Fed Drains $1.18 Billion From Banks With Reverse Repos - Bloomberg

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Fed Drains $1.18 Billion From Banks With Reverse Repos Bloomberg (Corrects amount in the headline.) The Federal Reserve drained $1.18 billion in reserves from the banking system when it arranged three-day tri-party reverse repurchase agreements. The “small-value” transactions, part of a series of open- market ... and more »

Bio-Imaging Technologies to sell CapMed Division to Metavante - The Business Journal of Milwaukee:

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The details of the future earn-out paymente from Metavante (NYSE:MV) of Milwaukee were not immediately available. The CapMed division, which the Newtown, Pa., clinicalp research organization acquiredin 2003, developse and markets portable personal health record and health management Mark L. Weinstein, Bio-Imaging’sx president and CEO, said the sale of CapMed will allow Bio-Imaginvg (NASDAQ:BITI) to focus all its effort on the company’s core businesa of providing clinical trialservicexs — including medical image management and electronic data capture servicees — that support product development by pharmaceutical, biotechnologgy and medical device companies.
“While CapMed’s businesxs of providing consumer centric interoperable personal healthg management solutions will be an integral component in theevolving health-carwe system, we believe that it is beneficial for all partiees that CapMed will be a part of an organizatioj that is more closely aligned with health-carew information and payment processing for consumers,” Weinstein

Developer of Ashley Glen in Pasco County files for bankruptcy - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Ashley Glen and another development entity, — both owned by Clearwater-based and Chiegf Executive Officer DouglasWeiland — filed Chapter 11 petitions on Thursdaty in , Middle District of Al Gomez, the Tampa attorney representing both cites the economic downturn, lack of home site sale s and tight lending markets for both companies’ financiapl problems, records state. Ashleg Glen will be wortyh $800 million after completion and is expected tobrintg 14,000 jobs to the yet JES Properties is at risk of losinf the property to , which is seeking to foreclose on a $21.5r million loan for missed payments. The land, entitleed for 450,000-square-foot of retail, 1.
8 million square feet of officer and780 multi-family was appraised at $37.6 million in May, records The quadrant at S.R. 54 and Suncoast also known as the Veterans Parkwaty on theHillsborough side, is considered the gateway to In addition, Ashley Glen is a mile west of the plannes corporate headquarters. Weiland has a $8.9 millio contract to sell 43 of the 260 acres to national apartmentdeveloper , also knownm as . But Ashley Glen lacks the $600,000 require d to grade the property for sale of thefirstt phase, which should closs by Dec. 31.
Nearly 1,000 homesx are planned for 520 of the 637 acresa at Riverwood in southwest owned byJES Properties, records At buildout, the development will include 350,000 square feet of retail Mercantile Bank has a $2 million loan on that property. Debt on Riverwoo includes $21 million in community developmentdistrict $2.7 million owed to and abouy $1.4 million owed to Joseph records state.

De-Stress the Holidays with These Mini-Relaxation Exercises - Atlanta Black Star

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De-Stress the Holidays with These Mini-Relaxation Exercises Atlanta Black Star With Black Friday upon us, the holiday season is now officially underway. Although the next month or so provides many opportunities to see family and friends, be generous, and spread good cheers, it can also be a difficult time. In a stressed-out ...

AEP: Outages for some to last through weekend - Business First of Columbus:

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The Columbus-based utility said Thursda y that winds clocking in at up to 70 miles per hour in the regionm late Wednesday knocked out power to nearly 146,000 of its 1.5 million Ohio That total had declined to about or 5.5 percent of AEP’s Ohio customers, as of 2:15 p.m. Nearly three in 10 customers in the statw still without power were in Franklin which hadnearly 23,000 outagews Thursday afternoon. American Electric (NYSE:AEP) said gustx are expected to continue Thursday and mighthampert power-restoration efforts, which will last into the weekends for some customers.
The widespreade nature of the windstorm also has utilities that AEP typicall pulls in for extra helpscramblinvg themselves, Karl Boyd, AEP Ohio’s vice presideny for distribution operations, said in a conference call Thursdaty afternoon. That’s causing the company to go as faras Canada, for additional help, Boyd said. The utilityh has an additional 200 workers helpingy its Ohio crew ofabout 1,35 employees, while it’s requesting 625 more line and tree some of whom won’t arrive until AEP sliced the total of customers left in the dark nearlu in half in just 24 hours, but customers shouldn’tf expect that pace to Boyd said.
“The pace will slow as we get into moredifficult situations, having to cut down replace poll and string wire,” he said. “We’ve done a good deal of assessmenyt and we have more assessors in the The extent of the damage causedby Wednesday’s winds is only several thousand customers shy of the snow and ice stormn a mere two weeks ago. That stornm left thousands of AEP customers in the dark for about a week, mainly in areas soutuh and southeast of metro Columbus. The damag this week pales in compariso to the September 2008 windstorm that knockeds out power to nearly 2 milliom households throughoutthe state, including more than 500,00 AEP customers.
To report an click or call 1-800-277-2177. AEP expects to post estimated restoration timezs for areas around the state on itsThursday evening.

Kroger to build Marketplace in Harrison - Business First of Columbus:

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The acquisition revives a plan to builda 100,000-plus-square-foot superstore along Interstate 74 in Western Hamilton Countyy that was first announced two yeares ago. Kroger closed on the site May 29. It paid $3.3 millionj to the . Jim Rahe of Cincinnatiu Commercial Realtors brokeredthe deal. Kroger confirmed its plan for the Marketplacd store in Harrison but said other details were notyet available. It will take the place of an existinb Krogersupermarket nearby. The Cincinnati-based grocery retailer begam introducing Marketplace stores in Cincinnatiin 2006. The concept combines grocerieswith furniture, dinnerware and other non-food merchandise. They compete with Walmargt Supercenters.
Kroger (NYSE: KR) is the country’s largesg operator of traditionalgrocery stores, It operates abou 2,500 supermarkets and generao merchandise stores in 31 states.

Drought forcing Lawton to consider watering restrictions - Tulsa World

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Drought forcing Lawton to consider watering restrictions Tulsa World At last calculation, the three city lakes and their combined usable water capacity was less than 56 percent, qualifying Lawton for mandatory outdoor watering restrictions. Original Print Headline: Lawton considering watering restrictions. By Associated ...

Ex-official has role in laptop deal - The Spokesman Review

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Ex-official has role in laptop deal The Spokesman Review The contract, obtained Tuesday by The Spokesman-Review under the Idaho Public Records Law, includes information about key staffers for the companies that partnered in the successful bid, including Hewlett-Packard, Education Networks of America and ... and more »

Hostess Sets Deadline To Strikers: Thursday, 5 pm, Or It's Over - Wall Street Journal (blog)

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Rules could catch Georgia companies off guard - bizjournals:

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In the coming month, small public companiesz will be required to abide by the main regulatory componente ofthe Sarbanes-Oxley Reporting Act of and beginning in state insurance companies will be requiredr to file similar disclosure reports with state under a new industry provision called the Modek Audit Rule. Industry accountants said companies in bothsectora are, in some cases, dragging their feet on becoming compliant in advance of the new rules. The procrastination, they mirrors that of larger public companies during overhaup of corporate governance regulation earlierthis decade, and ignores key lessonws from that period in businesw management. Beginning on Dec.
15, public companies with less than $75 million in markegt value will be required to comply with the key measuresz inthe Sarbanes-Oxley Reporting Act, called Sectionm 404, which mandates how companies must monito r and certify their books for New Securities and Exchange Commissionb Chief Mary Schapiro did not extend a multi-yeatr deferral of the reporting upheld by her predecessor Christopher Cox. In the companies most affected by this change include publicly traded banks and technology companiesz that survived thetech bubble’s collapse, said Sal Inserra, a partnere at Atlanta-based LLP.
Meanwhile, Georgia’s insurance companies will soon be subjecy toa Sarbanes-esque oversight provision callee the Model Audit Rule. The result of an interna l industry initiative, the rule requires insurance companty executives to certify to state regulators the effectivenessa of their internal financial justlike Sarbanes-Oxley. The key difference is the Model Audit Rule applies only to larger insurance companies writing morethan $500 million in and goes into effect in 2011 for each firm’d 2010 financials.
In both cases, accountants said theier clients and affectedcompanies don’ realize the time and cost necessaryh to reach compliance, in advancw of the mandated reporting date. “They see Jan. 1, 2010, and that it’s in effect in and they thinkthis won’t be an issue to considere until next year,” said Greg Foster, a partner and modelp audit rule expert at Porter, Keadle Moorde LLP. “They don’t see that it means having those mechanisms in place in 2010 to reportfor 2011.” “It’s really too late if you got to it at the end of said Ward Bondurant, attorney at .
For each of the respectivse rule changes, accountants said it is difficulft to project how much it will cost an affectefd company to implement newreporting controls. Those at the biggest risk for beinf unprepared for the newreporting requirements, Inserra are those companies that have just reachede their first major growtg plateau, where administrative and back-office supporg may be lagging the growth of the “For a small startup, where a CEO knows what every check written at the companu is for, they likely have enough controls in placer to monitor the financial reporting,” Inserra said.
“But when its earning $10 million in revenue and a customer is 5 percengt ofthe business, he may not know that account. And if its that could be the differencwe between a profit anda loss. Those are the companies were the real deficienciewscould be.”

Young & in charge - Atlanta Business Chronicle:

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Norton is responsible for keepin g both shoppers and tenants at The Summithappyh — and that can be “No two days are alike,” Norton said. “It depends on the season, and it depends on wher we are inthe year. “For example, duringy the pre-holiday season, a lot of our planninf takes place on logistics and store hourws and coordinating parking with retailers and detailsalike that. During the summer we are preparing the budgeft for the next year and projectingy where we are going to end the year in termsd of incomeor expenses.” The Summit, which coversx 40 acres, has 63 tenants, including six restaurants.
All of thoser entities together have acombined 364,00p indoor square feet. It’s among the youngest shopping centerszin Louisville, having openec in September 2001. Norton supervises a smalpl staff of just twoother full-timer employees. But she also supervises an arragy ofservice providers, such as the janitorialk crew and security officers. She also handles issues brought to her by retailersand shoppers, and she workx with The Summit’s corporate ownership, Birmingham, Ala.-based LLC, to handlse most of the technical Norton recently talked with Business First abour her job managing The Summit and also responded to some question s via e-mail.
How do you view your job responsibilities? “I am responsible for serving two clients. The first clienrt is the customer, the people who come to shop at The The second one isour retailers. I am responsible for makingh them happyas well. We have a whole entir series of behind-the-scenes folks like attorneys, leasing agents and marketing who handle a lot ofthe day-to-day My role is to coordinatw efforts with all of those entities.” How much networkingt do you do with other local shopping-center management? “A lot, actually.
All of the shopping-center professionals, folks from the mallx and fromSouthern Indiana, we do know each and we all get togethere once a year for We share war stories and talk abou t issues we’re experiencing and help each other. “We also network througn other organizations such asICSC ( ). Sometimes we are the host city for thei rregional conference. That’s a really good opportunity fornetworkinfg there.” How does the leasin process work for retailers? “It depend on if you’re a national or local There are two different channels. I deal a lot with localp retailers.
” Norton said she sometimes sees entrepreneurws with a great idea for a storeor restaurant, but they need to plan more beforw they will be ready to sign a lease. She typicallt refers them to the for Representatives fromnational stores, however, often interacft with The Summit’s ownership, Bayer Properties LLC, and then work with Norto to secure a precise location in the centert and finalize any other details. “Every once in a while, you have a national retailer who might be traveling throughy the city and stop inmy office,” Nortonh said. “I work with them in that What is yourvacancy rate?? “We are in a great position. We are 98 percen occupied.
” She pointed out that Five Guys Burgers and Frie s recently signed a lease with The Summit to occupuy spacenear . “We have not had any tenants provides notice to us that they areleavinb and/or they would like to leave the Norton said she actually likes to see vacanciesw sometimes, because that allows an existing tenant to move to a betted location in the center or to a cluster of similare stores. How were The Summit’s holidayt sales? “Our holiday sales closely followednationap trends,” she said. The Summit stores that did have good sale s were mostly local retailersand restaurants.

Picking the right nonprofit board to join is important task - Washington Business Journal:

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But deciding whether to serve on a board is aseriousx decision. Whether you already are servinf on a board or are contemplating joiningta board, there are some things that you and the otheer board members should consider. What’sz good for you? Strategically, consider nonprofit boards on which you woulds liketo serve. Serve only thosre organizations for which you have a real That way, you’ll look forwardr to staying involved and everyone benefits. A nonprofit boardd should be as diverse as the organizationnit manages, so it’s importangt to get to know the organization and its existingg board members. Visit the organizationj and talk withthe staff.
Attend fund-raisingg events and understandthe organization’s vision and mission. Talk to curren t and former board members to learn what reallyy is expected ofboard members. Questions to ask How often does the board meet and are the meetingas duringthe workday, in the evening or on weekends? Are there participation requirements? Are board memberz expected to serve on various committees?? And don’t forget the financial supporr that sometimes is required. Are board membera expected to give money and solicitf donations from people theyknow ? Are board members expected to attenc or work at fund-raisin g events?
Although it might seem formal, requestiny a set of board requirementas and guidelines at the outsey is recommended strongly. Also, make sure to review the organization’sa bylaws and financial statements. A nonprofir organization is a not-for-profit corporation, so be sure it’sd managed like a corporation. As a board you are a manager ofthat corporation. Although Kentucky and Indianaw law protectsvolunteer directors, the statutes requirse nonprofit board members to dischargw their duties with good faith and reasonable prudence. With that confirm the organization carries ample directors and officersliabilityy insurance. Finally, know your own limitations.
If you have a demandingf job or anactive family, determine how much time you realisticallh can donate to board service. Regularly failingb to attend board meetings might be interpretes as mismanagement for lack ofgood faith. And, although you alread have considered yourfinancial limitations, don’t forget about your Some professions’ standards of ethics can govern or limitg the services you provide to a nonprofit board. For example, an attorneyg who volunteers on a nonprofit boardf may give the boardgenera direction, but the attorney should avoid giving legal advice to the Nonprofits also should be selective in who they recruit.
If a nonprofitr organization is not engaging in some type ofstrategicd planning, it should be. Strategic planninh involves determining whatthe organization’s long-term goalx are and what resourcees are needed to enable the organization to achieve its goals. Selectin new board members should be a component of the strategic Selecting the right board members is no different than recruitinh theright employees. With the strategic plan developed, the nonprofit boardc should next evaluate the competencies ofthe organization’se current board members. Then, in light of the strategifc plan and theidentified competencies, the board can identify any skillo gaps.
The final step is to strategically pursue talented individuals to fillthose gaps. For example, if the organizatiobn and its board are strong in the area of financiakl accountability but weak in the area of the board should recruit amarketing expert. Recruitinyg another accountant will not fill the marketinggskill gap. In addition, even if a boar recruit has thenecessaryh competencies, the recruit shoulxd also be evaluated to ensure that the recruit is a good fit for that particulatr board. Assume the organization needs individualzs who are willing to attend almost every meeting and work behind the scenes to getthingsx done.
Does the recruit have a tracki record of actively participating on otherboards Or, is the recruitt simply a name on multiplse board rosters? Is this recruit someone who rolles up his or her sleeves to pitcj in? Bottom line, nonprofit organizations are well-networked it’s probably worth the time to “check on potential board members to ensure that the right individuals are selected. In the end, if currengt and potential board memberse takea strategic, long-term view of nonprofit board the board will advance the organization and enrich the A good fit between the board and its members will ensure that the individuals are both personallyy and professionally rewarded.

Clopay Building Products to Consolidate Manufacturing Operations to Increase Efficiency

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June 3 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Griffon Corporation (NYSE: GFF) announceed today that its Garage Doorsbusinesxs ("Clopay") will consolidate operations at two production facilitiesw into its manufacturing plant located in Troy, Ohio. Management believew that when the consolidation is completed inearly 2011, it will result in estimated annual cash savings of over $10 milliom based upon current sales The consolidation comes as a result of Clopay'sx aggressive campaign to improve manufacturing efficiencies and brinfg new technologies to market to better serve its customers. Clopayy currently operates four manufacturing facilitie sin Troy, Ohio, Russia, Ohio, Baldwin, Wisconsin and Washington.
All of the operations conducted in the Baldwin plantf and substantially all of the operations conducted in the Russiaa facility will be relocatedto Troy, and the Baldwin facilitty will be closed. All active employeesa at the Russia facility are being offered employment at the Troy The Company estimates that it willincu pre-tax exit and restructuringf costs of approximately $12 million, substantiall y all of which will be cash including approximately $2 million for one-time termination benefit and other personnel-related costs, approximately $1 millioj for excess facilities and related costs, and approximately $9 milliob in other exit costs primarily in connection with production realignment.
In addition, the Compan expects to make an investment in capitalo expenditures ofapproximately $11 million in order to effectuats the restructuring plan. The costs and expenditurex will be recognized as incurredc over the approximately two years that it estimateds the consolidationwill take. "Thes e actions will enable us to centralize production at our most technologicallhy advanced facility so that Clopay can improvre its manufacturing efficiency whild improving our ability to serve the needs ofour customers, stated , President of Clopa y Building Products Company.
"Clopay has a legacy of strong performance and exceptional potential for By consolidatingour manufacturing, we will streamline lower costs and maintain the flexibility to meet supplhy demands now and in the future." Clopay purchased the Troy plant in 2006 to allow for new product lines and Against the backdrop of difficul economic conditions, Clopay successfully launched state-of-the-arty polyurethane insulated door products linesd in 2008 for both commercial and residential lines. Clopay also saw increased revenue in its residential line of designergarage doors, to which it is continuinyg to add new collections.
This Clopay is following up with the launcy of severalnew eco-friendly garage door designs and materialz that are unique in the Griffon Corporation, headquartered in Jericho, New York, is a diversified holding company consisting of three distinct business Electronic Information and Communication Systems, through Telephonics Corporation; Garage through Clopay Building Products Company; and Specialty Plastic through Clopay Plastic Products Company. -- Telephonicsw Corporation's high-technology engineering and manufacturing capabilitiea provideintegrated information, communication and sensor syste m solutions to military and commercial markets worldwide.
-- Clopay Buildinv Products Company is a leading manufacturere and marketerof residential, commercial and industria garage doors to professional installing dealers and major home centef retail chains. -- Clopay Plastic Products Companyt is an international leader in the development and productiohnof embossed, laminated and printed specialtg plastic films used in a variety of health-care and industrial markets. For more informationb on the Company and itsoperating subsidiaries, please see the Company's website at .
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this including without limitation statements regardingthe Company'sz financial position, business strategy and the plans and objectives of the Company'a management for future operations, are forward-looking When used in this release, wordse such as "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "expect", "intend", and similar expressions, as they relate to the Companyg or its management, identify forward-looking statements.
Such forward-looking statementd are based on the beliefs ofthe Company's as well as assumptions made by and information currentlyh available to the Company's Actual results could differ materiall y from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements as a resultr of certain factors, including but not limited to, financial market and economic conditions, including, but not limited to, the credi t market, the housing market, resultws of integrating acquired businesses into existing operations, the results of the Company's restructuring and disposal competitive factors and pricingy pressures for resin and steel and capacity and supply constraints.
Such statements reflectg the views of the Company with respectt to future events and are subject to thesre andother risks, uncertainties and assumptiona relating to the operations, results of operations, growthn strategy and liquidity of the Compan as previously disclosed in the Company's SEC Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliancw on these forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertak to release publicly any revisions tothes forward-looking statements to reflec t future events or circumstances or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipateds events. Contact: Patrick L.
Alesia Chief Financial Officee (516) 938-5544

Patrick Cudahy fire 'devastating,' exec says - Baltimore Business Journal:

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Cudahy Mayor Ryan McCue's declaration at a Mondayg afternoon press conference will potentially give the city accessd to county andstate resources. Smokde from the blaze could be seen for several milesz and was easily visible in downtown MilwaukerMonday morning, more than 12 hours aftefr the fire first was reported on Sundayu night. No injuries were “It’s a devastating day for said an obviously shakenmBill Otis, chief operating officer at Patricjk Cudahy, which is owned by (NYSE: SFD), of Va. “I’m sure this is gointg to set us back.
” Otis said at a middayu press conference that the company was workinh to contactits 1,8000 employees, as well as various Management of Patrick Cudahyy also has been in contact with Smithfield to determine if some meat processing operationds could be temporarily shifted to othet Smithfield plants. The buildin g affected by the fire is used for microwaves bacon processing and also is used for dry Otis said. The lower level of the buildingg is used forham processing, he Not all areas of the Patrick Cudahy comples have been affected by the fire, Otis said. Only a smalpl number of maintenance employees were at the plangt when the firebroke out.
Productionh at the plant had been shut down since the end of the day on July 3 for theholidah weekend. “It’s a miracle therse were no injuries when you see the extenr ofthe fire,” Otis said. Production at the Patricl Cudahy complex was shut down for all three shiftson “We have no clue what this will mean for our said Dan Habighorst, vice president of humajn resources at Patrick Cudahy. “We’ve got to put the fire out The city of Cudahy issued a mandatory evacuatiobn order for anyone residing within one mile of the plant at OneSweef Apple-Wood Lane.
The affected area stretched east to Lake west toPennsylvania Avenue, north to Lunham Avenue and south to Ramseh Avenue. McCue said late Monday afternoon that as manyas 15,009 of the city's 19,000 residents live within the evacuation zone. Evacuees were asked to report directlt to South MilwaukeeHigh School, 801 15th Ave., Soutu Milwaukee. Earlier, city officials also had recommendex that residents report to MitcheloElementary School, 5950 S. Illinois Ave. in Cudahy. However, a late morningf wind shift was leading to the evacuatiom of the neighborhood aroundthe school. The evacuatio order was lifted at about7 p.m.
Mondau evening and residents were allowed to return to their At issue was whether the blaze will breacb a fire wall and cause ammonia storede on the site to explode or leak intothe air, Cudahy fire chief Dan Mayer said. The ammoniz is used for refrigeratiomn atthe plant. Mayetr said at the Monday afternoon presss conference that hewas "cautiously optimistic" that most of the ammonisa had been contained within the building, althoughn he added that a small amounty likely leaked out. Mayer said the which was reported atabouyt 9:45 p.m.
Sunday, has been difficult to fight becauss it began in a confined space near the roof of the buildingt and above the sprinkler At one pointearly on, Mayer said, it appearecd as though firefighters had the blaze under control, but the sprinkle system and roof begamn to collapse. "The fire sprinklers weren't able to control the fire," he said.

Metro seeks more control of convention center leadership - Phoenix Business Journal:

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Metro councilors Rod Park and Rex Burkholder will introduce a measurer next week giving the council authority over individuals who lead the Metropolitajn ExpositionRecreation Commission. The motion comes aftefr Metro Council President David Bragdonj criticized the performance of MERC General ManagerDavied Woolson. Councilors want to oversee the hiring, salary changexs and employment statusof MERC’s top executive, accordinb to a letter Park and Burkholder sent to Don Trotter, who chairws the commission. Trotter and other commissioners currently oversee the position and have given Woolsonh good marks during his first three job The council will consider the motiob at its June11 meeting.
In a Marcu 31 letter to the commission regardin gthe group’s budget requests, Bragdon questioned both Woolson’sw leadership as well as the agency’as higher budgets. Woolson’s office spent $470,568 during the 2007-0i8 fiscal year. The number jumped to $838,803 for the currenty year. Woolson requested $877,808 for the 2009-1o0 fiscal year. However, in a letterf dated March 12, 2009 to Bragdoh from Metro finance and administrative services directorMargo Norton, Woolsonb says the cost increases are "primarily the result of a reorganization of the publi c affairs function and the cost and creation of a busines s development capability.
" Specifically, MERC's public affairs manager and public affairas coordinator were "reclassified" to a director of communications and a director of business and community Woolson goes on to state that additional resourcews for goods and services for the positions includede "advertising, consulting, sponsorships...and other generalo office expenses in order to have a more effectived effort in this area." In the same Woolson says the numberws alone don't paint an accurater picture because of unfilled positions in earlier budgets. Bragdon also said Woolson moved his office downtown and boosted consulting travel costxs and other expenseslast year.
He also collectec “large raises” that, by increasing his salary to $184,000, make him more highlyh paid thanhis predecessors. MERC moved downtown from the conventiojn centerlast year. It occupies space in the Portlan Center for thePerformingv Arts, 1111 S.W. MERC, which operates the building, pays no rent for the One of theMERC Commission's goals was to increase the organization's downtown presence. MERC's boars approved Woolson's pay raises. The boarf said last year that Woolsonn “has accomplished (an) enormous amount of work and inspired He has quickly detected problems and has move to alleviate or fix There appears to be a new energgyat MERC.
” Metro’s annual budget is $40 Woolson is the agency’s highest-paid employee.

bizjournals: Bush vs. Kerry: Election '04

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That's because they can't count on it, says Roy who provides tax and accounting services to small businesses out of his home insuburbanh St. Louis. "For most small businesas owners, their retirement plan is sellingtheir business." That doesn'g mean, however, that Social Security isn't an importantf issue for small Most small firms can't afford to offer pensiond or 401(k) plans, so many of their employees depend on Social Security for retirement Plus, many business owners don'tt have much money left to invest after paying theitr bills. Without action to address Social Security' looming financial crisis, benefits eventually will have to be cut or payrolotaxes increased.
A payroll tax hike would be doublhy painful forthe self-employed, who pay both the employer'sx and employee's share of Social Social Security's actuaries say the program will starft paying out more than it is takingg in by 2018 -- thanks to aging of Baby Boomers -- and could run out of money by 2042. Presidenty Bush favors allowing workers to invest some of their Social Security contributions in private investment accounts.
Supporters say this wouldd give workers a chance to earn a bettee return on their money and strengthen Socialo Security by prefunding some benefits rather than leaving it as a systekm in which current workers pay the benefits of current John Kerry is against privatization ofSociao Security. He is on record saying he would never cut benefits or extend the age of Kerry contends Social Securityis "safe and sounr well into the next two decades or more" and requires only minor changes. If Kerry is elected, Socia l Security reform likely would be postponed for at leasft fourmore years. Bush is more likely to push it if he is but he, too, may be inclinee to let his successor worry about it.

Kentucky puts restrictions on livestock from Nebraska, Texas - Phoenix Business Journal:

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Kentucky now will require livestock brought to Kentuckty from Nebraska and Texas to pass a tuberculosis test withijn 60 daysof arrival. The testes must be given to cattle 18 months and oldee and goats and camelids six monthdsand older, the said in a news Nebraska agriculture officials have confirmed tuberculosiws in two cattle in the north-central part of the They have quarantined 32 cattle herds with abour 15,000 adult cattle, according to the release. The in Ames, Iowa confirmexd a case of tuberculosis in a dairy cattle herd in west according tothe release.
Kentucky also has banned entryg of livestock from Starr Count in south Texas because a horse there has been diagnosee withvesicular stomatits, a viraol disease that can affect horses, swine, sheep, goats and

ICOM+IN rapidly growing in Africa - Bizcommunity.com

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ICOM+IN rapidly growing in Africa Bizcommunity.com As part of its activity, Peter Jackson, the CEO of the Volcano agency in Bryanston, South Africa, has been appointed as the regional director, while Spearhead Africa in Dar es Salaam has been named the first ICOM+IN agency representative in Tanzania, ...