Jim Nichols

A Robbery and Aggravated Assault was reported to Georgia State University Police, on Sunday, December 06, 2009. A GSU student reported that on December 06, 2009 at 7:00 p.m. she was approached by an unknown black male, who struck her in the face and ordered her to hand over her vehicle keys.There were minor injuries reported.

 The suspect was described as a black male, slender build, approximately 5'10" in height, wearing a grey hoodie, blue jeans and a black skull cap.

 If you have any information about this incident, please contact the Georgia State University Police at (404) 413-2100. You may also call the Police Tip Line at 404-413-3211.

 You may request a safety escort on campus by calling the GSU Police at (404) 413-2100. A police officer or a security guard will drive or walk you to your destination.

 Please contact Crime Prevention at (404) 413-3213 for Safety Tips and Safety Programs.

 Connie B. Sampson

 Assistant Vice President

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Secretary of State Candidate Gary Horlacher has confirmed with me this week that he will attend the upcoming Henry County Democratic Committee's fundraiser on December 18th in McDonough...

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Burkhalter Won't Raise Taxes; Power Struggle Ahead?

Mark Burkhalter has served as Speaker Pro Tem under Richardson and is scheduled to take over the post in January. He says in the legislative session that starts January 11th, he will not support any tax hikes and may even push for tax cuts to attract business to the state.

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From GPB:

More layoffs, furlough days and bigger class sizes could be looming for Georgia schools. Superintendent Kathy Cox says she expects to have to cut another $39 million from school funding before the fiscal year ends June 30. That would be painful for the state's 180 school districts, which have already lost millions in funding as the state grapples with the worst fiscal crisis in decades.

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The cost of freedom.

On this day in 1989, once everyone stopped patting themselves on the back for bringing down the Berlin Wall, Secretary of Defense Dick Cheney lamented what East German freedom would do to defense contractors in the pages of the Wall Street Journal:

Investors yesterday took the defense stocks out and shot them … Defense Secretary Dick Cheney said he expects to make significant cuts from previously budgeted levels in both weapons and troop strength. Some Pentagon officials said he was looking to chop about $180 billion out of the defense budget over the next six years. Troop cuts in Europe suddenly seem not just possible, but likely …

To many people, all this is wonderful news. But not for defense stocks. “Obviously, these are war stocks,” said David Dreman, a New York money manager. “What’s good news for the world is bad news for them.”

The heavy selling in defense stocks may soon push them into bargain territory, several money managers and analysts say … The defense industry is “totally washed out,” said Mr. Dreman. “There basically are some good values in that group. Earnings are not going to nose-dive.” But he’s in no hurry to buy. “I’d probably wait for a few more months here. These companies are not likely to do much for a while.”

Fortunately, there was a silver lining:

Some people don’t think investors need to wait that long. The biggest enthusiasm yesterday was for E-Systems, which specializes in electronic surveillance.

“The more peace treaties we have with the Soviets, the more we need to verify that we are truly getting the force reductions we think we’re getting, and that the Soviets aren’t stashing tanks or missiles in a mountain cavern somewhere,” said Mr. Aseritis. Accordingly, he thinks E-Systems is a “screaming buy” if it dips below 30, as it did yesterday …

Shockingly, a mere one year later Defense Daily reported that E-Systems,

The Dallas-based developer of reconnaissance, communications and intelligence systems reported record year end sales, earnings, new order bookings and backlog of unfilled orders and a 50 percent increase in cash dividends.

Even more shockingly, one year after that the New York Times reported that:

Some analysts are advising clients to sell their holdings in military electronics companies like Raytheon and E Systems. The stock prices of the two companies, as well as that of the Loral Corporation, had risen sharply in the months after Iraq invaded Kuwait. Some analysts thought the beginning of the war was a good time to cash in on those gains and sell …

E Systems will also benefit from the hostilities in the gulf, Mr. Harris said. One of the company’s biggest programs is providing support services for two spy planes, the TR-1 and the RC-135. With the high level of surveillance of Iraq and Kuwait, Mr. Harris expects E Systems to report higher revenues and earnings in the current quarter. In the long run, E Systems is expected to benefit from the need for sophisticated surveillance gear to monitor Soviet compliance with arms-reduction treaties …

Not that anyone involved in these transactions is a war profiteer, mind you—they’re merely taking a lemon (the fall of the Berlin Wall) and learning how to make extremely profitable lemonade (the first Gulf War).

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