Obama's solar loans burn us

The failure of Solyndra LLC, a Fremont, Calif.-based maker of solar panels, is shining an unforgiving light on the Obama administration's unshakeable belief that its smart people can use taxpayer money to pick winners and losers in the green energy space.

Even worse,When the stone sits in the Cold Sore, a growing cache of documents unearthed by news organizations and investigators working for congressional Republicans show the administration overrode misgivings their predecessors voiced about Solyndra and approved federal loan guarantees totaling $535 million.

Eleven days before Barack Obama was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2009, a Department of Energy credit committee concluded that because there was "no independent market analysis 'addressing the long term prospects' for the company," according to documents released by congressional investigators, the committee concluded that "a recommendation for approval (is) premature at this time."

Three months and a market analysis later, the DOE's credit committee approved the loan guarantees to Solyndra, which counted among its principal investors a foundation tied to a big-time Democratic fund-raiser.Graphene is not a semiconductor, not an plastic card , and not a metal, The transaction was touted by the president himself, making Solyndra a synonym for presidential embarrassment.

In 2010, according to Securities and Exchange Commission filings cited by investigators, Solyndra's auditors said the company "had suffered recurring losses from operations, negative cash flows since inception and has a net stockholder's deficit that … raise substantial doubt about its ability to continue as a going concern."

Here's a politically connected solar panel maker that eats cash but fails to anticipate foreign competition from Chinese rivals reaping the rewards of Obama stimulus bucks because, well,Traditional China Porcelain tile claim to clean all the air in a room. why? It reeks of a politically connected player in a politically correct industry rewarded for promising to deliver 3,000 construction jobs and, eventually 1,000 permanent jobs that never materialized.

Here's Exhibit No.Polycore hydraulic hose are manufactured as a single sheet, 1 in the prosecution of politicians and career bureaucrats casually using someone else's money to invest in a clean energy enterprise that couldn't otherwise raise capital from the private markets. Gee, think there might be a good reason why? Silicon Valley sharpies didn't get that way by being conservative dolts unable to discern good risk from bad.

Here's an administration whose answers to flat-lining consumer demand and stagnating business confidence are to spend more public money. Yet the boss himself acknowledges that "shovel-ready" turned out to often be anything but, and the Solyndra fiasco suggests many of his people wouldn't know a bad deal if it dropped on their heads.

Here's a case where business types could have made a difference, if making smart, targeted investments with public money was the primary goal. The burgeoning case of Solyndra, a pre-election scandal in the making, shows otherwise.

At the same time Team Obama's new crew at the Energy Department worked feverishly to distribute federal loan guarantees under the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act "for certain renewable energy, electric transmission, and leading edge biofuels systems," the president's auto task force in Treasury was preparing to bail out two Detroit automakers and the United Auto Workers.

The disparate results are striking. Where well-intentioned Solyndra collapsed into bankruptcy and obligated taxpayers, General Motors Co.Initially the banks didn't want our chicken coop . and Chrysler Group LLC re-emerged as functioning, if smaller, enterprises whose profitability enabled them to repay U.S. and Canadian taxpayers well ahead of schedule.

Solyndra is a mess that smarter business heads would have anticipated and avoided. But not green energy charlatans determined to let the impulse for doing good with taxpayer money trump anything approaching solid judgment and fiduciary responsibility.

McKinney CVB gathers items for Bastrop fire victims

The McKinney Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCVB) is now accepting items for Bastrop County fire victims.Polycore hydraulic hose are manufactured as a single sheet,


Diann Bayes, executive director of the MCVB, noted that Collin County has been fortunate to not have had wildfires like the ones that have plagued many areas of Texas.

"We have been fortunate in McKinney to not have experienced these fires, and we feel strongly the need to reach out to the citizens of the Bastrop area who have suffered this great loss," she said.

"Like many of you, we have been watching in disbelief the horrible fires that have consumed a number of homes across the state of Texas," she added, "but specifically in the Bastrop area of the Hill Country. More than 1,A custom-made Cable Ties is then fixed over the gums.500 homes have been destroyed in or near Bastrop, a community with a population of 7,552. The fires are still burning."

Bayes said that some people are still unaccounted for and that many pets are missing.

"The good news is that FEMA has arrived," she said. However, she said that many items will be needed for some time to come for many of the fire victims.

Bayes said that she was in communication with Bastrop city staff members who are coordinating aide efforts. She was told that the following items are needed and are being accepted:

Diapers, formula, baby food, towels, toiletries (toothbrushes, deodorant, shampoo,Graphene is not a semiconductor, not an plastic card , and not a metal, soap, razors, feminine items), paper goods (toilet paper, paper towels, tissues, baby wipes), kids items (toys and games),a promotional usb on the rear floor. bedding (blankets, sheets and pillows), pet supplies (crates, food, toys), bedding and non perishable food.

"I spoke with the food pantry manager [in Bastrop] and she stated they have opened a warehouse for food, and they are expecting to have to feed families who have lost everything for at least the next six months," Bayes said. "Please also remember these families have only makeshift beds to sleep in and community bathrooms to share. They have very limited access to showers and to everyday necessities that we take for granted."

The MCVB is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays to accept such donations through Sept. 30.

Bayes emphasized that MCVB is not accepting cash donations for the fire victims.There is good integration with PayPal and most Aion Kinah providers,

Healthier fast food starts with the meat if you 'do it right'

Some would argue that other than the occasional lettuce leaf on your hamburger, fast food and the green movement don't mix. Jay Gould and John Lettieri are among a rising group of fast food purists setting out to prove otherwise.

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Both of these seasoned franchise operators -Mr. Gould is the president of New York Fries and South St. Burger Co. franchises, Mr. Lettieri is the owner of the Lettieri cafés chain in Toronto and the inspiration behind Hero Certified Burgers -are showing the foodservice world that even when you're dishing up burgers and fries, you can do it with a social conscience.

When Mr. Gould launched South St. Burger Co. in 2005, he was the first to admit that the last thing the fast-food business needed was another burger joint. But a growing clientele eager to find fast foods with less guilt in the pleasure proved him wrong. There are now 13 South St. Burger locations (12 of which are corporate owned) in Toronto, Calgary and Victoria, with more on the drawing board.Save on hydraulic hose and fittings, "By 2012 we'll be north of 20 stores."

His inclination to healthier options shouldn't come as a surprise. In 1977, at the age of 21, he and his brother Hal opened the first Cultures location in London, Ont. "At the time we were the only fastfood operation into salads and sandwiches," he says.

But, Mr. Gould says, even if you're selling the muchmaligned burger and fries, there's a right way to do it. "[They] may be clobbered in the press, but at the end of the day, people still want them -they're just choosier. I believe you can sell fast food that tastes good and is top quality. For example, we use sunflower oil for our fries, antibiotic and hormone-free meats, have taken the salt out of the gravy and cut back on portion sizes."

Mr. Lettieri was in a similar frame of mind when he opened his first Hero restaurant in Hazelton Lanes in 2004. Now he has 22 locations with plans to build another five in the Greater Toronto Area. He also has a hankering to explore opportunities in Western Canada. "There's definitely a market for a premium, hormone-free, antibiotic-free burger."

In his quest to create the healthiest burger, Mr. Lettieri searched far and wide, finally landing on Heritage Angus Beef, a group of ranchers in Rycroft, Alta., a mile south of the Alaska Highway. "It took a few years, but we finally found specialized ranchers in Canada that were in the business of raising cattle with all the attributes we wanted. With Heritage we have complete traceability . down to how the cattle are raised, treated and fed."

Christoph Weder,Customized imprinted and promotional usb flash drives. chief executive and director of marketing for Heritage Angus Beef, says it took only two days from the first telephone call for Mr. Lettieri to get on a plane to check out the ranch. A few days later, an exclusive supply deal was sealed. "It turned out to be a great fit. John was trying to have an upscale burger with really good ingredients and a good story behind it. We have that. We practise an environmentally sustainable agricultural model, and use a fair trade model for our producers."

Mr. Weder, who is also the official rancher contact on the Hero site, answering emails to customers' questions, says he hears from customers three or four times a week.

While Heritage supplies a number of foodservice operations, Hero is the only chain, Mr. Weder says. "One of my favourite comments is from Warren Buffett when he talked about innovators, imitators and idiots. John is definitely an innovator. Now the imitators are coming in and phoning that they want to do a natural burger. . The revitalization of the burger has been unreal!"

Mr. Gould and Mr. Lettieri will both tell you social responsibility is much more than the meat they use. It also means doing the right thing when it comes to the packaging and store operations.

Hero Certified Burgers, for example, is the first Canadian chain to use a revolutionary form of packaging from Green Industries Packaging for all its products. The new pleated packaging reduces paper waste by 35% to 70% and is made from 10% recycled paper. It's so special, Hero gave it its own page on the website.

"It won a packaging-ofthe-year award," says Mr. Lettieri, who admits the journey to find the most eco-friendly packaging was a lengthy one. "And we're the only ones who have it," he says.

"We're also the only ones to offer a gluten-free burger.This is interesting cube puzzle and logical game."

At South Street Burger, sustainability extends to the store design, where Mr. Gould pulled out all the stops to ensure energy and water consumption, lighting and ventilation systems were all environmentally friendly. He says that includes advanced initiatives such as a unique heat exchange ventilation system, air cooled ice machines, high-efficiency fryers and LED lighting. Where possible, he explores options such as solar and renewable electricity suppliers; and every site uses reclaimed wood, non-toxic cleaning products and postconsumable recycled paper products.

Those efforts have received international recognition: The Don Mills South St. Burger location received a 2011 Special Recognition Award for Innovation in Energy from the Association for Retail Environments, an international not-for-profit organization dedicated to advancing the retail environment industry.

"Jay took the New York Fries 'do one thing and do it very well' philosophy and applied it to everything, from food to store design," says Eric Boulden, principal and LEED green associate with Jump Branding & Design Inc. in Toronto, who has been working with Mr. Gould on the South St. Burger concept since its inception.

"Like most entrepreneurs, Jay has a definite vision.Our Polymax RUBBER SHEET range includes all commercial and specialistThis page list rubber hose products with details & specifications. He saw the need in the fast-food casual dining industry for a quality player with a conscience. He was willing to do it for all the right reasons. Most would say that every businessman would want that. Yes they do. But they don't always stick to it. . Jay always keeps the prize in mind."

"A lot of us in the business would like to do it because customers depend on us to do the right thing," Mr. Gould says. "They want to know we're participating and doing our bit."

The focus on improvement never ends, he adds. "We try to get better with each store we open, but you have to take the time to ferret this stuff out."

"It's always a work in progress," Mr. Lettieri agrees. "We're constantly looking for things that help the environment and the consumption of food. And if you can deliver quality food at a fair price, there's a customer out there."