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Thursday, August 26, 2004 |
Betty Castor For U.S. Senate (Florida)
Dean Visits Castor in the Sunshine State. Betty Castor is a Dean Dozen candidate for US Senate in Florida.
I threatened to keep Governor Dean with us in Florida until November!
That's how well received Howard Dean was by the people of Palm Beach County and South Florida when he campaigned for me in my bid for the U.S. Senate, this past Monday (August 23, 2004).
Several hundred people turned out for a highly-charged rally with Governor Dean, former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno and Palm Beach mayor, Lois Frankel at noon on Monday. I cannot tell you how extremely grateful I am for Howard's support. His support?and the great work of the Democracy for America staff and that of all the DFA chapters across Florida?has given me a huge boost as we enter the final week of the Florida primary (August 31). Thanks in part to Howard, I'm leading the primary field by double digits!
Governor Dean's message of providing access to high-quality health care to all Americans and running clean and positive campaigns hits home with me! We are uniting all Floridians and Americans in our fight to take back the U.S. Senate this November!
So, Howard, we can't wait to see you in Florida again. You're a great friend to me, my campaign, and all Floridians.
- Betty Castor
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate (Florida) [Blog for America]
10:15:08 PM 
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The Doctrine of Staleness
Oligopolies, innovation, and tradeoffs
In their book, The Rise of the Corporate Commonwealth (BasicBooks, 1988), authors Louis Galambos and Joseph Pratt discuss the tradeoffs that big business make.
One can appraise any business in terms of its ability to perform three major functions: innovating, achieving efficiency in day-to-day operations, and maintaining control of its external environment. Successfully carried out, these three functions produce profits and the growth of the firm.
In a way, the efficiency is the most fundamental function. Efficiency is the first concern of good management, and companies which are either very innovative or very controlling can manage to squeak out an existence. But without at least some efficiencies, almost all regular businesses-unless so lucrative (selling illegal drugs, owning oil wells) to be impervious to gross waste and mismanagement-will soon end up in the ditch.
Control of the environment is exactly the kind of influence that only growing bigger can give. Whether it involves co-opting regulators, crowding out competitors, influencing customers or negotiating with buyers, all of them air aimed at reducing risk from the often chaotic market forces. That kind of influence is an engine behind most corporate growth. At some point, big companies no longer have efficiencies of scale, though that is the ritual motivation for all acquisitions and mergers. But big companies do gain influence from getting bigger, without exception.
As the authors go on to write:
To some extent, of course, the three functions involve tradeoffs in any business. A high degree of operating efficiency is unlikely in a firm constantly engaging in innovative behavior. Nor is a high degree of control-by a monopoly, for instance-generally associated with a high level of entrepreneurship.
We would, of course, substitute oligopoly for monopoly here, and we'd point to the vulnerability of non-innovative companies to disruption. The authors trace the development from the innovative, entrepreneurial companies of the 19th century to the efficient, controlling megacorporations of the 20th. But the secret of the 21st century oligopoly is its ability to buy, to consume innovation by taking over the smaller companies. That's always been a possibility; but now it has become a doctrine.
[Oligopoly Watch]
6:42:24 AM
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© Copyright 2009 Gary Santoro.
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