| Crotty, Magic reach deal on new arena, but will it fly?
Orange County Mayor Rich Crotty reached a deal Friday with the Orlando Magic on the team's contribution for a new arena, removing a key roadblock in negotiations over a larger $1 billion downtown arts-and-sports-venue proposal.
"I think it's fair to say we have an agreement in principle," Crotty said.
Crotty worked out lingering financing details, but the deal doesn't call for the Magic to pay significantly more toward the $480 million arena. So it's not clear the mayor's deal will satisfy county commissioners who want the team to pitch in more money for the project.
The financing plan for a new arena and performing-arts center and Florida Citrus Bowl upgrades requires approval of five of seven county commissioners, and most of them have signaled they are not happy with the Magic's contribution: $50 million cash, up to about $60 million in various long-term lease and revenue payments and an additional $29.5 million in financing arrangements that the team says it added in negotiations during the past several weeks.
Your turn: Negotiating drug prices would raise cost of health care
Any day now, the U.S. Senate will vote on a measure to dramatically alter the Medicare prescription drug benefit. Accusing the nation's pharmaceutical companies of charging too high a price for their drugs, supporters of the legislation argue that if the government were allowed to buy in bulk and negotiate prices, drug costs would drop. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed a similar measure. Holding up the Veterans Affairs' drug benefit as a model, advocates of negotiation claim if the full weight of the federal government is used, lower prices will be achieved for the nation's seniors. Special circumstances But that only happens at the VA because drug companies have no choice but to sell to the VA at a price at least 24 percent less than the non-Federal Average Manufacturer Price.
Mediation center to conduct workshop
HARRISONBURG Community Mediation Center will present a workshop on workplace mediation from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. May 4. The training, which is appropriate for recertification through the Supreme Court of Virginia, focuses on workplace- and employment-related disputes, including grievances, discrimination, sexual harassment, working conditions, decision-making and lack of communication. Attention will also be given to the design of workplace dispute resolution systems. .
CN labour dispute looks bound for arbitration
A bitter labour dispute at Canadian National Railway Co. is headed for arbitration, upsetting union leaders who now warn that their demands for improved wages and working conditions will likely be shunted aside. With federal back-to-work legislation looming, that has shifted the spotlight to the impending role of a government-appointed arbitrator. While Ottawa has yet to say who will head the arbitration process for a national contract, the United Transportation Union said Montreal-based CN is in the driver's seat. "A third-party agreement is always less preferable than a negotiated settlement," UTU spokesman Frank Wilner said in an interview yesterday. The arbitrator will have a mandate to deliver a "winner-take-all" decision either in favour of management or the union, but UTU leaders say the process stacks the deck in favour of CN.
Row on Jamia Hafsa Islamabad to be Resolved via Peaceful Means
ISLAMABAD: Central Working Committee of Pakistan Muslim League met here Sunday at the Prime Minister House and discussed the political and economic situation of the country.
The meeting was presided over by President PML Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and hosted by Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, while it was attended by over 200 committee members from all over the country.
Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz briefed the meeting about the political and economic situation, his recent visit to India to attend SAARC Summit, his forthcoming visit to China and recent visit of Russian Prime Minister to Pakistan.
Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain briefed the meeting about the development on the issue of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid, while Senator Wasim Sajjad gave briefing on the issue of reference against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and its proceedings by the Supreme Judicial Council.
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