Taxes, Benefits, Capitalism
Apple has 489 open appeals with regards to property taxes. The company disputes what the assessor valued at $8.5 billion in property. In one of those appeals, Apple says that a cluster of properties in the vicinity of Apple Park is not worth $1 billion, but is in fact worth only $200. Fortune, August 13, 2018
The cost of worker pay and benefits edged up 2.8%, marking the biggest yearly gain in a decade. MarketWatch, July 31, 2018
“There are three eras of currency: Commodity based, politically based, and now, math based.” Chris Dixon
For the first time in Gallup’s measurement over the past decade, 57% of Democrats have a more positive image of socialism than they do of capitalism. Republicans remain much more positive about capitalism with little sustained change in their views since 2010. Gallup, August 13, 2018
While down from 300 million people playing Pokemon Go, there remains a robust community of some 60 million people still playing the outdoor augmented reality game. But still, today, there are more players of the game than users of Uber, which has 40 million active users. The Guardian, August 20, 2018
More than 200 million vacation days were left on the table in 2017, and the lost value of those untapped benefits was $62 billion last year alone. For each worker, that “donation” to their employer of untapped paid time comes out to $604. CNBC, August 12, 2018
“I’ve been at the bottom. I’ve been at the top. Both places are empty.” Nico
