Secretary Of Labor Named -- December 8, 2016

December 8, 2016: fast-food executive Andy Puzder for Secretary of Labor. Puzder, chief executive of CKE Restaurants Inc, which operates the Carl's Jr. and Hardee's fast-food chains, has been a vociferous critic of government regulation of the workplace. I've posted comments from Puzder on several occasions.

• a conversation
• ditching California
• sayonara to California
• fast food restaurants -- ain't happen' with $15/hour
• train wreck 
• two train wrecks

I track the Trump cabinet here.

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UAS-Focused Data Center Locating At Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota

Data points from The Grand Forks Herald:

• Grand Forks AFB-based Grand Sky drone business park
• located on Grand Forks AFB, west of Grand Forks
• EdgeData
• 16,000-square-foot data center 
• will be operational within a year after construction costs
• ND legislation offering computer software, IT equipment tax breaks was critical to get EdgeData to make this commitment, according to CEO

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Dallas Police And Fire Pension Board Stops Withdrawals

Most Incredible Pension Plan Ever Seen

Retire As Millionaires "On Paper" -- Keep Working 

Defer Additional Pension Deposits Into New Account

Link here.  Data points:

• lump sum withdrawals stopped
• weekly requests would have left them without liquid reserves to sustain $2.1 billion fund
• by time action taken, more than $500 million has been withdrawn
• the DROP plan made hundreds of officers, firefighters, and retirees into millionaires: DROP allowed them to retire on paper, but continue working and meanwhile defer their pension benefit checks into a separate account; once they actually retired, they could remain in DROP
• for years, DROP guaranteed at least 8% interest on accruals
• fund has about $729 million in liquid assets; it needs to keep about $600 million on hand

Diga Diga Doo, Odeur de Swing