martes, abril 08, 2014

Ford Germany - Erika Tsubaki / Vignale Weekender Bag wins IF Design Award

Video

www.ford-vignale.com/enhanced.htm

"Unsung Hero" (Official HD) : TVC Thai Life Insurance 2014 : โฆษณาไทยประกันชีวิต 2557

Haz el bien sin mirar a quien

Do good without looking at who

ทำดีโดยไม่ได้มองไปที่ผู้ที่

人を見ないでいいですか

www.thaigoodstories.com/

lunes, abril 07, 2014

jueves, abril 03, 2014

Amozoc - Perote (25-Marzo-2014 Puebla)

Haslam Administration Linked $300M Offer To VW-UAW Process

Posted: Mar 31, 2014 5:07 PMUpdated: March 31, 2014 10:06 PM

Gov. Bill Haslam at VW grand opening

Rep. Mike Turner

UAW organizer Gary Casteel

by Phil Williams

Chief Investigative Reporter

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Were hundreds of millions of your tax dollars offered to Volkswagen -- and then pulled back -- to try to keep the United Auto Workers out of Chattanooga?

For months, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has denied any connection.

But documents leaked to NewsChannel 5 Investigates offer conclusive proof that the Haslam administration wanted a say in the automaker's deal with organized labor -- in exchange for $300 million in economic incentives to help VW expand its Chattanooga operations.

Volkswagen opened the Hamilton County facility in May 2011 with great fanfare.

Initially producing the midsize Passat, there were hints of more to come. It was located on a 1,400-acre site with plenty of room for expansion.

Last year, when Volkswagen began talking about adding a midsize SUV to its product line, the Haslam administration began discussing financial incentives to convince the company to build it in Chattanooga.

At the same time, VW began talks with the UAW about creating a workers council to help run the plant.

Yet, the governor had emphatically denied rumors heard by Democratic lawmakers that state incentives were tied to Volkswagen rejecting the UAW.

"This is exactly what we was looking for," said House Democratic Caucus Chair Mike Turner when we showed him the evidence.

But while the state refused to give the documents to the Nashville Democrat, NewsChannel 5 Investigates obtained a summary from last August for what the Haslam administration called "Project Trinity."

Marked confidential, it offers Volkswagen incentives of some $300 million -- in exchange for 1,350 full-time jobs at a new SUV facility.

The catch?

"The incentives … are subject to works council discussions between the State of Tennessee and VW being concluded to the satisfaction of the State of Tennessee."

Turner's response: "Looks like to me they put a gun to their head and said, 'Look, this is what we are going to give you if you do it our way and we are going to jerk it away if you don't.'"

"Do you feel like the governor lied?" we asked.

"I'm reluctant to call anybody a liar without talking to them," he answered, "but the proof's in the pudding."

Department of Economic and Community Development spokesperson Clint Brewer said in an email statement that the administration was concerned about the process, claiming that "the offer did not preclude the creation of a works council or union representation as a condition of the incentives."

But as workers prepared to vote back in February on whether to join the UAW, the governor sent a letter to Volkswagen, accusing it of "favoring the UAW."

Republican lawmakers also held news conferences, threatening to kill any incentives if the UAW won the election.

In fact, the Haslam administration now concedes that it had formally notified Volkswagen in January, as its talks with the UAW progressed, that it was withdrawing that confidential $300 million incentive offer.

That withdrawal, they said, came before the vote was formally announced.

"Due to the importance of the Volkswagen project, the state kept its incentive offer on the table for almost two months longer than the standard 90 days," Brewer's statement continued. "The administration has been consistent in saying that the state has a vested interest in the VW plant in Chattanooga."

However, the incentive offer obtained by NewsChannel 5 Investigates contains no reference to any sort of 90-day deadline.

In fact, during an interview with Fox News in February, U.S. Senator Bob Corker had also hinted that he knew those incentives had become a subject of concern for the Haslam administration.

"I know you know the state has concerns about any kind of incentives in the event the company -- and I'm not part of that. That's a separate government, as you know. But they have concerns about the UAW," Corker said.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates recently asked Corker, "Did you know that the Haslam administration had taken incentives off the table while the vote was pending?"

"I was aware," the senator replied, "that there were some concerns about incentives being on the table while the vote was taking place."

Corker also made headlines when he announced in February that he had learned that the SUV deal would go through within two weeks if workers voted down the UAW.

That would appear to conflict with the Haslam administration's admission that it had withdrawn the incentive offer that would have made the deal possible.

After seeing the confidential documents, UAW organizer Gary Casteel argued that they show the Haslam administration was part of a coordinated anti-union campaign doing exactly what they had denied -- using hundreds of millions of dollars from taxpayers as leverage.

"I think since this document is public, and I appreciate you bringing it forward, that it's obvious that the state was threatening or at least intimidating Volkswagen [that], to get the incentives, they had to change their business model," he said.

NewsChannel 5 Investigates asked Casteel, "Is this incentive document a game changer?"

"To me," he answered, "it puts pressure on the state to do what they should have done in the first place -- and that's give the incentives with no strings attached, just like they would any other company, union or non-union."

The Haslam administration declined to provide anyone to go on camera to answer questions about the documents.

But we also obtained emails that show that Senator Corker's chief of staff was in direct contact with anti-union organizers who were brought in to fight the UAW. He then shared those emails with people in the Haslam administration who were in charge of the incentives.

The union has asked the National Labor Relations Board to order new elections, citing interference by Tennessee political leaders.

E-mail: pwilliams@newschannel5.com

Read the incentive summary, other related documents
(full site only, not mobile)

Project Trinity Final Summari of Incentives Original Document (PDF) »

Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tenn.

http://uaw.org/uawvw

miércoles, abril 02, 2014

Range Rover Veritas by Vorsteiner

Range Rover Veritas by Vorsteiner:

Imagine yourself in your most comfortable outfit, slipping on your favorite pair of shoes and going out for a spin down an empty highway. No matter what the season, dressing the part can mean having the perfect balance between smart and casual, or combining a traditional blend of elegance and sophistication. Vorsteiner's Range Rover Veritas is the embodiment of symbolic style, as she’ll take you on a thrilling drive in her favorite outfit, reminding you why you fell in love with the Range Rover in the first place.

Whether you see it as a capable sports utility vehicle or an elusive weekend family car, the Range Rover seldom needs improvement, but the Veritas’ slim fit, signature attitude reinvents a perfect car into an iconic version of itself. It is the very definition of practical, formal, and modern, yet still loyal to a tradition that all Range Rover enthusiasts will appreciate.

In celebration of our 10th anniversary, treat your Range Rover to a comprehensive bespoke Veritas build service that includes custom leather upholstery, complete installation and paint services here at the Vorsteiner Headquarters.

Range Rover Veritas Features Full Carbon Fiber:

• Front Bumper with Integrated PDC Sensors

• Rear Bumper with Integrated PDC Sensors

• Side Skirts

Sport Race Forged VSR-163

• Wheel Finish: Gloss Brushed Shadow

• Wheel Size: 24x10J all around

• Tire Size: 285/35/24 Pirelli Scorpion Zero

Video

Range Rover Veritas by Vorsteiner

United We Ride / Section 5310 Performance Measures Dialogue Now Open

Photo Courtesy of Dallas Area Rapid Transit

Through our technical assistance center, Easter Seals Project ACTION, FTA is sponsoring a national online dialogue through which we are seeking input on proposed performance measures for the Section 5310 (Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities) program.

Participate feedback is being sought on:

What performance measures reflect the benefits of the Section 5310 program
Top ways Section 5310 funding can be used to meet transportation needs
The extent to which your agency will be able to collect data

The dialogue will run from today, March 31 to April 18. FTA will use the information to make decisions about future investment and policies related to Section 5310 providers.

We want to encourage participation among Section 5310 grant recipients and sub-grantees, Section 5310 service providers, national non-profit and community organizations, state and local agency officials and staff, advocates, and anyone with an interest in transportation service for people with disabilities and older adults.

The dialogue homepage http://fta5310grant.ideascale.com/ includes a link to a Background page http://www.projectaction.org/OutreachCommunity/OnlineDialogues/FTASection5310Dialogue.aspx with more information on Section 5310 and performance measures.

Thank you for supporting this dialogue, and we look forward to an active discussion in the coming weeks.

This service is provided to you at no charge by United We Ride. Visit us on the web at http://www.unitedweride.gov/.

FTA National Online Dialogue: Seeking Input on Section 5310 Performance Measures

Join the discussion from March 31 - April 18, 2014

Please Provide Input to the Federal Transit Administration on Section 5310 Formula Grant Performance Measures

Why Participate?

Performance measure data is important to FTA and valuable to Section 5310 grantees for many reasons, including:

• FTA will use this information in part to make decisions about future investments and policies related to Section 5310-funded providers.

• Performance measure data informs policymakers at multiple levels about the needs of States and communities regarding accessible transportation services;

• Grantees can use the information to improve their organizational processes and in outreach and communication with key stakeholders.

FTA is especially interested in hearing from national nonprofit organizations, community organizations, and public agencies that provide technical assistance and advocacy on issues related to transportation services for seniors and individuals with disabilities.

What is the Purpose of this Online Dialogue?

The purpose of this online dialogue is to get feedback on what performance measures can be used to best ensure a ride is accessible, available, affordable, and safe. MAP-21, the most recent federal authorizing legislation for the U.S. Department of Transportation, has a new initiative associated with the Section 5310 formula grants—for the Federal Transit Administration to submit a report to Congress recommending performance measures for these community grants.

Section 5310 grants are “intended to enhance mobility for seniors and persons with disabilities by providing funds for programs to serve the special needs of transit-dependent populations beyond traditional public transportations services and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) complementary paratransit services.” *

* From the U.S. DOT FTA Fact Sheet: Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities Section 5310

www.unitedweride.gov/