July 23, 2007
Five leaders of Indiana's life sciences industry offered their perspectives at the Indiana Convention Center June 26 as part
of the Indianapolis Business Journal's Power Breakfast Series. The panelists: Mike Arpey, managing director of global investment
bank Credit Suisse's Asset Management Division and manager of the $73 million Indiana Future Fund for BioCrossroads, the state's
life sciences economicdevelopment initiative. Ron Ellis, co-founder, president and CEO of Lafayettebased Endocyte Inc., a
biotechnology company focused on the treatment of cancer through receptor-targeted...
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July 23, 2007
Cory SchoutenDowntown's anemic office market has shown signs of life over the last few months, but that doesn't mean companies are taking
more space and pushing occupancy rates higher. Credit goes to the government. State and local agencies absorbed roughly 175,000
square feet of office space during the second quarter of 2007, pushing the vacancy rate down to 15.9 percent, roughly a point
lower than in the first quarter. The deals include 50,000 square feet for the Public Defender's Office in...
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July 23, 2007
Morton MarcusGood people, me included, have been making dumb statements about the property tax mess in Indiana. The problem is that we
don't know enough to talk or write intelligently on the topic. The result is that we can be led by our noses into an even
worse mess. "Abolish the property tax!" some demand. Then what? Abolition of the property tax means raising some other taxes
or fees, unless government spending on services decreases. The state has been urging counties...
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July 23, 2007
Bruce HetrickThe nightstand clock reads 5:17. Too early to wake up. But hey, I've been tossing and turning for hours, so why lie here any
longer, pretending? The cause for this night's insomnia is money. Money for two kids starting college. Money to replace the
Money to paint the house. Money for employees' salaries. Money for employees' parking. Money for employees' retirement. Money
for employees' health insurance. Money for their families' health insurance. Money to get the yellow highway paint off...
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July 16, 2007
Joe HornettAnchor Lou Dobbs of CNN is a pest to some folks and a hero for others. His recurring economic message laments a view of U.S.
workers losing out as companies send jobs overseas. Dobbs' critics, of course, cite his convenient omission of the many interna
tional companies that invest in U.S. communities through new manufacturing plants, research facilities and other initiatives.
Love the debate or detest it, but consider this: Hasn't Dobbs helped stir a discussion about how the new...
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July 16, 2007
J.K. WallRegenstrief Institute continues to fine-tune a medical-records system that many think could someday become a national model
The Regenstrief Institute is a racing team. Only instead of drivers and grease monkeys, the Indianapolis-based medical research
group has doctors and computer geeks. And instead of a race car, Regenstrief runs a massive computer database with 35 years
of medical records from Indianapolis-area patients. But Regenstrief's mission is still all about speed. The not-for-profit
is driving to discover better ways to care...
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July 16, 2007
Morton MarcusSome people believe the Fourth of July grants them liberty to disturb the night with their firecrackers. My pursuit of happiness
is in conflict with theirs and I want them jailed. We all gladly infringe on the liberties of others while in pursuit of our
own happiness. For example, should motorcyclists wear helmets? Yes, if all of us expect to pay their hospital bills (through
higher premiums) and maintain them on disability after they have head injuries that might be...
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July 16, 2007
Ken SkarbeckThe rise in property taxes and a doubling of the Marion County income tax have residents steaming. Yet as IBJ columnist Ron
Gifford noted in his column last week, you can argue about which taxes legislators should increase-whether on property, income
or sales-but the fact is that governments need more revenue, and, therefore, a variety of taxes are rising. Paying tax is
not the most pleasant of human endeavors. However, in a capitalistic society, taxes are necessary and, when applied...
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July 16, 2007
Chris O\'malleyJust when the nine-county metro area appeared back in the good graces of the federal government where ozone levels are concerned,
the feds want to tighten the standard once more. Manufacturers and other businesses that pump pollutants into the air that
combine with sunlight to produce ozone are "apprehensive" about the proposed new rules, said Patrick Bennett, vice president
of environmental, energy and infrastructure at the Indiana Manufacturers Association. Businesses in non-attainment counties
face possible restrictions on expansion of facilities...
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July 9, 2007
Anthony SchoettleDavid Young, co-founder of one of the city's largest advertising agencies, is packing his bags and heading for Vancouver,
British Columbia. This month, Young will oversee the opening of agency Young & Laramore's first Canadian office, which is
being set up to grow the firm's 2nd Globe division in the Pacific Northwest. 2nd Globe, a 12-year-old division dedicated to
bringing art, architecture and commerce together, is the brainchild of Young and is known for its work on several high-profile
central...
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July 9, 2007
Greg AndrewsA federal judge in a high-profile fraud case has slapped a former Brightpoint Inc. manager with a $50,000 fine-a relatively
modest sum, but one the manager says he lacks the resources to pay. Judge Harold Baer of U.S. District Court in Manhattan
late last month assessed the fine against Tim Harcharik, the former director of risk management for the wireless phone wholesaler.
Harcharik, 53, was the sole remaining defendant in a securities fraud lawsuit the SEC brought in 2003 against...
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July 9, 2007
Patrick BarkeyThe last writings of the late novelist Kurt Vonnegut portrayed the Americans of today as "drunk" on fossil fuels. Of course,
that's only partly true. What we're really addicted to are the machines we pour the fuel into, especially the automobile.
We have more registered vehicles in this country than we have drivers. In 2005, we collectively drove more than 3 trillion
miles in our vehicles-15,000 miles for each of the nation's 199 million drivers. And the numbers go up...
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July 9, 2007
Morton MarcusIt was a beautiful sunny Hoosier day and I was delighted to see Faye of the Forest perched on my deck railing. "Hey, Faye,"
I said. "What's up?" "My property taxes are up," she said, with irritation in her voice but a tear in her eye. "You know my
little treehouse. I've lived there for years and the taxes keep going up. Why? What is going on?" "I hate to say this," I
said, "but the explanation gets more complicated...
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July 9, 2007
Tom HartonTurkey isn't high on the list of countries Americans visit. Tell friends you're going to France and they congratulate you.
Tell them you're going to Turkey, and they ask why. They might follow the why with a reference to the movie "Midnight Express,"
a 1978 film about an American's nightmarish experience in a Turkish prison. Midnight Express had such a negative effect on
Americans' perceptions of Turkey that the man who wrote the book the movie is based upon recently...
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July 2, 2007
Scott OlsonThe burgeoning number of immigrants arriving in Indianapolis have a new source available to help them navigate unfamiliar
surroundings and the kaleidoscope of social support systems available. The Immigrant Welcome Center is a program launched
in October that uses volunteers dubbed "natural helpers" to link foreign newcomers to such basic needs as health care, government
and transportation services. Although the effort is nearly 9 months old, it's just now getting up to speed as organizers are
interviewing candidates to lead...
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July 2, 2007
Abdul-Hakim ShabazzA lot of people across Marion County are going to be upset this month as their property tax bills start landing on their doorsteps.
Taxes are expected to increase an average of 24 percent. Although that means there will be some people with tax increases
much less, there will be a lot more with increases way above that number. I've already heard stories of 30-percent increases
in tax bills, 50-percent increases, and one poor soul told me he got a...
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July 2, 2007
Patrick BarkeyIt wasn't long ago that writing an economic analysis column meant-surprise-that you analyzed the ups and downs of the economy.
And if you came of age in the 1960s and '70s, there were plenty of ups and downs to keep track of. Volatility in just about
everything was higher then, with strikes, inflation and more frequent recessions the order of the day. And even though that
environment has changed remarkably since the mid-'80s, the habit of peering at the data...
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July 2, 2007
Chris O\'malleyIf a downtown-to-Fishers mass transit system ever happens, its first stop-figuratively, at least-will be at the Statehouse.
There, at least one legislator could be influential in getting the state's help toward building a system that could cost upwards
of $1.5 billion, depending on the type of transit vehicle used. Rep. Terri J. Austin, D-Anderson, who chairs the House Roads
and Transportation Committee, plans to convene a summer study committee in August that will look at the state's future in
mass...
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July 2, 2007
Ken SkarbeckTaxes are always a consideration in investment decisionmaking. Investors need to be vigilant to changes in the tax code, because
from year to year there may be changes that can affect the choices they make. And while there are some broad tax generalities,
an individual's tax profile is specific to that person. Navigating the tax code can be daunting. Yet with some tedious reading
and a strong dose of common sense, investors can arrive at rational decisions. I have found...
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June 25, 2007
Morton MarcusAt last, the professional basketball season is over. At last, the saga of the Sopranos is ended. The Cubs, the Cards, the
White Sox and the Reds are in their usual states of disgrace. Our governor has announced his candidacy for reelection. There
seem to be no surprises in our world. How normal are things? Consider this: Indiana and Illinois have agreed on reciprocal
discounts for motorists on their toll roads. If you live in DeKalb County, Indiana, and visit...
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June 25, 2007
Peter SchnitzlerThe Indianapolis-Marion County City-County Council is considering a proposal from Mayor Bart Peterson to raise at least $85
million annually for public safety through an increase in local income taxes. Since Democrats control the Council 15 to 14,
the measure is expected to pass by the end of July and take effect Oct. 1. The tax hike would finally settle a 30-year battle
that constantly pitted public safety's immediate needs against its longterm pension obligations. Much of the revenue generated...
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June 25, 2007
Scott OlsonIn 2037, Melody Goldberg will be 57 years old and eligible for membership in AARP. While the lawyer at Indiana Legal Services
Inc. has difficulty relishing the thought, she can at least look forward to the time when she's finally liberated of her student
loans. But for now, Goldberg, 27, can take solace as well knowing she's content at the public service job she enjoys without
worrying about how she's going to make her next loan payment. The 2006 graduate...
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June 25, 2007
J.K. WallHere's one way to send your company's revenue through the roof: Push your product into 70 countries around the world. That's
easier said than done, of course. But it's exactly the path Polymer Technology Systems Inc. took to help quadruple sales of
its cholesterol-checking device in the last three years. How Indianapolis-based PTS pulled off the feat shows how even small
companies in Middle America can become global enterprises in today's economy. In fact, the possibility of worldwide expansion
is...
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June 18, 2007
Patrick BarkeyYou usually have to swallow your pride when it comes time to forecast the growth of the Indiana economy. That's because no
matter what your heart says, your head tells you what the best forecast will be. That is the one that pulls up well short
of growth in the rest of the country. There are a lot of talented people working hard around the state trying to change that.
And if the full truth be told, most of our...
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June 11, 2007
Scott OlsonThe road Indiana is traveling to help the nation reduce its dependence on foreign oil could be in for a bumpier ride than
even the worst Hoosier highways. Indiana is at the epicenter of the renewable fuels movement and has provided economic incentives
for the construction of a dozen new ethanol plants, four of which should be operating by the end of the year. Annually, the
380 million bushels of corn that will be used to make more than 1...
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These higher rates Co. e about only because physicians are now hospital employees. otherwise physicians couldn't charge these rates and share the windfall with the hospital. Community/rural hospitals probably not buying physicians practices and thus weren't getting the windfall anyway.
The incentive for poor people to get themselves off public assistance and "no longer be poor" is even with help...they're STILL POOR! Being poor, even with some assistance, isn't all that pleasant. (I speak from experience) It's a stubborn myth that poor people, who are on public assistance, are sitting in the lap of luxury. You should try living on just those "freebies" that you mentioned and see how meager they actually are. By the way, I didn't mean you had to buy/own a puppy...just pet one. :)
As near as I can tell the minority has ZERO constitutional obligation to offer a quorum to the majority. A requirement for quorum was inserted into the constitution so that tyrannical majorities could not simply shove through odious and objectionable legislation (which is exactly what they did.) By allowing a tyrannical majority to charge fines against the minority for exercising their constitutional prerogative to deny quorum the court as made a mockery of constitutional governance in the state of Indiana.
The voters elected the Reps to make a vote not walk out on the vote. They had to the right to exercise their opinion and vote "no" to the bill. Let me ask you this if you walked out of your job for 5 straight weeks would you get paid? Would you even have a job to go back to? If any elected official walks out on the people they should be arrested for stealing tax dollars from the public. They were elected to do a job and not leave when the job gets stuff.
I have been to several of their locations in Pennsylvania and always go in for 1 item and leave with a basket full of things. I'm very happy they decided on Indiana, now if only they would put the other store in eastside.