Changes are in the Air

Both political and astronomical changes are in the air! With a new administration about to take its place nationally, let us hope that the promise of space will not be forgotten.

NASA, as well as private enterprise, has many exciting projects on the horizon! The next large move into space is the NASA project known as Constellation. This is a major 25-year plan to place astronauts back on the Moon and develop the next generation of spacecraft flown to Mars.

Private space ventures, like Virgin Galactic, will take paying passengers to space on suborbital flights. With the economy on the edge, many feel that we can spend our money closer to home.

While we know that we have many problems here, let us not forget that exploration, and space exploration in particular, has its place, too! World-renowned physicist Dr. Steven Hawking recently told a large gathering his views on space exploration:
“It is important for the human race to spread out into space for the survival of the species,” Hawking said. “Life on Earth is at the ever-increasing risk of being wiped out by a disaster, such as sudden global warming, nuclear war, a genetically-engineered virus, or other dangers we have not yet thought of.”

This is something to consider the next time you look up at the night sky. The month of November has some amazing sights! The early evening sky has two major planets in close proximity to each other. We see Venus and Jupiter in the southwest getting closer as each day goes by.

By month’s end, Venus and Jupiter will stand tall as they approach each other in a close conjunction.

Remember Dec. 1 as Venus, Jupiter, and the crescent moon are all close together in the southwest at sunset.

The close proximity of these two planets is only by chance, as Venus will be 93 million miles from Earth on Dec. 1 and mighty Jupiter will be well over 550 million miles away from us. The region that you are looking at is the central hub of our own galaxy, the Milky Way.

This year, we welcome the winter solstice on Dec. 21 at 7:04 a.m. EST.

If you miss this conjunction, the next good Venus/Jupiter event takes place on March 13, 2012, when these two planets will be within three degrees of each other.

The full moon of Dec. 12 is a most interesting one! This full moon is known as the Long Night Moon, as the moon takes a very high arc in the sky. It rides near the constellation of Gemini, the twins. This places it near the same position where we see the Sun in June, just before the summer solstice. Simply, the moon is on the opposite side of the sky, and at this position, it takes a higher arc to cross the sky. The Long Night Moon will be in the sky well over 12 hours and also be at its closest for the month.

This position is known as perigee, and the moon will be some 221,000 miles away from the Earth. Another name for this full moon is the Full Cold Moon.

The peak of the Leonid meteor shower will take place on the morning of Nov. 17. The light of the moon may be in the way, except for a brief period just before sunrise. To see any of the Leonids, look high in the east around 5:00 a.m. local time.

A sneak peak into the December skies reveals two additional meteor showers, the Geminids on the morning of the 13th and the Ursids on the morning of the 22nd. In addition to these fine events, look for the passage of many earth satellites in our skies.

You also can see many spacecraft on November nights by going to our favorite site: www.heavens-above.com.

Follow the simple instructions and you will see an amazing world of man-made objects passing right over your town!

2008 has been a great year to view the skies, and in 2009 Dr.Sky and our company, Dr.Sky Inc., will be here to provide you with a new website, products, and TV/radio programs to keep in touch with the latest news from these exciting subject realms.

If you would like to visit my archive site of interviews that I have conducted with many important people from around the world, please visit http://teentalknetwork.com/sky.htm.

Finally, I would like to wish you and yours a great holiday season! If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to e-mail me at drsky@cox.net and visit our websites, www.drsky.com and www.keepplutoalive.com. “Always Remember to Keep Your Eyes to the Skies.”



November/December 2008

Moon

First Quarter Moon – Nov. 5/Dec. 5
Full Moon – Nov. 13/Dec. 12
Last Quarter Moon – Nov. 19/ Dec. 19
New Moon – Nov. 27/Dec. 27

Planets -

Mercury -
November - In the sun’s glare
December - Low in the SW at sunset
Venus -
November - Bright in the SW after sunset
December - Getting higher in the SW after sunset
Mars -
November - In the sun’s glare
December - Low in the SE before dawn
Jupiter -
November - Low in the SW at sunset
December - Very low in the SW at sunset

Steve Kates, “Dr.Sky”® is President of Dr.Sky.com Inc., a multimedia corporation and audio/video production company. He appears on many local radio stations in the West with the “Dr.Sky Minute” as well as “Dr.Sky Show”. Based in Phoenix at KFNX News Talk Radio 1100, Dr.Sky is a regular on “Coast To Coast AM with George Noory as well as a regular talent on AZTV and the Pat Mc Mahon Show and 3TV KTVK in Phoenix.

The Scottsdale Airpark is in the enviable position of being the preferred location for many businesses looking to establish a presence in the Arizona market. It is the second-largest employment center in the state – outpaced only by the Phoenix Downtown core – and is a center for business excellence.

Over the years, however, many market leaders have lost their dominant position to competitors with fresher ideas, better resources, and up-to-date technology or infrastructure. Think of Ford Motor Company in automobiles, IBM in computers, and Westinghouse in home appliances.

The Scottsdale Airpark faces similar challenges as it competes to attract and retain businesses. New centers of commercial, industrial, and retail activity are evolving around us, and these new developments seek to challenge the Airpark’s leadership position.

These new competitors are for real. They have undeveloped land available for businesses looking to locate to Arizona, and they are springing up on both sides of the Scottsdale Airpark – closer to home for the thousands of workers that come to work in the Airpark each day.

Understanding the competition is an important part of developing a successful long-term strategy, so let’s take a look at what’s growing up around us.

Deer Valley Airpark
With a recently-rebuilt terminal and large tracts of undeveloped land, the Deer Valley Airpark offers affordable development close to affordable housing. For larger employers looking to establish big facilities with a large employment base, Deer Valley is becoming increasingly attractive. Developers also do not face many of the same restrictions concerning height and density that they face with new buildings in the Scottsdale Airpark.

Deer Valley also boasts great freeway access and much more competitive hangar rates than in Scottsdale.

Pima Commercial Corridor
Owned by the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, the Pima Commercial corridor also has large tracts of undeveloped land to attract new businesses and developers. Once again, a more open and accommodating attitude towards development may also give them an advantage over the Scottsdale Airpark amongst businesses looking to relocate or establish new facilities.

Businesses locating here gain value because of the proximity to the Airpark, but they can cut 15 to 20 minutes off the commute for their employees coming out of the East Valley compared to locating in the Airpark. In addition, all of the development in this area is new. Much of the available space in the Airpark is older and requires updating.

City North
Based on the idea of building a city within a city, City North is proceeding forward as a mixed-use development on 144 acres adjacent to the Desert Ridge Market Place in Phoenix. This will combine residential, retail, commercial, and office all in one area so that residents can live and work in the same place. In an era of escalating fuel and energy costs, greatly increasing the cost for commuters, mixed-use developments are likely to gain in popularity over the next decade.

City North will have a great urban feel to it and may attract those looking for a trendy location – as opposed to some of the aging Airpark location options.

City of Chandler
The City of Chandler has already become a hub of commercial development and growth, particularly for the high-tech industry. A number of big-name players make their home in Chandler, and the development-friendly City Council and city administration is aggressively trying to attract more.

Many Scottsdale Airpark employees commute every day from Gilbert and Apache Junction. Employers in Chandler can offer a much shorter commute, resulting in less stress and more time with their families.

A Sustainable Vision for the Airpark Clearly, the landscape for commercial and industrial development in Arizona is changing, and attractive alternatives to the Scottsdale Airpark will continue to evolve and grow. This makes it even more important that Airpark businesses and community leaders clearly define our position in this new landscape, develop a plan to differentiate the Airpark from other options, and invest in the resources and infrastructure needed to execute an effective long-term strategy.

The one thing we cannot afford to do is to take the future of the Scottsdale Airpark for granted. History is not kind to leaders who bask in the glory of past achievements, only to be overtaken by challengers who have a clearer and more compelling vision of the future.

Paul Sim is the Co-Chair of the Scottsdale Area Chamber Airpark Committee and also owns Gap View Business Advisors.

The members of the Scottsdale Airpark Committee provide guidance to the Chamber staff with regard to issues and challenges specific to businesses located in the Airpark and serve as hosts for the monthly Scottsdale Chamber 1st Friday Airpark Breakfast.

Difficult economic times demand creative solutions from businesses, professionals, and nonprofits. This is particularly true in the insurance and benefits arena. Today we discuss how health insurance dual option strategies can help. Agents and their clients will work harder to implement these programs but will be rewarded with savings.

Dual Option Objective
The dual option objective is to reduce costs for both employer and employees by not forcing all employees into the same plan. Everyone wants excellent benefits and low premiums. However, if you had to choose excellent benefits or low premiums, which would it be? Not everyone makes the same choice. A properly-structured dual option health insurance plan will help your organization reduce costs for everyone.

Employer Contributions
The way to structure a dual option program is dependent on the employer’s contribution strategy. Group health insurance companies require the employer to pay a minimum of 50 percent of the employee-only rate. At the other extreme, an employer can contribute 100 percent of employee and dependent rate. Employer contribution alternatives are discussed below because they must be factored in to optimize the boost attainable from a dual option health insurance program.

High-Low Dual Option
This traditional dual option puts two similar health insurance plans side by side. For example, a $500 deductible 80 percent PPO Plan with copays is an excellent plan but expensive. A $2,000 deductible 70 percent plan with copays has reduced benefits and lower premium. A traditional dual option like this is effective if the employer pays half of the employee only rate. Many employees would rather have a low-cost plan for themselves and their families and keep the money in their paycheck.

The contribution for this traditional high-low dual option can be worked several ways. Most commonly, the employer pays a percentage of the lower plan with employees buying up. Occasionally, the employer will contribute a percentage of the higher plan or the same percentage of both plans.

Health Savings Account - PPO Dual Option
The Health Savings Account (HSA) concept is excellent and catching on. Combining a Health Savings Account eligible plan in a dual option with an HMO or PPO plan allows the concept to be introduced to employees in a voluntary and positive way. The HSA premium savings are significant for employer and employee. The HMO or PPO plan is there for those reluctant to change. Depositing some of the premium that would have been sent to the insurance company into your own bank account helps many choose the HSA eligible plan.

Mini Medical - PPO
For employers with struggling finances, a dual option with a mini-medical alternative may be attractive. These are also known as limited benefit plans, and they are first dollar programs. The second half of the dual option is a PPO plan where the deductible is raised to $2,000 or more and other benefits are stripped down to get a very low PPO premium.

Employer and employees save on the reduced PPO premiums. The mini-medical plan is introduced to cover the hospital deductible and other first dollar costs that were removed from the PPO plan. The mini-medical can be pure voluntary where the employees pay the entire cost or the employer can contribute.

One Example
Let’s use real numbers from an active Aetna renewal. This account has the best Aetna HMO plan and the employer pays 50 percent of the employee-only rate. The newly-received monthly renewal rates are going to $450 employee, $940 couple, $936 children and $1,547 family. The owners and several of the families with many children like the rich HMO. However, does everyone in the company want to pay the new higher rates for that rich a plan?

One of the Aetna Health Savings Account (HSA) eligible plans pays 100 percent after a $2,300 deductible. The new rates for this plan are $230 employee, $482 couple, $479 children, and $793 family. If the employer would contribute the same to the HSA, the employee portion of premium cost is $5 per month. If the employee deposits the $220 per month, they would have contributed to the HMO into their HSA bank account; at the end of the year, they have $2,640 in their account. The math on the family shows $9,048 of annual premium savings. There is no downside since the savings exceed the deductibles. As a kicker, most HSA plans have provisions for wellness covered at 100 percent.

Inertia Versus Change
In reviewing hundreds of benefit programs for Arizona employers over many years, it is interesting to see the variety of strategies and programs in place. Many are structured in a particular way only because that is the way it has always been done.

This year, work with an agent that specializes in group health insurance and consider implementing or updating a dual option health insurance strategy. Concurrently, review your contribution strategy. The additional work required to implement new programs is substantial, but everyone will be rewarded.

Paul Breslau, Registered Health Underwriter (RHU), Registered Employee Benefit Consultant (REBC), Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU), Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC), future Chartered Advisor for Senior Living (CASL), is president of Breslau Insurance & Benefits, Inc. You may contact him by calling (602) 692-6832, visiting www.HRaz.com or at his Paul@HRaz.com e-mail.

Scottsdale Healthcare is first in Arizona - and the region - with a new-generation robot that provides increased safety and shorter procedure times for patients with arrhythmias or abnormal heart rhythms.

The Hansen Medical Sensei™ Robotic Catheter System is a high-tech workstation used by Scottsdale Healthcare electrophysiologists - physicians specializing in electrical problems of the heart which cause arrhythmias.

Picture the doctor with one hand on a joystick, the other on a track ball, guiding a catheter from a robotic arm into the patient’s body and into the heart. Images of the heart are displayed in 3-D, along with data on the heart’s electrical impulses, to help the physician correct abnormal heart rhythms.

The robotic catheter system increases accuracy by ensuring that only the appropriate amount of abnormal tissue is destroyed. Radiation exposure to the patient is reduced, and shorter procedure times decrease the time patients are sedated.

“The Sensei robot provides greater stability and precision, reduces risk and enables increased accuracy in delivering more effective therapy and therefore improved treatment of our patients,” says Thomas Mattioni, MD, medical director of electrophysiology and arrhythmias services at Scottsdale Healthcare.

Without the robot, electrophysiologists must manually perform complex manipulations without being assured that the catheter will respond as desired.

The mapping catheter creates an electrical road map of the patient’s heart by recording electrical signals. Having an accurate map is vital because it shows electrophysiologists where to place an ablation catheter inside the heart. The ablation catheter uses radiofrequency energy to destroy the abnormal tissue causing the arrhythmia.

According to the American Heart Association, some 2.2 million Americans are living with atrial fibrillation (one type of rhythm problem). Arrhythmias may indicate a serious problem and lead to heart disease, stroke or sudden cardiac death.

Candidates for robotic arrhythmia treatment include those with multiple serious health problems or health issues that make longer treatment times undesirable.

Electrophysiologists at Scottsdale Healthcare already have the most experience, perform the greatest number of procedures, and have the highest success rates in the region, according to Dr. Mattioni.

“Being the first in the region to use robotic technology for electrophysiology and arrhythmia care adds one more layer of advanced expertise and expands our capabilities,” he says.

The Sensei robot is located at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn. The hospital is a Center of Excellence for the Sensei robot, enabling the robot’s manufacturer to train other physicians from across the nation or elsewhere at Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn.

The first procedures with the new technology by Dr. Vijay Swarup, a Scottsdale Healthcare electrophysiologist who completed extensive training with this new technology. Arizona’s first patient to be treated using the Sensei robot resides in Scottsdale. Others have traveled from as far as Camp Verde and Goodyear for the robotic procedure.

“Being the first in Arizona to use robotic technology for electrophysiology and arrhythmia care adds another layer of advanced expertise and expands our capabilities at Scottsdale Healthcare,” adds Dr. Mattioni.

Dr. Thomas Mattioni and Dr. Vijay Swarup are electrophysiologists with Arizona Arrhythmia Consultants. They can be reached at their office, 7283 E. Earll Dr., Scottsdale, AZ 85251, (602) 234-2800.

Scottsdale Healthcare is the not-for-profit parent organization of three community medical centers. Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak is located at 7400 E. Thompson Peak Pkwy., Scottsdale, AZ 85255, (480) 324-7000. Scottsdale Healthcare Shea is located at 9003 E. Shea Blvd., Scottsdale, AZ 85260, (480) 323-3000. Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn is located at 7400 E. Osborn Rd., Scottsdale, AZ 85255, (480) 882-4000. Learn more at www.shc.org.

You currently have a child or children that are active in your business. Transferring the business to the children is your exit plan. If this is true, you face certain challenges that can actually become obstacles.

Can the business continue to grow without you? Can the children think like employers and not like employees? Where will the money come from to buy you out? Most likely, they do not have any. Can you minimize taxation? What will you do with yourself after you exit? Will you have to come in and buy your own business back at half of the value by default? Will your family always be able to sit down and have Thanksgiving dinner together?

In Arizona, 95 percent of all transfers are what we refer to as inside transitions. These transitions are only successful 50 percent of the time. Money often is the problem. Rarely do children have any of their own money. The buyout will take place usually over a seven to 10 year period. As the parent/seller, you will receive a promissory note for your ownership. You will only get paid if the business continues to do well. Your children will in essence be buying you out of future cash flow. There are several techniques you can explore with your CPA not only to reduce your taxes, but also reduce the taxes for the children. Any time the children can use pretax dollars (i.e., rent payments to you), it is a good thing.

You can begin now to sell your children stock on a discounted basis. They can pay you for this stock out of their future dividends. This will reduce what they eventually will owe you. Once this stock is paid for, they can approach a financial institution and acquire financing by pledging this stock.

Parents often tell me that they just plan on giving the business to their children. This can trigger some very expensive gift taxes. You only have a limited amount of gifting you can do each year or at one time. Again, you need to consult with your accountant.

There are many esoteric issues that are involved. Do the children perceive the culture of the business the same way that you do? Do they have the same work ethic that you do? What do you need to do about your children that are not active in the business? Do the children that are getting the business understand the stewardship that they are taking over, or is there a feeling of entitlement?

The most important objective is family harmony. You must never lose sight of the fact that you are family first and a business second.

Nathan S. Sachs, CLU, ChFC, CFBS, is founder and owner of Scottsdale-based Blueprints for Tomorrow™, a business advisory firm. Sachs can be reached at (480) 596-1525 or via e-mail at natesachs@blueprintsfortomorrow.com.