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SECTION: Section ; Column 0; Business/Financial Desk; Pg. LENGTH: 805 words Taxpayers who endure excessive expense or drain on their time when the Internal Revenue Service mishandles a case should receive ''apology payments'' of up to $1,000 each, the National Taxpayer Advocate told Congress on Wednesday. The advocate, a position Congress created in 1998, also said a new taxpayer bill of rights should be enacted, one that includes a list of responsibilities requiring taxpayers to conduct themselves honestly and to cooperate with auditors and tax collectors. Nina E. Olson, the taxpayer advocate, in her annual report on the most serious problems faced by taxpayers, also said that the I.R.S. could use technology to apply the tax system to the underground or cash economy, where small entrepreneurs work for unreported pay. She said that by tracking credit card spending, state sales tax reports and other records, the I.R.S. could identify who collects this cash. Ms. Olson estimated that the government could collect $100 billion more each year from those who evade taxes by dealing in unreported cash. That would be enough for honest taxpayers to receive a 10 percent cut in their income tax bills. Ms. Olson also criticized Congress for making changes in the tax laws in November and December. She said such last-minute changes caused a million taxpayers to forgo deductions they were entitled to last year. Within a long list of problems, shortcomings and backsliding by the I.R.S., the proposal that Congress authorize ''apology payments'' is the most unusual. The proposed apology payments of $100 to $1,000, adjusted for inflation, would go to taxpayers who endure ''excessive expense or undue burden'' on their time. Britain and Australia already make such payments to harried taxpayers. The money would not be subject to tax. ''A fair and just tax system should acknowledge I.R.S. mistakes and delays in'' resolving issues, Ms. Olson said. She proposed that her office have the authority to authorize such payments up to $1 million a year. Ms. Olson also told Congress that the use of private debt collectors is costing more than the money brought in. Private debt collection ''is failing in most respects,'' she said. She also said that the I.R.S. had become much too aggressive in charging fees for services. One manager of a nonprofit organization who asked how to list some unusual income on its tax return was told that an answer would cost $2,700. The I.R.S. had expected private companies to collect $88 million but has now lowered that to as little as $23 million. The collectors are paid almost a fourth of the money they bring in. When the costs of government oversight are added in, she said, the program may even lose money. If Congress authorized more money for I.R.S. staff and equipment, the agency said it could bring in $20 for each dollar it receives, five times the Bush administration's official estimate of private debt collector efficiency. Congressional Republicans oppose hiring more I.R.S. workers, and the administration favors private collection even though it acknowledged in testimony to Congress that it is far less efficient than having the I.R.S. handle all collections. But the proposal most likely to draw opposition is one that would require partnerships, limited liability companies and S-corporations -- all of which pass tax obligations on to their owners -- to report more about their income. Such reporting already applies to wage earners, 99 percent of whose income is reported to the I.R.S., compared with as little as 70 percent for entrepreneurs and partners, I.R.S. reports to Congress show. Ms. Olson said that ''a significant number'' of S Corporations were only distributing dividends, avoiding payroll taxes on compensation. Previous proposals to add any independent reporting requirements on small businesses have faced opposition from members of Congress who say it stifles entrepreneurship. Con artists and tax protesters have used the lack of reporting for pass-through businesses like S Corporations to cheat the government out of vast sums and, in some cases, cheat their clients out of their life savings, records in federal trials in Washington State and Colorado show. Charles O. Rossotti, the I.R.S. commissioner in 1997 to 2002, told Congress that rigorous third-party reporting rules for wage earners, but not small businesses, made the system unfair to wage earners. Ms. Olson said that despite promises and the creation of a high level committee, the I.R.S. has failed to enact policies that will bring more nonfilers into the system. Some of these nonfilers have wages withheld from their pay, but do not file, which means the I.R.S. must spend money preparing substitute tax returns for them. In a similar vein, she said that 80 percent of penalties imposed on tax preparers were not being collected. URL: http://www.nytimes.com SUBJECT: TAXES & TAXATION (95%); TAX LAW (90%); TAX AUTHORITIES (90%); PERSONAL DEBT (89%); CREDIT COLLECTIONS (89%); SALES TAX (79%); INCOME TAX (79%); TAX FRAUD (79%); ANNUAL REPORTS (78%); COLLECTION AGENCIES (76%); FINANCIAL RESULTS (75%); NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (73%); ENTREPRENEURSHIP (69%); SMALL BUSINESS (69%) ORGANIZATION: INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (84%) LOAD-DATE: January 10, 2008 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company 1208 of 1231 DOCUMENTS The New York Times
Late Edition - Final Mozilla Names New Chief, but Reaffirms Open-Source Commitment BYLINE: By JOHN MARKOFF SECTION: Section C; Column 0; Business/Financial Desk; Pg. 4 LENGTH: 742 words DATELINE: MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Mozilla, the developer of the open-source browser Firefox, will announce on Tuesday that John Lilly, the company's chief operating officer, will succeed Mitchell Baker as chief executive. Ms. Baker will remain active in the company's day-to-day business as chairman. In making the executive change, Mozilla said its commitment to the open-source character of Firefox, the browser that has grabbed about 17 percent of the market from Microsoft, would remain unchanged. Mozilla, which is a nonprofit foundation with a for-profit subsidiary, has been one of the most marked successes among open-source software developers. Although it has not reported 2007 revenues, it took in $66 million in 2006, largely from a revenue sharing relationship with Google. It said about 140 million people around the world use its applications. Mr. Lilly, a Stanford-trained computer scientist and a successful Internet entrepreneur who sold his company, Reactivity, to Cisco, came to Mozilla in June 2005 as the foundation developed its experiment of blending a nonprofit with a for-profit. His first role was to broaden Mozilla to new markets. ''In an open source project, nobody understands business development,'' he said. However, the principal challenge, he and Ms. Baker said, is to maintain the delicate balance between the thousands of volunteers who contributed to the development effort and the growing stream of Firefox-generated revenue as Mozilla expands the influence of the software platform. In recent weeks the executives have rejected speculation that the corporation might consider an initial public offering. Firefox, Ms. Baker said, is a public asset, and it could not succeed without the efforts of its corps of volunteers that dwarf the 150 full time employees. ''We've shown that open source software can create great wealth,'' she said. ''But the options for private personal wealth are smaller.'' The power of the hybrid model can best be seen, the executives said, in the more than 1,000 people who contribute actively to the programming of the software and thousands who actively test new versions that are released each night. Of particular importance is the role of volunteers who localize the program for different countries. While Microsoft's Internet Explorer was shipped recently in only a single language with the later addition of seven more languages, the last release of Firefox was available in 37 languages when introduced. That has given the program a significant advantage in other countries, where it has a much larger market share than in the United States. XiTiMonitor, a Web survey organization, reported that in September Firefox had a 27.7 percent share of the European market and a 34.5 percent share of the German market. As chief executive, Mr. Lilly will focus on marketing and developing Firefox, while Ms. Baker will increase the time she spends on developing the ''Mozilla Manifesto.'' What she refers to as the mission of the Mozilla Foundation is a document of 10 principles involving issues ranging from openness to the importance of the Internet to enrich the lives of individuals. ''We could not operate without our community,'' she said. ''More money doesn't give you more opportunity.'' It has, however, given the Mozilla Corporation the ability to expand the influence of Firefox. Its latest, Firefox 3, is now being tested and is scheduled to be released in the first half of this year. The company has a team of about a half dozen developers working on a mobile version of the program for cell phones and mobile devices. Mozilla also has a series of projects under way focused on what is generally referred to as ''cloud computing,'' which centralizes most computing and storage functions at large data centers. Such a shift would require a new browser. Mr. Lilly said a Mozilla project called Prism would make it possible to pull out applications that have in the past run inside the browser and permit them to run directly from PC desktops. Mozilla is also determined to spread the idea of hybrid profit and non-profit business models. To date, there are just a handful of efforts under way to build organizations on that model. Ms. Baker cited Kiva.org, a micro-finance organization, and the Participatory Culture Foundation, which develops and distributes the Miro video browser, as two early examples of enterprises that blended the intent to make profit with nonprofit activities. URL: http://www.nytimes.com SUBJECT: INTERNET BROWSERS (93%); OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE (93%); VOLUNTEERS (89%); INTERNET & WWW (78%); SOFTWARE MAKERS (78%); MARKET SHARE (76%); NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS (75%); FOUNDATIONS (75%); COMPUTER PROGRAMMING (74%); ENTREPRENEURSHIP (73%); PUBLIC FINANCE (70%); WEALTHY PEOPLE (69%); INITIAL PUBLIC OFFERINGS (69%); FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT (50%); BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT (66%); COMPUTER SOFTWARE (90%) COMPANY: MICROSOFT CORP (57%); GOOGLE INC (56%) TICKER: MSFT (NASDAQ) (57%); GOOG (NASDAQ) (56%); GGEA (LSE) (56%) INDUSTRY: NAICS511210 SOFTWARE PUBLISHERS (57%); SIC7372 PREPACKAGED SOFTWARE (57%); NAICS518112 WEB SEARCH PORTALS (56%); SIC8999 SERVICES, NEC (56%); SIC7375 INFORMATION RETRIEVAL SERVICES (56%); NAICS519130 INTERNET PUBLISHING & BROADCASTING & WEB SEARCH PORTALS (56%) GEOGRAPHIC: SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CA, USA (79%) CALIFORNIA, USA (79%) UNITED STATES (79%); EUROPE (79%); GERMANY (50%) LOAD-DATE: January 8, 2008 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH GRAPHIC: PHOTO: John Lilly, Mozilla's new chief, wants to seek new business. PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company 1209 of 1231 DOCUMENTS The New York Times
Late Edition - Final Back To Folsom BYLINE: By THE NEW YORK TIMES SECTION: Section E; Column 0; The Arts/Cultural Desk; ARTS, BRIEFLY; Pg. 2 LENGTH: 160 words On Sunday, 40 years to the day after Johnny Cash performed at Folsom Prison in Northern California, his longtime drummer Fluke Holland will lead a celebratory concert there. The Columbia recording ''Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison,'' released in the summer of 1968, appeared on the country music charts for 90 weeks and on Billboard's Top 200 for 122 weeks. Sunday's performance will feature several members of Cash's original band, and, according to an announcement, ''A special guest vocalist will be introduced at the show.'' Although no inmates present at the 1968 concert will attend the new one, one former guard, now 80, will be there, as well as several guests who were present at the time, said the show's producer, Jonathan Holiff, son of Saul Holiff, the Canadian entrepreneur who managed Cash from 1960 to 1973. The ''40th Anniversary of 'Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison' '' concert will be filmed and streamed worldwide over the Internet at iClips.net. URL: http://www.nytimes.com SUBJECT: MUSIC INDUSTRY (88%); MUSIC (88%); COUNTRY MUSIC (71%); ANNIVERSARIES (51%); SINGERS & MUSICIANS (90%) GEOGRAPHIC: CALIFORNIA, USA (73%) UNITED STATES (73%) LOAD-DATE: January 8, 2008 LANGUAGE: ENGLISH DOCUMENT-TYPE: Brief PUBLICATION-TYPE: Newspaper Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company 1210 of 1231 DOCUMENTS The New York Times
Late Edition - Final Starbucks Replaces Chief With Chairman BYLINE: By ANDREW MARTIN SECTION: Section C; Column 0; Business/Financial Desk; Pg. 4 LENGTH: 605 words With the stock plummeting and competitors on the attack, Starbucks Coffee said Monday that it was bringing back its top barista to help turn the company around. The chairman, Howard D. Schultz, who joined Starbucks in 1982 when it had just four stores and engineered the company's rise, will immediately assume the additional role of chief executive. He takes over for James L. Donald, a grocery executive who joined Starbucks in 2002, who will leave the company. Mr. Schultz said he would bring a ''laser-like focus'' in making sure that the ''Starbucks experience'' is significantly different from rivals like McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts Coffee, which have lured away customers. While higher commodity costs and a slowing economy have hurt Starbucks in the United States, Mr. Schultz said the bigger problem was the company itself, by expanding too quickly and losing its coffee-shop cache. In short, he said, the company had gone from being ''quintessentially entrepreneurial'' to becoming ''soft.'' ''Successful fast-growing businesses can sometimes find that their success had unintended consequences,'' Mr. Schultz said in a conference call. ''We lost the focus on what we once had, and that is the customer.'' But Mr. Schultz reiterated that there was ''no short-term fix, no silver bullet.'' The announcement comes as shares of the company have fallen from $36.29 in January 2007 to $18.38 Monday, after more than a decade of nearly continual growth. Shares rose nearly 9 percent in after-hours trading. Starbucks has more than 15,000 stores in 43 countries and $9.4 billion in annual sales. It still plans to expand to 40,000 stores worldwide, though growth in the United States will be slowed. Mr. Schultz sounded both angry and exasperated Monday. For instance, he complained that the company had only produced variations of new products in recent years, rather than blockbuster new products, a problem he vowed to remedy. But he acknowledged that he played a role in the company's current woes. The problems that Mr. Schultz laid out reflect many of the concerns that he outlined in a Feb. 14, 2007 memorandum to Mr. Donald that was leaked to the media. Titled ''The Commoditization of the Starbucks Experience,'' Mr. Schultz said that rapid growth had ''led to the watering down of the Starbucks experience.'' For instance, by moving toward flavor-lock bags for coffee, ''we achieved fresh roasted coffee but at what cost? The loss of aroma -- perhaps the most powerful nonverbal signal we had in our stores; the loss of our people scooping up fresh coffee from the bins and grinding it fresh in front of the customer, and once again stripping the store of tradition and our heritage?'' Mr. Schultz said he would slow the growth of Starbucks in the United States and would close some underperforming restaurants, though he declined to provide more specifics. Some of the money slated for expansion in the United States would be shifted overseas, where store openings will be accelerated. Mr. Schultz said the company was not given enough credit by Wall Street for its success overseas, where it operates 5,000 restaurants and where the excitement reminded him of the early days in the United States. He said some of the practices that have succeeded in Britain and Canada would be brought back to the United States, though he would not elaborate. Though he acknowledged increased competition, he emphasized that the problem was with Starbucks itself. Everything else, he said, was ''just noise.'' ''Starbucks is not a broken company,'' he said. ''Just as we created this problem, we will fix it.''
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company 1211 of 1231 DOCUMENTS The New York Times
Late Edition - Final Paid Notice: Deaths LESLIE, SEYMOUR SECTION: Section C; Column 0; Classified; Pg. 14 LENGTH: 1152 words LESLIE--Seymour. The AntiDeformation League mourns the passing of Seymour Leslie, a Honorary Life Member of our National Commission. Cy and his wife Barbara were longtime enthusiastic and generous supporters of the League. We extend our sincerest condolences to Barbara, and the entire family. Glen S. Lewy, National Chair Abraham H. Foxman, National Director LESLIE--Seymour M. A native and lifelong New Yorker, passed away on Sunday, January 6, 2008, at the age of 85, after 60 years of marriage to his beloved wife, Barbara. The man known to the world as ''Cy'' is survived by his loving daughters Ellen, Janie and Carol, and his adoring grandchildren Julie (Dan), David (Ariana), Sara and Ben. As an entrepreneur from start to finish, Cy helped shape the music and entertainment world and was recognized as a pioneer of the home video industry. His first business was a prerecorded greeting card service that turned into Voco Records; he went on to become Founder of Pickwick International, President of CBS Video Enterprises, Founder and Chairman of MGM/UA Home Entertainment, Founder of The Leslie Group, and Co-Chairman of Leslie/Linton Entertainment. Cy has been recognized as one of the 20th Century's most influential and outstanding leaders in the video industry: he was the Record industry's Man of The Year in 1975; he received the Presidential award from the National Association of Record Manufacturers in 1976; and Time magazine presented him with the Home Viewer/Time Magazine Man-ofThe-Year Award for special achievement in 1987. Cy was also Vice Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame and an active member of the Motion Picture Academy of Arts and Sciences. In his professional life, Cy never stopped giving to the entertainment world, and in his personal life, he never stopped giving to those he loved, serving as the tower of strength to those who knew him intimately. He and Barbara had also dedicated their lives to supporting various organizations and institutions such as The JCC of the Greater Five Towns, Five Towns College, Parker Jewish Institute, B'nai B'rith, New York State Council on Humanities, Friars Foundation and the T.J. Martell Foundation. As a proud graduate of DeWitt Clinton High School, Cy received his Bachelor's degree from Syracuse University, before being deployed by the Army in World War II. Later, he received a degree from Harvard Business School, and has also received an honorary doctorate from Syracuse University. Cy will be remembered as a man of integrity, loyalty, and passion, and as a man who loved life and lived it fully. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to The JCC of the Greater Five Towns, 207 Grove Avenue, Cedarhurst, NY, 11596 or the Anti - Defamation League, Department: RL, P.O. Box 96226, Washington, DC 20090. Services will be held on Tuesday, January 8, at 11:30 at Boulevard Riverside Chapel, 1450 Broadway, Hewlett, NY. Shiva to follow at the home of Barbara Leslie at 810 Channel Road, Woodmere, NY. LESLIE--Seymour (Cy). Temple Beth El of Cedarhurst records with sorrow the passing of its longtime member. We grieve with the family on their loss. Dr. Sholom Stern, Rabbi Richard Holland, President LESLIE--Seymour (Cy). The Woodmere Club deeply regrets the passing of our longtime member and good friend. Our heartfelt sympathies are extended to his family and friends. Board of Governors The Woodmere Club LESLIE--Seymour. With deep sorrow, we regret the passing of our friend, colleague, and Vice Chairman of the Songwriters Hall of Fame. He will be greatly missed. Hal David, Chairman/CEO The Officers and Board of Directors LESLIE--Seymour (Cy), The Directors of the Friars Foundation deeply mourn the loss of their beloved friend and esteemed Member, Friar Cy Leslie. As President Emeritus of the Foundation, Mr. Leslie was a moving force behind the Institutions efforts to foster the Performing Arts through scholarships and charitable giving. He spearheaded fund raising activities and oversaw Foundation grants with gracious benevolence. We are honored and proud to have been touched by this gentle individual and we extend our sincere condolences to his family. Services will be held on Tuesday, January 8th, at 11:30am at The Boulevard Riverside Chapel, Hewlett, NY. Joseph Zappala, Friars Foundation Chairman Myron Shevell, Friars Foundation Vice Chairman Robert B. Fields, Friars Foundation President John Pierre Trebot, Executive Director LESLIE--Seymour (Cy). It is with great sadness that the JCC of the Greater Five Towns lets you know about the passing of our JCC founding father, Board Member, community leader and friend, Seymour Cy Leslie. He is survived by his wife, Barbara, his three daughters, Hellen Cohen, Jayne Leslie and Carol Leslie and his four grandchildren, Julie and Dan Fine, David Cohen and Sara and Ben Froikien. Our thoughts and love are with the family. The President, Board of Directors, Executive Director and Staff LESLIE--Seymour (Cy), The Officers, Governors and Members of the Friars Club deeply mourn the loss of their beloved friend and esteemed Member, Friar Cy Leslie. Cy left an indelible mark upon his fellow Friars through his work as the President Emeritus of the Friars Foundation. This gracious and unique individual fostered the Performing Arts through his benevolence and generosity and we are better for having known his kindness. We extend our sincere condolences to his family. Services will be held on Tuesday, January 8th, at 11:30am at The Boulevard Riverside Chapel, Hewlett, NY. Jerry Lewis, Abbot Freddie Roman, Dean Michael Gyure, Executive Director LESLIE--Seymour. The officers, Board of Directors, and staff of UJA-Federation of New York mourn the passing of Seymour (Cy) Leslie. Through his leadership in the Entertainment, Media & Communications Division and as a founder of the JCC of the Greater Five Towns, a UJA-Federation beneficiary agency, Cy helped strengthen our ability to serve those in need. We extend our heartfelt condolences to his entire family. John M. Shapiro, President Jerry W. Levin, Chair of the Board John S. Ruskay, Exec. VP & CEO LESLIE--Seymour (Cy). We are saddened by the loss of esteemed colleague, long time friend and client, Seymour ''Cy'' Leslie. A successful businessman, philanthropist and community leader have made him a shining example to all who knew him. He will be deeply missed and never forgotten. Arthur Yorkes & Company LLP LESLIE--Seymour (Cy), Stood tall in support of worthwhile causes. Will be remembered for joining our lives together. Robin and Ed Cramer LESLIE--Seymour. We mourn the loss of our dear friend, Cy, esteemed member of our precious Circle of Friends. His kindness, generosity of spirit, and shared love of music and cinema graced our lives. We extend deepest sympathy to his wife, Barbara, and dear family. Lore and Harry Bebe and Ralph Marcia and Alvin Adrienne and Bill Directory: ~hesterj -> Entrepreneur Entrepreneur -> Byline: By richard siklos section: Section C; Column 5; Business/Financial Desk; Pg. 1 Length Download 3.51 Mb. Share with your friends:
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