 msnbc.com | USDA: 'Locally grown' food a .8 billion business Boston.com A new US Department of Agriculture report says sales of “local foods,” whether sold direct to consumers at farmers markets or through intermediaries such as grocers or restaurants, amounted to .8 billion in 2008. That's a number several times greater … Farmers markets double, local food sales to hit billion, USDA says |
USDA: ‘Locally grown’ food a $4.8 billion business – Boston.com
November 15, 2011 By
Proponent Of Costing Banks More Money By Mailing Back Weighted Business Reply Envelopes Defends His Cause
November 6, 2011 By
Earlier this week I wrote about a viral video that promised you could “Keep Wall Street Occupied” by sending back credit card business reply envelopes stuffed with anti-corporate messages and wooden shims. The video said this would increase mailing costs for the banks and force them to engage in a dialogue with their customers. Responding to my review where I called this idea “terrible,” the video’s maker sent me a note defending his campaign.
Artie writes:
Thank you for blogging about my videos for “Keep Wall Street Occupied.”Subsequent posters on your blog covered most of the points I’d have raised in response to your article. Mediaite.com fact-checked my video with a US Postal Service spokesperson, who confirmed my two main technical assertions: mailing the envelope back costs the banks money, and heavier envelopes cost the banks more money. Tossing unwanted credit card offers in the bin costs banks nothing, and removing oneself from bank mailing lists actually saves banks money by refocusing their scattershot marketing efforts.
I read up on USPS BRE specifications before I produced the videos. No one sticking to “Phase 1″ or “Phase 2″ as explained in my first video is wasting her time. She may or may not be wasting the bank’s time. She is wasting the bank’s money. Even tiny protests are important, because they swell the ranks of those who see themselves as protesters.
Despite what some have insinuated, nowhere did I advocate mailing bricks. Or straw men.
My second video, more clarification than sequel, went up shortly before you posted your story. My third and fourth videos will go up later this week.
Thank you again for your article.
Yours,
Artie Moffa
While mailing back envelopes may marginally increase the mailing costs for the banks, I don’t think it will be enough to make a difference or provoke any soul-searching meetings. Instead, I’d rather see people who want to change how this country works spend their time getting candidates sympathetic to their interests elected. After all, it’s what the banks did.
Here’s Artie’s second video:
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Viral Video Fact-Check: Will Mailing Wood To Credit Card Solicitors Cost Banks More Money? [Mediaite]
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Sending Back Protest Messages In Pre-Paid Credit Card Envelopes Isn’t Going To Occupy Wall Street One Bit
Study Finds that Pharmaceutical Industry Continued to Make Business Deals that Delayed Consumers Access to Lower-Cost Generic Drugs
October 30, 2011 By
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According to an overview of industry data released by the staff of the Federal Trade Commission, in Fiscal Year 2011, pharmaceutical companies continued a recent anticompetitive trend of paying potential generic rivals to delay the introduction of lower-cost prescription drug alternatives for American consumers.
The FTC staff report found that drug companies entered into 28 potential pay-for-delay deals in FY 2011 (October 1, 2010 through September 30, 2011). The figure nearly matches last year’s record of 31 deals and is higher than any other previous year since the FTC began collecting data in 2003. Overall, the agreements reached in the latest fiscal year involved 25 different brand-name pharmaceutical products with combined annual U.S. sales of more than billion.
“While a lot of companies don’t engage in pay-for-delay settlements, the ones that do increase prescription drug costs for consumers and the government each year,” said FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz. “Fortunately, Congress has the opportunity to fix this problem through the Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction — and save the government and American taxpayers billions of dollars.”
Generic drugs are the key to making medicines affordable for millions of American consumers, and they also help hold down costs for taxpayer-funded health programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. Generic drug prices are typically at least 20 to 30 percent less than the name-brand drugs, and in some cases are up to 90 percent cheaper.
In recent years, certain brand-name companies have paid or otherwise compensated generic firms to settle their patent challenges and, in turn, delay the introduction of lower-cost medicines. An FTC staff study has found that patent settlements that include a payment or other compensation delay generic entry on average by 17 months longer than those that do not include a payment. According to the Congressional Budget Office, proposed legislation would reduce the federal deficit by .67 billion over 10 years.
The FTC has challenged a number of these patent settlement agreements in court, contending that they are anticompetitive and violate U.S. antitrust laws. The agency also has supported legislation in Congress that would prohibit pay-for-delay settlements that increase the cost of prescription drugs.
According to the new staff report, companies reached a total of 156 final patent settlements in FY 2011. Twenty-eight settlements contained a payment to a generic manufacturer and also restricted the generic’s ability to market its product. Of those 28 settlements, 18 involved generics that were so-called “first filers,” meaning that they were the first to seek FDA approval to market a generic version of the branded drug, and, at the time of the settlement, were eligible to exclusively market the generic product for period of time. Because of the regulatory framework, when first filers delay entering the market, other generic manufacturers can also be blocked from entering the market, which makes such patent settlement deals particularly harmful to consumers.
Source: FTC
Six Surprises Hidden in the Credit CARD Act – Fox Business
August 23, 2011 By
 WRAL.com | Six Surprises Hidden in the Credit CARD Act Fox Business When the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act was ushered into law, it was heralded as a way to protect consumers from unfair and deceptive practices by credit card issuers. … Consumers Can't Get Enough of American Express Credit cards: How high does your card rank? Debt Consolidation Using A Balance Transfer Costs For Consumers–Cardholders … |
Better Business Bureau Integrates U.S. and Canadian Operations
August 23, 2011 By
Posted on 8/16/2011 by
(Arlington VA) – The Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB) has integrated operations in the United States and Canada, marking the way for an improved customer experience for those who purchase goods and services across the border. The CBBB Board of Directors voted earlier this month on the integration plan, which became effective today. The CBBB is the international headquarters of the BBB system and the governing body that licenses local BBBs and provides support services to increase their effectiveness.
“The U.S. and Canada remain each other’s largest trading partners,” noted Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO of CBBB. “We share the world’s longest undefended border, and our citizens cross the border 200 million times a year. Every day more than billion in goods, services and investments are exchanged between our two nations. We are really one North American marketplace, and the BBB system now reflects that. Not only will it be easier for consumers to check out businesses in either country, it will be simpler for them to file a complaint or resolve a dispute.”
“Given the advances in technology and the globalization of services, it no longer makes sense to maintain two separate systems,” said M. Jean Lemyre, chair of the Canadian Council of Better Business Bureaus (CCBBB). “The vast majority of consumers initially contact BBB through the Internet. Aligning BBB services into one integrated system will be more efficient for businesses in Canada, and will ensure that consumers continue to receive the high quality of services they’ve come to expect from BBB.”
For nearly 100 years, BBB has helped consumers make smarter buying decisions. More than 400,000 businesses meet the organization’s rigorous standards and are BBB Accredited. In addition, BBB maintains information on more than 4 million businesses, and every year helps millions of consumers through free business reviews, consumer tips, fraud alerts, dispute resolution, and consumer advocacy. 1.1 million complaints to BBB were resolved in 2010.
There are 23 standards that local organizations must meet in order to use the BBB name and logo, and to receive services from CBBB. As part of the integration, boundaries were realigned in four Canadian service areas to combine some operations, reducing the total number of local BBBs from 120 to 116 (10 in Canada, 106 in the U.S.)
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About BBB
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org for more information.
Contact
Contact: Katherine Hutt
571-422-3584
mediahotline@bbb.org
Business : UAE second most attractive apparel retail hotspot
July 5, 2011 By
Business : UAE second most attractive apparel retail hotspot
DUBAI – The UAE and two other GCC countries feature among the top five most attractive apparel retail hotspots, in addition to China and Russia, reveals the latest Retail Apparel Index, a study by global management consulting firm A.T. Kearney.
Read more on Khaleej Times
Sun Art Plans to Raise Up to HK.2 Billion in Hong Kong IPO
Sun Art Retail Group Ltd., China’s largest hypermarket operator, may raise as much as HK.2 billion (.1 billion) in a Hong Kong initial public offering.
Read more on BusinessWeek
U.S. Department of Transportation and Better Business Bureau Collaborate to Fight Distracted Driving
June 14, 2011 By
Posted on 6/8/2011 by
Arlington, Va. – U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood today announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation and Better Business Bureau will collaborate to educate consumers and businesses about the dangers of distracted driving.
The USDOT and Better Business Bureau are calling on businesses across the country to adopt distracted driving policies as part of their employee culture. A strong distracted driving policy helps companies save lives, reduce time lost from work due to accidents and injuries, reduce insurance premiums, and save money.
“Distracted driving has become a deadly epidemic on America’s roads,” Secretary LaHood said. “We know that educating people about the risk of distracted driving works, and we are pleased to be working with BBB to raise awareness and help businesses and consumers fight this problem.”
“BBB is very pleased to help the USDOT spread the word about the dangers of distracted driving,” said Stephen A. Cox, president and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. “Raising awareness about the dangers of multi-tasking while driving is vital. We are pleased to help promote this good work of the USDOT.”
The national website of the Better Business Bureau will feature a link to a free tool kit that provides employers with suggested distracted driving policies to help keep their employees safe. The kit, created by the USDOT and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS), contains materials such as a sample company policy, a sample memo to employees on that policy, and a sample company press release.
In addition, Better Business Bureau’s national website will feature videos from USDOT’s “Faces of Distracted Driving” video series. The videos include heartbreaking stories from family members who have lost loved ones due to distracted driving accidents. Better Business Bureau will also provide a link to www.distraction.gov, a complete resource on everything having to do with distracted driving.
Nearly 5,500 people in the U.S. were killed and almost half a million were injured in accidents related to distracted driving in 2009. Eighteen percent of those fatal accidents involved the use of a cell phone.
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s campaign against distracted driving is a multi-modal effort that includes automobiles, trains, planes, and commercial vehicles.
On September 30, 2009, President Obama signed an Executive Order directing federal employees not to engage in text messaging while driving government-owned vehicles; when using electronic equipment supplied by the government while driving; or while driving privately owned vehicles when they’re on official government business. The order also encourages federal contractors and others doing business with the government to adopt and enforce their own policies banning texting while driving on the job.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) banned commercial truck and bus drivers from texting while driving in September 2010, and proposed a ban on the use of cell phones by commercial drivers in December 2010. In September 2010, the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA) proposed a ban on the use of electronic devices by drivers operating a motor vehicle containing hazardous materials, in conjunction with the proposed FMCSA ban.
The Federal Railroad Administration (FRA) banned rail employees from using cell phones or other electronic devices on the job following a September 2008 Metrolink crash in Chatsworth, California that killed 25 people.
After a Northwest flight crew distracted by a laptop overshot their destination by 150 miles, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) advised air carriers to create and enforce policies that limit distractions in the cockpit and keep pilots focused on transporting passengers safely.
For more information, contact Kelsey Owen at 703-247-9376 or kowen@council.bbb.org.
About BBB
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 87 million consumers rely on BBB Business Reviews® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.
In the Shadows of Barack Obama vs. Cornel West: Why the President Must Be Stealthy on All this Race Business
May 28, 2011 By
Poor green bike on a green stand
Image by hugovk
Safely locked up…
See where this picture was taken. [?]
There are levels upon levels of complexity and nuance in the Cornel West vs. Barack Obama fracas. As I hinted at on We Are Respectable Negroes, there is some serious inside baseball going on here that will inevitably come to light–especially as more public intellectual academic types join the rumble.
Some have suggested that the [...]
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Frank Eliason Elected the Board of Directors of the Council of Better Business Bureaus
March 21, 2011 By
Posted on 3/18/2011 by
Arlington, VA – Frank Eliason, Senior Vice President of Social Media for Citibank, was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Council of Better Business Bureaus (CBBB).
While at Citibank, Eliason has helped change the way the global financial institution manages its relationships by building a lifetime of trust between Citibank and its customers.
“Being a thought leader and speaker in the field of social media and customer experience, Eliason brings a valuable perspective to the Council,” said Stephen A. Cox, President and CEO of the Council of Better Business Bureaus. The Council is the network hub for 122 Better Business Bureaus in the United States and Canada. Like BBBs, the Council is dedicated to fostering honest and responsive relationships between businesses and consumers, instilling consumer confidence and contributing to a trustworthy marketplace.
Prior to joining Citibank, Eliason was best known as the voice behind @ComcastCares. His innovative work with Comcast is part of a top case study that proves social media to be a positive role for corporations. Eliason’s distinguished advancements in social media have been recognized by many news organizations such as CNN, The New York Times, Business Week, and others.
Eliason serves as a board member of the Society of Consumer Affairs Professionals (SOCAP) and as an active member on the advisory board for Drexel University’s Center for Corporate Reputation Management.
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About the BBB
As the leader in advancing marketplace trust, Better Business Bureau is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Every year, more than 65 million consumers rely on BBB Reliability Reports® and BBB Wise Giving Reports® to help them find trustworthy businesses and charities across North America. Visit www.bbb.org/us for more information.
BBB Business Reviews
February 18, 2011 By
Posted on 2/17/2011 by
More than 65 million times every year, consumers turn to BBB for information on local and national businesses they can trust. With a proliferation of online rating sites (many of which can be manipulated one way or the other), our role as the keeper of accurate, unbiased information is more important than ever.
We offer business information on nearly four million businesses across North America. But just as your business grows and changes to meet the demands of the marketplace, so does ours. For the past several years, we have been taking steps to make our data more comprehensive, easier to access, and more useful to your customers and potential customers.
I am pleased to announce that we will soon be rolling out our newly redeveloped BBB Business Reviews, a dynamic and interactive online product that offers consumers a great deal more information, and a better customer experience.
Perhaps the most critical element of BBB Business Reviews is not what you will see, but what we heard. We listened – to our accredited businesses, to consumers, and to other stakeholders – and incorporated dozens of ideas and suggestions. The result is an incredibly useful and easy-to-use tool that will show your customers that you uphold BBB’s Standards for Trust and that you stand by your word.
Some highlights of BBB Business Reviews:
• A cleaner and more attractive layout that encourages customers to learn more about a business.
• More detailed information, including maps and directions, details on products and services, hours of operation, refund and exchange policies, and service areas covered.
• Greater focus on BBB Accreditation, with prominent displays of the BBB Accredited Business seal and the tagline “BBB Accreditation since 20XX.”
• Opportunities for BBB Accredited Businesses to customize their review with photos, videos, certificates, awards and more.
• Optional features such as customer coupons and a “request a quote” link that allows consumers to interact directly with a BBB Accredited Business.
• Key customer feedback to rate the review, or recommend a business for Accreditation.
• Social media connections to allow users to post a review on Facebook and more.