SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Strategies & Market Trends : 2026 TeoTwawKi ... 2032 Darkest Interregnum -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Maurice Winn who wrote (105257)3/26/2014 1:24:03 AM
From: Snowshoe  Respond to of 218085
 
>>spend it as needed without disclosure of the spending<<

Why risk draconian financial and legal penalties for a meager benefit? Tax cheats are commonly tripped up in a variety of unexpected ways, such as being ratted out by an ex-spouse, girlfriend, mistress, drug dealer, or business associate. Tax cheats can also be exposed via routine tax audits if life-style is not consistent with reported income.



To: Maurice Winn who wrote (105257)3/26/2014 11:52:33 PM
From: elmatador  Respond to of 218085
 
Technology shakes up US economy

By Robin Harding in Washington

New technologies are transforming the structure of the US economy but creating only modest numbers of jobs, according to the biggest official survey of businesses, conducted only once every five years.

The 2012 economic census shows how technology is creating a boom in output for new industries – such as shale gas and internet retail – but only a modest increase in their payrolls.

It highlights concerns that recent innovations in information technology tend to raise productivity by replacing existing workers, rather than creating new products that demand more labour to produce.

Mining, quarrying and oil and gas extraction grew more than any other industry between 2007 and 2012 as new “fracking” techniques made it economic to drill for previously inaccessible resources.

The industry’s sales grew by 34 per cent to $555bn, the number of business establishments rose by about 6,000 to 28,643 and employment rose by 24 per cent to 903,641.

“A little over 4,000 of those 6,000 new businesses were support activities,” said William Bostic, an associate director at the Census Bureau.

Drilling is capital intensive, however, so even though the industry’s sales rose by $142bn, its annual payroll was up only $20bn to $61bn in total.

The economic census is the business equivalent of the decennial survey of the population, covering the US in precise industry and geographic detail, and provides the basic structure for the national accounts. Only the national summary was released on Wednesday.

Over this year and next, the Census Bureau will publish detailed reports on each industry and geography. “We will be putting out about 40bn data cells in total,” said Mr Bostic.

Data on the retail industry show it has not fully recovered from the recession, while the internet is starting to bite. The number of establishments – in effect, shops – was down more than 65,000 to 1.06m from 2007 to 2012. Employment was lower by 778,000 at 14.7m people.

Non-store retail, which includes online shops, recorded a boom in sales – up 31 per cent to $380bn. But the number of establishments rose only 12 per cent to 66,339 while employment in the sector was down slightly.

Healthcare remains the big source of jobs growth in the US, adding almost 1.8m jobs from 2007 to 2012, as the wave of baby boomer retirements begins to gather speed. The sector employed 18.6m people in 2012.

In manufacturing, the story is of a productivity boom that allowed a solid increase in sales, coupled with falling employment and payrolls. Manufacturing sales rose 8 per cent between 2007 and 2012 to reach $5.8tn.

However, the industry shed 2.1m jobs – employment falling to 11.3m – and its payroll dropped $20bn to $593bn.

The relatively greater drop in jobs than payrolls highlights how remaining jobs in the sector are becoming more skilled. Annual payroll per employee in the manufacturing sector rose from $45,818 in 2007 to $52,686 in 2012.

That is among the highest of any big industry, but highlights how manufacturing increasingly employs skilled engineers to tend complex equipment, rather than being a source of well-paid jobs for less-skilled workers.



To: Maurice Winn who wrote (105257)3/27/2014 8:17:09 PM
From: TobagoJack  Read Replies (2) | Respond to of 218085
 
something something rears head above surface of something ... or so it seems at first peruse ... per the usual rule by making up rules for the people by the people against other people protocol

scmp.com

Asian Americans furious at proposal allowing California colleges to choose students by race

Hundreds of Asian American families flocked to a community hall in northern California to learn about a state law that many fear would discriminate against their children in college admission because of their race.

"No! No! No!" the crowd chanted outside the hall in Cupertino, an affluent small city in the heart of Silicon Valley, responding to "SCA 5" shouted from a megaphone.

SCA 5 is a state constitutional amendment that seeks to lift the ban on the use of race, sex, colour, ethnicity or national origin in admission at California's public universities and colleges.

It was approved by the state senate last month but still needs assembly approval before it goes to a referendum.

Proponents of SCA 5 hope it will make it easier for under-represented minorities, such as black and Hispanic students, to secure enrolment. But Asian communities fear that this will come at their expense.

"I am so appalled to see this bill was proposed," said Xiaofei Zhang, the father of a girl in 10th grade, after the amendment was debated in Cupertino town hall.

"My wife and I spend the majority of our salaries on our daughter's education so that she can take piano lessons and learn all the skills that will get her to better universities one day.

"College admission should be solely based on merit. SCA 5 reverses the history and that's not American."

Asian students dominate admissions to a level that far outstrips their ethnic representation in California's population.

They made up 36 per cent of the University of California's admissions last year, despite making up only about 14 per cent of the wider population.

In contrast, blacks made up 4 per cent of admissions compared to 7 per cent of the population.

SCA 5 would go to a referendum in November if it passes the State Assembly.

The campaign against the amendment started online with about 100,000 signing petitions. The "No" campaign expanded to town hall meetings and the lobbying of state assembly members.

"I have not seen Chinese or Asian Americans get so involved in a very long time," said Albert Wang, a non-profit organisation leader who has been campaigning on civic issues for 25 years.

"For Chinese parents it's almost their only purpose to have their kids go to great universities, so it really touches a nerve with everyone," Wang said, after moderating at an SCA 5 debate.

A Chinese American mother with two children, one of them in high school, said: "This proposal is very unfair to Asian Americans.

"We emigrated to this country in the hope that we can reach our goals by our hard work, but not get judged by our race.

"SCA 5 is also bad for America because it will hurt the competitiveness of this country."

It's not only Chinese Americans who are opposed to SCA 5. About 200 kilometres north of Cupertino in Sacramento, Kajian Moorthy, 16, is decidedly uneasy after learning about the proposal.

"It was scary for me," said the Mira Loma High School junior whose parents migrated from Sri Lanka. "My college applications are around the corner and I am worried about consequences."

Moorthy said he has had to study hard to become one of the top students in his school, and aims to go to the University of California (UC) Berkeley or UCLA (Los Angeles).

He is already enrolled in college-level classes, which he hopes will help him gain admission to his dream school. To boost his extracurricular portfolio, Moorthy also takes part in an after-school debating team.

"It would be unfair if I work hard but don't get anything in return," he complained. "Others don't work hard, but get special treatment."

Experts say a lack of resources for under-represented minority students has led to unfairness.

They warn that without special treatment, minorities would suffer further marginalisation and the overall education system would be compromised by a lack of diversity. "Black and Latino students are very disproportionately consigned to the poorest performing schools in the state," said Patricia Gandara, professor of education at UCLA.

"Many of their schools do not have consistent leadership or well qualified teachers."

Gandara said there was a 21 percentage point gap between under-represented minorities in California's high school graduating classes and in first-year college enrolment.

Deborah Santiago, chief operating officer of Excelencia in Education, a Washington-based non-profit group focused on advancing equality in higher education, said the impact of SCA 5 "would be minimal in terms of increased participation in the short run, because programmes would have to be developed that meet the strict scrutiny of the Supreme Court rulings on the use of race and ethnicity".

And Henry Der, former superintendent of Public Instructions with California's Department of Education, said: "People jumped to conclusions that the bill is going to impose a quota against Chinese students. The word quota does not exist in the bill nor does the issue of racial parity."

He said the ultimate impact of SCA 5 was "hard to predict".