See What Chicago Has to Offer through Pontarelli Company Chicago Bus Tours

There are so many sights and landmarks in the great city of Chicagothat it is almost impossible to see them all by yourself.  So if you are planning a trip to the great Midwest City, make sure you see all the great sights through one of Pontarelli’s deluxe, three-hour Chicago Bus Tours.

Chicago is home to some fantastic attractions like:  some of the tallest buildings in the world; the famous “The Loop”;  Michigan Avenue and the “Magnificent Mile”; Lake Shore Drive; Millennium Park; the famous Navy Pier; and more.  The list goes on-and-on of all the great things to see!

Chicagois steeped with great history from the Chicago Fire to famous mobsters of the prohibition era.  The city is also home to great sports teams and beautiful stadiums like Wrigley Field and the newly remodeled Soldier Field.  You can also see the beautiful Grant andLincolnParks, which are some of the prettiest and biggest city parks in the world.

By booking one of Pontarelli’s Chicago bus tours you will have an easy time seeing all of these famous areas and sights, without having to traverse the busy city streets or try to navigate the confusing public transportation system.  Instead of worrying about where you are going, you will get to lay back and soak in all that Chicago has to offer.  Chicago bus tours are one of the best ways to see the city conveniently and efficiently.

Be sure to book Chicago bus tours through Pontarelli.  Pontarelli knows the city inside and out, provides environmentally friendly buses, and gives the best guided tour you can find not only in the city but the world!

President Drops User Fees From FY2011 Budget

NBAA Hails Exclusion of Controversial Proposal from White House Plan

Contact: Patrick Dunne, (202) 783-9263, pdunne@nbaa.org
Dan Hubbard, (202) 783-9360, dhubbard@nbaa.org

Washington, DC, February 1, 2010 – The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) today welcomed the Obama Administration’s Fiscal Year 2011 (FY2011) federal budget proposal, which does not include new user fees for general aviation.

“When it comes to the long-standing battle over user fees, it appears that today, we have reached an important and welcome milestone,” said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. “The fact that user fees are not part of the President’s 2011 budget proposal shows the tremendous progress we have made over the past year.”

Bolen noted that the Obama Administration’s previous budget proposal, which was introduced last February, contained an important provision that read, “Starting in 2011, the Budget proposes to replace some aviation excise taxes with direct user charges.” The President’s new budget proposal does not contain similar language.

“The proposal introduced by the White House today stands in clear contrast to language we saw last year,” Bolen continued. “Our community, which has been so energized and mobilized by the user fee threat, should be heartened by this news.

“Like the Administration, the general aviation community supports full funding for the FAA and modernization of the nation’s aviation system,” Bolen said. “But our industry has been united in opposing calls for user fees, which require a large bureaucracy to manage, and would impose a hidden administrative burden on the many small and mid-size businesses that rely on an airplane to succeed.

“Instead of adopting foreign-style user fees, NBAA and its Members have been very aggressive in promoting the wisdom of building upon the stable, reliable and efficient fuel tax mechanism for general aviation to help fund aviation system modernization,” Bolen said. He noted that with fuel taxes, users pay the tax at the pump, the government easily collects the revenue, and the system serves as an effective proxy for the cost airplanes impose on the system. “On top of all that, the fuel tax is environmentally friendly, because it encourages the development of cleaner, quieter and more efficient engines,” Bolen added.

“We commend the Administration for its focus on aviation modernization, and we look forward to working with officials to expedite the transformation to the Next Generation Air Traffic Control System,” Bolen said.

Despite the removal of user fees from the Administration’s FY2011 budget, Bolen said that ongoing vigilance and grassroots mobilization by NBAA’s Members would be needed to ensure that Washington policymakers continue to understand the industry’s support for helping to fund aviation modernization through fuel taxes.

“Whether or not this is an indication of a permanent policy shift on user fees, or a one-time development remains to be determined,” Bolen said. “What we do know for certain is that our industry must continue to make its voice heard on this and other issues.”

# # #

Founded in 1947 and based in Washington, DC, the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) is the leading organization for companies that rely on general aviation aircraft to help make their businesses more efficient, productive and successful. The Association represents more than 8,000 companies and provides more than 100 products and services to the business aviation community, including the NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, the world’s largest civil aviation trade show. Learn more about NBAA at www.nbaa.org.

Members of the media may receive NBAA Press Releases immediately via e-mail. To subscribe to the NBAA Press Release e-mail list, submit the online form at www.nbaa.org/news/pr/subscribe.

www.pontarellico.com

USDOT Creates Group to Fight Distracted Driving

January 13, 2010

According to the January 13, 2010 issue of Transport Topics Online, “Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood announced Tuesday the creation of FocusDriven, an organization dedicated to fighting distracted driving.

“The announcement comes as a result of September’s Distracted Driving Summit, a meeting in Washington in which public officials, law enforcement, victims and other spoke about the dangers of distracted driving, the Department of Transportation said in a statement.

“FocusDriven will be supported by DOT and the National Safety Council, a transportation safety advocacy group. LaHood said Tuesday that he hoped FocusDriven ‘can do for distracted driving what groups like Mothers Against Drunk Driving have done (for drunk driving).’ Jennifer Smith, an advocate against distracted driving, will lead the new group, DOT said.

“LaHood said last year he intended to ban texting by truck drivers and other commercial operators.

“During his remarks Tuesday, he said DOT was ‘working on (those) rules.’”

(NLA www.limo.org)

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Time to “Hunker Down?”

Not necessarily. Drastic cuts in travel, benefits, and training can be devastating to long-term viability and success

By John Humphreys, Milorad Novicevic, Whitney Olson, and M. Ronald

While watching the seemingly endless coverage over the past year of the near financial collapse and subsequently demoralized economic environment, we have heard from talking heads and even senior level executives that now is the time to “hunker down.” Such phrases as “pull in your horns,” “keep your head down,” and “weather the storm” are also common vernacular. All such colloquialisms share one general meaning—things are tough out there, so let’s dig in for the long haul, lay low, and wait this thing out. Such tortoise-like reactions to this level of distress are intuitive. Unfortunately, they may also be detrimental to the long-term health of your organization.

For example, we are aware of a firm that struggled several years ago to move from a traditional lending environment to a very proactive sales culture. Although institutionalizing such change was painful and difficult, the efforts were rewarded with a several-billion dollar increase in business. Now they fear any focus on new-business development might send the wrong message to their people.

While we understand their decision in the current milieu, we also think such a radical departure risks losing the significant momentum previously gained. So, if “hunkering down” means the avoidance or reduction of strategies, even core competencies, which have led to organizational successes, we think now is not the time to “hunker down.”

Innovation vs. Fear of Failure

We have also heard decision-makers assert that in the current economic slump, it’s time for managers to clamp down on their people—mistakes are simply unacceptable when things are this bad. This notion brings to mind the business where the management team was concerned about the lack of innovation—so much so that a requisite week-long “dog and pony” show with the consultant was scheduled to enhance their employees’ problem-solving creativity. On the way from the airport to the corporate office, the young man providing transportation missed the exit and became noticeably distressed. He was terrified that his superiors would realize his error.

Of course, it didn’t take long to discover a culture in which even insignificant blunders were long remembered. Yet we know that for creativity to flourish in the workplace, managers must provide at least some freedom to fail. And to dig ourselves out of such difficult circumstances, don’t we need imagination and resourcefulness more than ever? So, if “hunkering down” means the systematic suppression of employee ingenuity, we think now is not the time to “hunker down.”

We also see that some companies associate “hunkering down” with a disturbingly myopic focus on cost reduction. Again, cutting expenses during such periods is clearly an instinctive reaction. Moreover, we agree that monitoring costs in an attempt to conserve cash during a daunting economic downturn is a prudent policy. Regrettably, though, the single-mindedness on cost elimination during tough times frequently leads to shortsightedness. While organizational expenditures in travel, benefits, and training may be considered low-hanging fruit, drastic cuts in these areas can be devastating to long-term viability and success.

To make matters worse, it is often the companies that find themselves cash-strapped whose need to invest in those things is the greatest. So, if “hunkering down”" means ignoring employee retention and development—effectively trading worker morale and productivity for cost reduction at any cost—then we think now is not the time to “hunker down.”

Now don’t misunderstand, we are certainly not proposing we return to what many would consider business as usual. We are, however, suggesting that organizations must take advantage of these still-difficult times to make a concerted effort to use their resources efficiently and effectively. This means moving beyond a simplistic approach to budgets and broad-based cost cutting. It means investing in people and tools that promote sustained quality. It means liberating employees who are trapped in ineffective processes. It means tweaking those systems to foster continuous improvement, involving people in enrichment measures, promoting unity by sharing rewards gained by implementing new work methods. It means a complete examination of the organization to determine where, when, and how customer value is created, facilitated, and maintained. If this is your definition of “hunkering down”—YES, now would be the time.

John Humphreys is a management professor at Texas A&M University—Commerce. Milorad Novicevic is associate professor of management at the University of Mississippi. Whitney Olson is a graduate student in construction management at Auburn University. M. Ronald Buckley is the JC Penney Business Leadership Chair at the University of Oklahoma. Contact them at john_humphreys@tamu-commerce.edu .

www.pontarellico.com

Nine Recipients of 2010 NLA/LCT Scholarships Get One-of-a-Kind Business Boost

December 18, 2009

The nine recipients (see below) of this year’s NLA/LCT Scholarships will get a one-of-a-kind business boost when they attend the 2010 International LCT Show in Las Vegas on January 25-27. 

First, they will be introduced to the audience and their company names will be spotlighted at the NLA Annual Meeting.  Second, they will have multiple opportunities to meet members of the NLA Board of Directors and other experienced chauffeured transportation operators one-on-one when they assist at the NLA educational events.  Third, they’ll stand out from the crowd on the show floor – and throughout the venue – when they sport their distinctive “Scholarship Winner” ribbons on their name badges.

Testifying to just what a difference all of this can make, one of last year’s scholarship winners, Sara Cruz (Cruz Limousine, Montreal, Que.), said immediately following her own experience, “…being a NLA/LCT scholarship winner was a fantastic way to break the ice at the convention.  The ‘title’ made it so much easier to get the ball going in such a big event.  I appreciated the fact of being pointed out at various occasions through simple mentions, e.g. in the NLA newsletter, the NLA membership meeting, and through the little orange tag (scholarship winner ribbon affixed to each winner’s name badge)…I also loved the idea of being seated at a table (at the First Timers’ Lunch) with a NLA director…”

Another 2009 recipient, Matthew Brennan (London Carriage, Castle Rock, Colo.) recognized the value of his own scholarship by saying, “One of the greatest things I took away from the show was the knowledge that I am not alone out here, knowledge that not every other limousine and sedan company is my enemy.  I found owners and operators who gave of themselves with no expectation of anything in return.  They shared their wisdom, their experiences, their fears along with their mistakes and their victories.  Instead of hoping that I will fail, I found that instead they wanted to spare me the agony and growing pains that they had to endure…each night I found my pockets filled with business cards, lifelines really…being new and making mistakes can shake your confidence.  I left the show reassured that many of the things I am doing I am doing right…”

In addition to the intrinsic value, the 2010 scholarship is incredibly valuable monetarily.  Each sponsorship includes one full show registration ($310 value), two paid hotel nights ($478 value), one paid 2010 NLA membership (for recipients who are not currently members) ($205 + value), and one paid year’s subscription to LCT magazine ($28 value).

To have qualified for a 2010 International LCT Show Scholarship, the applicants must own a limousine company that has at least one vehicle and be in business for no more than five years.  Limousine service must be the operator’s primary business.  The operator may not have attended the LCT Las Vegas Show in any capacity previously.  

All scholarship awards were approved by the 2010 NLA Scholarship Committee, co-chaired by Barbara Curtis (Two Step Limousine, Littleton, Colo.) and Sue Jarvis (Aristocat Limousine & Luxury Coach Service, Warren, Mich.).

Applications for the 2011 NLA/LCT Show Scholarship Program will be available this coming October.  Contact the NLA office at (800) 652-7007, ext. 16 or info@limo.org to obtain a copy or request more information about the program.

Recipient Becky Laramee	Company All Points Limousine	Location North Oxford, Massachusetts
Deborah Talbott	American Elegance Limousines	New London, Ohio
Yoseph Deres	Central Limousine Services	Houston, Texas
David van de Winckel	Eagle Mobility	Halen, Belgium
Brad Gregory	Franklin Limousine Service	Franklin, Kentucky
Arie Linsker	IsraLimo	Tel Aviv, Israel
Jill Myers	Lone Star Limousine	San Antonio, Texas
Ricardo Garza	R & R Limousine Service	Houston, Texas
Nicholas DeVolder	VIP Transportation	Davenport, Iowa

 Article post by Pontarelli Companies – www.pontarellico.com

2010 NLA Board of Directors Election Results December 28, 2009

The accounting firm Strouss Hui Roomberg Ellis, engaged by the National Limousine Association, to receive, tally and verify the votes of the 2010 NLA Board of Directors election, advised the results today December 28, 2009.

The operators who have been elected to serve the 2010-2013 term are:

At Large – Richard Kane
Central Region – Diane Forgy
Northeast Region – Dawson Rutter
Western Region – Deena Papagni
Canada – Joe Ironi
International – Dean De Beer

2010-2013 will the second consecutive three-year term in office for De Beer, Kane, Papagni and Rutter.   With this election, Forgy is returning to the board after a one-year hiatus (as required by the NLA bylaws) after having served from 2003 until 2009.  This will be Ironi’s first term on the National Limousine Association Board of Directors.

Article Post by Pontarelli Companies – www.pontarellico.com

GM bringing back 1,350 workers

Increased demand for fuel efficient cars is leading General Motors to reinstate workers and increase shifts and overtime in order to build 60,000 additional cars.

By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer

Last Updated: August 18, 2009: 3:27 PM ET 

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — General Motors is upping production and calling 1,350 of its U.S. and Canadian auto workers back to work due to increased demand for its vehicles. 

The company said Tuesday it is raising production by about 60,000 vehicles in the third and fourth quarters, in response to the increased sales that accompanied the government’s Cash for Clunkers program.

The increased production will come from added shifts and overtime, GM said. In addition, the company will keep select plants open during weeks that they had previously been forecast to be shut down.

For example, the Orion Township, Mich., plant, which had been scheduled to close for nearly two-years in mid-September, will now remain in operation until just before Thanksgiving.

Those additional hours should increase the paychecks for an about 10,000 GM workers beyond those called back to work.

“The uptick is an encouraging sign that vehicle sales are turning around, and we will ramp up quickly to meet that demand,” said Tim Lee, GM group vice president for global manufacturing and labor, in a statement.

Weak sales and a need to conserve cash led the company to shut most production during the spring and early summer months, leaving GM with a record low dealer inventory of about 300,000 vehicles, according to company officials.

 GM launches auto ‘space race’

Mark LaNeve, GM vice president, U.S. sales, added on a conference call that he expects additional production increases to be announced in coming weeks and that the increased production could continue into the early months of 2010.

“We’re probably not done,” he said.

The Cash for Clunkers program, which gives car buyers up to $4,500 from the federal government for older gas guzzlers if they buy a more efficient new car, caused a spike in sales across the industry during the last week of July. GM rival Ford Motor (F, Fortune 500) has also announced increased production for the second half of this year.

LaNeve said that GM has continued to benefit from healthier demand since the end of July, putting it on pace to beat internal sales targets for August by about 50,000 vehicles.

But he cautioned that strong sales to rental car companies and other so-called fleet customers last August will make it difficult for GM to post a year-over year gain in sales.

GM, which filed for bankruptcy in early June as part of a government-mandated reorganization, emerged from bankruptcy protection last month.

First Published: August 18, 2009: 2:38 PM ET

Stocks brace for selloff After China’s latest tumble and Hewlett-Packard’s profit drop, U.S. investors are expected to cash in recent gains

By CNNMoney.com staff

Last Updated: August 19, 2009: 9:06 AM ET

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) — U.S. stocks were set to open lower Wednesday as another selloff in Chinese shares rattled investors.

At 9:02 a.m. ET, Dow Jones industrial average, Nasdaq 100 and Standard & Poor’s 500 futures were sharply lower. Futures measure current index values against their perceived future performance and offer an indication of how markets may open when trading begins.

This follows a rally on Tuesday after Home Depot’s (HD, Fortune 500) results and forecast gave investors a boost following a two-session retreat.

Global markets tumbled a sharp drop in China, the second in three days. Stocks in Shanghai inished 4% lower. The rest of Asia sagged and European shares fell in morning trading. In the past two weeks, the Shanghai Composite Index has dropped nearly 20%, a decline some experts define as a bear market.

Economy: The selloff in China is likely to hit confidence, especially amid worries about the
fragile global economic recovery. No major economic readings are on tap Wednesday, which cold result in a volatile session. Philip Isherwood, equities strategist at London-based Evolution Securities, said the Chinese sell-off was disturbing to U.S. and European investors “because China, obviously, is a symbol of growth.”  “Equities require recovery, and China is an early-cycle talisman of recovery,” said Isherwood. “China is being viewed as an early call on the global market picking up.” Western investors want China’s economy to grow so that Chinese consumers will buy American and European imports, said Isherwood. But a heavy decline in the Shanghai markets undermines confidence that China would help with a Western recovery,
he said. “China has been a bright light for so long and they’ve been a big consumer of American products,” said Anthony Conroy, head trader at BNY ConvergEx Group. “A slowdown there would
certainly affect our market.” Conroy said investors are unloading futures to buy up the dollar, which is now seen as a safe haven, since “the U.S. market is coming out of a severe recession and it looks like [China is] going into one.” But while dollars are considered a safe haven, he said this positive sentiment does not extend to the U.S. stock market, because it is seen as being more dependent on Chinese growth.

The plunge in the Shanghai Composite was triggered by a recent economic slowdown in a market that had rallied to the point of being overbought, said Conroy.

Money and oil: The dollar rose against the euro and the British pound, but slipped
versus the yen. The price of oil fell 68 cents to $68.51 a barrel. Earnings: Hewlett-Packard (HPQ, Fortune 500) reported a 19% drop in quarterly profit after U.S. markets closed Tuesday, but the computer maker said business was “stabilizing.” 

First Published: August 19, 2009: 5:08 AM ET

Transit accidents linked to sleep disorders

Here is an article from USA Today that illustrates why a diligent monitoring program is essential to the safety of our clients. You can never be too safe.

By Alan Levin, USA TODAY

Aviation regulators don’t screen commercial pilots for sleep disorders that can trigger deadly mistakes linked to serious accidents in aviation and other forms of transit, according to investigators and sleep experts.
Accidents on planes, buses, trucks, trains and ships have repeatedly been linked to drowsy operators whose fatigue stemmed from medical conditions, according to a review of federal and local accident records. Several of the accidents were fatal.
MORE:Pilots, others not tested for sleeping disorders
While efforts to reduce fatigue in aviation have focused on pilots’ schedules, federal accident investigators say pilots and other vehicle operators also need to be screened for sleep disorders. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is preparing to take a stand on the issue within weeks, according to testimony at a recent public meeting.
“We’re very concerned about this,” said Mark Rosenker, acting chairman of the NTSB. “It can lead to significant fatigue. Fatigue has been linked to a host of accidents.”
FIND MORE STORIES IN: Federal Aviation Administration | National Transportation Safety Board
Sleep apnea, the most common sleep disorder, can cause acute fatigue and daytime sleepiness. Apnea occurs when a person’s air passages become blocked, forcing a wake-up for a gasp for breath. The waking occurs so briefly that many sufferers don’t even realize it.
Among the sleep-related accidents cited by the NTSB:

• A charter bus accident that killed nine people on Jan. 6, 2008, in Mexican Hat, Utah., was blamed on the driver’s “diminished alertness,” due in part to his sleep apnea.

• The driver of a trolley train that crashed into another train on May 28, 2008, in Newton, Mass., likely fell asleep. Investigators suspected that the overweight driver suffered from apnea, but it could not be proved because she died.

• The captain of a Go! airlines regional jet carrying 40 passengers, who fell asleep with his co-pilot for at least 18 minutes over Hawaii on Feb. 13, 2008, had severe undiagnosed apnea. The jet was flying out to sea when the pilots woke up and turned back to their destination.

“Our approach is bury our heads in the sand and hope that it doesn’t happen,” said Charles Czeisler, director of sleep medicine at Harvard’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital. “We need to screen for sleep disorders.”
Thomas Balkin, chief of Behavioral Biology at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and chairman of the National Sleep Foundation, said that a few simple questions can identify people who might have apnea.
No federal agency requires that commercial vehicle operators be screened for sleep disorders, according to NTSB. The Federal Railroad Administration is drafting new rules that could include requiring tests for apnea, the NTSB said.
The Federal Aviation Administration requires pilots to get medical exams every year or six months. While there are no specific screens for sleep disorders, doctors are expected to ask follow-up questions if pilots are obese or have other signs of sleep disorders, said FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette.

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NBTA make push with Congess

Here is an article from the NBTA on helping congress to see the benefit that business travel bring to the economy. What is your opinion on business travel?

 

Business Travel Professionals Gather in Washington to Educate Congress on Industry’s Economic Impact  

CONTACT:

Caleb Tiller, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 138, ctiller@nbta.org
Nicole Hayes, +1 703-684-0836, ext. 133, nhayes@nbta.org

Washington, DC (June 18, 2009) – The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) – the world’s leading association representing the business travel industry – this week hosted the 7th Annual NBTA Legislative Summit in Washington, DC. More than 65 corporate travel professionals from throughout the United States gathered to learn about current legislative affairs affecting business travelers and the travel industry as a whole. Attendees yesterday met with their representatives on Capitol Hill to discuss aviation infrastructure updates and the importance of corporate travel, meetings and events to the U.S. and global economy.

Kevin Maguire, CCTE, GLP, NBTA President & CEO, said, “Each year NBTA members look forward to the Legislative Summit, seizing the opportunity to learn about Congressional matters that may harm or enhance their current jobs and future career opportunities. By taking action today to speak out about efficient facilitation of business travel, corporate travel professionals are working to advance the industry toward a better future.”

While meeting with member of Congress, attendees urged representatives to:
Resist congressional efforts to dictate travel policies within companies that have accepted TARP funds and consider the positives meetings bring to local communities and the global economy when speaking publicly.
Enact FAA reauthorization to spend deployment of NextGen (the Next Generation Air Transport System) and reduce delays caused by an antiquated air traffic control system.  NBTA members also expressed concern with a provision in the bill passed in the House (H.R. 915) that would increase the current cap on Passenger Facility Charges.

Maguire added, “As corporate travel professionals, we have a duty to voice our concerns about and support for issues that directly affect the business travel industry and the communities in which we reside.  NBTA members yesterday took it upon themselves to meet face-to-face with their local and state representatives to reinforce the economic impacts business travel has on hard-working Americans and their families.”

The National Business Travel Association (NBTA) is the world’s premier business travel and corporate meetings organization. NBTA and its regional affiliates – NBTA Asia Pacific, the Brazilian Business Travel Association (ABGEV), NBTA Canada, NBTA Mexico, and NBTA USA – serve a network of more than 15,000 business travel professionals around the globe with industry-leading events, networking, education & professional development, research, news & information, and advocacy. NBTA members, numbering more than 4,000 in 30 nations, are corporate and government travel and meetings managers, as well as travel service providers. They collectively manage and direct more than US$200 billion of global business travel and meetings expenditures annually on behalf of more than 10 million business travelers within their organizations. For more information, visit www.nbta.org