Month / February 2015

by Hoosier Econ

Hoosier Wine Sales May Soar

Wine businesses are getting closer to widening their sales through the Internet. Story courtesy WNDU:

A state legislative panel has endorsed a proposal that would allow Indiana residents to buy wine directly from a winery without first having to make an in-person visit.

The Senate Public Policy Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to send the bill to the full Senate for consideration.

The bill would eliminate the current requirement that residents having wine shipped to them first conduct a face-to-face transaction to ensure that the buyer is at least 21 years old. The proposal would require buyers to provide a copy of a government-issued ID to confirm they are of legal age.

Bill sponsor Sen. Phil Boots of Crawfordsville says the change will give Indiana wine consumers more choices and help wineries in the state to grow their business.

by Hoosier Econ

Prison Economy: Cell Phones

prison cell phones
Cell phones in prisons and jails are a hot commodity. Finding national numbers was hard to do, but to give you a perspective of how big it is, California prison guards found 9,000 in 2013.

State police officer told me one time while working on a tip they busted a female during visitation at a prison with 3 flip phones. They were wrapped up and “inside her”. That is is an example of great lengths to get these phones inside a prison. But why? Because the price it goes for.

In Texas, a deathrow inmate paid $2,100 for one phone.

In 2011, the NY Times found that

“payments for cellphones range from $300 to $1,000, depending on the type of phone and the service plan. Monthly fees are generally paid by inmates’ relatives.”

Prison guard in Las Vegas was paid $2,000 by an accused murderers family to smuggle in 2 cell phones.

Prison guard in New Jersey was set up in a sting and thought they were getting $1,000 for a cell phone from an inmate.

An unmeasurable financial aspect is when two Indiana prisoners had cell phones smuggled in to run their drug business while on the inside. Indiana prisoners are paying up $1,600 for a phone.

by Hoosier Econ

NCAA Merchandise Sales Helps College Students

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When The Ohio State football team hoisted their BCS football trophy in the air earlier this month, students back in Columbus also got a boost from merchandise sales. Here’s more from The Columbus Dispatch:

Winning the first national championship in the new playoff system is a gift that Ohio State University officials expect will keep giving — and one that ultimately will benefit students.

They expect a $3 million bump in royalties over last year from licensed merchandise sales, based on anticipated revenue of $17 million in royalties this year.

Just how is the merchandise money divided at the university?

For every dollar that goes into the licensing office, 55 cents goes to academic affairs, which handles scholarships, libraries, ongoing programs and the university’s 14 college units; 15 cents goes to the athletics department; 15 cents goes to the alumni association; and 15 cents goes to the student life program and its 1,000 student organizations.

You can read the rest of the article here.