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Government
Commentary: Is receptionist pay vital information?
November 5, 2007
Mickey MaurerThe office was abuzz when I walked in on a Monday morning in late August 2006. The Indiana Economic Development Corp. staff
was upset and it didn't take long to find out why. The Indianapolis Star had published their names and salaries as part of
a lead story launched from the front page of the Sunday edition. "Is it the solemn civic duty of the Star to let the world
know what I make?" our receptionist asked, crying. A member...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: It's time to use mass-appraisal model on state's homes
November 5, 2007
Mike HicksIn the 10 years since Indiana's property-appraisal system was ruled unconstitutional, taxpayers have spent perhaps $1 billion
to remedy the situation. That's more than $350 per household, and more than we spend on environmental protection each year.
"Wowser" is the only printable exclamation I can muster. Among other things, Gov. Mitch Daniels' tax plan proposes the elimination
of the township assessors (there are 1,008 offices statewide). According to a 2004 Chamber of Commerce study, streamlining
the system would result in...
MoreFast-growing WDG built on years of industry experience: Veteran of Kite, Lauth branches out on his own
November 5, 2007
Scott OlsonFor Mike Wyman, a devastating fire that gutted the family home during his teen-age years laid the foundation for a rewarding
career in construction. The 41-year-old Wyman climbed from carpenter to become a leader of projects at two of the city's largest
commercial developers before launching his own company in 2005. WDG Construction & Development Services Inc. on East Washington
Street downtown has since grown into a firm that expects to top $30 million in revenue next year-double this year's...
MoreMidwest Mole tunnels into large local projects: East-side company in unusual niche makes mark
November 5, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonIn the face of a slumping local economy in the early 1980s, several national construction firms packed up and left Indianapolis.
One locally based salesman, Len Liotti, was given a choice-move to St. Louis along with his job at tunneling contractor Affholder
Inc., or set out on his own. Seeing the void the big players would create when leaving, Liotti started Midwest Mole Inc. in
1982 to fill it. Twenty-five years later, the privately held firm is thriving thanks to...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Evaluate today before gauging effects of tax proposal
October 29, 2007
Mike HicksGov. Mitch Daniels unveiled a tax proposal Oct. 23 designed to remedy a number of widely held concerns over property taxes
in the state. In a nutshell, his proposal reduces property tax collections by one-third and generates additional revenue by
increasing the general sales tax 1 percentage point. His plan offers a three-tiered property tax rate-1 percent residential,
2 percent rental and 3 percent commercial-and moves taxation (and perhaps budgetary decision making) from the township to
the county level. It...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Corporate transactions: lose-lose deals
October 29, 2007
John GuyCorporate transactions, such as the sales of Peoples Bank and First Indiana Bank, as well as mergers of utility companies,
benefit no one. For example: Retail customers: No evidence exists that consumers benefit from these transactions. Companies
might argue that fees and prices rise more slowly in larger organizations, a result of efficiencies, but no proof is available,
and the principle of diminishing returns suggests that, at some point, the cost of running a large entity becomes proportionately
greater than...
MoreFinancial education on a roll: Money Bus travels state to make children smarter about finances
October 29, 2007
Katie MaurerTeaching kids about finances used to be as simple as giving them lunch money. With credit card debt and bankruptcy rates soaring
among young adults, however, there's a new push nationwide to help kids get smart about money. Experts say even kindergartners
aren't too young to learn the ins and outs of spending, saving, borrowing and budgeting. One local program is hoping to do
all that in a fun, informative setting. The Money Bus, a sort of traveling classroom, visits...
MoreRETURN ON TECHNOLOGY: Is your Web site a cost or an investment?
October 29, 2007
Tim AltomI don't particularly like to shop, but I like seeing how other people shop, especially online. There are always so many surprises.
Of course, the big research is in e-commerce, where buyers spend money online. Studies show the number of people willing to
buy online is growing steadily. The Census Bureau shows a consistently upward trendline through August 2007 (www.census.gov/mrts/www/ecomm.html).
Most experts seem to believe that not only are more people throwing down their plastic electronically, but established shoppers
are...
MoreTHE TRAVELING LIFE: This may not be the end of the world, but...
October 29, 2007
Frank Basile"A pop-culture update for those who've been living in Bhutan for the last several years....." That was the beginning of an
article in a recent Indianapolis Monthly and, while I don't even remember now what the story was about, I knew after reading
those words that I had to go to Bhutan. My reasoning: If this country is so remote that it's used as a frame of reference
for being out of touch, then I wanted to go there. Turns...
MoreFeds OK women's biz centers: Program wins affiliation with SBA; details on set up, funding to come
October 29, 2007
Jennifer WhitsonAfter a 19-year run as a pilot program, a national initiative aimed at helping women start businesses finally has earned a
seal of approval from the federal government. As an official U.S. Small Business Administration program, the Women's Business
Center concept gains the stability that supporters had been seeking for nearly two decades. And that's good news for women
like Krista Bermeo, an Indianapolis artist who makes melted glass jewelry in her namesake Fountain Square studio. Bermeo sought
help from...
MoreClinton's 401(k) proposal receiving mixed reviews: Experts disagree on whether plan can spur savings
October 29, 2007
Scott OlsonRepublican presidential candidate Herbert Hoover promised a chicken in every pot and a car in every garage, leading everyone
to believe they would be prosperous under his administration. Fast-forward 80 years and a candidate from the other side of
the aisle, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., is offering an incentive more fitting for the new millennium: a match on workers'
401(k) contributions. Time will tell whether Clinton becomes president and ultimately fulfills the pledge, but what prompted
it is Americans' reluctance...
MoreBeware stock investors: Credit problems remain INVESTING:
October 22, 2007
Ken SkarbeckSeemingly unbeknownst to the stock market, problems continue to lurk in the credit markets. Regulators are concerned about
the market upheaval caused by structured investment vehicles. Large banks set up SIVs as off-balance-sheet investments to
leverage their investment capital and earn higher returns. There are reportedly some 30 SIVs with $400 billion in assets.
SIVs employ a simple strategy to make money: They borrow short term (at low rates) and invest in longer-term securities (at
higher rates), thereby earning the...
MoreVOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Everybody's busy playing the real estate blame game
October 22, 2007
Brian MannThere's a game that takes place in most families with young children. You may be familiar with it. It's easy. Mom's cherished
(insert any household item here) develops a large chip. Mom sees the chip. Mom begins the interrogation: Who did this? "Not
me," says Johnny. and Wall Street. After all, they're the ones that loaned the money. It was too easy to get a loan, the critics
say. People were buying homes and building developments with high-priced coffee shops...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Reform won't require constitutional rewrite
October 22, 2007
Jon LaramoreIn July, when Gov. Mitch Daniels appointed the Commission on Local Government Reform to search for ways to streamline and
modernize Indiana's system of local government, he recommended considering every option for bringing government into the 21st
century. And he raised one particularly dramatic option: convening a convention to rewrite Indiana's constitution, a document
that has been amended often, but never rewritten, in 156 years. Times were different in 1851, when Indiana enacted its constitution.
The state had fewer than...
MoreEYE ON THE PIE: Save our cities and towns from neglect
October 22, 2007
Morton MarcusWhose face is on the dime? It's Franklin Delano Roosevelt. That's no arbitrary choice. FDR had polio as an adult. He fought
back and became governor of New York and then the only four-term president of the United States. For two decades, from 1938
forward, The National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis campaigned to fight polio epidemics. Each January, children and adults
contributed to the national "March of Dimes" to raise funds for research and treatment. FDR was the symbol of...
MoreFirm sees growth for on-site clinics: Novia thinks workplace care can cut costs, help employees
October 15, 2007
Scott OlsonDoctors who make house calls are about as obsolete as polio. But a fledgling local company is taking a page from the past
and reintroducing the practice to the workplace instead of the home. Rising medical costs and the companies desperate to contain
them are driving interest in the emerging model of on-site clinics. Large employers such as Toyota Motor Co., Pepsi Bottling
Group, Credit Suisse and Sprint Nextel have embraced health clinics in recent years, in hopes of promoting...
MoreExperts look into the future of health care: Industry panelists disagree on whether current system needs radical changes
October 15, 2007
Five local industry leaders conducted a serious debate over problems and issues facing our health care system during the most
recent installment in Indianapolis Business Journal's Power Breakfast series. The event took place at the Downtown Marriott
hotel on Sept. 21 The panelists: Robert Brody, president and CEO of St. Francis Hospital & Health Centers, the Indianapolis-area's
fourth-largest hospital system. Brody has been chief executive at St. Francis since 1996. Dr. Robert Mouser, a primary care
physician at Cornerstone Family...
MorePEOs bouncing back following shakeout: Professional employer organizations enjoying growth as companies seek better ways to
manage benefits
October 8, 2007
Scott OlsonEven though Sentelligence Inc. in Noblesville has only five employees, the tiny tech firm offers an appealing benefits package
rivaling that of a large corporation. The designer of diagnostic sensing devices for diesel engines has not discovered the
Holy Grail of human resources. Rather, it's using what's known as a professional employer organization. Companies contract
with PEOs to handle all the headaches of human resources, including payroll, payroll taxes, Worker's Compensation claims,
health plans, and other employee benefits, not to...
MoreLoss of institute may polarize Statehouse debate: Board considers shuttering respected government research organization
October 8, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerIf the Indiana Fiscal Policy Institute remains shuttered due to a lack of funds, the public won't notice immediately. After
all, the Indianapolis-based organization focused on long-term analysis of complicated communal questions, such as how to equalize
property taxes, diversify state pensions or finance public schools. But taxpayers eventually will feel the impact. For 20
years, the institute has played a key role in Statehouse debate, helping frame major issues with hard facts and figures that
conservatives and liberals alike...
MoreTHERE OUGHT TO BE A LAW: Hey dude, the boss is parking in my space!
October 8, 2007
Ron GiffordI'll admit it: Until recently, I thought "My Space" was simply where I stored "my stuff." My bad, it turns out. Just ask that
young staffer down the hall: The new place to see and be seen is MySpace, Facebook or one of the other online social communities.
This summer, MySpace announced it had more than 70 million unique users in the United States-meaning nearly one in four Americans
used the site, for a total of nearly 50 billion page...
MoreECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Long road ahead for financing transportation
October 1, 2007
Mike HicksThe recent Indiana Logistics Summit framed a number of issues that matter to Hoosiers young and old. I've done a fair amount
of transportation and economic development research, but this conference held in Indianapolis was a chance for me to listen
and learn. Here's my take on some of the issues: Nationally, a significant piece of the public transportation infrastructure
(roads and bridges, for example) has already outlived its anticipated life span. Solid engineering and construction coupled
with continual maintenance...
MoreCapital key topic at forum: Fourth life sciences event grows with local industry
October 1, 2007
Scott OlsonThe pulse of Indiana's fledgling life sciences sector will be taken later this month at an annual conference featuring some
of the industry's strongest advocates. Experts will weigh in on several topics ranging from the discovery of technology to
accessing capital, which is a growing concern for the earliest-stage companies that are riskier investments. In its fourth
year, the Indiana Life Sciences Forum will take place Oct. 22-23 at the Westin Indianapolis and will be hosted by Indiana
business-development initiative...
MoreCommentary: Here's the skinny on why we're fat
October 1, 2007
Tom HartonA week rarely passes without news of our obesity epidemic. Fattest-state rankings and the like are a staple of our news diet.
These stories are often served with dire health warnings, which politicians invoke when they encourage us to eat less and
exercise more. But does anyone really stop to think about why obesity has become our national obsession? Our infamous rotundness
isn't only a byproduct of poor eating habits and a reluctance to hit the gym. Chalk some of...
MoreNavigating the credit crunch: Will subprime woes leave you dry? Here's what to look for.
September 24, 2007
Scott OlsonFor months, we've been reading and hearing news about the so-called subprime mortgage crisis and the resulting "credit crunch."
For thousands of families who have lost their homes to foreclosure, the crisis is clear. For most people, however, the impact
isn't so obvious. Beyond those directly affected by mortgage defaults, who else should be concerned about the aftershocks?
Some economic forecasters are warning that the subprime mortgage situation and the ongoing weakness in the housing market
could linger long enough...
MoreVIEWPOINT: Avoiding Chinese 'fifth-shipment' follies
September 24, 2007
Benjamin A.The recent announcement by the Indianapolis company Gilchrist and Soames that it would recall its privately branded toothpaste
because of concerns regarding its diethylene glycol content is a small part of a larger global concern about the quality standards
of goods made in China. The same week, Mattel recalled more than 9.5 million U.S. toys over concerns about the use of lead
paint. Many Indiana firms rely on a steady stream of qualified products from China, so now seems a...
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If a television station wants to improve viewership, get rid of the local blackout. I was born by the brickyard, and have attended 15 or more races. I have children now, I won't attend unless circumstances are perfect. As those with growing families know, they never are. I'm always impressed that upwards of 250,000 people attend the 500. However, as a growing, or, more apt, sprawling city, Indianapolis and its immediate suburbs count almost 2.2 million. Show the race live, let the venue get a kick-back on revenues, and open-wheel racing might have a fighting chance to be relevant again. Just in time for those tax-payer lights to make sense.
John Moore, I too have had the same issue recently. A property next to my house was on the Land Bank and I was interested in purchasing. When I tried to contact Reggie, I got back emails that had nothing to do with what I asked about. Actually my latest response from him was on this past Friday. I had asked about how to buy the property and if it was still available. His response to me was to contact the mayor's office to get the schedule of his appearances. (???) Hopefully the city is able to do something to fix what this guy has done, it would be nice if they would take the properties back and sell them properly so land owners like me and you mother would have a fair chance.
I too work in the industry, with over 25 years of experience and your political spin has probably nothing to do with any rebranding. "Let's dress it up" would have nothing to do with the government "telling us how and what to eat." Give it a political rest. And being a producer for a radio show doesn't mean you've been involved in advertising and branding for 30 years.
Ms. Morris did not understand the ways of the business world, otherwise, like the IMS, she could have petitioned the State Legislature for a handout of State Funds for her charity work. Ms. Morris should consider becoming a state lobbyist for Lemonade Stand Operators.
David Copperfield!