Midnight _

We do some video conferences.  Last year I took a deposition of a witness in Paris (not Paris, KY) by video - what a nightmare.  I had to start at 3 AM due to the time difference, and the connection broke up several times.

Again, the technology is there, but far from perfect.

When you're in my business, you need to see many folks face to face - sizing up a witness in person is often as important, sometimes more so, than what they actually say.  You'd be surprised how a jury will pick up on body language and facial expressions.

Bill -

You hit the nail on the head.  Of course, where you live in Wisconsin, aren't your winters fairly snowy?  But of course, far less construction is done in the winter, I'd suppose.

There is presently a Federal gas guzzler tax, but it's only on cars; not trucks.  And 22 mpg is far too low.  Any normal car, driven by normal, middle class people, should get 30+ mpg.

Last week I did see Labron James' Maybach.  I'm sure it gets around 8 mpg, but then there's only one Labron James.

Jerry Eichenberger wrote on 05/12/10 at 13:51:12:



and Obama says:

"The Obama administration finalized the first national rules curbing greenhouse gas emissions Thursday, mandating that the U.S. car and light-truck fleet reach an average fuel efficiency of 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

The new fuel efficiency standards, issued by the Transportation Department and the Environmental Protection Agency as the result of a May 2009 deal with the auto industry, represent a peaceful end to a contentious legal battle over how to regulate tailpipe emissions. At a time when it remains unclear whether Congress can pass climate legislation this year, the new rules also mark the White House’s most significant achievement yet in addressing global warming.

[...]

Environmentalists hailed the move, saying it will transform the American auto market in the years to come. [...] “This is the biggest step the federal government will have ever taken to save oil, cut greenhouse emissions and save consumers money,” said David Friedman, research director of the clean vehicles program at the Union of Concerned Scientists."

Did Jerry and Obama just kinda agree on something????

"If you have lots of time, trains may work.  But no way for a busy business person transacting business 1000+ miles form home, or even 500+ miles at that.

Next idea?"


Midnightrider is correct! Why are business people forever flying around the country for business meetings anyway? To pad expense accounts and have fun?
As MR alluded to, with today's technology I should think that 90% of business could be conducted via multi-person teleconferencing and that sort of thing. Maybe the other 10% of business really needs to be person to person.

There are actually advanced medical doctors who conduct delicate surgeries in far away places with physicians on the receiving end doing the work. The cameras are THAT GOOD.

Midnight -

I meant to add that your comment about cutting employee benefits so I could drive to a meeting was out of bounds.

First of alll, clients pay auto mileage reimbursement.

Second, our benefit package is mighty nice.  We recently hired a young lady as a secretary here, and she was flabbergasted that we pay the full cost of employee's health insurance for a Cadillac plan.  Of course, since Obama's health care bill will tax Cadillac plans, maybe we'll have to reduce that benefit some - who is ultimately responsible for that?

Star most businessmen believe they have to get their clients drunk before they will do business with them. Ever notice most meetings are over dinner and drinks? Big business can justify anything but its up to the poor working Americans to make all the sacrifices and cutbacks. Goverment is not your enemy. Goverment was put in place to help and protect the average citizen. Big business is the enemy. Big business is greed and coruption. Big Business is now controlling the goverment thanks to the Bush administration and for the most part Obama is playing right along with it. Obama made the statement 2 weeks ago Wall Street and Main Street America walk hand in hand. 20 years ago that statement could have been true but now nothing is further from the truth. We're still at war, whats that all about?

Don’t worry the carbon gangsters are trying to strengthen and bring to power their Mafioso right now which “necessarily would cause electricity to skyrocket” as well as a higher cost of anything else related to energy and its use soon.