Kit Menkin's Leasing News

                   www.leasingnews.org  Friday, July 19,  2002

  Accurate, fair and unbiased news for the equipment Leasing Industry

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    Headlines----

Commercial Money Center, Escondido, California—Las Vegas, Nevada

Inside attorney:

“Sad fact is that it looks like they're (The CMC crew) are going to get

away with it which I find most disappointing.  I'm sure you're aware

that they have BK'd all of the various companies and are currently

protected by the automatic stay from the court.”

Several, in fact, are back in business, including Wayne Pirtle, reportedly with

Blaine Tanner; “Dr.” Ron Fisher leasing to chiropractors (perhaps with his

friend Stan Daniels and son , formerly of SDI ), and both Bill and Ty Hansen have Conrad and Associates (Bill, is in fact, Orange County Regional Chairman for the

United Associations of Equipment Leasing).

http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/CMC_stories.htm

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Robert Pardini at MSM Capital---Gone?

MSM Capital

7545 Irvine Center Drive

Suite 250

Irvine, CA 92618

Phone: (949)453-7500ext7510

Fax: (949) 453-7501

Rob Pardini e-mail comes back as not deliverable, as address is invalid.

Telephone does not answer. According to AT&T, it is either “discontinued”

or “not in use.”

It appears MSM Capital at this address is no longer in business.  Leasing News

is trying to verify the size of the “skeleton staff.”

http://www.leasingnews.org/Conscious-Top%20Stories/MSM_skeletonStaff.htm

Fed chief fears SEC `overload'

By Jeannine Aversa

Associated Press

WASHINGTON - Chief executives of all publicly held companies should not be forced to verify the

accuracy of company finances with federal regulators, Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan said Wednesday.

``If they did it voluntarily, that'll be fine, but I'd hate to have to administer something of that dimension,'' Greenspan told the House Financial Services Committee. He indicated that every publicly held company should not be forced to do so.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has asked roughly 1,000 leading chief executive officers to certify that their companies' financial statements are accurate.

``Well, my main concern is that you don't want to overload the SEC,'' Greenspan said. ``The vast proportion of any of the issues that would come up which should concern us from the economy's point of view are covered pretty much by the SEC.''

In his written testimony, Greenspan repeated his harsh criticism of business executives who mislead investors. He restated his view that a startling wave of accounting problems stemmed in part from ``an infectious greed'' and blamed that for undermining investor confidence in corporate America.

Greenspan's written testimony and his semiannual economic report to Congress was the same as that presented to the Senate Banking Committee on Tuesday.

``Greed is not an issue of business, it's an issue of human beings,'' Greenspan said, during questioning.

On the economy, Greenspan continued to strike a soothing tone as he did in his Senate appearance. ``We are poised for a reasonably good expansion,'' he told House members.

Thus far, consumers, whose spending accounts for two-thirds of all economic activity, have been holding up despite the spotty recovery and the sour stock market, Greenspan said.

In contrast, business spending has remained weak, he said. It was deep cuts in capital spending that helped push the economy into recession last year. Economists said capital investment must turn around to bring the economy back to robust health.

Against that backdrop and given that inflation has remained low, Fed policy-makers have opted to hold short-term interest rates at 40-year lows at each of their four meetings this year. Growing numbers of economists believe the Fed will keep rates unchanged through the rest of the year.

As for the accounting scandals, Greenspan said he was not terribly worried by the prospect that more U.S. corporations might revise earnings downward.

``I do believe there are going to be significant restatements and I agree with you that the number that are going to be restated up won't take you very long to read,'' Greenspan said.

But those restatements are not likely to damage the U.S. economy, he said. ``I'm not terribly concerned about any impact,'' Greenspan said.

``If we get a lot of restatements, which I presume we may very well, I'm not sure that's all bad,'' Greenspan said. ``Indeed, what it is suggesting is that the issue which really gripped everybody for a number of years -- to manage your earnings so that you could affect the stock price -- is going to disappear. And, indeed, I think it's very much disappearing.''

August 6^th, Arizona Diamondbacks

With the sad state of the economy, and associated problems in the leasing industry, it is

more important than ever to get together, network, and discuss issues and ideas.

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August 6---Arizona Diamondbacks Game

Attached please find flyer advertising our 4th annual Arizona UAEL Brokers and Funders summer get together tied to an Arizona Diamondbacks game.

 If you would include this in your newsletter we would most appreciate it. It's a great get together for us each summer and always well attended.

 Per the flyer we're holding our event on Tuesday, August 6, 2002 at McDuffy's Sports Bar in Tempe, AZ near ASU campus, 6:00 PM to 10:00 PM. Details are in the flyer.

Thanks for your help in advertising our Regional UAEL

event.

http://www.leasingnews.org/docs/ANNUAL%20ARIZONA%20UAEL%20FUNDERS%202.htm

Irv

    Irv Ellis, CLP      

    LeaseCor, Inc.

    346 West Frier Drive

    Phoenix, AZ  85021

    (800) 444-6424

    (602) 395-0463

    (602) 395-0663  fax

    irv@leasecor.com

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Friday---Odds and Ends

“silver lining”

Thanks very much for mentioning Business Leasing News.  I watch your work to

see if you say positive stuff.  The current environment has more than its

share of negatives though.  I guess we should look for the "silver lining"

somewhere. 

Keep up the good work.

     David

  David G. Mayer

  Patton Boggs LLP

  2001 Ross Avenue

  Suite 3000

  Dallas, Texas 75201

  Tel:  (214) 758-1545

  Fax: (214) 758-1550

  Author of: Business Leasing For Dummies

  Publisher of: Business Leasing News

-- 

. Thanks and keep up the good work. Your extra efforts

are appreciated!

Bob Dubow

ablease@hitnet.com

---

Used Dynojet Motorcycle Dynometer

Thanks for the great newsletter.  I am attempting to find a used Dynojet motorcycle dynometer (that measures horsepower) for a customer.  I have not had any luck on the internet looking under "equipment brokers" and was wondering if your or any of your subscribers might have a suggestion where to start.

 Thanks Carl Fernyak, MTBLeasing  cfernyak@mtbt.com

419.529.6100

-------------------  

The Ken Goodman at Ability Commercial Capital

Just a note to tell you that I have accepted a position as Vice President,

Sales and Marketing for Ability Commercial Capital.  The company is based in

Pollock Pines, California (east of Sacramento) but I will be operating from

our new southern California office in Lake Forest.

I want to point out that my tenure at Dimension Funding was both enjoyable

and productive and that the parting was under the most cordial terms.  I

have nothing but the highest regard for Mike Wagner, who I consider a class

act, and his entire staff.

My new contact information is below.

Ken Goodman, CLP

Vice President, Sales & Marketing

Ability Commercial Capital, Inc.

24137 Graysron Drive, Suite B

Lake Forest, CA 92630

949/583-7560 - fax: 949/583-7275

Cell: 310/721-1751 - kendg@abilitycapital.com

----

Chuck Brazier

He said he was going to “Mapquest” yesterday afternoon, but would not be leaving

Denver, Colorado until Saturday.  He was driving with his daughter and son-in-law.

He would like to make a statement after he gets back to Miami, particularly to

thank readers who sent in many kind words about him (“...that’s probably what

will keep me in the leasing industry.” ).  He prefers to finish packing, taking

care of some loose ends, and get on the road. 

http://www.leasingnews.org/midi/drive_my_car.mid

------

Randy Schiel at Park Western Leasing

The receptionist confirmed that Mr. Schiel, formerly of Centerpoint Financial,

was now at Park Western Leasing.  She also told me Sandi Gibson, also formerly of Centerpoint Financial, would be joining the company on Monday.

Hopefully I will get an interview with Mr. Schiel with a story to follow.

http://www.funklix.com/WannaShout/You_Make_Me_Wanna_Shout.swf

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Amtrak

My daughter decided she wanted to visit her college roommate and some other friends in Chicago. The airfare was too expensive and the Amtrak stopped in Naperville, close to one of her friends houses so we thought she could take the train Wens. from Mt. Pleasant, IA about an hour drive from here scheduled to leave around noon. We checked to see the trains status yesterday morning at about 7 AM and it was seven and a half hours late, seven and half! She would have gotten to Naperville after midnight instead of late afternoon. I ended up having to take a vacation day and drive her. Some service! It was over 11 hours late the day before, and this is peak travel season.

Up until yesterday I was a big rail travel supporter. She is coming back on Amtrak Saturday and since the train originates in Chicago it should be a lot closer to on-time. I'll keep you posted.

Jake Kemps

jkemps@valleyapp.com

(Leasing News has been writing for quite some time how the government is ruining

the train system in the United States, further and further cut-backs, delays.  We all

are concerned about the environment, the ozone level, yet we have cut the program

for gasoline allowance for new vehicles, among many other laws and legislations,

and are making railroad travel more and more difficult, unpopular, and they basically

want it for freight, not passenger service. Editor )

---- 

Seahawks Stadium---View from a Soccer Fan

Here's another spin regarding the new Seahawks Stadium from a resident of the Seattle-Tacoma area. Approval for public money to help finance the new Seahawks stadium had failed until Mr. Allen and Co. went to the soccer community and told them that if they voted for the project, an MLS level franchise would be brought in and could share the facility. Natural grass was also to have been installed in an effort to attract world cup qualifying games and other international games. This swung the vote, and construction began.

Unfortunately, an article published in local newspapers about a year or so ago stated that an MLS franchise would not be coming to town because they had not been able to secure local financing. Additionally, field turf would be installed because it would better withstand the rainy weather, with the footnote that they could put down natural grass for selected matches. The plan now is that our A League team (the league below the MLS) will share the facility and play on the field turf, which, I admit, is an improvement from their current home field where they play on astro-turf. Wonder how the ticket prices will change?

You may imagine that the soccer community, whose vote was essential to the projects success, felt betrayed and was outraged. This is right up there with the Safeco Field fiasco, which failed a vote in King County, only to be rammed down the voters throats by our own legislature, who bowed to pressure because Mariner ownership threatened to move the team out of the area.

While field turf is far better than astro-turf, many people could not help but wonder why a facility without a retractable roof for football, a sport that invariably tears up the field, would be built in this type of climate, especially since Safeco Field has one, and baseball is far easier on the grass. Can this city support an MLS franchise? Good question, but we'll never be considered a viable option for the league without a natural grass field in a stadium large enough for the team to be profitable. The fact that soccer has been the fastest growing sport amongst the youth for the past few years should say something to those that plan ahead in the professional sports arena. I am obviously a soccer fan, but should state that at one time I was a huge fan of both professional football and basketball, and also followed baseball but to a lesser degree.

In any case, the new Seahawks Stadium is a nice facility, but Mr. Allen left out certain facts that I thought needed to be known.

Michael Helm

Michael_Helm@yca.tzo.com

Please send to a colleague, as Leasing News is trying to build its readership.

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                  LeaseTeam, Inc. deepens its investment in Customer Retention

    OMAHA, NE - LeaseTeam, Inc., developers of the Lease Sales ManagerTM and LeasePlusTM end-to-end solution, is pleased to announce the creation of a new position: Director  of Communications and Customer Retention; and the appointment of Valerie Ford to that position.

    Ford served as LeaseTeam's Director of Human Resources for the past three years, focusing on recruitment and employee retention during LeaseTeam's vigorous growth period. Prior to joining LeaseTeam, Ford had five years of experience in Human Resources proceeded by four years of Accounting experience.

    Ford will replace Tia Harrison, former Communications Specialist who is relocating to Chicago, adding a new venue of communications: Customer Retention. In this role, Ford will  focus on fostering dialogue with customers as well as providing them with opportunities to more fully utilize the investment they've already made in the LeaseTeam family of   products. "LeaseTeam has always valued our relationship with our customers," says Randy Haug, Senior Vice President and Principal of LeaseTeam, Inc. "Our customers are  looking to automate more aspects of their business and focus their human resources on service versus processing. When we show them how they can accomplish many of these goals with the tools they already have, we'll afford our clients more profitability and give them a competitive advantage over their competitors. We expect Ford to open new doors of communication for us and our customers, at a very critical time in our economy. When tech hiring was at it's most competitive, Ford fiercely built and implemented strategies to acquire the talent necessary to fuel LeaseTeam's growth. To me, this is equally challenging and as vitally important."

    Ford received a Bachelors degree in Accounting from St. John's University, New York.

    LeaseTeam, Inc. is a privately held company with headquarters based in Omaha. NE. For more information about LeaseTeam, Inc., visit our website at www.leaseteam.com or call(402) 493-3445.

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Excerpts form ELT E-Leasing Newsletter

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********************************

ELT E-Leasing Newsletter 7/18/02

********************************

The Equipment Leasing Today E-Leasing Newsletter is published every Thursday

and is sponsored by the Equipment Leasing Association and its co-sponsor. To

get Full-Text Stories, go to the web page associated with the story you wish

to

read. The links to news stories require an ELA MEMBERS-ONLY NAME AND

PASSWORD. To receive a password, please email your request to

database@elamail.com.

NOTE: Address change/unsubscribe instructions and contact information can be

found at the end of this e-mail. If you received this e-mail (but it was NOT

forwarded to you by someone else) you are ALREADY subscribed.

*********** The E-Leasing Newsletter is SPONSORED by: ******************

                       NASSAU ASSET MANAGEMENT

                    Recovery and Remarketing Specialists

                 1(800)462-7728 or 1(800)4-NASSAU

    GO HERE>>>>>> http://www.nasset.com     WE GET RESULTS!!!!!!!!!

              Servicing The Leasing Industry for more than 25 years!!!!!

*Covering all 50 states and Canada *Fastest turn around *24 hour

reporting via Web *Highest resale prices Call Nassau now for a complete

******************************

1.    Thomas Says Changes To International Tax Bill Possible

******************************

Yesterday, House Ways and Means Committee Chairman, Bill Thomas (R-CA), the

sponsor of the leading international tax reform bill in Congress, H.R.5095,

acknowledged that he will likely make changes to the legislation in light of

numerous industries complaints about the measure as introduced. Prepared in

response to the adverse WTO ruling on the FSC/ETI Act, the bill as currently

drafted, does repeal the Act but does not provide grandfathering for FSC or

ETI lease transactions done under those tax regimes.

ELA and others have advised the Committee that the bill must be changed to

grandfather such transactions. In a statement submitted to the committee in

June, ELA said, "it is imperative that leasing companies which entered into

FSC/ETI transactions be able to proceed on the assumption that the

transition rules for FSC leasing transactions will be continued in any

future legislation. The failure to grandfather FSC and ETI leasing

transactions will have grievous consequences for both U.S. exporters and

leasing companies that relied on the tax regimes in existence at the time

they entered into the transactions..."

"Thomas is starting to feel the heat and the time frame for mark-up of the

bill is uncertain," said ELA V.P. of Federal Government Relations Steve

Fier. "Not having consulted with the Ways and Means Democrats or House GOP

leadership prior to introducing the bill has also caused problems for

Thomas," Fier observed. While Thomas still hopes to move the bill before the

August recess, the prospects for the legislation remain unclear at this

time. Senate Finance Committee Chairman, Max Baucus (D-Mont) has said that

his committee does not have time to address the international tax reform

issue this year, but there is a strong sense that some House action will be

viewed as a good faith effort by the U.S. to comply with the WTO ruling and

provide cover for the E.U. not to impose economic sanctions.

Fier said, "it is not unreasonable to ask the U.S. government to protect and

defend U.S. taxpayers who entered into contracts and priced those

transactions based on existing U.S. law as Congress moves forward in

addressing the FSC/ETI replacement issue".

--- 

******************************

2.    SEC Official To Address September ELA Accounting Conference in DC

******************************

SEC Deputy Chief Accountant Jackson Day will deliver the keynote address at

the ELA Lease Accountants Conference, September 9 - 11, 2002 in Washington,

DC. Mr. Jackson's presentation, "Clarity and Integrity in Financial

Reporting," is expected to address the recent concerns raised by government,

business, and the investing public over the proper reporting of public

companies' financial condition.

The conference theme, "Lease Accounting: Standards in Transition," reflects

the significance of recent activities at the FASB, SEC, and Congress to

revise accounting and reporting standards that impact the leasing and

finance business. Conference attendees also will receive updates from

practitioners, Big Five representatives, and a member of the FASB board on

current and emerging issues, such as the future of off-balance sheet

financing, consolidating SPEs, synthetic leases, and guarantor accounting

and disclosure.

If there is any year to attend the ELA Lease Accounting Conference, this is

it! For complete conference details and to register, simply click here:

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/leaseaccts/

In addition, we urge you to make your reservations at the Renaissance

Mayflower Hotel before the hotel cutoff date of Friday, August 9, 2002.

Simply call the Mayflower at 202-347-3000.

******************************

9.    Congratulations to the Winners of ELA Business Technology Solutions

Award!

******************************

Twenty-three ELA member companies competed for the chance to be recognized

for their innovative use of technology. Only three awards were distributed!

The need for integration, flexibility and speed have caused many ELA members

to place serious attention--both dollars and personnel--to the development

of premier e-business systems that utilize the best that technology has to

offer.

To read about what makes the awards winners are doing, go here:

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/bustechsol/btscaward.cfm

ELA hopes to continue to recognize technological excellence on an annual

basis. The award will be announced the next Business Technology Solutions

Conference, scheduled June 2003. To get information about how your company

can be considered for the 2003 Business Technology Solutions Award, please

contact Racquel Codling at rcodling@elamail.com

******************************

12.     ELA Calendar of Events

******************************

Please visit ELA's 2002 Calendar of Events online at

http://www.elaonline.com/events/year2002.htm

If you have any questions about ELA conferences and workshops, please

contact Lesley Sterling at lsterling@elamail.com

September 9-11, 2002

Lease Accountants Conference

Mayflower Hotel, Washington, DC

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/leaseaccts/

September 9-11, 2002

Principles of Leasing Workshop

Pittsburgh Marriott City Center, Pittsburgh, PA

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/principles/

September 17-18, 2002

ELA's Principles of State Sales & Property Taxation Conference

Four Points Hotel Chicago O'Hare, Schiller Park, Illinois

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/princstate/

September 25-27, 2002

Municipal Leasing Conference

Westin Tabor Center, Denver, CO

October 7-9, 2002 

Principles of Leasing Workshop

Hilton Northbrook, Northbrook, IL

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/principles/

October 13-15, 2002

41st Annual Convention

San Francisco Marriott, San Francisco, CA

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/AnnConv/

December 2-4, 2002

Principles of Leasing Workshop

Embassy Suites, LaJolla, CA

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/principles/

December 9-11, 2002

Principles of Leasing Workshop

Philadelphia Marriott, Philadelphia, PA

http://www.elaonline.com/events/2002/principles/

For more information on the events listed below, or to view ELA's Entire

calendar, visit the ELA Conference & Training Home Page at

http://www.elaonline.com/events/ and click on the links to programs of

interest to you.

This newsletter is free to ELA members. Forward it to a co-worker!

Copyright 2002 by the Equipment Leasing Association

http://www.elaonline.com/

News Briefs---

Stocks Hit 5-Year Low on Dismal Profits

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The broad market tumbled to 5-year lows on Thursday as a flurry of dismal corporate earnings reports pummeled hopes company profits were on the mend.

---

Tokyo stocks fall, dollar lower against yen in morning trading

TOKYO (AP) Tokyo stocks fell Friday morning, with market sentiment dampened by a retreat on Wall Street. The dollar was lower against the yen.

--

Computer firm Gateway posts $58.5 million Q2 loss

SAN DIEGO (AP) Computer maker Gateway Inc. on Thursday posted a wider-than- expected quarterly loss as sales tumbled.

-- 

AMD takes hard hit in PC slump

Chipmaker reports loss of $185 million. Predicts will not turn profit until

recover the last quarter of 2003.

---

Shippers reject union's proposal

A counter-offer is expected soon, affecting 1,100 workers in Bay Area

After nearly three months of negotiations, the talks between shippers and the longshoremen at about

30 ports on the West Coast appear to have reached a turning point with a new contract proposal from the union.

---

Army secretary defends his record as former Enron executive

WASHINGTON (AP) Army Secretary Thomas White said Thursday he is ``appalled and angered'' by the scandals that drove Enron Corp. into bankruptcy but denied any role in or knowledge of wrongdoing while he was an Enron executive.

--  

Wood products company posts decline in profit for second quarter

BOISE, Idaho (AP) Boise Cascade Corp. reported a sharp decline in its profit for the second quarter and would have had a loss without a gain from the sale of its interest in a promotional products company.

-- 

Pittman steps down as chief operating officer of AOL Time Warner: Bob Pittman stepped down as chief operating officer of AOL Time Warner in a shake-up Thursday at the world's largest media company, which has seen its stock dragged down by its flagging America Online division.

---

Boss George not the only player in baseball's Blame Game

Jeff Gordon

St Louis Post-Dispatch Online Sports Columnist

Sure, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner HAS inflicted much damage on the overall health of major league baseball.

But all this finger-pointing directed at Boss George by owners like Cleveland's Larry Dolan, well, that's just stupid. The Yankees can only buy 25 players. That leaves an enormous workforce for the other major league teams to draw from.

The Yankees don't set the market for player salaries. All the teams set the market, and at least half the franchises have been as guilty of foolish spending. In fact, several teams (including Texas, Arizona, Colorado and Los Angeles) would grade out as greater transgressors, given the nature of some their signings.

Here in Cardinal Nation, general manager Walt Jocketty is not completely innocent. He angered his peers by playing ball with Scott Boras on entry-level prospects, driving up market prices. And he's wasted his share of money, committing large money on a creaking Andy Benes and an offensively impaired So Taguchi.

For the most part, Steinbrenner spends his money wisely. He's not paying Alex Rodriguez $25 million a season. He didn't give Mike Hampton a deal worth more than $120 million. He's getting better value from his Jason Giambi signing than the Cards are getting from their Tino Martinez signing.

Sure, Steinbrenner's payroll is several times that of many teams -- but don't blame him for driving up the salaries of individual players.

If all the teams not owned by Steinbrenner decided to set a reasonable budget and stick to it, the runaway player inflation would end just like that. We're not calling for collusion, we're calling for common sense to prevail.

There are no laws against sound fiscal management. No team president will be sent to jail for trying to actually TURN A PROFIT. Teams need to set a payroll that's less than projected revenues. This is Business 101, entry level stuff.

The owners don't have to exchange memos urging each other to ignore free agents. Team executives just have to use their noodles.

And here's another thing: Steinbrenner has otherworldly revenues, more than anybody else. And that's good for him. But the other franchises need to push for a collective bargaining agreement designed with the more ordinary franchises in mind.

The very richest teams shouldn't dictate policy. Why can't major league baseball run like a democracy, since so many teams claim to be in dire financial straits? If more teams are hurting than prospering, then why aren't they calling the shots.

On one level, we suppose, they are. Commissioner Bud Selig was drafted from the Milwaukee Brewers, as pathetic a franchise as there is. He is a shrill proponent of economic reform. He is a relentless predictor of doom. He is one heck of a Chicken Little, so good that he effectively ruined the All-Star Game hosted by his own franchise.

That's commitment to the cause!

But does Selig really have the juice with the owners? Are the mid-market teams really capable of forcing change? Or when push comes to shove, with a work stoppage, will Boss George and the other elite owners tell their minions what do to?

If Steinbrenner's peers are as furious and exasperated as some are saying, then they should resolve to take control of the industry and run it according to their parameters. We're not telling them to take down Boss George, but they should tell him to share more of the revenue they help generate.

They should establish the level of revenue sharing needed in the next deal and they should resolve to make it happen. They should devise the payroll tax structure. After all, they have the votes.

These mid-level owners shouldn't need a secret plan to drive down free-agent prices; the sticker shock of the A-Rod and Hampton signings should jar each and every one of them.

Look, what happened to the baseball industry isn't Steinbrenner's fault. Sure, he exploited the system to the max to buy himself a perennial champion. Yes, he ranks among the players' association's most favorite people.

But he didn't create the system or establish the salary scale that forces so many teams to dump talent in his lap. The other owners allowed these things to happen. And now the other owners need to take their game back and start running it sensibly.

The Yankees aren't bad for baseball. Like them or hate them, they create lots of interest and fuel the industry. We can't argue with this statement from the Steinbrenner camp Wednesday: "Since the day that Babe Ruth was acquired, the Yankees have been the envy of many in the game and subject to the jealousies that success brings. In reality, it is the Yankees' success and commitment to providing a consistent winner that is at the center of the criticism."

Dynasties aren't bad for baseball. What's bad for baseball is having so many weak teams, about half of the major league squads in any given season.

Rather than rant about Steinbrenner, the Clevelands and Houstons of the sport need to run their own franchises responsibly. They must support a new structure that allows most teams to have some sort of shot at postseason contention.

The Clevelands and Houstons of the sport are the franchises that need to forge a partnership with the players, a partnership that makes certain that every team and every player gets an appropriate share of the industry's enormous revenue.

The Larry Dolans and Drayton McLanes of the league need to quit yelling out the window and start looking in the mirror.

________________________________________________________________________

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