Paying Full Price for Luxury Goods in a Dollar General Economy

$775

Even Marked Up, Luxury Goods Fly Off Shelves. (The New York Times, 8/4/2011)

Excerpt: Nordstrom has a waiting list for a Chanel sequined tweed coat with a $9,010 price. Neiman Marcus has sold out in almost every size of Christian Louboutin “Bianca” platform pumps, at $775 a pair. Mercedes-Benz said it sold more cars last month in the United States than it had in any July in five years.

Even with the economy in a funk and many Americans pulling back on spending, the rich are again buying designer clothing, luxury cars and about anything that catches their fancy. Luxury goods stores, which fared much worse than other retailers in the recession, are more than recovering — they are zooming. Many high-end businesses are even able to mark up, rather than discount, items to attract customers who equate quality with price.

WiscNet Lawsuit Case Summary Now Includes Names of Defendants' Attorneys

It was reported at a meeting hosted by DPI staff on Tuesday, August 2, that Wisconsin Independent Telecommunications System/Access Wisconsin has filed more detail on their complaint.  I have not seen this additional information but will certainly pass it along when it becomes publicly available.

Note that the injunction hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, August 30, at 1:00 p.m.

LINK

Related WiscNet/BCCB posts:

An example of how advocacy works.  (7/31/2011)
From Peter C. Anderson's Court Official Calendar for Dane County.  (7/24/2011)
Lawsuit update and summary.  (7/22/2011)
Judge Anderson denies UW broadband restraining order.  (7/21/2011)
Plaintiffs v. Defendants.  (7/20/2011)
Telcos whine while Wisconsin falls behind.  (7/20/2011)
Access Wisconsin news release.  (7/19/2011)
LRB clarifies WiscNet veto. (6/30/2011)
WiscNet:  Moving Forward.  (6/30/2011)
Walker's WiscNet veto:  What does it mean?  (6/27/2011)
Rest assured they'll be more fights in this battle.  (6/24/2011)
Wisconsin Senate passes budget.  (6/17/2011)
Amendment update.    (6/16/2011)
Assembly passes budget at 3:05 a.m.  (6/16/2011)
Wispolitics budget blog.  (6/15/2011)
Wisconsin ranks 43rd for broadband Internet coverage.  (6/15/2011)
Ron Kind news release.  (6/15/2011)
Assembly 8.  (6/15/2011)
Highest level alert.  (6/15/2011)
This is what democracy looks like.  (6/15/2011)
WSTA's day of disappointment.  (6/14/2011)
They can hear us now.  (6/14/2011)
Appleton Post-Crescent editorial.  (6/14/2011)
YouTube video.  (6/14/2011)
Hedberg Public Library promotes WiscNet.  (6/14/2011)
League of Wisconsin Municipalities press release.  (6/14/2011)
UW General Counsel opinion.  (6/13/2011)
Ars Technica WiscNet coverage.  (6/13/2011)
Wausau Daily Herald editorial.  (6/13/2011)
If your representative is Robin Vos...   (9/13/2011)
Baraboo School Board unhappy with JFC WiscNet action.  (6/13/2011)
WiscNet debate from the NE WI prospective.  (6/12/2011)
David Weinhold letter to editor.  (6122010
Rep. Moelpske's statement. (6/11/2011)
COLAND letter to Sen. Fitzgerald.  (6/10/2011)
Rhonda Puntney's op-ed piece.  (6/10/2011)
Nass letter to Fitzgerald and Vos.  (6/9/2011)
CINC response.  (6/9/2011)
UW response.  (6/9/2011)
Manna from heaven.  (6/8/2011)

Fiasco:  School Administrators Alliance unhappy with JFC WiscNet action.  (6/8/2011)

Sen. Pam Galloway and Rep. Jerry Petrowski need to hear about WiscNet from their constituents.  (6/8/2011)
But, federal funds to expand high-speed Internet could be reviewed.  (6/8/2011)

Sen. Vinehout statement.  (6/7/2011)
Rep. Clark statement.  (6/7/2011)
Tony Evers' memo.  (6/7/2011)
Unintended consequence of section 25?  (6/7/2011)
Section 23: what the fuss is about.  (6/7/2011)
A crowbar:  A tool we don't need for WiscNet.  (6/7/2011)
WiscNet needs your attention and immediate action.  (6/6/2011)
The end of WiscNet as we know it.  (6/5/2011)

Daily Union Series on Public Libraries and the Elimination of Maintenance of Effort (2nd Installment)

LINK

Costs are up and funds down at the Dwight Foster Library in Fort. (Jefferson County Daily Union, 8/3/2011)

Excerpt:   Librarians all over the state are concerned about the elimination of the Maintenance of Effort statutes that required municipalities to provide fairly steady support to their libraries. Under Governor Scott Walker and the Legislature, this requirement, which had been in force for the last three decades, has been eliminated.

In the past, this requirement has dictated that municipalities should continue to fund their libraries at the same level of funding as they have in the average of the last three years.

"This has been part of the law for a long time," Meyer said.

Explaining the reasoning behind it, she said that if one municipality funds its library at a much lower level, it will impact other area libraries as people turn elsewhere to check out and use library resources.

"At some point, a library becomes a drain on a system when it's not contributing as much as it's taking away from other libraries," Meyer said. "Now that this protection has been removed, there's a lot of concern and fear about what that may bring."

In Fort Atkinson's case, she said, she has a lot of faith in the city council and in the local community to continue supporting the library as it has in the past.

"It took a lot of faith on the part of the community to try to build a new library in this time, and now that we have the new library, I think it's going to continue to be supported," Meyer said.

Meanwhile, she said, library planners must be very creative about conserving their resources while still offering the high level of service that the community has grown to expect.

Meyer said she is extremely relieved that the state's Joint Finance Committee decided to restore WiscNet, the low-cost Internet service for the state's libraries and schools.

"It is the backbone for our automation system and how we share materials," Meyer stated.

Related post:
Jefferson Public Library. (8/3/2011)