Independent local hip-hop artists gain national recognition

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

“I don’t know if you decide to become an artist. It’s just something that’s in you. Now, I don’t know any other way,” A. Uno said during a recent rehearsal in Seattle. Before A. Uno and his partner in music, Bobby K, started the hip-hop and R&B group Steelo, they were just two regular local boys with one big dream—a dream to make music. Now, after years of struggling in the industry, they are finally being recognized on the West Coast and on the East Coast— on a national scale.

A. Uno, also known as Amir Sadeghi from Lynnwood, and Bobby K, also known as Robert Kohlmeier from Polsbo, first met in 2003 while going to school at Whatcum Community College in Bellingham. The first song they wrote together, “Tell Me,” became a local hit in Bellingham and was played regularly at The Royal, a popular hip-hop and R&B nightclub. “From there, people just kept encouraging us to pursue music and to keep making music together,” A. Uno said.

At first, they wanted to remain solo artists, but eventually realized that their music would be better if they worked together. Soon after, A. Uno and Bobby K recorded their first five-song demo. “In a nutshell, we sound like what pop, hip-hop and R&B is on the radio. Not saying that we sound like Soulja Boy, because we don’t. People have related us to Frankie J and Baby Bash because we are an official hip-hop and R&B duo,” Bobby K said.

As a hip-hop and R&B duo, they tried to find a name that was as unique as them. The name, Steelo, comes from the Spanish word estilo, which means style. Also, steelo is a common term for style in the hip-hop community as well; the term is used in reference to songs, music, clothes and cars. (For example, “That song is my steelo.”) By naming their group Steelo, A. Uno and Bobby K combined Latin as well as hip-hop influences to make their own unique “Steelo.”

Steelo, along will locally based artists, has continuously experienced tremendous difficulties during the economic crisis. “The biggest challenge for any musician is that the music industry right now seems to be exponentially worse than the recession in America,” Bobby K said. “A lot of artists out there, who should get breaks, don’t get breaks. Label’s pockets are tightening up. They aren’t taking chances on artists anymore. We probably would have been signed by now if the economy was better.”

Faced with the reality of the economic recession and the fact that labels aren’t signing many artists, A. Uno and Bobby K realized that if they were ever going to make it within the music industry, they needed to create their own opportunities. “It is not that easy to succeed in music right now,” Bobby K said. “It’s tough, but it’s something we have to do. We aren’t trying to do it because we want to get rich.”

In response to the challenges before them, Steelo decided to use their independence to their advantage and create their own record label. “We put on all of our own music through Steelo Entertainment LLC. But, since we are independent, we don’t necessarily have the same budgets that big record labels have,” A. Uno said.

Limited financial backing has not stopped Steelo from making the music they love to make. Recently, Steelo recorded songs that have received national radio airplay– in LA, Boston and New York. Their music has also received considerable recognition on Myspace. Their song “Let It Roll” has been listened to over 28,000 times, and their song “Make Up My Mind” has been listened to nearly 30,500 times. “A big success for us is that we have both still stuck it out since the beginning,” Bobby K said. “And, we’ve gotten the opportunity to open for artists such as Lloyd Banks, Pitbull, Digital Underground, Sean Kingston and Magic Juan.”

In 2008, the duo flew across the country to make the music video for “Make Up My Mind”—one of their biggest successes to date. “It was incredible to shoot the video in New York,” A. Uno said. “It was one of those moments you always think about, and then, all of a sudden, it was a reality. I looked over at Bobby and said, ‘This is it. This day is here. Here we are.’” The video has since been played on Mun2, MTVTr3s, local video shows in Atlanta as well as footlocker stores nation wide.

In April 2009, Steelo is set to release their first official CD, entitled Music. “When you listen to this album that we’ve come out with, you are going to hear a lot of different influences,” said A. Uno. “The album is very versatile; there is not one song that sounds like the other. Our music is mulatic and instrumental, but, at the same time, it’s catchy.”

Steelo will be performing April 15, 16 and 17 at Seattle’s Fashion Week. Also, the album release party for their new CD will be held on April 30 at Venom nightclub in Seattle. To watch Steelo’s music video for “Make Up My Mind” or to get more information about upcoming performances, visit their website at www.myspace.com/steelomusic.

UW groups react to budget crisis

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

Faced with 13 percent budget cuts for the University of Washington, Mark A. Emmert, the president of the UW, addressed the economic crisis in a town hall meeting on March 3 in Kane Hall. In response, a group of UW students, graduate students, faculty and staff met on March 5 in Parrington Hall to discuss the economic crisis and propose possible budget cut alternatives.

“We came together because we felt like the UW is a community– is our community, and no body is providing the kind of leadership that we need,” James D. Ritter, a faculty maintenance mechanic, said. “We can’t sacrifice higher education, because it is the most important right now. If we trash it, it will take years to get it back.”

The group, which has no official name, for the time being calls itself the Anti Budget Cut Coalition or the ABC’s. The coalition is composed of activists from various campus organizations such as the International Socialist Organization (ISO) and the Student Liberation Action Project (SLAP). The meeting was a community discussion where the 14 attendees analyzed Emmert’s statements as well as the actions of the Washington State Legislature.

Faced with an influx of questions and concerns, Emmert recently e-mailed students, faculty and staff of the UW and said: “The Governor’s budget proposes a 13 percent cut for the University, which translates to a $116 million reduction for the 2009-2011 biennium. This cut comes on top of a 4.25 percent cut — $17 million — we have already taken this year. But the hard reality is that cuts of this magnitude would mean the loss of hundreds of positions at the University.” For the next two years, the UW is looking at a total decrease of $133 million in public funds.

Many people at the coalition meeting heatedly voiced their frustrations and concerns over the pending job cuts. Bernadette Logue, staff at the UW Medical Center, said: “I think people are very scared and disoriented right now. Emmert is proposing to cut [600-] 800 jobs. People are panicking; staff and faculty may lose their jobs and students can’t pay their tuition.”

The coalition discussed various alternative ways to circumvent the budget crisis. The alternatives they proposed are to reduce the executive administrative salaries, tap the university’s endowment, pressure the state legislature to implement a more progressive tax system in the state and require more transparency about the budget process.

The most intense discussion in the meeting was over the astonishing salaries that UW’s executive administrators receive. The coalition issued a statement noting that at least three of the UW’s provosts earn over $300,000 per year, not including fringe benefits. Emmert, who is the second-highest paid public university president in the country, earns more than $900,000 including fringe benefits—despite having turned down a pay increase in November 2008. “The president gets paid too much,” Ritter said.

The coalition voted unanimously to establish a research committee and a panel committee, and is writing a mission/purpose statement. In addition, they are going to start a grass roots lobbying project. They are planning to make fliers and distribute them at town hall meetings, acquire signatures for a letter of petition and get help from other campus organizations. They also decided that meetings will be held one or two days after Emmert’s speeches in town hall in order to discuss and react to the most current decisions about the budget crisis.

In early April, the coalition is planning to hold a panel discussion between legislators, students, faculty and staff. “Instead of them [the legislature and Emmert] telling us what we need to sacrifice, or the other way around, we need to have an open dialogue between us and them,” Matt Reed, student activist in SLAP, said.

The next meeting of the Anti Budget Cut Coalition will be held on March 12 in Parrington Hall room 206 at 6 p.m. For more information about the coalition, e-mail them at abccoalition@gmail.com.

UW Dance competition features hip-hop, pop and lock & jazz

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

On Feb. 20, nearly 700 people packed Kane Hall, on the University of Washington campus, to show support for Swagger Live Entertainment’s first official event and dance competition—“Seattle Show Stoppers 2009.” With a setup similar to “America’s Best Dance Crew,” the event brought together nine of Seattle’s best local dance crews to compete against each other for the first place title and a $1,000 prize.

Swagger Live Entertainment originated from the minds of six students, Nadya Alli, Travis Luong, Tomson Mukai, Canaan Sacks, Leeching Tran and Steven Woo, who were assigned to do a class project in the UW’s Foster School of Business. For the past three months, SLE has worked to find the right venue, select the judges and crews and promote the show.

“In the business school, there is an entrepreneurship track, and one of the classes is to create your own business,” said Tran, a senior majoring in business. “So, this is what the six of us have been doing since the beginning of last [fall] quarter. We wanted to do something that would get people excited and would get people to interact with each other. So, we decided to form a dance competition. Seeing the crowd and the energy here tonight, all of the hard work has been worth it. We are definitely planning to continue [SLE] even after the class is over in March.”

SLE managed to find nine dance crews who were ready and willing to display their choreography and to compete against others. “We were scouting for anyone who had a dance group and wanted to perform,” Tran said. “It turns out, in Seattle, there is a tight-knit dance community. And within it, we have all of these amazing groups. So, once we found one group who was interested in performing, it was easier to find the next, and the next, because they are all intermingled.”

The dance crews performed elaborately choreographed routines that ranged from two to nearly five minutes in duration. The crews included Phyzikal Graffi-T, Sick, Kontagious Movement, Seattle U Dance Team, Breaking Point Dance Company Varsity Crew, Butch Queens, Rated E, Kontagious Performing Company, and Change. Within their routines, each crew incorporated a mixture of different styles and influences—including hip-hop, breakdancing, jazz, old school hip-hop from the 1980s, popping and locking.

“I loved the performances,” said Inna Levin, a recent UW graduate. “I have been dancing for years, and I know a lot of people on the dance teams. They keep getting younger but they are just as talented as people my age. Most of them looked like they were either from junior high or high school.”

The crews with some of the youngest dancers, Rated E, Breaking Point Dance Company Varsity Crew and Kontagious Movement, were chosen by the judges to compete in the final round. “We judged the performances based on execution, creativity, difficulty, entertainment value and its overall success,” said Julie Holmbert, an event judge.

In the final round, the three remaining crews changed their clothes, calmed their nerves and set out to put on their best performances. Rated E, a crew with three female dancers age 10-11, captivated the crowd. Breaking Point, a large crew with 15 dancers, danced with perfect precision and was completely in sync. From the final performances, Kontagious Movement stole the show—receiving a standing ovation from the crowd.

As the event’s MC, David Fung, announced the first place winners, all 10 members of Kontagious Movement knelt down on the stage and bowed their heads in prayer. In the end, Kontagious Movement won first place and $1,000, Rated E won second place with a prize of $500, and Breaking Point won third place with a prize of $200.

“We definitely want to make ‘Seattle Show Stoppers’ an annual event, so we will most likely have one next year as well. And, we will see what other ideas we come up with along the way,” Tran said.

For more information about Swagger Live Entertainment or upcoming events, visit www.swaggerlive.com or www.myspace.com/swaggerlive.

Will You Marry Me—Right Now?

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

With the world listening and a restaurant full of people watching on Valentine’s Day, Timothy Allen, a Tacoma resident, got down on one knee and said to his girlfriend, Carissa, “Will you marry me—right now?”

KUBE 93’s “Marry Me Now” promotion event was designed for one lucky listener to propose to his girlfriend on Valentine’s Day and get married that same day—and have all of it broadcast live on the air.

Having successfully done a “Marry Me Now” promotion event in the past, KUBE 93 wanted to try it again. Victoria Koch, KUBE 93’s promotion director, said: “Timothy was selected from about 100 people who applied. We chose him because his story was so unique and he told us that he was sure his girlfriend would say yes.”

Allen told KUBE 93 that he and Carissa met after their high school graduation in 1996. Since 1998, the couple has desperately tried to have a baby, but had a very difficult time conceiving. Over the years, Allen proposed to Carissa several times, but she said no each time.

“If we couldn’t have a baby, we probably would not be together,” Allen said. However, in 2008, after 10 years of trying, they were finally blessed with a baby boy—Marcus Jordan, who is a year old. Now, finally ready to get married, Allen said, “She is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. Please help me KUBE 93.”

After Allen was chosen, KUBE 93 set out making very detailed preparations for the engagement and the wedding ceremony. The event, which was sponsored by various KUBE 93 clients, provided everything for the engagement and the wedding at absolutely no cost to Allen. In addition, KUBE 93’s radio personality, Eric Powers, got ordained on the Internet so that he could conduct the wedding ceremony himself live on the radio.

Powers, Allen and KUBE’s Hot Patrol strategically waited outside the Applebee’s in Southcenter for Carissa to arrive. Having no knowledge of the proposal, she was lured there under the assumption she was having dinner with Allen’s sister.

As Carissa walked into the restaurant, which was filled with the Valentine’s Day crowd, every person stopped eating and stared at the unfolding spectacle before them. While on air, Allen, in a low mumbled voice, proposed to Carissa. As she said yes, Allen placed a ½ carat diamond ring with a white gold band, provided to him by EE Robins jewelry store, on her finger. When he did this, people in the restaurant erupted with applause.

After the quickie engagement, the bride was whisked off to the Alfred Angelo Bridal store, also in Southcenter, to pick out her dress for the ceremony. Since Allen was unsure of Carissa’s exact measurements, the bridal store gathered a variety of dresses beforehand for her to try on.

After Carissa found the perfect dress, boutique workers styled her hair and did her makeup. She chose a white dress with red fabric that delicately trimmed the top and bottom, and wore a diamond tiara on her head that held up her veil. In addition, Alfred Angelo gave Carissa a free gift certificate for a custom made dress of her choice—to redeem if she and Allen decide to have a more formal ceremony later on.

All of the bride’s family knew about the proposal and were waiting for her at the bridal boutique. As Carissa and her father walked down a makeshift aisle in the boutique, family members and close friends hummed a wedding march, because the boutique and KUBE had both forgotten to bring music.

While live on air, Allen and Carissa professed their love for each other and were married. “It’s been a long time coming,” Allen said after the ceremony. “Carissa has been there for me, even after I had my first son during high school. She treats him like he is her own.”

After the wedding, the bride and groom cut the cake, which was provided by the Celebrity Cake Studio. During the apple cider toast, with tears in her eyes, Juliet Williams, Allen’s sister, said: “I just want to say that I love you guys. Now, I can say that I have a sister-in-law. I’ve never had a sister and I’ve always wanted one.”

A full recap of the “Marry Me Now” promotion event, including video, audio and pictures, can be seen on KUBE93.com.

Lil’ Wayne at Key Arena: he’s up, he’s down, he’s all around …

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

The Grammy-nominated rapper from New Orleans, Lil’ Wayne, exploded onto the stage in a burst of fire and smoke at Seattle’s Key Arena on Jan. 25 for his “I Am Music” tour, which also featured T-Pain, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson.

The whirlwind tour, which hit more than 24 cities in a six-week period from December to January, culminated a record-breaking year for the veteran rapper.

His latest album, “Tha Carter III,” sold over 2.7 million copies in the U.S. alone—making it a multi-platinum album as well as the best-selling album of 2008. Due to his soaring success, Lil’ Wayne received more Grammy nominations than any other artist—eight nominations in all. Also, it was announced last week that Lil’ Wayne, Jay-Z, T.I. and Kanye West will be performing their hit single “Swagga Like Us” at the upcoming Grammy Awards.

“There’s always a lot of craziness and a lot of hype at his concerts,” Tarynn Swobody, a communication student at the University of Washington – Bothell, said. “And, he is all over the stage all of the time. He never stands in one spot. He’s on the ground. He’s up in the air. He’s jumping up and down. He’s just a lot of fun to watch.”

While Lil’ Wayne entertained the audience and performed a variety of songs from his six albums, his band performed literally in the air. This unique stage setup placed his entire band, including his DJ and guitarist, on several platforms that were suspended from the ceiling on wire cables—resembling an elevator with no sides. Throughout the concert, the platforms moved up and down—creating constant movement and excitement on stage.

With the Key Arena nearly filled, hundreds of screaming fans paid $125 each for floor seats in front of the stage to show their support and devotion to Lil’ Wayne and his music. “If you don’t remember shit from tonight, remember I ain’t shit without you,” Lil’ Wayne humbly said to his fans.

“I think Lil’ Wayne is a great performer, and he put on a great show,” Shane Morales, a junior at the University of Washington, said. “He had good pyrotechnics, a good stage presence and strong audience appeal. He’s a great rapper. He’s good at what he does, and he makes good songs. I think that’s all that really matters.”

During Lil’ Wayne’s performance, T-Pain, on his Segway, rolled onto the stage to perform their song “Got Money,” which is the third official single off  “Tha Cater III” and is nominated for a Grammy for the Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Together on stage, Lil’ Wayne and T-Pain announced the future release of a collaborative “T-Wayne” album, which received overwhelming approval from the audience.

During T-Pain’s solo performance, he played the piano and sang a variety of songs from his three albums, “Rappa Ternt Sanga,” “Epiphany” and “Thr33 Ringz”—which was released in November. Along with Lil’ Wayne, T-Pain also received Grammy nominations. Proud of his musical talent and many accomplishments, T-Pain said to the audience, “I write my shit. I produce my shit, and I sing my shit.”

With the title of “Thr33 Ringz,” T-Pain modeled his stage after a circus theme. T-Pain explained, “The industry I’m in is just like a three ring circus.” The circus was fully equipped with a carousel, tent and trampoline, along with women on stilts, dancing little people and fire dancers as circus acts.

Also, T-Pain angrily spoke about another artist whose album has a similar title to his—Britney Spears’ “Circus” album, also released in November. Afterward, Spears’ music began to play, giving the audience the impression that she was about to come on stage. But instead, a little person with bleached blonde hair came on stage dressed in a red PVC cat suit, like the one Spears wore in her “Oops!…I Did It Again” video.

While the look-alike was dancing around on stage mocking Spears, T-Pain’s song, “I’m N Luv (With A Stripper),” came on. Then, the look-alike stripped off the cat suit and danced provocatively, wearing only black lingerie. This incident sparked controversy and was the topic of conversation on local radio programs, including KUBE 93, the following day.

At the end of his performance, T-Pain said to the audience, “We leave you with these words of encouragement, words of wisdom—the words that got me where I am and will get you where you want to be. Don’t do it because it’s cool, do it because you’re cool.”

To see if Lil’ Wayne and T-Pain receive Grammy Awards, watch the 51st Annual Grammy Awards on CBS on Feb. 8, live from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Hip-hop awards in sync with MLK celebration

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

In the midst of a historic time in our country’s history, local hip-hop, rap and R&B artists from all over the Seattle area gathered on Jan. 17 at the Columbia City Theater for the Martin Luther King Jr. County Executive Awards for Excellence in Hip Hop.

The awards for hip-hop excellence recognize and honor innovative performers who are involved in community service and entrepreneurial achievements. Not only do they recognize artists, but they also acknowledge local leaders within the hip-hop community who have helped to build and sustain a strong ethnic community in the King County area.

Even though the local hip-hip community is exploding with talented artists and creative minds, only five artists and five community leaders were nominated for the award—making it a distinctive honor worthy of recognition. The artists include Steelo, Kontagious, Silver Shadow D, The EriAm Sisters and Chani. The community leaders include 206 Hip Hopumentary Team, Isiah Anderson, Northwest Tap Connection, Jennifer Commodore and Central District Forum for Arts and Ideas.

Veteran hip-hop artist Silver Shadow D won an award for Excellence in Hip Hop. “As a writer, recording engineer, performing artist and human beatbox, he has exemplified dedication, hard work and creativity,” event organizer Tony Benton said. He was inducted into the Experience Music Project in 2000, and has become a MySpace phenomenon with over 1.4 million views. Also, he has become an inspirational figure for local artists.

In addition, Chantel “Chani” Christie, a recording artist, model and actress from California, also won an award for Excellence in Hip Hop. Along with the release of her new album, “My Dream,” she will soon be releasing her first book, “A Teen’s Guide to Finding Self Love.”

Steelo, a hip-hop/R&B group formed by two Washington natives, was among the select group of nominees. Having opened for well-known performers such as Pitbull and Magic Juan, Steelo has received national airplay for their recent hit single “Make Up My Mind,” which they performed live at the award show. “When I heard about the nomination, I felt surprised and excited,” A.Uno, from Steelo, said after he got off stage. “We were chosen out of hundreds of entries. I feel very honored to be here.”

Along with Steelo, eight other talented local artists performed as well. “My music was played on StreetBeat on KUBE 93. [The host] Tony B liked it, and asked me to perform it in the show,” Melissa Roork, an up-and-coming R&B artist from Tacoma, said before she got on stage. “I write music and record whenever I can. This is more than my hobby—it’s my passion.”

Some of KUBE 93’s radio personalities, including Eddie Francis, Tony B and DJ Vinnie the Pooh, attended the event to show their support for local artists. The entire event was recorded and streamed live on their web site, and can still be viewed on www.kube93.com. KUBE 93 supports local artists via StreatBeat and the Sunday Night Sound Session—where artists can submit their music to be played on their station.

While the event honored and celebrated local artists and their diverse success stories, it also showed appreciation for the man who made the entire journey possible—Martin Luther King Jr. Powerful images and videos of the challenges and triumphs of the Civil Rights era played before the audience in the theater, and re-affirmed how far our country has come in the past 60 years. Along with King, the show also celebrated the inauguration of the first African-American president in our county’s history, Barack Obama.

While artists in the local hip-hop community have experienced their share of difficult times and dismissals, the inspirational figures of our generation have shown that dreams can actually come true.

For more information about Steelo, visit www.myspace.com/steelomusic; for information about Melissa Roork, visit http://www.myspace.com/melissaroork; for information about Silver Shadow D, visit www.myspace.com/ferrociousakasilvershadowd.

Wedding Expo offers cost-cutting tips for the big day

By STEPHANIE BIRCH

Brides-to-be, accompanied by mothers, sisters and faithful friends, crowded last weekend into the Meydenbauer Center for the Bellevue Wedding Expo, preparing to plan the wedding of their dreams—and perhaps save some money, too.

With today’s economy, many upcoming brides are searching for creative ways to save money without compromising the elegance and stylish romance of their weddings. Wedding expos offer the opportunity to get good deals on bridal gowns, catering, tuxedos, photography, venues and music through personal interaction with vendors.

Chelsey Gutmann, a dental hygienist from Mill Creek, ventured to the Wedding Expo in hopes of getting ideas for her November wedding. Considering the impact of the current financial climate, she said, “We are definitely having a smaller and more quaint wedding with not as many people as I would have invited otherwise. I found the expo really helpful and got a lot of useful information.”

“The Expo helps brides understand exactly what they are going to spend their money on, and to see where they can get the greatest value,” Brad Buckles, the owner of Brides Club and the producer of wedding expos in the Pacific Northwest and Hawaii, said.

Having been immersed in the wedding business for 15 years, Buckles has learned countless ways to save money on everything from picking the venue to buying honeymoon tickets.

Buckles recommends not getting married in the most popular facility because they charge the most, are less willing to negotiate and already have preferred vendors. He says that getting married in a non-brand name facility or a new facility is the most ideal because they are more flexible and willing to negotiate on price.

In addition, “If you want to save money, pick facilities that don’t have preferred vendors,” he said. Facilities with preferred vendors force you to use them, usually at a higher price. “Pick a facility where you get to bring in your own catering, alcohol and where you can choose the time of your wedding.” Also, to save hundreds of dollars on the reception, buy all of the alcohol from a wholesaler rather than from an overpriced vendor.

Buckles suggests it’s better to plan weddings on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays because vendors and venues always charge significantly more for weddings on weekends. Also, experience has shown that it is cheaper to have weddings in the afternoon rather than in the morning.

He also recommends staying current on bridal “crazes.” Buckles observes that one of the newest dessert trends is to serve strawberry shortcake rather than a traditional wedding cake. Strawberry shortcake is less expensive and easier to prepare, but still a delicious dessert option that will leave everyone satisfied.

While honeymoons are an important part of a wedding celebration, they can be costly. To help reduce costs, Buckles says that guests and friends can combine their frequent flyer miles as a thoughtful wedding gift.

“It’s never too early to start planning your wedding,” Andrea Harrison, a vendor from Twelve Baskets Catering, said.

Other wedding expos are happening later this month in Tacoma and Lynnwood-Everett. In the fall, there will be expos in Seattle, Tacoma, Lynnwood-Everett and Portland-Vancouver. For more information or to get coupons for future expos, visit BridesClub.com.

Update: India’s new tax policy may help Obama’s plans to reduce outsourcing

By Stephanie Birch

(An update to the previous article)

As a new development, it is possible that India’s government might be inadvertently aiding President-elect Barack Obama’s plan to reduce U.S. outsourcing in India. India, which has seen unprecedented economic growth and the newfound ability to compete in international markets, has decided to change its policy on outsourcing. Having given out tax breaks and other incentives, as a means of attracting U.S. IT businesses as well as other industries to India, the Indian government is now choosing to increase taxes and thus reducing incentives.

According to a September 2008 article entitled “The Taxman Cometh,” published in CFO Magazine, Kate O’Sullivan wrote: “The 2008 Finance Act, signed in May [by the President of India], includes an array of changes designed to extract more tax revenue from [American] businesses in India. In raising taxes on IT companies, India is targeting the very businesses that have driven much of its recent economic boom.”

Eric Rothlisberger, a Business major at the University of Washington, commented, “If India increases taxes directed toward foreign businesses, they will likely reduce their investments over there.” While it is likely that American businesses might reduce outsourcing to India due to India’s new taxation policy, it is highly possible, however, that these companies will search for less expensive alternative developing countries in which to outsource jobs.

O’Sullivan further wrote, “Vikas Sehgal, a consultant at Booz Allen, says some clients are already rethinking their operations in India; those who are strictly pursuing labor arbitrage are considering other locations, such as Eastern Europe or Mexico.” In essence, although outsourcing to India may start to decrease in upcoming months, outsourcing would only shift to other geographic locations.

The only way to successfully reduce U.S. outsourcing on a global scale is to provide greater local as well as federal governmental tax breaks and incentives. In response to the outsourcing dilemma, the Patriot Employer Act, which Obama supports, attempts to provide such tax incentives. According to Barack Obama’s official website, he “introduced the Patriot Employer Act of 2007 to provide a tax credit to companies that maintain or increase the number of full-time workers in America relative to those outside the US; maintain their corporate headquarters in America; pay decent wages; prepare workers for retirement; provide health insurance; and support employees who serve in the military.”

Obama may be misinformed about outsourcing

Barack Obama giving a speech.

By Stephanie Birch

During this year’s presidential election, the future of the American economy was the topic of much debate between Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., and Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz. While they debated all facets of the economy, the issue of outsourcing of American jobs came up frequently.

While outsourcing may increase company’s revenues, as more companies begin to outsource jobs to places such as India, fewer jobs are available for American workers. “In what may be the largest study of its kind, involving 10,000 workers and human resources professionals across a range of occupations, researchers at the New York University Stern School of Business and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania found that 8 percent of IT workers in the U.S. have been displaced [due to outsourcing],” Patrick Thibodeau wrote in an article entitled “Obama Speaks Out Against Offshore Outsourcing” published on CIO.com. It is clearly evident that while outsourcing may be beneficial for companies as well as the economies of other countries such as India, outsourcing adds significantly to America’s unemployment rate.

A week before the presidential election, Obama spoke in Colorado about his specific economic plans for America’s future. There, he said: “If we’ve learned anything from this economic crisis, it’s that we’re all connected; we’re all in this together; and we will rise or fall as one nation as one people. I’ve proposed a new American jobs tax credit for each new employee that companies hire here in the United States over the next two years. I’ll stop giving tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas and invest in companies that create good jobs right here in Colorado.”

Even though Obama plans to end purported governmental tax breaks to companies that ship jobs overseas, economists throughout the country are perplexed by his statements. In response to Obama’s plan to end tax deductions for companies that outsource jobs overseas, Judith Thornton, an economist at the University of Washington, said: “To the best of my knowledge, this is a false statement. The federal government does not give companies billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving their operations overseas. If it were true that the US government is giving US companies billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving their operations overseas, then such a policy would violate the rules of the WTO [World Trade Organization].”

Thibodeau further wrote, “Joe Greco, director of California State University-Fullerton’s Center for the Study of Emerging Markets, said, ‘To believe the U.S. government tax code promotes outsourcing is a major misconception of the fiery debate around outsourcing offshore.’”

If Obama’s plan to end governmental tax deductions for companies that ship jobs overseas is inaccurate or ill advised, then what does he really mean? Thibodeau writes: “Economists and legal advisors contacted about those comments said they are unaware of any specific tax breaks aimed at offshoring tech jobs. Instead, they said, Obama may be targeting broader tax deferment strategies, such as the ability of multinational firms to avoid taxes on profits by moving money overseas.”

In essence, Obama is misinformed when he claims that the U.S. government is giving tax deductions to companies who outsource jobs overseas. In fact, multinational companies are just finding ways to avoid the taxes that American laws dictate. In order to reduce the outsourcing of American jobs, Obama has claimed, that once he is in office, he will provide incentives for companies to keep jobs within America. Only time will tell whether Obama’s tax credits to companies that hire employees in the U.S. will make any significant difference in either the unemployment rate or in the stimulation of the economy.

The Electoral College: Failed in the past, likely to do so in the future

Presidential Election 2008 Electoral College Map

By Stephanie Birch

Barack Obama’s substantial electoral success over John McCain in last week’s presidential election is undeniable. In this election, the winner of both the Electoral College and the popular vote went to the same candidate—producing a legitimate victory. In the final count, Obama earned 365 electoral votes compared to McCain’s 173.

While the Electoral College does produce legitimate victories at times, there have been four instances in our country’s history where this has not been the case. Andrew Jackson in 1824, Samuel Tilden in 1876, Benjamin Harrison in 1888 and most recently Al Gore in 2000 won the popular vote but failed to become president. From these examples of failure, the Electoral College has been under intense scrutiny and its effectiveness has been greatly questioned.

Meg Washburg, a campus organizer affiliated with iVote.com, said: “My impression of the Electoral College is, basically, people who represent the state based on the population are going to vote based on what the majority of the population voted for. If we didn’t do it this way, then Los Angeles and New York would be deciding every election, because they have more people than any other place.” Washburg accepts the Electoral College, because if we had a system based on the majority vote, presidential candidates would most likely be chosen by the most populated cities and states. (Please view this map below for more insight.)

This map is distorted to show how the population differences across America impact electoral voting.

While Washburg is technically correct in her understanding, she neglects to mention that the “people who represent the state based on the population” are not, in fact, obligated to allocate the electoral votes based on how the majority of the population actually voted.

“The most serious [problem with the Electoral College], Professor Bennett [a law professor at Northwestern University] said, was the problem of what are called ‘faithless electors,’ or electors who decide not to follow the will of the voters in their states,” Michael Cooper wrote in a 2008 “The New York Times” article entitled “A Blowout? No, but a Clear-Cut Win, for a Change.”

For example, if the majority of voters in Washington State voted for Obama, faithless electors could still decide to allocate their votes to McCain instead. As of now, there is nothing in place– no laws or legislation, that binds electors to allocate electoral votes according to the will of the people. Without reassurances that the people will be accurately represented politically, the idea of democracy is inherently threatened.

While there are positive as well as negative aspects of the Electoral College, there is no doubt that the American people need a system of voting that accurately, equally and fairly represents their diverse political views, beliefs and ideologies. Since the Electoral College has failed in the past, it is probable that it will eventually fail once again—producing a president that did not win both the popular vote as well as the Electoral College.