I found it jarring when I visited the famous Buddhist temple in Shanghai (pictures of dignitaries such as Bill Clinton and Nancy Reagan adorn the wall) that there are jade religious symbols in the form of reverse swastikas. Let’s just say these formations are not hot selling trinkets for tourists.
Read MoreIn the autumn in Shanghai the delicacy “hairy crabs” is readily consumed by the locals. Some have said that there is a need for American-trained managers and marketing experts. I do not know about the need for expat managers, but a more appealing description of some of the culinary delights would be appreciated. Another popular…
Read MoreOffended by the $5 cost for a tall Starbucks coffee I decided to go local and visit a famous tea house in Old Town Shanghai. On my limited budget I passed on the $25 tea and ordered the cheapest item on the menu: a $10 glass pot of jasmine tea. Far more of an experience…
Read MoreYesterday, CEO Glenn Hamer sent the letter below to Arizona’s Congressional Delegation, urging them to support the pending free trade agreements for Colombia, Panama and South Korea: I am writing to urge you to make trade expansion a part of America’s economic recovery by approving the pending trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia, and Panama.…
Read MoreThere’s a feeling among some in the state Legislature that putting the wheels in motion to establish a health care exchange, as called for by the Affordable Care Act, is somehow tantamount to endorsing the federal health care plan. But as this Wall Street Journal editorial makes clear, “A posture of indifference is tempting, but…
Read MoreToday is a great day for the First Amendment. On a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court of the United States struck down the matching funds portion of Arizona’s publicly funded elections scheme. Writing for the majority, Chief Justice John Roberts said, “Arizona’s matching funds scheme substantially burdens political speech and is not sufficiently justified by…
Read MoreIn a post on the National Association of Manufacturers’ Shopfloor blog, NAM VP for Human Resources Policy Joe Trauger writes that the National Labor Relations Board has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking to shorten the time for union certification elections. Says Trauger, “These so-called snap elections are the latest attempt by the NLRB to…
Read MoreI wanted to share with you this Made in Arizona column by the past chair of the Arizona Manufacturers Council and the next chair of the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mark Dobbins. Mark looks at the National Labor Relations Board’s outrageous lawsuit against Arizona for our state’s law guaranteeing a secret ballot in…
Read MoreThe case against matching funds under the state’s publicly funded elections scheme received a hearing in the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday. The justices asked poignant questions that demonstrated that matching funds actually suppresses free political speech rather than amplify it. On a state level, SCR 1025 continues to make its way through the legislative process,…
Read MoreI had the opportunity this week to speak before the Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce about the state of the Arizona economy and what’s happening in policymaking circles. Later in my presentation I touched on immigration. To get a sense of how much the attendees knew about the issue, I asked how many of the people…
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