According to Lisa Borden, an attorney in Birmingham, Alabama, many towns are so economically strapped, that the pressure is growing on courts to bring in more money rather than mete out justice. In this article, examples highlight aggressive tactics used by for-profit probation companies that promise revenue to the towns, while failing to offer constitutional… Read more »
Posts Tagged: Variable Costs
Remember Driver’s Ed? Things have Changed!
Mercedes-Benz has long been at the forefront of creating safer cars and now they are aiming to create safer drivers. In December 2011, the company opened the its first driving school in the U.S. called Mercedes-Benz Driving Academy. Mercedes has three more in Europe). This school is located on Third Street in downtown Los Angeles…. Read more »
Here comes Scoot!
Singapore Airlines’ wholly-owned budget carrier Scoot will begin flights into China, with flights between Singapore and Tianjin during August. Two more Chinese destinations are also being considered, but the capital of Beijing is not one of them. Questions: 1. How much is S$88 in U.S. dollars? How does this compare to the fares offered by… Read more »
Is it Really February?
The warm and sunny weather is raising spirits all over the upper Midwest in January and February, but not for some businesses. Questions: What businesses did the video profile? Can you think of other types of businesses that would be affected, both favorably and unfavorably? Discuss whether you mean in terms of profits, variable costs,… Read more »
Insulting Discounts: The Costa Concordia Saga
The owners of the Costa Concordia are offering survivors of the disaster a 30 percent discount off future cruises as they battle to stave off law suits expected to cost hundreds of millions of pounds. As the body of a 12th victim was found inside the hull of the £370 million, 1,000 ft vessel, survivors… Read more »
The Cost of Sweet Music
Manuel Rodriguez III owns the century-old family business of the same name, heir to a tradition of guitar manufacturers which dates back to 1905 when his grandfather gave up fishing in Cadiz to dedicate his life to his musical passion. Now the Spanish guitar factory is looking beyond Europe to keep the company competitive. Questions:… Read more »
Eneslow Shoes: Change is Good!
Eneslow – The Foot Comfort Center was founded in 1909 and is a family owned business providing high quality, stylish and comfortable shoes, as well as therapeutic accessories, on-site shoe makeovers and repairs and custom-made footwear. When New York State dropped Medicaid support for orthopedic shoes, Robert Schwartz saw his business drop by nearly 50%…. Read more »
Expensive Snacks?
By now you have probably heard that an audit of the Department of Justice by the Inspector General says that taxpayer money was wasted on overpriced food and drinks. At one conference, the DOJ spent $4200 on 250 muffins–that’s about $16 a muffin. But what did the report actually say? Considering the EOIR reported that… Read more »
Huge job cuts – Bank of America
Bank of America, trying to break free from a pile of bad mortgages and a sagging stock price, announced plans to lay off 30,000 employees over the next few years. In a statement Monday, the bank said its goal is “not a given number of job reductions,” but to focus “all of its resources on… Read more »
Ostrich Farming, Anyone?
Ostrich meat, although poultry is red, not white like most other birds. This red meat, which looks and tastes much like beef, is lower in fat, calories and cholesterol than not only beef, but also white meats like chicken and turkey. Ostriches belong to a family of birds called ratites, which includes emus and rheas… Read more »