| Raul Castro outpolls Fidel in vote
The younger Castro has been governing Cuba since his brother underwent emergency intestinal surgery in July 2006 and provisionally ceded power. Despite his illness, the elder Castro remains head of the Council of State, Cubas supreme governing body. The new parliament convenes Feb. 24 and will choose a new council from its members. Fidel has not said whether he wants to remain head of state or retire. In an essay published Wednesday, the elder Castro said that U.S. President George W. Bush reached a low point in demagoguery, lies and total lack of ethics in Mondays State of the Union address. For a population that knows how to read, write and think, nobody can offer a more elegant criticism of the empire than Bush himself, Castro wrote, using a term Cuban officials often use for the United States.
Florida primary puts McCain out front in GOP
McCain's previous triumphs this year, and in two states in 2000, came in elections open to independents as well as Republicans. Romney's only primary win so far was in Michigan, a state where he grew up and claimed a home-field advantage. He also has caucus victories to his credit in Wyoming and Nevada. A survey of voters as they left their polling places Tuesday indicated the economy was the top issue for nearly half. McCain led his rival among those voters, blunting Romney's effort to convince Floridians that his background as a businessman made him best suited for heading off a recession. McCain also benefited from the support of self-described moderates as well as older voters and Hispanics. Giuliani ran second among Latino voters, according to preliminary exit-poll data. About 40 percent of self-described conservatives supported Romney, compared with about 25 percent for McCain.
Earnings Preview: Electronic Arts
U.S. retail sales of video game software hit $8.64 billion in 2007, with $2.37 billion of it in December, according to market researcher NPD Group. Video game companies pull in most of their money during the holidays, which makes the December quarter the most important one for EA. "Rock Band," "Need For Speed: ProStreet" and sports games such as "Madden NFL 08" likely fueled a solid quarter, said BMO Capital Markets analyst Edward Williams in a client note. EA has enjoyed its status as the world's largest video-game publisher, but it will soon have a worthy rival. French media and telecommunications company Vivendi SA is buying a majority stake in Activision Inc. and combining it with its games unit in a deal expected to close later this year. The new company, Activision Blizzard, will own the wildly popular online game "World of Warcraft" and the "Guitar Hero" franchise, among others.
Firm can begin Nueces Bay resort
CORPUS CHRISTI Ocean House Corpus Christi Ltd. has the financing to begin the $130 million Nueces Bay resort and nature preserve it has pursued for more than three years. Work on Phase I, a $60 million hotel project, could begin as early as this summer, said Bob Schulte, Ocean House's director of development. The Corpus Christi-based company has raised $12 million for Phase I, which includes a Hilton Hotel, a smaller, upscale boutique hotel and a wellness center on 200 acres at Rincon Industrial Park, Schulte said. The announcement comes a day after Port of Corpus Christi commissioners approved an option period with the company for the acreage, which the port owns. "The (commission's) action means we get the land. We just have to agree to the terms and conditions," Schulte said.
Robertson's concrete plant is the wrong site at the wrong time
The lobbyist for the company noted that sales tax from Wal-Mart is paid to Oceanside even though Wal-Mart's headquarters are in Arkansas. His analysis is flat-out wrong.According to an analysis from the State Board of Equalization, sales are taxed where the cash register is. Robertson's cash register is in Riverside. Since all of Robertson's sales take place in Riverside, sales tax must be allocated to Riverside, not Oceanside. Robertson's may promise us sales tax, but their tax records are confidential and protected by law. Can we really trust them to allocate any money to our town when the law doesn't require it?Some may point out there is a very old, dusty, noisy concrete plant next door to the proposed Robertson's site. That plant operates under a conditional permit and operations must cease after 2017.
|
