WSJ: Dell cellphone may not be far off - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The Round Rock, Texas-basedc computer maker, which is the second largest producer of PCs in the has been designing prototypes for more than a as initially reported by the Wall Street Journal . However, Dell (NYSE: spokesman David Frink declined to comment saying the report is basecdon speculation. The Journal reports that Dell planzs to develop a smartphone to competewith ’se (Nasdaq: AAPL) hugely popular iPhone and Research in Motion’s (Nasdaq: RIMM) The phones will be baseed on ’s (Nasdaq: GOOG) Android operating systemj and ’s (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows Mobilw software, according to the reports.
Dell has recentlhy cut two Microsoft-related Earlier month, Dell revealed that it was switchingits pre-installexd default search tool from Googlw to Microsoft’s Live Search toolbar. It also acquired the Microsof t consulting and solutions portion of in a stocki dealworth $12 million. At leasg one model of Dell’s cell phone will featurwe a touchscreen, similar to the iPhone’s, according the Although the cell phone could be released as soon as a montnhfrom now, Dell has not finalize d its plans and may stilol abandon them, the newspaper reported.

American to cut 1,600 jobs - Orlando Business Journal:

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American Airlines, a subsidiary of Fort Worth-basedx AMR Corp. (NYSE: AMR), said 1,200 fligh t attendant positions will be impacted along with 300 airport services staff members and 50 cargoserviced positions. Flight attendant cuts will be made on a basiof seniority. As is customary in most layoffs, American said voluntaryu exit packages will be offered to employeesw who may want to retire Tim Smith, a spokesman for American, said the layoffs were made in conjunctionh with capacity reductions announced by America on Thursday. The positions lost in Orlandoi may not allbe "involuntary" jobs with some workers taking early Smith said.
The airline employs 245 in In a letter to American employeesreleasedf Thursday, the company’s senioer vice president of huma n resources Jeff Brundage said, “These reductione come as a result of our effortzs to 'right size' our operationh and respond to the weaker demand for traveol by reducing our schedule, including seasonal changes, and addressing lower-than-expectedf attrition.” Brundage in his letter added that the cuts coincids with CEO Gerard Arpey’s announcement that the airlin e will be cutting its capacit by 7.
5 percent due to lower consumer travel

Louisville has more than 12 million visitors - Seattle Post Intelligencer

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WFPL

Louisville has more than 12 million visitors Seattle Post Intelligencer (AP) â€" The Louisville Convention and Visitors Bureau says more than 12 million people visited Louisville this year, spending some $1.4 billion. The University of Louisville's Urban Studies Institute came up with the figures based on statistics from ... Tourism is big business for Louisville area Business First  »

Disney Preserve carbon study launched - Portland Business Journal:

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The study is viewed as a vital step towarrd determining how to calculate carbomn credits forany cap-and-trade The federal government would first set a limit on the volumr of emissions that can be produced across the U.S. in a givehn year and then grant tradablefederapl permits, called “allowances,” to covered entities for each ton of CO2 The intention is to encourag firms to discover cheap methods to cut emission whilde allowing those with no easy means to reduce pollution to buy The system could allow landowners to sell carbon creditsd to companies wishing to show they are makinf efforts to reduce their carbon This comes on the heel of a passage of a climater change bill by the U.
S House Energy and Commercw Committee requiring a 17 percent reductioh in greenhouse emission by 2020 and to set up a cap-and-tradw program. The bill is expected to come before the U.S. House by late summer. “When we’rw done setting everything up, we will be able to take data from the begin to understand whether this ecosystem isstoringh carbon, releasing carbon or doing both under various environmental said Ross Hinkle, UCF biologisf and professor on the project, in a prepares statement.
“Then we can develop a reliable, quantifiabl model for calculating carbon storage in natural Disney Wilderness, located in southwestern Osceola County, was originallyy created in 1993 to mitigate wetlands lost to development of . Wetland s cover about 2,550 acres and the site is home to 14 documenteds and 12 unconfirmed protected species of birdesand other.

St. Louis Realtors donate $78,000 to fight homelessness - St. Louis Business Journal:

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The Realtor Housing Assistance Fund now has donated morethan $500,000 since 1989 to help defeat homelessness, accordiny to a release. The recipients of this year'sw distribution are: Adequate Housing for Missourians, Almost Beyond Housing, Catholic Charities, Doorways, Grace & Peacse Fellowship, Humanitri, Independence Center, Life Lydia's House, NBA The Olived Branch, Our Lady's Inn, Peter & Paul Community Servicew Inc., Rainbow Village, Rebuildinb Together, Room at the Inn, Sister of Love. St. Andrew'es Resources for Seniors, St. Louis Transitional Hope House, St. Patrick Center, Sts. Joachim and Ann Care The Haven of andThe Women's Safe House.
Grant recipientx were selected based on several criteria, including their efforts to help reduce and eliminatr homelessness in the St. Louis area. The moneh was raised through fundraisers and collected througnh direct contributions fromthe association's membership and local The association's more than 10,000p members include area Realtors, title companies, appraisers and home

Atlanta Business Chronicle: Business Events Calendar

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Once approved, your event listing will appeae on the Calendar until the day aftee the date you enter as itsend date. For example, if you enter June 8th as your event'as end date, your listing will be removeds from the Calendarat 12:00 a.m. on June 9th. Once I list an how long does it take before it is posted to the BusinessEvents Calendar? To maintainn the professional integrity of our each listing must go through an approvao process prior to being posted to the Events In most cases, this occurs within a few with the maximum being 24 hours. Can I post my even t listing as far in advanceas I'd like? Yes, you can post event listings days, weeks or monthxs in advance.
They will appear on the Calenda r until the day afteryour event's end date. Will my evenrt listing also appear in the print edition of theBusiness Journal? No, the Businesz Events Calendar is an online-only any events posted through this systemk will only appear If I want to list a recurring event each do I have to enter each one separately? Yes, each month' event would be considered as a separate There may be discounts for multiples listings. Please contact us and a representative will work with you to creatwe a customized package to suit your Contact information is available from the Can I selecr more than one category for myevent listing?
No, each evenrt listing can only fall under one If more than one category applies to your evenrt listing, we recommend choosint the one that is most If I have a Business Events Calendar promotional/discountf code, can I use it in any of bizjournals 42 markets? No, each promotional/discountf code is market-specific and will only work in the markey for which it was originally created. What shouled I do if I need to make changesx to my event listing after it has beenposted online?? Please contact our locall office. Information is available from the Who should I contact if I woulcd like to purchase an event listingh over the phoneversus online? Pleasde contact our local office.
Information is available from the

Stratus Building Solutions signs Denver franchisee - Denver Business Journal:

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The St. Louis-based franchisor of building serviced and maintenance franchises said the Smiths will own and manages Stratus Building Solutions of Metro Denver at 7010 Broadwayin Denver. As a master the Smiths will exclusively offer Stratus Buildint Solutions franchise units for sale throughout Stratus has awarded franchises in 14 states sincee it was foundedin 2004. The companyu is headed by CEO Dennis Jarrett and PresidentrPete Frese. Jarrett said that he projectsw $25 million in revenue for the companythis René Smith is a middle school science Channen Smith is vice president of consumer solutions servicesx for RelayHealth in Westminster.
Kregg Woosley will join Stratuse Building Solutions of Metro Denver asregional director, accordingg to a release from the St. Louis-based Woosley has held similar posts at othert franchised commercial cleaning companies and previously owned and operatexd a janitorial company basedin Tennessee.

Warner Bros. president to speak at Union Saturday - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Alan Horn, who graduated from the Schenectady collegeein 1964, will discuss his perspectivr on the movie business during his 3:30 p.m. talk. Horn’s studio is responsible for such movie hitsas “The Dark as well as the Harry Potte movies. Horn is speaking as part of the school’e ReUnion 2009 graduation event that is expected to draw morethan 1,5009 visitors. Also speaking Saturday are Chris Sheridan, a writeer and character voicefor “The Familu Guy,” who graduated from Union in 1989; and Scott Siegler, the creative director of show s such as “Growing Pains” and “Night He graduated from Union in 1969.
All the talks are free and open to the A ground breaking ceremony is also schedulecd for Saturday on a renovation of the sociallsciences building. The renovatio n work includes the installation ofsmartf classrooms. The work is being funded in part witha $3 milliom gift from alumnus Jim Lippman, who is chairmam and CEO of , a Los Angeles-based commercial real estatw firm he founded in 1992. The companuy has 1,500 employees and manages a portfolio valued at morethan $3.5 with more than $300 millionj in annual revenues.

Young: Even with gun control, some tragedies can't be stopped - Newsday

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Newsday

Young: Even with gun control, some tragedies can't be stopped Newsday After a shattering tragedy, it's human nature to try to make sense of what happened. And, when the tragedy involves guns, attempts to make sense of it inevitably turn to politics. So it is with the horrific elementary school shooting in Newtown, Conn ... Gun violence must be stopped now Greenville News Sandy Hook: Gun control wouldn't have stopped it Washington Times Adam Lanza Wouldn't Have Been Stopped by Stricter Gun Control Laws PolicyMic Examiner.com -WCVB Boston -W*USA 9  »

UTMB receives cardiology training endowment - Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle):

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Dr. John C. Price created the Melvi L. Price M.D. and Charles A. Price Endowment for Cardiology Fellowship Training to supportyouny doctors’ education as they learnj the nuances of treating heart disease, the leadingy cause of death in the United Price’s brothers both died of cardiovascular disease. Pricer said he wanted to establish the endowment to ensurs that UTMB can train more cardiologists who will be skilled at helpingb patients with heart problems make full The value of the endowment wasnot disclosed.
“The twin goalzs are to provide more effective therapy for thosse with heart disease and to encourage early identification of individualx at risk for subsequent intervention to modify and ultimatel y prevent the morbidity of cardiac andvascular disease,” said Price, a head and neck In addition to his recent endowment, Price has contributedr to cardiology research at the universitu to aid the development of new treatments and procedures that reduc functional impairment and death from cardiovascular disease.

Broadway renews Matrix, MultiPlan leases - Phoenix Business Journal:

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The private real estatew investment and management firm is renegotiatinhg leases with tenants at the same time it is trying to cleae up debt issues withits lender. which lost ownership of the Hancock Towef after it defaulted ona loan, has debt that maturesz this month. The financingv in question is secured byseveral properties, includin the 980,000-square-foot Bay Colony. Broadway is in discussionsd with lenders to renegotiate the terms ofthe loan. Broadway was given an extensiohn onthe loan, which was due earliet this month, according to a sourcs with knowledge of the situation. However, the landlord renewesd MultiPlan Inc.
, which leases 105,062 square and Matrix Partners, which leases 11,421 squared feet, at the office complex. CB Richarc Ellis represented MultiPlan. DTZ/FHO Partners represented Broadwayu Partners and Matrix in the lease Broadway acquired Bay Colony from Beacon Capita l Partners LLC in May 2007 as part of a larger portfoliloof assets. The four-building complexx office park sits ona 58-acre site overlookingf Route 128.

Jobs plentiful for new grads in Pittsburgh - Pittsburgh Business Times:

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Career centers at locaol universities say corporate recruitment efforts are up and area businessesw are continuing tomake entry-levep hires, including companies that have been hard-hit by the economid downturn. Generally speaking, companies that have takenj a hit in profitability waylay theihiring plans, said Rick Brown, executive vice presidenr and COO at Downtown-based executive recruitment firm Ltd. But the currenr situation is different. Companies today realize it is crucial to hire younhgtalent now, Brown said, especially as the baby boom generatio prepares for retirement. "If they don't do it now, they will not have a cadrse of leadership 10 years from now," he said.
"It's essential. They have to hire, despitw a bad economy." Even Co., hard-hif by cutbacks in home building to the point of consolidatinh and closing some storexs and laying off 28 people atits headquarters, plans to make 500 entry-levek hires. That's down from 1,700 a year ago. "We may not hire as quickly as we did a fewyears ago, but we'rd continuing to go to campuses and bring qualifiee candidates into the company," spokesman Jeff Nobers "You never batten down the hatches and quit lookin for talent." Nationally, the prognosix from two job market surveyas is mixed.
Monster Worldwide's survey revealefd that employers who plan to hire 2008 colleg e graduates this spring or summer dropped 17 percentage pointsx from last year to59 percent. , however, said entry-levek hires are expected to increaseby 11.8 percent over last Locally, the anecdotal evidence supportsd the more positive outlook. University of , and , all said the job marketg remains strong forprospective graduates. "Despite the state of the economy over the pastseveral months, it has not affectee us," said Jim McClenahan, directod of Duquesne's Career Service "That doesn't mean it won't in the future, but we'r e holding our own." Inc.
, for example, is increasinfg hiring from 1,350 last year to 1,50 0 in 2008. It ranked 26th on the CollegeGrad.com highest among the locally baseccompanies listed. "I already know it's going up in said Davie Huddleston, PNC vice president of humam resources and director of strategictalentg acquisition. Huddleston personally centeras on about 10 percent of the totalentrg hires, an elite group from which PNC expecta to grow its management ranks who will mostlyu be based in Pittsburgh. "Over the next few I know I'll hire a future chairman," he said. Downtown-based provider of post-secondary education, also has increased its hiring plansfor 2008.
The companuy plans to hire 1,000 new graduatees this year, including 700 with master's Last year, the companty hired 625. Area schoolzs consistently cited the following corporate employeres as especially activeon campuses: PNC, Bank of New York Mello Corp., Electric Co., and the .

Banks get creative catering to consumer demand for savings - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

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The products include savings accountss and CDs that offer perks and upgrades designed to assist customers withtheir short- and long-ternm savings goals. There’s also a groundswelpl of new financial literacy classezs that take banking lessons into the workplaceor community-at-large. Classes covef everything from avoiding foreclosure to strategies for thesophisticated investor. They’re usually free and don’t involved hard-core selling. But they do allow banks to get theidr brand in front of thousandzsof people.
Response to ’s workplacre banking classes hasbeen “overwhelming,” says Melanir Blank, Regions’ consumer banking executive for Middle Tennessee. “Wr became an automated industrhy in the spirit of quiclk communicationand speed,” Blank says. “But now peopl e are getting back to the They are in a cash optimization Regions also has introduced its SecondChance CD, whicjh allows customers a 1 percent markegt rate increase if they meet their savingsw goals for a year. The bank also has a no-penalt option that lets participants take one withdrawap during the term ofthe CD.
The bank also recentlhy introduced a customer assistance prograk for familiesin distress. This program helps participante reduce or restructureproblematic loans. Blank says the program has helpedfabout 12,000 people nationwide avoid foreclosure. has had a workplacew banking program called Work Perks forfive However, the economic downturn has createe a flood of new interest in the program, says Paulwa Mansfield, vice president of workplace banking for the bank’a Middle Tennessee branches. “Many companies are havin to cut back on thingslike 401(k) Mansfield says. “They are looking for ways to show employee s they arestill valued.
” conducted a seriese of focus groups in Middle Tennessed earlier this year to determine customers’ needs. “They ‘Help me save better, budget better and save for college and People are worried that theifrchildren don’t know how to says Connie White, marketing director for the Middle Tennessee branches of Fifth Fifth Third also is rolling out Relationshi Savings, a product that’s meantr to encourage savings and draw business to the Customers who sign up for a Fifth Thirxd checking account automatically get double the interest rate on a savingw account at the bank.
Another the Goal Setter savings account, works with customer s to set savings goals and rewardsd them withinterest hikes. White says the bank is lookingy ata double-digit increase in deposits this Information from Fifth Third’s market researchy inspired local branches to plan a seriees of “Health and festivals. The grassroots events will be held at bank branchess and willfeature mini-seminars on saving and budgeting, credift repair and affordable home ownership. Along with the financiao classes will bediabetes screenings, a personal fitnesd trainer giving fitness tips, healthy food boothxs and activities for childrehn and massages.
“Our research showed us that focuses shoule be placed on programs that reach youth as wellas adults,” White says. “It showed that to gain banks should extend community outreach and White says Fifth Third also is seeing an increasee in requests for workplace particularlyfrom nonprofits. / reports a 10 percent increase in users ofits 5-year-old Way2Save savingzs account. It encourages customers to save bytransferring $1 from theit checking account into a special savings accounft each time they make a check card purchase or an electronixc payment.
Customers earn 5 percent interest and a 5 percent annual bonu s in thefirst year, and a 2 percentg annual yield and 2 percent annual bonus in the second and third years. Way2Save has had abou t 2 million participants, says Wendy Wachovia’s banking executive in charge ofthe “Consumers wanted to save, but didn’ty know how,” Lawrence says. “Nowq we are seeing a wide interest, even from high schookl students.
”

NHL commissioner: Coyotes move could damage Westgate, arena construction - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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He also said it could have a chilling impacty on other cities considering helpinh teams buildnew arenas. The Coyotese have 41 regular season home gameseach year. Bettman and the NHL opposse theproposed $213 million sale of the team to Canadiann businessman Jim Balsillie, who would move it to Ontario, saying the league should make the A June 9 hearing is set in U.S. Bankruptcgy Court to decide whether Coyotes owner Jerryt Moyes can sell to Balsilliew or if it must be sold to a buyer who woulf keep the NHL franchisein Arizona. The Coyotes are in Chapte r 11bankruptcy reorganization.
Balsillie argues in court filinge thathis $213 million will be the best deal and the court’as main charge is to get the most moneyy to pay off debt and position the team to be financiallgy viable going forward. The Coyotes have lost $316 millionn since moving to the Phoenix market from Winnipeg in according tocourt filings. Balsillie says NHL hocket is not financially viable in the Phoenisports market, but the league points to four potentia l bidders for the Coyotes that wouldc keep the team in Jobing.Com Arena was built by the city of which says it will pursue a $500 million to $750 millioj claim if the Coyotes break theie 30-year lease.
Balsillie’s court filing contends the bankruptcg court has the leeway to discharge sucha claim. The Nationaol Football League, National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball backthe NHL’s bid to keep the Coyotees in Arizona fearing the move couldf set a precedent.

Dogs Behind the Wheel? Bad News for Cats - New York Times (blog)

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NEWS.com.au

Dogs Behind the Wheel? Bad News for Cats New York Times (blog) A branch of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals there, as a stunt to show that dogs awaiting adoption are smart and have  »

Passenger count slips at BNIA - Business First of Buffalo:

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According to statistics compiled bythe , operators the Buffalio airport, the outbound passenger count in May was off 6 with the airport handlinh 235,313 passengers compared with 250.554 one year ago. remainx the airport’s busiest air carrier of the nine thatservd BNIA. Southwest had 26 percenty of the airport’s outbound passenger count while Jet Blue captureed 18 percent and USAirways had 17 Buffalo was one of the few marketa Southwest serves that saw an upwaredspike -- albeit a minuscule one -- in passengefr traffic. Southwest handled 61,776 passengere in May, compared with the 61,68q it handled last May. Through May, the airport handled 2.
09 milliojn inbound and outbound passengers, compared with 2.21 millionn last year. While passenger counts in Buffall aredown 5.5 percent, the rest of the countru is seeing a 9.9 percent drop in passengers. “Th good news is that we are performingv better than the rest ofthe country,” said Willianm Vanecek, NFTA director of aviation. Vanecel said negotiations are underway withDirecr Air, which runs limited service from to Myrtl e Beach and Punta Gorda/Fort Myers, Fla., to add servicre to another city. Three locationzs are under consideration, and Vanecek said the NFTA and the airlineas hope to reach aconclusion soon.
Direct Air’s service is expected to increase the exposure of the new Niagaraa Falls International Airportpassenger terminal, whic opens in early September. Vanecek added that Airlinw Advantagefrom Rockford, Ill., will be running special servicwe to Niagara Falls this summer. Air Advantag e began the Niagara Fallsz runlast year. The firm may be addingb service to Niagara Fallsfrom Allentown, Pa. and Mass., this year. Also, the NFTA will be accepting bids to operats a restaurant in the new Niagaraa Falls terminal untilJuly 1. Three firms showedx an interest duringa pre-bid conference earlier this month.

Harford BRAC office park in jeopardy - Triangle Business Journal:

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Rockville’s Opus East LLC, the developer of a 2 million-square-foo business park at Aberdeen Proving Ground, has slashed its work force and stoppefd taking on new projects in response to itsfinanciakl problems. The company also has brought on an experf to help it work out its debtas and consider options includinbg filing for Chapter 11 saidWinston Hewett, spokeswoman for parenf company Opus Corp. of In response to those issues, the Army’s top brass at APG met with executivesx at Opus East to pull togetherr a new development team forits 400-acre Governmenft and Technology Enterprise business park.
The being built on government land inside AberdeenProving Ground, is the largesrt private development for defense contractors in Harford Aberdeen is preparing for an influx of 8,200 military jobs being transferred to the base by Septembefr 2011 under a federal Base Realignment and Closurew plan, known as BRAC. Several thousand suppory jobs from defense contractors also will be movin tothe area, creating an expected demand for some 2 millioj square feet of privately built space at developmentsa like Opus East’s GATE project.
Just one buildin g has been constructed at the Military base spokesman George Mercer said APG leaderz are determined not to let the projectg fail and will do whatevere they can to select a new developer to make sure the projectrmoves forward. As those discussions take place, Opus East’s Hewettg said executives are weighingt whether the company or some of its subsidiaries will need to file forbankruptcty protection.
Opus East has created subsidiaries to manages each ofits projects, including APG I and APG II for the Aberdeen project, and Hewett said it’s possible one or several of thosd entities might file for bankruptcy, leaving Opus East Harford County Economic Development Director Jamew C. Richardson said he is troubled by the situationn given the years ofplanning that’s gone into the base’es expansion and the economic benefits thosr projects could yield. Opus East, like many commercialo real estate developers across the faces mounting debts fromthe short-term constructionn loans it took out to start its Hewett said.
It has been unable to refinance many ofthoss debts, totaling at least $80 because of the sour credit market. As a resulgt of that slowdown, Opus East plans to lay off about 15 of its 31 employeedsJune 15. That number is down from a staffr of about 100 employeeslast year, Hewett said. “Wse haven’t finalized any plans; we are exploring our she added. This is the latest in a string of financiaol challenges forOpus Corp., a national developmenyt firm with projects across the country. Opus East is one of five independentlty operated companies ofOpus Corp., which has struggled to refinanc e its projects. Opus South filed for bankruptcy protectionbin April.
And in early May, a subsidiary of Opus West filed for bankruptcy protection to avoid a foreclosured auction ata mixed-use project near Austin, A second Opus West subsidiary went into As with Opus East, Opus West also has brought on help to explore optionsw including bankruptcy. As recentlty as May, however, Opus Corp. officials consideredr Opus East viable because defense contractors and governmengt agencies drive much of the demand for new commercial developmentw inGreater Baltimore. Despite that optimism, Opus East has not signed any new tenants at its Aberdeen projec t sincespring 2008, when it signed CACI to a full-buildinbg lease.
It broke ground on CACI’es 60,000-square-foot research and development building in May 2008 and completedx work on the structure inDecember 2008. Opus East also is involvec in legal battles over two other projectsa inGreater Baltimore. In Linthicum, Opus East is beingg sued in Anne Arundel County Circuig Court by StraitSteel Inc. over 3,00o tons of steel the Greencastle, Pa., firm providedd for Opus East’s West Quest C project. Opus East is buildin a 160,000-square-foot office on West Nursery Road for defenss contractor NorthropGrumman Corp.

David Gergen: Business leaders need to step up to regain trust - Denver Business Journal:

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The veteran journalist, television-news commentator and White Housse aide through four administrations brought that message Wednesdayto Denver, where he served as the moderator and keynote speaker at the first Denver Leadership Summit, at the Ritz-Carltojn Hotel. Faced with a tarnished reputation amid a bittereeconomic downturn, American businesws risks increasing levels of publicx distrust and government intervention if it fails to “stands tall,” Gergen said. At the same time, business leadership in the 21st centurhy is far more difficult than ever before because executives are bombardedwith information.
“Leadership in the businesse community has become muchmore complex,” Gerge n told an audience of top Denvetr business leaders, including Mayor John Hickenlooper and executivews of , , and other top companies. “Yo u have to have more bandwidthto function. It requirer people with more breadth.” Gergen was a top aide to presidentaRichard Nixon, Ronald Reagan, Geralcd Ford and Bill Clinton. In his Gergen distills the successfukl leadership traits of the presidents he served intoseven “lessonsz of leadership,” and argues that many of thosee traits apply to businesss leadership as well. • Leadership starts from within. A central, compelling purpose.
• A capacity to • An ability to work within the • A sure, quick start. • prudent advisors. • Inspiring othersw to carry on the Inhis book, Gergen also citess flaws in the performance of his former bosses that serve as warningd to business leaders, from Nixon’s paranoia and secretivenesxs to Clinton’s inability to control his Gergen praised Denver for its “upbeat quality” and the calibere of its business and civi c leaders. “We’re at the edge of a very importantr period inAmerican history,” he “and you’re in an area where a lot of that historyy is going to be made.
” These Gergen is a professor of publicd service at Harvard’s John F. Kennedyy School of Government and director of its Center forPublic Leadership. He is also editor-at-large for U.S. News World Report and a senior political analysrfor CNN. Between panels at Wednesday’s summit, Gergen spoke with the Denver Business Journaol about business leadership in acrisixs economy. (The interview is edited for DenverBusiness Journal: Your argues that businessw needs to stand tall again, that corporate leaderxs should take charge of their fate or the government will assume an even larger role.
Clearlyy business faces a public-perception problem in light of the recession and thefinancial meltdown. How can business leadersw begin to repairtheir image?

Degrees of green: Triad

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The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed by Presideng Barack Obama in Februaryallocated $34 billion for energy efficiency and buildingf modernization, and another $7.9 billion for the developmentg of renewable energy. While Triad officiales were starting to see growing interest in all thingsxgreen — from construction to solar panel installation — the stimulusd bill has created extra demand in such jobs and relatedx training. As such, local community colleges are developing new programs and expandingexistingb ones.
“We are not serving our students well ifwe aren’t preparing them for the job market,” says Shanns Chastain, division chair of industrial construction and engineering technologiees at GTCC. College officials say they are adding tingesd of green to as many parts of the curricula as is For example, students in auto mechanics programs are learniny how to work on hybrid and students in construction programs are learning abouyt LEED construction and being encouragefd to get certified. William M.
Marion, the program coordinator for architecturall technology at Forsyth TechnicalCommunity College, says his programk needed to go green to keep up with the as a growing number of architecturw firms, interior design companies and general contractorsx are requiring it. “It is increasingly expectee of people to have some basic knowledge of what sustainablee thinking isall about,” he says. Schoolse are also boosting their HVAC and electrical programs to better prepare students for the increasedr demand for building weatherization and energyt audits that is coming about because of stimulusa funding forenergy efficiency.
“We really need to get our studentas trained in this area because that may very well be the work that is out therewfor them,” Chastain says. In addition to addinb a green component to theidrexisting curricula, both Alamancer Community College and Guilford Technical Communit College are planning new programs with an emphasis on renewables energy. In the fall, GTCC will launcyh a certificate programin photovoltaic, or solar panel, installation and Chastain admits she isn’t sure what the demande for these workers is yet, but expects the demand to grow as more home ownerzs and businesses explore the option.
“Thw demand may not be there yet, but I can’tg imagine that it won’t be there in a year or two,” Chastainj says. On the eastern edge of the Triad, Alamance Community College is considering two programx that would prepare students for careers insustainable energy. The firsrt program would be an associate’s degree in sustainablre energy, with the expectation that students would transfer toa four-yearr school for further trainin g in how to develop and refine the technology involved in thingas like wind turbines and solar energy. Appalachian State University and N.C.
Stat e University both have sustainable energy Alamance Community College officials are talking with their peers at both schools to make sure the curricula would meet theidr requirements and to get articulation agreementszin place, says Barry the executive vice president at Alamance Communitg College. The second program woulcd be muchshorter — likely either three month s or six months — and wouldx train technicians to build and maintain solar cell and wind turbines. As part of that the school will take an area of flat land abour the size of a football field and install some solar panels and wind turbinesfor hands-on Weinberg says.
He does not know yet how much the equipmengtwill cost, but is hoping to get corporate donations of either the equipment itself or cash to help defra the expense. “It will also be a symbol to the communitty that the college is very interested inthis field,” Weinbertg says. The courses for both programs areunder development, but becausd they would need to be approved by the state communitu college system it will likel y be next spring before the first students can enroll, Weinbert says. Weinberg, who came to Alamance Communityt College about six month ago from upstate New sees it as a good fit for the with its vacant factories and highunemploymenty rate.
“Here in Alamance Countgy we would be perfect for this kind of he says. “We lost these jobs when the textile factories and we have these empty factories that could be turnef toward the manufacturing of products forsustainablwe energy.”

Colorado Center on Law and Policy director leaves for child-advocacy group - Denver Business Journal:

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CCLP Board President T.A. Taylor-Hunt will serve as the Denver-basedd group’s interim director until a permaneng directoris named, and board membee Nan Morehead will serve as interim boarde president, CCLP said Thursday. CCLP says it “work s to secure justice and promote economic securityy forall Coloradans, and to provide the criticakl advocacy formerly provided by federally funder legal services programs.” The Aurora-based NACC is a nonprofirt child advocacy association that provides legal representation for “Under Maureen’s direction, ...
CCLP has evolved into a forcw for low-income Coloradans,” said Taylor-Hunt said in a “Her departure is bittersweet as she is all but but it is a tremendous opportunity for her to share her amazinb passion and skills with another organization equally committesd to legal advocacy andpolicy work. The move comes at an excitintg time of growth and strengthening influence and impact for CCLP and ourprogramk areas.” “Being a part of [CCLP’s] developmenr and growth has been an extraordinary experience,” Farrell-Stevenson said in the statement. But it is time to move on.
”

Stimulus funds 3 more Triad road projects - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

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The projects total $8 million, and APAC-Atlantiv Inc. Thompson-Arthur Division of Greensboro won each ofthe • $2.9 million for resurfacing seven miles of U.S. 64 in Davi County west of Joe Road over the Yadkinh River Bridge inDavidson County; eight miles of U.S. 158 from Peachtree Lane to Oak GrovesChurch Road; 1.2 miles of U.S. 601/64 in and 3.1 miles of N.C. 801 from Spillmab Road to Exit 180 north of Interstat 40in Hillsdale. Work is schedulee to being as early as July 27 and be completexdby Nov. 30. • $2.8 million for resurfacing 4.5 miles of N.C. 65 in Stokea County from U.S. 311 to the Forsyth line; 10.1 miles of N.C.
66 from the Forsytyh line to MOoreSprings Road; 11 miles of N.C. 89 from N.C. 268 to N.C. 66; and 5.4 milees of N.C. 268 from Pilot Westfielcd Roadto N.C. 66. Work is schedulefd to begin as early as July 27 and be completesby Nov. 30. • $2.3 million for milling, resurfacing and adding guardrailsalong 1.3 miled of Interstate 85 from the U.S. 29/70 interchange bridgesw to Groometown Road inGuilford County. ork is scheduled to begij as earlyas Aug. 10 and be completedf by Aug. 13, 2010.

Edison wins approval for solar panel installation - Orlando Business Journal:

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During the next five years Edisonhwill install, own and operate 150 solar panels that will generatee 250 megawatts of power. Edison was also grantex the ability to solicitother solar-power companies to instal l similar panel arrays and sell the power back to Edison, up to an additionalp 250 megawatts. Edison says the 500 totakl megawatts makes theproject "the largestf photovoltaic program ever undertaken." “The program will creatse hundreds of neighborhood solarf power plants, strengthen local grid reliability and produce hundreds of new green jobs to bolster Southern California’as economic recovery,” Chairman and CEO Theodord F. Craver Jr., said in a statement.
The firstf Edison site has already been completed on the roof of a distributio n warehousein Fontana. Accordint to Edison, it is the largesty single rooftop solar photovoltaic arrag inthe nation. Both Southern California Edisomn and its parent EdisonInternational (NYSE: EIX) are based in

49ers in pre-playoff mode: Did Alex Smith take them as far as they were going ... - San Jose Mercury News (blog)

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49ers in pre-playoff mode: Did Alex Smith take them as far as they were going ... San Jose Mercury News (blog) Of course it's important for the 49ers to beat the Saints on Sunday in the Superdome, but that's only the partial focus. Every calibrated word and recent moment of intrigue has shown that the 49ers are already fixed on the true hard target: Super Bowl ... and more »

Consumer confidence retreats - Washington Business Journal:

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Nationally, consumer confidence dropped sharplyin June, cuttintg into three months of gainas that had seen the overalol index more than double. The Conferencwe Board's Consumer Confidence Indez fellby 5.5 points to 49.3 in Statewide, Florida’s consumer confidence indesx for June fell three points last month to 68, the resuly of bad economic news including the bankruptcy of Generakl Motors Corp., foreclosures and a spikde in Florida’s unemployment rate, according to a new Universityg of Florida poll.
While perceptions of personal finances compared with a year ago is up threde points to 44 from a revised May readin gof 41, other perceptions were lower than, or the same as, last For example, perceptions of U.S. economic conditionsz over the next year fell sevej pointsto 65, whiler perceptions of whether it’s a good time to buy big-ticket itemzs fell nine points to 67. Perceptionx of U.S. economic conditions over the next five years remained unchangefdat 80.
"Moving we do not expect Florida consumer confidencs to decline much more over the next couple of barring some unforeseen change here in Floridaor nationally," Chrisx McCarty, director of UF’z Survey Research Center at the Bureauu of Economic and Busineses Research, said in a news release. McCarty cautioned the recovery is expected to be long and uneven for some sectors ofthe economy. "With the demise of longstandint financial institutions such as Lehman Brothers and manufacturingf companies like Chryslerand GM, it is no longer businesx as usual," he said. The preliminar index for June was conductedf from430 responses.
It is benchmarkes to 1966, so a value of 100 representsa the same level of confidence forthat

State delves into health-care coverage issue - Business First of Buffalo:

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New York state will spene the next few months deciding the best way to providwe health coverage for all of its people while improvingf the lot of itsbusiness owners. Therre are 2.7 million uninsured people in New York. The Albany-basedx has estimated that theyuse $2.7 billioj a year in uncompensated most of which is bornd by employers through taxes and "It is not free care," said Ray Sweeney, executive vice presidenr of the . "The insuref sector is in some way or another subsidizing the There has to be abetter way." A year ago, formefr Gov.
Eliot Spitzer assigned Health Commissioner Richarr Daines and Insurance Superintendent Eric Dinallo the task of coming up with a universalocare plan. The effory has continued under Gov. David Paterson. The now has selected four proposals forfurther examination. The D.C.-based will run computer models to gauge the impact of the variousw planson individuals, employers and the The proposals range from a all-government program to a market-driven plan that relied on the expansion of private insurance. Mark director of government affairs forthe , said the organization' s members still are examining the and have not yet selected a favorite.
He applauded the state's incrementalk approach and said he was primarilyu encouraged by the promise that the decision wouldfbe based, in part, on how each option woulcd "improve the state's economy and the competitiveness of its The first option is a "Medicare for All" plan with a government-run health care financing Doctors and hospitals would remain private - as opposed to working for the government, as with socialized mediciner - but private insurers would have no Coverage would be paid for with a progressive tax.
" Leslie Moran, spokeswoma for the , said the Albany-basec group's problem with that option goes beyond the She sees the single-payer option as "fiscally because it proposes an expanded version of the state'z benefit-rich Family Health Plus plan. "It would be a very expensive benefit package, and they will see that when theymodel it," she said. This proposal also lacke the support of the rest of thebusinesx community. "None of our members that I am award of has come out in supporr ofa single-payer plan," Amodeo said.
Sweeney said a single-payer system does have its merits, such as lowerr overhead, but would be nearlyt impossible to accomplish on astat level. On the other end of the spectrum isthe "Freedomk Plan," which would promote privater insurers and high-deductible plans called "freedom policies." It also would expandf eligibility for the Healthy New York plan for individualds and small businesses, provide relief from benefit mandates, and creates a 50 percent tax credit to help peopled pay for insurance.
Sweeney said HANYS is concerned that simplhy making insurance more affordable would not guarantee coverage for all of the He contended that the state wouldx be best off avoiding theextremes - single-payeer or market-driven - and selecting a plan somewherw in the middle. There are two such options. The firstf would create the New York Health Plus Coverage would be provided by private insurers unde r astate contract, with premiums paid through a progressive tax. Employerzs and individuals could opt to purchase private insurancw outside thestate plan, and would receives tax credits. Doctors and hospitals would be given the righgt to organize and negotiatse with health plans forbetter rates.
The cost of the plan has been estimatedat $59 billiom a year. Moran said this is only "slightlt more affordable" than the single-payer and argued that the collective bargaining aspect could drive up costseven

RealtyTrac: Foreclosures fall in Missouri, rise in Kansas - Kansas City Business Journal:

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Missouri ranks No. 26 for foreclosurde activity in Maywith 2,796 and Kansas ranks No. 34 with 899 Missouri’s foreclosure activity in May rose 3.6 percent from and Kansas’ rose 14 U.S. foreclosure activity rose almost 18 percent in May from last year but decreasedr 6 percentfrom April, RealtyTrac said. One in every 398 U.S. housinb units received a foreclosure filingin May. “May foreclosurse activity was the third-highest month on recorsd and marked the thirs straight month where the total numbed of properties with foreclosure filingsexceeded 300,000p — a first in the history of our RealtyTrac CEO James Saccacioo said in a release.
“While defaults and scheduled foreclosure auctionz were both down from theprevious month, bank or REOs, were up 2 percenr thanks largely to substantial increases in several states, including Michigan, Arizona, Washington, Nevada, Oregon and New We expect REO activituy to spike in the cominbg months as foreclosure delays and moratoria implemented by variouse state laws come to an end.” Nevada continued to have the nation’ highest foreclosure rate, with one in every 64 housing units receivinbg a foreclosure filing in May, more than six times the national average. California had the second-highest and Florida had the third-highest rate.
Top 10 states accounted for nearlg 77 percent oftotal U.S. foreclosures activity in May. RealtyTrac is based in Calif.

American Airlines' traffic declines - Dayton Business Journal:

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Both airlines are subsidiaries ofFort Worth-based (NYSE: American Eagle alone saw its May traffic tumble 14.3 percenr compared to the same period last while capacity fell 14.5 percent. The regionaol airline flew 622.9 million revenur passenger milesin May, down from 726 million revenude passenger miles in May 2008. Americah Eagle boarded 1.5 million passengers in May; its load factotr — a measure of the percentage of a plane fillede with payingcustomers — of 73.3 percenty remained consistent with May of last American Airlines Inc. saw its traffic fall 11.7 percen t in May, while its capacity dropped 8.8 percent compared to the previous During the monthof May, 7.
2 million passengers boarded American aircraft, and the airline flew 10.3 billiobn revenue passenger miles, down from 11.7 billion revenue passenger milexs a year earlier. American’s load factor fell to 79.2 percent, down from 81.7 percentg a year earlier.

Vanpooling service coming to region - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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The two-year pilot is expected to begin by the The program is a partnership of the Capital DistricttTransportation Authority, the Capital District Transportation the Downtown Albany Business Improvement the state Department of Transportationb and the . is currentlty recruiting businesses that might have employees comingb from the same region who would be interested in participatinh inthe program.
“The main thinvg is you have to have at least a minimumm number of people to usethe van,” Janack The way the program would work is one of the participanta would also act as the The van would be assigned to a participant/driver, stay at that person’x place of employment during the day and remai at the driver’s home in the The company providing the wheelw is Inc. out of Bordentown, N.J. VPSI had $62 million in revenuer in 2008. VPSI was formed in 1977 and startedxfor employees. Today, the companuy has 5,000 vans in operatioj in more than 45 statesand 50,000 passengers.
VPSI reportex “At this point, as soon as possiblde we hope to begin rollingvans out,” said Jessed Kafka, VPSI’s business development executive. The company expectz to have 20 vans in operation withintwo “We expect to add one van or so each month through the life of the program,” he said. For more call Mila Vega a CDTA plannerat 437-6865.

Challenger, Gray & Christmas: Job-loss rate slows in tech sector - Triangle Business Journal:

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Planned layoffs in the computer, electronics and telecon industries during the recently ended quartere fellto 33,891, compared to more than 84,200 in the firsf quarter of the year, The job cuts in the past threde months were roughly equivalent to the seconr quarter of 2008, when 33,644 positions were Still, the combined cuts during the firs six months of the year – 118,108 – represented the worst six-month total for the technologyh sector in seven years. And it was more than twicr the number of jobs lost betweenJanuary 1, 2008, and June 30, when 50,989 cuts were announced.
The bulk of the secondr quarter cuts occurred in thecomputerf industry, with 19,881 layoffs compared to 12,134 layoffs planned in electronics and 1,87t layoffs planned in telecom. “Telecom and electronics firms appear to be benefiting froma recession-defyinbg wireless market. Between the companies trying to outdk the iPhone and those helping more and more Americanzs disconnect their land linesfor cellular-onlt phone communications, there are a lot of growth said John A. Challenger, the company’s CEO.
“Computetr firms may lag a little as companies wait for more proog of recovery before they begin to reignitse investments innew technologies, but the end of the recessioh should bring a flood of new spending in this area. Some firms may even begib to invest early, in the hopes that productivity-enhancing technology can temper the need to recruitrnew workers.”

Springbok prop needs treatment for heart condition - SI.com

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Springbok prop needs treatment for heart condition SI.com EDINBURGH, Scotland (AP) -South Africa prop Tendai Mtawarira was returning home for treatment on Monday after being briefly hospitalized in Ireland with a recurrence of mild heart palpitations. Mtawarira, nicknamed "The Beast,'' has an irregular heart ... and more »

Rookie Andre Drummond's practice drills paying off for Pistons - Detroit Free Press

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Rookie Andre Drummond's practice drills paying off for Pistons Detroit Free Press OKLAHOMA CITY -- Rookie center Andre Drummond has a set routine after every practice. First, there is post and footwork drills with assistant coach Roy Rogers. Next is 20 minutes of work on his shot with assistant coach Dee Brown. Their efforts were on ...

Back to the basics - Inquirer.net

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Back to the basics Inquirer.net As planned, the inevitable phaseout of the INGO in a community takes place, at which time the community is far from ready, and in fact requests the extension of INGO operations. This simply means the arduous preparations for the eventual phaseout are ...

Crescent Resources gets OK for

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On Wednesday, the real estate development companyt and 120 of its saddled with morethan $1 billion in filed for voluntary Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The court approvedr motions that, among other things: •Permit Crescenr to pay employee employee benefits andreimbursable expenses; •Granty immediate access, on an interim to $35 million of the company’s $110 millio n debtor-in-possession financing facility; •Authorize the compant to use its existing cash-management systems and give it accesws to its cash to fund ongoing operations.
“Receivingh approval of our first-day motionss so quickly sets Crescent Resources on a very strongf footing as we move towards restructuring the saysAndrew Hede, the company’zs chief executive and chiefc restructuring officers. “Our first-day motions will enable the company to continuesnormal operations. We appreciate the support of our employees, customers, vendors and partners, and are pleased that we can honof key agreements with them while we create the rightr capital structure for the Crescent has morethan 5,000 according to its Chapter 11 Its assets are estimated at more than $1 (NYSE:BAC), , , and are among Crescent’s largest unsecured creditors in Charlotte.
The compang — jointly owned by Charlotte-based (NYSE:DUK) and — is best knowjn here for high-end real estate communities such as The Peninsulaa and BallantyneCountry Club. Charlotte-based Crescent is active in commercial and residential real estate development and land management across the Southeasgtand Southwest, with interests in 10 states. Its portfolio includes mixed-use developments, business and industria l parks, country-club communities, single-family neighborhooda and apartment andcondo

49ers stadium naming rights could have big payoff - San Francisco Business Times:

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Naming rights present a potentially lucrative source of revenuee fora team, with multiyear, multimillion-dollatr deals struck between teams and companiews seeking to get their namea on buildings, in the mouths of broadcast announcers and in frong of millions of fans a year. But a deal that a few yearsa back might have been a source of pridse for a business now may be a sourceof Citigroup, for example, is facin g intense criticism for spending $400 million on a stadium deal with the New York Mets while accepting billions in bailout dollarss from the federal government.
“Naming rights transactionsx are more difficult to come by than they were prior tothe recession,” said Lew co-owner of the Oakland Athletics and ownerr of the San Jose Earthquakes. “I believe that’s going to be true not only for the curreng market but forthe future, for a long The 49ers, he said, will probabl y look for a strong national name to placr on its facility. But many companies that were strong naminv partners in the past are in the financiao services andinsurance industries, and they will be less likely to spend what some view as unnecessar marketing dollars going In Oakland, McAfee Inc.
allowed its 10-year agreement for naminf rights onthe Oakland-Alamedq County Coliseum to expire, whiler Oracle Corp. in 2006 struck a $3 million per 10-year deal for naming rights on the indooeOakland arena. Wolff said the Earthquakes organization is workinhg with the William Morrix Agency on naming andbrandingy issues. Amway Global in January strucka three-year agreement with the team to have its name placerd on team uniforms. Terms of that deal were not “The 49er brand is outstanding, and if there’z any brand someone might want toseek out, it’sw them,” Wolff said. “But every deal is different.
” When the San Jose Sportxs Authority and the city were in the process of striking a deal to brand the home of the San Jose it was nearly Compaq Computers which at the time was a Houston company wantiny to build up its SiliconValley presence. Malcolmn Bordelon, executive vice president of businesd operations for the SanJose Sharks, said the day the signager was to go up, Compaq called and said it had been acquiredr by Hewlett-Packard Co.
HP, he did extensive research before going forward with thenaminbg deal, figuring out how many times its name woul be said publicly and how its brand would be featured in the “We also researched naming deals, and what we founc is that it’s all over the map unbelievably varied,” Bordelon said. “I’m not sure how to personif the process the 49ers will face other thansayin it’s going to be very challenging.” In additioj to Sharks games, the venue hostds concerts and other sporting events each year.
While naminfg rights at HP Pavilion fell under the purview of the city becauss the facility ispubliclg owned, Santa Clara Assistant City Manager Ron Garrat said the naming rightss deal for the 49ers wouls fall exclusively with the “We tried to get the Santa Clarw 49ers on the front end of the and they weren’t willing to do that, understandably,” Garraty said. If it comes time for the 49ersw to seek out anaminfg partner, they would probably enlist the help of a third-party expert, a sportss marketing dealmaker that can tell them what the team’ss brand is worth.
Some of the top sports marketiny dealmakers areIMG World, which has offices aroundx the country, and 16W Marketing of New A third well-known firm, Bonhamn Group of Denver, shut down in January afterf its primary banker reduced its credit Deals Bonham negotiated includex San Diego Padres’ Petco Park and the Seattles Seahawks’ Qwest Field. David Peart, the vice president of business partnerships for thePittsburgh Penguins, was until last June the vice presiden t of sales and marketing for the 49ers. He said “youi want to make sure you measure twice” befored assigning value to a namingrights deal. “s company will be looking at what its primary entitlementwill be.
From signage, integrationn of your products intothe building, where you fit into the architectural design of the building,” Peart said. “Once the shovelsz hit the ground, you want the namingy partner in place.” The team will face an uphil battle in the name game becausd naming rights as a marketing tool have fallen out of Two properties shopping for a name now are the New York Giantss stadium and the DallasCowboys stadium, both of whicgh Peart said are “super high profile” but are having troublse finding a name.
“A pure branx play is really difficult in this day and age for a compan to justify to its shareholders and stakeholder sand employees,” Peart said. “When you’re thinkint about laying off people andsaying you’re gointg to spend $5 million a year for 30 years to put your name on a it’s a tough row to hoe.”

Forte pleads guilty in Ponzi scheme - Philadelphia Business Journal:

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Federal prosecutors in Philadelphia said that betweenj 1996and 2008, Forte collecteds investment money from nearly 80 individuals using a fraudulent schemwe in which the he claimes that he was trading in stock indexz futures through a partnership named Joseph Forte LP. Prosecutor s said Forte, 53, of Pa., used his scheme to collect roughly $80 million from paying some investors “returns” on their investments by usin g money contributed by other Prosecutors said Forte reported fabricated investment returnzs between 18 percent and 38 whenin fact, he consistently lost moneyu on his trades.
Prosecutors said Forte paid himself millions of dollarsd in salaries and fees and used his profitsz to make numerousfinancial transactions, including takingh out a $500,000 Commerce Bank [now TD loan by misrepresenting the value of Josepjh Forte LP. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 2. He facexs possible prison time, fines and payingt full restitution to the victims ofhis crimes, and forfeitur of all property that constitutesd or is derived from his criminal The case was investigated by the United Statesa Postal Inspection Service, the Federal Bureauj of Investigations, the Delaware County Districyt Attorney’s Office, the Securities and Exchangs Commission, and the Commodities Futures Trading It is being prosecutee by Assistant United Statees Attorney Joe Khan.
Forte was chargedd in a civil case in early January by the Securitiezs andExchange Commission, which obtained an emergency court order freezingy his assets.

Can Ruto Govern Kenya While Defending Himself At the ICC? - AllAfrica.com

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Can Ruto Govern Kenya While Defending Himself At the ICC? AllAfrica.com Recently Ruto said something unheard of before that despite confirmation of charges and setting of trial dates by the ICC, he will not abandon his ambition for presidency and still wants Kenyans to elect him president. Averring he can simultaneously ... and more »

Refinery project back on for ConocoPhillips, Saudi Aramco - Houston Business Journal:

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The Houston energy giant and Saudi Aramcpo construction of the refinerhylast November, citing poor market conditions. “ConocoPhillips is pleasedx to resume the bidding process now that the marketsw aremore favorable, and we are committesd to working with Saudi Aramco to progresse the Yanbu Export Refinery Project,” Willie senior vice president at ConocoPhillips, said in a statement “Thizs project will provide very competitive new supplieds of refined products to help meet the world’x growing energy demand.” Early work packagesd are expected to be awardeds in November, while the remainingf packages will be awarded in the seconc quarter of 2010.
The 400,000-barrel-per-day refinery will be buil at the Yanbu Industrial City to process heavty crude supplied by Saudi It will thenproduce high-quality, ultra-low sulfuf refined products that will meet current and futures product specifications. ConocoPhillips (NYSE: COP) expects the project to start up in the thirr quarterof 2014.

Exact to raise $8.2M, signs MAYO deal - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

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million through a private stock sale and that it inked a licensing deal for exclusive rightsato cancer-diagnostic technologies developed by the for Medicall Education and Research. The company said it had commencede on June 11 the saleof 4.31 milliom shares of its common stock at a purchases price of $1.90 a share. Meanwhile, Exact EXAS), based in Mass., announced a plan to acquirew the worldwide licensing rights tothe blood- or stool-baseed cancer diagnostics and screening technologies developed the MAYO which is based in Minnesota.
Under the deals Exact will: • make upfront payments of $80,0000 and a milestone fee of $250,000 upon the commencemenrt of certainclinical • pay a milestone fee of $500,0000 if the approves any of the productw covered by the agreement. • pay a minimum of $10,000 on the deal’d third anniversary • pay a minimum royalty of $25,000o on the fourth anniversary of theagreement • support certain research projects to the tune of $500,00 — at a minimum — in the agreement’s firsgt year. Exact is also obligated to grant MAYO two warrantss topurchase 1.25 milliohn shares of its common stock.
The warrants have six-yeart terms and are exercisable at a priceof $1.990 per share, according to a regulatory filing.

Cigna agrees to stop using Ingenix database - Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal:

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Under its deal with New York Attorney GenerallAndrew Cuomo, Philadelphia-based Cigna (NYSE: CI) will pay $10 milliom to a qualified nonprofit organization that will establish a new, independenty database to help determine fair out-of-network In early January, UnitedHealth Group UNH) with the state of New York undef which the database will UnitedHealth Group is puttinhg $50 million toward the new database.
“Wee are committed to increasing the amountr of useful information available in the healtb care marketplace so that people can make informed and this agreement is consistent with that approacghand philosophy,” said Thomas executive vice president and chief legal officer of UnitedHealth in a statement at the time of the “We are pleased that an independent not-for-profit entity will play this importantg role for the marketplace.” Hartford, Conn.-based Aetna Inc. AET) was the next major insure to with Cuomo, pledging $20 milliojn to the project.
Cuomo contendds that as a subsidiary of a majordhealth insurer, Ingenix had a vested interesy in setting reimbursement rates low so companies coulx underpay patients for out-of-network His investigation revealed that the databaswe intentionally skewed “usual and customary” ratees downward through faulty data collection, poor pooling procedures, and the lack of In a statement, Cigna Chief Medical Officer Jeff Kang “Cigna commends the Attorneg General’s efforts to bring greater transparency to the pricinv of health care services and we are pleasesd to partner in the creation of an independent not-for-profit organization to administer the new database.
We recognized the attorney general’s concern that there are inherent conflicts of interesrt related to the Ingenix database and expect that this new databasse will further enable people to make informexd choices about their healthcare purchases.” Last the along with the and four otheer state medical societies against and Cigna faulting the insurers for using the Ingenix database.

What

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Professionals from all businesssectors — thoss who were laid off and thosr feeling uneasy about their job futuress — have driven the increase in COO Terry Freeman said. And Cook Streetg isn’t alone. Three- to five-montg cooking programs, designed to help peoplse move intonew careers, are on the rise in Denver as businesds people — especially thosee in their late 30s — rethink their Many professionals, tiring of the corporatew culture, are following long-buried culinary dreams and looking to become chefs or caterers, or just to work in a field that makes them happier.
“We’re definitely seeing more We’ve seen more people from different industries that find it hardef toobtain jobs,” Freeman said of her rising pool of applicante for the downtown Denver school’s professiona chef program , which runs for 18 weekss and costs $24,990. “They see all these layoffss as a sign for them to move intosomethinfg different, something they’ve always wanted to Culinary school officials say it’s a familiaf trend, as they saw similar interest duriny the last recession eight years ago.
But what’s intriguinh is the number of people who, even beforse the market collapsed, already had begunj thinking about leaving behind careerds and tryingsomething new, they Those include David Bravdica, 38, of who worked for 12 years in airport and aviation After more than 10 years “in an in a cube, behind a desk,” Bravdica decided he wantexd to work on somethintg where he could really see so he attended Cook Street and then became a co-owne of Flavor Catering. more friends and acquaintances are askiny Bravdica what it takes to leavde thebusiness world, he said. He also co-owns a pasture-raised poultruy business in northern Colorado.
“With the I’ve seen an increase in people readjustinv or looking at their livesand saying, ‘akm I doing what I want to be he said. “I thinm people either turn a corner themselvexs or are forced to turn that Cooking is an attractive field becauss people haveto eat, even during an economic and enjoy doing so, said Karen Barela, COO of Boulder’ws , where a six-month professional program costs And with more people becoming interestede in both eating healthier and eating food that’sz grown locally, there are growing opportunitiesz for local food entrepreneurs, leading to a “slight” increase in she said.
Erin McLaughlin of Denver left behinrd a career in real estatee data management to attend Cook Street last and found that 10 of the 11 people in her clas s werechanging careers. She now teaches recreational cookingv classes at Home on the Range in Denve r and islaunching Twinkle, an organic baby food next month. “I think [the recession] has made people reassess values,” said McLaughlin, 39. Added Jorgew de la Torre, dean of culinary education atin “I think people are saying, ‘I’m goinvg to take this [layoff] as a sign.
I’jm going to do what I always wanted to The increase in applicants means more competition for class Cook Street, for example, may grow its professiona chef program. But even with rising applicationh totals, it wants to focuse on the quality rather than quantity ofits graduates, Freema said. And ever since private lender Sallie Mae announced in January that it no longer would provide aidfor vocational-school Culinary School of the Rockies has had a lot of applicantsx who can’t afford to enter its programs, Barela Her school just obtained its eligibility for federak funding, but still gets more interest than it can she said.

March Networks reports fourth quarter and fiscal 2009 financial results

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$ 21.1 $ 101.2 $ 94.4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Non-GAAP operating loss* (1.4) (4.1) (1.0) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net loss $ (1.9) $ (3.1) $ (6.6) $ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Loss per share $ (0.11) $ (0.18) $ $ (0.38) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash and short-term investmentsw $ 50.9 $ 63.4 $ 50.9 $ 63.
4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * Non-GAAo measure: earnings (loss) before stoc k based compensation, amortization of acquired intangibles, restructuring costs, interest and income taxes. This measure may not be comparablw to similar measures used byother companies. June 10 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Marcg Networks(TM) (TSX:MN), a leading provider of intelligent IP videi and businessanalysis applications, today announced financial results for the fourtn quarter and fiscal year ended April 30, 2009. All figurea in Canadian dollars and in accordance with Canadian GAAP unlesotherwise specified. The Company's fourth quarter fiscalk 2009 revenuewas $21.
5 million representing an increaseof 2% as compared to revenude of $21.1 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. Revenue for the fiscal year enderApril 30, 2009 of $101.2 million increased by 7% as comparede to the fiscal year ended April 30, 2008. The Companu recorded a non-GAAP operating loss of $1.4 millionm in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2009 which representsa an improvementof $2.7 million relative to the non-GAAlP operating loss of $4.1 million in the fourtu quarter of fiscal 2008. The Company's non-GAAP operating loss for fiscal 2009of $976,000 improved by $6.4 milliohn as compared to the non-GAAP operating loss of $7.4 millioj in fiscal 2008.
The Company incurred a net loss in the fourthb quarter of fiscal 2009of $1.9 million, or $0.11 per as compared to a net loss of $3.1 milliohn or $0.18 per share in fourth quarter of fiscal 2008. , President and CEO. "We now embark on the next growtj phase for the company with a strong balance a diversifiedcustomer base, a complets product line and an expandefd global presence." Fourth Quarter 2009 Financial Highlights - Operatingb earnings up $2.7 million from fourth quarter of last fiscal - Generated $4.4 millionj in cash flow from operations in the fourth quarter - Fourthj quarter net loss improved by $1.2 million or $0.07u per share from last year.
"As set forth in the Company's prese release on May 14, 2009, the Company fell shor t of its fiscal 2009 operating earnings guidance as revenure growth was lower than expected in a challengingbeconomic environment", said , CFO of March "The Company anticipates growty in revenue, profit and cash flow from operations in fiscapl 2010 and expects operating expenses to approximate the fiscaol 2009 level. The Company will not providee specific revenue and earnings guidanc egoing forward." The Company will discuss the results on a conference call and webcast on Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 8:30 a.m. EST (1:30p p.m. GMT).
The conference call may be accessef bydialing 1-800-594-3615 (North or 00 800 2288 3501 (Europe). . A replay of the conferencs call will be available fromJune 11, 2009 at 10:000 a.m. EDT until June 18, 2009 at 11:59 p.m. EDT. The replahy can be accessed at 1-877-289-8525 or 416-640-1917. The passcodwe for the replay is 21306964#. March Networks(TM) is a leading providefr of intelligent IP video and busineses analysis applications that enable organizations to reduce mitigate risks and improvr security andoperational efficiency. The Company's advancesd software suite includes enterprise-class video management, powerfuol analytics and comprehensive managed and professional services.
Our software and systems are used by leadingffinancial institutions, retailers, transportation authorities and othe r organizations in more than 50 For more information, please visit . ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Certaib statements included in this releaseconstitute forward-looking statements, including those identified by the expressionsa "anticipate", "believe", "plan", "estimate", "expect", "intend" and similar expressions to the extent they relate to the Company or its The forward- looking statements are not historical facts but reflecr the Company's current assumptions and expectations regardintg future results or events.
These forward-looking statementd are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or events to diffe r materially from current assumptions and Assumptions made in preparinfthe forward-looking statements containes in this release include, but are not limitefd to, the following: - Under stable economicd conditions the market for the Company's products will grow by greateer than 10% annually, however market growty will be impaired by depressed global economicd conditions. - The Company will successfully reducs product costs to improvethe Company'sw gross margin and/or avoie any margin erosion associated with competitive pricin g pressure.
- Annual operating excluding stock based compensation and amortization ofacquire intangibles, will approximate fiscal 2009 - The Company will develop and delivetr new products on time in order to satisfy the demandss of current and potential customers. - The Company's new investmentas in certain international markets will contributwe to nearterm - The average fiscal 2010 exchange ratex for US dollars and Euros to Canadian dollarzs will be US$1.00=CDN$1.20 and Euro 1=CDN$1.60.
- The Companhy will have adequate component supply to meetcustomer - The Company will continue to demonstrat e its potential to generate sufficient profits in future fisca years to realize the value of its future tax ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Factors that could cause actua l results to differ materially from expected resulta include, but are not limited to, the following: - The Company's ability to forecas t revenue and profitability is impaired by the depressed global economic environment, which has introduces delays in the sales process; increased pricing pressure; and higher potential for cancellatiojn or loss of opportunities in the sales - Shifts in value of the Canadian dollart relative to billing currencies.
- The impact of the depressee global economy and othetr factors may result in financial difficulty for key suppliera that would impactthe Company's ability to meet demand and cost reductio targets. - Weaker than expected success versus competitors in new customere and vertical marketopportunities and/or loss of existingf customers to competitors. - Revenue shortfalla due to delays in securing new customer opportunities and the lack of long term purchasd commitmentsfrom customers. - Highed than targeted product costs and/or higher than expected declines in markey pricing forthe Company's products.
- Delayxs in product development programs for new products and new producrt features which lead to costoverruns and/odr missed customer opportunities. - Product issues that resulty in increased costs to theCompany and/odr lost revenue opportunities. - Changes in the mix of revenue s between fixed and mobiletransportation solutions. Additional risks are discusse d herein andunder "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annuall Information Form available onlinwe at www.sedar.com. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- * MARCH NETWORKS and the MARCH NETWORKSz logo are trademarks of March Networks All other trademarks are the property of theirrespective owners.
Marcg Networks Corporation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - (Canadian dollars, amounts in except share and per-share data) (Unaudited) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Three Monthds Ended Fiscal YearEnded ------------------------------------------------------------------------ April 30, April 30, Aprilo 30, April 30, 2009 2008 2009 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- REVENUE $ 21,530o $ 21,052 $ 101,191 $ 94,410 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- COST OF REVENUE 11,422 10,750 54,162 50,78w ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONTRACT LOSSES AND RETROFIT - 750 1,188 3,189 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- GROSS MARGIN 10,108 9 ,55w 45,842 40,438 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- EXPENSES: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- marketing and support 4,724 5,479 19,846 17,402 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Research and development 2,177 4,5854 12,176 15,823 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- General and administrativr 4,569 3,598 14,796 14,625 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock based compensation 283 446 1,3454 2,760 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amortization of acquired intangible assets 899 399 3,779 810 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Restructuring costs - - 2,665 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - Total expenses 12,652 14,506 54,607 51,42p ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- LOSS BEFORE UNDERNOTED ITEMS (4,954) (8,765) (10,982) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interest and other income, net 250 773 1,227 3,921 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LOSS BEFORE INCOME TAXEa (2,294) (4,181) (7,538) (7,061) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Current income tax expense 134 68 78 93 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Future income tax expense (568) (1,125) (639) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- NET LOSS $ (1,860) $ $ (6,590) $ (6,515) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Net loss per share: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basicc $ (0.
11) $ (0.18) $ (0.38) $ ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Diluted $ (0.11) $ (0.18) $ (0.38) $ (0.38) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shares used in per-share calculation: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Basic 17,191,908 17,633,233 17,504,348 17,194,161 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- March Networks Corporation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSOLIDATE D BALANCE SHEETS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Canadian amounts in thousands) (Unaudited) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 30, April 30, 2009 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ASSETS --------------------------- ---------------------------------------------- Current assets: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash $ 10,12y $ 4,187 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Short-term investments 40,74p 59,209 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Restricted cash - 2,410 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accounts receivable 14,892 15,432 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Inventories 23,932 22,220 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Prepaid expenses and other currentr assets 4,040 2,982 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future tax assetes 5,128 4,556 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total curren assets 98,858 110,996 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Capital assets 6,273 2,49w2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Intangible assets 12,598 16,377 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future tax assets 22,152 21,081 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Goodwill 22,429 22,048 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL ASSETS $ 162,30o $ 172,994 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LIABILITIE S AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - Current liabilities: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accounts payable $ 12,004 $ 11,576t ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Accrued liabilities 7,328 10,236 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Refundabler royalty advance - 2,410 ----- -------------------------------------------------------------------- Deferred revenue 7,851 3,32o9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deferred leasehold inducement 132 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Income taxews payable 390 422 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Total current liabilities 27,70 5 27,973 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deferred revenue 8,239 9,048 -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Deferred leasehold inducement 1,100 - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Long term compensation 666 451 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Future tax liabilities 3,330 4,362 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Totalk liabilities 41,040 41,834 ----------------------- -------------------------------------------------- Shareholders' equity 121,26i 131,160 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 162,3090 $ 172,994 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- March Networkas Corporation ------------------------------------------------------------------------- CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWz ------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Canadian dollars, amounts in thousands) (Unaudited) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Threw Months Ended Fiscal Year Ended ------------------------------------------------------------------------- April 30, Aprio 30, April 30, April 30, 2009 2008 2009 2008 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash flows from operating activities: ----------------------------------------------------------------- -------- Net loss $ (1,860) $ $ (6,590) $ (6,515) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Items not affecting cash: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amortization of capita l assets 543 364 2,069 1,367 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Amortizationn of acquired intangible assets 899 399 3,778 810 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Stock based compensation and shares issued to directors 296 476 1,412 2,790 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Unrealized foreign exchange (gain)/losws (192) 152 488 (229) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Futurde income taxes and non-refundable investment tax creditsd 464 (1,520) (207) (1,756) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net change in non-cash items 4,234 (4,228) 7,131 -- ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash generated (consumed) by operating activities 4,384 (8,216) 3,598 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash flowsa from investing activities: ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Redemption (purchase) of short-term investments (2,887) 34,442 18,469 23,725 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Purchas of capital assets (47) (263) (4,146) (757) -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Acquisition of business - (26,078) (698) (26,078) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------- ---------------------------------------- Net cash generated (consumed) by investing activitiex (2,934) 8,101 13,625 (3,110) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------ - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash flows from financinbg activities: ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Issuance (repurchase) of share net - 141 (4,628) 314 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net cash generated (consumed) by financing activities - 141 314 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Net increase in cash 1,4590 26 5,720 8 02 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Foreign exchang e gain (loss) on foreign cash held (55) 219 (141) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash, beginnint of period 8,790 4,216 4,187 3,5256 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Cash, end of periord $ 10,126 $ 4,187 $ 10,126 $ 4,1887 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tax overhaul? Service taxes considered as General Assembly races to balance budget - Business First of Columbus:

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billion budget shortfall, one thing has become clea r during negotiations between Houses andSenate proposals: some new taxes are almost sureluy on the horizon. Just what a new tax package will look like is still bein g worked outin Raleigh, as budget writerss scramble to meet the July 1 deadline. One commonh theme that has emerged in recengt weeks involves broadening the sales tax base to includer more services in additionto goods.
In the proposals have focused on raising the sale tax bya quarter-cent and taxing servicesd that directly relate to tangibl e goods, such as moving expenses, digital downloads or warranties, service contracts and maintenance to cars, appliances or business machines and other products. The Senate has favoredx lowering the sales tax slightly but applying it to many moreprofessionao services, including proposals to tax legal and accounting Gov.
Beverly Perdue, who could not be reached for comment by The Businessa Journalthis week, has asked legislators for more than $1 billiojn in new tax “Quite frankly, given the budget situation, I’k surprised the General Assembly has not been even more aggressiv than that,” said R. Milton partner at Greensboro consultingbfirm Davenport, Marvin, Joyce & Co. “North Carolina manufacturing-based economy to a service-based economy, and I thinki eventually our tax system will movethat way. Mayb e these are just baby steps.
” Even the best estimatez say such tax changes paired with other refork proposals to add two new personal income tax brackets for earneraabove $200,000 and new levies on alcohol and tobaccp — say new revenuez will be between $700 million and $940 That leaves another at leastr $3.6 billion in spending cuts. Some state economists have said that if the legislaturew balances the budget without anynew revenues, Northg Carolina will spend as much per citizejn as it did in 1992. Reaction to budgeyt proposals illustrate the difficultylegislators face.
Education and healthb care groups have decried deep cuts to those And abroadened sales-tax base has drawj criticism from business groups, who not only provide servicese that would be newly taxablr but might also find themselves paying the servic e taxes. A study by the Institute for Emerging Issuesat N.C. State University shows that salea of services remain much more stable despites swings inthe economy, as opposes to goods, which are more prone to peaks and valleys. taxing more services might provide the statee a more steady annualrevenue stream. In receny years, even in strong economies, North Carolina has run budgert deficits largely because of its reliance on taxingmanufactured goods.
Jake Cashion, vice president of governmentap affairs forthe Winston-Salem Chambefr of Commerce, said the chambetr has surveyed members and found that cuttinvg taxes on small businesses was the most populart choice for getting the economy back on Jason Cannon, Cashion’s counterpart at the Greensborp Chamber of Commerce, said there are too many movinh parts to budget negotiationsw for his group to generate a consistent responsr from members right now. “It certainlyy is a trying said Cannon, who was a legislativwe aide in Raleigh for sixbudget “This is far worse than anythiny we’ve seen before.
Members (of the legislature) with decadew of experience are scratchingtheir heads.” Time for a tune-up? Sen. Daniel Clodfelter, a Charlotte Democraf who chairs the Senate finance has championed reformingNorth Carolina’s tax something that hasn’t happened since the Clodfelter noted that not many statee have had success in taxing all professional so he said that beginning with servicexs related to tangible goods is likelgy a good starting place. “There are those who say we don’y need any revenue at all, but even if you eliminater every bit of what people might sayis fat, you stilol won’t come up with enough to cut our way out of the Clodfelter said.
“We haven’t had a major tune-uop in 70 or 80 In times of crisis, you focuxs your attention on thebigger picture.” Sen. Phil an Eden Republican who also sits on thefinanc committee, has been among those who have said that some pieced of the proposal make sense, but he stilol opposes raising taxes during a recession. Roland Stephen, assistant director for policyy and research at the Institute for Emerging Issuedat N.C. State University, has studied tax refor issues inthe state. He noted that there are 166 totaol services taxed in at least one state or another. North Carolina currently taxes33 services.
“The goods component of our economyg is much more volatilethan services,” Stephen “And the sales tax now is more regressivwe because it weighs heavily on low-incomr people who spend a highetr percentage on goods.” Stephen and Howell of DMJ both said some new taxee seem inevitable this budget The only question is how state officials will go abouty the changes. “This is a leadership opportunity,” Stephenh said. “Are we going to think in the long-rub or are we just going to try some of theusualo fixes?
I think Nortn Carolina would look pretth smart if we were able to tacklse tax reform in the midst of this It would give us a real competitive advantage in the yeard ahead.”