Category Archives: Economics

Estate Tax Repeal

Posted on July 28, 2005 by John Hunter

Topic: Economics – Estate Tax The estate tax is the most capitalist tax that exists. Capitalism, which some seem to think is based on people inheriting assets from their relatives, is not. Capitalism is based on the concept that each … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Tagged | 2 Comments

Saving Lives: US Health Care Improvement

Posted on July 16, 2005 by John Hunter

8 part special report by US News and Word Report on improving the US Health Care system. Join IHI in an ambitious initiative called the 100K Lives Campaign. Its goal is to save 100,000 hospital patients’ lives by 9 a.m. … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care, Management Articles, quote, Systems thinking | Tagged | 10 Comments

Millennium Development Goals

Posted on July 9, 2005 by John Hunter

re: Six Sigma Training for the G-8? Interestingly Prime minstrel Blair recently showed an understanding of systems thinking (specifically how targets can result in worse performance, when targets result in distortion of the system rather than improvement). In the targets … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care, Management, Six sigma, Systems thinking | Tagged

China and the Sugar Industry Tax Consumers

Posted on May 22, 2005 by John Hunter

China to Raise Tariffs On Clothing Exports, from the Washington Post: The Chinese action would raise export duties on 74 categories of Chinese clothing from token amounts announced late last year to a range of 12 to 48 cents per … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics | Tagged | 1 Comment

Annual Report by Warren Buffett

Posted on May 1, 2005 by John Hunter

The annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway is being held this weekend in Omaha (cnn article). Recently the 2004 Berkshire Hathaway Annual Report (by Warren Buffett) was published. The report is excellent reading for anyone interested in investing. Some quotes from … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Investing, Management

Beginning of the End of Housing Bubble?

Posted on April 19, 2005 by John Hunter

Topic: Economics – Investing re: Beginning of the End of Housing Bubble? – Dan Gilmor blog post I doubt we are at the end of the bubble. However, financial bubbles are very difficult to time. My guess is the bubble … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Investing

Price Discrimination in the Internet Age

Posted on January 18, 2005 by John Hunter

Re: Boing Boing post – Why HP’s region coding excuse is bogus There is a simple method for large multi-national companies to use to protect against currency fluctuation. They can use foreign exchange futures to do so. Companies do this … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer focus, Economics, Management | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

USA Health Care Costs reach 15.3% of GDP – the highest percentage ever

Posted on January 11, 2005 by John Hunter

re: Health Care Spending In The United States Slows For The First Time In Seven Years The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (part of the United States Department of Health and Human Services) issued a report (the press release … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care, Popular, quote | Tagged , , , , , , | 7 Comments

Drug Prices in the USA

Posted on January 8, 2005 by John Hunter

re: Canada mulls end to drugs by mail order, by Colin McClell, Associated Press, 6 Jan 2005, The discussion of restricting Americans from buying drugs from Canada highlights failures of the current system. Unfortunately the focus in not on health … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Health care | 7 Comments

Digital Rights Management

Posted on January 2, 2005 by John Hunter

From Cory sets DRM strawmen ablaze: “For starters, any market-correction for DRM will surely involve informed customers making good purchase decisions about the DRM in their devices. That’s what this debate is all about. The implicit, “Stop complaining and let … Continue reading →

Posted in Customer focus, Economics | 2 Comments