one-time Ruehl costs. In addition to the 29 Ruehll stores, Abercrombie runs 350 flagship stores and 733 others underthe Abercrombie, Hollister Co.
and Gilly Hicks nameplates.
Friday, September 7, 2012
Huge ratings for 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta' finale and “TI & Tiny' return - Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog)
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Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) | Huge ratings for 'Love & Hip Hop Atlanta' finale and “TI & Tiny' return Atlanta Journal Constitution (blog) The season one finale of “Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta' pulled in a series high 4.4 million viewers, more than any episode of “Real Housewives of Atlanta. The repeat at 10 p.m. drew another 2.18 million viewers . Joseline probably broke into tears of joy ... |
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Oracle Emergency Java Patch Opens Fresh Trouble - InformationWeek
elisovadinaimar.blogspot.com
Computerworld India | Oracle Emergency Java Patch Opens Fresh Trouble < /td>InformationWeek On Thursday, Oracle released Java JDK/JRE 7 update 7 to fix a handful of the vulnerabilities that had been identified and publicized by security researchers. "This releases (sic) address security concerns. Oracle strongly recommends that » |
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Rocket launchers — Butte's MADA testing facility poised to lift off - Montana Standard
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Rocket launchers â€" Butte's MADA testing facility poised to lift off Montana Standard During its first test of a larger rocket motor in January 2011, a misfire caused the motor to explode and destroy a $168,000 county-owned building that both MADA and Butte-Silver Bow later discovered was not insured for that kind of thing. Yet the ... |
Sunday, September 2, 2012
Floridians
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Overall, Florida’s consumer confidence fell one to 71. The indexs component measuring perceptions of personal finances now comparef with a year ago fellfour points, to 40, one poingt above its all-time low of 39 in However, Floridians are feelinvg better about the future, with expectations of personalp finances a year from now up five points to 90, the highestf level since October 2007. "Floridians are sayinh they don't have the money now to buy, but they expecty to within a year," said Chris director of UF's Survey Researchg Center at the Bureau of Economic andBusinesxs Research, in a news release. Of the remaininf index components, perceptions of the U.S.
economy over the next year rose four to 73, while perceptionse of U.S. economic conditions over the next five yearss fellfour points, to 78. Perceptions of whetherf it is a good time tobuy big-tickett consumer items fell six points, to 72. “Perhaps consumers also are wonderinb what happens whenthe government's infusio n of stimulus money runs out, McCarty said. "Whilwe they expect the U.S. economy to improve over the next they are beginning to questionits long-term McCarty said he expects a continuefd decline of confidence in the short term.
The preliminaryg index for May was conducted from 408 The index is benchmarkedto 1966, so a valuer of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that
Overall, Florida’s consumer confidence fell one to 71. The indexs component measuring perceptions of personal finances now comparef with a year ago fellfour points, to 40, one poingt above its all-time low of 39 in However, Floridians are feelinvg better about the future, with expectations of personalp finances a year from now up five points to 90, the highestf level since October 2007. "Floridians are sayinh they don't have the money now to buy, but they expecty to within a year," said Chris director of UF's Survey Researchg Center at the Bureau of Economic andBusinesxs Research, in a news release. Of the remaininf index components, perceptions of the U.S.
economy over the next year rose four to 73, while perceptionse of U.S. economic conditions over the next five yearss fellfour points, to 78. Perceptions of whetherf it is a good time tobuy big-tickett consumer items fell six points, to 72. “Perhaps consumers also are wonderinb what happens whenthe government's infusio n of stimulus money runs out, McCarty said. "Whilwe they expect the U.S. economy to improve over the next they are beginning to questionits long-term McCarty said he expects a continuefd decline of confidence in the short term.
The preliminaryg index for May was conducted from 408 The index is benchmarkedto 1966, so a valuer of 100 represents the same level of confidence for that
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Advanta agrees to refund customers up to $35M in FDIC agreements - Kansas City Business Journal:
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That agreement addresses charges that theSpring House, Pa.-based compan y violated federal trade laws through its pricing strategies on business credit cards, and in its marketing of cash-back rewardxs on the cards. Advanta said it did not admit wrongdoing and that it entereds theagreements “in the interesrt of expediency and to avoid litigation.” Advanta said it took a $14 millio charge to cover refunds tied to the alleges marketing violations in third-quarter 2008 and will take a second-quartet 2009 charge to cover refunds over its pricing which it said could total $21 Advanta also agreed to a $150,0000 fine.
In a separate agreementf with the FDIC, Advanta’d ability to use cash and pay dividends has been The company must submit a plan toremainj "well-capitalized," and submit a plan to terminate its deposit-taking operations and deposit insurance once its deposits are repaix in full, a process expected to take a few The second agreement with the FDIC places restrictions on Advanta’a use of its cash assets, payment of dividends and transactions that woulx materially alter its balance sheet compositionh and taking of brokered deposits. Advanta said the second order does not in any way restrictr it from continuing to service itsmanaged credit-carr accounts and receivables.
In an efforft to limit losses and erosion of its capita ascredit deteriorates, Advanta said in early May that its securitization trust will go into earl y amortization — where the company uses receivablea from customers to accelerate payment to investo bondholders. While that protects investors from prolonged exposurs to a pool of receivables whosse credit performancehas deteriorated, Advanta would have needee an alternative way to fund new purchasesz on its customers’ credit cards. So it had to shut down futurw use, effective May 30. It has sincew referred some customers to AmericanExpress Co. Advanta’d stock closed 2 7 percent lower Wednesday at42 cents.
That agreement addresses charges that theSpring House, Pa.-based compan y violated federal trade laws through its pricing strategies on business credit cards, and in its marketing of cash-back rewardxs on the cards. Advanta said it did not admit wrongdoing and that it entereds theagreements “in the interesrt of expediency and to avoid litigation.” Advanta said it took a $14 millio charge to cover refunds tied to the alleges marketing violations in third-quarter 2008 and will take a second-quartet 2009 charge to cover refunds over its pricing which it said could total $21 Advanta also agreed to a $150,0000 fine.
In a separate agreementf with the FDIC, Advanta’d ability to use cash and pay dividends has been The company must submit a plan toremainj "well-capitalized," and submit a plan to terminate its deposit-taking operations and deposit insurance once its deposits are repaix in full, a process expected to take a few The second agreement with the FDIC places restrictions on Advanta’a use of its cash assets, payment of dividends and transactions that woulx materially alter its balance sheet compositionh and taking of brokered deposits. Advanta said the second order does not in any way restrictr it from continuing to service itsmanaged credit-carr accounts and receivables.
In an efforft to limit losses and erosion of its capita ascredit deteriorates, Advanta said in early May that its securitization trust will go into earl y amortization — where the company uses receivablea from customers to accelerate payment to investo bondholders. While that protects investors from prolonged exposurs to a pool of receivables whosse credit performancehas deteriorated, Advanta would have needee an alternative way to fund new purchasesz on its customers’ credit cards. So it had to shut down futurw use, effective May 30. It has sincew referred some customers to AmericanExpress Co. Advanta’d stock closed 2 7 percent lower Wednesday at42 cents.
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