-
GROWING UMBERS OF
Nonh American and European
firms are entering deal wi th
Black governments here and dip­
ping into the Caribbean's large
reserve of young, highly skilled
and well-educated brown and
Black workers .•
From Puerto Rico to Bar­
bados, from Jamaica to Dominica
nd the balmy Bahamas, satellite
dishes that end and receive data
of companie allover the world
rivaling the tourist industry
nd carnival galas potent sym­
bols of change and expansion of
revenue opportunities.
Forty ye rs ago, Black and
brown Puerto Rico was an
agricultural economy. Twenty
years ago the garment industry
dominated the economy. Today
this island of a million people is
largely into high-tech manufactur­
ing. With economic programs .
that are good for the country and
companies in the Industry, people
in Puerto Rico are turning out
everything from phamaceuticals
and electronic software.
A concept as simple as
Enterprise Zones can help alert
Black community leaders and
entreprenuers toward similar
reviving of America inner-cities.
If we follow the lead of govern­
ments in the Caribbean we can at­
tract the tax and real estate
revenues, employment oppor­
tunities and state-of-the-art skills
training of the AT &Ts, IBMs
Sonys and other large and small
microchips producers and users
of the world to our doors,
JOINING THE cruise-ship
lines and carnival fun-seekers' in­
dustry, the new electronic high­
ways into the Caribbean are
extending the service networks of
major high-tech companies while
adding to the financlal coffers of
Barbados, Jamaica and other
countries in the Far South. The
Caribbean's largest new industry
is.data processing. .,
In Barbados, an island of less
than a million people, North
American companies' data entry
requirements have added 2,000
jobs and more than $50 million
to the annual economy here.
The growing global demand
for data processing is one logical
way for inner-cities to gain
employment opportunities for
our millions of highl y competent,
but un-and-under employed
young people. We must stop fol­
lowing people around to gain our
work and training. We must start
and create opportunities where
we are and elect to be.
Brothers and sisters who've
elected to cut back on carnival
and partee time here can adopt
zoning concepts and programs in
their cities that can be ad- ,
vantageous to Data General,
Hewlett-Packard, Apple and
Mel to bring them to our neigh­
borhoods. If we stop fixing to
get ready to develop we'll know
what time it really is.
BUSINESS, FINANCE
twoy .
The business, Robinson . d,
"Is OK but it could be better."
Ho ever, is not willing to
sacrifice pinciples fex doll , she
id, "A lot of things in here you
will at Hudson's, but their prices
20 to 30 percent higher. I am
not into this to get rich."
On the other band. Robinson
ould like to grow
nation to put together a tasteful shop,
Robinson ha been a member New
Westside Central Baptist Church'
since 1957 and he sings in the An­
gelic Choir. She also works on th
Hollywood Gospel Hour radio pro­
gram on WCHB radio each Sunday
morning from 6 a.m. until 11 a.m. on
a program hosted by the Rever nd
Wilmore Allen.
Robinson's involvement with
spiritual singing has a history of its
own. She is a gospel singer and she
"I WOULD LIKE to be able
to have large boutique foe Black
omen and men and also for the
full-figured woman. " she said.
adding, "and not have the kind of
stuff kids into. I mean conser­
vative, tasteful. elegant things."
Aside from having the imagi-
founded the New Heaven Bound
Singers. The group dissolved after
nin years. She also managed the
Angels of Joy for three years.
ROBINSO would like to
move her shop toward the center of
the city but has not found a suitable
location. She is looking for a place
that has ample parking and traffic.
In addition to Detroit, she is not
opposed to the idea of relocating to
Highland Park.
MIOSHA stiffens fines: will
. .. .
workplace safety foHow?
By AMY IDDLETON
Capital ews service
state time to is ue criteria providing
sane flexibility in the fines.
II If we go into an agency and they
have a great afety training program
and they're a small business and it's
their first offense. we could put them
out of business with a $70,000 fine."
Burden said.
LANSI G-Companies that
violate safety standards will pay
stiffer fines next year, but it's dis­
puted whether the tougher penal­
ties will actually make workplaces
safer. Michigan Occupational
Safety and Health Act (MIOSHA)
civil penalties will increase seven­
fold beginning April 1, 1992. That
means that the maximum fine of
$1,000 for a serious violation will
increase to $7.000, and the maxi­
mum fine for a willful or repeated
violation will increase from.
$10,000 to 70.000.
KEVIN MCCLELLAN. engi­
neering coordinator at Quality. First
Systems Inc. of Romeo. agreed.
"Running a small business like
this. $70.000 would be devastating:'
he said.
Quality First has 34 employees
a'ld McClellan said that even a smaller
fine could mean the difference be­
tween profit and loss for a year. Still,
in such a small company. keeping
employees healthy and safe is just
part of running a good business.
"We try to be' good business
people every day, not just when t
government says we have to." he
11IE FIVE-MONTH delay
will give plants in violatioo a chance
to correct problems. Bureau of
Safety and Regulations Manage­
ment Services Director Weld�
BW'den said it will also give the
said. "Our people are our most im­
portarn asset.'
While many manufacturers do
realize that safety is part of good
business, Michigan State AFL-CIO
Legislative Director Tim Hughes
said that many others cut comers on
safety.
"The penalties are there to put.
the fear of God into people who
aren't safety conscious," Hughes
said.
EVEN IN A PLANT the size of
Ford's Romeo Engine Plant, safety
is linked more to efficiency than to
fear of penalties. Plant Manager
George eil said he doesn't think
the additional fine will provide any
aditional incentive to keep plants
safe.
"We're motivated by human
beings instead eX money," Pfeil said,
"Safety is ' the people part of the
business."
SOSAD 833-3030
itA Minority
Bu iness and Industrial
_Development Corporation II
1101 Wa hlngton Bo.ulevard
Suite 600
Detroit, Michigan 48226
313/926-4326
Contact:
Catherine D. Lockhart
· Lock ley A. Smith
Barbara Richardson
the appreciatioo.
Consider now the price. There
are several ways you can comp e the
val of one bouse against another. A
imple method is to ampute the pice­
per-square foot.
Let's assume that you have looked
at two simil .. houses. The location
and the condition of each property
are comparable. Property A is selling
foe $87.s00 and has 1.500 �are
feet. Property B is $88,700. It con­
tains 1.450 square feet.
Now take the sales price of Prop­
erty A and divide the price by the total
square feet in that property . Your
results mow that Property A is selling
foe $58.33 per square foot. Property
B is $61.17. All other things being
equal, Property A is a better value.
Consider now the location. Is the
house located in an area that will
suppm your lifestyles? Are the neigh­
bors' homes attractive and cared fOl'?
Are the yards well-groomed? Is there
heavy traffic on the street?
L
rating by a professional maintenance
comp ny. .
Consider now the appreciatiot'l.
Appreciation refers to a percentage
rate that, the property increases in
value during a certain period of time.
In sane areas of your city, the a�­
ciatioo rate will be minimal. In other
areas, it will be quite high.
No doubt you will find that tbe
more affluent communities have' a
higher appreciation rate than tho .
that are in less affluent areas. •
�OR EXAMPLE, in the areas C>f
your city in which are located small
less expensive, tract homes, ther e
of appreciation may be bout a f
hundred dollars a year. But in- a
nearby suburban community. "fhere
there are larger homes owned by .
families with a tUgher socio-econootic ,
status, the rate may be in thousands
of dollars. :
"Appreciation" supports the 00-
tion that a prudent buyer should biay
the most expensive home for wh4:h
they qualify since the more that ypu
pay. the greater the increase of your
investment dollars.
In the next issue, we will prepare
the important offer to purchase. :
Send your questions concern/tlg
real estate to Howard G. Ball; Rea1ty
Services, Inc., 240 Western Hills
Drive, Madison, AL 35758.
CO SIDER NOW the cmditioo.
Be on the lookou fQC water damage,
peeling paint. rusting gutters, weak
flooring, cracks around the founda­
tion, termite damage, wood rot and
decay. Remember, costs for either
repairing ex replacing these defects
can be quite costly.
H' you do not feel competent to
The
Greater Detroit
BIDCO, Inc.