An Invitation to Our Readers

How the DOJ/SEC et al ALWAYS 'settle' for a few pieces of silver, with the GUILTY never having to admit anything, and the CEOs keep getting richer and richer...are we China, Pakistan, Iraq, some dirt bag 3rd world nation? Why isn't Citi, or the Big Four Accounting/Auditing firms charged with being CRIMINAL ENTERPRISES? Surely, their actions go far beyond 'failure to supervise...Inadequate checks and balances... ad nauseum. '

i would like to know how the people's living stantard, the population, and freedom are in tibet since the invasion of chinese in the 1200 (yuan dynasty) and that of the american indian in north and south america since the invasion of the european.

I would like to propose a 10- or 20-part series of articles entitled "An Agenda for the Next US President," that would deal with a number of vexing issues that she or he would have to address during her or his stint at the helm.
For instance, the series could address several hot-button, interrelated topics such as the ongoing and seemingly never-ending housing, financial & energy crises, and what could be done to ensure that the recession -- which the US may already be in, and the rest of the world may soon find itself in -- would be as brief and shallow as it could possibly be, and so on.
Other topics that may seem to some, if not most, Americans to be more distant or not as pressing, e.g., global warming, food security, etc., would also need to be addressed over time. After all, the world is interconnected and the “butterflies” that flutter around in Baltimore could very well affect the economic and socio-political “weather” in Brussels, Bombay and Beijing, and so on.
However, unlike other articles which are authored by BW reporters, this series should be, in my opinion, more of a reader-community, open-source-type effort. (BW reporters should have a role but only in terms of initiating and moderating the discussion and updating drafts, etc., before a final version is "frozen.")
Frequently updated drafts could be made available for say a week on a community discussion board for comments and suggestions that could be incorporated into future updates (based on reactions from readers who could be asked to click on Recommend- or Do-Not-Recommend-type buttons next to each suggestion or comment, if they like or loathe the suggested changes).
As an academic, with a PhD from a top-tier US univ. and some global exposure, I know that I would certainly like to play a role as a contributor to this series, with ideas, suggestions, etc.

People talk about loose lending contributing to the credit crisis, what I'd like to know is where the money came from to lend. I am in the dark about that, or am I missing the obvious somewhere.

Would the Glass-Steagall Act have made the "sub-prime crisis" impossible or unlikely?

I'd like to see BusinessWeek do a story on what THEY believe would have happened to the stock market if the Federal Reserve hadn't stepped in as early as last August and injected money into the Banking System. And I'd like to get BusinessWeek's "take" on the possibility of a stock market crash happening in 2008 or 2009. "Crash" could be defined as a decline of 1,500 points or more in a three day period. Thank you, Karl- the POEM guy!

I'd like to see BusinessWeek team up with some of the Harvard Business Professors and get their "take" on where our economy is headed for the next three quarters and for 2009! Thank you, Karl

I'd like to see BusinessWeek do a story about how typical investors in the USA are struggling with Investment Firms to get THEIR OWN MONEY out of the hands of these Investment Firms, but are being BLOCKED from doing so! Thank you, Karl

I'd like to see BusinessWeek do a story where their readers could make a prediction regarding where the Dow Jones will be on January 15th, 2009, and whoever is closest will win a weekend in NY and tickets to Saturday Night Live!! None of the guesses will be posted. BusinessWeek will allow two weeks for predictions to come in, one prediction per e-mail address only. Thank you, Karl

I have read many articles about the losers in the credit and sub-prime melt down. Just recently the IMF indicated that the cost would approach a trillion dollars. Normally, finance is a zero-sum game where there are winners and losers. Thus my question, is who has benefited from this crisis.

I would like to know how people who are single are viewed in American society. How older singles view being single and how they may or may not be discriminated against in jobs, promotions or even coupons put out by restaurants. How they may cope with being alone or how they enjoy it.

Thank you

The impact of the derivatives scandal on State investment funds and on pension funds. Florida has had one fund collapse so far. S.D. has billions at risk. What about other states?
Who is responsible? What can be done to mitigate the impact? Can brokers and financial firms be sued?
The public needs to know.

I've been intrigued by the terms tranche, slicing and dicing securities, re-packaging and selling them. Who are the originators, who are the buyers, and how come all these big financial institutions ended up with so much of this stuff on their books ? Aren't they the ones who have been selling these securities ? And how come the rating agencies gave such high ratings to these securities? If they were compromised by their clients, then how come these very same clients ended up investing in these securities? Is this a case of lying to yourself long enough so that you came to believe your own lie?
If possible, could you do an expose explaining the process with at least one financial instituiton as an example.

A quote from Paul Volcker from one of your recent articles references executive compensation: "He also thunders about executive compensation in financial services that lavishly reward success but impose no "symmetrical losses" when failures occur.

I'd appreciate deeper coverage of the lack of outrage regarding pay packages for executives that destroy shareholder equity.

To me, it's an Enron redux sans a bankruptcy filing.

These are just some of the "strategic" policies employed by corporate heads that continue to lead t a CEO's enrichment:

1) fire employees or reduce the main-line workers compensaton package first-before-all-else.
2) impoverish the shareholder by destroying dividends & equity through reckless or lack of corporate guidance
3) dilute shareholder value by reaching out to last-ditch capital sources after the damage has been done.

And then, when they are fired. They bail with millions with pre-negotiated parachutes.

If a man of Volcker's stature is outraged, why aren't people in your journalistic positions of power & influence acting the same. BW should take an ongoing editorial stand on this. That, in it's own right, would be newsworthy.

Dear Sirs

I love visiting the USA and enjoy the country and the people very much.I was recently there and saw hotels are having green ideas.Flourescent lights, changing linens every 3 days....

Now thats great but there are other options that don´t affect quality of life that can be taken which might even have a bigger impact:

1)AC should not work when rooms are empty
2)Engine idling of cars and buses should be banned when they are empty.Remember the fuel savings of the right on red measure
3) There should be a legal temperature for public spaces and or private of say no les than 23 degrees centigrade in summer, some places like Miami Airport are a human refrigerator!
4)Car headlights should switch off after say 30 seconds or whatever time is decided when engine off.No more battery jumping or tow trucks fuel to jump car batteries
Who needs headlights when not in the car?

What would the reduction in the greenhouse effect would be if these simple measures are taken?Is it worth the investigation?

Just remember the ozone layer gets thinner in the south of the world,like my country Uruguay but the cause is the north of the continent!

Best regards

Alejandro Sosa

I would like to see a story on how unions are making a come back.I am in the electrical side of the business and our business unit voted to become represented by local 69. I have never worked for a union in the 29 years I have been a lineman,now I am a controller.The lineman went union first and now other business units.I am interested in seeing a story on this.
Thanks
William Franklin

I would surely like to see a report relating to the customer service industry, much like Sprint's customer service center, fast foods and the lame service us, the customers, receive when something is not correct and the person responsible simply looks over and does nothing. Overall customer service area has degraded to a point in which people rather bypass this service then to get the responses and no actions from such companies. A review on whom and how this problem is being dealt with by corporations and the impact this has on their own business. A window or view on this problem and an exposure of how these corporations to nothing to achieve customer satisfaction.

Thank you
Jorge Santiago

Please write an article on how President George Bush has been bad for capitalism all around the world. Instead of promoting democracy and capitalism, his policy of unnecessary aggression has done just the reverse.

I would like to see an investigation of how taxes could be used to help transform American society into a greener, more energy- efficient country. An example, a small gas tax that would help small companies compete in building highly energy efficient cars and help the average consumer spread that technology. Another example, tax incandescent bulbs with an energy inefficiency tax with the proceeds going to lower the cost of new efficient bulbs on the market.

I would like to see a story on how a new economic institution might be created to manage the global economy. Since neither any economist nor any official can give practical solutions in the past eight months, perhaps we need to hear from market operators, including both top managers and common professionals. Maybe it is more efficient to discuss financial issues from human incentives and operational control in entire market process and firm governance.

In light of the recent food riot in India, and the fact that every commodity price has exploded in the past year, we need to examine food security. Some have blamed the recent push for increased biofuel production, citing that it removes otherwise edible grain from the market, leaving the remainder to be sold at exorbitant prices. My local radio station stated this morning that even if America devoted every last field to bio-fuel production, the country would still only satisfy a meager 14% of its energy needs. Clearly this is both unworkable and unconscionable, as real human beings will die over this. We can all find ways of dealing with less fuel, but I -- for one -- have yet to find a substitute for eating.

I would like you to do a story about the rise of different telecommunication markets in Africa and how this has been growing year on year. The markets would be West Africa, North Africa, East and Central Africa & Southern Africa and how this has had an effect uplifting the lives of the people in those countries.

I would like to see an article on the Lebanese post-war economy and predictions for its future. Tourism, our main flagship, is losing ground due to the political situation. People need to know about the history and richness of the Lebanese history and what used to make Lebanon the first tourist attraction in the region, and what should be done to allow Lebanon to regain its position.

Thanks for asking! It struck me as I read these comments that it would be wise to add a recommend feature on each suggestion - so as to get a feel how we out here feel.

What to expect in the following decade ... With a new President, a new party in the driver's seat, 78 million Boomers starting to retire, an unending war or two, etc. Energy prices out of sight and going higher followed by higher food prices and their effect on the working poor. All of this adds up to a different time like "no other" for Americans and our place in the world. These changes will change the way Americans think and live for decades to come.

If a company moves its production overseas and then attempts to sell its products in the U.S., it should be required to pay a import unemployment tax. Do a commentary on that.

Write an article on the economic re-emergence of Louisiana (not just New Orleans) after Katrina. For instance, the combination of reconstruction after Katrina, the increased demand for oil, and the limited impact of sub-prime mortgages, has put Louisiana on the opposite end of the recession cycle that the rest of country is facing. Sometimes it pays to be different.

"Where is the profit in Religion?"
Where do the tax-exempt dollars go?
Who benefits from running churches?
What do the people who give to churches receive in return?

Provocative questions I think. Are there publishable answers?

With the eye-popping compensation packages of hedge-fund managers, especially in these not so colorful days for Wall Street, there is so much interest in knowing who these guys really are, what their lives look like, what are the downsides of their daily have-to-do list, their backgrounds of how they got where they are. It is important to take a look not only at the very successful ones but also on the other end of the story, those betting billions and losing it so not everybody thinks this is the perfect job to have. I would recommend a study titled: "Hedging: An inside look at the most popular job of the decade"

Thanks for the opportunity,
Stamatios

I would like to read about the shrinking job market for journalists, editors and other media professionals - from a practical standpoint. With so much news now online, where is the industry headed? How do writers who want to pursue a career in journalism need to adjust? What new skills do they need to get the top jobs( i.e. web editing, web design, HTML, graphic design, etc.)? How do they get trained in these skills? What are other interesting ways writers can make a living in this new, technical era? Are there stable, high-paying opportunities out there?

It would be interesting to have a serious and detailed analysis of whether we have hit or are close to peak oil production.

Some readers may want to see that every place in the U.S. is headed for recession. In the small City of Denham Springs, Louisiana, we are thriving and things are looking good for 2008. I own an Architectural/Engineering firm and we could give you an uplifting story about a family-owned business.

I'm recommending that Business Week publish a series of articles with real-life case studies of people who didn't recklessly use credit cards or don't even own one (like Warren Buffett). What is the standard of life for these folks?

I suggest an in-depth investigation on the misdemeanor on the part of
the banks that sold the sub-prime loans after originating and securitizing them and treating them as prime. I'd also like to see an investigation of the credit rating agencies that cleared and facilitated the sale of these securities as if they were securities covering prime credit. And finally I'd like to see an investigation of the regulators who ought to have laid down the norms/standards applicable for such transactions.

"Why should I and other prudent taxpayers shell out funds to rescue dolts who didn't read the fine print? Nor should we rescue mortgage lenders who practiced poor business. [Nor] lose more money by bailing out intemperate clowns."
Judy Rosner
ELMHURST, ILL.

I am still aghast that BW printed the above comment in its magazine. Some of these so-called "dolts" have had a child or spouse become catastrophically ill ot become ill themselves. Some established small business owners have lost everything to this economy.

My family is struggling a bit, but we weren't subprime borrowers, and I know that we will get through these times and be just fine.

The thing is, I don't think there should be a government bailout; I think that tends to rot the American national character. I think that what made this country great was hard work in the face of adversity, and frankly, we *always* pay a price when the government "gives" us anything.

But to kick people who are down, as Ms. Rosner, turns my stomach. It doesn't matter whose fault it is. Rosner's comment was unacceptable in a civil society.

I thought better of BW. Or is that what your staff think of your fellow citizens? If so, God help America.

And Ms. Rosner, I would rather be a "clown", as you so sensitively describe your fellow citizens, than an asshole like you. You're what Lester Burnham (in American Beauty) would have called a "bloodless, money-grubbing freak."

In the midst of all this economic turmoil I would love to see a report on the positive economic impact that the nuclear renaissance will have on our economy. With the cost of building one nuclear reactor reaching into the billions, there is surely going to be a lot of good that comes from this injection of money into local economies supporting the projects. While personal bank accounts may be strapped for cash, energy producers are more than eager to spend their money on building new power plants to meet the forecasted demand. The first Engineering Procurement and Construction contract for a nuc plant was just signed last week between the Shaw Group and Progress Energy Florida. Why do events like this go unnoticed? Business Week should research just how great of an economic impact this nuclear renaissance could be given the NRC's anticipation of 29 COL applications expected in 2008.

There's a lot of hand-wringing about high and increasing gas prices, but precious little talk about improvements to public transportation systems to ease the pressure on gasoline supplies. I'm specifically talking about rail transportation. Urban transit agencies and commuter rail systems are starting to report increased passenger loadings, but there has been little discussion about the national system. Amtrak has held on for 37 years in a hand-to-mouth existence, continually starved for both capital and operating funds. How about a story about how European countries in particular (France comes to mind) see rail as an integral part of the nation's transportation system, but here in the US we can't seem to break loose from old-fashioned ideas. We think of rail as a quaint carryover from the past and have an ongoing dispute over "subsidizing train riders" while no one questions the wisdom of continually sinking vast subsidies into highway, air, and water transportation. Given the inherent efficiency of rail (a single track can carry the hourly passenger equivalent of 12 lanes of highway), not to mention its much lower environmental impact, why is there no serious discussion about a real balance in our transportation network?

I'd like to know how companies decide where to locate their North American facilities and why the Deep South is eating the Rust Belt's lunch?

I want to read an in-depth story about Global Warming. Is its cause natural or human?

TITLE: Making America the Land of OpportuniTV

SUBTITLE: How America's TV networks can profit obscenely by introducing online markets that create A LOT of good jobs in the U.S., and provide people all around the world with new and improved ways to develop, demonstrate and profit from expertise.

As such, the sooner TV networks are introducing these markets, the sooner a lot of top-quality entertainment programming will:

1. Increase awareness of (proposed) public policies that (would) put taxpayers on the receiving end of gratuitous moral hazard (e.g., increase awareness via a next-gen Jed Bartlet channeling Jon Stewart and Vietnam-era Walter Cronkite)
2. Showcase elected representatives who protect taxpayers from gratuitous moral hazard

I would like a study of the present penal system with a focus on the following:

Should the incarcerated pay back society for their crimes, or does society suffer their crimes and, in addition, pay room, board, medical, dental, and amenities for them out of their taxes?

What is the gross national product loss of having about two million people behind bars under conditions described above?

Does the present penal system train convicts to return to society as productive participants, or do most convicts return to a life of crime and wind up back in jail?

Would it be better to exchange jails for work camps were convicts are made to work until they pay back their debt to society, and at the same time are exposed to a work ethic?

Would such a work force greatly reduce our balance of trade deficit, and even reverse it?

“Lack of Supply Chain Managers to hurt organized retail in India”
(Estimates say 1.2 million supply chain execs will be needed by 2010)

Legend has it that Wal-mart and its nearest rival K-mart were locked in a head-to-head to battle to dominate the North American retail space. Wal-mart and K-mart both sourced from all corners of the globe, especially South America and China. The catch, though, lay in the fact that while Wal-mart spent roughly 3 cents for every dollar of merchandise from supplier to store, K-mart spent 5 cents to the dollar. The battle of retail was the battle between the most efficient supply chains. The last man standing today is, of course, Wal-mart which has since gobbled up K-mart and is currently knocking on Indian doors, ready to make a splash in India sometime this year.

Retailing is a tough business: attrition rates, rentals and margins have had many a retailer question the viability of the sector in India. However, there are many who have committed large amounts of capital in building the retail business in India. Experts say that retailing is nothing but the building of a successful supply chain. Wal-mart succeeded and has today emerged as a retail giant. The Reliance’s, Birla’s and Bharti’s of this world will have to do the same.

Retail wastage especially on the food and grocery side means declining profitability. The management of the supply chain requires a very qualified and skilled set of personnel to drive a business as dynamic as retail. So where are these supply chain managers? The industry is abuzz with the need to build a sophisticated supply chain and volumes have been written about how it will benefit the country overall. The big question, however, is how the retailers are going to manage their supply chain without a pool of skilled manpower. The numbers doing the round are that by 2010 India will need at least 1.2 million skilled personnel across the supply chain (forecasting, procurement, logistics etc;) if retailers are to have any hope of making it to the next round of the retail battle.

Some questions:
• Why is the Supply Chain so critical, especially to retail?
• So we have companies like Reliance and Bharti looking to make big ticket investments into building chains and warehouses across the length and breadth of the country. How is that going to benefit India in the long run?
• How is the supply chain being driven currently? What are its disadvantages?
• If the shortage of skilled supply chain managers could slow down retail then what is the best way to meet the challenge?
• Is the current system geared to meet this challenge?

The battle for the Indian wallet is just heating up. Stores are coming up left, right and center and the Indian retailer is all set to woo the consumer; however, even he knows that his toughest battle lies at the back end where the supply chain could prove to be the weakest link in the race to getting the biggest bite of the consumers wallet.

Even as the economic gloom refuses to dissipate in a hurry in the U.S., there is growing interest among Business Week's international readers, particularly those in emerging economies like India, to know how real is this whole theory of decoupling. I have read some articles on this theme here, but none that maps out the impact of a continued slowdown in the U.S. on emerging economies in clear and specific terms. A hard story that attempts an industry-wise analysis of the slowdown in the context of de-coupling would be of enormous value. For example, how would the slump impact India's software exports now as compared to say how it would have in a more US-dependent scenario?

A story on the intersection of neurology, bio-technology and communications would be very interesting to Business Week readers.

Innovation in the educational system (K12 - universities)

Besides the "Most Innovative Companies", I would like to know more about the "Most Innovative Schools." Education is changing in terms of methodologies, goals, architecture, technology, etc. What are the major challenges?

What would be interesting to read?

What are the management innovations that have taken place in the past 8 years that have significantly changed the way we do business, as compared to the way we did, in the previous century!

I would recommend a story on the impact of New Age media.

Pages after pages today are filled with Facebook's ad positioning, SMS 2.0, Second Life, etc. Does the juxtaposing of entertainment and livelihood have any future or is it just a passing fad?

There has been a lot of coverage around the recession, but one sector that typically gets ignored is the non-profit market. Does a tighter belt equal bigger hearts for giving? Or, will charitable donations significantly decline, and how can the non-profit sector recover? The story can even dive into non-profits' relationship with big business and the effect on the overall economy, as well as social media/technology's impact on philanthropy and donors.

I had a "Letter to the Editor" published in the Real Estate section of the L.A. Times on 4/6/08 having to do with appraisers. Business Week's Chris Palmeri called me a few days later
wanting to talk to me about my letter and using part of it for an article he was writing. I was happy to do it and we spoke at length. I spoke to him (e-mail) a few days ago as to when his article would be on line so I could read it and he said sometime this week either Wednesday or Thursday. I sent him another e-mail asking him where on line I could find his article and he could not point me in the right direction to locate it. Can someone help?

Why is our legal system so ineffecive and what price does business and society pay for it? The constitution specifies justice, but people talk of "rule of law" (which even Mugabe claims in Zimbabwe). So what do we have to do to avoid economic disasters every 2-3 years due to an inbalanced socio-ecomonic political system? How do we get citizens involved and voting? Have they read the Constitution in the last five years?

I would recommend focusing on agriculture. Food shortages are leading to a huge rise in prices. This will have a huge effect on the worldwide economy as well as politics in the upcoming years.

It would be interesting to review the effect of technology on the music industry. Start with its history...in that it was created via technology (phonograph); how the technology was controlled and used to create an industry. And how technology has been allowed to destroy (downloading individual songs instead of albums; dowloading via piracy)the music industry paradeigm. What are the current potential solutions, if any?

Are gasoline prices still comparably cheap? Are drivers absorbing the current prices with little effect and response?
At what price does gas precipitate an urgent demand for highly fuel- efficient cars and/or meaningful changes in transportation behavior? And who will be the companies that benefit when this shift occurs? Will it be incremental or panic driven? Is it time for a $1 gas tax? How would a gas tax increase affect the market and our behavior?

I want to suggest a story on how data mining is reshaping the business and the consumer culture.
Look at the examples we have from Finance, Marketing, and Medical Diagnosis:
1) Amazon product displays
2) Google shows ads using data mining
3) Neural networks in medicine decision making
4) When I watch Youtube I want it to tell me what to watch next.
5) Decision making in various field is being outsource to computational data models.

What does it mean to the ordinary Joe and the company which Joe works at?

Dens of Gambling - Oil and food bubble about to burst?

Commodities markets seem to have become a den of gambling. With commodity derivatives being packaged into financial instruments, these are now traded like stocks and behave like a stock market. And will most likely fall like the stock markets.

For instance, the rise in the price of crude oil to around $110 now from $50 a year back is not justified by pure demand-supply issues. The world production of oil as well as physical inventories are enough to meet current consumption needs.

I believe we will hit the bottom of the economic cycle with the oil, food and real estate bubbles bursting. Crude Only then will the recovery cycle begin.

Some research seems to point toward 40% of the rise being due to speculative interests and another 40% being due to supply-demand reasons.

Is there merit in this hypothesis? Are there large speculative interests in commodities? Is this a bubble waiting to burst? if so, what could be its impact?

Amar
http://taxationindia.blogspot.com/

How about a story on the other end of the spectrum of the banking world. All the headlines of late have focussed on large banks with huge portfolios, complex investments and massive charge-offs.

But on the other end of the spectrum, banking is a much different animal. I am talking about the local community bank. The State Bank of Your Hometown that was started by local business people and investors, whose shareholders are your customers and neighbors. Whose total assets may be $150 million, just a fraction of what some banks are charging off. Places where your bankers know you by your first name......

It is a completely different world than what has been shown in the media lately.

This is a fantastic idea. I've read many articles on the Tibetan cause and the Chinese crackdown. However, I am still confused about the history between Tibet and the Chinese government. A few articles I have read about pro-China supporters attribute their support to nationalism and government brainwashing. Could this be true in a world where information runs so freely? The world may benefit from hearing a complete story told by a highly regarded publication.

My idea for a story is what sets up most marketing programs to fail? When is the last time you read about a company going out of business because of their marketing program? Yet, most companies use traditional marketing methods based on demographics, without any regards to generational mind-sets and how different they are from each other.

Very few businesses are successful with their marketing programs, even with the advancement of all the new technology and media.

They blame everything else for their failure except their marketing campaigns. Marketing is usally the weak link of most industries with the least amount of money spent on it.
The only logical way to succeed in your advertising and marketing campaigns is to separate generations with different messages, advertising the same product or service at the same time without alinating another generation. Genergraphics is the only answer, not demographics.

We need a deeper understanding of why the U.S. economy has suffered a great deal. Is it the sub-prime loan issues or is the high energy prices?

I feel it is the greed of the U.S. companies, starting insurance firms and banks. This free enterprise system is not free after all. There are people in this country who don't want to see small business succeed.

Yet, small business is the heart and soul of this country. There needs to be a lot of support from everyone to support the entrepreneur and small business person. It is what made this country so great to begin with.

I would like a story done on ebay/paypal. You hear the good but there are many problems from customers shipping goods and not getting paid through paypal. Some complain that people are using their paypal accounts without their knowledge. Customers should know the truth. We found out the hardway, with $600 gone. Amazon does not have this problem.

I would like to suggest an article on the changes in the financial institutions in the developing world after FIIs have taken significant stakes in banks and micro-finance organizations.

I would like to see a story or a series of stories on how design, products or ecosystems could change the an entire market and influence our way of living as well as the economy.
As an example: ipod or iphone, or the A380.
But certainly coming designs (electric cars in an urban ecosystem, solar-equipped and self-generating clean power from renewable sources are among the others.

Who is the ultimate beneficiary of the explosive growth of emerging markets such as China and India? The American investor.

Every morning, I wake up and brush my teeth with an Oral-B tooth brush, take a shower with Dove soap, eat Kellogg's cereal for breakfast, wear Dockers' pants, drive a Ford Ikon car and go to work at IBM.

Oh, by the way, I live in India. The significant increase in the disposable incomes of many young Indians is immensely helping American companies to improve their bottom lines. The ultimate beneficiary of this process is the savvy American investor who invested in U.S. companies that derive big portions of their revenue from emerging markets.

I would like to have good accurate info about the amount of money my city (Johnson City, TN) needs to pay out over the next 10 years to city employees that are retiring (about 1/3 of current) during that time. I believe that there is a real BIG problem that the city fathers do not want to talk about since their friends on the city's payroll will have their pensions reduced or eliminated if the general taxpayers are told the true amount. Tennessee supposedly has passed a law that makes cities and counties tell the taxpayers what the promised pensions and health care for retirees will cost over the next 5 to 10 years. what is really interesting is that no numbers have been given and I doubt that they will be given out some major media group pushes for the info to be given out.
HELP!

I read about your new social media idea and as the CEO of a social media sport site I highly value your leadership in embracing social media in one of the most important publications in the world of journalism.
One idea which I wanted to share with you is about how do you value the contribution by readers. From our experience pure payment for contribution is not the driver for readers involvement with social media. We therefore teamed up with UNICEF and are helping raise money for sport programs in South Africa through readers involvement on our site. I believe that BusinessWeek can show clear leadership by tying social media and corporate responsibility and set up a similar model in which you contribute and encourage your readers to contribute to important causes such as UNICEF.
For more about our program http://www.sportingo.com/unicef

I see a lot of stories on “consumerizing” workplace software or making it on-demand, but companies should go even further. As workers get younger, you can’t just make the software look like a fun application, such as Facebook, but also be accessible via mobile devices. There are examples of companies reaching distributors in places like Latin America via phone, because in many of those countries – everyone has a phone, but less people have internet access. Or testing a factory floor working on a machine, certifying them on the phone and they can immediately start work, keeping the production line going. Or, wouldn’t it be great to do a little skill development while sitting in the airport or waiting outside for an appointment where it’s easy to take out your phone?
It’s all about using the things that people use in their everyday lives.

Just another way to link people and the toys, I mean “tools”, which they are using.

We heard a lot about the disappearing "talent pool", but as we go into the recession, we are already finding it harder to find qualified people. Why don't companies take more time (and spend less) in developing the people that they have? They might be surprised to find out the hidden talents in the organization that take little extra work - instead of taking up my time and others in finding and interviewing candidates. Plus, I would think that employees would appreciate the development and stay - feeling more secure as we head into the downturn.

Money is like energy, it can't be destroyed. So with all these institutions losing so many billions, who is ending up with all the money they lost. Or is it falling in some big hole?

I wrote this article for Seekingalpha.com. In light of $4/gal gasoline, your readers may be pondering what will be the type of vehicle they are likely to drive in the future. I believe the solely gasoline powered internal combustion engine has seen its best day. Even if crude oil prices fall, there is environmental conservatism behind the common consumer today, and he / she is likely to demand vehicles that pollute less and yield higher fuel economy.

http://seekingalpha.com/article/71184-fmc-corporation-the-future-of-battery-technology

I think your research staff will find this an interesting subject to write about.

You should do an article on an underreported area of the software industry that can save company's millions of dollars in real estate and energy costs, among other benefits. That area is known by a number of names including facilities management or IWMS software.

ARCHIBUS, Inc. is a big player in this field and its software helped Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina avoid spending approximately $30 million on a new headquarters by reconfiguring BCBS's existing space; moreover, it freed up enough of that space to allow them to sublet some of it and generate an additional million-dollar revenue stream.

Using space more efficiently also presents an environmental/green savings angle since less wasted space means lower heating/cooling costs for organizations.

The company is also involved in a number of implementations for the State of Missouri that is helping save tens of millions in taxpayer dollars and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 200 million pounds annually (the equivalent of taking 16,000 cars off the road).

It's clear that the government can't control our foreign consumption of oil but why shouldn't it regulate individual consumption? Wouldn't federal speed limits help? I recently drove 55mph on I-40 from my home in NC to the RDU Airport and back and I only passed one car while hundreds of vehicles whizzed by me burning lots more fuel per mile (15-20%)than I. Where's our common sense? Let's drive 55, carpool, use public transportation and work from home like we did in the late '70s.

In physics, we are seeking the grand unified theory which would explain in one formula different types of forces such as gravitational, electromagnetic, nuclear et al. Today, there is another parallel in terms of man made disasters - terrorism, war, global warming, subprime crisis, food crisis, etc. I think there is a need to find a unified theory of man made disasters. If we can do that, then mankind can try to avert such large disasters, and at the very least, minimize their impact. I would like Business Week to steer the smart thinkers toward R&D on this issue.

Very simply, I'd like to see a story on where all our tax money is going. Why should the average Joe pay these taxes with little information on how that money is spent?

Look into the NIH (Nat'l Institute of Health) and its $30 billion budget for medical research. The taxpayers fund all of this; does Big Pharma get a free ride and cherry pick the 'winners?' DO they actually pay a real royalty when they benefit from that research, or a token 'few pieces of silver?' We all know they heavily fund both political parties, so would it surprise anyone to see that something very big has gone missing? We should look at this as both political parties are inclined to use taxpayer money to get big business to fund their re-election. Given the gross obscenity of Social Security and Medicare would rampant fraud and corruption be very far from the truth?

How people are using technology to keep healthy
in India and the rest of the world?

I'd like to see a story on the money cycle."

How does new money enter the financial system? How is it used? And does it get distributed around the world?

What contribution do developed and developing countries have in this cycle?

Is there a correlation between the shipping industry's performance and the signs of recession or the performance of the markets? If there is, and I think this is true, then we could predict in a way the near future of the markets or how long this recession is going to last.

The story on Warren Buffet's blood money companies, among them Kirby...

...where labor practices and methods are suspect to say the least. I know, because I used to work at Kirby.

When was the last time anyone dared to do an expose on the source and ethics of some of the money that wealthy and respected people accumulated?

The focus on the environment and global warming is in the news everyday. Al Gore's film 'An Inconvenient Truth' and his receipt of the Nobel Prize has garnered world attention to the cause of preventing climate change.

With the growth in the carbon credit industry, I think a story on the business connections between Al Gore and the carbon credit industry needs to be explored.

Start with his chairmanship of "Generation Investment Management" which invests in 'green' initiatives.

I suggest a multiple part series that delves into great detail about how to start a business that you can do on the side, the kind of business that can supplement your job. I'd like to know how to build it to completely replace your job.

Entrepreneur Ben Peterson of the book "$500 Startup I want You to be Happy & Wealthy" (www.500DollarStartup.com is the book's website), could show people how.

Ben could take readers from all walks of life and in the coming issues readers could follow these people starting an online business for $500. You know, follow the story.

It would be like Reality TV but in BusinessWeek. He did a version of this at the LA Book Fair in interviews (minus being able to follow people through their entrepreneurial journey). Ben's book is about how to start an online business with $500 (step by step). It is about the old economy being replaced by the new economy. It makes it easy that anyone can start their own business. He is also offering the ebook for free to help during these tough times.

I suggest that you write an article about low dose naltrexone.a cheap use of low dose of the out of patent medecine naltrexone. It helps thousands with ms auto-immune diseases, autism, and cancer.

Recently my wife was driven out of primary care medicine after 19 years of successful practice, all by ludicrous reimbursement policies and rates. A colleague reported to me that his daughter, a medical student, and her classmates are being besieged to go into primary care, but they all are turning down this low paying field.

We ALREADY have a primary care provider shortage, and it is only going to get worse. Since our system depends on these providers, the whole system is at risk.

How about a story on steps we can take to fix this problem?

I am amazed by what has been going on in the commodities markets. It Are we moving, as one theory says, to a "depression" in U, not a V recession? And in some contries, an L depression like Japan in the 80s? Can we assume that the stock markets move up is purely irrational exuberance that takes into account medium-term economic uncertainties?

I would like to know more about Honda's famous but widely secret product development philosophy and best practice techniques. Seems to me, that these are one of the main reasons of Honda's soaring stock price. The company has great products. Honda is into innovative product development, while Toyota is into (lean) manufacturing. They are real champions and world-class benchmarks. Why doesn't anyone write about that?

I believe that a story about the success of your current call for suggested news stories from your readers would be of great benefit to your industry and the country in general. Too much of what is presented by the so-called news media is just a bunch of the same-oh same-oh. With the internet, there is so much more that can be presented in a two-way fashion. I have only taken the time to write letters to the editor of our local newspaper three or four times in my 58.92 years on planet earth, But i have sent in six or seven comments to your magazine during the last two or three months. It is neat to see an immediate posting of my comments, and I do not have to wait serveral weeks to see if I "made it" into print. Your methods of trying to improve your magazine over the years (i.e. I have subscribed since 1973) have been one of the reasons that I have kept coming back for more. Keep up the good work.

I believe that you should reverse the order of the comments so that the most recent are on top and the older ones are listed in descending order.

First idea: I would like to see an article or series of articles that truly maps out: how the changing demographics in the U.S. (even globally) will or could possibly change the corporate workplace....essentially something that gives senior leaders a view of the future of the workplace in America...why it matters, what they should be doing to prepare, what risks loom for corporates, society and the US and global economy, etc.

Second idea: It would be nice to have a regular section or series of articles on the latest innovative thoughts from top 10 business schools...we'd love to hear those new ideas sooner rather than later...ideas make it into academic journals all the time but there's a lag time in terms how soon those ideas make into popular media...but i am sure business leaders and people with business interest would love to learn about such ideas sooner rather than later.

How about a story on why the profession of law should be transformed into the business of law? Access to capital markets is happening in Australia and the U.K. where a study by Sir David Clementi showed as many consumer complaints came from poor business service as poor legal advice. The organized bar here has various arguments to resist change and consumers have paid for this. The current business model for law firms means that firms don’t invest in assets to stay competitive globally and denies the reality that lawyers are in business to serve consumers. Investment decisions whether in R&D, infrastructure are now being made only by those who stand to lose in the short-term. Will you write about why and how the legal profession in the U.S. needs to reinvent itself?

I'd like to see a BW story about how much online poker sites take from the players by raking the pots and skimming the tournament entry fees. You did a very interesting story a couple years ago about the UK site Party Poker, reporting, as I recall, that they raked in $1 million a day. That site has since stopped doing business in the US, but many sites still admit American players.
That story described online poker as a great business for the "house", but failed to point out the simple arithmetic that makes a player's chances so slim.

I agree with Thomas Carter's email. Non-green activities should be taxed in favour of green activities.

I would be interested in reading about jobs, recruitment, employee referrals, new graduates, salaries/benefits - something with teeth not the fluff you read everywhere else titled something like "7 things you should put on your resume."

In this wild campaign season, why not try to add a little light to all the heat that is being generated. Ask your staff to make a comparison of what BW thinks of each campaigner's stated positions on federal tax policy, business and banking regs, and plans to restore our nation's infrastrusture and energy independence. Then assess how these positions would affect this nation's business and investment climate. How's that for a novel idea!

I would really like to see a story that deals factually with "bail-outs." There seems to be a double standard. When there is talk about a rescue for homeowners in our current environment, there is a lot of rhetoric about bailing out speculators. But when it comes to using tax dollars to bail out companies such as Bear Stearns or Chrysler, or providing tax relief to oil companies (there are many examples), it is to save the economy. Too many times the individual taxpayer gets demonized, but also ends up footing the bill for these "bail-outs."

What is happening to all the families who are moving out of their primary residences because of foreclosures? Are they doubling up with relatives, renting more affordable houses, decreasing apartment vacancy rates (and driving up rents)? What is the aggregate economic impact of these side effects of foreclosures?

Recently, there have been a slew of articles published in papers and magazines such as NYT and Newsweek that have talked about the decline of US hegemony and our transition into an apolar or multipolar world, namely, one where the US cannot use its influence to accomplish things as easily as it has in the past. Many things have spurred this change, and quite a few of them are economic (oil addiction, globalization etc.) What I am wondering is, is this trend towards the end of US primacy reversible, and, if so, what course should the US take to reverse it?

Analyst, pundits, and the public agree - nanotechnology will change everything.

Nanotechnology has rested on a seemingly permanent pedestal of "one day". But that day is finally coming soon.

Companies like Ford and BMW are saying nanotech-enhanced cars are in the near future, but it's not the same nanotech from Star Trek that wrecked the Starship Enterprise.

Mostly - nanotechnology is coming soon to a theatre near you, because the concept of nanotech has changed. It's no longer tiny self-replicating robots, but materials that change their properties when their size is constrained.

I would like to see a story on the changing face of nanotechnology and what it means to businesses, investors, global relationships, the environment, and life itself.

Interview an economist on this question:
What if the U.S. raises gas tax to European levels and China and India does the same? The revenue can go into public transportation infrastructure, energy conservation, and tax rebates for low-income people.

What kind of impact will this have on oil prices? What kind of impact will this have on the economy? Will this help stabilize oil prices or destabilize? Will business planning be easier or worse?

Building Brand India: Interview several cutting-edge initiatives where Indians are sought out to value add. Tell us how India is able to contribute today. What kind of impact do Indians have as teachers and traders, monks and merchants? Will the world learn as well as contribute to India?

Why not partition the Strategic Petroleum Reserve into two components - a strategic and non-strategic reserve (NSPR)?

When Bush took office, the SPR was at around 545 million barrels of oil. Now it is at 700 million barrels. Set aside 500 million barrels as the strategic reserve to be used only during times of national emergency. Allocate 200 million as non-strategic to be used at the President's discretion.

The Fed controls interest rates to manage the economy and fight inflation. Why shouldn't the NSPR be used to alleviate the current economic crisis created by inflated oil prices? It would be prudent to pop this speculative oil bubble before it gets any worse. We just went through the housing mess, so there is no point in going through another bubble. This is also a plan that could have an immediate impact on gas prices (if the bubble is really a bubble) - unlike many of the other ideas being thrown around.

Bush should announce that we are effectively putting 200 million barrels of oil on the market and will begin releasing 1 million barrels a day. Hopefully, just the shock of the announcement will do the job and not much will actually have to be released. Also, in the future, the reserves could be expanded to 1 billion barrels, and 750 million set aside as SPR and 250 million as NSPR. Refilling should resume when the prices are back to normal.

I'm not familiar with the oil market, so there are probably issues that I am not aware of, but I'm just throwing the idea out there to see if it has any merit.

Global Solar - I would like to see an article on how we could deploy solar energy around the world with all nations helping toward the effort. It is free energy after the inital start-up costs and if it were a global effort, or even a U.S. effort, it would reduce air pollution and energy costs. Could you interview solar companies, technical personnel, universities, other countries etc. on how we could make this work?

I think the newly booming outlet center market in Europe would be an intersting story to write about.

What about a story on the true CPI, which Kevin Phillips in BAD MONEY says was quietly replaced in 1990 by Greenspan and company with a bogus index that understaes the real inflation by half. Phillips says the original true CPI is calculated at this site:
http://www.shadowstats.com/article/56

Phillips and others say that the bogus CPI was devised to short change social security recepients out the COLAs to which they are entitled by law, and that millions of social security recepients are owed billions of dollars.

Marty Nemko, nationally syndicated careers columnist and author of COOL CAREERS FOR DUMMIES, says the problem with student loans is that "...the colleges and their lobbyists manipulate legislators into increasing govt-funded financial aid, which merely allows the colleges to raise their prices more i.e.the taxpayers are lining the colleges' pockets while providing the student borrowers with a TERRIBLE education."

I think this would be good story to follow up on.

I would like to see a weekly item on a cost of living (prices) index based on a basket of products and services that that most people buy and an interpretation of what the results mean to the economy, etc. also, a comparison to other G7 countries included.

TITLE: “5 REASONS YOU SHOULD NO LONGER BOTHER GETTING U.S. PATENTS”


1. NO LONGER ANY GUARANTEE OF EXCLUSIVE PATENT PROTECTION

According to the US Supreme Court in the recent Ebay case, there is no longer any assurance that rightful owners of valid US patents have any legal right to prevent unlawful trespassers from infringing his or her patent. In particular, the Ebay case specifically held that mere patent owners (e.g. non-practicing inventors or university researchers) cannot automatically assume they have any legal power to litigate against proven infringers to seek injunctive relief to block unlawful trespass.

2. NO CURRENT ASSURANCE OF RELIABLE PATENT LICENSING

Again recently according to the US Supreme Court in the Medimmune case, a patent owner who licenses his or her patent via a legally-binding patent license agreement can no longer prevent the licensor of his or her valid patent license agreement from then suing the patent owner to challenge the validity of the patent, while still getting the benefit of licensing patent rights under the patent.

3. CANNOT SEEK PATENT PROTECTION FOR MERE COMBINATION OF OLD ELEMENTS

And more recently according to the US Supreme Court in the KSR case, despite many years of legal practice well-settled to the contrary by the US Patent Office and the Federal Courts, one can no longer expect to obtain a US patent for an invention that is “merely a combination of old elements” even if the Patent Office cannot show after substantive examination of the patent application that there is no teaching, suggestion or motivation in the prior art to make such inventive combination of elements.

4. NO INCREASED DAMAGES SANCTIONABLE AGAINST WILLFUL INFRINGERS

In the recent Seagate case, infringers who receive prior written notice to warn them against their continued willful trespass of one’s patent rights are no longer held liable for paying multiple damages, unless there is clear and convincing evidence that the infringer was “objective recklessness.”

5. AND IT IS GETTING EVEN WORSE FOR PATENT PROPONENTS …

The US Patent Office is seeking now to limit dramatically the ability of patent applicants to continue to prosecute related patent applications via continuation application practice, and to limit substantially the number of patent claims that patent applicants could rightfully include previously in patent applications altogether. Furthermore, Congress is working hard at this time to reform the US patent laws to reduce significantly the reasonable royalties that a patent owner may recover as minimum remedies from guilty trespassers.

M.R., a weekly cost-of-living index based on real world economics is a neat idea. Just for the sake of this discussion, what ten things would you include in it? Anyone else want to suggest the ideal basket of products and services that most people buy as opposed to the existing government cost-of-living index?

Mr. Byrne, my idea for a story? Sure. How about a story about the FED. The FED is a private banking cartel that was created, unconstitutionally, in 1913. Since the FED came into being, the US dollar has lost over 99% of its purchasing power which was caused by the FED's relentless inflating of the money supply. This is simply criminal because it robs the people of the value of their savings. Two of the best books I ever read on this subject were: The Creature From Jekyll Island by G. Edward Griffin and The Mystery of Banking by Murray N. Rothbard. Do you folks have the guts to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth concerning the true nature of the FED? I doubt it.

I'm not sure how BW could handle this suggestion. When I entered the workforce in the mid '70's, my father and others told me to get on with a big corporation and work your way upward. The benefits and pay were good and your job would be stable. When you retired, you would draw a company retirement and social security.
All of that advice is obsolete in today's economy. Job security and company retirements are almost extinct. I went back to school to pick up an MBA and I'm still struggling. Dr. Jakes, one of my professors made the statement in class one night, "If you have a job and you are not looking for a job. You'll be out of a job." I think he nailed the current state of the economy with that statement.
Now my daughter is graduating from college and I don't have any idea what to tell her. What should she do to navigate the world of work, finance and the effects of a global economy?
Thanks.
RH

Topics I would be interested in.
1. Economic cost of the war on drugs in the USA and Latin America. And a survey among business people on legalizing drugs.
2. Economic cost of another terrorist attack on the USA and sectors of the economy most and least affected by it.
3. A story that uses benchmarks on the best and worst performing basic education programs in the world and voucher systems. Comments on the No Child Left Behind program.
4. A story about pros and cons of biofuels and countries and number of people benefited and affected with agricultural price increases.
5. A story on measures Mexico would need to take to grow its GDP and what growth and how many years would take for mexicans to achieve a level of income similar to Canada in the 90s to stop ilegal inmigration.
6. Political and economic consecuenses around the globe in case Barack Obama shuts trade agreements and installs barrier to imports or increases tariffs.
7. Story about nuclear energy. Is it safe or dangerous? Cost of it? Options on generating in Canada, Mexico or offshore and selling it in the USA.
8. I think bussinesweek could team up with investing gurus and propose an investing portfolio for people by age group and income levels. You could have 3 options of risk and returns.
9. A special section about China and investing opportunities there is a must for your magazine.
10. A story on flat taxes would be interesting pros and cons and sectors benefited and affected. Is it working on other countries?

Suggested topic for a future article: an in-depth and fully accurate view of Hispanic marketing in the United States.

Corporate America has been married to one strategy which it feels is the 'best and only' way to target Hispanics in the United States.

The truth is that the demographic landscape has changed so much in the last 10 years that companies are operating out of an outdated business model. New evidence needs to be presented and transparency must be fully embraced.

QUALIFIED PLAN INVESTORES - BEWARE THE UBI: It has become common that many investment news articles, including widely subscribed investment newsletters tout high dividend yielding investments completely ignoring the tax pitfalls that they may bring. Investors that need high yield fixed income within a qualified IRA are especially vulnerable when investing in investments that incuude income trusts, master limited partnerships, and some Canadian trusts. Most of these investors cannot deal with the dreaded tax cosequences of the dreaded "Unrelated Business Income" tax consequences buried within the bowls of the IRS tax code. Business Week would do a great service by providing an in-depth article on this subject. I know, as I almost became a victim!

Here's my story idea....Another gas price, fuel-stingy car story no less. A gallon of gas is costing more and more. Americans are switching to economical four cylinder small cars. But wait! These aren't Japanese cars, these are German cars, and a gallon of gas has just hit 25 cents a gallon! The year is 1959 (through the late-60s) and Volkswagen is successfully appealing to Americans to economize, by buying the now-legendary Beetle!

Prior to this IMPORTANT election - BW should name the top 100 MOST PROFITABLE corporations that PAY NO TAXES. Leona Helmsly said it best...'Only little people pay taxes!'

A front page story on America's total debt-Public and Private, as nobody seems to have an idea of the size and its implications on future generations. Is America living off the Future?

Everybody has an opinion on the subject of gasoline problems. Every politician has a solution that will take many years to have an effect, if it works. Nobody has a specific program to be implemented NOW. Is there such a possibility? Yes. The DOT estimates that about 200,000,000 passenger cars and vans are on the road and growing about 15,000,000 a year. The AAA estimates the average cost of owning and operating a car this year is about $8,121 up from $7,823 last year. These are mandatory. No choice. The average owner may have another 40 or so additional years of driving,(ownership). More than $300,000 at todays rate. Get people to convert cars to electric drive. When you convert the mandatory cost is used to pay for the conversion. When the cost is paid for, it then becoms an asset. Those that choose not to convert are paying many times the cost and have none of the benefits of conversion. There is a great deal more to this proposal.
C.R.

I would like the American people to know how much money the Iraqi Government has managed to save while we constantly go broke trying to bring freedom to their country. We all know what it cost us--not what they have managed to gain. That same money will be used to buy us. Eventually.

Are 24-hour business news channels effective businesses? Do they and can they have a 24-hour audience, not counting some of the invalid and the laid-off? Isn't the target audience, in every time-zone, usually too busy at the work-life vortex to devote more than 30 minutes a day for critical updates on TV? What do the program sponsors believe? Why do they sponsor business TV programmes? Who watches?

Sourav, I'm not sure there's all that much interest in this idea from a general readership. Truth is, the audience levels for business news TV channels are quite small--at all times. In the middle of the night, they're tiny.

Here are the numbers: On an average day, fewer than 10,000 people tune in to Fox Business News, according to a recent report. CNBC, the business TV news leader, does much better--but the numbers won't blow you away. According to Neilsen, an average 310,000 viewers turn on CNBC at home every day. A lot more, of course, see its programming from a treadmill in the fitness center or at the office.

So what's the big deal? Why do advertisers sponsor these shows? It's all because of the very favorable demographics of the audience. The typical CNBC viewer boasts a net worth of $2.7 million, and an average income of $156,000, according to Monroe Mendelsohn Research. That's a pretty rich target and rare for television.

Hope this helps.

We all heard many stories about ethics and morals in our childhood Now is the time to hear them in business. I suggest that BW start a regular segment on ethics, focusing on stories that will help many of us with our stress. One small story may become a moral boost to someone.

I have a story about managing mayhem. It is anecdotal account of office oddities experienced by my managment team. All accounts are true, entertaining and slightly unbelievable.

Crys, we'd love to read, hear or see your story about managing mayhem. And we have the perfect place for you to post it. We're in the midst of a major project here called Business@ Work that invites reader participation on key challenges in the world of work. Simply click the link on our home page and go to the topic for your story. Perhaps it's negotiating a bureaucracy or coping with a toxic boss. Let it rip.

I blog mainly about Cuba and Cuban-American affairs. The debate about American policy toward Cuba always seems to revolve around the trade embargo.

There's a lot of people advocating for the removal of the embargo which would open the door to American companies to do business with the Castro regime.

Since many foreign companies are already doing business in Cuba I'd like to see an an investigative piece on how it's REALLY going for them. Things I'd like to see in the piece include:

The conditions the Castro regime dictates to foreign companies doing business in Cuba.

The exact legal structure that the joint partnerships between the foreign companies and state-owned Cuban companies take.

What is the involvement of Cuban military men in the state-owned companies?

What's the level of corruption and theft among Cuban workers and higher-ups?

Does the regime keep its promises fulfill its end of the bargain.

Are these foreign companies are actually turning a profit. Specifically in the tourism sector.

How Cuban resorts REALLY stack up against those in other Caribbean countries in terms of accommodations, services, food, etc.

How many small and medium sized joint ventures have been unilaterally closed by the regime? How much money has been lost.

What difficulties are there in doing business with Cuba.

I am certain that an in-depth report of this nature about business in Cuba has not been done recently (if ever).

I think that in order to discuss what life in a post embargo world would like for American companies we need to know how it's gone for those companies that precede them.

Henry, that's quite an ambitious story you've outlined. I agree with you that an in-depth report like the one you suggest hasn't been published recently--if ever. It would take quite a commitment of resources to do this story well, and I'm not certain that the return is worth the investment at this point. I'd like to get some feedback on your idea from one of our correspondents in Latin America. Meantime, I should tell you that we recently did a Debate Room series on the issue of the Cuban Embargo, complete with an audio podcast of the debate which I moderated. You can find that by using our search function on the site or by clicking on Debate Room in the navigation bar on the home page and looking for Cuba under topics.