The May Report: 1/14/2011: Ed Longanecker has been down in Springfield all week working to get changes in the affiliate nexus internet tax, more commonly called the Amazon or Groupon tax, but where have Fred Hoch and Terry Howerton been in this moment of need?; Tap Me Fights Mobile Piracy and Secures Funding for a Breakthrough Mobile Ad Platform by Melanie Adcock; Reader pleas for new leadership at the ITA; And just how many mobile apps are there?

Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com , 773-525-3944.

Assistant editor: Melanie Adcock, iPHONE: 312-259-0610, melanie_adcock@msn.com

If you missed an article, go here: www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

The Scoop section:

– Ed Longanecker of Tech America explains the affiliate nexus tax, more commonly called the Amazon or Groupon tax and what they are trying to about it (3 messages)
– Tap Me Fights Mobile Piracy and Secures Funding for a Breakthrough Mobile Ad Platform, by Melanie Adcock
– From a recent midVentures newsletter: Announcing their San Francisco office and also Air Stash or Wearable which won the midVenturesLAUNCH competition got some serious buzz at CES
– Mary Spaeth: Comments on the Internet tax issue
– Anonymous: ITA – New Leadership, PLEASE! and Ron May responds
– Thursday, January 20: Social Media Club January 20 event
– Top 10 Ways to Sink a Job Interview
– Wednesday, January 26: EDC Chicago luncheon: Enabling Collaboration Between the Midwest and Japan: Tatsuhiro Shindo, Chief Executive Director JETRO Chicago
– Anyone interested in speaking about how to move from web to mobile development?
– LuckyChic.com Announces the Launch New E-Commerce Gaming Site [Editor's note: May here. This is not a local firm but it fits with what Mike Rhodes told me about how games and eCommerce are being conjoined.]
– Response to Mobile Apps Questions Ron had for Melanie
– Illinois Considers Sharp Income Tax Increase, Highest Corporate Tax Rate
by Joseph Henchman and Kail Padgitt
– From this week’s Business of Life: Rahm Emanuel, social media boost campaign humor in Chicago mayoral race, by Shia Kapos January 10, 2011
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The Scoop section:
_______________________
Ed Longanecker of Tech America explains the affiliate nexus tax, more commonly called the Amazon or Groupon tax and what they are trying to about it (3 messages)
_______________________
#1: Subject: RE: The May Report: 1/10/2011
Date: 1/14/2011 5:41:44 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
CC: melanie_adcock@msn.com

Ron,

I believe my email response on the 9th didn’t make it through to you. Per my email below, we are actively working on the affiliate nexus tax issue, or what is now commonly being referred to as the Groupon Tax. We are doing everything possible to encourage an amendatory veto, but we also have a longer term strategy on several tax issues in Illinois. We have worked on the affiliate nexus issue, or Amazon tax, in several states and it would certainly be a lose, lose for Illinois and our industry. All companies are encouraged to contact me if they truly wish to engage in the short and long-term on this and other issues that will impact the technology policy and business environment in Illinois in 2011 and beyond.

Thanks for bringing more awareness to this, Ron.

Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Vice President
TechAmerica
630-282-4332
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica

Where the future begins

Subject: Illinois Affiliate Nexus legislation headed to Governor
Date: 1/9/2011 3:26:23 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com

We are very involved in this issue and encourage companies to contact us and engage. Hundreds of our members are already aware via our TechAmerica State Tax Committee, but the more the merrier. More information can be found on www.techamerica.org/midwest and Built in Chicago’s Illinois Technology State Policy Group.

Best regards,
Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Vice President
TechAmerica
630-282-4332
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica
___________________________________
#2: From: Ed Longanecker
Subject: RE: The May Report: 1/10/2011
Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 17:30:09 -0800
To: The May Report

Ron,

My email response was caught in my outgoing file. Please confirm receipt.

Per my email below, we are actively working on the affiliate nexus tax issue and are doing everything possible to encourage an amendatory veto. We have worked on this issue in several states and it would be a lose, lose situation for Illinois and our industry.

All companies are encouraged to contact me if they truly wish to engage. I’m in Springfield through tomorrow but have access to email. Thanks for bringing more awareness to this, Ron.

Ed Longanecker
Executive Director, Regional Vice President
TechAmerica
630-282-4332
ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica

Where the future begins

Subject: Illinois Affiliate Nexus legislation headed to Governor
Date: 1/9/2011 3:26:23 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: ronaldmay@aol.com

We are very involved in this issue and encourage companies to contact us and engage. Hundreds of members are already aware via our TechAmerica State Tax Committee, but the more the merrier. More information can be found on www.techamerica.org/midwest and Built in Chicago’s Illinois Technology State Policy Group.

Best regards,

Ed Longanecker

Executive Director, Regional Vice President

TechAmerica

630-282-4332

ed.longanecker@techamerica.org

www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica
____________________________________
#3: Subject: RE: Ed, in plain English, what’s the Groupon Tax issue, the affiliate nexus issue?
Date: 1/14/2011 8:11:34 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
Reply To:
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
CC: melanie_adcock@msn.com

Ron,

The Illinois affiliate nexus bill (aka Amazon Tax, Groupon Tax) is the same internet tax issue you have included in recent reports, one of which asked what TechAmerica was doing on the issue. Our organization has worked on this same issue in several states and are very active in Illinois currently. HB 3659 was gutted and amended to include affiliate nexus language in the 11th hour of the session. “Nexus” refers to the requirement under the U.S. Constitution that an out-of-state business have a sufficient physical presence in a state before a state can require that business to collect and remit sales and use tax. As amended, HB 3659 would tax sales (at 6.25%) generated through an Illinois-based affiliate via a website or blog, and that this affiliation would create a “nexus” in the state.

There are 9,000 affiliates in Illinois, most of which are small businesses. Large advertisers have already contacted their affiliates in Illinois stating that they will simply cancel or drop them if the Governor signs the legislation. This will dramatically decrease revenue being generated by these companies, and taxes already being paid by the affiliates, and simply drive consumers to use the websites directly, like www.amazon.com, etc. Several states have already experienced the negativity associated with this issue, including legal/constitutional challenges, job loss, and the exit from companies in those states.

We are again working on this issue and have a short-term and longer-term strategy. Companies are encouraged to contact me if they wish to engage in the process. Our amendatory veto request letter can also be found at www.techamerica.org/Midwest. Thanks, Ron.

Best regards,

Ed Longanecker

Executive Director, Regional Vice President

TechAmerica

630-282-4332

ed.longanecker@techamerica.org

www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica

Where the future begins

From: RONALDMAY@aol.com [mailto:RONALDMAY@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 7:03 AM
To: Ed Longanecker
Cc: ronaldmay@aol.com; melanie_adcock@msn.com
Subject: Ed, in plain English, what’s the Groupon Tax issue, the affiliate nexus issue?
___________________________________
Tap Me Fights Mobile Piracy and Secures Funding for a Breakthrough Mobile Ad Platform, by Melanie Adcock

Subject: Tap Me Fights Mobile Piracy and Secures Funding for a Breakthrough Mobile Ad Platform
Date: 1/14/2011 8:25:11 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com, ron@themayreport.com

As I set foot in the office of Tap Me, a hip new mobile gaming company recently funded by the Hyde Park Angels, I noticed a chair creatively placed at the wrong side of a desk, a large green screen in the background, and a kooky array of office toys. The vibe of ingenuity emanating from the team of developers was palatable. Their raw unfinished office space next door to Flashpoint Academy in the Merchandise Mart looks at first glance like a great location for a wild loft party. My hunch was something innovative had to be going on in a space with such a hip industrial feel. Josh Hernandez and Jared Steffes of Tap Me sat down with me to discuss the challenges they faced in the exploding mobile game industry, how it’s impacted them and the learning experience that has resulted in putting them on a mission to solve a real problem.

Last year Tap Me wound up making only $14,000 with a mobile game App that was poised to make half a million dollars. The experience was not unique to them, but how could this happen? Tap Me’s game BitFlip bit.ly/h2ZI2m was rated one of the highest games to come out of Chicago in the last five years. It was well reviewed on iTunes and they were on track for making half a million dollars in point of sale downloads from their game. Josh Hernandez (CEO) has over a decade of experience in rich media design, and Jared Steffes, Tap Me’s Business Development arm, helped DePaul University create their game design degree program and has worked at some of Chicago’s now gone video game studios. The company has 9 core staff members with around 8 employees on both a full time and contract basis including professionals such as a former VP of Sales at MySpace, an MIT Grad and engineers so cool they even know Star Trek’s Klingon language. With a rock star crew like this in place, how could they still fail? Time passed and they mysteriously weren’t getting any money. A report from Hands on Mobile www.handson.com/about.php uncovered 300,000 copies of pirated downloads of their game, BitFlip. Priced at $.99 per download, $270,000 had evaporated due to piracy and free copies of their game were being distributed out in the wild without their control. Their Director of Device Development, Christopher Ingebrigsten, saw the pirated copies on Bit Torrent www.bittorrent.com/btusers/what-is-bittorrent and initially thought it was cool that someone took the time to copy their game, but as the numbers of downloads kept rising he didn’t think it was so cool anymore.

What is mobile piracy? Josh and Jared explained that when someone cracks and pirates an App it means that it was first download it legitimately then figured out how to unsign the application so anyone can use it on their jailbroken en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_jailbreaking iPhone or Android device and get it for free. Statistics show that 10% of all smart phone users have jailbroken smart phones and 40% of those users steal Apps through torrents. Last year the Supreme Court ruled that jailbreaking was not illegal. www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/07/feds-ok-iphone-jailbreaking/

Cydia, created by Jay Freeman (known as Saurik), cydia.saurik.com/ is an online store mimicking the App Store and is only available on jailbroken phones. Stores like this one create a perfect user experience and get around restrictions that exist today in the App Store and the Android Market place. Tap Me agreed there are legitimate reasons for stores like Cydia to exist such as expanding the limitations of the iPhone and innovating important updates to iOS software. Most Apple approved software updates were first innovated by jailbreakers, like background running apps and multimedia text messages.

Tap Me made reference to torrents as the breeding ground of stolen apps. The disadvantage is people can pirate Apps and give them away for free which kills point of sale revenue. Why pay if you can get Apps for free? It is difficult to police individuals just as in the case of pirated music, so what App developers do instead is put security measures in place that inconvenience the user base. Tap Me made the decision to embrace piracy and as a result invented a new platform for mobile games that will generate revenue in through ad monetization.

Their solution is a new platform called iComplishments. icomplishments.com/ It enables game developers to give their game away for free and monetize through usage rather than a point of sale or one time purchase. The platform was designed to be generic enough to use across multiple games without getting in the way of user experience or disrupting the already small phone screen space available. Built with hybrid technology including Objective C, server, API, phone and metrics integration they’ve been working on its creation full time since last summer. A knowledgeable board of advisors who understand the needs of big brands including Tim Harris, SVP of Denuo, has played a key role in addition to speaking with other gaming companies daily to get their insight and feedback. Designed to be a game itself, the platform allows users to select a sponsor, see the sponsor in their achievements, level up and get free coupons. If a user collects ten thousand points the ad sponsor will reach out to them through their ad messaging program and users can collect points across many games. Josh and Jared also explained that the context of the display and the advertising of iComplishments fits the context of the game in order for it to be successful.

Sounds great, but will developers make the kind of money they want using iComplishments? Some games report 80-90% piracy rates. Jared met someone at last year’s 360 iDev event www.360idev.com/ who reported a 92% loss in revenue and was able to show him the numbers. Josh and Jared shared a few interesting tidbits that all point to a huge potential. Angry Birds, www.rovio.com/index.php?page=angry-birds one of the top selling mobile games, sold 5-6 million copies at $.99 per download on the iPhone platform. By contrast, a free version of Angry Birds on the Android platform monetized with ads is rumored to bring in a million dollars a month. Backflip Studios, a successful game development company, www.backflipstudios.com/ has also had more success with monetizing with ads than with point of sale.

The home console game, Call of Duty Black Ops, www.callofduty.com was released in November last year and made $360 million in the opening day in point of sale downloads, more money than any movie on opening day. Josh and Jared referenced that number just to show how powerful games are as revenue generators and further added that a popular game like Call of Duty Black Ops can generate even more revenue with ads and product placements such as the Black Ops Jeep. www.jeep.com/en/callofduty/ A third of the content on mobile devices is games and consumer spending has shifted from movies to video games opening up the market up from the 18 year old and their friends to everyone. Depending on the size of the studio, an average size App game company will put out 3 games a year, or a bigger one like Gameloft www.gameloft.com/ will put out 24 a year which gives their platform plenty of games in which to thrive. “The future is not about the game with 1,000,000 users. Its about 20 games with 1,000,000 gamers that when segmented provide a diverse audience,” says Josh on the Tap Me website. iComplishments is free and in a closed beta currently in use by a handful of early iOS adopters. One in eight developers they’ve spoken with are excited enough to put the beta in their games.

Tap Me is shooting to the moon. With the receipt of angel funding the timing, scaling and technology components of their business model is now possible. They are out to prove hero stories around brands and games that use their platform and then scale it. They get paid vita a revenue split 60/40 and early adopters get a sweat heart deal for signing up early. When asked about the future of mobile programming they predict Flash with Android will be huge and they won’t just stick with the iPhone platform for their programming. It’s likely the iPhone will segment the content and not support Flash. HTML 5 is also hot now with tons of people absorbing it just to be on Apple’s team. The cross platform programs out there that spit out code for both platforms like Phone gap is still in the early stages but for the gaming industry it lacks polish and refinement and for now seems more useful for web development. They hope to approach non-game related App developers to use their platform as well. It will help make their Apps stickier and help it make easier for ad placement.

Jared gave me a doodle on a hotel notepad with the handwritten title, “Brilliant Game Idea # 64: Sausage Factory.” The illustration depicted critters like bees, deer, cows and pigs getting dragged and dropped into a a meat grinder to create sausage. Though games are at their core, they’ve put that on hold to focus on the iComplishments platform, the solution that will help make zany game ideas like Sausage Factory profitable. Their playful creative mindset is fueling one of the next big money making engines in mobile. Tap Me: inventive, out of the box and funded.

To sign up for Tap Me’s mobile platform, iComplishments, inquire at future@tap.me or visit tap.me

Melanie Adcock
Assistant Editor of The May Report
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/melanieadcock
Cell: 312-259-0610
E-Mail: melanie_adcock@msn.com
The May Report Facebook Page: on.fb.me/TheMayReport
Visit The May Report Archives: bit.ly/TheMayReportArchives
Subscribe to The May Report: bit.ly/TheMayReportSubscribe
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From a recent midVentures newsletter: Announcing their San Francisco office and also Air Stash or Wearable which won the midVenturesLAUNCH competition got some serious buzz at CES

Announcing our San Francisco Office

The rumors are true! midVentures has a new office in San Francisco.

Here are some photos of the new office space at Pier 38, located in the same building as WordPress, True Ventures, and Dogpatch Labs. Why did we open a Silicon Valley office?

* To host conferences around the nation on emerging tech verticals
* To connect our midVentures portfolio startups to Bay Area tech companies
* To keep the pulse on what technologies are exploding across the nation
* To import technology skills to Chicago and export retail market opportunities to the Bay Area
* To help exchange talent and job opportunities with hiring managers and job seekers

AirStash Creating Waves at CES

midVenturesLAUNCH COMPETE winner Wearable, Inc launched the newest version of their wireless storage device, AirStash, at the 2011 International CES event in Las Vegas this weekend. Now with WebDAV, the AirStash is being noticed around the globe for its compatibility with iOS devices, its WPA2 password protection for access control, and media streaming capabilities.
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Mary Spaeth: Comments on the Internet tax issue

From: mary.spaeth@transmera.com
Sender: mary.spaeth@transmera.com
Subject: Re: The May Report: 1/10/2011: Yikes, as Darcy would say: Illinois state Senate has approved and now the Illinois state House in Illinois House Bill 3659 has voted 88-29-0 to approve a 6.25% tax on internet purchases and it now goes to Governor Quinn for signature — tax would take effect July 1; Major internet retailers such as Amazon are prepared to challenge it; This could cause local firms to leave the state; LG Chem, Argonne National Laboratory sign licensing deal to make, commercialize advanced battery material; Uki Lucas on Sears / Kenmore shows off smartphone / tablet-connected appliances at CES
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 15:37:08 +0100
To: “The May Report”

Hello Ron,

It seems that Illinois is terribly desperate to find every penny possible
to repay the coffers. How sad. I had thought the 2016 Olympic Games in
Chicago was a good idea, but hindsight suggests that these too would have
further bankrupted the state. (is “bankrupt” an absolute adjective?)

I wonder if May Report readers who have their own companies enjoyed the
state’s added 55 dollar surcharge levied on the 2010 Internet-based annual
report filing? When the fee popped up on my screen saying “expedite fee”
(yes I have a company still in Illinois), I actually worried that I was
filing late. When I asked the Secretary of State’s office why I had to pay
the fee, I was told matter of factly that online filing “expedites” the
process. If I wanted to avoid the fee, I could send a check.

Can any of your readers explain that one?

I guess if every company owner in Illinois sends a check next year instead
of filing online, everyone will save money and time, right?

Happy New Year from your overseas correspondent.

Mary

Mary Shepard Spaeth
Transmera AB
Teknikringen 7
58830 Linköping
Sweden
Tel: +46 70 341 53 59
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Anonymous: ITA – New Leadership, PLEASE! and Ron May responds

Subject: ITA – New Leadership, PLEASE!
Date: 1/13/2011 10:35:45 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: Name withheld upon request
To: ronaldmay@aol.com

Ronald,

Please don’t include or share my email address. I’ve been involved in all the organizations proceeding ITA, but I don’t care to associate with the current entity for several reasons that I will not go into. I enjoyed working with Candy previously, liked her energy, benefited from the meetings, but she needs to move on, seriously. No offense, Candy, but let it go. It’s really time for a change again, now with ITA. We desperately need new leadership. I’m sorry, but they, you know who, are not the right people to move our industry or the organization forward in Chicago. One step forward, two steps back as far as I’m concerned. You of all people know what I’m talking about, and I know several of their members, even board members, share similar opinions.

Frustrated!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: Re: ITA – New Leadership, PLEASE!
Date: 1/14/2011 5:44:31 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: RONALDMAY@aol.com
To: Name withheld upon request

I agree entirely with you.

Candy is too stuck on the emotional hurt associated with her departure and Fred and Terry should go if they did not do anything to stop the internet retailer tax — NOW!

Six years is about long enough for people to hold these types of positions and Fred and Terry’s time is up. They have done a good job in many respects, but it’s time and everyone knows it.

Ron
_______________________________
Ron May here. My view is that there is room for some investigating here. Ed Longanecker was down in Springfield this week. He is all over it.

Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana is licking his chops and so too is the new governor of Wisconsin. But the stupidity of the pols in Illinois has the governor of New Jersey Chris Christie just champing at the bit to come here to pitch New Jersey as an alternative to Illinois as a place to do business. So, on one hand we have Groupon and on the other, our politicians.

Ed Longanecker of Tech America is working on it, but where are Fred Hoch and Terry Howerton of the ITA?

The internet retailer tax issue highlights the critical importance of having a recognized/powerful voice/advocate for state’s technology sector. I don’t know if Fred and Terry were on top of it. — was it being monitored, reported, lobbied against — if it wasn’t high on their priority list, you might ask where they were while this bill was making its way through the legislature? Out of rules and regs? Were they working with sponsors of the bill? Were execs/staff down in Springfield testifying? My suspicion is that if all that had been happening, it should never have made it this far.

Just to give you an idea about how hard Ed Longanecker is working on this, take a look at this exchange between us from this morning.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Subject: RE: Ed, thanks. I just tried calling but your VM box is full as it was yesterday.
Date: 1/14/2011 8:21:50 A.M. Central Standard Time
From: ed.longanecker@techamerica.org
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com
CC: melanie_adcock@msn.com

Ron,

I’m on a concall for another 1-2 hours. I’ve been out of the office all week in Springfield, etc.

Best regards,

Ed Longanecker

Executive Director, Regional Vice President

TechAmerica

630-282-4332

ed.longanecker@techamerica.org

www.techamerica.org

AeA & ITAA have merged to form TechAmerica

Where the future begins

From: RONALDMAY@aol.com [mailto:RONALDMAY@aol.com]
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 8:17 AM
To: Ed Longanecker
Cc: melanie_adcock@msn.com
Subject: Ed, thanks. I just tried calling but your VM box is full as it was yesterday.
_____________________________________
Thursday, January 20: Social Media Club January 20 event

Subject: Social Media Club January 20 event
Date: 1/13/2011 10:17:51 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: jwillinger@rightpoint.com
To: RONALDMAY@aol.com, melanie_adcock@msn.com

Community Outlook for 2011

Join Social Media Club Chicago for our first event of the new year.

We are excited to have the opportunity to return to Morningstar, Inc. A favorite host venue for SMC Chicago! Morningstar, Inc. is a leading provider of independent investment research in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia. January 20, 2011 22 W. Washington

Program

5:30 – 6:15 Networking

6:15 – 7:15 Panel: Community Outlook for 2011

7:15 – 8:00 Networking

Speakers

Panel moderated by SMC Chicago President, Jeff Willinger of RightPoint

Leslie Banks

Leslie Banks is director of marketing for the Financial Communications Business at Morningstar.

Alecia Dantico

Alecia Dantico serves as Vice President, Digital, at Weber Shandwick.

Staci Tara Diamond

Staci Tara Diamond is the Advertising Director at PTM.

Michelle Leder

Michelle Leder is the founder and editor of Footnoted.

Mark Ragan

Mark Ragan is the Publisher of PR Daily and PR Daily Europe; Ragan.com; and Healthcare Marketing and Communications News.

Sign up here:

www.eventbrite.com/event/1177302343/efbnen

Best regards,

Jeff

……

Jeffrey S. Willinger
312.622.2300 cell

jwillinger@rightpoint.com

rightpoint
200 West Madison Street Suite 2240
Chicago, Illinois 60606
(312) 920-8390 office
(312) 920-8384 fax
www.rightpoint.com

www.linkedin.com/in/jeffwillinger

twitter.com/jwillie

www.meetup.com/sharepoint
________________________________________
Top 10 Ways to Sink a Job Interview

Top 10 Ways to Sink a Job Interview
By Jane Genova, Posted Jan 10th 2011 @ 6:27AM
Text Size A A A Print this page|EmailShare on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on DiggShare on Lifestream96 Comments You did well enough on your cover letter and resume to be invited for that all-important interview with those actually doing the hiring. Sure, you’re nervous. But a case of nerves isn’t going to knock you out of the box.

Actually, there are 10 standard mistakes that applicants make on interviews, any one of which means the end of you as a serious candidate, reports Fins.com. This list of 10 comes from speaking with nine serious players in recruitment and job search field.

Here are the Top 10:

1. Be late. Lateness, at least in most industrialized nations, is the universal sign of disrespect. Best to err on the side of caution, get there extra early and hang out in a coffee shop until about 10 minutes before you’re scheduled to meet with the hiring manager.

Of course, crazy things can happen to people on the way to an interview, ranging from an accident blocking traffic to a flood in the subway. If anything like this happens to you, call the hiring manager explaining the delay, and ask if they’d still like you to come in that day or if they prefer you to reschedule.

2. Be out of tune with work world. If you’re unemployed you might have lost touch with the normal flow of the work day. It’s important not to appear too out of touch. If your concerned that you might fall into this category, you improve your chances of making a good impression by carving some extra space out of your schedule for your preparation and for the interview itself.

By being prepared, and not having too many extra worries on your mind the day of your interview, you approach the meeting with the proper mindset.

3. Appear anything but professional. Employers are hiring you to work. That means you should be dressed well, and have the body language, as well as the facial gestures of a serious professional. Once you’re part of the team you can loosen up to fit the company’s work culture. Until then, remain buttoned-up.

4. Take too long to say thanks. A carefully thought out email, sent shortly after the interview, which indicates your interest and enthusiasm regarding the position, can only help your chances of getting hired. Handwritten snail-mail is nice, but it takes way too long to be delivered. If several people interviewed you, then consider sending each of them a separate note. It’s fine if each note has essentially the same content, just don’t CC everyone on a single email.

Hiring Now
Health Care Jobs
HR Jobs
Finance Jobs
Part-Time Jobs
Search All Job Listings5. Allow your cell phone to ring. In all professional situations, it’s wise to defer to those with the most power. [Check out Erving Goffman's 'Presentation of Self in Everyday Life.'] That means if the boss’s phone rings during an interview, they can speak on the phone while you’re sitting there. But you’d be foolish to try the same act. Shut your phone off before even entering the premises. Play it extra safe, and don’t let yourself be observed chatting on your cell while waiting in the lobby.

6. Treat support staff without respect. The administrative assistants, secretaries, and paralegals in an office often constitute the heart and soul of the organization. The higher-ups value their perceptions of potential candidates. In addition, because of their relatively low pay, they can be extra sensitive about perceived slights. Bend-over-backward to approach these gatekeepers with respect and deference.

7. Become the interviewer. Some assume it’s an impressive tactic to turn the tables on the hiring manager and start grilling them with questions. Putting your interviewer on the spot about anything from their own capabilities, to the mess their organization is currently in, is a recipe for disaster. A few polite questions, which demonstrate your knowledge of the organization, its prospects, and your subject-area expertise, are more than enough. Should they invite you to assess the challenges that face their organization, proceed with diplomacy. This could very well be a test of your emotional intelligence [EI].

8. Frame your previous employer negatively. The principle behind speaking positively about all earlier work experiences is simple: If you badmouth those from the past, you’re likely going to continue the pattern of behavior, and badmouth whoever hires you. There are always diplomatic ways to frame even the worst workplace disasters, as a useful learning experiences.

9. Behave abnormally. Employers have to determine if you can fit in their organizational culture. If your considered a genius in your field you might be allowed to operate on a longer leash. If you have such status, then you shouldn’t be stressing all that much over your interview technique. Otherwise speed read your environment when you get to the interview and mirror how the employees are behaving, matching everything from their body language to their pace and volume of speech.

10. Be a pest post-interview. Excessive contact after the interview can turn off potential employers. Not only is it annoying to busy people, but it also signals desperation. To follow up, what’s appropriate is an immediate thank you note, and possibly a timely phone call a week or so after the interview to indicate you’re still interested. Other than that there’s not much reason to contact the hiring managers, unless it’s to inform them that you’ve secured another position.
_________________________________
Wednesday, January 26: EDC Chicago luncheon: Enabling Collaboration Between the Midwest and Japan: Tatsuhiro Shindo, Chief Executive Director JETRO Chicago

From: “EDC Chicago”
Subject: Enabling Collaboration Between the Midwest and Japan Luncheon
Date: Fri, 14 Jan 2011 06:50:09 -0600
To: “EDC Chicago”

Enabling Collaboration Between the Midwest and Japan

Tatsuhiro Shindo, Chief Executive Director
JETRO Chicago

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Tower Club
20 North Wacker Drive, 39th Floor

Chicago, Illinois

The Economic Development Council would like to invite you to join us for the first luncheon program of the year on January 26, 2011 featuring Tatsuhiro Shindo, Chief Executive Director, JETRO Chicago.

JETRO, the Japan External Trade Organization, is the official trade and investment promotion agency of the Japanese government. Established in 1958 to support trade, investment and business expansion in Japan, JETRO has 72 offices in 55 countries – six in the United States. The Midwest office located in Chicago works with 12 Midwestern states.

Some of JETRO’s services include business consultation, market research, temporary office space, human resource assistance, business matching and site selection. It works closely with the Development Bank of Japan to provide low-interest loans to companies making investments in Japan.

What is the current situation with respect to Midwest trade with Japan? What are some of the major trends occurring in Japan that impact business today? In what areas of business does Japan maintain a leadership role?

Tatsuhiro Shindo is the Chief Executive Director of the Chicago office of JETRO. Appointed in April, 2010, he oversees JETRO’s efforts to develop business between Japan and Chicago’s 12 state Midwest region. Mr. Shindo joined JETRO in 1982 where his assignments have included serving as Director of Research at JETRO Mexico, Chief Deputy Director of the Import Promotion Department, Executive Director of JETRO New York, Director of the North America Division Overseas Research Department, and Director Planning Division – Overseas Research Department. In addition he has authored and edited several books, policy papers and articles. In January, 2010, his book “Basic Knowledge of Economy of United States of America: Policy of President Obama” was published by JETRO and became a bestseller in its category in Japan.

The luncheon is at noon at the Tower Club, 39th floor, 20 North Wacker Drive, Chicago. The cost of the lunch and program is $40 for EDC members and $65 for non-members. There is no charge for EDC Corporate and Sustaining Members.

Reservations are mandatory. Reply to this email to make your reservation,
call our office at (773) 279-8787 or prepay online via our website.
______________________________________
Anyone interested in speaking about how to move from web to mobile development?

From: Melanie Adcock
Subject: FW: Anyone interested in speaking about how to move from web to mobile development?
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 04:35:59 +0000
To: ,

> Date: Fri, 7 Jan 2011 09:54:42 -0800
> Subject: Anyone interested in speaking about how to move from web to mobile development?
> From: judiwunderlich@gmail.com
> To: momochicago@googlegroups.com
>
> Hello members -
>
> In addition to running a recruiting firm for people in web and mobile
> design/development, I also run the Chicago Interactive Design &
> Development meetup group (http://www.meetup.com/Chicago-Interactive-
> Design-Development/) with over 1,000 members. We’ve had some very
> informative meetups over the last 3 years.
>
> More and more web designers and developers are wondering how they can
> move into mobile app development, and since you guys are the experts,
> I’m asking if a few of you would volunteer to participate in a panel
> discussion on this subject.
>
> There would be an audience of at least 100 people, and we meet in a
> facility at Jackson/Wells that has wireless internet, mikes, speakers
> and projector. This would also be a chance for you to show off any
> Apps you’ve developed that you’re particularly proud of!
>
> Please let me know if you’d like to do this. I’m thinking of a target
> date of January 24 or 25, starting around 6 p.m., but those dates are
> flexible.
>
> Thanks in advance!
>
> Judi Wunderlich
> 312-506-8596
> jwunderlich@wunderlandgroup.com
>
> –
> ___________________
> Web: http://www.momochicago.org
> MoMo on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MoMoChicago
> MoMo on LinkedIn: http://linkd.in/momochi
> MoMo on Facebook: http://bit.ly/10574H
>
> Manage your subscription: http://groups.google.com/group/momochicago
> Email the list: momochicago@googlegroups.com
__________________________________

LuckyChic.com Announces the Launch New E-Commerce Gaming Site

[Editor's note: May here. This is not a local firm but it fits with what Mike Rhodes told me about how games and eCommerce are being conjoined.]

From: “Aileen Brody”
Subject: LuckyChic.com Announces the Launch New E-Commerce Gaming Site
Date: Tue, 11 Jan 2011 11:02:27 -0500
To:

PR Contact:

Aileen Brody | 5W Public Relations

212.584.4328 | Abrody@5wpr.com

LUCKYCHIC.COM ANNOUNCES THE LAUNCH OF

FIRST LIFESTYLE “E-COMMERCE GAMING” SITE

Creating Destinations Where Anyone Can Win One-of-a-Kind, VIP Experiential Packages, and Must-Have Brand Merchandise at Highly Discounted Prices

New York, NY (January 11th, 2011) – Lucky Chic today announces the official launch of its website, LuckyChic.com. Pioneering the “e-commerce gaming” spectrum, LuckyChic.com will seek to become the ultimate online shopping destination as the first website to take the integration of e-commerce and online gaming to a full array of lifestyle verticals. LuckyChic.com has created a platform where consumers can shop, bid and win must-have brands and luxury experiences, which range from trips to coveted New York Fashion Week and insider red carpet parties with today’s hottest celebrities, to trips to Sundance Film Festival and the Super Bowl, and exotic destinations like St. Bart’s. These one-of-a-kind experiences provide unparalleled breadth to LuckyChic.com‘s offerings.

The launch also marks the public announcement of the Lucky Chic Management Team, which includes Joel Fan (Founder/CEO), Ian Gerard (President), and Donna Oliva (COO) – three lead executives with over 55 years of combined experience in building and running start-up companies.

“Lucky Chic was founded to provide everyone with access to exclusive lifestyle experiences and merchandise which otherwise would be accessible to only a select few. We offer once-in-a-lifetime travel and event opportunities that simply aren’t available elsewhere, and we are proud to be the first to harness the power of the Internet to change the course of people’s lives in a new, formerly unimaginable way,” stated Joel Fan, Founder/CEO.

Utilizing purchased “Lucky Chips,” consumers have the ability to win exclusive once-in-a-lifetime celebrity and travel experiences and coveted retail merchandise in a variety of lifestyle verticals including fashion handbags & accessories, consumer electronics, beauty, home/design, baby, kitchen, and fine art. The minimum number of Lucky Chips that can be currently purchased is 10 (for $6 total) and consumers are given free Lucky Chips upon account activation. LuckyChic.com prides itself on its access to unique experiences and desirable products unavailable anywhere else on the Web, and users can win such at up to 98% off retail value.

“I saw Lucky Chic as an amazing opportunity to bring consumers the ability to experience all of their aspirational lifestyle choices, even during a difficult economy,” said Ian Gerard, Lucky Chic’s President. “I am looking forward to utilizing my brand building experience from Gen Art – ranging from brand partnership relationships to the ability to tap great talent – to provide the greatest range of lifestyle sale options.” As the founder and former CEO of the event marketing powerhouse Gen Art, Gerard will remain as a Senior Advisor to Gen Art, when it re-launches this year.

Donna Oliva, Lucky Chic’s COO who brings 15+ years of experience in running and raising investment for start-ups, stated “I am very excited to join Lucky Chic because the company is a leader in the integration of online gaming with e-commerce, and because its proprietary technology platform will uniquely allow Lucky Chic to scale its offerings, operation and revenues to achieve exponential growth over the next few years.”

To join in on the “e-Commerce gaming” fun and for more information visit LuckyChic.com.

About LuckyChic.com

LuckyChic.com is the premier online site where you can shop, bid and win must-have brands and luxury experiences. LuckyChic.com attracts the Web’s growing consumer audience with the opportunity to win exclusive once-in-a-lifetime celebrity and travel experiences, and coveted retail merchandise in a variety of lifestyle verticals including fashion accessories, consumer electronics, beauty, home, and kitchen. Founded by tech entrepreneur Joel Fan, Lucky Chic was selected as one of 2010′s “Most Brilliant 100 Companies” by Entrepreneur Magazine.
____________________________________
Response to Mobile Apps Questions Ron had for Melanie

Subject: Response to Mobile Apps Questions you had…
Date: 1/10/2011 10:34:57 P.M. Central Standard Time
From: melanie_adcock@msn.com
To: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com

Ron, we received a response to the questions you had about mobile apps. Below I have copied my original note, the answers given and the Linkedin Profile of Maksim Pecherskiy who responded. Interesting stuff! Thanks so much to him for weighing in on this. -Melanie

chicagoandroid.com/forum/topics/what-is-involved-with?xg_source=activity

Hi all,

Ron May, creator of the infamous May Report www.themayreport.com is still trying to understand the basics of Mobile Apps and he asked me a few questions about what is involved. I can answer many of them but I thought I’d pose these questions to the Chicago Android Community to see if we can get some experts to weigh in. I’m going to take your answers and send them to Ron for publication in the report. Please feel free to give me your name and a link to your website or Linkedin Page for inclusion also. Many thanks to this community for your opinions.

-Melanie Adcock melanie_adcock@msn.com

1. What are the steps involved in “launching an app”?

2. Specifically, does the app reside on a server or in the cloud?

3. How is the word disseminated that the app has been launched?

4. Does the person launching the app have any on-going responsibilities after the app is launched such as troubleshooting and maintenance?

5. Does the person or company launching the app make money on it and if so, how?

6. How many apps are there now for the Droid and the iPhone? Where can one get a list of them?

Tags: App, cloud, launch, maintenance, questions, server, troubleshooting

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Maksim on January 4, 2011 at 9:43am

Prelude: I’m answering this with the android / iphone / w7 platforms in mind, as those are the largest and most widely available today. (Well except the Windows 7 Platform, but I feel like that’s gaining popularity).

Native Apps vs Web Apps:

Native apps are apps that are bought from the specific manufacturer’s online marketplace (Described below), installed into the phone’s OS and run from the phone. These apps have a wider set of features that they can access compared to Web Apps because they are running within the OS.

Web Apps are created in HTML / PHP / JS (Doesn’t have to necessarily be PHP server-side) and are hosted completely on the web server. To access the app, the user needs to hit its URL in the phone’s browser, or create a shortcut icon on his phone to access the URL. These apps are usually limited in what phone resources they can access, (accelerometer, location, etc).

1. Launching an App:

Launching a native app” means submitting it to Apple’s App Store (For Iphone), Android Market (Android Phones) or Windows App Hub (Windows 6.5 /7).

The application approval process and guidelines for each of these are pretty rigorous, and you can read about the submission process and learn some development here:

Windows App Hub: create.msdn.com/en-US/

Android Market developer.android.com/guide/publishing/publishing.html

Apple App Store: developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action

Launching an app successfully also requires marketing. During the submission, you need to write up a nice description and have marketable screenshots to entice people to buy the app. I will get into other kinds of marketing on 3.

2. Specifically, does the app reside on a server or in the cloud?

The app itself (if it’s a native app) is hosted in the marketplace (for whichever system it’s developed for), then downloaded and installed on the phone’s OS. From that point on, it can still be heavily reliant on the internet (Think Facebook App) or not need internet access at all (Think video games with no multiplayer). Usually apps that move a lot of data to and from the web interact with a cloud server for scalability and stability purposes.

3. How is the word disseminated that the app has been launched?

I’m no expert at the marketing, but I would say the usual ways: Twitter, Facebook, Phone specific blogs, etc. It’s also nice to have a landing page about your app that you can direct people to, that way you don’t have to fit into the Market’s design to market your app, but just port the user when he is ready to download it.

Eventually, once your app hits a certain amount of downloads, you will have reviews and rating of your app that you can show off, and will fuel further purchases. If you’re lucky, you get into the top 25 apps, and then you’re golden

4. Does the person launching the app have any on-going responsibilities after the app is launched such as troubleshooting and maintenance?

If it’s an app that works with a cloud server online, man you better make sure that infrastructure is smooth and flawless. Mobile users don’t like to wait, and don’t always have the best web connection. So you need to get your stuff together server side, and keep it smooth. As for updates, you want to update your apps to work with the newest version of the OS and be backwards compatible, but I don’t think any updates are required (unless you have a big security hole in your app for some reason).

5. Does the person or company launching the app make money on it and if so, how?

Not sure about Android or w7, but for Apple there is a certain fee to get a developer account and submit apps. Apple also takes a cut of your sales in the App Store. But beyond that, you can make money though charging a price for the app, or running ads in the app. (Admob). Or you can have a free version that runs ads and a priced version that doesn’t. This is more of a business plan discussion.

6. How many apps are there now for the Droid and the iPhone? Where can one get a list of them?

This is an estimate:

Android: 30,000 Apps (www.android.com/market/#app=ix.com.android.VirtualRecorder)

Apple: 100,000 Apps (www.apple.com/iphone/apps-for-iphone/)

Windows: 5,000 Apps (www.microsoft.com/windowsphone/en-us/apps/default.aspx)

Great questions by the way!

-Maksim Pecherskiy

-MAKSIMIZE.com

-http://linkedin.com/in/maxpecherskiy

Linkedin Profile of Maksim Pecherskiy

Maksim Pecherskiy’s Summary

Maksim Pecherskiy been working with information and web technology on various levels from a very young age. His interest in Linux systems and web servers brought him to join and start many of the IRC channels and forums that are now considered the predecessors of social networks. This deep interconnection with the web from his young years has helped to become a highly competent professional who not only understands the underlying technical structure of the web, but is also well versed in its social, marketing and community aspects.

A skilled web developer with a working knowledge of numerous scripting languages and CMS including WordPress, Drupal and Joomla, Maksim helps his clients design, execute and track high performance online marketing and e-commerce strategies. His outgoing personality and the ability to relate complex technological concepts to anyone makes him a highly trafficked bridge between the two worlds of technology and business.

Maksim is an avid traveler and enjoys learning and interacting with new cultures, meeting new people, and arguing viewpoints that differ from his own. He adapts quickly to new cultures and environments and often seeks out and thrives in situations that push his comfort limits. He regularly seeks opportunities to stand out and be different, with an inherent goal to be the best in any field he enters. He speaks Russian, Spanish and English. He enjoys learning marketing and learning how to deal with and influence people on a personal level as well as on a much larger scale. 

Definition Statement: I have no clients; I only work with friends who pay me.

Motto: Maksimize Performance. Minimize load. Convert Everyone. Measure Everything. 

Goal: To be the only person that can write PHP and use $bash to have traveled the entire world. He plans to be fully mobile by November 2011 and travel the globe as he builds beautiful websites.

Learning: Ruby on Rails, and more in the areas I already know.

Maksim Pecherskiy’s Specialties:

HTML, PHP, CSS, JavaScript, WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, CMS, Hosting Solutions, Linux VPS, Social Media, Analytics, SEO, SEM, Web Strategy, Acquisition, Conversion Optimization, Site Traffic, Website Testing, Russian, Spanish, English.

Maksim Pecherskiy’s Experience

Lead Developer
Maksimize.com
(Information Technology and Services industry)
September 2009 – Present (1 year 5 months)


Executive Board Member / Technology
3 Degrees Networking
(Philanthropy industry)
September 2009 – Present (1 year 5 months)
We are a non-profit networking organization for business professionals and entrepreneurs who would like to be more involved with philanthropy while building their own businesses through the power of networking. 3 Degrees Networking provides members the opportunity to be a large part of a non-profit organization without having to donate a lot of their time or money. All of our fundraising events and efforts will benefit a charitable organization that holds significance to our members.


If you’re interested in being a member and are passionate about a particular charitable organization please contact us. We would love to help!

Communications and Media Supervisor
Institute of Cultural Affairs
(Non-Profit; Non-Profit Organization Management industry)
July 2009 – August 2009 (2 months)
- Develop and implement and online marketing and communications strategy
-Utilize and manage a team of five individuals to run an internet media campaign to maximize stakeholder engagement

MIS – Associate PC Specialist
Edelman
(Privately Held; Public Relations and Communications industry)
September 2008 – July 2009 (11 months)
• Created system to manage hardware temporarily loaned to 
users. 
• Manage numerous hardware deployment and repair tasks, 
coordinating with users and technicians
• Troubleshoot IT issues remotely throughout the company’s 
U.S. offices including Chicago.
• Worked with diverse software and hardware to streamline 
system deployment and user experience
• Provided user support with numerous kinds of presentation, 
voice, and video communication systems.
• Created and implemented user manuals to streamline the 
laptop deployment process.

Teller Operations
Bank of America
(Public Company; 10,001+ employees; BAC; Banking industry)
July 2005 – July 2007 (2 years 1 month)
• Performed customer transactions and initiated and enhanced 
customer relationships
• Prepared banking center reports and cash orders
• Assisted management with internal audit and regulation 
compliance
• Received numerous Team Choice Awards during employment 
period

Field Engineer
CTO Networks
(Information Technology and Services industry)
September 2004 – November 2005 (1 year 3 months)
• Provided support and maintenance for consumer and business information systems and networks
• Communicated with customers to find the best IT solution and security solution for their needs

Client Service Specialist
Best Buy
(Public Company; 10,001+ employees; BBY; Retail industry)
July 2004 – July 2005 (1 year 1 month)
• Optimized system security as well as performed other services on newly sold computer systems
• Assisted customers in finding the best solutions to their computer hardware, software, networking, and other IT related needs for their home or business

Maksim Pecherskiy’s Education

DePaul University
BS , Information Systems , 2005 – 2009

Activities and Societies:
DePaul University Atlantis International Dual Degree Program, 2007-2009

Alpha Psi Lambda Co-Ed Latino Fraternity Member, 2006 – Present

DePaul University Linux Users Group, 2005 – Present

DePaul University Finance Management Association, 2007 – Present

DePaul University Investment Club, 2007 – Present

DePaul University Group Fitness Instructor, 2006 – 2007



Linköpings universitet
BS , International Business Administration , 2008 – 2008
Second semester of the Atlantis Dual Degree Program.
Activities and Societies:
Thesis: M. Pecherskiy and S. Laouadi, 2008: Novice Stock Investment Strategies, 120pp.



INSEEC
BS , International Business Administration , 2007 – 2007
First semester of the Atlantis Dual Degree study abroad program.


Additional Information
____________________________________
Illinois Considers Sharp Income Tax Increase, Highest Corporate Tax Rate
by Joseph Henchman and Kail Padgitt

www.taxfoundation.org/publications/show/26954.html

January 7, 2011

Illinois Considers Sharp Income Tax Increase, Highest Corporate Tax Rate
by Joseph Henchman and Kail Padgitt

Fiscal Fact No. 255

Plan Would Raise Individual Income and Corporate Income Taxes

On January 6, Illinois Senate President John Cullerton (D) announced a legislative deal to raise individual income, corporate income, and cigarette excise taxes.[1] The tax increases are projected to raise approximately $7.5 billion per year, and be coupled with $12 billion in additional borrowing. Illinois has accumulated billions of dollars in unpaid bills and officials have made little progress compared to other states in producing a structurally balanced budget.[2]

Under the plan, Illinois’s one-rate individual income tax will rise from 3% to 5.25%, a 75 percent increase. The corporate income tax will rise from 7.3%[3] to 10.9%, a 49 percent increase and becoming the highest state corporate income tax in the United States and the highest combined national-local corporate income tax in the industrialized world.[4] The cigarette excise tax would rise from 98 cents to $1.98 per 20-cigarette pack.

The income tax increase would be retroactive to January 1, 2011. After four years, the individual income tax will decrease to 3.25%. The plan also includes a $325 annual check to property owners, instead of the current property tax deduction.

Plan Would Drop Illinois’s Rank on the State Business Tax Climate Index

Our 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index ranked Illinois 23rd in the country, middle-of-the-pack compared with its immediate neighbors.[5] Illinois’s low, one-rate individual income tax offers the advantages of simplicity, stability, and a competitive rate relative to other states, outweighing more negative elements of the state’s tax system. (See Table 1.)

Table 1: Illinois and Neighbors’ State Business Tax Climate Index Ranks

State
2011 Index Overall Rank
2011 Individual Income Tax Sub-Index Rank
2011 Corporate Income Tax Sub-Index Rank

Illinois
23rd
9th
27th

Indiana
10th
11th
21st

Iowa
45th
42nd
47th

Kentucky
19th
32nd
42nd

Minnesota
43rd
38th
44th

Missouri
16th
25th
5th

Wisconsin
40th
43rd
29th

Source: Tax Foundation 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index.

If the plan announced on January 6 had been in place on July 1, 2010 (the snapshot date for the 2011 State Business Tax Climate Index), Illinois would have ranked 35th instead of 23rd. This is a fall of twelve places, past South Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Alabama, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and Arizona.

On the individual income tax sub-index, Illinois would have ranked 15th instead of 9th, a drop of six places. On the corporate income tax sub-index, Illinois would have ranked 46th instead of 27th, a drop of 19 places. (See Table 2.)

Table 2: Illinois and Neighbors’ State Business Tax Climate Index Ranks with Changes

State
2011 Index Overall Rank
2011 Individual Income Tax Sub-Index Rank
2011 Corporate Income Tax Sub-Index Rank

Illinois
35th
15th
46th

Indiana
10th
10th
21st

Iowa
45th
42nd
47th

Kentucky
19th
32nd
41st

Minnesota
43rd
38th
43rd

Missouri
16th
25th
5th

Wisconsin
40th
43rd
28th

Source: Tax Foundation.

Conclusion

The plan would severely impact Illinois’s attractiveness to business and individuals. The state’s individual income tax, in particular, is one of the best features of Illinois’s tax system. The state is on borrowed time with respect to its budget, but the steps to resolve it should include meaningful prioritization of public services. Officials should avoid short-term solutions that do not fix the ongoing structural budget gap, particularly if the changes have great potential for undermining Illinois’s ability to attract and cultivate business activity as the economy recovers.

——————————————————————————–

Joseph Henchman is Tax Counsel & Director of State Projects at the Tax Foundation. Kail Padgitt, Ph.D. is Staff Economist at the Tax Foundation.

[1] See Benjamin Yount, “Top Dems: Deal on Illinois Tax Hike,” Illinois Statehouse News (Jan. 6, 2011), illinois.statehousenewsonline.com/4847/top-dems-deal-on-illinois-tax-hike; Ray Long & Monique Garica, “Democrat Lawmakers Push 75% State Income Tax Increase,” Chicago Tribune (Jan. 6, 2011), www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-met-illinois-tax-hike-0107-20110107,0,5933761.story.

[2] See Joseph Henchman, “60 Minutes on State Budget Woes,” Tax Foundation Tax Policy Blog (Dec. 21, 2010), www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/26917.html; Joseph Henchman, “Illinois Governor Quinn Proposes Income Tax Increase, Borrowing, Not Paying Bills,” Tax Foundation Tax Policy Blog (Mar. 10, 2010), www.taxfoundation.org/blog/show/25963.html.

[3] Some news reports have indicated that Illinois’s corporate income tax is currently 4.8%. This does not include a 2.5% property replacement tax imposed on corporate income. Reference sources that cite Illinois’s corporate income tax, including the Tax Foundation and the Illinois Department of Revenue, report it as 7.3%, including this tax.

[4] See, e.g., Tax Foundation, “Comparing U.S. State Corporate Taxes to the OECD, 2009,” www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/23034.html. Illinois’s new top rate would exceed Pennsylvania’s, the current highest combined national-local rate.

[5] Kail Padgitt, “2011 State Business Tax Climate Index,” Tax Foundation (Oct. 2010), www.taxfoundation.org/news/show/22658.html.

Attached Files
Fiscal Fact 255: Illinois Considers Sharp Income Tax Increase, Highest Corporate Tax Rate, PDF, 140.7 KB
by Joseph Henchman and Kail Padgitt
___________________________________
From this week’s Business of Life: Rahm Emanuel, social media boost campaign humor in Chicago mayoral race, by Shia Kapos January 10, 2011

www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110108/ISSUE03/301089998/rahm-emanuel-social-media-boost-campaign-humor-in-chicago-mayoral#axzz1Ae8yL57o

From this week’s Business of Life
Rahm Emanuel, social media boost campaign humor in Chicago mayoral race
By: Shia Kapos January 10, 2011
Justin Kaufmann, right, plays fictional alderman and mayoral candidate Ed Bus for a show on Can-TV. “The fact that there’s been a lineup to replace Mayor Daley and they’re as kooky as the mayor who’s there, it’s a tremendous story,” he says.
Photo by: Erik Unger

Say what you want about Chicago’s mayoral election-one thing’s for sure: It’s the funniest campaign season in years.

Comedians and armchair wags have reveled in the material they’ve been given since Mayor Richard M. Daley announced he would not seek re-election and a quixotic field of candidates bloomed. Not least among them is Rahm Emanuel, a former ballet-dancing White House regular who’s missing part of one middle finger but still has a profane verbal streak.

He inspired the Twitter account @MayorEmanuel, where wonkiness meets satire in a sendup of the candidate’s connections and cursing. The writer is anonymous; the user profile reads, “Your next mother—- mayor. Get used to it, a—.”

But behind the profanity is a keen observer of the players with their hands in Chicago politics.

“Penny keeps a money room in her house and dives into it like she’s Scrooge McDuck. We’ve been swimming in it all morning,” @Mayor-Emanuel Tweeted in October.

Penny Pritzker, the wealthy philanthropist and fundraiser for President Barack Obama, is one of the writer’s recurring characters, along with presidential aide David Axelrod and his allegedly ever-present Honda Civic.

The candidate says his staff follows the account and keeps him posted on it. “I think it’s hilarious,” Mr. Emanuel says.

He brought some smiles himself at his recent residency hearing, which made news for days.

“This is better than a commercial, isn’t it?” the attorney challenging Mr. Emanuel asked.

“It’s actually cheaper,” Mr. Emanuel responded.

Carol Moseley Braun’s camp, meanwhile, released a video, “It’s Just Poop,” featuring a mom with her squirmy son addressing negative talk about the candidate. With diaper in hand, the mom says, “Do you believe the poop, or the truth?”
‘ People didn’t feel comfortable making fun of Daley. He would get defensive and angry.’
- Jim Carrane, improv teacher

Despite the fodder of general corruption and the malapropisms of Mr. Daley, city politics became somewhat humor-starved in recent years as jokes about insider politics grew stale.

“Chicago’s always been a good satirical subject because of the history of the Machine and the guys in the Machine. They had bad grammar and did outlandish things,” says Dick Simpson, a former alderman who now heads the political science department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. But “Daley didn’t have a lot of humor. And he’s not very funny.”

That has changed this season.

“Voters think it’s safe to make fun of the process and the office,” says Jim Carrane, a comedy improv teacher and corporate trainer. “People didn’t feel comfortable making fun of Daley. He would get defensive and angry.”

But now, it’s game on. “Crime, corruption, parking meters make good comedy,” Mr. Carrane says. “Then you have the reality show of the primary, and it becomes the perfect storm.”

Mr. Emanuel’s national profile has made him the most inviting target in advance of the Feb. 22 primary; Vanity Fair and “Saturday Night Live” have commented on his candidacy.

Mr. Simpson expects humorists to find something from the other major candidates-Ms. Braun, Gery Chico and Miguel del Valle-to latch onto, as well.

Tim Jackson, a cartoonist for the Chicago Defender, says the field isn’t perfect comic fodder yet.

“There are more situations open for satirizing,” he says, pointing to Ms. Braun’s flip-flop on releasing tax information and Mr. Emanuel’s residency issues. He hasn’t started working yet on Messrs. Chico and del Valle. “I’m waiting for them to become more a part of it. They haven’t taken a stand in the foreground,” Mr. Jackson says.

He’s relieved not to have to draw Rep. Danny Davis, who quit the race. “He was hard to capture, and his face seemed to change as he went along.”

A MEATHEAD ALDERMAN

Chicago sketch-comedy troupe Schadenfreude sends up politicians via Ed Bus, its fictional alderman. The open field for mayor gave the character new life as he, too, entered the race.

Mr. Bus represents the non- existent 53rd Ward; his mayoral campaign exists in videos on WBEZ.org.

“The fact that there’s been a lineup to replace Mayor Daley and they’re as kooky as the mayor who’s there, it’s a tremendous story,” says Justin Kaufmann, founder of Schadenfreude.

Mr. Kaufmann, also web editor at WBEZ, has been playing Mr. Bus since 1998 for the opportunity to poke at the political system.

“We’re well-read citizens of this city, and when something strikes us as fishy, corrupt or just downright idiotic, it’s hard to hold back,” Mr. Kaufmann says.

His character is “offensive and vulgar, a kind of Wrigleyville meathead who’s sort of a Bernie Stone meets Ed Kelly meets Dan Hynes when he was running for comptroller,” says Mr. Kaufmann, referring to 50th Ward Alderman Stone, former 47th Ward Committeeman Kelly and Mr. Hynes, first elected state comptroller in 1998.

In one episode, the Ed Bus character spells out his platform for jobs: “Anyone who grew up with me or is related to me automatically gets a job. They’ve earned a right to sleep in a truck on the clock.”

Since the mayoral videos have been posted, the troupe’s older videos featuring Mr. Bus have gotten more hits and comments, too.

The fun falls at a bad time for Second City. It usually avoids local issues for its mainstage show because the audience is predominantly tourists unacquainted with Chicago’s quirky political characters. With Messrs. Emanuel and Daley both being known nationally, that’s likely to change. But their new shows begin in April, after any runoff election.

Still, “we’re all chomping at the bit,” Second City writer and performer Tim Mason says. “It’s like the troops waking up and there’s no general: You’ve got Daley out and Oprah (Winfrey) leaving. We’re losing all our icons. I can’t wait to start writing.”

Plenty of Chicago politicians have found themselves the butt of comedy over the years. The term “Council Wars” was coined by comedian and broadcast journalist Aaron Freeman, whose sketch-comedy show parodying the film “Star Wars” was performed all over the city in the early 1980s. More recently, Second City’s “Rod Blagojevich Superstar,” about the the former Illinois governor, got national attention.

As soon as Mr. Daley announced he wouldn’t run, Mr. Freeman started writing “Dude, Where’s My Daley?” He says the show has been getting steady bookings.

“It’s very difficult for us to wrap our brains around the idea that a Daley would decide not to be mayor without our permission,” he says. “It’s like taking down the Picasso. As baby boomers, we’re used to him and his father. It makes for great comedy.”

WITS WITH ALIASES

Social media has lowered the bar for entry on the comedic front: It takes mere moments and no money to create a faux Twitter account and start the sendup. There are several fake Rahm Emanuels, in fact.

But it’s @MayorEmanuel that has reached critical conversational mass, drawing 7,095 followers as of last week, compared with 2,874 for the real Mr. Emanuel’s account, @RahmEmanuel. Favorite topics for the faux account include his competitors, the challenge to his residency and his day-to-day life with his influential pals and Carl the intern, sprinkled with Chicago references from Lake Calumet to the new Apple store in Lincoln Park.

Speculation on who’s behind the account centers on political aides, journalists and comedy writers. Crain’s interviewed numerous possible contenders, all of whom denied being the writer.

Another anonymous commentator, a man who blogs about Chicago politics and pop culture while identifying himself only as Driftglass, says the mayor’s race is ripe for skewering on social media “because absent of an issue, it’s about personalities. That’s what good humor is about. You don’t hear five-minute routines on TIF funding, but you’re hearing Rahm Emanuel using ‘f–.’ ”

He notes, too, that Chicago’s political system is being shaken up for the first time in decades.

“Other cities have transitions every four to six years. They know how to do it. We don’t. There’s a level of panic at the highest levels of government,” he says. “Add that to the fact that we’re in Chicago, the president’s backyard, and that one of the candidates is a close personal friend, and it’s a circus stuck inside of an opera inside of a blockbuster movie.”

The option for commentators to keep out of the spotlight helps, too.

“I have a civilian life where I deal with people (in business and politics), and I’m trying to find common ground, so I don’t want my politics to play into it,” Driftglass says in a phone interview.

Remaining anonymous, he says, harkens back to the pamphleteers of the Revolutionary War period. “They could say things that they otherwise couldn’t say without losing their heads.”

© 2011 by Crain Communications Inc.

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Roger W. wrote:
This piece has an insight into what’s really going one that one rarely sees. That you included driftglass is impressive. Driftglass has been known to actually prompt people to change their minds. For many, she (or he) is a treasure not to be missed.

Read more: www.chicagobusiness.com/article/20110108/ISSUE03/301089998/rahm-emanuel-social-media-boost-campaign-humor-in-chicago-mayoral-race#ixzz1ArYvfpbS
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