Commentary
Employment Paradox
The unemployment rate jumped to 9.3 percent in August from 8.9 percent in July. That looks terrible. But if you look at the numbers more closely, our economy appears to be stabilizing. In fact, total employment in our state was up by 2,000 in August from the month before, which means we have been creating…
The New Capitalism?
It looks like the 1980s model of the corporate raider has gotten a major upgrade, if not an image makeover. If you have a few million lying around, it’s relatively easy to turn it into a lot more money. (Yes, it still takes money to make money; that much hasn’t changed.) Here’s how: 1. Borrow…
The Next Great Challenge for Capitalism
Half a century ago, the world was threatened with nuclear annihilation. The threat dissipated, ultimately, when capitalism as an economic system triumphed over communism. Today, we face another threat: a planet, which, in the face of unrelenting population pressure and economic growth, is suffering from a deteriorating environment. Our region has always depended on nature’s…
A Role For Business
Whenever the gears of government begin grinding and stripping teeth as though a box of crowbars had been dumped into the works, voters wistfully gaze at the supposedly well-oiled, smoothly humming machinery of the corporate world and muse, “We ought to have someone with business experience as (fill in the blank: president, governor, mayor).” This…
The Other Woman
I’ll never forget the look on my husband’s face when he held Betty for the first time. Cradling her almost reverently with a sparkle in his eyes and a childlike sense of wonder, Jim examined every facet of her sexy, smooth skin to ensure she was flawless and virginal, as promised. It was the way…
The Poverty Question
Sustainability can best be understood as a stool with three legs: economic health, a clean environment and social well-being. How did this stool come to be constructed? Answering this question will help us decide whether the sustainability movement is sustainable. The call for sustainability began with the environmental movement back in the 1960s. For that…
Lessons from the 787
That Boeing will eventually deliver the 787 Dreamliner to its exasperated customers is still a safe bet. But when the plane is finally handed over, customers may in turn hand Boeing a check (discounted for late fees) and an admonition that mothers have been dispensing to wayward offspring as long as theres been language in…
A Time For Self-Reflection
Toyotas new CEO, Kiichiro Toyoda, recently took his company to task for following Detroit on the dead-end strategy of building large, gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs, a decision that has contributed to plunging sales. Toyota, he said, forgot who its customers were. Before announcing cost cuts, one of the first things Toyoda did was to cut…
Making the Leap: How to Jumpstart Your New Business
When the owner of a local gift andcoffee shop retired, an employee offered to buy her business. But theirinitial contentment with the arrangement soon turned to despair afterthree banks turned down requests for financing. Intodays struggling economy, when lenders have tightened their pursestrings, this scenario is an increasingly common and brutal reality,making it a challenge…
Perks of the ‘Hood
Even when places like Vegas, Phoenix and Miami were tanking, real-estate values in the Pacific Northwest always held up-until now. We haven’t hit bottom, like Sacramento or Detroit, but even our rock-solid ‘hoods, such as Somerset and Queen Anne, have seen a price dip. Condo owners are probably doing slightly better, but they still have…
The Best of Business 2008
Lets face it: 2008 was, without a doubt, one of the ugliest years any of us can remember. Probably not since 1929 have so many of the Puget Sound regions most powerful economic titans looked so vulnerable. There was the near-collapse of the worlds financial system due to a whole string of obscure and complex…
The Worst of Business 2008
Scandal of the year The Washington Mutual Implosion I was just following orders, even if they were mine…. WhileKerry Killinger didnt actually say these words, they pretty muchconvey the gist of what he told a Rotary Club meeting in mid-June, afew months before Washington Mutuals sudden crash and burn. Accordingto reporters with The Seattle Times,…