Aaron Rodgers

Describes motivation process for creativity with emphasis on intrinsic motivation by Corey K Katir

The Red Bulls a thin at forward a hope to get Luke Rodgers back by the end of June, and have resources set aside to get another striker if they donat.

aI think weare going to know quite quickly if itas going to happen. We have started to work on that again. I keep in touch with the people who work on that. We hope to have him back when the window opens in the end of June,aa said GM Erik Soler. aThatas what we hope for. That would be a great relief for us. But we are working on alternative possibilities.

aHe knows the way we play, he knows Hans (Backe, coach). He doesnat know Kenny too much but he knows Thierry, the rest of the team. That would be the best solution for us.aa

Rodgers finished second on the team last year with nine goals, but had his renewal for his P-1 visa denied, and his appeal rejected as well. On the final day of the transfer window, Soler sent Rodgers to his own former Norwegian club Lillestrom SK, and now Soler is more confident than ever that heall get the 30-year-old English striker back.

aWe think itas virtually like this: every day that Luke doesnat do anything that harms his chances itas getting better,aa said Soler. aThereas sort of an understanding that he now is in another country; I speak with the club and theyare perfectly happy. He isnat doing anything he shouldnat do. That kind of gives a longer period for things heas done that havenat liked.aa

Backe wasnat quite as bullish or confident of Rodgera return, but admitted after speaking with the legal experts that are working Rodgersa case, heas far more encouraged than he had been.

aFrom what Iave heard from lawyers, yes,aa Backe said. aBut you never know. Itas still probably a 50-50 if itas going through or not. But hopefully, hopefully. If not well just have to have to look for another option.aa

With Thierry Henry out for Saturdayas game at Montreal and Juan Agudelo traded yesterday, Kenny Cooper is the only healthy experienced striker. But with Henry expected back for Wednesdayas Chivas USA game and then a long international break and no MLS tilts until the Chicago tilt on June 17, the Red Bulls are convinced they can survive.

aYeah I think late June is not a problem. We will have a break soon after the Chivas game on Wednesday and then Chicago June 17. Then the window opens I think late June,aa said Backe. aSo a guy could be in at the end of June, so thatas not a problem for us. Youare talking about from now until three games.aa

The Red Bulls have a U.S. Open Cup date on May 29, and midfielders Joel Lindpere, Dane Richards and Mehdi Ballouchy (not available Saturday for visa reasons) have all played as second strikers.

While Juan Agudelo has stated that he feels new club Chivas USA values him, the Red Bulls insist they valued their 19-year-old phenom, enough that theyad spent years rejecting legitimate offers for him and wouldave turned down this one as well if Agudelo himself hadnat desperately wanted to leave.

aJuan has (been) asking for a move for quite awhile. It makes no sense to keep an unhappy player. But itas been going on for awhile,aa coach Hans Backe said at todayas practice, the first since Agudelo was officially dealt yesterday for Heath Pearce, allocation money, salary cap relief and a cut of any future transfer fee.

aIave been speaking personally to Juan a number of times over the past months about his future, his wishes, our wishes. How we can work together, not work together,aa said GM Erik Soler. aAs I said, some people think itas wrong to let him go; I think itas a perfectly right thing to do. I need to think about his career, his wishes but also the club.aa

Few teenagers have come through MLS recently with Agudeloas talent, with Brek Shea being the most likely comparison. The latter played just 17 minutes for FC Dallas when he was 18 years old, and just 727 minutes the next season at 19. Agudelo logged 1,367 last year as an 18-year-old, but was clearly unhappy with being on the bench behind Luke Rodgers last year.

Even though newly-acquired Kenny Cooper was the teamas leading scorer in training camp, and a as Thierry Henry said a ashowed that he deserved to starta a Backe gave Agudelo the nod for the season opener against FC Dallas.

aHeas been away. Since Jan. 20, I havenat counted the number of sessions, but with injuries and national team, he hasnat been around that much,aa said Backe. aBut we said OK, letas start him, even if he hasnat earned it for the first game. Letas give him as much time as possible against Dallas, and see if we can get him in.

aThen he of course picked up the injuries and surgeries because of that. So heas been asking for it a a trade a for quite a while, and thatas the way it is.aa

Itas something the Red Bullsa supporters arenat liable to accept that easily. As the gem of the teamas vaunted youth academy, and one of the more gifted young prospects in the U.S. National Team pool, many fans view him as a player that shouldave gotten more playing time than he did, even if both Cooper and Rodgers before him outperformed Agudelo.

aHeas a Red Bull product, heas been here since heas been a kid,aa said Soler. aPeople will always have a view of playing a young kid all the time, very early, or doing it in another direction. You can agree or disagree with that.

aOn the other hand, everyone considers him such a great talent that has something to do with him and Red Bull a a combination. Thatas what we have to look at. I keep saying that I hope he does well. If he does well, he probably gets sold. Thatas good for him, good for US Soccer, good for us. But I think he needs more time to prove himself.aa

Agudeloas contract is set to expire after next season, although itas always possible that Chivas USA could renegotiate and extend it. Agudelo stated that he already feels valued at his new home; but if Chivas USA serves as his springboard for a desire move to Europe, the Red Bulls will get a asignificanta part of the transfer fee.

aI think he has the potential to go and play in big leagues and when that happens, weall be a proud part of that,aa said Soler, who said the Red Bulls and MLS were in total and complete agreement on turning down the host of transfer offers thatave been coming in for Agudelo over the past 2 A1/2 years.

aMy consideration has been the sporting part all the time. Itas very hard for young kids these days to go to big clubs. They have 50 good talents and maybe one makes it a maybe zero. Just look at the top 20 teams in Europe, itas so hard to get anywhere. You need to go through other stations to develop.

aEspecially now with the World Cup, they want him involved in qualifiers, they want MLS players like him and Brek Shea and a few others to be a part of that a to represent MLS. I think thatas a good decision for Juan to stay longer, sign a new contract, be a part of MLS for a few years. Then still, probably at a young age, leave. Weave been on the same page with the league all the time.aa

The Red Bulls have sent 19-year-old striker Juan Agudelo to Chivas USA for defender Heath Pearce, in a swap of potential for production.A Neither team nor MLS has confirmed theA tradeA ofA U.S. National Team players yet, butA itas a blockbuster move by leagueA standards, enough so that Pearce was trending worldwide after tweeting that he was New York-bound.

“Heath is a very talented and versatile defender who will bring immediate experience to our defense.A We have been long-time fans of his game and think that he will be an important player in our squad,” Red Bulls GM Erik Soler said in a statement. “In addition, we obtained a significant amount of financial flexibility moving forward with this trade. It was a deal we could not turn down.

“To obtain someone of Heathas pedigree and gain substantial financial considerations, we had to trade Juan a an exciting player with potential.”

Agudelo was behind Thierry Henry and Kenny Cooper on the Red Bullsa depth chart, with both of them tied for the team lead and second in the league with nine goals. If Luke Rodgers gets his visa this summer and is able to return to the club,A the sublimely-talented Agudelo could have dropped to fourth on the depth chart. Check out some of those gifts in the clip below of his bicycle attempt Sunday in Philadelphia.

Partly due to his prodigious talent, and partly because of his status as the gem of the Red Bullsa academy program, Agudelo was very popular with many of the club’s supporters. But coach Hans Backe has never been the sort to force-feed young players into the lineup simply to get them experience, and Agudelo simply hasnat developed the chemistry with Henry that Rodgers did and Cooper has.

Agudelo – who was born in Colombia but raised in New Jersey – had spoken with the Red Bulls recently and requested more playing time, open to the idea of a move. Now he got exactly that.

aIn our discussions with Juan, he voiced that he wanted to have more time playing first team soccer and even explore the option of moving to another team,” said Soler. “We wanted to help him achieve this goal and further develop his career. It has been rewarding to watch Juan develop both as a player and a person within our Academy and First Team and we think that playing for Chivas USA will be a great new opportunity for his career. We wish him the best of luck in the future.a

A source within the league confirmed to The Post that the Red Bulls will get allocation money, a significant portion of the sell-on fee of what appears to be Agudelo’sA inevitable move to Europe,A and that Chivas USA will pay part of Pearceas salary this year.

Oh, and they get the 27-year-old Pearce, who who has played every second forA Chivas USA this year and is in the left-back mixA for the U.S.A The versatile Pearce aA capped 35 times by the U.S. since his 2005 debut – has played all four defensive positions at one point in time.

Head joined FC Dallas in Sept. 2009 after playing in Danish Superliga side NordsjA|lland from 2005-07 and German side Hansa Rostock from 2007-09. One of MLSa best left-sided defenders, and the cash that comes along with him, could help alleviate some of the Red Bullsa mounting concerns moving forward.

With defensive midfielder Teemu Tainio suffering a setback in his recovery from a knee injury, now expected to be out at least another two months and perhaps seeing his career threatened, they must look into bringing in another central midfielder. And after centerback Wilman Conde was arrested over the weekend for assaulting a police officer, his future could be clouded by legal issues.

Now the Red Bulls not only have an international-level leader to bolster their defense, but money to go out and acquire another midfielder or striker in the summer transfer window.

The Red Bulls play host to Chivas USA, which also swung a deal for Philadelphiaas Dan Califf Thursday, next Wednesday. Former Red Bulls striker Juan Pablo Angel is playing for Chivas USA.

What steps should you take to have a successful micro law office? In this edition of New Solo, host Attorney Kyle R. Guelcher, a solo practitioner from Springfield, MA and Chair of the Young Lawyers Division of the Massachusetts Bar Association, welcomes Gen Y Solo, Attorney Rachel Rodgers, owner and principal attorney at Rachel Rodgers Law Office, to discuss starting a Spartan overhead, sharply focused law office – the micro law office. Kyle and Rachel talk about the advantages of a micro law office compared to a “traditional” office, essential pieces of technology for any micro firm, and how social media plays a role in the success of a micro firm.

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As a follow up to his excellent presentations at the recent hospitality forums hosted by Garvey Schubert Barer’s Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Practice Group, Gregg Rodgers offered to prepare today’s post on the often discussed, but horribly misunderstood, EB-5 program. Gregg chairs GSB’s Immigration Practice Group and is an important member of, and regular contributor to, our Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Practice Group. Gregg has represented those investing funds into their own projects as individuals and into Regional Centers, and he has worked with many potential EB-5 project sponsors (those using investor’s funds to finance projects), including new hotel development projects in the Northwest, as they have evaluated their options.  Today’s post provides a great overview of the EB-5 program and its general requirements. 

Thank you Gregg . . . 

You may have heard about an influx of foreign investors into the “EB-5” program and wondered – what are they talking about and how can I get my project jump-started with it?

EB-5 is a short-hand reference to the “Employment-Based, 5^th-listed process for getting status as a lawful permanent resident, also known as a “green card.” It was created in the early 1990’s, but only came into its own beginning in 2008, when the great recession dried up local funding for major projects. It was then that many creative developers and others realized that making changes to their business model could open up an untapped source of investment, resulting in the creation of a longer-term relationship between developers and investors, and a potential return for investors that included not just increased wealth, but a new life in the United States. “Regional Centers” have become the focal point of EB-5 investment over the past few years.

So, is it worth taking the plunge and seeking foreign investment through the EB-5 program? Here are some of the issues that you should consider.

The basic rules are that a foreign person must (a) make a capital investment of at least one million dollars of his or her own money into a for-profit commercial enterprise that was created or restructured after November 19, 1990, and (b) at least ten full-time jobs must be created as a result of the investment over the required minimal two-year investment period. Some investments can be as little as $500,000 based on being either in a rural area or in a location in which unemployment exceeds the national average by 150%. The investor must take on a management role, which can be as minimal as being a limited partner. If, after two years as a green card holder, the investor can prove that the full investment has been made and job creation fulfilled, the government will convert the temporary green card into full status for permanent residence.

Regional Centers have become the main focus of EB-5 investment because many have located themselves within areas that allow for the lower investment level of $500,000, and because the job creation requirement for them allows consideration of direct and indirect jobs, such as at the shops, restaurants and services located near a project funded with EB-5 money.

Another variation of the EB-5 program is for “troubled businesses,” which must have been in existence for at least two years before the date of the investor’s filing. In these cases, the requirement of creating at least ten jobs is replaced by the requirement of simply maintaining the pre-investment level of employment. The business into which the investment is made must be able to prove a financial loss of at least 20 percent of its net worth for the 12-to-24 months preceding filing. At least ten jobs must be maintained under this approach.

Up to 10,000 immigrant visas are available each year, which includes the investor and dependent family members such as a spouse and unmarried children under 21. The program did not issue even 1,000 approvals in any year until 2008, when 1,360 were issued, with that number jumping to over 4,200 the next year.   Investment in Regional Centers, which allow for the pooling of funds into mega-projects, has grown in a similar manner, eclipsing individual investor applications by over nine to one. There has been an almost 100% increase in the number of Regional Centers in just the past two years, with more than 200 in 40 states as of the date of this blog.

It would certainly seem that this program should be fully utilized every year because it results in investment in the U.S. and job creation. So why isn’t it? There are many answers, including the government’s continued lack of clear guidance as to how to comply with its requirements. Some of the challenges include figuring out how to prove to the government that the money invested was acquired through lawful means and is truly “at risk” of total loss. Documentation of financing is not transparent in China, the source of the largest groups of investors. Counting the jobs created at the end of the two year window is another challenge. Whether it is because of the uncertainties of the process or poor quality of projects, the reality is that as many as 47% of the EB-5 filings have been denied each year, with the investor and his or her family required leaving the U.S. and the American dream. Fortunately, that denial rate appears to be dropping quickly.

A project that needs less than a few million dollars may want to consider seeking EB-5 investment from a limited number of foreign investors, carefully managing the investment and assuring the requisite job creation. Larger projects may focus on investment within a Regional Center, or creation of their own Regional Center, requiring for a longer-term approach to the process.

Is EB-5 and Regional Center investment a source of funding here to stay, or is it just a temporary source of investment because U.S. sources dried up? After the flurry of the past few years, I expect things to stabilize, with good projects coming and going as their particular needs arise.   

To find out more detailed information about the EB-5 program and Regional Centers, visit the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website or contact me here at Garvey Schubert Barer.

Garvey Schubert Barer’s Hospitality, Travel & Tourism Practice Group, in conjunction with program sponsors and presenters, recently hosted two morning Hospitality Forums in Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon.  The forums were designed for hotel owners, developers, investors and operators as well as hospitality industry service providers, consultants and lenders.  Both events were well attended—a testament to the sponsors and presenters who offered current data, insights and analysis into issues of importance to those in the hospitality industry. 

In particular, Matthew Gardner, of Gardner Economics, provided a macro-level discussion of current economic trends and then narrowed the focus to the Northwest.  Matthew sees Seattle as having strong institutional underpinnings that will contribute to continued economic growth.  Within the Northwest, condominium projects are not being approved by banks.  Apartment construction projects in Seattle are being approved but that segment may soon be over saturated.  Matthew did not express concern with the limited amount of hospitality construction underway.  A similar presentation by Tom Potiowsky, the PSU Chair of Economics and Director of the Northwest Institute for Applied Economic Research, led off things in Portland.  Although not quite as bullish on the local economy as Matthew, Tom was confident that a recovery (although slow) was underway in Oregon, and more particularly, the greater Portland market.  Copies of Matthew’s presentation and Tom’s presentation are attached. 

Attendees in both Seattle and Portland also heard from industry veteran Chris Kraus of PKF Consulting USA.  Chris has become a fixture at the annual Hospitality Forum.  His presentations provide much of the same national trends data that ALIS participants receive but with a more detailed focus on Northwest markets.  Our participant program surveys continue to rate Chris’ analysis and predictions as valuable to participants, many of whom appreciate the fact that he always starts his presentation by looking back at his predictions from the year before.  ADR did not recover as well as predicted in 2011 but his predictions overall were very close to the mark.  Copies of Chris’ presentation for both the Puget Sound region and Portland are attached. 

The Seattle and Portland Forums then diverged with local presenters participating in panel discussions the first of which was Debt and Equity for Hospitality Projects.  The Debt and Equity panel included a diverse group of industry specialists including those with experience in traditional lending, SBA programs, EB-5 programs, private capital, mezzanine debt and development.  While the focus of many in the industry over the last few years has been restructuring debt and hanging on, the participants on the Debt and Equity panel were optimistic about 2012 noting that values for hotels are now within reasonable ranges, and money—from both traditional sources and less well know programs—is available for acquisitions, refinances and renovations.  For instance, SBA programs are available to those pursuing both acquisitions and renovation or PIP projects.   EB-5 is a complicated, but potentially very attractive, source of financing by foreigners seeking US Green Cards and GSB’s immigration lawyer, Gregg Rodgers, fielded several questions about that program.  The government’s immigration stimulus funding EB-5 has been showing increased usage in recent years, particularly in California, Seattle and a new project in Portland.  Although still relatively underutilized (the government offers 10,000 Visas annually since 1990, and last year 4,000 were issued for this program),  it’s being utilized among foreign investors who are looking for ways to get their green cards for themselves and family in the USA.  With $500,000 – $1 million and promises for jobs in economically-challenged areas, this is proving to be an avenue for developers looking to augment their capital for hotel development.

Our next panel then debated the power of branding and featured a variety of industry perspectives, including those of the international branded owner and operator, the independent owner and operator, the marketing association, the hybrid brand, the well-respected national feasibility and valuation expert and the founder and CEO of a NW technology company that is working to provide hotel owners and operators much of the same marketing resources that are available from the national brands and marketing associations.  The sometimes lively discussion covered the relevancy of brands, possible dilution among brands, the growing influence of the independent or boutique hotel, rapid advances in technology and their effect on branding, the relative costs of the various branding options and the effect of branding on project feasibility and valuation. 

We at GSB were pleased to bring together an amazing group of industry participants and enjoyed catching up with many of our industry clients, friends and colleagues.  We extend a special thanks to our program sponsors, PKF Consulting USA, CBRE and Premier Capital Associates, LLC and to all of our panel presenters.  Complete agendas for the Seattle and Portland Forums are attached, and we encourage you to contact any one of our sponsors or presenters with your hospitality questions or business needs. 

If you have questions about the Forums or want more information about attending or speaking, please let me know.  We look forward to seeing everyone again next year, and to seeing how Chris’ predictions hold up in 2012! 

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