Deconstruction has several standard bearers across the United States. This article provides brief case studies and contact information for several of the leading companies. Continue reading
Why are we hearing so much about voter fraud and so little about election fraud? After all, the odds of someone voting fraudulently are about the same as those of an American being struck and killed by lightning.
A microscopic evaluation of election data in the 2004 gubernatorial election in Washington state revealed that voter fraud occurred approximately 0.0009 percent of the time. An analysis of the 2004 presidential election in Ohio revealed a voter fraud rate of 0.00004 percent.
Responding to criticism that President-elect Barack Obama’s cabinet is composed largely of recycled Bill Clinton appointees, Obama’s close advisor David Axelrod told the New York Times, "He’s not looking for people to give him a vision. He’s going to put together an administration of people who can effectuate his vision." A few days later, after introducing his foreign policy team, Obama himself declared, "I will be responsible for the vision that this team carries out, and I expect them to implement that vision once decisions are made.”
Which leads to the inevitable question: What is Obama’s overarching vision? What is the philosophical framework that will animate his administration and guide his cabinet officers to adopt policies different from those they embraced in the past?
App-Rising.com sits down with Christopher Mitchell to discuss the merits of open networks and how they shift the focus of competition from the characteristics of last mile technologies to the merits of the services being offered. Continue reading
Earlier this year, by adopting the State’s first Zero Waste Plan for a Texas community, the City of Austin took an important step to move toward a more sustainable future. Austin’s Zero Waste Plan takes into consideration Austin’s current and planned public and private solid waste infrastructure, as well as the city’s Climate Protection Program…. Continue reading
The economic benefits of deconstruction are substantial. One of the biggest challenges to “greening” businesses is overcoming the false perception that environmentally-sound business practices necessarily will increase costs and decrease profits. Deconstruction is helping break that myth. Companies that have participated in ILSR’s projects confirm that: Deconstruction is cost-effective. Not only can buildings be deconstructed… Continue reading
A widely publicized study claims that there is no evidence that Wal-Mart has had a negative impact on the small business sector. In reviewing the study, ILSR found fatal flaws. For example, the study relies on the wrong US Census dataset. Using the correct data, our analysis shows that the number of independent retailers fell as Walmart grew between 1982 and 2002. Continue reading
Fiber-to-the-home is essential infrastructure. Communities know they need better broadband networks. DSL is already too slow, especially on the upload side. DOCSIS3 cable networks may promise fast speeds this year and next, but ever increasing numbers of users, each inevitably increasing bandwidth utilization, will soon overwhelm this legacy shared architecture.
Our international competitors have invested in technologies that will bring very fast speeds all the way to the home. In most areas of the U.S., this can only be achieved with fiber to the home. And we can connect a fiber to every home if we make it a priority. Our geography gives us a bigger challenge than others, but we are a nation that rises to challenges.
Continue reading
Little-noticed laws in more than half the states allow retailers to keep a portion of the sales taxes they collect from shoppers. The practice is costing states over $1 billion a year and lining the pockets of large chains, notably Wal-Mart. Continue reading
Prior to 1999, Georgia levied ad valorem taxes for some agricultural commodities, such as fruit and nut trees and livestock. Legislation passed in 1998 relieved small scale farmers of this additional burden. For other crops, such as ornamental trees and shrubs, the possibility of ad valorem taxation was eliminated.
The legislation is noteworthy not because of the tax impact- farmers will save about $ 2.5 million a year, or an average of less than $20,000 per Georgia county- but because it targets those tax cuts to a well defined "family farm" scale agriculture.
Your download has begun in a separate window. Please take a minute to help us better understand who is viewing our work by filling out the form below.