Speed is critical to success of stimulus plan
All the serious talk in Washington for the next few weeks will center on an economic stimulus package. Up to now, the argument
has been for an extensive (perhaps a $1 trillion) program.
Federal Government
Articles
We need an adequately funded census to manage growth
Without good data, public and private decisions will be hampered in the next decade.
Daniels approves of Obama plan
Gov. Mitch Daniels said he generally supports a federal stimulus package that would include some money for Indiana and other
states, particularly for infrastructure projects such as highways and bridges.
Defamation laws haven’t caught up with today’s Internet
What are the legal repercussions against Web sites that allow defamatory comments to be posted on them?
Budget cuts threaten local economic data analysis
Budget cuts could eliminate programs that gather and analyze local and state economic data. This would hurt businesses and
economic development officials, since they would not have the data that helps them see how their market differs from the state
and the nation.
Change begins with everyone, not just Obama
Sen. Barack Obama’s election and call for change and hope, as well as Ind. Gov. Mitch Daniels’ re-election after
dramatic changes, shows that Americans can become successful again.
Heritage CEO to chair transportation association
Charles F. Potts, the CEO of Indianapolis-based Heritage Construction, will serve as 2009 chairman of the American Road &
Transportation Builders Association.
Vote only if you’ve studied the issues carefully
If you haven’t learned about the crucial issues that our country and state face, don’t vote.
Bailout helping PNC take over NatCity
After a 17-year run in Indianapolis, National City’s trademark green signs are set to be replaced with the blue of Pittsburgh-based PNC Financial. The $5.6 billion deal raises questions about the government’s growing involvement in banking.
Could Lugar be tapped for Obama’s cabinet?
Democratic Sen. Barack Obama has repeatedly described Republican Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana as a mentor on foreign policy issues and may offer him a place in his administration.
$7,500 tax credit for first-time home buyers showing signs of kick-starting market
Residential real estate brokers are an optimistic bunch, finding plenty of room for hope even when the outlook is grim.
But lately, many of them are downright giddy, and for good reason: Evidence is mounting that a new $7,500
government incentive for first-time homeowners is starting to push buyers off the sidelines.
Area air quality given mixed reviews
Helped by a combination of plant closures and better emission controls, industrial air pollution in the nine-county region
has fallen 14 percent since the economic boom of the late 1990s, a federal database shows. But even with the reductions, the
metro area will struggle to comply with reduced ground-level ozone limits announced by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
March 12.
Feds eliminate quirky price-fixing rule for interstate movers
Interstate moving companies have operated for decades under industrywide price fixing blessed by the federal government. But
the system–one Tony Soprano and the boys in the back room of Bada Bing would love–will end Dec. 31, ushering in price cuts
and other changes that could affect the cost of a move.
FBI’s project bid puzzles local developers
Some local developers were left scratching their heads last month when the federal government chose an out-of-state company
to develop an FBI field office in Castleton. The U.S. General Services Administration awarded the $38 million project to Lake
Winnebago Mo.-based BC Development Co.
National Guard proposing new monument
The Indiana National Guard wants to build a downtown monument to commemorate its centuries of history. But concerns over design
threaten to derail the $2.5 million proposal before it gets off the drawing board.