lydiryl.wordpress.com
Democrats have held a 32-30 majoritu in the chamber since January, followinh victories in the November 2008 It wasthe party’s first time in controlp of the chamber in almost 45 On Monday afternoon, though, two downstate Pedro Espada Jr. and Hiram Monseratte—votedd with all 30 Republicans tomake Sen. Dean a Republican, the Senate’s new majority leader. Chao s erupted in the Senate chamber. The live-feed of Senat e proceedings was promptly turned off after the Senate Republicans heraldeda “new, bipartisaj coalition.
” “Today will be rememberede in state history as a day when real changre and real reform began and dysfunction ended,” Skelos said in a Sen. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, was majority leader for the His spokesman blasted the voteas “illegal and unlawful.” “This was an illegal and unlawfupl attempt to gain control of the Senatde and reverse the will of the people who votede for a Democratic majority,” said spokesman Austin “Nothing has changed. Sen. Malcoln A. Smith remains the duly elected temporaryu president andmajority leader. The real Senat majority is anxious to get backto governing, and will take immediatew steps to get us back to work.
” from Rockland County, had been majority leader for the seconf half of 2008, following the departure of formerf Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno (R-Brunswick). Skelos had been Senate Minoritgy Leadersince then. Democrats remain in control of thestat Assembly, by a 107-41 majority.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Standard Register chief says company poised for growth - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
tiqosi.wordpress.com
Dennis Rediker, president and chief executive officer of StandardfRegister (NYSE: SR), made thosed comments during the company's annual shareholders meetingv Thursday while giving an update on the company's growthg strategy. "We are positioned now with our cost structure toleveragr growth," Rediker said. "The challenge will be to grow." The meeting took place at the company's Dayton headquarterss with about 50 people in Standard Register, local document services provider, announceed a cost reduction plan in July 2007 to reduce its annua operating costs by $40 million.
The companyh cut 250 jobs -- 70 of whic where in Dayton -- and consolidated its Middlebury, Vt., planr in June last year and saw $35 million in savingas from the plan during the seconc halfof 2007. Rediker said in order for the companu to grow it needs to investin technology, products and services and He said Standard Register needs to change the mix by achievingg double-digit increases in growth segments such as maintain a good cost structure, have double-digig earnings growth and generate cash to fund operations, dividendsw and retirement.
Rediker said he believes the company is undervaluerd in its stock price which is why he and Bob vice president ofinvestor relations, and Craig Brown, chiegf financial officer, have been pro-actively marketing the company to investore since November 2007 to drivd the stock price up. "This is not a good time for smalkl cap companies but we need to present our storyto would-b investors, so when we the time is right, we are well he said. Also at the shareholders approved an increase to the numbere of board members from seven to elected two new membersand re-electedc current members.
David Bailis, who runs his own consultinyg company; Michael Kohlsdorf, president, chief executivs officer of , and; Eric McCarthey, president of 'sd 7-Eleven Global business team. Roy Begley, senior vice president and investment officer at group ofJohn Schiff, chairmaj and chief executive officer of and John manufacturer representative with David Clarke, chairmanm of Standard Register providess document services to the health care, financial manufacturing and other industries. It employs about 3,700 peoples overall and 550 in Dayton.
Dennis Rediker, president and chief executive officer of StandardfRegister (NYSE: SR), made thosed comments during the company's annual shareholders meetingv Thursday while giving an update on the company's growthg strategy. "We are positioned now with our cost structure toleveragr growth," Rediker said. "The challenge will be to grow." The meeting took place at the company's Dayton headquarterss with about 50 people in Standard Register, local document services provider, announceed a cost reduction plan in July 2007 to reduce its annua operating costs by $40 million.
The companyh cut 250 jobs -- 70 of whic where in Dayton -- and consolidated its Middlebury, Vt., planr in June last year and saw $35 million in savingas from the plan during the seconc halfof 2007. Rediker said in order for the companu to grow it needs to investin technology, products and services and He said Standard Register needs to change the mix by achievingg double-digit increases in growth segments such as maintain a good cost structure, have double-digig earnings growth and generate cash to fund operations, dividendsw and retirement.
Rediker said he believes the company is undervaluerd in its stock price which is why he and Bob vice president ofinvestor relations, and Craig Brown, chiegf financial officer, have been pro-actively marketing the company to investore since November 2007 to drivd the stock price up. "This is not a good time for smalkl cap companies but we need to present our storyto would-b investors, so when we the time is right, we are well he said. Also at the shareholders approved an increase to the numbere of board members from seven to elected two new membersand re-electedc current members.
David Bailis, who runs his own consultinyg company; Michael Kohlsdorf, president, chief executivs officer of , and; Eric McCarthey, president of 'sd 7-Eleven Global business team. Roy Begley, senior vice president and investment officer at group ofJohn Schiff, chairmaj and chief executive officer of and John manufacturer representative with David Clarke, chairmanm of Standard Register providess document services to the health care, financial manufacturing and other industries. It employs about 3,700 peoples overall and 550 in Dayton.
Friday, May 27, 2011
ESPN to share Spanish soccer rights with GolTV - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
esyy23mozy.blogspot.com
One member of La Liga, Real has made headlines recently acquiringh two of the biggest names in thesport -- Kaka and Cristianoi Ronaldo. Ronaldo's transfer recently made waves for being the most expensiver transfer inthe sport's Matches will be shown on both ESPN1 and ESPN Deportes, as well as ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com will also have rights to Copa del Rey, Spain’sw domestic cup tournament. "We’re thrilled to work with GolTVb to showcase La Liga on ESPN for the first time to soccer fans inthe U.S.
With the pendinvg addition of Cristiano Ronaldoand Kaka, the timing is great to include this great propertt to the ESPN Deportes line-up, as it is the most excitin soccer league in the world today," Lino Garcia, genera l manager of ESPN Deportes, said in a
One member of La Liga, Real has made headlines recently acquiringh two of the biggest names in thesport -- Kaka and Cristianoi Ronaldo. Ronaldo's transfer recently made waves for being the most expensiver transfer inthe sport's Matches will be shown on both ESPN1 and ESPN Deportes, as well as ESPN Deportes and ESPN360.com will also have rights to Copa del Rey, Spain’sw domestic cup tournament. "We’re thrilled to work with GolTVb to showcase La Liga on ESPN for the first time to soccer fans inthe U.S.
With the pendinvg addition of Cristiano Ronaldoand Kaka, the timing is great to include this great propertt to the ESPN Deportes line-up, as it is the most excitin soccer league in the world today," Lino Garcia, genera l manager of ESPN Deportes, said in a
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
The Minneapolis Foundation Announces Grants to Help Twin Cities Residents Affected by Economic Downturn
corrugated steel siding
"Many people - including many Minneapolis Foundation donors - have been lookin g for ways to help others throughh these tough times, but they haven't been sure what to do or how to make sure that theire contributions get to people who most need help, " said , vice presidentf for development and client serviceds at The Minneapolis Foundation. "The Crisis Assistance Fund has helped donors make a bigger impact by combining and leveragingtheier contributions, and by directing donationsx to programs that can provide immediate services to peoplse in need.
" To create the Crisids Assistance Fund, The Minneapolis Foundation partneredd with its existing donors (individuals or familiesa who have established charitable funds at the Foundationn through which they conduct theidr charitable giving). These donors contributed more than $300,009 to the Crisis Assistancr Fund, in amounts ranging from $50 to $60,000. The donors' contributionss were supplemented bythe Foundation's who contributed $100,000, and the Foundation which committed $100,000. Donations to the Crisis Assistance Fund were given in additionto donors' ongoing grantmaking activities.
"With the high level of unemployment, rising cost of healtjh care and lossof benefits, many families are strugglint and have had to look for a helping hand," said , a donort to the Crisis Assistance Fund. they may be on the otherd side of the equation and be the ones to assist Inthe meantime, we are pleasedc to provide some assistance and woulx encourage others who have been fortunatwe to help in creating better opportunities for all.
" To determine how best to distribute the The Minneapolis Foundation: -- Worked with localk nonprofit agencies to determine some of the most criticao human service needs related to the economifc downturn -- Researched the activitiesa of other foundations in the Twin Cities area, to reduce duplicatiomn -- Identified agencies whicyh could immediately put the funding to beneficial use The Minneapolie Foundation determined it could deliver the greatest and most immediate impacg by providing food, energy, and housinbg assistance through agencies serving West Metro area residents. -- St.
Stephenw Human Services -- Elim Transitional Housing -- Minnesota Indiah Women's Resource Center -- Community Actiob of Suburban HennepinCounty -- Freeport West -- Greatetr Twin Cities United Way, Basic Needsw Program (with distributions to 11 food shelves and 2 food banks including Second Harvest) "We receiveed $30,000 from The Minneapolis Foundation, which we then leveraged to obtaijn federal funds available at a two-for-onr match," said , Directof of Fiscal Services for Community Action of Minneapolis.
"The totapl $90,000 has helped hundreds of localresidents - most of whom are working but poor and who exceerd eligibility guidelines by only $100 or $200 per monthb - to pay their heating bills." This month, The Minneapolis Foundation will distribute additional donations received for the Crisia Assistance Fund. In the fall, grant recipients will submi final reports, documenting how fundx were used, and donors will be invited to attends a Community Briefing and Agency Site Visits to hear from agenciew about the outcomes ofthe grants. "It has been rewardinb to combine the gifts of donors and distribute them in a targeted way forgreater impact.
Many people have both the will and the meansd to help others through tough and ourrole - to providse a venue for this generosity - is gratifying," said Taylor. Select nonprofitr organizations were invited to apply for the funds earlhythis year. To be eligible to receive nonprofit organizations had to demonstrate theirf capacity to provide immediatew and directcrisis assistance, along with their ability to leverage additional funds, with at leastg 95 percent of funds providingf direct service (versus covering administrative costs). Individuals and families interested in contributinv to this effort are encouraged to support these and other human serviceagenciees directly.
Established in 1915, The Minneapoliss Foundation is one of the oldest community foundations in the It was created to help individuals accomplish their charitable goals and to addresxs the needs of the especially people whoare disadvantaged. The Minneapolis Foundatioh managesnearly $500 milliohn in assets and administers more than 1,000 charitablew funds created by individuals, families and businesse in Minnesota. In accordance with donors' the Foundation distributes morethan $30 milliohn in grants each year, and through an endowmenft distributes an additional $6 millio n in grants annually to serves community needs.
In addition, The Minneapolis Foundation works with other communituy leaders to improve the qualitt of life in our region and serve as a catalyst for discussion and action oncritical
"Many people - including many Minneapolis Foundation donors - have been lookin g for ways to help others throughh these tough times, but they haven't been sure what to do or how to make sure that theire contributions get to people who most need help, " said , vice presidentf for development and client serviceds at The Minneapolis Foundation. "The Crisis Assistance Fund has helped donors make a bigger impact by combining and leveragingtheier contributions, and by directing donationsx to programs that can provide immediate services to peoplse in need.
" To create the Crisids Assistance Fund, The Minneapolis Foundation partneredd with its existing donors (individuals or familiesa who have established charitable funds at the Foundationn through which they conduct theidr charitable giving). These donors contributed more than $300,009 to the Crisis Assistancr Fund, in amounts ranging from $50 to $60,000. The donors' contributionss were supplemented bythe Foundation's who contributed $100,000, and the Foundation which committed $100,000. Donations to the Crisis Assistance Fund were given in additionto donors' ongoing grantmaking activities.
"With the high level of unemployment, rising cost of healtjh care and lossof benefits, many families are strugglint and have had to look for a helping hand," said , a donort to the Crisis Assistance Fund. they may be on the otherd side of the equation and be the ones to assist Inthe meantime, we are pleasedc to provide some assistance and woulx encourage others who have been fortunatwe to help in creating better opportunities for all.
" To determine how best to distribute the The Minneapolis Foundation: -- Worked with localk nonprofit agencies to determine some of the most criticao human service needs related to the economifc downturn -- Researched the activitiesa of other foundations in the Twin Cities area, to reduce duplicatiomn -- Identified agencies whicyh could immediately put the funding to beneficial use The Minneapolie Foundation determined it could deliver the greatest and most immediate impacg by providing food, energy, and housinbg assistance through agencies serving West Metro area residents. -- St.
Stephenw Human Services -- Elim Transitional Housing -- Minnesota Indiah Women's Resource Center -- Community Actiob of Suburban HennepinCounty -- Freeport West -- Greatetr Twin Cities United Way, Basic Needsw Program (with distributions to 11 food shelves and 2 food banks including Second Harvest) "We receiveed $30,000 from The Minneapolis Foundation, which we then leveraged to obtaijn federal funds available at a two-for-onr match," said , Directof of Fiscal Services for Community Action of Minneapolis.
"The totapl $90,000 has helped hundreds of localresidents - most of whom are working but poor and who exceerd eligibility guidelines by only $100 or $200 per monthb - to pay their heating bills." This month, The Minneapolis Foundation will distribute additional donations received for the Crisia Assistance Fund. In the fall, grant recipients will submi final reports, documenting how fundx were used, and donors will be invited to attends a Community Briefing and Agency Site Visits to hear from agenciew about the outcomes ofthe grants. "It has been rewardinb to combine the gifts of donors and distribute them in a targeted way forgreater impact.
Many people have both the will and the meansd to help others through tough and ourrole - to providse a venue for this generosity - is gratifying," said Taylor. Select nonprofitr organizations were invited to apply for the funds earlhythis year. To be eligible to receive nonprofit organizations had to demonstrate theirf capacity to provide immediatew and directcrisis assistance, along with their ability to leverage additional funds, with at leastg 95 percent of funds providingf direct service (versus covering administrative costs). Individuals and families interested in contributinv to this effort are encouraged to support these and other human serviceagenciees directly.
Established in 1915, The Minneapoliss Foundation is one of the oldest community foundations in the It was created to help individuals accomplish their charitable goals and to addresxs the needs of the especially people whoare disadvantaged. The Minneapolis Foundatioh managesnearly $500 milliohn in assets and administers more than 1,000 charitablew funds created by individuals, families and businesse in Minnesota. In accordance with donors' the Foundation distributes morethan $30 milliohn in grants each year, and through an endowmenft distributes an additional $6 millio n in grants annually to serves community needs.
In addition, The Minneapolis Foundation works with other communituy leaders to improve the qualitt of life in our region and serve as a catalyst for discussion and action oncritical
Sunday, May 22, 2011
GM enters bankruptcy filing - Orlando Business Journal:
Aluminum siding
Monday’s Chapter 11 filing by the 101-year-olds automaker — once the world’s biggestr company and WesternNew York’s largest manufacturing employer for decadesz — is among the largest in U.S. historhy and largest-ever U.S. manufacturing Chapter 11, which allows the company to operatse while protected fromits creditors, pushesa GM into a fast-traco bankruptcy and provides $30 billion of additional taxpayer fundz to restructure itself.
Generak Motors CEO Fritz Henderson said in a preparedx statement that GM was being reinventef and that the company is ready for the jobat "The economic crisis has caused enormous disruption in the auto but with it has come the opportunity for us to reinveny our business. We are going to do it once and do it The court-supervised process we are pursuing providess us with powerful tools to accelerate and complete our reinvention, as well as strong safeguards for our customeras and our business," he said. The GM plan as detailed by U.S. officialsz would allow a much smaller GM to emerge from courft protection within 60 to90 days. GM also planzs to close 11 U.S.
facilities and idle anothee three plants by the endof 2010. GM’s Tonawandas engine plant, where 1,100 people will remain open. The automaker has not provided an updatee target for job cuts but was lookiny toeliminate 21,000 U.S. factory jobs from the 54,009 union members it now employs. Also not immediatelt clear is what GM’s bankruptcy filing will mean for ’s plante in Lockport, Rochester and three General Motors plans to take back the facilitiexs from the former parts subsidiary that it spun off in according to a tentative deal reached last week betweeh GM andthe UAW.
The factoriees in New York, Michigan and Indiana would operateeunder Delphi’s union rules, but be considered part of GM, once The Lockport plant — Delphi Thermal Systems, whichj has 2,100 employees — was founded as Harrison Radiato r Co. in 1910 and became part of GM in 1918. For 81 yeares it operated under General Motorsx ownership until the independentDelpho Corp. was formed. Delphi itself is operating under bankruptcy court supervision having file d for Chapter 11 inOctobedr 2005. The Troy, Mich.-based company was ready to emergse from bankruptcy in April 2008 but thoser plans fell apart when a key investor droppeds out ofa $2.5t5 billion stock deal with the supplier.
General Motors employs 92,00 0 in the United States and is indirectlt responsiblefor 500,000 retirees. The U.S. government wouldc hold a 60 percent financial interest in a reorganized GM and the UAW would takea 17.5 percen t stake. The governments of Canada and the provincre of Ontario have agreed to a 12 percent ownership stakde in exchange forfinancial aid. GM bondholders would get 10 In anews release, the automaker said it woulsd focus on the following priorities when emerging from Focus on four core brandxs in the U.S. – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buicki and GMC - with fewer nameplates and a more competitive leveol of marketing supportper brand.
Monday’s Chapter 11 filing by the 101-year-olds automaker — once the world’s biggestr company and WesternNew York’s largest manufacturing employer for decadesz — is among the largest in U.S. historhy and largest-ever U.S. manufacturing Chapter 11, which allows the company to operatse while protected fromits creditors, pushesa GM into a fast-traco bankruptcy and provides $30 billion of additional taxpayer fundz to restructure itself.
Generak Motors CEO Fritz Henderson said in a preparedx statement that GM was being reinventef and that the company is ready for the jobat "The economic crisis has caused enormous disruption in the auto but with it has come the opportunity for us to reinveny our business. We are going to do it once and do it The court-supervised process we are pursuing providess us with powerful tools to accelerate and complete our reinvention, as well as strong safeguards for our customeras and our business," he said. The GM plan as detailed by U.S. officialsz would allow a much smaller GM to emerge from courft protection within 60 to90 days. GM also planzs to close 11 U.S.
facilities and idle anothee three plants by the endof 2010. GM’s Tonawandas engine plant, where 1,100 people will remain open. The automaker has not provided an updatee target for job cuts but was lookiny toeliminate 21,000 U.S. factory jobs from the 54,009 union members it now employs. Also not immediatelt clear is what GM’s bankruptcy filing will mean for ’s plante in Lockport, Rochester and three General Motors plans to take back the facilitiexs from the former parts subsidiary that it spun off in according to a tentative deal reached last week betweeh GM andthe UAW.
The factoriees in New York, Michigan and Indiana would operateeunder Delphi’s union rules, but be considered part of GM, once The Lockport plant — Delphi Thermal Systems, whichj has 2,100 employees — was founded as Harrison Radiato r Co. in 1910 and became part of GM in 1918. For 81 yeares it operated under General Motorsx ownership until the independentDelpho Corp. was formed. Delphi itself is operating under bankruptcy court supervision having file d for Chapter 11 inOctobedr 2005. The Troy, Mich.-based company was ready to emergse from bankruptcy in April 2008 but thoser plans fell apart when a key investor droppeds out ofa $2.5t5 billion stock deal with the supplier.
General Motors employs 92,00 0 in the United States and is indirectlt responsiblefor 500,000 retirees. The U.S. government wouldc hold a 60 percent financial interest in a reorganized GM and the UAW would takea 17.5 percen t stake. The governments of Canada and the provincre of Ontario have agreed to a 12 percent ownership stakde in exchange forfinancial aid. GM bondholders would get 10 In anews release, the automaker said it woulsd focus on the following priorities when emerging from Focus on four core brandxs in the U.S. – Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buicki and GMC - with fewer nameplates and a more competitive leveol of marketing supportper brand.
Friday, May 20, 2011
Wells Fargo: Growth possible in second half - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):
http://hlreservations.com/global-developmen/want-inferior-use-less-apportion-solon-a-roadmap-to-21st-century-world-equality/
“I am fairly optimistic that this thingt iswinding down,” said Jim Paulsen, chiefg investment strategist for Wells Fargo Capital “I’m also optimistic that the economy, at least for a will recover sooner and stronge than most have anticipated ... I think we’re goingy to be growing in the second half of this Paulsen made his remarks during a presentation at the Wellw Fargo Theatre in the ColoradoConvention Center. The breakfas event was hosted by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper also spoke aboutthe city’s effortw to stimulate the locao economy. U.S. stocks have been climbing sinces March, and consumer confidence is Paulsen noted.
Reassuring “healthy players,” so they will begib investing and spendingmoney again, is key to stimulatin g the economy, he said. “The most outstanding featurde ofwhat we’ve been through isn’ t so much the fundamental problems that we have in the economy,” Paulsen said. “We do have those, they’re serious. But the most outstandinh characteristic is how we reacted to it asa nation. policy officials, investors, businesses, we just panicked. That’s what standse out about this morethan anything.
” The credir problems the nation faces are no different from the savings-and-loaj problems of the 1990s or the farm and oil difficultiees of the 1980s, he “When you mix together the fundamental problems with fear, you get a crisis,” he said. A change in accounting rules a couple of yearxs ago made credit problemslook worse, he The new rules required financial institutions to value asseta — such as loans — based on currentg market prices, a practice known as “mark to market” When credit markets froze up, the lack of bids for thosw types of assets meant they had to be writteh down severely, even if the bank hadn’ty sold them and the underlying fundamentals hadn’t changed.
“Whatr has made it seem so off-the-charts is not bad debtss that arewritten off; we had a lot of that in othefr periods. It’s good debts that are being writtem down in price notbecause they’re not paying on not because credit analysis [says] they won’t pay off over but simply because of lack of currenrt bids in the Paulsen said. In early the Financial Accounting Standards Boardeased mark-to-market rules, which should he said. Consumers and businesses also are sitting on vast amountesof cash, more so than at any time sincwe the early 1980s, Paulsejn said. Once they feel secure enough to begin spending it, that cash will accelerate the economic recovery.
Mayorf Hickenlooper, meanwhile, said that the city was doing its best to acceleratew infrastructure projects in ordert to stimulate thelocal economy. “In November 2007, we passed the Better Denver bond $550 million in infrastructure Hickenlooper said. “This last November, Denve Public Schools passed about $450 million of infrastructurr for theschool district. Typically, those bond projects take 10 to 12 yearz to plan andbuild out. We ... have been tryingt to accelerate that. Our goal is to get 90 percentg of that money spent in the next three years. So right there’s $1 billion over threw years.
” The city has implemented other programs, including efforts to make public building s more environmentally sustainableor “green,” and an upcominv “home renovation bonanza” that will waive certain permi fees between June 1-15 to encourage Denvetr residents to renovate or upgrade thei homes. The key challenge now is lack of Hickenlooper said. “‘The Todau Show’ last week presented a national studyy that said that Denver will bethe No. 1. city to in terms of real estate, from this Hickenlooper said. “It’s great news. Many of us know that thingsz are going betterin Denver.
Our airport has held up betterr thanother airports; our sales tax revenue loss has been less than others. We know and yet our sales tax revenues still continueto drop. We were down 10 percent in February compared with theprevious February, and in Marchn we were down 15 percenrt compared with the previous March. That’a just psychology. We know that we’re doing that we haven’t been hit as and yet people still feel somehowat
“I am fairly optimistic that this thingt iswinding down,” said Jim Paulsen, chiefg investment strategist for Wells Fargo Capital “I’m also optimistic that the economy, at least for a will recover sooner and stronge than most have anticipated ... I think we’re goingy to be growing in the second half of this Paulsen made his remarks during a presentation at the Wellw Fargo Theatre in the ColoradoConvention Center. The breakfas event was hosted by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper also spoke aboutthe city’s effortw to stimulate the locao economy. U.S. stocks have been climbing sinces March, and consumer confidence is Paulsen noted.
Reassuring “healthy players,” so they will begib investing and spendingmoney again, is key to stimulatin g the economy, he said. “The most outstanding featurde ofwhat we’ve been through isn’ t so much the fundamental problems that we have in the economy,” Paulsen said. “We do have those, they’re serious. But the most outstandinh characteristic is how we reacted to it asa nation. policy officials, investors, businesses, we just panicked. That’s what standse out about this morethan anything.
” The credir problems the nation faces are no different from the savings-and-loaj problems of the 1990s or the farm and oil difficultiees of the 1980s, he “When you mix together the fundamental problems with fear, you get a crisis,” he said. A change in accounting rules a couple of yearxs ago made credit problemslook worse, he The new rules required financial institutions to value asseta — such as loans — based on currentg market prices, a practice known as “mark to market” When credit markets froze up, the lack of bids for thosw types of assets meant they had to be writteh down severely, even if the bank hadn’ty sold them and the underlying fundamentals hadn’t changed.
“Whatr has made it seem so off-the-charts is not bad debtss that arewritten off; we had a lot of that in othefr periods. It’s good debts that are being writtem down in price notbecause they’re not paying on not because credit analysis [says] they won’t pay off over but simply because of lack of currenrt bids in the Paulsen said. In early the Financial Accounting Standards Boardeased mark-to-market rules, which should he said. Consumers and businesses also are sitting on vast amountesof cash, more so than at any time sincwe the early 1980s, Paulsejn said. Once they feel secure enough to begin spending it, that cash will accelerate the economic recovery.
Mayorf Hickenlooper, meanwhile, said that the city was doing its best to acceleratew infrastructure projects in ordert to stimulate thelocal economy. “In November 2007, we passed the Better Denver bond $550 million in infrastructure Hickenlooper said. “This last November, Denve Public Schools passed about $450 million of infrastructurr for theschool district. Typically, those bond projects take 10 to 12 yearz to plan andbuild out. We ... have been tryingt to accelerate that. Our goal is to get 90 percentg of that money spent in the next three years. So right there’s $1 billion over threw years.
” The city has implemented other programs, including efforts to make public building s more environmentally sustainableor “green,” and an upcominv “home renovation bonanza” that will waive certain permi fees between June 1-15 to encourage Denvetr residents to renovate or upgrade thei homes. The key challenge now is lack of Hickenlooper said. “‘The Todau Show’ last week presented a national studyy that said that Denver will bethe No. 1. city to in terms of real estate, from this Hickenlooper said. “It’s great news. Many of us know that thingsz are going betterin Denver.
Our airport has held up betterr thanother airports; our sales tax revenue loss has been less than others. We know and yet our sales tax revenues still continueto drop. We were down 10 percent in February compared with theprevious February, and in Marchn we were down 15 percenrt compared with the previous March. That’a just psychology. We know that we’re doing that we haven’t been hit as and yet people still feel somehowat
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
La visite historique d'Élisabeth II en Irlande - Le Figaro
uqyvemiwu.wordpress.com
Le Figaro | La visite historique d'Élisabeth II en Irlande Le Figaro Cent ans après le déplacement de son grand-père, l'arrivée ce mardi après-midi à Dublin d'Élisabeth II marque donc une étape historique pour la normalisation des relations entre les deux pays. «L'Irlande a pendant longtemps été une colonie britannique, ... |
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Tessa Jowell: The rhetoric is fine, but what about the action? - The Independent
esyy23mozy.blogspot.com
Tessa Jowell: The rhetoric is fine, but what about the action? The Independent As it says in ACEVO's report, "if we want people to take more responsibility... we will need to give them the encouragement and the vehicles to do so... Government's role must be one of acting as partner, catalyst and mobiliser." I agree. ... |
Friday, May 13, 2011
Online job postings up in Honolulu - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):
http://consumerist.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-cp.cgi?__mode=view&blog_id=1&id=1569483
Honolulu had 13,900 online job postings in May, comparedr to 11,600 in April and up from 10,80o in May 2008. Job postingse in Hawaii have been up since The state wasup 1,500 job postings in May to 17,100, a 1.5 percent increasd from 15,600 in April. It’s down almost 23 perceng from 22,100 in May 2008. “The May bounce in labod demand is a verywelcome sign,” Conference Board seniorr economist Gad Levanon said in a news “While April was weak, by May employers were placing ads for workers in numerous locationzs across the nation.
Over the last four months, there are now abougt a half dozen states where the drop in labor demanxd shows signs of leveling off and anothed handful of states show some verymoderate increases.” The nonprofi t Conference Board is a leading businessa membership and research organization. It producesa the Consumer Confidence Index and Leading Economic Indicators for the Unitex States andmajor nations.
Honolulu had 13,900 online job postings in May, comparedr to 11,600 in April and up from 10,80o in May 2008. Job postingse in Hawaii have been up since The state wasup 1,500 job postings in May to 17,100, a 1.5 percent increasd from 15,600 in April. It’s down almost 23 perceng from 22,100 in May 2008. “The May bounce in labod demand is a verywelcome sign,” Conference Board seniorr economist Gad Levanon said in a news “While April was weak, by May employers were placing ads for workers in numerous locationzs across the nation.
Over the last four months, there are now abougt a half dozen states where the drop in labor demanxd shows signs of leveling off and anothed handful of states show some verymoderate increases.” The nonprofi t Conference Board is a leading businessa membership and research organization. It producesa the Consumer Confidence Index and Leading Economic Indicators for the Unitex States andmajor nations.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Survey: Speeders less common in Denver - Triangle Business Journal:
hustenuejib1630.blogspot.com
Denver, Cleveland and Portland tied for having the lowest percentage ofmotorists -- 51 percent -- who see othee drivers speeding every day out of 25 U.S. citiex surveyed, according to the fourth annual "Im the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey." At the othedr extreme, San Diego and Houston drivers were the most likel to see speederseach day, at 58 percenrt each, AutoVantage said. As for the survey's key statistics -- the citiess with the most and least roadrage -- Denve was not ranked in the top five in either New York was cited as the city with the worstr road rage in the 2009 survey, replacing 2008 "winner" Miamiu at No. 1. Dallas-Fort Worth was No.
2 for 2009, followedr by Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Ore., was ranked as having the mostcourteous drivers, followed by Baltimore, Sacramento and Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh ranked No. 1 last • Drivers who talk on their cellphones (84 percent see this everyh day). • Driving too fast (58 • Tailgating (53 percent). • Drivers eating or drinkinb whiledriving (48 • Cutting over into a lane without noticee (43 percent). • Textingy or emailing while drivin (37 percent). • Doing other thingx -- such as putting on makeup, shaving or readintg -- behind the wheel (27 percent). • Slamming on the brakesz (25 percent).
• Running red lights (22 percent). In response to such bad 43 percent of drivers surveyed said they honk their while 36 percent admitted to cursint the other driver and 10 percentr made anobscene gesture. The survey was conductedx for AutoVantage by PrinceMarket Research. A total of 2,518 drivers in 25 metro areas were interviewed by phonebetween Jan. 8 and March 24. The marginb of error is plus or minus 2 percent for thetotaol sample. AutoVantage, a membership auto is a unit of . .
Denver, Cleveland and Portland tied for having the lowest percentage ofmotorists -- 51 percent -- who see othee drivers speeding every day out of 25 U.S. citiex surveyed, according to the fourth annual "Im the Driver's Seat Road Rage Survey." At the othedr extreme, San Diego and Houston drivers were the most likel to see speederseach day, at 58 percenrt each, AutoVantage said. As for the survey's key statistics -- the citiess with the most and least roadrage -- Denve was not ranked in the top five in either New York was cited as the city with the worstr road rage in the 2009 survey, replacing 2008 "winner" Miamiu at No. 1. Dallas-Fort Worth was No.
2 for 2009, followedr by Detroit, Atlanta and Minneapolis-St. Paul. Ore., was ranked as having the mostcourteous drivers, followed by Baltimore, Sacramento and Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh ranked No. 1 last • Drivers who talk on their cellphones (84 percent see this everyh day). • Driving too fast (58 • Tailgating (53 percent). • Drivers eating or drinkinb whiledriving (48 • Cutting over into a lane without noticee (43 percent). • Textingy or emailing while drivin (37 percent). • Doing other thingx -- such as putting on makeup, shaving or readintg -- behind the wheel (27 percent). • Slamming on the brakesz (25 percent).
• Running red lights (22 percent). In response to such bad 43 percent of drivers surveyed said they honk their while 36 percent admitted to cursint the other driver and 10 percentr made anobscene gesture. The survey was conductedx for AutoVantage by PrinceMarket Research. A total of 2,518 drivers in 25 metro areas were interviewed by phonebetween Jan. 8 and March 24. The marginb of error is plus or minus 2 percent for thetotaol sample. AutoVantage, a membership auto is a unit of . .
Sunday, May 8, 2011
Amazing Mail helping nonprofits raise money, spread their messages - Kansas City Business Journal:
inofiquxi.wordpress.com
“Our platform lends itself extremely well to thisbusinesss sector,” said Chris Lynde, CEO of Scottsdale-base d , an electronic mail service used for a varietg of marketing, advertising and personal mailintg needs. “For any kind of advocacy program, the mail is a very powerful medium,” said Pete Vanderlee, the company’s vice presidentf of marketing. Amazing Causes allows any nonprofit to establish a relationship withAmazing Mail. The company install s a “widget” on the nonprofit’s Web site that allowsd visitors to buy and sendpostcards electronically.
Typically, a card costs betweeb $1 and $2, including postage, which is paid for by the individual user. The cards, containing the nonprofit’s logo and message, can be sent individuallyt to the user’s friends or be part of a larger campaign toattract donors. One program under way is an effort to support Ahava Kids, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that rescues children from the sex and human slavery trades. Visitorsd to Ahava’s Web site can purchase a card and writre messages of hope and support tothe children. Those cardsd are sent to the nonprofit’s headquarters and then distributex to rescued youth atsafe “We really love this.
This has been said Ray Bechard, Ahava’s founder and “It helps to raise awareness, and our younb people actually get cards and messages fromother It’s so very powerful.” The effort increases awareneses about Ahava Kids and helps raised money for the group, Bechard said. For everty $2 card, about 70 cents is donated to Ahava after postage, processing and All aspects of the campaignj are handled by Amazinb Mail, officials said. “We have a consultant on the fronr end. It doesn’t cost the nonprofit anything, and we recovedr our costs through the traffic and the Vanderlee said. Amazing Mail has about 70 full- and part-time employees.
The program is open to all legitimate nonprofitsw withestablished histories, Vanderlee Bechard said he’s thrilled with the resultsz after only a few weeks with the “This is a really new and it is the first of many campaigns that we will be workingf on with them,” he said. Amazing Mail: www.amazingmail.com Ahava www.ahavakids.org
“Our platform lends itself extremely well to thisbusinesss sector,” said Chris Lynde, CEO of Scottsdale-base d , an electronic mail service used for a varietg of marketing, advertising and personal mailintg needs. “For any kind of advocacy program, the mail is a very powerful medium,” said Pete Vanderlee, the company’s vice presidentf of marketing. Amazing Causes allows any nonprofit to establish a relationship withAmazing Mail. The company install s a “widget” on the nonprofit’s Web site that allowsd visitors to buy and sendpostcards electronically.
Typically, a card costs betweeb $1 and $2, including postage, which is paid for by the individual user. The cards, containing the nonprofit’s logo and message, can be sent individuallyt to the user’s friends or be part of a larger campaign toattract donors. One program under way is an effort to support Ahava Kids, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that rescues children from the sex and human slavery trades. Visitorsd to Ahava’s Web site can purchase a card and writre messages of hope and support tothe children. Those cardsd are sent to the nonprofit’s headquarters and then distributex to rescued youth atsafe “We really love this.
This has been said Ray Bechard, Ahava’s founder and “It helps to raise awareness, and our younb people actually get cards and messages fromother It’s so very powerful.” The effort increases awareneses about Ahava Kids and helps raised money for the group, Bechard said. For everty $2 card, about 70 cents is donated to Ahava after postage, processing and All aspects of the campaignj are handled by Amazinb Mail, officials said. “We have a consultant on the fronr end. It doesn’t cost the nonprofit anything, and we recovedr our costs through the traffic and the Vanderlee said. Amazing Mail has about 70 full- and part-time employees.
The program is open to all legitimate nonprofitsw withestablished histories, Vanderlee Bechard said he’s thrilled with the resultsz after only a few weeks with the “This is a really new and it is the first of many campaigns that we will be workingf on with them,” he said. Amazing Mail: www.amazingmail.com Ahava www.ahavakids.org
Friday, May 6, 2011
Real Estate Roundup - Washington Business Journal:
zuloraxelewo.blogspot.com
Portland, from Weston Investment Co. LLC. It is one of the largesyt office deals in downtown inrecent months. The Indianm Health Board, established in 1972, will move from its currenyt location at527 S.W. Hall St. Jake Lancaste r of Grubb & Ellis Co. represented the Steve Root of American Property Managementrepresentede Weston. • Level 3 Communications LLC renewed its leaserfor 4,724 square feet at the Pittock 921 S.W. Washington St., Portland, from ALCO Investment Co. Kevinh Kaufman of CB Richard Ellis representedLevel 3; the landlordc represented itself. • Telelanguage Inc. signed a new leasr for 4,401 square feet at the Portland Exchange 520 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland.
NAI Norris, Beggs Simpson represented the tenant; Ryan Livesay of Pacifiv Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the property. • Stearnd Lending Inc. leased 3,722 square feet at Hamptoj Square, 6950 S.W. Hampton, Tigard, from Weston Investmentf Co. LLC. Steve Root of American Propertyh Management representedthe • Peters & Company PC signed a new leasw for 2,170 square feet at the Sellinb Building, 610 S.W. Alder St., with the Schlesinge r Companies. Kristin Hammond and Mark McFarland of Pacifiv Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the Bill Smith of NAI Beggs & Simpson represented the • SCR Inc. leased 2,000 square feet at 8680 S.W.
Old Tualatinm Sherwood Road, Tualatin, from Kmotioj Inc. Ian Giammanco of Bluestone & Hockley Real Estatse Services representedthe tenant; Scott Pierce of NAI Norris, Begges & Simpson represented the landlord. •Remedy Intelligent Staffing leased 1,639 square feet at The Merrick, 6646 N.E. 78th Portland, from API Properties 1047 LLC. Mark McFarland of Pacififc Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the Rob Kimmelman of Commercial Realty Advisors representedthe • Pioneer Floor Covering Inc. leased 5,85w3 square feet at Arcticf Business Park, 5657 S.W. Arcticf Drive, Beaverton, from Pacific NW Properties LP.
Cliff Finnelll of GVA Kidder Mathews representedthe • Carlan Enterprises Inc., operating as Stauffer-Cisco Supply, leasee 5,622 square feet at Bridgeport Woods Businesse Park, 7532 S.W. Bridgeport Road, from Bridgeport Woods BusinessPark LLC. Peterr Stalick and Steven Klein of GVA Kidde Mathews representedthe tenant; Dave Kiersey of Kierseh & McMillan Inc. represented the property. • Stavelyu Services North Americaleased 4,860 square feet at Kittridgs Distribution Center, 4943 N.W. Frontr Ave., Portland, from LIT Industrialk Limited Partnership. Tony Reser and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kidder Matheww brokeredthe transaction. • Red Wing Brandd of America Inc.
leased 3,840 squar e feet at the NorstarBusinesds Center, 8611 N. Albin a Ave., Portland, from Norstar 8405 N. Albina Ave. LLC. Tony Resef and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kidder Mathews brokerexthe transaction. • Biscuits Cafe leasee 3,121 square feet at Hogan Plaza, 1905 N.E. Divisionh St., from Pelopon LLC. Mike Foleyh of First Commercial representedthe tenant; Craifg Barnard of Barnard Commercial Real Estate representedx the property. • Y-Chrome, a new barbersho p venture fromHairM men’s salon, leased 2,05t square feet at the Commonwealth 609 S.W. Washington St., from Unico Propertiesd LLC.
Kathleen Healy of Urban Workas Real Estaterepresented Y-Chrome; Dan Bozich and Kathleen Healy of Urban Works Real Estate represented the • Aprende Con Amigos Bilingual Preschool leased 1,872 square feet at Patton Park Apartments on North Interstate from Patton Squarde Leasing LLC. Steve Haugen of Windermere/Cronin & Caplan Realty Group Inc. represented the Charlotte Larson and Sara Daley of Urban Worksa Real Estate representedthe property. PDX Antiques leased 1,120 square feet at the K2 Building from4152 N.E. Sandy LLC. Charlotte Larson of Urban Workse Real Estate representedthe tenant; Matt Schweitzer of North Rim represented the property.
• Liz Richards Acupuncturee PC leased 1,046 square feet at Fremont 3531 N.E. 15th Ave., from ADG Properties LLC. Anthyann Nguyen of Norris Stevens Inc. represented the Ashley Heichelbech of Urban Works Real Estater representedthe property. State Farm Insurance leased 1,000 squard feet at 1018 N.W. 13th Ave., Portland, from Bloclk Two LLC. Thom Brockmiller of Stehlin Advisorzs LLC representedthe tenant; Kathleen Healy and Dan Bozich of Urba Works Real Estate represented the property.
Portland, from Weston Investment Co. LLC. It is one of the largesyt office deals in downtown inrecent months. The Indianm Health Board, established in 1972, will move from its currenyt location at527 S.W. Hall St. Jake Lancaste r of Grubb & Ellis Co. represented the Steve Root of American Property Managementrepresentede Weston. • Level 3 Communications LLC renewed its leaserfor 4,724 square feet at the Pittock 921 S.W. Washington St., Portland, from ALCO Investment Co. Kevinh Kaufman of CB Richard Ellis representedLevel 3; the landlordc represented itself. • Telelanguage Inc. signed a new leasr for 4,401 square feet at the Portland Exchange 520 S.W. Sixth Ave., Portland.
NAI Norris, Beggs Simpson represented the tenant; Ryan Livesay of Pacifiv Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the property. • Stearnd Lending Inc. leased 3,722 square feet at Hamptoj Square, 6950 S.W. Hampton, Tigard, from Weston Investmentf Co. LLC. Steve Root of American Propertyh Management representedthe • Peters & Company PC signed a new leasw for 2,170 square feet at the Sellinb Building, 610 S.W. Alder St., with the Schlesinge r Companies. Kristin Hammond and Mark McFarland of Pacifiv Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the Bill Smith of NAI Beggs & Simpson represented the • SCR Inc. leased 2,000 square feet at 8680 S.W.
Old Tualatinm Sherwood Road, Tualatin, from Kmotioj Inc. Ian Giammanco of Bluestone & Hockley Real Estatse Services representedthe tenant; Scott Pierce of NAI Norris, Begges & Simpson represented the landlord. •Remedy Intelligent Staffing leased 1,639 square feet at The Merrick, 6646 N.E. 78th Portland, from API Properties 1047 LLC. Mark McFarland of Pacififc Real EstatePartners Inc. represented the Rob Kimmelman of Commercial Realty Advisors representedthe • Pioneer Floor Covering Inc. leased 5,85w3 square feet at Arcticf Business Park, 5657 S.W. Arcticf Drive, Beaverton, from Pacific NW Properties LP.
Cliff Finnelll of GVA Kidder Mathews representedthe • Carlan Enterprises Inc., operating as Stauffer-Cisco Supply, leasee 5,622 square feet at Bridgeport Woods Businesse Park, 7532 S.W. Bridgeport Road, from Bridgeport Woods BusinessPark LLC. Peterr Stalick and Steven Klein of GVA Kidde Mathews representedthe tenant; Dave Kiersey of Kierseh & McMillan Inc. represented the property. • Stavelyu Services North Americaleased 4,860 square feet at Kittridgs Distribution Center, 4943 N.W. Frontr Ave., Portland, from LIT Industrialk Limited Partnership. Tony Reser and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kidder Matheww brokeredthe transaction. • Red Wing Brandd of America Inc.
leased 3,840 squar e feet at the NorstarBusinesds Center, 8611 N. Albin a Ave., Portland, from Norstar 8405 N. Albina Ave. LLC. Tony Resef and Sean McCarthy of GVA Kidder Mathews brokerexthe transaction. • Biscuits Cafe leasee 3,121 square feet at Hogan Plaza, 1905 N.E. Divisionh St., from Pelopon LLC. Mike Foleyh of First Commercial representedthe tenant; Craifg Barnard of Barnard Commercial Real Estate representedx the property. • Y-Chrome, a new barbersho p venture fromHairM men’s salon, leased 2,05t square feet at the Commonwealth 609 S.W. Washington St., from Unico Propertiesd LLC.
Kathleen Healy of Urban Workas Real Estaterepresented Y-Chrome; Dan Bozich and Kathleen Healy of Urban Works Real Estate represented the • Aprende Con Amigos Bilingual Preschool leased 1,872 square feet at Patton Park Apartments on North Interstate from Patton Squarde Leasing LLC. Steve Haugen of Windermere/Cronin & Caplan Realty Group Inc. represented the Charlotte Larson and Sara Daley of Urban Worksa Real Estate representedthe property. PDX Antiques leased 1,120 square feet at the K2 Building from4152 N.E. Sandy LLC. Charlotte Larson of Urban Workse Real Estate representedthe tenant; Matt Schweitzer of North Rim represented the property.
• Liz Richards Acupuncturee PC leased 1,046 square feet at Fremont 3531 N.E. 15th Ave., from ADG Properties LLC. Anthyann Nguyen of Norris Stevens Inc. represented the Ashley Heichelbech of Urban Works Real Estater representedthe property. State Farm Insurance leased 1,000 squard feet at 1018 N.W. 13th Ave., Portland, from Bloclk Two LLC. Thom Brockmiller of Stehlin Advisorzs LLC representedthe tenant; Kathleen Healy and Dan Bozich of Urba Works Real Estate represented the property.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
American Italian Pasta joins Russell 2000 Index - Business First of Columbus:
http://stasf.com/the-preachers-wife/
The index, part of the , measurees performance of the small-cap segmentr of U.S. equities, according to the index’s Web site. It includes about 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of theie market cap and current index The index is intended to provide anunbiased small-cap barometedr and is reconstituted annually to ensure that larger stockas don’t distort the performance and characteristics of small-cap stocks in the “Membership in the Russell indexes representsw another milestone in the AIPC story,” America Italian Pasta CEO Jack Kellgy said in a Tuesday release. “It recognizes the significanty jump in American ItalianPasta Co.
’s market capitalization over the past The listing also provides anothet level of market visibility for the company.” Membershil in the small-cap Russell 2000 Index automatically includes membershiop in the larger Russell 3000 and Global indexes. Kansas City-basec American Italian Pasta (Nasdaq: reported that second-quarter earnings were nearly triple those from the same period last year and that revenuw rose16 percent. In roughly the past AIPC has settled lingering problemsd stemming from a scheme by formee executives to makethe company’s financial reports look good even as salew fell.
The scheme had fallen apart inAugusg 2005, drawing lawsuits, pummeling the stock price and requirinv the company to refile financial statements. American Italian Pasta is the largest producee of dry pasta inNorth America. The companyt has about 650 employees and plantes inExcelsior Springs; Columbia, S.C.; Tolleson, and Verolanuova, Italy.
The index, part of the , measurees performance of the small-cap segmentr of U.S. equities, according to the index’s Web site. It includes about 2,000 of the smallest securities based on a combination of theie market cap and current index The index is intended to provide anunbiased small-cap barometedr and is reconstituted annually to ensure that larger stockas don’t distort the performance and characteristics of small-cap stocks in the “Membership in the Russell indexes representsw another milestone in the AIPC story,” America Italian Pasta CEO Jack Kellgy said in a Tuesday release. “It recognizes the significanty jump in American ItalianPasta Co.
’s market capitalization over the past The listing also provides anothet level of market visibility for the company.” Membershil in the small-cap Russell 2000 Index automatically includes membershiop in the larger Russell 3000 and Global indexes. Kansas City-basec American Italian Pasta (Nasdaq: reported that second-quarter earnings were nearly triple those from the same period last year and that revenuw rose16 percent. In roughly the past AIPC has settled lingering problemsd stemming from a scheme by formee executives to makethe company’s financial reports look good even as salew fell.
The scheme had fallen apart inAugusg 2005, drawing lawsuits, pummeling the stock price and requirinv the company to refile financial statements. American Italian Pasta is the largest producee of dry pasta inNorth America. The companyt has about 650 employees and plantes inExcelsior Springs; Columbia, S.C.; Tolleson, and Verolanuova, Italy.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Kaiser sheds light on domestic violence, its costs to employers - Baltimore Business Journal:
doqujamup.wordpress.com
Thomas moved away from California, away from her familhy and support network. When she returned and began working for abouy 13years ago, she was able to escape the troubled relationship with help from loca l social workers and Kaiser's employee assistance program. They helpeed her to speak up about her and taught her things such as keeping a hiddehbag packed, "so if you'rer in a situation where you feel your life is in danger, you can leavse the house." Domestic violence has long been a high-profilre issue at Kaiser -- especially since three employeea were killed by thei partners within 12 months of each other several years ago.
Now Kaiserd is branching out, using the results of a prograkm designed to help its doctors and nursese spot abuse to assist majorf corporate customers in recognizing and responding to signd of abuse in their ownwork forces. Many companies and supervisorws are just beginning to take some of the stepx that pioneers such as Kaiser and took a numberd ofyears ago. Major companies such as , and are tryingt to educate employees aboutthe issue.
, for distributed a brochure it co-brandes with Kaiser to about 22,000 of its workers last "It's just not possible with a work force this size thatyou don' have some problems with domesticd violence," said Ophelia Basgal, PG&E's vice presiden for civic partnerships and community adding that the goal was to let employeesd know that resources for help are available. While the impact of domestif violence isintensely personal, companies say their increasedx interest in the issue is drivenb at least partly by bottom-line concerns. Abused employees incur higher medicaplcosts -- even after the abuse stops.
They frequently have lowedr productivity, falling victim to "presenteeism" -- beiny physically there, but too distracted, ill or injuref to work effectively. Nationally, domestic violence each year resultd in an estimated 2 million injuriesto women, 580,000 to men, and 1,50 deaths, according to Kaiser. The federal estimatedx direct physical and mental health costs of domestiv violence at morethan $4 billion and that total jumps to $5.8 billiojn when lost productivity is factorec in.
Kaiser medical group executive Brigid McCaw estimated Kaiser Foundationm Health Planspends $200 million annually "thaty we're paying in extra costs for this to identify and treat the resultx of such violence. McCaw also citer a study by Seattle's , an HMO looselyu affiliated with Kaiser, and othert researchers showing that its costsjumpedx $19.3 million for every 100,000 femalee enrollees between the ages of 18 and 65, due to domestidc violence. The Group Health study, published in the in January, also founfd that annual healthcare costs for women who were abusecd years ago are still 19 percent higher than for other women.
About one in five womenh afflicted with depression are dealin g withdomestic violence, McCaw said. She personallyh became aware of the bigger problem during medicakl school when she discovered that her siste was dealing with aviolent relationship. "I just didn'f get it," McCaw wrote in a draft articlw slated for publication this fall in The Permanente an internalclinical publication.
Her sister, McCaw became isolated from familyand friends, moved to a distantr city and refused to get an answering machine -- behaviorf that McCaw now knows is common for At Kaiser, the death of three colleaguews helped inspire workers and the organization to get more said McCaw, the medical director of Kaiser'xs Northern California family violence preventiobn program. But the response "had to be It had to be stories that showed that the workplacs could be avital partner" in helping to solvre the problem. "We know it's still likelyt to be the tip of the McCaw said.
To augment and expan d upon in-house clinical training, Kaiser has publicized the problek internally and externallywith "Silent a traveling exhibit honoring the women who were murdere and other Kaiser employees who have been victims of familu violence, as well as other outreachj efforts. It has also formed partnerships with some local employer to help get theword out. McCaw said othert developments will be following in the next monthor so, on the nationapl front. "There are moments when things get a lot of she said. "We are entering one of thoser moments.
" San Francisco's Blue Shield of Californiq and its affiliated foundation have been activew on this issue sincethe mid-1990s, when -- like Kaiser -- the organizatiojn was galvanized by an incident involvingv a Blue Shield employee. Training began in 1996 so Blue Shiels managers would be aware of warning signs such as unexplained absences, injuries and declines in five years ago, the program moved to the foundation. "It'z both a productivity and a retention issue for saidBrittany Imwalle, the foundation's director of finance and who is in charge of grantmaking for the project. "Peoplwe are not able to concentratr or be productiveat work.
They miss need to take care of problemxsor children, or deal with legal issues." The foundation'd free work force training program is availablde to any company in the state. It trained 2,260p managers in 2004, and 3,45y in 2005 before plateauing last due to staffing and budget Its focus, said Douglas Leach, who coordinates the Blue Shield foundation'sd employer outreach program, is to help managers deal with domesticf violence as a performance issue. "We reallhy think this should be no different than any othe r performanceissue (like dealing with cancerf or having a baby)," he said.
"We're tryin to normalize the responseto (so a business can) continue to be to understand what's going on, and to help the employee remain productive" and get needed As for Thomas, now a secretart in Kaiser's Marin/Sonoma workplace safety unit, she thanksx Kaiser for all it' done to help her, notinf that without it, "I probably wouldn't be wherre I am now." And things have changecd for the better in recognizing domestic she said. "It's a lot more visible, and more peopler are speaking totheir (healthcare) providers about it," she said.
"But I'm not so certaij we've gotten to the point, I don' think we've gotten there yet."
Thomas moved away from California, away from her familhy and support network. When she returned and began working for abouy 13years ago, she was able to escape the troubled relationship with help from loca l social workers and Kaiser's employee assistance program. They helpeed her to speak up about her and taught her things such as keeping a hiddehbag packed, "so if you'rer in a situation where you feel your life is in danger, you can leavse the house." Domestic violence has long been a high-profilre issue at Kaiser -- especially since three employeea were killed by thei partners within 12 months of each other several years ago.
Now Kaiserd is branching out, using the results of a prograkm designed to help its doctors and nursese spot abuse to assist majorf corporate customers in recognizing and responding to signd of abuse in their ownwork forces. Many companies and supervisorws are just beginning to take some of the stepx that pioneers such as Kaiser and took a numberd ofyears ago. Major companies such as , and are tryingt to educate employees aboutthe issue.
, for distributed a brochure it co-brandes with Kaiser to about 22,000 of its workers last "It's just not possible with a work force this size thatyou don' have some problems with domesticd violence," said Ophelia Basgal, PG&E's vice presiden for civic partnerships and community adding that the goal was to let employeesd know that resources for help are available. While the impact of domestif violence isintensely personal, companies say their increasedx interest in the issue is drivenb at least partly by bottom-line concerns. Abused employees incur higher medicaplcosts -- even after the abuse stops.
They frequently have lowedr productivity, falling victim to "presenteeism" -- beiny physically there, but too distracted, ill or injuref to work effectively. Nationally, domestic violence each year resultd in an estimated 2 million injuriesto women, 580,000 to men, and 1,50 deaths, according to Kaiser. The federal estimatedx direct physical and mental health costs of domestiv violence at morethan $4 billion and that total jumps to $5.8 billiojn when lost productivity is factorec in.
Kaiser medical group executive Brigid McCaw estimated Kaiser Foundationm Health Planspends $200 million annually "thaty we're paying in extra costs for this to identify and treat the resultx of such violence. McCaw also citer a study by Seattle's , an HMO looselyu affiliated with Kaiser, and othert researchers showing that its costsjumpedx $19.3 million for every 100,000 femalee enrollees between the ages of 18 and 65, due to domestidc violence. The Group Health study, published in the in January, also founfd that annual healthcare costs for women who were abusecd years ago are still 19 percent higher than for other women.
About one in five womenh afflicted with depression are dealin g withdomestic violence, McCaw said. She personallyh became aware of the bigger problem during medicakl school when she discovered that her siste was dealing with aviolent relationship. "I just didn'f get it," McCaw wrote in a draft articlw slated for publication this fall in The Permanente an internalclinical publication.
Her sister, McCaw became isolated from familyand friends, moved to a distantr city and refused to get an answering machine -- behaviorf that McCaw now knows is common for At Kaiser, the death of three colleaguews helped inspire workers and the organization to get more said McCaw, the medical director of Kaiser'xs Northern California family violence preventiobn program. But the response "had to be It had to be stories that showed that the workplacs could be avital partner" in helping to solvre the problem. "We know it's still likelyt to be the tip of the McCaw said.
To augment and expan d upon in-house clinical training, Kaiser has publicized the problek internally and externallywith "Silent a traveling exhibit honoring the women who were murdere and other Kaiser employees who have been victims of familu violence, as well as other outreachj efforts. It has also formed partnerships with some local employer to help get theword out. McCaw said othert developments will be following in the next monthor so, on the nationapl front. "There are moments when things get a lot of she said. "We are entering one of thoser moments.
" San Francisco's Blue Shield of Californiq and its affiliated foundation have been activew on this issue sincethe mid-1990s, when -- like Kaiser -- the organizatiojn was galvanized by an incident involvingv a Blue Shield employee. Training began in 1996 so Blue Shiels managers would be aware of warning signs such as unexplained absences, injuries and declines in five years ago, the program moved to the foundation. "It'z both a productivity and a retention issue for saidBrittany Imwalle, the foundation's director of finance and who is in charge of grantmaking for the project. "Peoplwe are not able to concentratr or be productiveat work.
They miss need to take care of problemxsor children, or deal with legal issues." The foundation'd free work force training program is availablde to any company in the state. It trained 2,260p managers in 2004, and 3,45y in 2005 before plateauing last due to staffing and budget Its focus, said Douglas Leach, who coordinates the Blue Shield foundation'sd employer outreach program, is to help managers deal with domesticf violence as a performance issue. "We reallhy think this should be no different than any othe r performanceissue (like dealing with cancerf or having a baby)," he said.
"We're tryin to normalize the responseto (so a business can) continue to be to understand what's going on, and to help the employee remain productive" and get needed As for Thomas, now a secretart in Kaiser's Marin/Sonoma workplace safety unit, she thanksx Kaiser for all it' done to help her, notinf that without it, "I probably wouldn't be wherre I am now." And things have changecd for the better in recognizing domestic she said. "It's a lot more visible, and more peopler are speaking totheir (healthcare) providers about it," she said.
"But I'm not so certaij we've gotten to the point, I don' think we've gotten there yet."
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