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Home Stories Issues Editor's Note Winter 2010 |
04 de setembre 2007 |
The viability of an independent Catalan State (III) |
This is the third part of the article by Josep Desquens. |
The fiscal imbalance between Spain and Catalonia |
The long history of Spanish centralism has resulted in Catalans, as opposed to other regions of Spain, traditionally valuing private initiative rather than the state in order to develop. This has led to Catalonia being a relatively rich and dynamic region within Spain, a country that is relatively poor by E.U. standard... |
Spain's central government controls tax collection and decides the distribution of the fiscal revenues throughout the country. So Catalans pay taxes to Madrid in exchange for public expenditure in the region. The difference between what is paid by the region and what is received back in the form of public spending is t... |
These studies estimate the Catalan fiscal imbalance with Spain to be between 7.5 percent and 10 percent of the Catalan GDP i.e. for every 100 euros of income created yearly in Catalonia, between 7.5 and ten never return. In absolute terms, the deficit is between about 6.7 billion and about 9 billion euros or around 1,2... |
This is a highly abnormal situation when comparing Catalonia to similar regions in other E.U countries. First, if we compare it to regions that have similar levels of per capita GDP, we find that it has by far the largest fiscal imbalance among its E.U. peers. Nine out of fourteen comparable regions - e.g. Aquitaine in... |
The fiscal imbalance has been sustainable in the past because of Spain's relatively closed economy. However, it is not sustainable in the context of globalization. Catalonia will never be globally competitive if it has to carry such a heavy fiscal burden. Catalan companies pay high taxes, only to receive few public ser... |
Sala-i-Martín has shown that if the Catalan fiscal imbalance had been reduced by one-third over the last 25 years, assuming that the freed funds had been fully invested in infrastructure and education (leading to a higher growth rate), Catalonia would now be a frontrunner in Europe in per capita income - second only to... |
In any case, one thing is clear: the fiscal imbalance is a key argument supporting secession. A fully independent Catalonia would not have to pay taxes to Madrid that are invested elsewhere. Instead, it could invest them to the benefit of Catalonia. |
What solidarity? |
The central argument supporting the past and present fiscal imbalance is a so-called inter-regional solidarity. There are also other less convincing arguments such as the populist claim that Catalonia has a historical debt to the rest of Spain, or the economically mistaken opinion that such a fiscal imbalance is necess... |
In this respect, it is important to highlight that if Catalonia were an independent state within the European Union, roughly half of its territory would be designated as a preferential area for E.U. structural funds. Catalonia is currently considered as a single unitary entity by the European Union and thus, given its ... |
Sala-i-Martín has referred to an interesting example that illustrates well the character of the present Spanish solidarity system. In 2000, the GDP per person in Catalonia was 21.9 percent higher than the Spanish average. In comparison, the GDP per person of the Autonomous Community of Castilla y León was 7.6 percent l... |
Combat the dangers of hot weather (even in Ventura) |
“This should keep us cool until the margarita’s arrive.” |
With summer here and the temperatures rising(even in Ventura), it is important to understand the health risks that excessive heat can bring and know the signs of heat-related illnesses. Older adults and people with chronic medical conditions are particularly susceptible to hyperthermia and other heat-related illnesses.... |
Heat stress, heat fatigue, heat syncope (sudden dizziness after exercising in the heat), heat cramps and heat exhaustion are all forms of hyperthermia. Hyperthermia is caused by a failure of the body’s heat-regulating mechanisms. The risk of hyperthermia can increase with the combination of higher temperatures, underly... |
Lifestyle factors that can increase risk include not drinking enough fluids, living in housing without air conditioning, lack of mobility and access to transportation, overdressing, visiting overcrowded places and not understanding how to respond to hot weather conditions. On hot and humid days, especially when an air ... |
There are many factors that can increase risk for hyperthermia, including: |
Alcohol use |
Reduced sweating caused by medications such as diuretics, sedatives, tranquilizers and certain heart and blood pressure drugs |
High blood pressure or other health conditions that require changes in diet. People on salt-restricted diets may be at increased risk; however, salt pills should not be used without first consulting a doctor. |
Age-related changes to the skin such as poor blood circulation and inefficient sweat production |
Being substantially overweight or underweight |
Heat stroke is a life-threatening form of hyperthermia. It occurs when the body is overwhelmed by heat and unable to control its temperature. Signs and symptoms of heat stroke include a significant increase in body temperature (generally above 104 degrees Fahrenheit), changes in mental status (like confusion or combati... |
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marathon laundryThe Marathon Laundry 1.0. Note the big touchscreen, mainly used to get it online.Matt Weinberger/Business Insider |
Glenn Reid spent six years working for Steve Jobs — first, a year at Jobs' startup NeXT, and then from 1998 to 2003 at Apple, where he developed the first versions of iPhoto and iMovie. |
Now with his new startup, Marathon Laundry, Reid says he's "sprinkling Silicon Valley magic dust" onto a problem close to home with a very Apple-like approach: Dirty clothes. |
No, seriously. With its forthcoming Marathon Internet-connected combination washer/dryer, Reid boasts that Marathon Laundry could do for the act of washing clothes what Tesla did for the electric car. |
Better yet, it's not going to command a Tesla price when it ships later this year, carrying a cost of $1,199 – competitive with most decent traditional laundry appliances. |
First off, the mere concept of a combination washer/dryer is extremely appealing to me especially as a new homeowner. As Reid notes, it's been done before, mainly in Europe, but they're not terribly efficient. In fact, he says, they kind of "suck." That's where his Apple background kicks in. |
"At Apple one of our buzzwords was 'make it not suck,'"Reid says. |
That's where the second part comes in. Because it connects to the Internet, the Marathon 1.0 can reap tremendous amounts of data from each individual user. |
It means that just as Tesla collects data from the cars it sells to improve its "Autopilot" self-driving mode, Marathon's laundry systems will learn more and more over time how to wash your clothes, without your needing to fiddle with the often too-complicated controls of a washing machine. |
Indeed, Reid says that there's really no reason for a washing machine to have as many controls as it does, since "there's really only two things they do: water temperature and time." |
glenn reid marathon laundryGlenn Reid, CEO and Founder of Marathon LaundryMarathon Laundry |
Reid says that he can imagine the late Steve Jobs looking at a washing machine, going over the interface with a fine-tooth comb, ultimately finding it too confusing. |
"[Jobs] would say 'isn't there some perfect temperature?," Reid says. |
With the Marathon washer/dryer, the goal is to collect enough data to figure out that one perfect temperature that works for 90% of laundry loads, the same way that the Apple design aesthetic is just perfect for the vast majority of users. |
From there, you can start thinking about all kinds of science-fictional stuff. For instance, a Marathon spokesperson says that it's not out of the question that one day, the machine could identify the stains on your clothes and automatically apply the best treatment. |
Just don't call it artificial intelligence. |
"It's artificial intelligence, but nobody likes artificial stuff anymore," Reid says. |
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Advanced Genetics ObsiLP |
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AllSnow Mod Sopwith |
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Open Source Clientside Forge Compatible ModLoader bspkrsCore |
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Autofish troyboy50 |
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Clientside Forge Compatible LiteLoader |
BackCraft JL97 |
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Backpacks (Eydamos) Eydamos |
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