Australian Toaster Muffins

(Published in Strategy Journal, April 11, 2008)

difficult has been the outlook for salmon. Are dimmed and, through its president, Cesar Barros, are dedicated to injure not only those who have conducted a campaign to raise awareness of the negative impacts on environment and labor abuses that this industry rush, but also , whipping the New York Times, the newspaper American who recently became aware of the questions hanging over the industry. This led to one of the largest supermarket chains in the United States suspended imports of salmon from Chile. Immediately, on the Bolsa de Comercio de Santiago, the salmon companies lost between 4 and 5 percentage points in their prices.

attitude is not surprising Barros, his lineage is obscured arrogance to public criticism. But what is unacceptable is the attitude of state institutions. The Chilean ambassador to Washington, he hastened to write a letter to the newspaper stating that the note affects a highly profitable industry in Chile, Foreign Minister Foxley said national pride that represents the industry, Juan Gabriel Valdes, head of the country image, represented the government's desire to support the industry to avoid the damage to the Chamber of Deputies approved a draft agreement for the country to report on regulations and inspections is subject to the industry and the Minister Pérez Yoma, chief of staff announced a joint plan with industry to organize their rescue.

All he said the New York Times has long been documented. Marine Harvest, Norwegian salmon farming company operating in Chile, recognized the overuse of antibiotics and lack of regulation. However, senior government officials are quick to defend the industry as if it were the most sacred of national identity.

When such basic resources like water are severely damaged and labor rights violated by this industry, there is no authority that comes to his defense. If the salmon confuse their interests with those of the country beyond them, but when the State defends private capital as the country itself, not only is a shame unpresentable, but a demonstration of the serious crisis of representation that displays the country today and apparent lack of political democracy that is realistic and effective.

Marcel Claude, Executive Director Institute Politika.

The Best Electronic Coyote Call

Capital and Public Interest Once More

(Published in The Nation, April 9.2008)

At the time the lobby project, submitted by Members and Jorge Burgos Tohá Carolina in 2002, was ready to be enacted, the new Senate President Adolfo Zaldívar announced a crackdown aimed to specify either senators and their interest, which by law must be declared. The combination of this background the opportunity to bring to the fore public transparency of the parliamentary-and by extension the political role "in Chile. This is because even if Zaldívar is right, parliamentarians, as you said the comptroller Ramiro Mendoza, act fairly with impunity and protected by law, where the laws of transparency and integrity do not alter your sound sleep and his "good act."

To this point has been reached regarding the deputy Burgos acknowledged that the situation in Congress is "opaque" and that often has been "gentlemen" to monitor how each MP votes given project, which is undoubtedly a embarrassment to anyone who believes in deepening democracy. The situation is even darker for those who roam in the halls of the legislature and try to influence the will of the elected representatives of the people, to abandon the public does not assume such a condition. A few months ago, Que Pasa interviewed the twelve best-known lobbying firms in the country: nine said they did not undertake this activity. Only Imaginacción, Enrique Correa, said recognize and understand that defending particular interests. Astonishing degree of impunity for doing such a factor.

Beyond the lobby regulation more transparent and thus seeks to enshrine the "lesser evil"-which does not and can not mean that this mechanism is good and desirable, also struck by the dual role of several reputable lobbyists who exert the while political responsibilities (public good) while earning their income from representing private interests. If you are advisers of high authorities of the Republic if they apply to elected positions or leading civic organizations, how can the city tell where is the public interest and where the private sector? When agents of the higher interests of the country or when they do it to encourage customers with whom they work? The problem is that when an active part in politics becomes the comparative advantage of a lobbyist, we entered an area extremely dangerous to the public interest.

In what has to do with Congress, we can say responsibly that, so far, the institution has not done anything to regulate itself, leaving limits extremely tenuous between the lobby, influence peddling and the open operation for private or personal interests. Regarding the latter, the Constitutional Act which are subject parliamentarians, is clear: the obligation not to act, to not vote and a fortiori not to deal with laws that are committed to them or their relatives to the third degree inbreeding. However, failing this legal provision has not had any consequences in practice for MPs, who not infrequently have legislated in favor of their own interests. Adolfo Zaldívar

knows plenty, since his brother Andrew to be Senate President and himself the owner of the DC and member of the Committee on Fisheries, handled the call Fisheries Act in 2002 that favored the company Eperva Angelini group, in which 18 family members were shareholders Zaldívar. Adolfo Zaldívar not abstained from voting in favor of the law. For none of the senators there was the slightest consequence. One continued to be chairman of the Senate and vice president of Chile and the other parliamentary and today it is still new president of the Senate.

welcome, therefore, the progress of the lobby law and the proposal of Senator Zaldivar the sake of transparency. Chile needs to develop its democracy not only by overcoming the binomial system but also with measures like these, which include public access to public information, political funding and the possibility of revoking mandates citizen who has been chosen as seriously injured trust those who took him to victory. Let's see how far you can advance the so-called political class in this direction.

Marcel Claude, an economist.

How Long Does Ruptured Spleen Take To Heal

( Strategy Published in Journal March 28, 2008 )

Once again the controversial Value Added Tax came into the political arena. From the perspective of public finance is critical as a tax used to finance the State approximately 40%. This explains why the Minister Velasco discomfort with the idea of \u200b\u200blowering it, it is the cornerstone of its "responsible fiscal policy" aimed at preventing shortfalls and imbalances in public expenditure program, but, more importantly, the government avoids confrontation de Velasco with economic power, because obviously this would raise other taxes to compensate for the reduction of VAT and, given the tax load that is on the Chileans, would be absurd to give a hand and take away the other would be like in the box to win a fight: him everywhere and that policy and would be best, since it is nothing less than the usual abuse policy is the regular, ongoing and systematic policy applied in Chile since the power to citizenship.

must understand the importance of this tax when the tax burden in Chile hopefully get to 17% of GDP, while in other countries, the developed-over 30 and 40%. Without this tax, in practice, there would be no state, disappear almost completely and that is certainly the interest that many have, particularly the ultra-liberal entrepreneurs and anarcho-capitalists would like to see even the word state out of the dictionary of the Royal Academy of Spain .

This clearly, Velasco would say that VAT is a tax insane mental health of Chileans, it depends on the family budget. Produces the feeling of injustice so widespread in the national spirit. There are the possibilities of employers to exempt from this tax when they buy cars or other "capital goods" on behalf of their companies, and there are the ridiculously low rates paid by companies for their profits (17%) while housewives pay 19% as purchase and taxes without paying for what they earn discounts and rebates or tax breaks that benefit entrepreneurs are in abundance. Yet

is shameful proposal to lower from 19 to 18% VAT. Is so negligible so insignificant that irritates the poor attitude of parliamentarians and shows how incapable the policy today is to improve the status of the Chilean people.

Marcel Claude, an economist.

Basmati Rice And Divirticulits

VAT Court Competition: When institutions function

( Published in Journal Strategy March 14, 2008 )

Recently, the public learned of the decision of Falabella and D & S for not following the courts to reverse the decision of the Court of Defense of Free competition, which last January, did not accept the request submitted in June 2007 by the controlling shareholders of both companies. The rejection was based on that the operation would create a company -read-dominant monopoly in the retail, department stores, supermarkets, real estate and financial business partner. That is, they produce a substantial and lasting competitive conditions in a very important market for Chilean, with adverse effects on welfare in the price, quantity and quality of traded products.

Of course, not surprising, given the lukewarm attitude of the overwhelming arguments to hand over the Tribunal, the National Economic Prosecutor, who, while recognizing the legitimacy and substance of the issues raised by the Court, at the time chose not to reject the merger because, although identified serious risks to competition, proposed mitigation measures if such merger is accepted. The contradictory behavior that shows the Prosecutor, recommending to the same arguments that it was possible to merge, given the difficulties that exist in Chile for such important institutions, to prevent the creation of monopoly markets, to fulfill her role pressure or undue influence of economic power.

On the other hand, is funny and annoying at the same time, the argument advanced by the controllers of these companies, in that this merger will allow for economies of scale that would facilitate international competition, ie have reasons of efficiency. This argument about reinventing the economic theory of monopolistic market structures, as it seeks to convince us that the formation of monopolies lowering market prices and an increase of social welfare. Monopolies have the power to effectively lower their costs, especially when in the case of retailing in Chile, are both monopsony, that is, are major powers on the side of demand for raw materials and supplies. But rather than written and theorized that these cost reductions only increase their profits and are unlikely to benefit consumers. Marcel

claude, Economist.