Fast Company Magazine
The only viable solution to the nation's <em>public</em> infrastructure crisis is <em>privatization</em>.
As deficits impede the government from improving and repairing roads, bridges and airports, they are becoming increasingly amenable to the idea of a partnership with the private sector. Of late, big banks like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse are starting to take an interest in financing massive infrastructure projects.
Fast Talk Question - For sports teams, is substantially raising ticket prices to finance new stadiums worth the risk of alienati
The only viable solution to the nation's public infrastructure crisis is privatization.
As deficits impede the government from improving and repairing roads, bridges and airports, they are becoming increasingly amenable to the idea of a partnership with the private sector. Of late, big banks like Morgan Stanley, Merrill Lynch and Credit Suisse are starting to take an interest in financing massive infrastructure projects.
Keeping interest rates low will only further <em>suffocate</em> the US economy by exacerbating <em>inflation</em>.
Earlier this year, the Fed slashed interest rates to 2%, a figure that remained unchanged after a recent meeting. Analysts expect that the rate will not rise until some time next year.
While the Fed claims to have reduced rates to aid the floundering US housing sector, many economists believe that this will only further cripple the economy.
Fast Talk Question - Have the Olympics made China more or less attractive to potential foreign investors?
"Forcing the Fed's Chairman, Ben Bernanke, to resign and abolishing the Fed is the most expeditious way to boost the dollar and
Jim Rogers, CEO of Rogers Holdings has criticized the Fed for flooding the system with liquidity and accepting mortgage-backed securities as guarantees. He advocates that the bank be abolished as a means to help the economy.
Fast Talk Question - Does Facebook?s new redesign work?
Saving the World at Work
Working for the man is becoming obsolete. Employees and customers want to work for and support companies that share their ethical values, says Sanders. He believes we are in the midst of a "responsibility revolution" in which sustainable business practices and social responsibility will become something no company can afford to ignore. Ultimately, it's all about doing good at work -- why sustainability and corporate responsibility are becoming easier -- and necessary for survival.
What do you mean by is saving the world at work?
"To build demand for <em>hybrid</em> vehicles, the government should implement <em>tax</em> incentives and not let fuel prices d
Will the rising sales of ringtones, and other innovative tactics, be enough to save the recording industry?
By doing away with free meals and raising the prices of buy-on-board food, airlines will only lose more money long-term.
Early next month, United Airlines will no longer offer complimentary snacks to economy class fliers across North America, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. One month after, it will stop offering complimentary meals in domestic business class for most flights. In a double whammy, it will also raise the prices of food you can buy on board.
Will hiring Jerry Seinfeld for its $300m advertising blitz enable Microsoft to finally regain the limelight?
Can Pandora and other web-based music services survive the royalty fees being imposed by the music industry?
"eBay will be permanently marginalized by Google."
Although eBay is making changes to its fee structure ? emphasizing fixed prices over the auction model it's known for following, Schonfeld writes, "the Web has moved on and eBay is stuck in still waters." Page views are down 15% year-over-year, while the stock is down 26%.
Fast Talk Question - How will social networking and blogging converge over the next year?
"Sites like Twitter and Facebook will never make much money from advertising: social media users are too busy being social to pa
Kunz lists several ways in which Twitter could potentially try to make money, and then systematically takes apart each and everyone of these.
Twitter could ask users to pay ? but once a free service has already been established, it's hard to get them to pony up.
Twitter could get messages to pay by selling them as product placement ? users would likely rebel if their tweets were hijacked for text ads.
Twitter could get money from selling user data ? users would definitely rebel and privacy concerns don't make this viable.
