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Posts Tagged 'Taxes'
Looks like the city of Tucson's 2% increase in utility taxes is causing hardships in other government entities. It has reported that the cost to Pima County is $600k plus. The article below shows the TUSD hit is $650k plus (directly from the same budget that teachers get paid from).
We haven't found direct data on the cost to the UofA, Pima College, Federal Government and the State of Arizona facilities but you can imagine it's not chump change.
Where does Pima County, TUSD the UofA and the State of Arizona get their revenues to pay for the increased utility taxes imposed by the City of Tucson?
From RobO'Dell at the Arizona Daily Star
The Tucson Unified School District will have to pay an extra $655,000 a year in higher water bills, garbage bills and with the 2 percent utility tax on electric bills and gas bills. Those increases do not include the 2 percent extra it will pay on all its landline phones and cell phones, which hasn't yet been calculated.The added utility costs come at a time when school districts are struggling to balance their own budgets after the Legislature cut $133 million from K-12 school funding earlier this year, and the state budget for the next fiscal year, which has not been approved by the governor, would take another $220 million from public education statewide.Bonnie Betz, chief financial officer for Tucson Unified School District, said the extra costs to the district will affect district operations."We've planned for the increases," she said. "But every time we have an increase in utility cost we have to take it out of the organization somewhere."Still, Betz sympathized with the position the city finds itself in. "It's a bad time. We're all having trouble," she said.
Dear Editor, Your headlines seemed like a dream come true: "Lower tax, few cuts in county budget" [Arizona Daily Star 4-28-09], declaring a "drop in property taxes" for a "total budget … down $6 million…"
Not explained is that the $6 million dollar "reduction" is offset by an increase of almost $22 million in the total property tax levy amount, from $399 million in 2008-09 to $421 million in 2009-10. A more accurate headline could have read "County to collect over $15 Million more from the taxpayers!"
This is because increase assessed values counters any real reduction in taxes. This year's current tax rate is based on $746 Million in increased primary property assessments for 2007 — figures derived before the recession hit. Our property is being over-valued and over-taxed. Last year, Supervisor Ann Day and I submitted an alternative budget to the Board majority. In our introduction we explained:
"[W]hile the Primary tax rate decreased from $4.072 to $3.602 between 2002 to 2007, the amount of revenue collected by the county increased by over $70 million dollars…"
Your newspaper had clarified this in an article [10/22/08] with the headline: "Though tax rate dips, we're all paying more." The article explained how, even with the drop in tax rates:" taxpayers are paying twice as much in property taxes as they did a decade ago."
Equally ominous is the hidden long term and ever increasing debt. Our debt service has jumped this year by $10 million to a total of $110 million dollars, which currently makes up over 37% of our primary property taxes. And Pima County's debt is going up with non-voter approved debt through "Certificate's of Participation." In fact, Pima County's current outstanding principal debt is almost twice as large as all other Arizona counties debt combined ($757.6 million vs. $339.7 million). Next year the county wants a $500 million dollar bond sale next year for our Wastewater Department. Who do you think gets to pay these debts?
And speaking of other debt obligations, University Physicians at Kino Hospital is now asking for an extra $30 Million dollar subsidy, with up to $39 Million in each of the next five years (even though the original agreement assured decreased payments and self-sufficiency). But as the county reduces support for the cost of health screenings, the County Administration increases its budget by $2.7 million. While we increase fees for our children to play in county parks, this same budget increases Economic Development subsidies by an extra $14 million.
This raises the question of "sustainability" – a term used often with regards to the environment, but which should apply to our taxpaying citizens.
Because as we continue to bleed our taxpayers dry by continuing to raise taxes and fees on everything without a mandatory cap, the number of homeowner's facing foreclosure remains at record levels in Pima County. We need to learn to live within our means rather than attempting to instill false impressions about "rate reductions." But to do so, we need to have an honest accounting of our revenues and expenses.
There are three steps that could be taken immediately to help in the process:
1. We need the majority on the Board to stop refusing to appoint their representatives to the outside Citizen's Budget Advisory Committee. Other people without a vested interest in the growth of government need to make an objective review of the Pima County budget. Since 1997, the Board has never allowed this committee to have a quorum.
2. There needs to be at least three public meetings on the budget, preferably at night – not just one meeting, scheduled for Tuesday morning, May 19th, when most working people can't attend, in which all departments are superficially reviewed and a tentative budget is quickly adopted.
3. Finally, the county budget should be posted in both the Arizona Daily Star and the Tucson Citizen for the general public to be able to review. We paid TNI over $600,000 last year; we can afford to have their readers see our budget.
There are no legitimate reasons why Pima County government can't be more transparent with the use of taxpayer funds. Perhaps, with a more informed public, deceitful declarations regarding property taxes will be subjected to a bit more scrutiny. One can only hope.
Ray Carroll
Pima County Supervisor
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This can't be good. I sure hope we aren't following in the Brit's footsteps.
From The Economist
The politics behind Britain's tax changes are ugly. The economics are worse
JEAN-BAPTISTE COLBERT, Louis XIV's finance minister, famously said that the art of taxation was like plucking a goose; the aim was to get the most feathers with the least hissing. But tax policy should aim to do more than smother protest: it should also seek to raise the most money with the least distortion to economic activity.
By this measure, Britain's attempts to fill the fiscal gulf created by recession are a dismal failure and a lesson to cash-strapped governments everywhere. Take marginal income tax rates, announced in the British budget of April 22nd. Once national insurance is added in, effective marginal rates will climb from 31.5% to 41.5% through to 61.5% on those earning just over £100,000 ($147,000), thanks to the withdrawal of the personal tax allowance. After that, the rate will fall back to 41.5%, before rising again to 51.5% on incomes over £150,000.
Here's my prediction – Rental tax -YES, the council will think they are taxing big bad landlords but in reality it's renters that will pay. Trash Increase – NO Uhlich and Trasoff ran on eliminating the trash fee so don't expect this political football to go anywhere in an election year. Bed Tax – YES, easy target because it only hits out of towners. It is kind of biting the hand that feeds you. The MTCV is collecting $9m as it is. Any discussion on how they are spending their funds? Bus Fare – YES, it needs to happen. We are way out of line with other communities. We don't have the political leadership or will to make this tough decision so the RTA will take over Sun Tran and promptly raise fares. Utility Tax – who knows – No telling how this council will go on this one. It hits everyone so the impact on low to middle class families will be noticeable. The memo forgot to mention an Ad Tax – look for that one coming soon. Low Income Housing Trust Fund – watch this one closely. It's a classic take from the rich and give to the poor. All it will do is increase the prices of housing and drive investors out of city limits. We'll probably see increases in sign permit renewals, building permits etc. Development Services will need to recoup as much as they can. Water Fees - YES – we went up 8.9% last year, expect another 10% or so this year. Sewer Fees - YES. Anyone notice your TEP bills have a new tiered pricing structure. Higher users pay more – keep an eye on that on because it can be a big escalator. Wonder who this will hit the hardest? What you are witnessing is nickle and diming an entire class of people and business right out of a community.
We are starting to hear of lay offs finally today, with over 5600 employees at the City cutting 12 here or 30 there is a drop in the bucket. – fromt the Star – HERE.
City ponders new taxes, boost in fees to balance budget
February 23, 2009, 6:26 p.m.
Tucson Citizen
Higher parks and recreation fees, higher bus fares, taxes on rental properties and gem show vendors buying temporary licenses are among the "revenue enhancements" Tucson officials have proposed in a report sent to the city manager Feb. 4.
The report, obtained by the Tucson Citizen through a public records request, examined ways the city can increase its tax and fee collections to cover its costs. It suggested that most fees be hitched to an index or cost-recovery formula to avoid financial handwringing whenever there is an economic downturn.
"Without intermittent fee increases, or a mechanism for incremental increases, the city will continue to find itself in situations during economic downturns when it is forced to cut entire services and programs," the report states.
The report was written by the city's Revenue Enhancement Team, which consists of staffers from the finance, transportation, legal and internal auditing departments.
The panel suggests returning to the city's 1996 user-fee policy, which sets a percentage of the cost of a service that must be paid by the fee.
Seemingly small changes could mean significant revenue for the city, which is looking to save another $30 million next fiscal year (which starts July 1) to match expected revenues. Any new or reinstated taxes would likely take effect in July.
The City Council is scheduled to discuss City Manager Mike Hein's proposals for closing the $30 million gap at its meeting Tuesday. They include $5 million in unspecified revenue enhancements.
The options on the table and the amounts they are expected to raise annually are:
•A 2 percent tax on residential rental real estate – $12 million.
• Raising residential trash and recycling fees by 4 percent – $986,000.
• A 25 percent increase in most bus fares – $1.8 million, with economy and express fares exempted. The basic fare would go from $1 to $1.25.
• Doubling the bed tax levied on hotels to $2 a night – $1.8 million.
• Utility tax increases on water, power and cable – $5 million
Officials also recommended that advertising, health spa memberships and tanning salons be taxed, that residential rental property owners be licensed and that builders be prevented from taking a cost-of-land deduction on their taxes.
City golf courses may also raise fees due to a $1.1 million bill they left the city's general operating budget for the 2008 fiscal year, which ended June 30.
Twice in the past dozen years the City Council considered a proposal put together by a "revenue enhancement team." Of the 10 suggestions made in 1997 and 2000, one was implemented: the much debated trash collection fee.
Thanks to Gila Courier for the original post.
Competitive tax structure leads to Intel expansion
February 11th, 2009
Intel Corporation has announced a major commitment to continuing their presence in Arizona. The company will be investing $3 billion to upgrade their Chandler facility.
Why the extra investment in the Arizona operation? In the words of Josh Walden, VP of the Technology and Manufacturing Group:
"What this does is allow us to maintain those high paying jobs into the future," he said.
Walden credited state policies enacted prior to the launch of Fab 32, such as research and development and property tax credits, with bringing the investment to the state.
"We'd really like to see that continue to help other companies in Arizona," he said.
A State, just like a City or County can take steps today that will change the course of their future for generations to come. Six years ago the legislators in Texas set the state on a new course of action. A number of factors made a difference, not the least of which were tort reform and a favorable tax environment. Texas is touted as one of the most pro-business climates in the US. Both Arizona and Texas have similarities like a strong university system, major quality of life and climate benefits and a diverse workforce. Texas isn't saddled by our State Land Trust issues which as you look around Arizona is a big hurdle we have to figure out. With the right leadership in Arizona state government maybe, just maybe we can look back in a few years and see Arizona on top of some of these pro business lists.From Expansion Management
State Continues to Draw Projects
Texas remains at the forefront in attracting expansion and relocation projects primarily because of its pro-business attitude. Another factor is two dozen major universities providing research and development capabilities, as well as training partnerships.
When the high-tech industry took off in Austin, Texas' capital city, Austin Community College developed a program to train high-tech workers so companies could find a skilled and educated work force, said Patrick Shaughnessy, communications manager for the Texas Department of Economic Development.
That's why Oracle, the world's largest provider of database software, recently selected Austin for its high-availability data center.
Oracle looked at all viable options within the United States and short-listed 15 facilities, including ones in Missouri, Colorado, Massachusetts and Arizona, said Oracle spokeswoman Letty Ledbetter.
Oracle's strategic partnership with Dell Computer, headquartered in Austin, was another major factor in the decision.
Also taking advantage of Austin's high-tech expertise is PerformanceRetail, which moved its headquarters from Houston in July.
"Austin has a solid record in creating some of the world's largest and most successful technology companies," said Gregg Burt, president and CEO of Performance Retail. "This move gives us ready access to the talent we need to continue our leadership position in the development of retail technologies and expand our efforts to better serve our growing client roster of global corporations."
California's Bay Area was considered, said Dean Cruse, vice president of marketing.
Location Makes a Difference
The state's 1,248-mile border with Mexico translates into a large bilingual work force, a contributing factor in Clarke American Checks' decision to open a second contact center in San Antonio in August.
The new $12 million facility will provide customer service and sales via telephone, e-mail and Web chat for its partners and their customers, which includes more than 4,000 banks, credit unions and other financial institutions nationwide.
With 350 people working at its first facility, Clarke American plans to add another 350 at the new 42,000 square foot facility.
Kaari Swope, Clarke American'svice president and general manager of customer service, said the company considered alternative sites in Kansas, Iowa, Utah and other locations in the Midwest.
"We chose to add a second facility in San Antonio because of the existing infrastructure, the high quality work force available and because of the advantages of being able to hire a bilingual work force," Swope said.
The state's other major metropolitan area, Dallas/Fort Worth, recently welcomed two new arrivals.
Safety-Kleen Corp., which helps more than 400,000 companies regulate hazardous and non-hazardous waste, will add 250 employees at its new 120,000 square foot corporate headquarters. In a memo to company employees, company CEO Ronald A. Rittenmeyer said Dallas' central geographic location, its availability of affordable real estate, and a comparable cost of living were important factors.
Those were the same reasons Washington Mutual, one of the nation's largest financial services companies, announced in May plans to open a national commercial loan servicing and operations center in the region, bringing 300 new jobs.
"We selected the Dallas area – and Coppell, specifically -because it offers quality real estate options, an abundance of highly skilled workers, and high quality-of-life measures, such as affordability, great schools and access to arts and culture," said Stuart Miles, senior vice president for Washington Mutual.
Company spokesman Joe Arbona said the company considered Kansas City, Houston and Indianapolis, but felt Dallas offered the best pool of talent to fill the positions.
Dan Perkins is a freelance writer based in St. Louis, Mo.
Texas Job Creation Data HERE. and rankings HERE.
Some highlights of how Texas ranks;
Texas: The Business Advantage
Texas has established a worldwide reputation for its open, positive attitude toward the business community. With a low tax burden, low living costs, a Texas-friendly lifestyle and government programs designed to help rather than hinder business, the Lone Star State is the perfect location to build your company.
- If Texas were its own country, its economy would rank 12th in the world, just below Brazil and Russia and higher than India, South Korea and Australia.
- The Tax Foundation ranks Texas 43rd among states for its combined 2007 state and local tax burden. That's a contest in which first place is no prize!
- According to the Missouri Economic Research and Information Center, Texas had the third-lowest cost of living among all U.S. states in the fourth quarter of 2007, and by far the lowest cost of living among the 10 largest states.
- The Texas Enterprise Fund, created in 2003, gives Texas leaders unique leverage in using incentives to attract jobs and business to the state. The Texas Governor's Office reports that the fund has brought 51,800 new jobs to the state and generated $15.6 billion in capital investments.
- Since 2005, Texas' Emerging Technology Fund has been helping early-stage technology companies bring innovative products and services to market.
- Texas has made a substantial and ongoing commitment to upgrading the skills of its workers. The Texas Skills Development Fund, which provides state funding for employee training, awarded $25 million in grants in 2007 that generated nearly 7,100 new jobs and provided training to 13,758 workers in existing jobs.
- Texas emerged as the clear winner in Fortune magazine's 2007 ranking of the nation's 100 fastest-growing companies, with 32. California was a distant second, with 11 companies.
- In Chief Executive magazine's annual nationwide poll of chief executive officers, Texas has been chosen as the best state in which to do business for four consecutive years (2005-2008).
The CNBC financial news network ranked Texas as America's Top State for Business in 2008 and best all-around economy in the United States.
Craddick: Texas' pro-business moves will help weather economic turmoil
By Mella McEwen
Oil Editor
Amid the economic turmoil roiling the country and spreading across the globe, the state of Texas is an island of economic calm, according to Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick….
The state also is an island "created six years ago when we consolidated agencies and cut spending and made the government work like every other business,"Craddick added. "We had people who made the hard decisions and did what needed to be done."
The Midlander told his audience that "We have $12 billion in our rainy day fund and $5 billion to $6 billion surplus funds in our general revenue" as the Texas Legislature prepares to meet in January."If you've been following what's going on, California is facing a $19 billion budget deficit and has asked the federal government for a loan," he said. "When I was elected speaker, we were facing a $5 billion deficit. When
I was sworn in, it was a $10 billion deficit. We didn't ask the federal government for a loan, we formed a new appropriations committee and cut spending." He cited as an example the Health and Human Services, where 13 agencies were combined into three, saving approximately $1.5 billion a year.
Tort reform passing at the same time also helped, he said, stressing that legislation was not passed just to benefit doctors, though it has attracted 11,000 new doctors to the state in the last four years.
"Everyone across the board has benefited from tort reform," he said. "We got rid of most frivolous lawsuits" and companies looking to move to Texas have told him one reason is tort reform…
He predicted education funding will be a major focus of the session, telling the audience that "In my opinion, we've got to find another way to fund education and move away from property taxes."
He also wants to update the school formula he said dates back to the 1960s and make sure good teachers are rewarded for their efforts.
Transportation will be another focus, Craddick said, noting that the Transportation Commission recently announced it cannot locate $1 billion in funds."We're sending in an audit committee and we will find that $1 billion," he said. "You won't recognize TxDOTwhen we get through. Here, about 1 percent of you are concerned about transportation. In Dallas, 99 percent are concerned about transportation. The gasoline tax is not raising enough to keep up with our infrastructure. We need to look at options on funding transportation."
Health care will be another issue, he said, saying he wants to find ways to let small companies band together in larger groups so they can find healthcare insurance that offers better coverage at better rates.
Mella McEwen can be reached at email@example.com.
"Austin offered a lower cost of living, a great lifestyle, inexpensive services and access to a large, talented pool of technology professionals," Cruse said.
Are you for "open space" laws forbidding building and also for "affordable housing"? Don't be discouraged by the fact that severe building restrictions have sent housing prices sky-rocketing in community after community.
It may be impossible to have "open space" laws and "affordable housing" at the same time, but what are politicians there for, except to figure out ways to give us the impossible?
Palo Alto, California, where housing prices nearly quadrupled in one decade after severe building restrictions were imposed, also pioneered in laws mandating that each builder agree to sell a certain percentage of any new housing "below market."
In other words, they combined "open space" laws with "affordable housing." Who says the impossible cannot be achieved?
Of course this system can work only where just a fraction of the new housing is sold "below market." Moreover, the market price of housing is raised so far above what it was by building restrictions that even "below market" prices for condominiums in Palo Alto can run to $300,000 or $400,000.
This is hardly "affordable housing" for people on modest incomes. Only 7 percent of Palo Alto's police, for example, live in Palo Alto– probably older cops who bought their homes long ago.
But none of that matters politically. What matters is that people in Palo Alto can feel good about themselves, by being for both "open space" and "affordable housing." Happy voters are what get politicians re-elected.
From Thomas Sowell of TownHall.com – Read the full post HERE.
Now the brilliant politicians that run our community demand open space, restrict infill developments in their back yards and still try to find ways to tax housing to set up an 'affordable housing' fund for those less fortunate. News flash, more people will need affordable housing based on policies that this community's elected officials are enacting. What's the definition of insanity again?
Tucson may charge fee on new home sales
Rob O'Dell
Arizona Daily Star
September 28, 2008
Many new homes in Tucson could come with a 1 percent transfer fee assessed on their sale under a proposal now being pushed by City Council members.
The idea faces strong opposition from real estate and development interests, who are being rocked by one of the worst housing markets in decades due to the mortgage industry collapse. They say the fee would take money from either the home buyer or seller, making housing less affordable.
The new fee, recommended for approval by a council subcommittee on Sept. 15, would apply to any house or condominium unit where a builder has entered into a development agreement with the city.
Money from the fee — equal to $2,000 on a $200,000 home — would go to the city's housing trust fund, used to pay for such things as home repairs and down-payment assistance for low-income residents.
The fee for the first sale from the developer to the original buyer would be one-half percent, but it would increase to a full 1 percent for any subsequent sale in perpetuity. It would be enforced through a deed restriction attached to the home.
Development agreements are contracts between the city and a developer to do things they otherwise wouldn't do, beyond a standard rezoning.
The agreements often are used to collaborate on parking, for pre-annexation agreements, or when the city sells public land, City Attorney Mike Rankin said. Developers and the city also make agreements to share the cost of building roads or other infrastructure.
The push for the 1 percent transfer fee by Councilwomen Regina Romero and Karin Uhlich already threatened to derail one development, a proposal to convert apartments to condominiums Downtown.
Romero and Uhlich voted on Sept. 15 in the Children, Families and Seniors Subcommittee to recommend that the full council consider the fee, which could happen as soon as late October. Councilman Rodney Glassman, the third member of the panel, was absent.
Although the idea still hadn't been presented to the full council, on Sept. 16 Romero proposed attaching a transfer fee to a development agreement with Ross Rulney for his Flats at Julian Drew project, converting apartments into 53 condominiums in a 91-year-old Downtown building.
Romero said she wanted to talk about a "voluntary" 1 percent transfer fee, but Rulney balked, saying he didn't want to saddle his potential residents with the fee. With Mayor Bob Walkup absent and the City Council split on what to do, the decision was put off for a week.
Romero subsequently agreed to drop the issue for Rulney's project, which was approved unanimously by the council last week.
Since then, Uhlich and Romero have dialed back their push for the transfer fee, saying it is one item on a "menu" of options that should be considered to help fund affordable housing in Tucson.
Romero said the idea was proposed by the board of the affordable-housing trust fund after developer Jerry Dixon, of the Gadsden Co., agreed to the 1 percent transfer fee in a recent development agreement for a mixed-use development on the West Side.
"We think it's a good idea for the council as a whole to hear about it," Romero said.
Uhlich said she will withhold judgment on the transfer fee until it is considered by the whole council, but she said it merits consideration, especially if the city is giving concessions or incentives in the development agreement.
"It has enough validity to be considered," Uhlich said. "I support giving it serious consideration as another tool for developers to address affordable housing with their projects."
The transfer fee will face opposition from the Tucson Association of Realtors, said Colin Zimmerman, its director of public affairs.
"Now is not the time to stick another tax on a market that's already shaky," Zimmerman said.
That opinion was backed by Downtown resident Mike Sepich, a counselor who is interested in buying one of the Julian Drew block condos priced in the low to mid-$100,000s. "It's pretty ironic to have a fee like that on the only affordable housing that's proposed Downtown," he said.
Zimmerman said the Realtors already support Proposition 100 on November's ballot, which would ban a fee or tax on the sale of property by the state, counties, cities and towns.
He acknowledged that the proposition would not forbid Tucson's new rules because the fee would be part of a deed restriction that city officials contend to be voluntary, although Zimmerman added that it's not voluntary if you can't get your project approved without it.
Rankin agreed that the state proposition would not prohibit the city's transfer fee.
Corky Poster, a housing trust fund board member, said the housing fund needs a dedicated funding source to supplement the money it now gets from condo conversions and other smaller sources.
Since being created in 2006, the city's housing trust fund has taken in $650,000 and has committed $385,000 for homeowner repairs, down-payment assistance and employer-assisted housing, said Community Services Director Emily Nottingham.
The idea behind the fee was to recapture some of the public money that helps get a project off the ground, Poster said.
"It recognizes the city contribution," he said. "Developers think it's a good idea because it doesn't interfere with their first sale."
However, Richard Studwell, a local developer who opposes the fee, said Tucson doesn't have a track record of spending tax money wisely, given its much-criticized Rio Nuevo Downtown redevelopment effort.
"The fund … will have high administrative expenses, and it won't accomplish anything," Studwell said. "These are well-meaning people who can't get it done."
Anti-Business States Awash In Red Ink
Shortly after he was confirmed as governor of New York earlier this year, David Paterson told a group of business executives that when he received congratulations from old friends he hadn't heard from in years, he was surprised how many no longer lived in New York. "All of them basically said the same thing," Paterson told the group. "'Good luck in New York state, but we can't pay the taxes. The opportunities aren't there.'"
After that experience, Paterson presumably can understand the complaints of corporate executives recently surveyed by Development Counsellors International, which advises companies on where to locate their facilities. More than four in ten of them have ranked New York as the worst state to do business in–second only to California in unfavorable mentions. The most common gripes included high taxes and anti-business regulations. Joining New York and California on the list of most unpopular states were New Jersey, Michigan and Massachusetts.
The DCI study, coming as it did amidst growing talk of state fiscal crises around the country, is particularly revealing. Of the approximately $48 billion in accumulated budget shortfalls that the 29 states with projected deficits are facing, $33 billion, or two-thirds of the gap, is concentrated in those five states considered by corporate executives to be the least friendly to business. Meanwhile, among the five states ranked as having the best business environment, Texas and North Carolina have no projected budget gaps, and Georgia, Tennessee and Florida are facing shortfalls amounting to about $4.1 billion, or less than one-tenth of the states' total.
An idealist would assume that those stark numbers would jump out at legislators in the most anti-business states and prompt a bracing re-evaluation of their spending, tax and regulatory regimes, as Paterson advocates. But no such luck. Paterson's former colleagues in the state legislature are lobbying for a new tax on millionaires, while across the country California's legislators have called for boosting the state's top tax rate from 9.3 percent to 11 percent. Since many firms, especially small ones, are organized corporately in such a way that they pay taxes on profits at their owners' personal income tax rate, any increase in the top rate of income taxes will hit small firms hard, to say nothing of the impact on the personal taxes of executives at big firms.
I've often heard people around the country say that voters in places like California, New York and New Jersey (which instituted its own 'millionaires' tax on those earning $500,000 or more a year several years ago) get what they deserve. But beware. States that have taxed and spent themselves into a bind want everyone else to pay for their excesses. Even as Gov. Paterson excoriated his former colleagues in the state legislature for failing to recognize the magnitude of New York's budget problems, last week he traveled to Washington, D.C., to urge the federal government to help bail out the state. Paterson argued creatively that the rest of the country should come to his aid because the Empire State is home to the country's financial markets and thereby contributes disproportionately to the America economy–although I can imagine that there are many states that would gladly take those financial institutions off of New York's hands if the governor considers them such a burden.
Paterson also contended that states like New York deserve aid because they send more in taxes to the federal government than they receive in return in spending. This is an old argument that one often hears from pols not only in New York, but in New Jersey, California and Massachusetts. Based on an annual 'balance of payments' study sponsored by former Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan from 1977 through 1999, the study found that certain states were always big losers. But even Moynihan realized that those states were mostly responsible for their own plight, because their federal legislators had led the way in constructing a tax system that not only redistributed income from the rich to others, but also redistributed income regionally.
For instance, a study of the 1993 Clinton tax increase, which included a sharp rise in top income tax rates, found that the legislation cost the residents of California and New York $60 billion in additional taxes in the first year, mostly because of all those rich Wall Street and Hollywood types who got hit harder. Residents of one New York congressional district alone, on the East Side of Manhattan, paid more in additional taxes than taxpayers in any other district in the country—an increase of $3.4 billion, or 700 percent, in one year. And yet the congresswoman representing that district, Carolyn Maloney, and the majority of California's and New York's congressional delegations, voted in favor of the tax increase, which had been heavily advocated by economic advisor to the president and New Yorker Robert Rubin.
By contrast, most of the New York congressional delegation voted against the 2003 Bush tax cuts that saved New Yorkers $36 billion in federal taxes in the first year alone, according to a study by the Manhattan Institute's E.J. McMahon. The difference, of course, is that the tax cuts left money in the private economy, not in the coffers of government, where the likes of Maloney could get their hands on it.
As the fiscal problems of some states increase, we are likely to hear more about how the federal government must bail them out. It's the failings of the federal government (that is, the Bush administration), that are responsible for state budget woes, so the argument goes. But any look at the states with the biggest deficits reminds us that governors and legislatures are largely the authors of their own problems, and that the biggest trouble some of them seem to have is that their taxing and chronic overspending have made them toxic to the business community. Don't ask the feds to fix that.
Finally an article from the Az Star and Erica Meltzer detailing just how much our property taxes have increased in Pima County.
Despite repeated cuts in the tax rate, many Pima County taxpayers are paying twice as much in property taxes as they did a decade ago…To look at the long-term impact of rising home values on our taxes, the Arizona Daily Star used information from the Assessor's Office to determine an average home value in 1998 and 2008. We found the average home value for tax purposes had increased 126 percent, from $89,444 to $202,483. Applying the tax rates in each of those years showed the average county tax bill increased 101 percent.Today's average homeowner pays $476 more in taxes to the county than 10 years ago.Even when adjusted for 34 percent inflation over the decade, that's still a 50 percent increase in constant dollars.
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WebAppCabaret - More GlassFish Hosting
By pelegri on Apr 26, 2008
WebAppCabaret now provides support for GlassFish. Check out the Private JVM or the VPS offering - the GF-specific page is here.
I am collecting a list of hosting providers that support GlassFish. Please let me know if you are such a hosting provider and we will advertise it.
And, if you let me contact me ASAP, I might still be able to list you in my slides for our CommunityOne KickOff Session.

subset: commoncrawl


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Styles that make women look fat
While some women would spend extra money to look slim and beautiful, the secret actually lies in what you wear! Some clothes chosen to give you the desired look…thinner and taller might highlight how short and fat you are.
Here are the ten worst fashion styles to wear if you want to look thinner and taller because wearing them will make you look bigger and shorter.
1. Skin-Tight Dress
Wearing a dress that's skin-tight is a big mistake if you want to look thinner and taller. Tight dresses reveal lumps and bumps and horizontal wrinkles in case they are appearing. The too-tight dress effect is likely to be multiplied if the dress also has other unflattering features, such as being too short or too revealing.
2. Full Skirt
A full skirt on a short woman is a fashion fail because of its widening effect. Petite women should avoid skirts that are wider than they are long at all costs. The worst offenders include full circle skirts (the poodle skirt that was so popular in the 1950s is an example), gathered skirts (these produce a lot of fullness around the top of the hips), and pleated skirts (pleated skirts with stitched down pleats may be an exception depending on other style factors).
3. Skinny Jeans
Skinny jeans look best when worn by skinny women. Just because skinny jeans are available in all sizes doesn't mean that they're a flattering style choice. Jeans with straight legs almost always look better on short women (unless they wear a tiny size) than skinny jeans do
4. Patterned Pants
If you are a short woman, avoid any type of pants or jeans that made from fabric with a pattern, whether it's plaid, striped, floral, or some other print, rather than a solid color. Wear a dark solid color for the slimmest appearance. Or you can opt for a very tiny pattern, such as a subtle check, in a neutral fashion colour because it will read more like a neutral solid hue.
5. Cropped Pants
Cropped pants cut off the legs from a visual standpoint, they make women look wider, and emphasise a petite women's short stature.
6. Bulky Sweater
Bulky sweaters add pounds visually, even if extra pounds aren't really there. Any type of bulky or oversized clothing is especially bad for the petite woman because of her already short stature. To look thinner and taller, it's necessary to avoid heavy layers of fabric.
7. Puffy Down Coat
Like a bulky sweater, a puffy down coat not only makes women look fatter, but it also makes them look shapeless. Since neither is a desirable fashion effect, it's a good idea to wear a more flattering coat style, such as a single-breasted, knee-length wool coat with princess seaming.
8. Ankle-Wrap Shoes
Wearing shoes with ankle wraps cuts off the leg line, visually shortening the figure. When short women wear ankle-wrap shoes, they also look wider. Ankle-wrap shoes have a heavy look too especially when in colour that contrast with the legs, tights or stockings.
9. Wide Belt
Wide belts add bulk and a horizontal line across the middle hence a bad idea for women who are trying to look slimmer. If the wide belt is in a contrasting color, it widens even more. A better choice for a belt, especially for short women, is a narrow belt in the same color as the clothing.
10. Choker Necklace
Choker necklaces (close to the neck) shorten the neck making you look shorter and definitely fat. To look slimmer and taller, try wearing a top or dress with a V-neckline and a pendant necklace that falls inside the neckline to emphasis the lengthening V-neck effect.
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Tag Archives: ovation hall
Kanye Books Revel Gigs; Drives Kim K in Paris (Photos)
With the European leg of his and Jay-Z's "Watch the Throne" tour in the can, Kanye West will follow up Beyonce's recent Memorial Day stand at Atlantic City's Revel Resort and Casino with two shows of his own at the venue. [SUBSCRIBE TO EURWEB's RSS FEED] Today, Revel announced that West will perform on July … Continue reading Kanye Books Revel Gigs; Drives Kim K in Paris (Photos)
4th Show Added to Beyonce's Atlantic City Stand
*A fourth show has been added to Beyonce's series of sold-out concerts in Atlantic City at the end of the month. The fourth show, scheduled for Monday, May 28, joins Bey's previously-announced three shows: Friday, May 25, Saturday, May 26 and Sunday, May 27. All three dates sold out in less than a minute after … Continue reading 4th Show Added to Beyonce's Atlantic City Stand


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Michael Muhney's last episode on "The Young and the Restless" has not even aired and there are already rumors swirling that the role of Adam Newman has been or will soon be recast.
Chris McKenna, who previously portrayed Joey Buchanan 20 years ago on the now defunct ABC soap opera "One Life To Live" has been met with executives at "The Young and the Restless" according to a report on Jan. 20 from Celebrity Dirty Laundry. The nature of the meetings between "Y&R" executives and McKenna has not yet been revealed.
McKenna confirmed via Twitter that he has visited the set of "The Young and the Restless" but is unable to comment at this time on any details. Speculation is that Chris McKenna will be introduced as a different character only to find out months later that he is Adam Newman. But fans are not likely to accept any recast of the role of Adam Newman no matter how the production and writing team try to present it.
Michael Muhney fans plan to boycott the show once his final episode airs on Jan. 30 which will make it difficult to determine if any recast, whether or not it is Chris McKenna, will be acceptable. Many say this is just "another example of CBS showing everyone that they will do exactly as they please" and the fans be damned.
Follow Rachael Monaco on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Bubblews and Sulia
©Rachael Monaco All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced without prior permissions from the author. The first two sentences may be reposted with a link back to the original article.
Suggested Links
- Michael Muhney fans release video tribute, plan boycott of 'Y&R'
- Michael Muhney vs. Hunter King: Is quote on gossip website from his sister?
- Michael Muhney 'Y&R' firing: Did he rebuff Hunter King's advances?
- Michael Muhney fired for inappropriately touching 'Y&R' co-star
- After Michael Muhney's firing 'Y&R' fans wonder who is next?


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Aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush will be repositioned to provide President Obama "additional flexibility" in Iraq, the Pentagon said Saturday.
The reason for this move because an Al Qaeda splinter group, known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant has threaten to its stability in the western region of Baghdad.
Obama reiterated Friday his administration would not send U.S. troops into combat. He made clear that U.S. involvement likely would be limited. It is Iraqi's government to develop a "political plan" and make a "sincere effort" to resolve sectarian divisions.
"We can't do it for them," Obama said.
Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel ordered the carrier to be moved Saturday from the North Arabian Sea to the Arabian Gulf. The ship is expected to arrive in the area Saturday evening. The aircraft carrier would be accompanied by a guided-missile cruiser and a guided-missile destroyer, Rear Adm. John Kirby said, a Pentagon press secretary. The Nimitz-class carrier has been in the region since February.
The ships carry Tomahawk missiles, which could reach Iraq. The Bush is carrying fighter jets that could also easily get to Iraq, where the fast-moving Islamic insurgency is gaining momentum to its territory.
Subsequently, hundreds of young Iraqi men volunteered across Baghdad, responding to its call by the country's top Shiite cleric to join the fight against Sunni militants advancing in the north.
Dozens climbed into the back of army trucks, chanting Shiite slogans and hoisting assault rifles, ready to battle the ISIS, advancing its move across the country.
The massive response to the call by the Iranian-born Grand Ayatollah Ali-al-Sistani, issued through his representative Friday, a sectarian tension that would threaten to push the country back toward civil war since U.S. forces withdrew at the end of 2011.
"Given the current threat facing Iraq, defending the land, honor and holy places is a religious duty," Ayatollah Sistani said, according to The Wall Street Journal.


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A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor
Post to the Host
Host Garrison Keillor answers your questions about life, love, writing, authors, and of course, A Prairie Home Companion.
Developing a natural voice
August 23, 2011 | 10 Comments
To: the Host
I write for a music oriented website. Being a philosophy major has helped me to write with an entertaining and surrealist wit; however, I feel that my speaking voice can come off too dry and unaffected, or worse, sound insincere. I'll need to improve for podcasting, or else I fear I'll lose the audience I've gained through my writing.
Do you have any advice?
I'm a fan of yours, and of the craft itself.
I wish you well,
Gunther McEwan
Victoria, B.C.
When one is young and smart, as you are, one naturally affects a voice of authority so as to hold your own against other young and smart individuals. When I started out in radio, knowing nothing whatsoever, green as could be, I imitated the voice of Edward R. Murrow, the boy broadcaster from North Carolina who taught himself to talk like Sam Spade when he reported from London on the Battle of Britain. I did a pretty good job of it, too. But the voice of false authority teeters on the edge of arrogance, and that puts people off. And the best thing you can do to develop a natural voice is to sing. Sing to yourself, sing with other people, sing along with the radio ----- try singing the blues ----- those simple repetitive forms, making up your own words, bending the notes. It'll help weather your voice and give you more range and warmth. And it's awfully enjoyable, more so than preaching and philosophizing. Everybody ought to sing the blues. It makes you a better person.
My name is Gunther, and I'm from Victoria.
I said, my name is Gunther, and I'm from Victoria.
I do a podcast, and I'll sing this song for ya.
10 Comments
Dear Gunther and Garrison,
Singing the blues may help, but please also consider singing Broadway show tunes.
When our sailing class at the local college goes on cruises, it's inevitable that some get seasick. Singing show tunes seems to help -- perhaps it's the intake of breath, or the mind focusing on something other than vomiting?
On another note, I'm looking forward to "singing along" at the opening show in St. Paul next month. My sister-in-law (she lives in New Jersey) and I are making the "pilgrimage" to see APHC at "home." I sure hope we sing America The Beautiful!
See you then,
Sandy Gilman
San Clemente, CA
Dear Garrison,
I was honored to meet you after your show in Chico on Sept. 24, and being a shy person, I of course found myself tongue-tied and completely unable to express to you how much I've appreciated your show over the last 35 years. I've been with you all along, and actually planned most of my weekends around your show over all those years. I've grown wiser with you, though being a few years your junior I still look to you as a role model. Your perspective, your humor, and your music have been my companion through my entire career. Thanks for bringing a great show to us week after week, and thanks beyond words for bringing it to Chico and sharing your remarkable talents with us in person.
Best regards,
ps..My other hero is a donkey.
I am 35 and have been a fan of your show since I first listened to it in 2004. in my late 20's, I was in a place in life that required a change. Public radio was where I landed.
I was greatly saddened to hear that my local public radio station is dropping PHC due to the budget cuts the station has been forced to endure. WJCT in Jacksonville lost $500,000 this year due to cutbacks. I had heard rumors that PHC exceeded the budget but was hoping that something great might happen to change this. It breaks my heart to think I won't be able to enjoy your show on Saturday afternoons while at home.
Please, if there is anything within your ability, help keep PHC on the air in Jacksonville. We just won't be the same without you.
Very sincerely,
Jim Solari
Can I get a copy of a song/poem sung by one of your recent guests? It was written for a child and the subject was a fish, that was caught but not eaten. There was a repeated line, Deedle, deedle, deedle...
I recently became a god-father and would like to entertain my young god-child with this poem.
Bob Roth
Less singing GK, Let those wonderful guests do it.
To each his own, but what saddens me is that The Writer's Almanac is not carried by radio stations in Utah - maybe that's why the state ranked tops in suicidal ideation.
p.s. If you sing along you might find yourself having a good time instead of finding things to criticize. Life is not about perfection, but to be heading in the right direction.
Oh come on! That is the best part. The dude in the red shoes gets to sing whenever he wants. Gotta get yourself some of those trotters.
I BEG TO DFIFFER, Chris, above' I LOVE Mr. K's voice, LOVE the Hopeful Gospel Quartet. Keep singin'!
Dear GK,
I am a subscriber to the News From Lake Wobegon. I've been a fan since the mid-80s and get the podcast on my iPod every week.
Last January you let everyone know that Pastor David and Judy Inkvist had been separated since leaving the small town for the big city and the Mall of America. It would be great if you would perhaps give us some more on this and whether the marriage was able to survive or if they had to divorce.
I love the show, but know that you are planning to end it soon and I would like to see some of the loose ends tied up just a bit.
Thank you,
Scott Strohkirch
How to groom a voice?
Smoke cigarettes, drink bourbon,
and wait twenty years.
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- Argonne
- The Empire Builder
- The World Theater
- Tishomingo Blues
- Be Brave and Be Excellent
- Guy Noir
- Romantic Saint Paul
- Odd Cranky Hymns
- Bus Children
- Hard Work
- An Entirely Different Job
- Developing Your Musical Craft
- Lutefisk: Should I Try It?
- Advice for Young Authors
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- Liberty
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- Selfishness
- The Lake Wobegon Effect
- Longevity
- Abdication vs. Retirement
- Our Lady of Perpetual Responsibility
- Memory
- Sarah Bellum
- Starting Over
- Do you get to laugh?
- Keep Looking Ahead
- Big City vs. Hometown
- Awful Timing for Love
- Write Funny
- Telling a Story
- Fathers and Daughters
- Big City Yearnings
- Performing in Public
- Visiting Denmark
- Breaking into Show Business
- Moving Back with Mom
- Surviving as a journalist
- Advice for a Competitive Campaign
- A Life-Changing Moment
- In Search of a Wedding Poem
- Trying to turn a passion into a profession
- Spring Break
- American Jokes
- Norwegian Immigration to Lake Wobegon
- One thing leads to another
- All Good Writing is Rewriting
- The Goodbye To Childhood You're On Your Own Now Ceremony
- Skiing in the Alps
- Competing against the young
- Finding confidence
- The value of public universities
- Ruining Lutefisk
- A Christmas Blizzard
- Memoirs
- How do I get noticed?
- Poetry and the Fairer Sex
- Developing a natural voice
- Pentecost
- Boycott
- Anonymous in the Big City
- Thanks to Ford
- Offended
- What happened to that "Sweet Biscuit Fiddle?"
- "Tom and Sally"
- SFX Lady??
- Missing The Old Scout
- Live in San Diego
- So Where's Sinclair?
- This is my first big trip away from home. Any advice for a first-time traveler?
- How come the house band is called The Shoe Band?
- October 21 Cinecast
- Getting into the Radio Business
- On the 12th Floor of the Acme Building...
Complete Post to the Host Archive


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Due to inclement weather, the October 9 performance of Houston Ballet's Swan Lake + Two program was cancelled. If you purchased tickets to this performance, please visit the Pavilion's website for more information about refunds. Thank you, and very sorry for any inconvenience!
Posts Tagged 'Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion'
Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion Performance CancelledOctober 13, 2009
Don't Miss Houston Ballet at The Woodlands PavilionOctober 2, 2009
Houston Ballet will be performing a mixed repertory program titled Swan Lake + Two at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on Friday, October 9 at 8 PM. The program will be comprised of Act II from Stanton Welch's Swan Lake, Nacho Duato's Jardi Tancat, and Jiří Kylián's Falling Angels.
Pre-concert activities will begin at 7 PM. Orchestra seating is $15, and free mezzanine and general admission lawn seating is available. To purchase tickets or for more details, visit the Pavilion's website.
Grab a blanket and come out to support Houston Ballet in The Woodlands!


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To purchase the iPad cabinets below either: Contact us @
A & R Engineering
Ltd., Valleybridge Road, Clacton-on-sea, Essex.
Secure metal compact netbook cabinets and ipad trolleys, supplied to schools, colleges, financial institutions, and industry offering the ideal mobile storage and security solutions.
Unfortunately this is a discontinued product line.
SECURE BLACKBERRY, iPAD CHARGING TROLLEYS, STORAGE CABINETS FOR SCHOOLS, FROM STOCK.
|The short video is for the standard laptop charging cabinet, but the compact net book security trolley work the same way.
The compact mobile netbook cabinet is manufactured in the UK to a high build quality. i.e. These secure blackberry netbook trolleys are manufactured to a fully welded construction, which not only makes the cabinets sturdy, but also aids netbook security.
All these portable compact netbook carts, are fitted with two mains plug bank charging facilities and can charge up to 20 kindles, ipads etc..
Netbook trolley and iPad security cabinet.
The LCC20 compact netbook security trolley internal shelf dimensions are:
49cm wide x 50cm deep x 8cm high.
For all other dimensions of the electronic accessories storage cabinet, see below. The shelves shown above are removable, thus the user is able to safely store PC's and or server computers.
RCD Plug.
2 metre mains power cable complete with an inline RCD Plug supplied as standard.
Following new Health and Safety Executive guidelines, the 2011 LCC20 netbook trolley has been tested in accordance with the Low Voltage Directive 2006/95/EC in accordance with BS EN 60335-1 Household and similar electrical appliances - Safety - Part 1: General requirements. As such all units are fully CE compliant.
For more information about the HSE ipad or netbook trolley safety alert, please click here.
20 Station blackberry / kindle storage cart.
Electrical Specification and features for the netbook charging cart and ipad trolley.
*The netbook trolley are designed to be suitable
for any make of net book, ipad etc and all shelves are removable
so even some Desktop PC's will fit!
*The net book, nintendo or kindles etc., own
charging unit fits inside the 20 point compact charging trolley.
*Power to the netbook cabinets is via a 2 metre mains power cable with an inline RCD plug (see above) which can be stored safely inside the laptop security trolley when not in use.
*Recessed plug banks for easier loading of netbooks into the cabinet.
*The netbook trolley is air vented throughout.
*All netbook charging trolleys are fully CE compliant.
The net book and ipad trolleys are available for schools colleges and industry, dealers also welcome.
Click here to see the main computer security products index page.
Above. Detail of the top and bottom door lock mechanism fitted to the netbook trolley.
|Netbook carts construction
*Fully welded construction to meet the tough demands of day to day working environment. This also makes the netbook charging trolley more secure.
*Highly secure two position door locking mechanism, see photo far left.
*Tough internally mounted hinges to stop tampering fitted to every iPad trolley.
*Heavy duty steerable swivel casters. 2 off with foot brakes for maximum stability are fitted to the netbook security cart.
*The netbook trolley has removable shelves for maximum storage versatility.
*Tough industrial two tone powder coat paint finish in blue and grey. Other colours available to all charger carts at extra cost.
*Two off heavy duty push pull handles are fitted to iPad storage and security charging cabinet, complete with a matching streamlined chrome lock.
Also see the secure laptop charging and storage carts.
Click here to be directed to the under desk PC hanger web page.
Click here to be taken to the new PC trolleys webpage.
Click here for information on the new horizontal CPU holders.
Dimensions, weights, prices and product codes for the mobile compact netbook charging cabinet.
20 bay compact netbook security charging cabinet.
Product code LCC20 Compact
Price £795.00p + VAT and delivery.
Please note, all deliveries will be offloaded at the kerb side.
20 Station netbook charging & storage trolley. Part No. (LCC20 compact)
Weighs 79KG. 71cm wide including 2 off push/pull handles. 109cm overall height and 55cm overall depth.
The front wheels of the mobile netbook storage trolley are fitted with braked casters as standard.
*Optional extras for the netbook charging cabinet.*
A docking station (wall, or floor fixing bracket) can be supplied for the netbook charging cabinet, for extra security.
The compact storage cabinets can be supplied with or without a charging facility.
We can add an opening for a wireless access point to enable 802.11G communication to your computers, plus any other slots or apertures for special cable entry points etc.
Wheels are not obligatory, the notebook storage cabinet shown above right, has been supplied to a major high street bank.
To aid ventilation we can also supply the Ipad trolleys / netbook cabinet with floor mounting feet, which if required, can be fixed to the floor.
If your security netbook charging cabinets require other options, or the charging carts have additional requirements, please just ask.
Please note, A&R Engineering Ltd are the manufacturers of these compact charging carts and will do our best to find solutions, if you have custom made requirements. (All prices on application).
Above, shows one of the docking station fixing rings. This optional extra is used to secure the mobile netbook security cabinets to the wall or floor mounting bracket.
All sizes of net book or mobile phone charging cabinets back into a floor fixing bracket, or docking station, as shown above. This netbook cabinet has not been padlocked in place yet..
The compact netbook security computer charging cart backed into the wall, or floor fixing bracket and secured with padlocks.
Above, three photo's of the security docking station device, for the mobile compact iPad netbook carts or kindle charging cabinets.
Please note, the company is always striving to improve the
ipad trolleys / blackberry security carts, therefore components
may vary from the photo's.
A & R Engineering Ltd., Valleybridge Road, Clacton-on-sea, Essex. CO15 4AD. UK.Fax: 01255 427743 Email: email@example.com Tel: 01255 434261
Below, other products and services available from A & R Engineering Ltd.
Laptop cabinets, storage carts and ipad charging trolleys index page including the netbook trolley.
Enclosures but not laptop storage carts.
Metal pressings and presswork.
|Outside wall mounted sharps boxes.
Vandal resistant sharps drop off box.
Main laptop computer storage cabinets.
|Aluminium lighting louvres main index webpage.
General sheet metal fabrications.
|Under desk PC and laptop security storage hanger.
Stainless steel and metal storage cabinets page not iPad or netbook cabinets.
|Police Drug storage cabinets.
|Key drop off security cabinet.
To purchase the iPad trolleys either: Contact us @
A & R Engineering Ltd., Valleybridge
Road, Clacton-on-sea, Essex.
IPad Blackberry security cabinet made in Britain.
A & R Engineering Ltd., manufacturers of netbook trolleys and iPad charging trolleys.
UK manufactured mobile iPad and netbook carts.


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Graduate Admissions Travel Locations
Representatives of the Graduate Admissions and Graduate Programs offices will be traveling domestically and internationally during the upcoming months and look forward to meeting you! Travel locations will continue to be updated as we update our schedule. Please check back for a schedule of graduate programs travel locations.


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Archive for the 'Hair loss products' Category
Viviscal is One of Karlie Kloss' Style Secrets
In a the October issue of InStyle, the article, "Get Model Karlie Kloss' Style Secrets," Kloss, 21, relates that even with her busy schedule that includes fashion shows all over the world, she still finds time to keep her hair healthy.
Take a look at these beauty tips.
Your personal style in one word?
What's your trick for red-carpet dressing?
Shake things up from time to time. For the Cannes Film Festival this year I wore a Louis Vuitton tuxedo, which was a departure for me because I'm used to wearing dresses.
What's your secret cheapie?
I keep my nails clean and conditioned with Sally Hansen cuticle oil (ulta.com). It costs $8 at the drugstore.
What do you splurge on?
Bliss spa does an oxygen facial ($165; blissworld.com) that is to die for. Be good to your skin—you'll wear it every day for the rest of your life.
Your formula for healthy hair?
I take fish oil and a dietary supplement called Viviscal (viviscal.com). It's all natural and very nourishing.
Yep, this was our favorite question and answer as Viviscal is one of the Hair Foundation's donors and supporters. The Viviscal® dietary supplements mentioned by Kloss nourishes thinning hair and promotes existing hair growth* from the inside, according to the company's website. Viviscal also offers a Gentle Shampoo and Moisturizing Conditioner that assists with healthy hair growth on the outside while the Hair Filler Fibers offers the appearance of thicker hair.
We've previously written about Viviscal in our blog. Take a look to learn more about this interesting company and its products.
Thinning Hair? Check Out These Products
Viviscal®, Hair Foundation Partner to Promote Hair Loss Awareness Month
Viviscal can be found at your nearby drug store including Walgreens and CVS as well as Target and ULTA.
Shoutout to Our Partners' Products: HairMax, Nioxin and Pantene
As we embrace National Hair Loss Awareness month, there's many great products out there to help you battle your hair loss challenges. Our partners offer many great options and recently they received some great shout outs from national beauty magazines.
In the September issue of InStyle magazine, it cites the HairMax Lasercomb.
The FDA-approved laser comb can be used by men and women. It works its magic by emitting a low level laser light energy to stimulate follicles and spur new hair growth.
To use the comb, it should be done three times a week by brushing it through your hair's roots for about 10 minutes. Look for a difference in 12 to 16 weeks as you'll notice less hair shedding and a fuller look.
Before you start any treatment, you should speak to your doctor about this alternative. For more information, go to the HairMax website.
A second nod came from More magazine's July issue that cites P&G's Nioxin Rejuvenating Serum. Now that many of us had had summer's sun, warm-weather temps and chlorine wreaking havoc on our hair, it's time for some TLC.
The Nioxin line is geared toward thinning hair and this recommended serum is a daily conditioner that just needs one drop for your hair. It's great for those with either fine or normal hair.
More also gives a kudos to Pantene's (from our partner P&G) Age Defy Advanced Thickening Treatment. This can help fatten up thin strands, with one fan saying that it "can make you look as if you've added thousands of new hairs to your head."
This can be purchased at local retail stores including Target.
If you have any questions about hair loss, feel free to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com.
Bosley Supports National Hair Loss Awareness Month, Introduces New Products
It's National Hair Loss Awareness Month and one of the Hair Foundation's partners, Bosley, is supporting this and spreading the word through its Bosley Professional Strength products. These can combat thinning hair both in the salon and at home.
Recently, the line introduced two new products for healthier and fuller-looking hair: the BosRenew Volumizing Dry Shampoo and the BosRenew Scalp Micro-Dermabrasion.
Bosley Professional Strength President Eric McLemore said of the products via a press release, "We pride ourselves on offering a 360-degree approach to people struggling with fine and thinning hair through our innovative, comprehensive range of products. Everyone wants thicker, fuller and healthier hair, and clients really do want to speak with their stylists about it. It can be as easy as starting the conversation about how a healthier scalp can help give healthier, thicker hair results."
Here's a look at the new products.
BosRenew Volumizing Dry Shampoo – In addition to absorbing dirt, excess oil and product build-up, this shampoo can help stimulate the metabolic function of cells, serving to create voluminous, ultra-manageable and silky-soft hair. With a unique multi-tasking formula, it also provides advanced UV protection to defend hair against photo-aging.
BosRenew Scalp Micro-Dermabrasion - Known as a "facial for the scalp," this innovative and breakthrough treatment provides deeply restorative exfoliating benefits of a facial, but for your scalp. It addresses hair and scalp aging at the cellular level, exfoliating dead skin cells and unclogging follicles to enable your hair to grow in a healthy environment. Improving follicle health is key to helping diminish hair loss. This product is only offered in salons.
Bosley Professional Strength products are available at ULTA Beauty, professional beauty salons and barber shops nationwide.
We're excited about these new products from our partner and we'll also happy to note that Bosley will be participating in our October 10 Day of Hair Health and Skin Event.
Please register now for this one-of-a-kind event in Winter Park, Fl.
New Hair Foundation Videos Are Here!
For the second straight year, the Hair Foundation's esteemed team of doctors have put together free, short videos on numerous hair loss concerns for men, women and children. These videos will answer many of your commonly-asked questions such as women and hair loss, new treatments for hair loss and chemotherapy and hair loss.
If you see a topic that hasn't been covered, please feel free to contact us at firstname.lastname@example.com and one of our doctors will try to address your concerns.
Here's the new 2013 videos.
Understanding Hair Loss in Children
The Best Hair Removal Techniques
Tips for Managing Chemotherapy Hair Loss
Hair Loss Treatments for Women
Healthy Hair Care and Styling Tips
Tips for Coverage and Camouflage of Thinning Hair
Hair Care Tips for Aging and Thinning Hair
Exciting Advancements In Hair Care and Hair Loss
Hair Loss Disease and Treatments
To view additional Hair Loss Foundation videos, please visit our library.
Hiding Hair Loss with Tattoos
Dr. William M. Parsley, M.D, FAAD, a member of the Hair Foundation's Board of Trustees, recently discussed tattooing over keloid scalp scars from hair restoration surgery in a Hair Foundation blog post. Parsley talked about tattooing over keloid scalp scars from hair restoration surgery (the area they harvest from) not as an option to conceal hair loss.
But now this alternative exists. The Britain-based company, HIS (Hair-Ink-Skin) Hair, has launched a technique to hide baldness by using a form of tattoos. The procedure, called micro hair technique (MHT) scalp pigmentation, gives the appearance of a short, cropped 'buzz' hair by applying different shades of specifically-blended pigments to the scalp.
This copies the size, shape and density of micro hairs, according to The Daily Mail.
The procedure costs on average of £2,000 (US $3,151) and was developed by HIS Hair founder Ian Watson. Some of the allure is coming from its lower cost as compared to other hair loss remedies.
Watson got the idea for the procedure when he developed alopecia in his mid-twenties after his older brother passed away from cancer.
Sensitive to his hair loss, Watson asked his brother's widow, Ranbir Rai-Watson, to grab a fine pen and draw dots on his scalp, in an effort to create a "cropped" haircut. While the ink washed off on the first attempts, after a decade of research the procedure has been tweaked by hair loss experts and English and Australian semi-permanent make-up artists.
The company is now opening clinics in Europe and the U.S.with this procedure.
Celebrity hairdresser Adee Phelan has opened the company's newest clinic in Manchester, England; he is also a satisfied customer who's had the procedure. Phelan said, "This is a great permanent, non-surgical option that can disguise everything from male- pattern baldness to receding hair lines and scars on your head. I thought losing my hair didn't bother me but even I felt younger and more confident afterwards.
"And it looks so natural, most people don't even know I've had it done."
According to the Daily Mail, statistics show that 10 million men from the UK suffer from hair loss. By the age of 50, those affected by male pattern hair loss reaches 50 percent. Many in the country believe this new alternative will be great for hair loss.
If you have questions about hair loss, please contact us at email@example.com or check out our online videos.
ISHRS Maintains Safety,Efficacy for Treatment of Male Hair Loss
The International Society of Hair Restoration Surgery (ISHRS) recently announced their position on Propecia (Finasteride 1mg) for hair loss and the subsequent reports of sexual dysfunction by users.
ISHRS is one of the Hair Foundation's Allied Organizations Council (AOC) members.
Under a task force, the organization reviewed the reports of sexual dysfunction and looked at data and finasteride experiences from a group of dermatologists, hair loss physicians, urologists, endocrinologists and sexual medicine specialists.
ISHRS has reported there was no evidence-based science data that linked finasteride and continuous sexual side effects after users discontinued using the drug in numerous, double blinded, placebo controlled studies that evaluated the use of Propecia 1mg for hair loss, according to the press release.
In a statement by ISHRS President Dr. Jennifer Martinick, she said,
"The health and well being of our patients is the utmost concern of the 900 physician members of the ISHRS — whether prescribing medications like Propecia or performing hair restoration surgery. ISHRS members devote an average of 72% of their practices to medically and surgically treating hair loss, and collectively they have treated millions of men around the world suffering from hair loss with finasteride 1mg with virtually no side effects."
Since receiving FDA approval in December of 1997, 20.5 million and 6.7 million patient-years of exposure using Proscar (finasteride 5mg) and Propecia (finasteride 1mg), respectively, have seen a low adverse event profile according to ISHRS' release.
ISHRS believes this represents the most current and reliable data available.
Martinick further noted that sexual dysfunction is a complicated disorder as it's hard to find the exact cause due to the many factors contributing to erectile dysfunction (ED) such as nicotine, alcohol, prescription medications, stress, anxiety, fatigue and depression.
She said, "The incidence of ED in the general population is known to be quite high — as high as 49% in middle-aged and older men according to one study published in 2006 in the Archives of Internal Medicine. "That being said, we owe it to our patients to address valid concerns in a scientific manner and to clarify any misleading reports so that men can make informed choices regarding the use of this medication."
To learn more about hair loss treatments for men, please visit our online videos.
Hair Loss Treatment for Women from Hair Foundation's Partner, Lexington Intl
In June, Lexington Intl, LLC ("Lexington"), a Hair Foundation partner, received FDA Clearance to market its HairMax LaserComb® Lux 9 for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss) and the promotion of hair growth.
On Aug. 4, CBS Philadelphia ran a story about this HairMax LaserComb. It featured a 53-year-old woman with hereditary hair loss and included Hair Foundation's Vice Chair, Dr. Ken Washenik, as a hair loss medical expert.
Here's a link to the video and some background on the story.
In an additional story about the LaserComb Lux 9, here's one from Univision.
Want to learn more about the HairMax LaserComb Lux 9 for women? Check out this June 10 Hair Foundation blog post.
Lady Gaga and Her Battle with Hair Loss
For many people, Lady Gaga is seen as a music icon, an individual, a very creative person and yes, a woman who struggles with hair loss. The 25-year-old has been open about her hair loss and has said that her hair has started to fall out because of the constant hair dyeing. The natural brunette is known for platinum blonde hair and because of it, she's been open about her hair loss.
So what's a woman to do about hair loss? In a recent AOL blog post, rumors have been swirling that Lady Gaga is using Minoxidil (Rogaine®) to combat her hair loss.
What is Rogaine? It is the only FDA-approved topical solution to regrow your hair. For women, it enables them to take control of hair loss and start regrowing healthy hair. It is a very good treatment for hereditary hair loss. Initially sold as a prescription product, Rogaine is now sold over the counter and for women, the 2% solution is recommended.
One thing to keep in mind, according to Dr. Matt Leavitt, president and CEO of the Hair Foundation, in his book, "Women and Hair Loss: A Physician's Perspective,"
Use of minoxidil to abate hair loss or re-grow hair should be viewed as a lifetime commitment if the re-growth is to be maintained.
Leavitt further explains,
More density to the hair is achieved with continuous use, which allows for easier styling, but bear in mind that it does not replace all of the missing hair and that the response to treatment is individual.
Side effects may include an itchy scalp and other minor skin irritations, which occurs in approximately 6% of females, according to Leavitt.
Want to learn more about women and hair loss? Check out this March 29 Q&A blog with the Hair Foundation's vice chairman, Dr. Ken Washenik and the Hair Foundation's new physician videos.
Lexington Intl Receives Clearance for HairMax Laser Comb, Treats Androgenetic Alopecia in Females
On June 6, Lexington Intl, LLC ("Lexington"), a Hair Foundation partner, announced in a press release that it received FDA Clearance to market its HairMax LaserComb® Lux 9 for the treatment of androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss) and the promotion of hair growth.
It is the first time in over twenty years that a new home-use treatment for female hair loss has been available, according to Lexington. The HairMax Lux 9 has indicated it treats androgenetic alopecia (female pattern hair loss), and promotes hair growth in females who have Ludwig (Savin) Scale I-4, II-1, II-2 or frontal and Fitzpatrick Skin Types I-IV.
The HairMax was the subject of a double-blind, device-controlled clinical study of females which showed that 100% of subjects on the HairMax LaserComb Lux 9 experienced hair growth at six months. In addition, over the same time period, subjects using the HairMax experienced a mean increase in hair count of 20.5 hairs per centimeter squared, which is considered medically and scientifically significant.
Most importantly, over 79% of the subjects using the HairMax Lux 9 reported improvement in thickness and fullness of their hair. No serious side effects occurred and there were no other side effects caused by the HairMax Lux 9 in the study.
The results of this study of efficacy and safety were a key part of the FDA 510(k) submission, and the subsequent decision of the Agency to grant marketing clearance for the treatment of female AGA.
In Lexington's press release, Dr. Matt Leavitt, Chairman and President, the Hair Foundation, and Lexington Medical advisor, made the following comment regarding the news:
"Hair loss amongst women is a growing concern", says Dr. Matt Leavitt, Medical Advisor to Lexington. "In the past, women had only one FDA Approved drug ingredient to treat their hair loss. Now they have a clinically proven viable alternative. Upon review of Lexington's extensive clinical studies on female hair loss, the FDA has granted Clearance to this exciting new treatment option. I believe the HairMax will be able to offer help to the millions of women suffering from hair loss."
Here is a copy of the FDA clearance letter.
To learn more about female hair loss and treatments, please see the Hair Foundation's new video series.
Hair Foundation to Introduce Nine-Part Video Series
This spring, the Hair Foundation's doctors served as experts and helped film a nine-part video series for public use. They cover a variety of hair
topics and viewers will find many of their common questions answered.
Drs. Matt Leavitt, Dow Stough,E. Antonio Mangubat and Ken Washenik discussed the following video topics:
- Types of Hair Loss
- Understanding and Living with Hair Loss
- Men and Hair Loss
- Women and Hair Loss
- Children and Hair Loss
- Hair Loss and Self-Esteem
- Combating Hair Loss: Diagnosis and Medical Treatments
- Hair Care and Maintenance before Hair Loss Occurs
- Hair Disease and Treatments
These free videos run between two to four minutes in length and they include patients, real world examples and visuals.
Look for their availability soon on the HF website, YouTube and partners' websites.
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The Palm Beach Zoo Volunteer team is comprised of dedicated people from all across the country who are passionate about conservation! No matter where your talents lie we have an opportunity for you.
We have a wide array of opportunities throughout the zoo from helping care for our animals to office help; we can use your skills. The Palm Beach Zoos mission is to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat, and to inspire others to value and conserve the natural world.
Through your help we can make that difference! We have several volunteer programs ranging from our up and coming Youth Volunteer Corps (YVC) launching January 2013 to our adult programs, each with its own benefits and rewards. You will find all the volunteer opportunities below. We hope you join our team and thank you in advance for your interest in volunteering for the Palm Beach Zoo!
Download the Volunteer Application.
Youth Volunteer Corps
for Ages 14 - 18
Adult Volunteer Corps for Ages 18+
Have you ever wondered what is it like to work in a zoo? Do you like working with and meeting new friends? How about talking to people in small and large groups? If your answer is yes to these questions, then the YVC may be a perfect fit! More Information & Application »
All applications are in PDF format. To access them, you will need the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Be advised that the Palm Beach Zoo does not accept court-ordered community service.
For more information regarding any of the above programs, please contact the zoo's Volunteer Office via e-mail.


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What sets us apart from other "pilates studios"?
* Two fully equipped Pilates studios
* Balanced Body equipment
* Comprehensively trained Pilates teachers
* Supportive, relaxing environment and snacks with fresh nespresso coffee pre/post workout!
The Pilates Place Studios offer private pilates and group pilates training sessions, which are also available in Spanish, Portuguese & German.
Offering 30 minute free private introductory session for new clients to get familiar with pilates equipment. Call or email to schedule!
The Pilates Place Studios is the only pilates training site in Miami for the "Beyond The Basics" Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Certificate Program that is certified by The Pilates Method Alliance.
The Pilates Place Studios… what sets us apart from other "pilates studios"?
The Pilates Place Studios has two fully equipped Pilates studios, one located in Miami and another right in the heart of South Beach and much more!
Our pilates studios use Balanced Body equipment which is the number one choice for pilates professionals worldwide since 1976. Our pilates equipment includes pilates reformers, towers, pilates chairs, ladder barrel, ped o pul and assorted pilates accessories like jump-boards, spine correctors, thera-bands, versa-discs, weighted medicine balls and weighted bars.
The Pilates Place Studios offer private pilates and group pilates training sessions, which are also available in Spanish, Portuguese & German.
Single pilates session rates as well as packages of 5, 10, 15 and 20 pilates classes are available for purchase. To schedule a private pilates session email or call us at +1-305-316-3341.
Register for a group pilates class online or using our mobile app:


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On this week's poll we ask whether you are already an user of any such services, or if you plan to use them soon or finally if you plain dislike the idea and not intend to use any kind of Internet telephony for the time being. You can vote on the form at the right side of you screen.
Also here you have results for our last poll which actually was left up for about a month and is so far our most popular poll ever with 20k+ votes:


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Upon requesting some daily/hourly sales data from a coworker who is responsible for such requests, I was given a series of PDF files. The point of sale program that is used, for some reason, answers requests for this type of information in the form of PDF files.
The issue:
The PDF files look to be in a format that should easily be copy and pasted into a spreadsheet. There are three columns that look to be neatly organized across two pages. When copy/pasting the first page, all three columns from the PDF's first page are dumped into a single column consisting of the Date followed by the Hours for the transactions on that day. The end of this Date/Time information is followed by all of the Total Sales values that should be attached a Date and Time of the transaction. (NOTE: There are no duplicated Dates in the Date column, ie, Multiple transactions for a day only have one yyyy/mm/dd listed for the first row but not the following rows.)
While it was a huge pain, it was possible to, in about four or five steps, get the single column of data broken out into three columns that matched the PDF.
The second page of the PDF file, when attempting to copy/paste into a spreadsheet, creates a single column with the first third of the cells being the Dates from the PDF, the second third of the cells being the Hours of the transactions and the final third of the cells being filled with the Total Sales.
After the copy/paste there is no way to figure out which Hours belong to which Dates or Total Sales due to the lack of the duplicated Dates in the Date column as mentioned above.
My PDF-fu is next to non-existent. I've just now started to work with PDF editors and some www.convertmyPDFforfree.com websites, so far, with absolutely nothing remotely coming anywhere near usable output. (Both methods have so far done nothing but product blank documents.)
Before I go back and pester my co-worker into figuring out a way to create a report in some other format than PDF, is there any method by which to take the data that looks to be formatted correctly in a PDF and copy/paste it into a spreadsheet that will look the same?
I appreciate any help that can be made available. The sales data isn't so sensitive that I couldn't part with a bit to let somebody actually see what it is that needs to be dealt with, just let me know. The PDF's are less than 100kb each so sending them shouldn't be a burden to any interested party.