Of Interest ...

Beer Lovers ...
Okay, Beer Lovers, what’s the largest brewing company owned and headquartered in the U.S.?
(See answer, below.)

New NFL Success Factor?  
A recent article pointed out that the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots, two “dynasties” of the past decade or so, are teams loaded with college graduates as measured by players drafted as 5th year seniors. Two of the top three in college graduates met in last year’s Super Bowl (Denver and Seattle); worst was Jacksonville, which went 4-12.
Packers??

Jobs

No, not jobs.  "Jobs:  The Movie"  About Steve Jobs

It's not a great film, but what it does do is demonstrate the importance of a Leader CLEARLY and FORCEFULLY expressing the MISSION of the organization.  The CAUSE.  WHY we're doing what we're doing.  He does it in spades ... all the time ... sometimes brutally!

People want to buy in to what you are doing emotionally!  Allow them to do it.

Area College Tuition, Aid Gaps

A recent Insight magazine article showed this interesting data.  Note:  The Aid amount also includes Loans, which have to be paid back.

Estimated Cost Average Aid Difference

Fox Valley Tech $3,300 N/A ??

UWGB $17,298 $10,711 $6,587

Lawrence  $49,722 $33,730 $15,992

St. Norbert $38,498 $20,341 $18,157

Fragility of the Business Enterprise

1995 was 19 years ago.  Since then, fully half of the that year's Fortune 500 companies then have been replaced.  Lessons:  There is no assurance that mature companies will persist.  Like civilization, the culture and responsiveness to marketplace changes of business organizations is fragile.  Support and development of the business infrastructure needs to be strong state and national government policy ... including encouragement of R&D and new business startups.

Another Sign of the Apocalypse  

We thought we were done when we recognized how poorly school boards and city councils have done with taxpayers money by agreeing to ridiculously expensive union contracts.  Now comes word that the board of the Metropolitan Opera has in the past agreed to union contracts (they deal with 15 unions!) that pay musicians up to $200,000 and choral group members $145,000 to $150,000 … starting with a $100,000 base that includes 9 weeks of paid vacation, and then has add-ons for wearing costumes during breaks, including lunch; using body makeup; costume fittings; any encroachment of the 4.5 hour respite before performances, and for being present more than 7.5 hours a day.  How do organizations survive?

PS:  Green Bay's Symphony didn't ... their 101st year will be their last.

On Regulations ... A Sunset Date!  

We complain (rightly so) about the stifling capability of regulations at every level, but they just keep piling up.  Obviously, most are good for society (as opposed to those that are good for organizations that “paid” to get them created), but ...  An idea I read:  Have an Expiration Date on all regulations, no more than ten years hence, when they must be reviewed as to whether they need to be renewed.

India Turning Around?  

Kitty and I traveled to India back in 2008 as part of a TEC international trip … a country of 1.2 billion people, first-world and third-world (that part living on less than $2/day).  60+ political parties, so virtually impossible to govern.  Gave them low marks for ability to create a vibrant economy.  That may now change:  New prime minister Modi, who uprooted the 30-year rule of the Nehru/Congress party and actually won more than 50% of the vote(!), has a track record in his state of Gujarat, which he led since 2001, of vastly reducing corruption, creating financial and technology parks, expanding infrastructure to support growth, and following successful trade development policies.  Let’s hope.

Taking Business Income Tax Rates To Zero!

I’ve long wondered why businesses are charged any income tax at all.  They are the golden goose, creating jobs that provide incomes for families.  So, why tax them, taking away dollars that would have been used for capital expansion and new product development?  Why not leave that money in the business so it can be used to create more jobs … and thus even more income to tax?

Well, Kansas has taken that step.  Last year, Kansas reduced to zero from 6.45% the income tax on sole proprietorships, LLCs and Sub S Corps.  One result:  2013 had a record year in new business formation.

When will we do this nationally?

Corollary:  Don't tax any income earned by a business overseas.  There is much discussion about our current taxation policy of overseas profits right now (Inversions!), and its result of keeping dollars sequestered overseas rather than repatriated to the U.S. to fund expansion here.  

Beer Lovers Answer ...

Nice try.  MillerCoors is owned by SABMiller, South African-based ... and Anheuser-Busch is owned by InBev, a Belgian concern.

Hard to believe, but the largest brewing company owned and headquartered in the U.S. has only 1.6% market share:  D.G. Yuengling & Son, very strong on the East Coast.  Second, with 1.3%, is Sam Adams.