 | | August 27, 2010
The May Report: 8/27/2010: How do Illinois and Midwest firms rate in the INC 500 and 5000?; Dave McMurray -- a profile in courage; The raging debate over the role and history of the Koch brothers; Is "Watts Up With That?" a science blog?
Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com , 773-525-3944.
Assistant editor: Melanie Adcock, iPHONE: 312-259-0610, melanie_adcock@msn.com
If you missed an article, go here: http://www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:
-- Some interesting stats on the INC 500 and 5000 in Illinois and the Midwest plus some specifics on a few of the firms, by Melanie Adcock
-- Geary King: Question about mobile gift card company Juno Wallet
-- Larry Stopa: Challenges Charles Stack on "Watts Up With That?" as a "science blog"
-- Dave McMurray: A profile in courage
-- Darrell Dvorak: Listen to Intel's CEO
-- Gary Vaynerchuk Announces New Sirius Show
-- September 26-29: Licensing Executives Society's Annual Meeting
-- Groupon: Up to 61% Off at Pheasant Run Resort
-- A raging debate on the role of the Koch Brothers, first discussed this week by Jane Mayer in The New Yorker Magazine and yesterday, responded to by Koch Industries
[Editor's note: May here. One thing is for sure. Life ain't dull. HP and Dell are slugging it out for 3Par and the stock of 3Par has gone from $10 to $30. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen is suing eleven of the biggest tech firms for patent infringement on tech developed in the 1990s which is now commonplace. The GDP for the second quarter of 2010 is 1.6%; the birthrate in the U.S. at 2.6% is the lowest in one hundred years. Thirty three miners will rejoice in Chile when they are freed from the mine they are trapped in three or four months from now. The Chinese are well on their way to being our main rival and/or partner in this century. Brazil, India, Russia, and many emerging countries hold the key to our future success. No day is dull, that is for sure.
But here in li'l ole fly over Chicago, a nascent start-up named Groupon grows by leaps and bounds (I will have more on their business model Monday with comments from Rachel Baker, Kevin Harriss and Jason Rexilius); and also in a somewhat less Promethean way, The May Report and its nearly out of steam founder have been given a much needed tonic named Adcock.
In one week, since I announced that Melanie would be assistant editor -- which she did not even know was coming -- she has turned things around entirely, both in real and psychological terms. I am out of breath keeping up with her. Her energy, enthusiasm and excitement is infectious. BTW, the decision to bring on Melanie was not spur of the moment. It was quickly done, but I have spent many hours over a number of years wondering how this report might survive its founder. It felt right and it did not take much for me to see that. A blind man could see it was the right thing to do, except possibly Steve Lundin. Adding Melanie was possibly my best move ever.
Now let me say something that is politically incorrect. Remember when ePrairie had a CEO and about a dozen employees and they were just an online pub? Well, where are they now? And TMR is still kicking. With one or two Melanie Adcocks on the case, you don't need the bloated staff that most firms have as soon as they expand. That may be why the unemployment rate is stalled at 9.5% or higher. Don't twist that remark. We all agree that unemployment is too high, but a lot can be done to expand the productivity of a firm without adding full-time staff. Firms are getting more out of what they already have. Just a thought. Melanie Adcock and the unemployment rate. How's that for connecting the dots? Melanie attended the Chicago Drink Deck event last night at Trader Vic's with about 50 others. She met a few new mobile apps firms she was unfamiliar with.
And next week, possibly even today, but certainly no later than the 31st of August, is the 13th anniversary of the first online TMR newsletter being sent out; and this August is the 18th anniversary of my writing about the tech industry (software at the time) in Chicago following my now famous four hour first conversation with Dick Reck -- and that was followed by many hours talking to Wally Cornett, Jerry Mitchell, Bill Weaver and Bob Geras; and this month is the 22nd anniversary of my first column in the now defunct Chicago Computer Guide, a trade rag for the computer field distributed in boxes on the street.]
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The Scoop section:
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Some interesting stats on the INC 500 and 5000 in Illinois and the Midwest plus some specifics on a few of the firms, by Melanie Adcock
Subject: Interesting stats from the 2010 Inc. 500 List
Date: 8/27/2010 2:16:33 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com, ron@themayreport.com
Hi Ron, Here's some interesting data from the new Inc. 500 List along with some other cool stuff I dug up about a few of the companies. -Melanie
Interesting facts and stats from the 2010 Inc. 500 List
Visit Inc. Magazine's website to see more information: http://www.inc.com/inc5000/2010/index.html
This information is featured in the September 2010 issue of Inc. Magazine.
About the Inc. 500 List:
Methodology: How We Chose the 2010 Inc. 500|5000
By Jim Melloan | Aug 24, 2010
The 2010 Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2006 through 2009. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by June 30, 2006. Additionally, they had to be based in the United States, privately held, for profit, and independent-not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies-as of December 31, 2009. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.)
The minimum revenue required for 2006 is $80,000; the minimum for 2009 is $2 million. Revenue figures given in the company profiles are for calendar year 2009, as are employee counts. Full-time and part-time employees are included in the employee counts; independent contractors are not.
Two Inc. 500-level companies, Octo Consulting and Virtualosity Solutions, came to Inc.'s attention past the deadline for the print edition. They have been listed as ties at No. 23 and No. 160 respectively on the online Inc. 500|5000.
As always, Inc. reserves the right to reject applicants for subjective reasons.
You can buy a reprint of the list here: http://www.inc.com/reprint/reprint.html?articleURL=/inc5000/2010/inc-5000-methodology.html
Inc. 500 Top 10 State List:
The State of Illinois comes in at #6 in the top ten states on the Inc. 500 this year with 222 companies.
Illinois, 222 companies
Illinois is still a stronghold of manufacturing and agriculture, but thanks to Chicago and its suburbs, its economy has become increasingly dominated by high-value services, such as financial trading, medicine and logistics. No. 6 company Coyote Logistics, based in the Chicago suburb Lake Forest, is a third-party logistics company that grew more than 13,000 percent in the past three years.
10. Ohio, 186 companies
9. Pennsylvania, 187 companies
8. Massachusetts, 188 companies
7. Georgia, 194 companies
6. Illinois, 222 companies
5. Florida, 262 companies
4. Virginia, 293 companies
3. New York, 353 companies
2.Texas, 404 companies
1.California, 684 companies
Highest Ranking Illinios Company on Inc. 500 List:
The highest ranking Illinois company was Coyote Logistics, a transportation and supply company. They came in at #6.
www.CoyoteLogistics.com
Lake Forest, IL
Coyote Logistics's business model
In the last two years Coyote Logistics has added eGlobe Logistics, Integra Logistics, and General Freight Services to its truckload, less-than-truckload, intermodal, air, ocean, and supply chain business serving North America and Europe.
Story about Coyote Logistic's revenue from last year: http://www.coyotelogistics.com/news
Melanie- I include this relevant story from 2009 because it was one of the most recent stories about them in the press room on their website. It is good to review again here within this context.
Largest private companies in Chicago ranked by 2009 revenue: Coyote Logistics LLC
By: H. Lee Murphy - Chicago, IL - (CHICAGO BUSINESS) - Most freight companies are sensitive to turns in the economy, but Lake Forest's Coyote Logistics LLC is out to prove it can grow even through a recession.
CEO Jeffrey Silver founded Coyote in April 2006. An infusion of capital from private-equity investor Warburg Pincus LLC of New York came a year later, followed by acquisitions of several rival logistics specialists, including a key takeover of General Freight Services Inc. of Atlanta last year.
Coyote saw revenue of $242 million in 2009, and Mr. Silver, 47, forecasts that the top line will surpass $300 million this year. He also signals that the deal-making is over for now.
"We have a strong base to grow organically from at the moment," Mr. Silver says. "We could do more deals, but we're not actively looking."
Intermodal freight, which employs transferrable containers that move easily from truck bed to railroad car to cargo ship, is a specialty of Coyote's.
John Langenfeld, an analyst at Robert W. Baird & Co. in Milwaukee, believes intermodal will become increasingly popular with shippers. "Intermodal remains a more efficient mode and has attracted hundreds of millions of dollars in railroad and government investment," he says. He predicts that most intermodal haulers will be raising prices this year, yielding more profits in the process.
In the past year, Coyote has won some new clients. It's handling logistics for distribution of Heineken beer in the U.S., winning a contract that had been split among several rivals.
Coyote now ranks among the top four independent logistics companies in the U.S. that don't own their own shipping assets. It still trails Hub Group Inc. of Downers Grove, which has annual revenue exceeding $1.5 billion.
Mr. Silver predicts that he and Warburg Pincus eventually will spin off Coyote as a public company: "We don't have a timetable. It could be three years from now or it could be five years. I'd imagine we'd get to $1 billion in annual sales before we try to go public."
The Inc. 500's Highest Ranking High Tech company in Illinois
Singlehop: http://www.singlehop.com/
Ranked at #58, SingleHop is an IT Services company in Chicago that has $6Million in revenue according to Inc.
I have personally met the following three people from Singlehop through networking events over the past few years:
Jim Tremmel, Director of Sales at Singlehop http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=14403867&authToken=1FHn&authType=name&trk=coprofile_in_network
Kyle Kinder, Account Executive at Singlehop http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=30870139&authToken=rCCm&authType=name&trk=coprofile_in_network
Michael Crosse, Channel Program Manager at Singlehop http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=12239646&authToken=Udpm&authType=name&trk=coprofile_in_network
They are all connected with me on Linkedin and from what I can tell they are dedicated people who care very much about their work. Seems like it is paying off!
Here is what Singlehop's website says in their company overview section:
http://www.singlehop.com/about/
We Manage IT Differently
Our slogan is "We Manage IT Differently." And we mean it.
Our slogan stems from our commitment to always finding better ways to manage small business web hosting services and solutions for our clients. There are many things about managed dedicated hosting that are not broken, so we don't try to reinvent the wheel. Instead we focus in areas of managed web site hosting that have traditionally been neglected.
1. Our internal structure gives our clients direct access to our top talent and a personal account executive guarantees communication whenever you have any questions or concerns regarding your dedicated hosting service.
2. Our flexible managed web hosting service allows clients to select, and pay for only the web hosting services that they need and pay for nothing that they do not need.
3. Our refusal to outsource support, and overall commitment to provide the best web hosting service possible has been recognized by industry experts and our customers alike.
In everything we do, we try to do it better. When buying servers, for example, we make sure that they are manufactured using environmentally friendly processes and that when they are powered on, they use (on average) 30% less electricity. Data Centers and servers use 1/5th the world's electrical supply. In reducing our power use, we are also reducing our long term expense for power. By reducing our costs, we are able to pass the savings of our dedicated servers and small business dedicated web hosting services on to our clients.
Melanie,
Mike Crosse forwarded me your email regarding our INC 500 placement. We are indeed thrilled with this honor as it celebrates all the hard work and dedication from everyone at SingleHop. It also says a great deal on how Chicago is one of the best places to establish and grow a fast growing and market-leading business.
If you have any questions on our firm, on the INC 500 award or anything else- I'm here to help.
Below are my contact details, I look forward to hearing from you.
Best,
--
Dan Salcedo
VP Communications
SingleHop, Inc
www.Singlehop.com
621 W Randolph 3rd Floor
Chicago, IL 60661
312 447 2581 (Direct)
832 443 5038 (Mobile)
Melanie,
Thanks for the email, we would be happy to help out.
I have copied Dan Salcedo, our VP of Communications to offer up some details.
Best of luck working with Ron!
Regards,
Mike Crosse
Tandem by SingleHop
Office (866) 817-2811
Mobile (312) 576-7169
Companies in the Chicago area that made the Inc 5000 List:
RANK COMPANY NAME 3-YEAR % REVENUE STATE
GROWTH (millions)
6 Coyote Logistics 13847% $249.8 million IL
58 SingleHop 3896% $6 million IL
59 Dean Media Group 3883% $5.9 million IL
109 AlphaMetrix Group 2261% $41.2 million IL
125 vAuto 2044% $30.3 million IL
128 BluePay Processing 2017% $60.4 million IL
181 BrightStar Care 1568% $51.7 million IL
204 Mu Sigma 1424% $21.3 million IL
229 GrubHub.com 1315% $3.4 million IL
262 Cellit 1187% $2.5 million IL
264 IguanaMed 1182% $5.6 million IL
295 Tris3ct 1015% $6.2 million IL
311 SmartPrice Sales & Marketing 970% $6.8 million IL
359 Celergo 819% $11.1 million IL
368 Keen Infotek 811% $3.6 million IL
444 Talented IT 674% $3.6 million IL
448 AutoAccessoriesGarage.com 670% $2.4 million IL
449 Ageatia Technology Consultancy Services 670% $2.1 million IL
455 Rise Interactive 658% $2.6 million IL
509 Royal Buying Group 593% $94.4 million IL
581 Burry Foodservice 522% $29.7 million IL
583 Hillard Heintze 520% $4.9 million IL
603 Millennium Pharmacy Systems 500% $118.5 million IL
611 Savid Technologies 491% $2.5 million IL
635 Climate Pros 479% $5 million IL
648 Select Marketing Solutions 467% $3.9 million IL
668 Model Metrics 457% $12.3 million IL
767 Restaurant.com 399% $41 million IL
775 Windy City Limousine and Bus 392% $8 million IL
924 PersonalizationMall.com 324% $40.9 million IL
941 Castle Rock Innovations 316% $2.2 million IL
956 Stafflogix 311% $57.1 million IL
968 CDW Merchants 308% $3.4 million IL
980 Nitel 306% $31.9 million IL
982 Commonground 305% $13.4 million IL
1053 National Gift Card 288% $93 million IL
1066 Windy City Distribution 284% $8.5 million IL
1104 Sonoma Partners 272% $8.2 million IL
1115 BigMachines 269% $18.7 million IL
1170 Dental Salon 255% $4.5 million IL
1188 Quest Products 250% $7.5 million IL
1199 BlueStar Energy Services 248% $187.1 million IL
1214 Fusion Systems 246% $5.5 million IL
1236 IndSoft 240% $6.1 million IL
1242 Solstice Consulting 239% $7.3 million IL
1276 Addison Search 231% $70.8 million IL
1277 Envisionit Media 231% $2.3 million IL
1283 Manifest Digital 231% $9.3 million IL
1298 Parts Town 227% $25 million IL
1343 Accretive Health 217% $510.2 million IL
1359 Steadfast Networks 215% $6 million IL
1365 Prime Property Investors 214% $45.6 million IL
1382 Rising Medical Solutions 210% $20.1 million IL
1389 Scrap Metal Services 209% $73.5 million IL
1396 LawyerLink 207% $5.1 million IL
1405 Diverse Facility Solutions 206% $7.2 million IL
1408 U.S. Tax Advantage 205% $5.7 million IL
1413 Ceteris 204% $10.6 million IL
1451 Intetics 199% $6.6 million IL
1470 Centro 196% $75.6 million IL
1475 123 Exteriors 195% $4.8 million IL
1497 The Ignition Network 193% $5 million IL
1510 The Glenture Group 190% $12.2 million IL
1550 SAVO 186% $14.2 million IL
1555 Prairie City Bakery 185% $20.5 million IL
1631 Centiv Services 176% $25.4 million IL
1667 Program Productions 170% $11.2 million IL
1677 ArrowStream 169% $113.1 million IL
1681 Microdynamics Group 168% $81.9 million IL
1711 Reuseit 163% $3.6 million IL
1718 IPiphany 162% $3.6 million IL
1781 Benefit Express Services 154% $8.4 million IL
1804 Train Signal 152% $5 million IL
1811 Integrated Data Storage 151% $27.4 million IL
1868 Enjoy Life Foods 146% $11.1 million IL
1878 Geckotech 145% $4.7 million IL
1931 Marcel Media 140% $3.9 million IL
1960 Utopia 137% $4.8 million IL
2075 National Collegiate Scouting Association 127% $10.7 million IL
2078 OpticsPlanet 127% $65.2 million IL
2086 Keystrokes Transcription Service 126% $13.4 million IL
2109 MSDSonline 124% $8 million IL
2119 NogginLabs 124% $5.4 million IL
2143 iTalent 121% $4.7 million IL
2197 Guaranteed Rate 117% $117.3 million IL
2213 Gecko Hospitality 116% $4.8 million IL
2250 PLS Financial Services 113% $241.1 million IL
2252 Pipal Research 113% $8.1 million IL
2266 Marketing Werks 112% $79.4 million IL
2279 BridgePoint Technologies 111% $6 million IL
2430 ESW Partners 101% $52.3 million IL
2453 Obtiva 99% $3.3 million IL
2478 Answer Center America 97% $4.8 million IL
2481 Power Equipment Direct 97% $29.7 million IL
2501 Libsys 96% $5.7 million IL
2503 B2B Computer Products 96% $66.5 million IL
2516 Corporate Safe Specialists 95% $47.6 million IL
2554 Call One 92% $45.7 million IL
2578 DKI Services 91% $6 million IL
2687 Event Architects 86% $31.3 million IL
TechTidbits about the top 1000 Companies on the Inc 5000 List:
9 Companies were Computer Hardware, 93 were IT Services Companies, and 66 were Software Companies. Out of these three industries, 44 of these were from the Midwest, and here they are in the order of their ranking from highest to lowest:
44 Midwestern Companies in Inc's Top 1000 in Computer Hardware, IT, and Software Industries:
Ranking Company 3-year % Growth Revenue Industry City State
40 Involta 5438% $6.9 million IT Services Marion IA
58 SingleHop 3896% $6 million IT Services Chicago IL
125 vAuto 2044% $30.3 million Software Oak Brook IL
155 SoftLayer Technologies 1796% $83.5 million IT Services Plano TX
201 Integrated Secure 1447% $4.7 million IT Services The Woodlands TX
210 Improving Enterprises 1396% $9.9 million IT Services Dallas TX
219 RBA Consulting 1342% $9.7 million IT Services Wayzata MN
226 Jobs2Web 1322% $6.7 million Software Minnetonka MN
227 Zeon Solutions 1321% $6.3 million IT Services Milwaukee WI
233 MacUpdate 1309% $4.7 million Software Traverse City MI
244 GlowTouch Technologies 1261% $6.4 million IT Services Louisville KY
293 Brazos Technology 1026% $3.4 million Software College Station TX
368 Keen Infotek 811% $3.6 million IT Services Naperville IL
381 Liquid Motors 789% $2.4 million Software Richardson TX
384 SmartIT Staffing 788% $9.7 million IT Services Indianapolis IN
397 Alsbridge 740% $16.1 million IT Services Dallas TX
432 Archway Technology Partners 693% $3.8 million Software Indianapolis IN
444 Talented IT 674% $3.6 million IT Services Naperville IL
447 VinSolutions 672% $8.2 million Software Overland Park KS
449 Ageatia Technology Consultancy Services 670% $2.1 million IT Services Schaumburg IL
501 AXIA Consulting 603% $5.7 million IT Services Columbus OH
508 CallCopy 594% $5.1 million Software Columbus OH
516 Entap 586% $4.1 million IT Services Indianapolis IN
575 Secure-24 532% $16.9 million IT Services Southfield MI
605 GyanSys 498% $5 million IT Services Indianapolis IN
611 Savid Technologies 491% $2.5 million IT Services Tinley Park IL
633 Interspire 480% $7.4 million Software Austin TX
641 Horizontal Integration 475% $5.8 million IT Services Minnetonka MN
651 Reddwerks 465% $10 million Software Austin TX
668 Model Metrics 457% $12.3 million IT Services Chicago IL
674 Headspring Systems 455% $3.6 million IT Services Austin TX
706 Amensys 432% $3.6 million IT Services Plano TX
716 General Informatics 424% $3.5 million IT Services Baton Rouge LA
770 Wellington Technologies 398% $17 million IT Services Westlake OH
798 Quantum Retail 379% $9.8 million Software Minneapolis MN
805 AutoRevo 375% $2.4 million Software Dallas TX
823 Volusion 367% $22.5 million Software Austin TX
875 Affinity 345% $9.7 million IT Services Milwaukee WI
901 Wise Men Consultants 333% $29.9 million IT Services Houston TX
935 Miller & Associates 319% $9.8 million IT Services Plano TX
941 Castle Rock Innovations 316% $2.2 million IT Services Chicago IL
957 Innovative Integration 311% $4 million IT Services Indianapolis IN
964 Colo4Dallas 309% $11.5 million IT Services Dallas TX
The highest ranking Midwestern tech related company on the Inc. 500 List:
Involta, ranking at #40 is an IT Services firm based out of Marion, Iowa. Below are some descriptions from their website that tell more about who they are and what they do.
http://www.involta.com/#/AboutInvolta/CompanyCapabilites/
EXPERIENCE
Design a data network for the largest mid-western power utility? Coordinate the Y2K power reliability testing for the largest software company in the world? Manage the premier datacenter in Iowa, bringing opportunities and approaches that are paradigm shifts for the industry? Yes, we've got the experience, but the real experience is in knowing that every customer need is their focus - and how to make sure it becomes and remains your focus. Technical experience? Yes. Management experience? Yes. Real world experience? Yes. Relationship experience? We are ALWAYS working on that.
EXPERTISE
Certified professionals in Information Security, SQL Databases, Microsoft System Engineering, Oracle Databases and recognized industry leaders in LAN/WAN design, information systems architecture, network monitoring, network management, service restoration, risk management, business continuance, distribution chain deployment - our real expertise is in matching up problems and solutions. Our most satisfied customers are those that can focus on their business, relying on our expertise to identify, resolve, and communicate issues and opportunities. RELATIONSHIPS... problem & solutions, issues & opportunities... Involta is always working on relationships.
ABOUT
http://www.involta.com/#/AboutInvolta/CompanyBackground/
The Involta management team has worked together for over 20 years as partners and coworkers. The evolution of Involta began with the founding Technology Resources Company in 1998. CoVault Technology was founded in early 2006 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Involta was formed in 2007 through the merger of Technology Resources Company and CoVault Technology, LLC. The combination of CoVault, the only collocation data center company in the Cedar Rapids/Iowa City corridor, with the data management expertise of TRC creates a company that can both house and provide support for customers' increasingly critical data infrastructure. The combined companies provide both the physical facilities and technical expertise necessary to secure data and provide disaster recovery services for businesses' critical data infrastructure.
INVOLTA MANAGEMENT TEAM
Lonnie Bloomquist - Chairman, Chief Technology Officer: Founder and CEO of Technology Resources Company, unique experience with Disaster Recovery Planning
Bruce Lehrman - CEO: Founder and CEO of LiveWare 5, CIO RuffaloCODY, Founder and CEO of CoVault Technology, extensive IT and management experience.
You can buy a reprint of the entire Inc. 5000 List here: http://www.inc.com/reprint/reprint.html?articleURL=/inc5000/2010/inc-5000-methodology.html
Melanie Adcock
iPHONE: 312-259-0610
DROID: 312-833-1825
E-Mail: melanie_adcock@msn.com
Facebook Fan Page: http://bit.ly/MelanieAdcockFacebookFanPage
Bio: http://bit.ly/MelanieAdcockARC
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/melanieadcock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/melanie_adcock
Facebook Profile: http://www.facebook.com/melanie.a.adcockv
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Geary King: Question about mobile gift card company Juno Wallet
From: Geary King <gearyking1@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: The May Report: 8/26/2010: Juno Wallet creates #1 mobile app for gift cards; Brad Flora funded by Knight Foundation and to start new firm; Layton Olson and Tarkus Murphy on broadband; Andrew Mason is not a face man, he's a fridge man, and more.....
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:04:19 -0700 (PDT)
To: The May Report <ron@themayreport.com>
Ron -
Thanks for continuing to forward me your newsletter. It really keeps me up to speed on the technology landscape in the midwest !
I saw your short write-up about the mobile app for gift cards. Could you please forward me some contact information on the person who could give me a low down on that service. I have my own incentive company and utilize different fulfillment providers for rewards. I'm working with another provider and am getting a sense of the potential application.
Thanks Ron, I appreciate your help and sharing !! Keep up the good work !
I hope your health is improving !!
Geary
Geary King
President
GK Performance Partners
1348 Laurie Lane
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
gearyking1@yahoo.com
630-986-2064
630-204-9797 (cell)
"where Best In Breed serves you"
www.gkperformancepartners.com
_________________________________________
Larry Stopa: Challenges Charles Stack on "Watts Up With That?" as a "science blog"
From: "Larry Stopa" <larry@epowermark.com>
Subject: RE: The May Report: 8/26/2010: Juno Wallet creates #1 mobile app for gift cards; Brad Flora funded by Knight Foundation and to start new firm; Layton Olson and Tarkus Murphy on broadband; Andrew Mason is not a face man, he's a fridge man, and more.....
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:43:16 -0500
To: "'The May Report'" <ron@themayreport.com>
Ron,
Regarding Charles Stack's claim that "Watts Up With That?" is a "science blog" requires a loose definition of "science." The Website is actually anti-science featuring climate change skeptics and deniers, many of whom receive significant money from oil and coal interests who do not want to address global warming.
The awards it has won came from public voting. As climate change skeptics are active and vocal, they outvoted real science blogs such as Pharyngula - http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/
To gain a balanced perspective for Watts Up With That? and its lack of scientific integrity, please read these critiques:
http://climateprogress.org/2010/03/27/wattsupwiththat-hype-anti-science-webstats-alexa-hits-technorati/
Hits charade: WattsUpWithThat hypes itself with dubious webstats, while lowballing other blogs
(Those who understand measuring Web traffic know that bragging about "hits" is a misleading metric to claim Website popularity. Misleading use of statistics and data are hallmarks of Watts Up With That?)
http://wottsupwiththat.com/about/
A response to the Climate Change disinformation at wattsupwiththat.com
http://www.desmogblog.com/climate-crock-week-whats-anthony-watts-take-2
Climate Crock of the Week: What's Up with Anthony Watts [take 2]
http://uk.answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20100513140331AAvcg79
Venus' temperatures: Wattsupwiththat vs conventional science?
http://www.skepticalscience.com/Watts-Up-With-That-ignorance-regarding-Antarctic-sea-ice.html
Watts Up With That's ignorance regarding Antarctic sea ice
Thank you,
Larry
_______________________________
Larry Stopa, President
E-Power Marketing Inc.
http://www.epowermark.com
larry@epowermark.com
Phone: 920.303.1244 ext 10
Fax: 920.303.1344
Continuing Saga of Search Engine Marketing Blog
http://blog.epowermark.com/
E-Power Marketing on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/EPowerMarketing
Follow E-Power on Twitter
http://twitter.com/EPowerMarketing
____________________________________
Dave McMurray: A profile in courage
From: dave mcmurray <loslobos416@yahoo.com>
Subject: re: tech recruiters in chicago
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 11:28:21 -0700 (PDT)
To: ron@themayreport.com
Hi Ron -
I've been a subscriber of yours since 1998, and I greatly appreciate the efforts you've put into trying to make sense of the Chicago tech scene since the boom and bust periods. There's really no one else here doing the kind of work you do - no doubt it's a yeoman's effort at times. I'm hoping you may know of any worthwhile recruiters in Chicago who could give me an entree' into some of the local companies who may have need of my talents. I worked for two internet start - ups in business dev/sales here in branch offices back in the late 90's/early 2000's (both eventually crapped out), but despite numerous efforts to get an interview with places like Groupon over the past year, no dice so far.
I also wish you the best for a speedy and complete recovery regarding your recent medical travails. I'm a cancer survivor for 5 years at this point (Lymphoma, Stage 4), and although I was given a dire prognosis at the outset, things are much better now. So there's hope for all of us, even though you're facing a much different set of circumstances.
Thank you in advance for responding.
Best Regards,
David McMurray
Home Ph: 773 - 549 - 1105
_____________________________________
Ron May here. This is a profile in courage. I hemmed and hawed about whether to include the section in Dave's letter on his cancer. Obviously, I thought, that fact alone might turn some people away. I called that "genius" Connolly for an opinion and he suggested that I call Dave. Gee, why didn't I think of that? I called Dave and we had a great chat for about a half hour. We talked about just everything. Does anyone know what the status of the Lisa Madigan suit against Northwestern is with respect to their non-profit status. The suit was brought because they have a tendency to ship a lot of uninsured and indigent patients over to Stroger. What they do is register them and then transfer them. That way, they get around the charge that they are discriminating.
Dave and I agreed that I should redact the part about his cancer since it has been a dampener on interviews in the past, and we hung up.
Five minutes later, the phone rang.
"Hi Ron, it's Dave McMurray and I am sorry to bother you again, but I have thought about it and I decided screw it, go ahead and leave it in. It is reality, it is over, and I cannot and should not try to hide it.?"
That is the kind of character we need more of in our world. Sure, there are many people who have been afflicted by cancer, and there are many varieties of cancer along with widely varying survival rates not to mention treatments, and we all know of someone who has had it.
But as Dave told me, in hiring and interviewing situations there does seem to still be a stigma and he has experienced that himself.
One thing I have always tried to do with this report is remove the stigma and the veil that accompanies mental illness and all kinds of illness.
Tell me, seriously, what do you think Dave should do? Should he reveal this information publicly before any interview?
What would you do in the same circumstance?
__________________________________
Darrell Dvorak: Listen to Intel's CEO
From: Darrell Dvorak <d5547k@yahoo.com>
Subject: listen to Intel's CEO
Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2010 13:26:21 -0700 (PDT)
To: Ron May <ron@themayreport.com>
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-20014563-38.html?tag=mncol;1n
________________________________
Gary Vaynerchuk Announces New Sirius Show
From: "Caroline Massey" <caroline@brookspr.com>
Subject: Gary Vaynerchuk Announces New Sirius Show
Date: Mon, 23 Aug 2010 15:49:23 -0400
To: <ron@themayreport.com>
Hello!
I wanted to share this exciting news on wine expert and social media commentator, Gary Vaynerchuk (www.garyvaynerchuk.com). He just announced his new Sirius program Wine & Web with Gary Vaynerchuk which will launch next Thursday August 26th at 10PM ET on SIRIUS channel 108/XM channel 139.
Here is a link to the press release with all of the specifics:
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sirius-xm-to-launch-exclusive-weekly-show-with-wine-expert-social-media-commentator-and-bestselling-author-gary-vaynerchuk-101164099.html
Please let us know if you are interested in receiving a free trial to Sirius XM to listen to the show.
Thanks!
Best,
Caroline Massey
Account Executive
The Brooks Group
212.768.0860
Twitter: @CarolineRazia
www.brookspr.com
_____________________________________
September 26-29: Licensing Executives Society's Annual Meeting
From: Lydia Steck <thecommunicator@me.com>
Subject: LES Meeting in Chicago
Date: Fri, 27 Aug 2010 13:03:06 -0500
To: ron@themayreport.com
Hi Ron - Hope all is well.
Please take a minute to check out highlights (below) of the Licensing Executives Society's Annual Meeting to be held in Chicago September 26-29. A discount is in place now for early registrants. The meeting will offer:
· a world-class speaker lineup;
· a customizable meeting experience where attendees can select from over 50 workshops designed to focus not only on issues that are timely and relevant to individual industry sectors, but that also encourage cross-sector discussions;
· dynamic networking opportunities;
· small-group information sharing;
· rare royalty rate and deal term survey results;
· a tech fair with the latest innovations in products and services and much more.
Please contact me to arrange press registration. Thanks, L
Lydia Steck for LES (USA & Canada) Inc.
TheCommunicator@comcast.net
Mobile: (847) 323.3893
Over 1,000 Global IP and Business Development Leaders to Gather
Sept. 26-29 for the Licensing Executives Society Annual Meeting in Chicago
Featured Speakers include Best-Selling Author of Freakonomics, Steven Levitt,
Retired Chief Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit Honorable Judge Paul Michel,
and Economist and Former Vice Presidential Candidate Pat Choate
WASHINGTON, August 25, 2010--Over one thousand of the world's leading intellectual property (IP), licensing and business development professionals will gather for the Licensing Executives Society (USA & Canada), Inc., Annual Meeting at the Chicago Sheraton Hotel & Towers September 26-29. Themed 'Deals, Deals and more Deals' the meeting will focus on the critical role IP plays in today's most successful business strategies and will explore ways to leverage IP to maximize deal-making and profitability.
"The LES Annual Meeting is the premier meeting of the year for IP and business development leaders who are looking for a rich mix of state-of-the-art professional education along with unique opportunities for small-group information sharing, dynamic power networking and deal making," said LES Annual Meeting Chair Ted Cross.
Attendees will be able to tailor the meeting to suit their needs by attending interactive plenary discussions and selecting from over 50 workshops designed to focus not only on issues that are timely and relevant to individual industry sectors, but that also encourage cross-sector discussions. Click here for a list of organizations with confirmed registrants representing the life sciences, high tech, government, universities, consumer products and chemicals/energy/environment/materials sectors.
Plenary Highlights
The SuperFreakonomics of IP Licensing - Do Patents Slow Innovation? - Steven Levitt, co-author of the New York Times best-seller Freakonomics and its recent follow-up SuperFreakonomics, will present a keynote address on the unintended impact of the patent system on innovation. He will also discuss his groundbreaking research on the effects of incentives on economics and market behavior as they relate to innovation. A book signing will follow Mr. Levitt's presentation.
Is the U.S. Patent System Under Siege: Congress, the PTO, the FTC and the Supreme Court -The Honorable Judge Paul Michel, retired Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit will look at the many challenges facing the U.S. patent system including the reform legislation currently pending in Congress, the USPTO's efforts to reduce backlogs and improve the quality of issued patents, and increased scrutiny by the Supreme Court and FTC.
IP as a National Responsibility: A Global Outlook for Strategies, Policies and Laws -- Economist and Former Vice Presidential Candidate Pat Choate, will join John Whealan, Associate Dean of Intellectual Property Law at George Washington University Law School and Suzanne Michel, Deputy Director of FTC's Office of Policy Planning to discuss how the United States, Europe, Asia and developing countries might leverage IP to secure future wealth and what this could mean for commercial collaboration across national boundaries.
IP100 Recap: IP Hot Topics 2010 -- Over the course of 2010, LES has hosted innovative IP100 forums comprised of high-level IP leaders who have analyzed several hot IP topics. This panel will revisit the topics, review previous findings and discuss what we've learned from the world-class IP100 panels about best practices in licensing. Key 'take-aways' will be included in a white paper available after the meeting for attendees.
Highly Anticipated Announcements
Groundbreaking Royalty Rate Survey Results -- LES will release two highly anticipated survey reports that address elusive gaps in industry-specific data on deal terms:
* Global BioPharma Royalty Rates and Deal Terms Survey
* CEEM Royalty Rate and Deal Terms Survey.
The new data will provide valuable benchmarks for all aspects of deal-making across the life sciences, chemicals, energy and related industries.
IP Deals of Distinction Award -- LES will present its annual Deals of Distinction™ Awards to the best IP deals of the year in five industry sectors.
Frank Barnes Mentoring Award -- The LES Foundation will present the Frank Barnes Mentor Award to recognize an LES member who has made significant contributions to the field of licensing through their professional mentorship.
In addition to the program highlights, attendees will enjoy unique networking opportunities, online access to the attendance lists and session presentations and handouts. There will also be a Tech Fair showcasing new and innovative products and services.
Register now at www.lesusacanada.org/am10 and save! Rates increase $100 on September 1st.
About the Licensing Executives Society (USA & Canada), Inc.
Established in 1965, the Licensing Executives Society (USA & Canada), Inc. (LES) is a professional society comprised of 5,000 members engaged in the transfer, use, development and marketing of intellectual property. The LES membership includes a wide range of professionals, including business executives, lawyers, licensing consultants, engineers, academicians, scientists and government officials. Many large corporations, professional firms, and universities comprise the Society's membership. Licensing Executives Society (U.S.A. & Canada), Inc. is a member society of the Licensing Executives Society International, Inc. (LESI), with a worldwide membership of over 11,000 members in 32 national societies, representing over 90 countries. For more information on LES, see www.lesusacanada.org.
LES PR and Media Contact: Lydia Steck, 847.323.3893 or Thecommunicator@comcast.net
___________________________________
Groupon: Up to 61% Off at Pheasant Run Resort
Subject: Up to 61% Off at Pheasant Run Resort
Date: 8/27/2010 9:18:35 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: mail@e.groupon.com
Reply To: reply-fe5e1570726d0c7c7214-88216_HTML-677040592-96988-0@e.groupon.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
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The Daily Deal for
Chicago
Friday, August 27, 2010
follow us:
Golf, Luxury Resort Lodging, or Comedy or Theater Tickets at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. Choose from Four Options.
from
$10
worth: discount: savings:
$23 57% $13
Company Information:
Pheasant Run Resort
website
Locations:
4051 E Main St.
St. Charles, Illinois 60174
Long ago, Scottish polo players longed for a game where they could explore scenic terrain, ride an obedient mechanical horse, and wear more courageously plaid knickers. Marvel in their subsequent invention-as well as luxury resort lodging, theater, and comedy-with today's Groupon at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles. Choose from the following options:
$79 for a one-night stay in a Golf or Courtyard guest room with two queen-sized beds or one king-sized bed (up to a $149 value). Each room includes views of the Pheasant Run golf course and pond, as well as access to all three of the resort's pools.
$29 for an 18-hole round of golf with cart rental (up to a $75 value) at The Resort Course, one of two championship courses at Pheasant Run. The par-72 course boasts 6,500 yards of manicured greens and fairways with a politely clapping audience of matured maple trees and various florae lining the fairways. Choose any tee time and quickly rescue errantly sliced balls with the smooth cruising speed of a golf cart. This course will challenge golfers of any skill level, be they newbie clubbers or full-time swingers who consistently reach the green in three strokes using only their mind. Call ahead to schedule a tee time.
$19 for one theater ticket to a variety of upcoming shows at The Mainstage Theater (up to a $39 value). Coming soon is Red Herring, a comedy set in 1952 that intertwines three love stories, a murder mystery, and nuclear espionage, much like the autobiography of the San Diego Chicken. After undergoing a $4.5 million renovation, the theater now welcomes up to 320 guests for high-quality performances backed by state-of-the-art sound and lighting.
$10 for one ticket to Zanies Comedy Club (a $23 value). Check out the upcoming calendar to see what future funnypersons are scheduled to perform. There is a two-drink minimum purchase per person inside the club (alcoholic or non), and you must be 21+ to enter, with a valid photo ID.
Pheasant Run Resort bills itself as the Midwest's largest entertainment resort, sprawling across 250 acres in St. Charles, about 35 miles west of Chicago. Though not included with this Groupon, guests and visitors can also enjoy a plethora of resort activities such as the Mario Tricoci Hair Salon & Day Spa, three heated swimming pools-including the historic indoor-outdoor pool-filled with clean cloud sweat, abundant dining and nightlife, and plenty of local attractions. Whether you stay at Pheasant Run Resort for only a few hours or the whole night, it will provide a refreshing getaway from the noise of your neighborhood's backyard re-creation of the Battle of Stalingrad.
Taxes and resort fee are not included with the guest room, and rooms are not available on holiday weekends. The theater and comedy club deals are not valid for special events or one-night-only performances.
Read More...
_______________________________________
A raging debate on the role of the Koch Brothers, first discussed this week by Jane Mayer in The New Yorker Magazine and yesterday, responded to by Koch Industries
[Editor's note: May here. The New Yorker article by Jane Mayer is ten pages long, far too long to reprint here. I am giving you pages one and two. And here is the ink to the whole article:
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer Following that we have the Koch response.]
A Reporter at Large
Covert Operations
The billionaire brothers who are waging a war against Obama.
by Jane Mayer August 30, 2010
David H. Koch in 1996. He and his brother Charles are lifelong libertarians and have quietly given more than a hundred million dollars to right-wing causes.
David H. Koch in 1996. He and his brother Charles are lifelong libertarians and have quietly given more than a hundred million dollars to right-wing causes.
On May 17th, a black-tie audience at the Metropolitan Opera House applauded as a tall, jovial-looking billionaire took the stage. It was the seventieth annual spring gala of American Ballet Theatre, and David H. Koch was being celebrated for his generosity as a member of the board of trustees; he had recently donated $2.5 million toward the company's upcoming season, and had given many millions before that. Koch received an award while flanked by two of the gala's co-chairs, Blaine Trump, in a peach-colored gown, and Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg, in emerald green. Kennedy's mother, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, had been a patron of the ballet and, coincidentally, the previous owner of a Fifth Avenue apartment that Koch had bought, in 1995, and then sold, eleven years later, for thirty-two million dollars, having found it too small.
The gala marked the social ascent of Koch, who, at the age of seventy, has become one of the city's most prominent philanthropists. In 2008, he donated a hundred million dollars to modernize Lincoln Center's New York State Theatre building, which now bears his name. He has given twenty million to the American Museum of Natural History, whose dinosaur wing is named for him. This spring, after noticing the decrepit state of the fountains outside the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Koch pledged at least ten million dollars for their renovation. He is a trustee of the museum, perhaps the most coveted social prize in the city, and serves on the board of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, where, after he donated more than forty million dollars, an endowed chair and a research center were named for him.
One dignitary was conspicuously absent from the gala: the event's third honorary co-chair, Michelle Obama. Her office said that a scheduling conflict had prevented her from attending. Yet had the First Lady shared the stage with Koch it might have created an awkward tableau. In Washington, Koch is best known as part of a family that has repeatedly funded stealth attacks on the federal government, and on the Obama Administration in particular.
With his brother Charles, who is seventy-four, David Koch owns virtually all of Koch Industries, a conglomerate, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, whose annual revenues are estimated to be a hundred billion dollars. The company has grown spectacularly since their father, Fred, died, in 1967, and the brothers took charge. The Kochs operate oil refineries in Alaska, Texas, and Minnesota, and control some four thousand miles of pipeline. Koch Industries owns Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Stainmaster carpet, and Lycra, among other products. Forbes ranks it as the second-largest private company in the country, after Cargill, and its consistent profitability has made David and Charles Koch-who, years ago, bought out two other brothers-among the richest men in America. Their combined fortune of thirty-five billion dollars is exceeded only by those of Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
The Kochs are longtime libertarians who believe in drastically lower personal and corporate taxes, minimal social services for the needy, and much less oversight of industry-especially environmental regulation. These views dovetail with the brothers' corporate interests. In a study released this spring, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst's Political Economy Research Institute named Koch Industries one of the top ten air polluters in the United States. And Greenpeace issued a report identifying the company as a "kingpin of climate science denial." The report showed that, from 2005 to 2008, the Kochs vastly outdid ExxonMobil in giving money to organizations fighting legislation related to climate change, underwriting a huge network of foundations, think tanks, and political front groups. Indeed, the brothers have funded opposition campaigns against so many Obama Administration policies-from health-care reform to the economic-stimulus program-that, in political circles, their ideological network is known as the Kochtopus.
In a statement, Koch Industries said that the Greenpeace report "distorts the environmental record of our companies." And David Koch, in a recent, admiring article about him in New York, protested that the "radical press" had turned his family into "whipping boys," and had exaggerated its influence on American politics. But Charles Lewis, the founder of the Center for Public Integrity, a nonpartisan watchdog group, said, "The Kochs are on a whole different level. There's no one else who has spent this much money. The sheer dimension of it is what sets them apart. They have a pattern of lawbreaking, political manipulation, and obfuscation. I've been in Washington since Watergate, and I've never seen anything like it. They are the Standard Oil of our times."
A few weeks after the Lincoln Center gala, the advocacy wing of the Americans for Prosperity Foundation-an organization that David Koch started, in 2004-held a different kind of gathering. Over the July 4th weekend, a summit called Texas Defending the American Dream took place in a chilly hotel ballroom in Austin. Though Koch freely promotes his philanthropic ventures, he did not attend the summit, and his name was not in evidence. And on this occasion the audience was roused not by a dance performance but by a series of speakers denouncing President Barack Obama. Peggy Venable, the organizer of the summit, warned that Administration officials "have a socialist vision for this country."
Five hundred people attended the summit, which served, in part, as a training session for Tea Party activists in Texas. An advertisement cast the event as a populist uprising against vested corporate power. "Today, the voices of average Americans are being drowned out by lobbyists and special interests," it said. "But you can do something about it." The pitch made no mention of its corporate funders. The White House has expressed frustration that such sponsors have largely eluded public notice. David Axelrod, Obama's senior adviser, said, "What they don't say is that, in part, this is a grassroots citizens' movement brought to you by a bunch of oil billionaires."
Read more http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer#ixzz0xq9UN7Ij
Covert Operations
by Jane Mayer
(page 2)
In April, 2009, Melissa Cohlmia, a company spokesperson, denied that the Kochs had direct links to the Tea Party, saying that Americans for Prosperity is "an independent organization and Koch companies do not in any way direct their activities." Later, she issued a statement: "No funding has been provided by Koch companies, the Koch foundations, or Charles Koch or David Koch specifically to support the tea parties." David Koch told New York, "I've never been to a tea-party event. No one representing the tea party has ever even approached me."
At the lectern in Austin, however, Venable-a longtime political operative who draws a salary from Americans for Prosperity, and who has worked for Koch-funded political groups since 1994-spoke less warily. "We love what the Tea Parties are doing, because that's how we're going to take back America!" she declared, as the crowd cheered. In a subsequent interview, she described herself as an early member of the movement, joking, "I was part of the Tea Party before it was cool!" She explained that the role of Americans for Prosperity was to help "educate" Tea Party activists on policy details, and to give them "next-step training" after their rallies, so that their political energy could be channelled "more effectively." And she noted that Americans for Prosperity had provided Tea Party activists with lists of elected officials to target. She said of the Kochs, "They're certainly our people. David's the chairman of our board. I've certainly met with them, and I'm very appreciative of what they do."
Venable honored several Tea Party "citizen leaders" at the summit. The Texas branch of Americans for Prosperity gave its Blogger of the Year Award to a young woman named Sibyl West. On June 14th, West, writing on her site, described Obama as the "cokehead in chief." In an online thread, West speculated that the President was exhibiting symptoms of "demonic possession (aka schizophrenia, etc.)." The summit featured several paid speakers, including Janine Turner, the actress best known for her role on the television series "Northern Exposure." She declared, "They don't want our children to know about their rights. They don't want our children to know about a God!"
During a catered lunch, Venable introduced Ted Cruz, a former solicitor general of Texas, who told the crowd that Obama was "the most radical President ever to occupy the Oval Office," and had hidden from voters a secret agenda-"the government taking over our economy and our lives." Countering Obama, Cruz proclaimed, was "the epic fight of our generation!" As the crowd rose to its feet and cheered, he quoted the defiant words of a Texan at the Alamo: "Victory, or death!"
Americans for Prosperity has worked closely with the Tea Party since the movement's inception. In the weeks before the first Tax Day protests, in April, 2009, Americans for Prosperity hosted a Web site offering supporters "Tea Party Talking Points." The Arizona branch urged people to send tea bags to Obama; the Missouri branch urged members to sign up for "Taxpayer Tea Party Registration" and provided directions to nine protests. The group continues to stoke the rebellion. The North Carolina branch recently launched a "Tea Party Finder" Web site, advertised as "a hub for all the Tea Parties in North Carolina."
The anti-government fervor infusing the 2010 elections represents a political triumph for the Kochs. By giving money to "educate," fund, and organize Tea Party protesters, they have helped turn their private agenda into a mass movement. Bruce Bartlett, a conservative economist and a historian, who once worked at the National Center for Policy Analysis, a Dallas-based think tank that the Kochs fund, said, "The problem with the whole libertarian movement is that it's been all chiefs and no Indians. There haven't been any actual people, like voters, who give a crap about it. So the problem for the Kochs has been trying to create a movement." With the emergence of the Tea Party, he said, "everyone suddenly sees that for the first time there are Indians out there-people who can provide real ideological power." The Kochs, he said, are "trying to shape and control and channel the populist uprising into their own policies."
A Republican campaign consultant who has done research on behalf of Charles and David Koch said of the Tea Party, "The Koch brothers gave the money that founded it. It's like they put the seeds in the ground. Then the rainstorm comes, and the frogs come out of the mud-and they're our candidates!"
The Kochs and their political operatives declined requests for interviews. Instead, a prominent New York public-relations executive who is close with the Kochs put forward two friends: George Pataki, the former governor of New York, and Mortimer Zuckerman, the publisher and real-estate magnate. Pataki, a Republican who received campaign donations from David Koch, called him "a patriot who cares deeply about his country." Zuckerman praised David's "gentle decency" and the "range of his public interests."
The Republican campaign consultant said of the family's political activities, "To call them under the radar is an understatement. They are underground!" Another former Koch adviser said, "They're smart. This right-wing, redneck stuff works for them. They see this as a way to get things done without getting dirty themselves." Rob Stein, a Democratic political strategist who has studied the conservative movement's finances, said that the Kochs are "at the epicenter of the anti-Obama movement. But it's not just about Obama. They would have done the same to Hillary Clinton. They did the same with Bill Clinton. They are out to destroy progressivism."
Read more
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=3
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=4
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=5
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=6
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=7
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=8
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=9
http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=10
_________________________________________
http://www.newsmax.com/InsideCover/koch-industries-new-yorker/2010/08/26/id/368519
Koch Industries Responds to New Yorker Claims
Thursday, 26 Aug 2010 07:00 PM
Article Font Size
Koch Industries has issued a response to a New Yorker magazine article highly critical of the Wichita, Kan.-based conglomerate and its owners, brothers David and Charles Koch.
Among other things, the new article, entitled "Covert Operations: The Billionaire Brothers Who are Waging a War Against Obama," by Jane Mayer, suggests that Koch has been funding the tea party movement secretly through the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, which David Koch founded in 2004. David is Koch Industries' executive vice president who, along with brother Charles, owns more than 80 percent of the firm.
The New Yorker cites largely unnamed sources to make its claim that the Koch brothers have been donating to and organizing the tea party movement.
Americans for Prosperity "has worked closely with the tea party since the movement's inception," the New Yorker claims, adding that "by giving money to 'educate,' fund, and organize tea party protesters, they have helped turn their private agenda into a mass movement."
And she quotes an unnamed Republican consultant who said of the tea party movement: "The Koch brothers gave the money that founded it."
The only problem with this conspiracy theory is that the Koches and their foundations have been donating to many pro-free market organizations and think tanks long before Obama came into the White House. And dozens of groups are part of the tea party movement, many of whom have not received a dime in Koch funding.
Koch Industries is the second-largest privately held company in the United States, with interests in a range of industries including petroleum refining, minerals, fertilizers, forest and consumer products and chemical technology. Its subsidiaries include the Georgia-Pacific pulp and paper company.
In its response to the article, Koch issued a statement rebutting the New Yorker piece point by point and blaming the magazine's approach for the company's refusal to make David or Charles Koch available.
"We submitted extensive facts and background information to the magazine," the statement reads. "Given that all we provided did not change the publication's negative, unbalanced tone and agenda, we declined their requests to speak to Koch executives."
Here is the full Koch Industries statement, titled "Koch Facts":
For more than 40 years, Koch companies, the Koch family and their foundations have been publicly devoted to making the world a better place. Unfortunately, both political parties in recent years have advocated government policies and spending that threaten the economic foundations of our families, company and country. In the face of this threat, our increased efforts to advance market-based policy solutions, which history shows drive a society's productivity, innovation and enhanced quality of life, have attracted negative attention from some who do not support economic freedom.
This site offers an accessible and reliable source of information about our market-based point of view and our responsible operations.
Response to 8/23/10 The New Yorker article
We submitted extensive facts and background information to the magazine. Given that all we provided did not change the publication's negative, unbalanced tone and agenda, we declined their requests to speak to Koch executives. The story dredges up issues resolved long ago and mischaracterizes our business philosophy and principles, our practices and performance record, and the education efforts and policies we support. Accurate information on many of the issues from this and other recent media and Internet discussion items is below:
Operate safe, clean facilities across Koch companies
We implement EH&S management systems and strive for superior performance and environmental protection. Many of these efforts are about achieving excellent compliance records and minimizing incidents, but there are also considerable results, including 180 environmental and safety awards, that go beyond compliance.
Koch's refining company, Flint Hills Resources, processes a barrel of crude oil with 60 percent fewer air emissions than the industry average. Flint Hills facilities strive to operate efficiently and in an environmentally responsible manner. Since 1997, the company has reduced its average per-barrel criteria air emissions by 71 percent.
Flint Hills Resources is a recognized leader in reducing flaring at its refineries, reducing flare time by 90 percent since 1997. The company earned a Clean Air award from the EPA.
In Sigurd, Utah, Georgia-Pacific employees developed an innovative solution to reclaim land more efficiently. This process saved more than $41,000 and left the landscape in good condition. The results earned GP an Innovation in Reclamation Award from the State of Utah, awarded on Earth Day 2010.
Serve our communities and those in need
From disaster relief to supporting, via cash donations and employee sweat equity, Habitat for Humanity projects to entrepreneurship education programs for inner city youth, Koch companies support numerous programs aimed at improving the lives of people in their communities.
Donations around the world have helped advance learning and education, improve the quality of life, and support human services and at-risk youth.
Climate change
Long before climate change was a key policy issue, Koch companies and Koch foundations worked to advance economic freedom and market-based policy solutions to societal challenges. A free society and the scientific method require an open, honest airing of all sides, not demonizing and silencing those with whom you disagree. We've strived to encourage an intellectually honest debate on the scientific basis for claims of harm from greenhouse gases. Because it's crucial to understand whether proposed initiatives to reduce greenhouse gases will achieve desired environmental goals and what effects they would likely have on the global economy, we have tried to help highlight the facts of the potential effectiveness and costs of policies proposed.
Greenpeace
The Greenpeace report mischaracterizes Koch companies' efforts and distorts the environmental record of our companies. Koch companies have long supported science-based inquiry and dialogue about climate change and proposed responses to it. Koch companies have put tremendous effort into discovering and adopting innovative practices that reduce energy use and emissions in the manufacture and distribution of our products.
In addition, Greenpeace's unsubstantiated and inaccurate assertion - that all funds given by Koch Industries and Koch foundations to a broad group of organizations from 2005 through 2008 were focused on climate issues - breaks down immediately upon examination. As the organizations involved have affirmed, they focus on numerous public policy issues and the funding in question supported many projects outside the scope of energy or environmental matters.
Environmental record
While history is an important consideration when assessing anyone's track record, we continue to see long-settled issues discussed with no context to accurately reflect our current operations. Publicly available data reveals that Koch companies have managed environmental risk well over many years, and earned accolades for those achievements. From wetlands restoration and award-winning habitat preservation projects that apply to the company's ranches as well as refineries to river conservation, they have led and participated in many efforts that have enhanced the environment in their communities and within their fence lines.
2001 Corpus Christi settlement
When Koch entities and employees were charged with 97 counts in 2000, the central issue was not benzene releases. The charges addressed measurement practices and control equipment on pipes and tanks handling waste streams prior to treatment within the refinery. A Clinton-appointed federal judge oversaw the case and, as facts about the case were revealed, it was the Clinton Department of Justice attorneys who dropped the number of counts by nearly 90 percent before the 2001 inauguration of President Bush. These same prosecutors saw the case's continued disintegration -- once their evidence and witnesses were able to be challenged before the judge -- and agreed to a settlement in April 2001 that included dismissing all counts against Koch Industries and the individuals. Koch Petroleum Group pled to just one, non-pollution-related count. That count - alleging a false statement regarding reported information in 1995 - was the original issue the company self-reported to authorities when discovered. The company paid a fine and completed probation.
1996 Pipeline accident
The August, 1996 pipeline accident in Texas was a tragedy. Koch accepted responsibility immediately for the incident, which is the only event of its kind in the company's history. The thorough review conducted of this pipeline the year before the accident did not uncover any issues that posed a foreseeable threat to public safety. The bacteria-induced corrosion that caused the accident acted more quickly to damage this pipeline than had ever been documented by any industry expert. Koch's cooperative efforts to identify the source and cause of this problem so that this knowledge could be shared throughout industry were praised by the National Transportation Safety Board, which did a two-year investigation into this incident. Koch Pipeline Company, L.P. has taken lessons learned from this incident and modified its procedures to help avoid any repeat of an accident like this.
Minnesota
Koch Petroleum Group took full responsibility for mistakes and pled guilty to two negligence misdemeanors relating to problems at its Rosemount refinery in 1996 and 1997. These charges involve delays in the cleanup of a tank leak, part of which later appeared in a wetland adjacent to the Mississippi River, and the manner in which refinery waste water was discharged. Koch agreed to pay $6.9 million in 1998 to settle related issues under a stipulated agreement with the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency.
Pipeline settlement
More than 10 years ago, Koch paid $35 million to settle pipeline releases. It's important to note, however, that the reason it was the largest fine to date (it's been eclipsed many times over by now in cases involving other companies) was that it marked the first time the government had bundled multiple incidents - stretching out over nearly 10 years in six states over multiple pipeline systems - into a single enforcement action. Since that time, Koch-operated pipelines have earned numerous state- and federal-level honors for industry-leading records for safe operations.
Oklahoma oil measurement
A U.S. District Judge approved a settlement to end an oil measurement case initiated against Koch Oil as a qui tam action in 1989.
Americans for Prosperity/Citizens for a Sound Economy
Among the hundreds of organizations that have received support from Koch companies and/or the Koch foundations are Americans for Prosperity and Americans for Prosperity Foundation. In 1984, Dr. Richard Fink, Charles and David Koch and Jay Humphries co-founded the Americans for Prosperity Foundation, then known as Citizens for a Sound Economy Foundation. Over time the participants in CSE and the CSE Foundation developed different visions. In 2004, CSE became FreedomWorks and the CSE Foundation was renamed Americans for Prosperity Foundation. AFP Foundation created a 501(c)(4) organization, AFP. AFP and AFP Foundation have grown to more than 1.2 million members in all 50 states, with 30 state chapters and affiliates and more than 65,000 donors. David Koch is chairman of the board for AFP Foundation, which has a citizen-education mission.
AFP and AFP Foundation are legally separate organizations with two separate governing boards. AFP Foundation, which is a 501(c)(3) organization, focuses on citizen education about economic policy and a return of the federal government to its Constitutional limits. AFP, a 501(c)(4) entity, focuses on citizen advocacy. Koch foundations provide no funding to AFP.
John Birch Society and opposition to communism
Fred Koch, who died in 1967, was a supporter, not a founder, of the John Birch Society in the 1950s. His anti-communist sentiment stemmed from time he spent in the Soviet Union between 1929 and 1932 when his engineering company designed and built oil cracking units to be erected in refineries in the U.S.S.R. Fred found the Soviet Union to be "a land of hunger, misery and terror." Virtually all the Soviet engineers he worked with were purged by Stalin, who exterminated tens of millions of his own people. This experience, combined with what his Communist associates told him of their methods and plans for world revolution, caused Fred Koch to become a staunch anti-communist.
Formaldehyde
We believe any/all regulations should be based on sound science. Georgia-Pacific meets standards currently set for formaldehyde in a variety of applications and has provided comments on formaldehyde's classification as part of the established regulatory development process in the United States. The debate over EPA's recent review of formaldehyde is not simply an industry concern. Several federal agencies have submitted formal comments urging caution and questioning some of the data and information on which EPA's decision was based.
There are numerous indications that the science EPA has employed may not be the best and to make any final decisions prior to the current comprehensive scientific review of formaldehyde by the National Academy of Sciences would be inappropriate.
Government-run healthcare
Innovation drives our country - and in the healthcare field it brings us better treatments, improved procedures and cures for life-threatening diseases. Government takeover of healthcare may stymie innovation, affect medical research negatively and reduce the reimbursements our leading research institutions receive.
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