May 19
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The Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) and Sketcher USA Inc. reached a $40 million settlement on charges that Sketchers deceived consumers. The FTC joined with 45 attorneys nationwide in the consumer protection agency’s claims against Sketchers. According to the FTC, The Federal Trade Commission announced that Skechers USA, Inc. has agreed to pay $40 million to …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/05/ftc-and-skechers-agree-to-a-40-million-settlement/
May 15
CEO magazine released its eighth annual survey of the best and worst states in which to do business. California managed to be rated dead last in the entire country for the eighth year in a row. There is only one reason for this. California’s taxation and regulation score is by far the worse in the …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/05/californias-self-inflicted-last-place-position-continues-for-an-eighth-straight-year/
May 12
Christy Romero has not held the top job at the office of Special Inspector General for TARP (SIGTARP) for very long. The Senate just confirmed her nomination on March 29, 2012. Before this, she was SIGTARP’s Deputy Inspector General. Ms. Romero’s April 25, 2012 report is her first, but it reads with the confidence of …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/05/new-inspector-general-for-tarp-starts-with-a-flair/
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/05/californians-to-vote-on-the-death-penalty/
May 04
On April 25, 2012, the 21st Century Postal Service Act of 2012 (S.1789) passed the Senate. The legislation has not been substantively considered by the House, and will probably die the death that it deserves. S.1789 is a bad idea because it provides limitations on what the Post Office can do to stem its considerable …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/05/congress-should-get-out-of-the-way-of-uspss-restructuring-efforts/
May 01
EPA Region VI Administrator Al Armendariz resigned yesterday after receiving publicity from comments he made about his “philosophy of enforcement”. Region VI covers the oil-rich five states of Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Dr. Armendariz comments that got him in trouble were: I was in a meeting once and I gave an analogy …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/05/the-oil-industry-is-not-the-enemy-that-needs-to-be-crucified/
Apr 28
Sociologist Robert K. Merton popularized the concept of unintended consequences through his 1936 paper, “The Unanticipated Consequences of Purposive Social Action”. Economists study unintended consequences that occur whenever one attempts to regulate or control activity through economic incentives that conflict with market forces. An example involves the Keystone Pipeline, which continues to face regulatory challenges …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/04/keystone-pipeline-is-good-example-of-unintended-economic-consequences/
Apr 20
With President Obama’s signature, the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act, also known as the JOBS Act, is now law. The law raced through Congress with bipartisan support. Practically every investor advocate and investment regulator is aghast. In this article, we explain cost of capital, and how this might (or might not) be impacted by the …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/04/ignore-investments-that-rely-on-the-jobs-acts-loosened-requirements/
Apr 17
There has been a great deal of discussion regarding the approximately $800,000 spent on a lavish 2010 Las Vegas conference hosted by the General Services Administration (GSA). The GSA handles government real estate and other non-military procurement. Susan Brita, a GSA deputy administrator, was the whistleblower who first raised the issue, which has since …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/04/gsa-whistleblower-testifies-regarding-government-waste/
Apr 13
The California Supreme Court ruled on April 12, 2012 that employers are not obligated to ensure that workers take legally mandated lunch breaks. The decision was unanimous and was written by Associate Justice Kathryn Werdegar. The nine year old case was filed by Dallas based Brinker International (parent company of Chili’s and other eateries) because …
Permanent link to this article: http://betweenthenumbers.net/2012/04/employers-not-obligated-to-enforce-lunch-breaks-in-california/
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May 09
Californians to Vote on the Death Penalty
Commentary, Public Policy
by Daniel Nolte
May 9, 2012
One day short of 34 years since Californians voted to enact the current death penalty law they may decide to end it. Supporters have gained over a half million signatures to place the repeal measure on the November 6th ballot. The fact that this has made it to the ballot is quite remarkable. Not suppporting …
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