Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Feb 6, 2012

choi

(1) Matthew Philips, For Some US Manufacturers, Time to Head Home; More companies are assessing the true cost of outsourcing.
http://www.businessweek.com/maga ... +-+global+economics

Quote:

"Measured against more than 20 other currencies, the dollar has declined 23 percent since its peak in 2002. As a result, the cost of factory labor in dollar terms fell 11 percent in the US from 2002 to 2010, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. America’s cheap natural gas is especially appealing to the metals and chemicals industries, particularly since natural gas prices in China are more than twice as expensive, according to research by the Jefferies Global Energy Team.

"Don’t expect a hiring frenzy if some factories return. “It’s a marginal improvement, not a tidal wave,” says Daniel J. Meckstroth, chief economist for the Manufacturers Alliance for Productivity & Innovation, a public policy and economics research firm.

(2) Chris Reiter, How BMW's Mini Trumped Daimler's Smart Car; Daimler's brand has lost its way in the high-end micro-car market it pioneered.
http://www.businessweek.com/maga ... t-car-02022012.html

Mote:
(a)
(i) Daimler AG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daimler_AG
(An Agreement of Mutual Interest was signed on May 1, 1924 between Benz & Cie (founded 1883) of Karl Benz and Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (founded 1890) of Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach)
(ii) Mercedes (car)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes_(car)
(Emil Jellinek named after his daughter, Mercédès Jellinek)
(b)  
(i) Mini (marque)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini_(marque)
(a British automotive marque owned by BMW which specialises in small cars; originally owned by British Motor; acquired by BMW in 1994)  
(ii) Mini
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini
(a small car that was made by the British Motor and its successors from 1959 until 2000; The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s)


(3) Jennifer Oldham, North Dakota's Oil Boom Strains Its Infrastructure; A glut of oil workers is swamping the state's small towns and taxing their resources
http://www.businessweek.com/maga ... cture-02022012.html
("Oil companies pay a combined 11.5 percent in annual taxes on oil extraction and production, delivering $2.6 billion to state coffers since 2008")

My comment:
(a)
(i) The amount may not be much. But North Dakota is small (except by area): population 680,000 (2011 estimate); economic output; $33.4bn (2010)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._states_by_GDP
; and budget.*

* For the 2009-2011 biennial budget--it's budget is biennial rather than annual: "In total, the general fund budget recommendation was $3.111 billion and the entire budget recommendation, including federal and special funds, was $7.710 billion." In the 2011-2013 budget, however, general fund budget is hiked to $4.1 billion, thanks to surging revenues from oil and gas.
(ii) On the other hand, energy companies may buy and spend localy, besides wages that will have to pay income tax.
(b) There is no need to read the rest.

(4) Todd Shields, How an FCC Free Phone Program
 Went Rogue.
http://www.businessweek.com/maga ... rogue-02022012.html

Quote:

"Senator Claire McCaskill found an offer in the mail at her Washington condo last year that sounded too good to be true. The flier said the Missouri Democrat—a millionaire many times over—could apply for a free cell phone, complete with monthly service, paid for by the federal government.

"Launched in 1985 to provide discounted land-line service for low-income Americans, it’s funded by the so-called universal service fees that phone companies tack onto bills every month. A family of four with an income of about $30,000 can qualify for a subsidized line, as can people receiving food stamps and other federal aid.

"The government pays the carriers up to $10 a month for each Lifeline subscriber. Customers get free phones and 250 minutes of monthly airtime. It’s a good deal for them and a potential moneymaker for the mobile-phone providers, who can sell extra minutes once customers max out on their free ones.

(5) Brad Stone, Las Vegas: Startup City; Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh is spending $350 million of his own to make Sin City a startup hub
http://www.businessweek.com/maga ... -city-02022012.html
("Instead of soliciting public funds, Hsieh is spending $350 million of his own money to buy empty lots, seed new businesses, and subsidize schools. Next year he’ll move his company’s 1,400 local employees from suburban offices into the 11-story former City Hall (complete with jail cells on the second floor that may become meeting rooms")

Note:
(a) Bugsy Siegel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugsy_Siegel
(Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel (born Benjamin Siegelbaum); 1906-1947; gangster; a major driving force behind large-scale development of metropolitan Las Vegas)
(b) "The [Las Vegas] Strip was reportedly named by Los Angeles police officer Guy McAfee, after his hometown's Sunset Strip."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Vegas_Strip
(c) The report mentions "Apple’s digs in Cupertino, Calif."

dig (n): "plural : accommodations for living or working"
www.m-w.com