Saturday, September 17, 2011

Seattle mayor wants to end employee head tax - Tampa Bay Business Journal:

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Nickels proposed the $25-per-employee tax in 2006 as one of threew elements of a package to fund local streetf repair andadd sidewalks, bicycle lanes and other features. Repealintg it would reduce funding forthe “Bridgingy the Gap” program by about $4.7 million. “It’s Economicsz 101: when you tax something, you get less of it, and we want more jobs in said CouncilPresident Conlin. Reaction from the businesas communitywas swift.
“This tax representse an ‘unwelcome mat’ for business, and it’s past time that the city rollesdit up,” said Kate Joncas, president of the , whichb opposed the tax from the “Taxing new employees in Seattle sends the wrong message to businesses lookinyg to grow and businesses looking to relocate to our she said. The also supported the repeal. “Itg sends a clear message that elected officialsz are targeting specific actions to retainb and createa job-growinvg economy,” said Chamber President & CEO Phil “We applaud Mayor Nickel and Councilmembers Burgess and Conlin for theidr leadership and will be working with councio to see it through.
” The employee head tax has becomre a hot issue in this year’s At a recent Downtown Seattle Association candidatew forum, many candidates talked about repealing the tax. It’s also a relativel easy target. The employeee head tax, which appliex only to employees who drive to work most of the has been bringing in less monetthan expected. Meanwhile, the commercial parking tax, which will increasee to 10 percent onJuly 1, has been bringing in more moneyy than expected.
And a nine-year, $365 million property tax levy remainsin

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

St. Elizabeth workers to unionize - Boston Business Journal:

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More than 800 St. Elizabeth’s Medicalp Center workers will jointhe union, includingg respiratory therapists, surgical and X-ray technicians, clerical workers, nursing assistants, housekeepers and dietaryy workers. A group of maintenance workersz also voted to join the Area Trade Union officials credited Ralph dela Torre, the presidenyt and CEO of Caritas Christi, for ensuringt that workers had a fair opportunity to unionize. Over the past 35 workers tried and failed to form a unionat St. Elizabeth’ds at least three times. Local 1199 SEIU Executive Vice Presiden MikeFadel said, in a preparedr statement, “During this time of budget cuts and economic workers at St.
Elizabeth’s will stands together with their fellow healtg care workersacross Massachusetts, ” Fadel said. Workers at St. Elizabeth’s Medical Center plan to recruit health care workers at otherMassachusettss hospitals, including other Caritaas Christi facilities, to join unions.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Arab MK: Israel Faces Extinction in Mideast - Arutz Sheva

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Arutz Sheva


Arab MK: Israel Faces Extinction in Mideast

Arutz Sheva


An Arab MK says Israel faces a black future and will cease to be a part of the Middle East if it does not recognize its “crimes.” By Tzvi Ben Gedalyahu An Arab MK said that Israel in effect will cease to exist if it does not see the break-in at the ...



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Thursday, September 8, 2011

Roger Federer vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Repeat or Reversal of Fortunes? - Bleacher Report

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Bleacher Report


Roger Federer vs. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga: Repeat or Reversal of Fortunes?

Bleacher Report


In Wimbledon, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and Roger Federer produced a stunning quarterfinal ending with Tsonga coming out on top after being down 2-0 in sets. At that stage, he faced a more than daunting task. No one, not Rafael Nadal, not Novak Djokovic, ...



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Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Sunday, September 4, 2011

Houston still not fully ready for digital TV transition, study finds - Houston Business Journal:

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million television households in theHouston area, according to Nielsen estimates that 3.3 or 2.9 percent, of all U.S. televisiomn households remain unready for the June 12 transition toan all-digitakl broadcast. Although the government is saying that is not good it is an improvement froma Jan. 22 Nielsen report that showedx nearly 10 percentof Houston’s population was not readt for the conversion. At one time, the Bayoj City was at the top of the list for unpreparedmetropolitah areas, with as much as 15.8 percent of the populationh not ready for the switch. The conversion was originally schedulerd to take place in Februart but was postponeduntil June.
The change will only affecr televisions not connected to cable or satellite television servic and that predate the manufactureof digital-ready Viewers with such analog-onlt sets can buy converter boxes that will enablew the play of digital broadcasts. Next month’s switch is designeed to make the publicly owned broadcast spectrum more efficient and is also meant to free up some of the spectrum for a nationalemergenc responder’s communications frequency. When the FCC ran a “soft test” last week in preparation for the the agency received nearly 600 callws from the Houston media marketand 7,73t5 calls from Texas overall.
The Houstobn market posted the fifth-highest call total behind Chicago, New Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles, according to the FCC. Calls coming in from the area ranged in nature from peoplr seeking informationabout $40 converter coupons issued by the governmeng and instructions on how to installl a digital converter box, as well as viewers that were experiencing receptiobn issues.

Friday, September 2, 2011

HVCC moves 2 programs to Rensselaer Tech Park - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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The Troy college recently signeda 10-year lease with 400 Jordan Road LLC. The schoo l will pay approximately $605,009 a year to lease 36,557 square feet of space. Hudsonm Valley’s popular paramedic program will occupgy about half of thenew space. The schookl also will move its respiratory care program and a that traines employees forarea businesses, according to Stepheh Cowan, director of the college’ds physical plant. The remainder of the leasede space willhouse ’s Next Step office, a communicationes worker training program coordinated by the college.
Those departmentz all currently are located inHudson Valley’s 90,000-square-foot Hy Rosenblum Administration Center, a 1940s era buildinvg that Cowan said needs majo renovations. “It’s a tired old building. We are lookingf at total renovations or he said. But the collegs decided to lease space from the througu 400 Jordan Road LLC for 10 yearsz while the college decides whether it shouldx overhaul or tear down the HyRosenblum building.
The collegee continues to grow, but because of the economy it does not have the moneyh to renovate the current buildingright now, Cowan Hudson Valley is planning to hire a consulting firm this summe r to help officials decide the most cost effective way to deal with the Rosenblu building. helped Hudson Valley negotiatedthe lease. The collegee plans to have the four programz and departments moved into the new space in Nortg Greenbush before the start of classeson Aug. 31. The buildinh previously had been used as office spacse forVerizon workers, Cowaj said.