Articles

Scott Sanders on the recession

One of Indianaâ??s better-known living authors, Scott Russell Sanders, has spent most of his career writing
about our relationship to the environment and our sense of place.

Sanders newest book, â??A Conservationist Manifesto,â?? published last month by Indiana University…

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Lessons from a small bank

Sometimes one extreme sheds light on another extreme, and in a day when the nationâ??s financial system is
under the microscope for making all manner of rotten loans, the experience of tiny Kentland Federal Savings
& Loan Association might be…

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Data can be deceiving when the economy slows

Investors today are dealing with a variety of calculation problems when attempting to determine if stocks
are attractive values. Some of the more common ratios and statistical measures that investors regularly employ to value businesses
become skewed in an economic downturn.

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Return of the gas-guzzler?

Americans are gravitating toward the kinds of vehicles theyâ??ll be buying for the next several years, says
one of the nationâ??s leading automotive forecasters.

John Wolkonowicz, senior auto analyst at IHS Global Insight, says the dominant vehicle of the future will…

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Central Indiana could lead economic recovery

Every day, we get more bad economic news. While I’m not smart enough to know when the global economy will rebound or how strong
the rebound will be, I do believe central Indiana and the Midwest are well-positioned to lead the recovery.

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Is poor management Indiana’s problem?

Hoosiers identify many factors contributing to our state’s long-term economic difficulties. It is fashionable to blame our
workers. It is easy to decry a lack of natural amenities: no mountains, no coral reefs. Our public schools are inferior and
perhaps our higher education is overrated. Our taxes are too high but we have substandard government services. We ain’t got
no culture. Rarely do we hear anyone say that our problem is management.

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Federal stimulus trickles down

There’s a smorgasbord available for small businesses in the federal stimulus package. The trick is figuring out how to get a plate. Plenty of local experts are serving up access to the buffet. And some entrepreneurs are digging in. But others consider the
stimulus warmed-over leftovers.

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Fearful business buyers

You might think people would be hankering to buy businesses, what with the frail economy tripping trap doors
beneath more and more jobs.

Not so, says the managing partner of the stateâ??s largest business brokerage.

Ed Mysogland says the Web site for…

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Preparing for the turnaround

In his conversations with business owners and CEOs, Carmel consultant Bud Roth sees attitudes about the recession
changing, but not changing enough.

Many leaders have figured out whether or not their organizations will survive, says Roth, who was vice president
of…

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Youth program may promote sense of purpose

Though I’m an economist, and not much skilled at matters of the heart, it seems to me there’s something amiss in today’s national psyche. There’s no real sense of purpose or unity. For those of us old enough to have had very close relatives who lived through the Great Depression, today just feels different from […]

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