Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Congressman Mike Coffman’s Vote to Block Bipartisan Payroll Tax Cut is Unacceptable and Dangerous to Economy

Joe Miklosi Says End the Partisan Extremism and Pass the Payroll Tax Break Extension

Greenwood Village, CO, December 20, 2011 - Colorado incumbent Congressman Mike Coffman today voted to block a payroll tax cut extension compromise that overwhelmingly passed the Senate with near unanimous support from Republican and Democrats.


"Congress can’t even agree on a tax cut they all agree with,” said Joe Miklosi, candidate for Colorado's 6th Congressional District. “Senate Republicans and Democrats managed to negotiate a reasonable compromise and it’s unacceptable that House Republicans continue the relentless partisan bickering. The consequences of a failure to act will have major economic repercussions.”

The bipartisan payroll tax break extension was negotiated by Republican leaders and passed the Senate on Saturday by a overwhelming 89-10 vote. The Senate's version would renew a 2 percentage point cut in the Social Security payroll tax, provide jobless benefits averaging about $300 a week for the long-term unemployed, and stop a 27 percent cut in Medicare payments to doctors.

Without a bill to extend the cuts, payroll taxes will go up for 160 million workers on January 1st. Nearly 2 million people could lose unemployment benefits as well.

Incumbent Congressman Mike Coffman has voted along party lines over 95% of the time and is a founding member of the Tea Party Caucus. Many attribute the group to be the leading driver of the partisan bickering in Congress today.

"This is just another example of why we need real leadership in Washington, leadership that’s focused on delivering practical outcomes for families in Colorado,” continued Miklosi. “It’s time to stop waiting to the last minute. It’s time to get the job done once and for all.”

State Representative Miklosi is a proven leader who has worked across the political aisle to pass legislation designed to promote job growth and getting our economy back on track. He worked to balance the Colorado budget every year he has been in office. He worked on the bipartisan Audit Committee, which conducted 52 audits in 2010 and saved Colorado taxpayers 47 million dollars. He sponsored legislation that passed the General Assembly unanimously to eliminate conflicting government regulations and help local businesses. As a member of the state legislature, Representative Miklosi has cut his own salary.  Last year, Mr. Miklosi sponsored two job fairs to help people find a job.

"Our campaign is focused like a laser on getting our economy on the fast-track to recovery," says Miklosi. "We believe mainstream voters will reject my opponent’s 'do-nothing' approach and will join us in working to get this county back on its economic feet."
  
Joe Miklosi brings a well-rounded business and civic background to the race. In addition to three years of legislative experience working across party lines to get things done in the Colorado House of Representatives, his career includes six years of business development experience, where he helped start an Internet software company, nearly four years working at Project C.U.R.E. in Centennial, Colorado, which provides life-saving medical supplies to hospitals in 120 developing nations, and 12 years of public policy experience.

To Learn More about Representative Miklosi, visit his website, www.JoeMiklosi.com, or his Facebook page, www.facebook.com/JoeMiklosi

Contact:
Dan Mahoney
CSG|PR
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
970.405.8060

FRA reacts to article Latin American forestry

A recent report from the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch blog is being championed by Forestry Research Associates (FRA) as a beneficial piece for the forestry investment industry.

Bainbridge Island, WA, December20, 2011 - A recent report from the Wall Street Journal’s MarketWatch blog is being championed by Forestry Research Associates (FRA) as a beneficial piece for the forestry investment industry.

FRA is a research and analysis consultancy specializing in sustainable forestry and forestry investment topics. It is not a surprise, then, that its analysts welcomed the article explaining how investing in Latin American forests can be profitable during these uncertain economic times.

The article highlights the fact that forestry in the region is an up and coming asset class and that investors are learning that there are opportunities to analyse the market and invest with schemes that specialise in certain products. FRA says that many REITs offering forestry as an option outside of Latin America can focus on land coverage, rather than what the forestry projects actually produce. However, in Latin America, investors can buy up land managed by producers who focus on charcoal production, or eucalyptus crops, for example. Greenwood Management offers investors the chance to directly invest in their plantation projects in Brazil that largely focus on producing charcoal for use in the booming Brazilian steel industry and this is an area that is attracting the attention of in vestors from outside the region.

FRA supports these kinds of projects as, as well as being profitable for investors, they offer alternative sources of timber and charcoal to using native species, thus helping to reduce deforestation.

Latin American forestry is also benefiting hugely from the growth in demand from Asia and the resulting soaring timber prices. FRA’s analysis partner, Peter Collins added, “Timber values have increased steadily over the past few years and over the past decade, forestry investments have outperformed returns form stock markets.” He also asserted that the volatility of the equity markets are driving more and more Western investors to the relative safe havens of alternative investments.

Contact:
Peter Collins
Forestry Research Associates
620 Vineyard Lane
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
(206) 316 8394

Yum Yum Dishes Introduces The 9Plate: Healthy Dinnertime Just Got FUN!

Yum Yum Dishes introduces the 9Plate, a 9-inch dinner plate that's true to Yum Yum Dishes'

Asheville, NC, December 20, 2011 - Just in time for the New Year, Yum Yum Dishes introduces the 9Plate, a 9-inch dinner plate that's true to Yum Yum Dishes' motto: “moderation, not deprivation.”

The 9Plate is the perfect sized plate for people who want to keep their New Year's resolutions to eat correctly sized portions for all their meals, says Tracy Adler, a mom and former restaurant owner who created the original Yum Yum Dishes.

“Dinner plates have grown over the years to anywhere from 11 to 14 inches, making it easy to over-serve and over-eat your meals,” Adler says. “The 9Plate is perfect for children, teens, and adults who want to enjoy all their favorite foods in moderation.”

The 9Plate comes with graphics sectioned to show the correct proportions of Protein, Carbs and Veggies, making it easy to eat a healthy mix of foods in the right amounts.

Yum Yum Dishes now offers its colorful snack bowls with lids so people can take them anywhere. These finely crafted 4-ounce ceramic bowls are safe for the oven, microwave and dishwasher and the perfect size for snacking in moderation.

“Our very popular Yum Yum Bowls are still the same great bowls you have come to know and love,” Adler says. “The new snap-on plastic lids allow you to carry your favorite snacks with you wherever you go.”

Both the plates and bowls come in pre-boxed sets in four fun colors: cherry red, sunshine yellow, pistachio green and bold blue. They retail for $29 per set of four for the plates and $24 per set of four for the bowls, plus shipping and tax if applicable.

Yum Yum Dishes plans a special introductory offer for people who sign up for the free Yummy Tip of the Week at www.YumYumDishes.com.

“When you sign up, you can send us your tips or favorite recipe and we will share them with the rest of the Yummy Community and give you credit,” Adler says. “You can email us at YumYumDishes@gmail.com.”

About Yum Yum Dishes: These fun, colorful ceramic bowls and plates were created by Tracy Adler, a mother and former restaurant owner, to help people control portions. For more information, visit the online press kit at www.YumYumDishes.PressKit247.com and the public site www.YumYumDishes.com.

Contact:
Michelle Tennant Nicholson
Wasabi Publicity, Inc.
790 Thompson Rd
Saluda, NC 28773
828-749-3200

Bryant & Stratton College Online Adds Specializations to Bachelor of Business Administration Program

Students can now specialize in eCommerce, Human Resources, Marketing or Project Management

Buffalo, NY, December 19, 2011 - Bryant & Stratton College Online today announced the addition of four new specializations to its Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) in General Management degree program. The specializations include eCommerce, Human Resources, Marketing and Project Management. Each BBA specialization will provide students the opportunity to not only benefit from a solid business foundation with related courses in management, finance, technology, marketing and business law and gain critical business thinking skills through operations management and strategic planning courses, but also learn skills and concepts related to specific career paths in business. Bryant & Stratton College Online offers five online bachelor’s degree programs, including the BBA in General Management and a BBA in Accounting.

“In response to employer and student demand for more business specializations, we are excited to make these new options in eCommerce, Human Resources, Marketing and Project Management available to online students. The new specializations give students a more robust set of choices for finding the right career,” said Scott Traylor, Associate Campus Director of Online Education at Bryant & Stratton College. “The online business programs at Bryant & Stratton College introduce students to active learning techniques, practical application of research methods, team projects, presentations and internships. As a result, students are better prepared upon graduation for the challenges of management positions.”

Each specialization is designed to train students to become contributors in the workplace. Below are brief descriptions of each specialization:

eCommerce Specialization – eCommerce courses focus on strategy and management, business models, social impact of the media, web design tools, design principles, social networking, web 2.0 tools, technology infrastructure and more. Students who choose the ecommerce specialization prepare for entry-level positions in the rapidly growing eCommerce and Internet Marketing industries.

Human Resources Specialization - Courses for this specialization include Human Resource Management, Training and Development, Compensation and Benefits, Labor Relations and Collective Bargaining, and Employment Law. Through the courses, the students will examine and discuss human resources management, recruitment and training, employee rights, career management and development, compensation structure and design, benefits programs, unions and collective bargaining, contract administration, labor relations and hiring and termination.

Marketing Specialization – Through the Marketing specialization students prepare for entry-level marketing positions. Courses will focus on buying and selecting media, advertising agencies, sales, product and promotion strategy, negotiating, developing marketing and sales plans, managing marketing and sales teams, proposal writing, direct marketing, distribution channels, international marketing and the value of customer relationships.

Project Management Specialization – Project Management courses include Introduction to Project Management, Project Procurement Management, Project Risk Management, Project Scheduling & Cost Management and Project Management. These courses focus on project planning, contract administration, risk management, project estimating and cost control and project management software.

Earlier this year, Bryant & Stratton College Online launched a BBA in Accounting degree program. This online degree program prepares students for positions such as staff, tax or management accountant; financial, revenue or budget analyst; financial manager, internal auditor or business manager. Prospective students should note that the program is not intended to provide preparation for the Certified Public Accountant exam.

Currently none of the BBA specializations are available to students in Arkansas.

Bryant & Stratton College was founded in 1854 and is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. For more information about Bryant & Stratton College and its online degree programs, visit http://online.bryantstratton.edu.

About Bryant & Stratton College Online
Bryant & Stratton College is a private career college delivering outcomes based education and training through a flexible, contemporary curriculum in a personalized environment.  The College is regionally accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has locations in New York, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin, as well as an Online Education division, and a Professional Skill Center. For over 155 years, Bryant & Stratton College has been providing real world education leading to bachelor’s and associate’s degrees and professional certificates. Bryant & Stratton College Online offers 5 online bachelor’s degree programs, eleven online associate’s degree programs and eleven online certificate programs in a variety of fields including business, criminal justice, financial services, healthcare, human resources and information technology. Some online programs are not yet available in all states. For more information about our graduation rates, the median debt of graduates and other important information, please visit www.bryantstratton.edu/disclosures.  General information about Bryant & Stratton College and its online degrees can also be found at http://online.bryantstratton.edu.

Contact:
Kavitha Thimmaiah
Communications Strategy Group
3225 East 2nd Avenue
Denver, CO 80206
(303) 433-7020