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SDPD -- Got An Attitude?
It might have been more effective if the Fire Department had simply used high pressure fire hoses to break up the Critical Mass bikers and force them off the road. The SDPD could have also set up spike strips on the roads to halt the mob of bikers.— January 14, 2009 10:44 p.m.
Union-Tribune Now Telling Employees of "Audience Reach," Not Circulation
The recent closure of Pearson Ford is likely going to take a bite out of the U-T's bottom line. I'm sure Pearson spent a lot of money advertising in the U-T.— January 12, 2009 10:17 p.m.
New York's Ponzi Scheme Wins for Size, but San Diego's Wins for Investor Gullibility
I wonder how much investor money will be recovered and returned to Madoff's victims. On a percentage basis, Madoff's investors may actually wind up losing less money from fraud than Charles Brandes' investors have lost from bad stock picks.— January 12, 2009 10 p.m.
San Diego City Employees pension fund ailing
I believe the testing standards for firefighters are set way too high, and new hires are grossly overqualified for their positions. The job of firefighter consists of a variety of blue collar type skills that applicants of average ability and intelligence could easily master if given the opportunity. The skills needed to drive a fire truck are consistent with the skills needed to drive and operate a cement mixer, drive a tractor trailer, or operate an army mechanized vehicle like a tank. The skills needed to operate an extension ladder on a fire truck is consistent with the skill a painter needs to operate a lift to paint a tall structure, or a roofer needs to lift shingles on a building. As regards to EMT training, the Navy is able to train Corpsmen of average or slightly below average intelligence to perform at a very high level. JF is grossly overqualified for his position as firefighter, and is not fully using his intellectual talents. He if wants to earn the salary of an electrical engineer at Qualcomm, he should obtain an electrical engineering degree from UCSD and find a new job. Firefighters should be hired to start at no more than $10 to $15 per hour consistent with what other new entrants to blue collar occupations receive, and their salaries should top out, after 30 years, at no more that $60,000 per year including overtime. Fire stations should be staffed three shifts per day, by firefighters who work 8 hour shifts, 40 hours per week. Paying firefighters to sleep is insane.— January 11, 2009 11:08 a.m.
Copley Press Sells Posh Condos in Ballpark District to Owner David Copley. The Deal Raises Questions
Craigslist has a non-profit foundation that advises other non-profits on how to use the internet, but the on-line advertising business could not operate under the guise of a tax exempt organization. EBAY owns 28% of Craigslist and is the primary source of the capital which underwrites Craigslist's continuing losses and financial destruction of the newspaper industry. EBAY could not make a capital investment in or own 28% of a tax exempt organization. EBAY would not have invested in Craigslist unless it expected to make an obscene profit at some point in the future, either through an IPO or outright purchase of the company. The Justice Department should sue Craigslist for anti-competitive actions and force it to charge a fair market rate for on-line advertising. Craigslist should also be broken up into multiple competing companies. No single company should have a nationwide stranglehold on on-line advertising.— January 10, 2009 8:26 p.m.
Copley Press Sells Posh Condos in Ballpark District to Owner David Copley. The Deal Raises Questions
There is no market for the U-T or the paper would have been sold by now. The U-T will limp along until it runs out of cash and has no assets left to sell. At that point David Copley will likely face the decision of whether he wants to put his personal assets at risk to keep the U-T afloat, either by direct loans to the company or by personal guarantees of the company's debt. At that point David Copley will probably decide to shutter the paper and it will go out of business. When enough newspapers go out of business all news will initially be reported by hundreds of small internet news operations run out of garages by amateurs like Pat Flannery. Large corporations will be formed to buy out and consolidate the garage internet news operations into large profit making news providers. Carigslist, which is putting the newspapers out of business by using investment capital to undewrite huge losses from free advertising, will start charging and will relentlessly ratchet advertising rates upward to recoup the billions it has lost putting the newspapers out of business.— January 10, 2009 11 a.m.
Copley Press Sells Posh Condos in Ballpark District to Owner David Copley. The Deal Raises Questions
The 35% tax rate would apply to dividends received by those in the highest tax brackets. In 2009 an investor in the 28% tax bracket would pay a 28% tax rate on dividends. The 15% tax rate has expired and has not been reinstated. The link below supports my analysis: http://www.nysscpa.org/cpajournal/2004/1004/essen…— January 8, 2009 3:05 p.m.
Copley Press Sells Posh Condos in Ballpark District to Owner David Copley. The Deal Raises Questions
Any property, including cash or condos, transferred from a corporation to a shareholder is taxed as dividends to the shareholder. When non-cash property is transferred to a shareholder the dividend equals the market value of the property.— January 8, 2009 10:22 a.m.
Copley Press Sells Posh Condos in Ballpark District to Owner David Copley. The Deal Raises Questions
I don't believe that David Copley purchased the Omni Condos from Copley Press, or that Copley Press received $5.9 million in cash from David Copley. David Copley is likely sole shareholder of Copley Press, a corporation. The transfer of the condo is most likely a dividend distribution from Copley Press to David Copley. Congress lowered the tax rate on dividends from as much as 35% to only 15%. The 15% tax rate expired at midnight on 12/31/2008 and went back to the old 35% tax rate for 2009.— January 7, 2009 9:51 p.m.
Jeff Moorad, Former Players' Agent, Says He Has Reached Agreement in Principle to Purchase Padres
Moorad is merely a front. Who is the real purchaser?— January 3, 2009 9:59 a.m.