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STATEHOUSE DISPATCH: Agendas vary widely as tax-reform efforts heat up

How did it all seem so simple back in September? The reality of reform is sinking in for lawmakers and interest groups. Hoosiers who demanded serious property tax reform in November-and expected their wishes to be fulfilled-now see indications that the road to reform may be bumpier than foreseen. The property tax reform plan detailed in late October by Gov. Mitch Daniels was initially largely well-received by voters and lawmakers, but after it rattled around for a while and the…

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State ads try to lure Illinois, Michigan businesses

Indiana’s friendly economic development rivalry against Michigan and Illinois is heating up. Confident that its business costs
are lower, Indiana has begun a six-month advertising campaign designed to attract companies across the state line.

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National City Center nabs Veolia

Paris-based utilities giant Veolia Water has reached a deal to move its North American headquarters into the 16-story National
City Center, providing a boost to a downtown building still reeling from the loss of Simon Property Group Inc.

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ECONOMIC ANALYSIS: Why state’s job growth is better than neighbors’

For the past week or so, I have been flooded by phone calls from colleagues in Illinois and Michigan, chortling over a new marketing campaign launched by Hoosiers. The privately financed billboards and radio spots ask businesses and residents whether they are tired of high taxes and unresponsive government. If so, they are invited to “Come on IN” to Indiana. It’s high-order fun this holiday season. Indiana sits as a small island of growth in the Midwest, and it is…

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VIEWPOINT: Let’s bring art and commerce together

Back in 1992, when I was a board member of Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana, then-president Reid Williamson invited me to walk through a building slated for demolition. Given my passion for cars and history, Reid knew I would be intrigued by the place where the Stutz Motor Car Co. once manufactured the Bearcat and Torpedo Roadster. And I was. But it wasn’t just the longvacant Stutz Building’s legacy that got my attention; it was also its potential. Yes, the…

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Logistics advocacy group Conexus gears up for statewide pitch

Carol D’Amico, president and CEO of the newly formed industry advocacy group Conexus Indiana, is intent on boosting the visibility
and growth of the logistics industry. Large though it is, it’s also relatively ambiguous and sits in the shadow of the state’s
much-vaunted life sciences industry.

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Commentary: A foreign investment that is sure to pay off

As the year draws to a close, the business community remains focused on taxes and the health of the economy. The governor’s privatization of the Indiana Toll Road generated a windfall of $3 billion. If managed properly, that money should fund Indiana’s road and bridge repair work. However, perhaps we should consider investing some of the interest to radically change our stature in the global economy. Canada possesses coastlines along the Atlantic, Pacific and Arctic oceans; has abundant natural resources,…

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PROFILE MICKI STIRSMAN: Education at heart of growth Continued training is part of her biz plan

PROFILE MICKI STIRSMAN Education at heart of growth Continued training is part of her biz plan Your face might be Micki Stirsman’s canvas. Instead of applying paint to paper or molding clay into sculpture Stirsman and her staff use their artistry to transform their clients’ appearances. The Speedway native is owner of Salon 01, a business she started with a $10,000 contribution from her grandmother that has grown into a million d o l l a r- p l u…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Technology, life sciences creating new Hoosier jobs

While other states strive to find their places in today’s international economy, the Hoosier state has made a reputation for itself in the life sciences arena. It’s an important effort, especially when you consider that our state’s past successes were in the field of manufacturing. Con sidering that the 2007 Indiana Manufacturers Directory reports Indiana lost more than 17,000 manufacturing jobs in the past year, this new economic model built upon technology and life sciences is important, if not essential,…

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What’s new is old for Brooks: Former U.S. attorney finding familiar ground in Ivy Tech positions

Susan Brooks seems to have returned to her roots in her new role with Ivy Tech Community College. The former U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Indiana began Oct. 1 leading the post-secondary educational institution’s work force and economic development functions, as well as becoming its general counsel. Brooks spent her growing-up years in Fort Wayne watching her father, a high school teacher and football coach, push his students and players on the football field and in the classroom….

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VIEWPOINT: The high cost of traffic Band-Aids

According to the article titled “Traffic Transformation?” in the Oct. 15 IBJ, the Indiana Department of Transportation is working on a roughly $600 million plan to relieve traffic congestion in the area of interstates 465 and 69. Hold on a second! What is really broken here? I contend little to nothing. Yes, roadways need maintenance and upkeep, but these roadways operate just fine. Because this area is congested at the morning and evening rush hour, the perception exists that these…

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Existing work force is our biggest education challenge

As Hoosiers, every time we open our wallets and pocketbooks, we should think about going back to school. For the last three decades, Indiana’s per capita income growth has lagged the rest of the country, to the point where the average Hoosier earns less nized for work force development use a combination of state and local dollars and even lottery funds (as in Georgia). Private management of the Hoosier Lottery, as proposed during the last legislative session, could provide the…

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EYE ON THE PIE: Resurrecting important tax reforms

With new mayors and council members in many of our cities, it’s time to drag out some previous suggestions for fiscal reform. First, it’s time to reconsider propertytax abatement. But we can’t understand property taxes and their abatement if we don’t understand assessment practices. And, it is not clear what is happening these days with property assessment. For example, does a property’s assessed value change automatically when it is sold, or does it change only in line with the trend…

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Commentary: A bibliophile’s view of Indianapolis

A public library preserves the record of humanity’s intellectual, scientific and artistic achievements, as well as its failures. Those records and the people who facilitate the community’s access to them support democracy, encourage economic development, sustain lifelong learning, and foster an information- and technology-literate community. A community’s investment in its public library system symbolizes the importance of the civic role of public libraries in ensuring an informed society. In our community, the Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library Foundation raised more than…

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West-side group promotes ethnic eateries: Will visitors see gems among strip malls?

The Lafayette Square neighborhood is known for its aging mall and the ongoing struggle to keep tenants there and in the surrounding sea of strip centers. But some advocates want to promote a success story: the demographic diversity that has given rise to a plethora of ethnic eateries in the area. Visitors who take a trip through some of the retail centers and outlots off West 38th Street can find the ubiquitous pizza, gyros and sushi-along with more unusual Ethiopian,…

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Commentary: Is receptionist pay vital information?

The 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…

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EDITORIAL: Tough love for struggling park: State’s high standards deserve praise

Tough love for struggling park State’s high standards deserve praise It would be easy for the state’s certified technology park initiative to degenerate into a handout program with little or no accountability. If communities in all corners of the state get a park, along with the accompanying tax benefits and grants, everyone’s happy, right? Perhaps. But for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. to deploy resources in the most potent manner, it must focus on the parks with the potential to…

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City’s life sciences corridor to get $4M in improvements

City planners have long envisioned a high-tech corridor of life sciences research buildings and businesses extending northwest
of downtown to 16th Street. And the city is now spending $4 million on infrastructure and streetscape improvements toward
that end, as well as signage identifying the area as a life sciences hub.

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VOICES FROM THE INDUSTRY: Everybody’s busy playing the real estate blame game

There’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…

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