Monthly Archives: January 2013

(Community Matters) “I thought the speech was something Americans ought to embrace, which was equal rights for all Americans,” Howard Dean defending the President’s speech against Republicans criticizing it as too partisan.

and Senator Rand Paul really does travel on the same space ship as his father

“you have 49% crackpots in your party and we only have about 10[%]”

(Community Matters) If the Huffington Post’s analysis is correct . . . if Mitt Romney really would have won the 2012 election if electoral votes were allocated by congressional district, then I suppose there is a way for Rs to win the presidency again in my lifetime. I don’t see a way otherwise.

(Community Matters) WSJ: “Losing the Crown: Apple was unseated Friday by Exxon Mobil as the world’s largest company after losing $245 billion in market value since September.”

HT: Playbook

(Community Matters)  Move Your Startup to Austin for Free at SXSW

In conjunction with Capital Factory‘s Demo Day at SXSWi 2013, one company will receive a relocation package worth over $50,000 to move their startup to Austin.

Here’s the package:

• Three months rent in a 3 bedroom house (courtesy of HomeAway)
• Six months of co-working at Capital Factory
• Six months of server hosting (courtesy of Rackspace)
• Moving expenses (courtesy of uShip)
• Six months of a storage unit (courtesy of SpareFoot)
• Six months of local groceries (courtesy of Greenling)
• Six months of Ramen noodles
• Feature story on AustinStartup

(Community Matters) If there were ever a poster child for Christopher Hayes’ Twilight of the Elite, Paul Ryan is it – the Congressman from a small town whose neighbors don’t even vote for him (seriously, he doesn’t even win the election support of his town, though markets well outside to the broader congressional district); someone who lived & went to school on his father’s social security death benefits but who begrudges others as takers vs makers.

While I’ve never met him, I don’t trust the guy. Jonathan Chait names the misgivings in this New Yorker article.

(Community Matters) I’m always citing the fact that while Henry Ford was not a nice man (anti-Semitic & racist) he seized the enlightened self interest of growing America’s middle class – stumbled upon this NYTimes column.

The context of these citations today (vs previously with my UT business students) is in the debate about increasing marginal tax rates. A thriving middle class will actually lift all ships.

(Community Matters) Forbes ranked the fastest growing US metropolitan areas in terms of population & economic growth, Austin ranked #1 (Houston #2, Dallas-Ft Worth #3, San Antonio #9) – unemployment and median salaries for local college-educated workers were also part of the calculations.

When Chuck Gordon and Mario Feghali started Sparefoot, the 25-year old entrepreneurs relocated to Austin, Texas, from Los Angeles, having received seed money from local tech incubator Capital Factory.

Perhaps not surprisingly, cities in Texas — which welcomed more than 427,000 newcomers from August 2011 to July 2012, according to the U.S. Census Bureau — dominated our list. Houston ranked second, behind Austin, followed by Dallas in third place and San Antonio in ninth. Robust labor markets, unemployment rates under 6% (well below the national average),no state income tax, a business-friendly regulatory environment, and strong population inflows all contributed to Texas towns’ high rankings.

Of course I think Capital Factory & its founder Joshua Baer are runaway competitive assets to Austin’s entrepreneurial eco-system. Just met Chuck Gordan, Mario Feghali and their partners at Sparefoot – who we’re hoping will be new members of the Entrepreneurs Foundation soon.

as an aside, I hadn’t realized Forbes ranks Utah as the best state for business and careers.

(Community Matters) Maybe we should require the government to remove one business regulation in order to issue a new one. Heck, I wouldn’t be opposed to a ratio of 2:1 or higher.

I’m not bashing government regulation – believing it’s a critical component of a free market economic system. While the best economic model ever created, it’s still grossly flawed – especially in terms of externalizing costs and protecting workers & consumers. Nevertheless, the sheer number of cumulative regulations and a rather byzantine regulatory system can be a drag on innovation and efficiency. Not to mention: bureaucracy is also cumulative *and* self perpetuating, and even when comprised of all good people with all good ambition, can become a drag on economic growth.

The Democratic Party should be known for both protecting and promoting the interests of America’s middle class *and* promoting and enabling economic growth and innovation. There is a balancing act here; and yes, citizens should win all ties . . . but if we look hard enough, we can usually avoid ties.

(Community Matters) The Barna poll, conducted in November 2012

“they also want Judeo-Christians to dominate the culture”

“They cannot have it both ways,” he said. “This does not mean putting Judeo-Christian values aside, but it will require a renegotiation of those values in the public square as America increasingly becomes a multi-faith nation.”

Also, it’s a big deal that 71% of Evangelicals polled fear religious freedom is threatened.

And 72 percent of evangelicals also agreed that gays and lesbians were the group “most active in trying to remove Christian values from the country.” That compares to 31 percent of all adults who held this belief.

Important for us to account for into our advocacy. We’d have to understand more if there’s anyway to promote LGBT equality without tripping this wire.

The article notes “a March 2012 poll sponsored by Religion News Service and the Public Religion Research Institute, which found that a majority of Americans — 56 percent — did not feel that religious freedom was under attack in this.”

(Community Matters)

As one CEO lectured the senators about fiscal responsibility, compromise and shared sacrifice, an aide to Reid passed the majority leader a note saying that the CEO’s company had paid an effective tax rate of zero for the past year, according to a source in the meeting. Reid showed the note to Schumer, sitting next to him. “Don’t do it, Harry,” Schumer whispered, trying to head off one of Reid’s famously biting rebuttals. Reid bit his tongue, but the credibility of the corporate titans had been undone.

Interesting article about blow back to financial CEOs lobbying but those lines especially resonated

(Community Matters) Very cool that Larry’s book – Going Clear – is finally out. If you missed the New Yorker article, here.

Spent a lovely afternoon in Marfa eating and drinking wine at Julie & Fran’s with Larry & Roberta discussing Scientology and new story ideas.

(Community Matters) Politico on Democrats bringing the knowledge/power/fundraising of the Obama/Biden campaign to Texas

“Do I think we’re going to turn Texas in two years? Probably not. Do I think we can turn Texas in four years? Absolutely” – Houston Mayor Anise Parker

(not sure about time frame but definitely a boon for ambitions of turning Texas blue)