Category Archives: Business/Economics

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Idaho’s Republican governor pays his female officials less than his male officials, much less

Governor Butch Otter pays the females in his administration an average of $20,000 less than his male administrators.

“Director Gould is about $38,000 under the newly employed Jeff Sayer. You can’t argue she doesn’t have as many employees. Our state is no different than the national averages that show women reach a ‘glass ceiling’ for promotion and pay.”-Representative Wendy Jaquet of Ketchum

Idaho Agriculture Director, Celia Gould, has worked for Butch Otter since 2007.  She’s paid $106,621 per year.   Jeffrey Sayer, Commerce Director (running a smaller agency), has worked for Butch Otter since October 2011, yet he gets paid $145,018 per year.

The median salary for females in Butch Otter’s cabinet is $85,446.  The median salary for males is $103,002.

Oh, but Idaho is a Right to Work state.

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? 20,000 Teachers laid off, $4.8 billion in more cuts could be coming

March 18, 2012, California has notified at least 20,000 teachers that they will not be coming back to work.

Tom Torlakson, California’s Superintendent of Public Instruction, says the notices reflect a financial emergency: “Though the very future of our state depends on California’s teachers …(they) will now spend months in limbo, worrying about their futures and the future of their students.”

It could be worse.  In November elections, Californians will decide if they can afford a huge tax increase, that could keep even more teachers from losing their jobs.

If the tax increase fails to get the vote, then a $4.8 billion trigger cut to education funding will go into effect, which could result in another 55,000 teachers being laid off!

Beware the old saying: “As California goes, so goes the nation.”

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Whistleblower & Wikileaks founder Julian Assange running for Australian Senate, hosts Russian TV show

Despite being under house arrest in United Kingdom, Assange is getting a new TV show, and running for political office in Australia.

Assange is scheduled to host The World of Tomorrow for RT (Russia Today): “Assange to record TV series for RT while under house arrest – I am sure it will be an amazing show!” -Margarita Simonyan, RT editor in chief

Assange is also running for a seat in Australia’s Upper House.  Wikileaks is also sponsoring a candidate to challenge Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

 

 

Business/Economics, International

Cadmium contaminated farmland takes 30 years to replace

30 years ago, 1,600 hectares (3,953.6 acres) of farmland in Gifu Prefecture, Japan, was contaminated with cadmium.  The cadmium came from a mine.

What happened was that the mine was dumping cadmium into the river, the local farms used the river for irrigation.  The contamination caused a debilitating condition among local residents, called “itai-itai disease“.

A ceremony was held in Toyama City, on March 17, 2012, to mark to end of 30 years of replacing the contaminated soil!  It is considered the biggest restoration project for farm land in history!

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Government Evil: Canadians to be raped of at least half a million dollars by Royal family

The visit of the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall, to Canada this year, is expected to cost the Canadian taxpayers more than $500,000.

The travel expenses documents were published by the Department of Canadian Heritage.  The published costs do not reveal the costs by federal departments and agencies, nor do they take into consideration the security costs.

The last two “royal” visits ended up raping Canadian taxpayers of more than $1 million for each visit.  The 2011 visit by Prince William and Kate Middleton cost the taxpayers more than $1.2 million.  The 2010 visit by Queen Elizabeth cost taxpayers $2.8 million!

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Government Lies: U.S. allows farm Corporations to contiue business with Iran, oil contractors as well. Proof the U.S. sanctions against Iran are bogus, and possibly illegal under current U.S. law created by Republicans!

“If they need something really quick and reliable, the U.S. is there to do it.”-unnamed U.S. wheat trader

It’s been revealed that despite U.S. economic sanctions against Iran, U.S. agricultural giants Cargill and Bunge will sell about 220,000 tons of U.S. wheat to Iran, by April.

Not only that, but Iran is paying more than the going Market rate for wheat, as much as $30 per metric ton more!

So what happened to the U.S. economic sanctions against Iran?  Turns out money does talk, and U.S. officials are willing to turn a blind eye to big Iranian money being spent on U.S. industries: “They seem to be taking hundreds of thousands of tonnes a week. If that’s the case and we repeat 2008, if they buy seven million tonnes of wheat, this is going to be a huge deal for the [U.S.] market.“-another unnamed U.S. wheat trader

This could also be proof that there is no economic recovery taking place inside the United States, forcing officials to go back on threats against Iran.

It’s not just the agriculture industry, even U.S. medical industries and oil contractors, and even Mars candy bar corporation, are allowed to continue business with Iran.  Guess why?  A U.S. law created by Republicans, under the influence of Corporate America, in 2000, allows dozens of U.S. industries to be exempt from any future sanctions against Iran!!!

According to a December 2010 New York Times article, the U.S. government, under Republican President George Bush Jr, enacted a law in the year 2000 that allowed U.S. companies to not only do business with “terrorist” “rogue” states such as Iran and North Korea,  but to be exempt from future sanctions!

Even Democrats complained about the Republican created law: “It’s not a bad thing to grant exceptions if it represents a conscious policy decision to give countries an incentive. But when you create loopholes like this that you can drive a Mack truck through, you are giving countries something for nothing, and they just laugh in their teeth. I think there have been abuses.”-Stuart Eizenstat, former Bill Clinton administration

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Proof that Gas-Electric Hybrid cars are a sham! Honda settles California lawsuit for as much as $461 million

“It didn’t work. My mileage actually went down.”-Jack Shrader Jr, owner of 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid

I always knew those electric and gas-electric cars were a rip off.

In California thousands of owners of hybrid Honda Civics sued Honda because the cars got no better, or even worse, fuel mileage than a regular gas powered Civic!  The batteries also had to be recharged far sooner than advertised!

On March16, 2012, a San Diego Superior Court judge approved a settlement that’s estimated to range between $87.5 million and $461.3 million.

One hybrid owner said that her car was fine until Honda did a mandatory software update: “Now my car is so sluggish. It just doesn’t want to go sometimes and you never know when. I’m livid. It’s not really a reliable car. It should be, I paid a fortune for it!”-Kathy Wood, owner 2007 Honda Civic Hybrid

But wait there’s more!  This settlement is in regards to a class action lawsuit.  There are hundreds more individual cases against Honda!

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Oil & Gas Prices: Iran cuts oil shipment to 4 more European countries! SWIFT retaliation? U.S. to sanction India

March 16, 2012, Iran’s Oil Ministry announced it will stop oil shipments to four more European Union members.

Back in February Iran stopped oil shipments to France and United Kingdom.  Iran had also named four other EU countries that could lose their Iranian oil shipments.

Iranian media reporting that Iran will now stop oil shipments to those other countries.  Those countries are Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal and Spain.

I’ve heard that claim before, but this time it might be for real, and in retaliation for Iran’s exclusion from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (SWIFT).

“It is a direct result of international and multilateral action to intensify financial sanctions against Iran.”-Lazaro Campos, CEO SWIFT

The SWIFT move will affect about 30 Iranian banks.

Washington DC insiders say it’s likely the United States will sanction India, for refusing to take part in the U.S. led oil sanctions against Iran: “Given the level of trade, and in particular oil, between Iran and India, targeting an Indian entity that facilitates Iran’s access to the international financial market should be top of mind for the U.S. Treasury.”-Avi Jorisch, former Treasury Department official

According to the International Energy Agency, India and South Korea have greatly increased the amount of oil they’re buying from Iran.  Japan and South Korea are demanding exemptions from the U.S. oil sanctions, because British Petroleum was able to be exempted. (I told you Obama does not have the support of the International Community, as he claims)

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Proof the U.S. occupation of Aghanistan is about Drugs: Largest drug bust Ever! Famous last words?

ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) reported the largest opium drug bust in Afghanistan’s history.

“The raid resulted in approximately 4,000 pounds of suspected narcotics (the equivalent of $2.5 – 3 million) being removed from the battlefield. This was the biggest drug bust in ANSF National Interdiction Unit history.”-Captain Joseph Quirk, 2nd Battalion, 9th U.S. Marine Regiment

The USMC said the bust was made by Afghan National Security Forces, after the opium was spotted by a USMC UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle).

However, ISAF forces had also been tipped off about the opium, in an earlier raid in Marjeh district of Helmand Province.

Captain Quirk made what could be called a famous last statement: “The amount of money lost by the insurgency will significantly affect the insurgents’ capabilities and resources for the spring offensive saving ANSF and International Security Assistance Force lives.”

The spring offensive always comes, and the opium dealing increases year after year.  How does that happen if we’re so good at making drug busts, throwing Afghans into prison without trial, and eradicating opium fields?

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Toyota & Subaru begin production of new sports car. For sale in the United States?

A few weeks ago Subaru announced they were ending decades of minicar production in Japan. They said they just weren’t profitable.

Now that minicar factory is being used to produce a sports car jointly designed by Toyota and Fuji Heavy Industries (owner of Subaru).

It’s called the Toyota 86, or Subaru BRZ.  It’s reported to have an engine designed for lots of power and fuel economy.

The car is supposed to go on sale in Australia in June. There the car is being marketed to potential buyers with incomes of at least Australian$150,000 per year.

The car will be powered by a water cooled 2.0-litre Boxer (horizontally opposed 4 cylinder, like the old air cooled VWs)  D-4S gas (petrol) engine.   147kW (199.8 hp) and 205Nm (151 foot pounds) of torque.  Base model comes with automatic transmission, but buyers could get a six-speed manual transmission. Limited slip differential will be available, except on the base model with automatic transmission.

The cars are also planned for sale in Europe.

Will the car be sold in the United States?  Reports say Toyota will sell the car under their Scion brand, as the Scion FR-S.  Subaru will sell it as a Subaru BRZ, at a rumored starting price of U.S.$25,000.  They hope to sell at least 7,000 per year.