Tag Archives: economy

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Good Teachers leaving the United States, competition to get out is increasing, America is replacing them with foreign teachers

“The educational pathway is in decline, and I don’t see anything in the near future that sounds like it’s on a positive upswing.”-Stephanie Olsen, leaving the U.S.

While there’s always plenty of reports about students leaving school without getting a high school diploma, you rarely hear about the fact that thousands of good teachers are leaving the U.S., for jobs overseas.

According to one teacher employment agency, TeachAway, the number of U.S. teachers applying with them for foreign jobs is up 50% from last year.  TeachAway has also placed 3,000 U.S. teachers with overseas jobs.  And that just one teacher employment agency, there are dozens!

In the past all you needed to get a foreign teaching job was an TESOL certificate,  but now teachers with just the TESOL are competing against teachers with Masters degrees.

Marie Constant has a Masters degree and could not get a job state side, now she’s moving overseas after getting a job through TeachAway: “Here’s an opportunity for me to not only go to another country where they will pay for me to go, they will pay for me to have living quarters…and I get to practice what I know.”

Stephanie Olsen has two Masters degrees, she’s leaving her teaching job in Arizona for a teaching job in the Middle East: “This is such an opportunity to take, where your employer is helping you get over there. They’re providing everything that is necessary for you to make a life there. It was just too good of an opportunity to pass up.”

And how are U.S. school districts dealing with the brain drain of good U.S. teachers?  They’re either pushing for online schools, or hiring foreign teachers!  PBS POV will air a documentary about the Baltimore, Maryland, schools bringing in teachers from the Philippines.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Greek businessman sets himself on fire, Greek Prime Minister cancels trip to U.S.

On September 16, in a scene reminiscent of what sparked the recent Tunisian Revolution, a Greek man who lost his business set himself on fire.  Police put out the fire and the man is in the hospital.

On September 17, Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou, suddenly canceled his trip to the United States.  He claims it’s to ensure that all of Greece’s bailout loan commitments are fulfilled.  That doesn’t make sense because those loans just didn’t suddenly materialize, they’ve been in the works for awhile now.  So why the sudden cancellation of his trip to the U.S.?

Some analysts think it’s because Greece is too close to default now: “It’s a sign that things are very tight. Papandreou’s presence is crucial to make sure there are no setbacks with issues that need to be resolved.”-Theodore Krintas, Attica Bank.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Anti Wall Street Demostrations blocked by Police, part of International Day of Rage, the Poles are putting to shame any U.S. protest movement

“You need a scorecard to keep track of all the things that corporations have done that are bad for this country.”-Bill Steyert, 68, Queens, New York

New York Times reporting that Day of Action Against Global Capital (aka Occupy Wall Street) demonstrators are finding some of the routes blocked.

New York City officials decided to block off sections of Wall Street near the New York Stock Exchange and Federal Hall.

“When you idealize financial markets as salvific you embrace the idea that profit is all that matters. You start thinking only as yourself.”-Dave Woessner, 31, Harvard Divinity School

Protestors are being threatened with arrest, simply because no permits to hold a public demonstration were acquired.

“If you look at history and you look at recent history, ancient history, even the middle road, this is what creates revolution and this is what causes everything.”-Anna Lekas Miller, freelance writer

September 17 was supposed to be marked by protests in the United States and Europe.  Some foreign media are reporting thousands of people across the U.S. are protesting, but most U.S. media is reporting only hundreds (Business Week claims at least 1,000 people around Wall Street).

The people of Poland are putting to shame any U.S. protests; the Washington Post reports that 50,000 people are peacefully protesting in the streets of Wrocław.

 

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

Global Economic War: Bolivia wants Iranian made Farm equipment

The South American country of Bolivia has sent a trade delegation to Iran.  They want the Iran Tractor Manufacturing Company to set up shop in Bolivia.

Bolivian officials say they’re impressed with Iran’s industrial advancements, despite all the decades of sanctions from the United States and Europe.

The building of an Iranian tractor factory in Bolivia, is part of the South American country’s agriculture modernization program.

Iran has economic agreements with numerous Latin American countries, like Venezuela, Bolivia, Cuba, Brazil and Ecuador.

Business/Economics, International

Global Economic War: Europe raises tariffs on Chinese products, again & again & again, now as high as 69.7%

Chinese officials say the latest round of tariff increases in Europe have essentially closed off the European market to Chinese businesses.

On September 15, the EU placed tariffs on Chinese flooring tile, as high as 69.7%!  This will directly affect more than 1,000 Chinese businesses!

Chinese officials say the Europeans are raising their tariff rates to protect European tile makers, who’ve seen a 40% drop in sales since the debt crisis began.  Europeans says it’s to make up for ‘dumping’ of Chinese products on European markets.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Out of desperation the European Central Bank will start using U.S. dollars

Starting with the October 12, and then the November 9 and December 7 loan tenders, the European Central Bank will make U.S. dollars available for three-month loans.

The Bank of England, the Bank of Japan and the Swiss National Bank made similar announcements.  This is being done in coordination with the U.S. Federal Reserve (the privately run central bank for the United States).

The European banks will trade their money (Euros, Pounds, Yen and Swiss Francs) for U.S. dollars, for a fixed exchange rate.  This is an attempt to prevent money markets in Europe and Japan from locking up.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Bridgestone bribed government officials, got caught

The U.S. Department of Justice says Japanese tire maker Bridgestone has agreed to plead guilty to bid rigging, and bribing Latin American governments.

It involves giant hoses used to transfer oil from oil tankers to storage facilities.

The illegal practice of bribing and bid rigging went on for ten years, from 1997-2007.  Bridgestone admitted that it bribed government officials in Mexico and other Latin American countries to secure deals.  They are facing a fine of only $28 million.

Fukushima

Corporate Incompetence: Officials say nuclear disaster could have been avoided!

16 September 2011, the Japan Atomic Energy Agency says the disaster at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant could have been avoided.

They say if water injection began four hours sooner there would have been no melt downs.

Anyone who’s been following the situation from day one knows that Tokyo Electric Power Company has dragged their feet on just about everything connected to dealing with the disaster.  Especially at the beginning when it seemed that TEPCo officials just refused to believe that anything was wrong!

Of the plant’s six reactors, reactors 1 and 3 suffered meltdowns after losing cooling functions.

Reactor 2 suffered a hydrogen explosion on 15 March, which caused the release and spread of massive amounts of radioactive isotopes.

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Radiation still being found at garbage incinerators across Japan

16 September 2011, ever since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster began, waste incinerator sites across Japan have reported high levels of radiation in the ashes of burned garbage and sludge.

The latest tests show three Prefectures still with levels of cesium contamination exceeding safe limits: Iwate, Fukushima and Chiba.

The highest measurement was 144,420 becquerels per kilogram at one facility in Fukushima!

The Japanese Environment Ministry realized that the incinerators reporting high levels of radiation contamination, are storing the garbage outside, where it can be contaminated by airborne cesium.  This is also an indicator of just how much airborne radiation is being spread across Japan.

The Environment Ministry has now decided to test all incinerators sites, that store the garbage outdoors.

Read more about incinerator contamination:

Cesium levels skyrocketing

Japanese waste incinerators

Mysterious radiation found

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho makes top ten foreclosure list, Bonneville County leads Eastern Idaho in foreclosures

“The big increase in new foreclosure actions may be a signal that lenders are starting to push through some of the foreclosures delayed by robo signing and other documentation problems.  It also foreshadows more bank repossessions in the coming months as these new foreclosures make their way through the process.”-James Saccacio, CEO RealtyTrac

The latest RealtyTrac survey put Idaho in the top ten for foreclosures.  One in every 348 Idaho homes were in foreclosure in August 2011. The report also says one in every 570 homes in the United States was facing foreclosure in August 2011.

The three most populous counties in eastern Idaho broke down like this; Bannock: 238 foreclosures.  Bingham: 132 foreclosures.  Bonneville: 320 foreclosures.

Nevada still holds onto the number one position for home foreclosures, for the 56th straight month!

California is number two with a 55% default rate, and one out of every 226 homes being foreclosed in August!

Arizona was number three for the second month in a row.

The rest of the top ten list is made up of Georgia, Idaho, Michigan, Florida, Illinois, Colorado and Utah.