Archive for February 2012
Eleven cities chosen as Blue Zone finalists
Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield officials this morning announced the 11 Iowa cities that will compete to be chosen as initial Blue Zones demonstration communities in May.
The 11 finalists are: Ames, Cedar Falls, …
Read MoreIowa reps urge Congress to extend wind energy tax credit
FBL reports fourth quarter loss
IowaBiz Blog: Candor is critical
OUR VIEW: Does Iowa need more people?
Iowa Economic Development Director Debi Durham repeated a theme at last week’s Economic Forecast luncheon, presented by the Business Record, that she had outlined earlier in a presentation to the state House of Representatives’ economic …
Bill would put Iowa in compliance with surplus lines insurance rules
Iowa may lose some insurance premium tax revenue under a provision passed last week by the Iowa House of Representatives.
The legislation, House File 2145, revises state insurance regulations governing surplus lines coverage. Under the …
Read MoreIowa hospitals’ economic impact
According to an annual impact study conducted by the Iowa Hospital Association, the 117 community hospitals in the state directly employ 70,363 people and create another 65,783 jobs outside the hospital sector. As an income …
Read MoreGUEST OPINION: Putting the TIF genie back in the bottle
The future of tax increment financing (TIF) will be debated this legislative session. TIF is a popular mechanism for underwriting city support for industrial, commercial and residential developments. Taxes collected on new properties in a …
TRANSITIONS: Us vs. the computers
When I was an assistant sports editor and computers were brand-new – sometimes we forgot and wasted hours going from bar to bar, looking for a Linotype operator – we would run into odd glitches …
BERKO: Home builders will bounce back – but who knows when?
Dear Mr. Berko:
I think the home building stocks will come back a lot sooner than expected. But my broker tells me that his firm is neutral on the industry and can’t recommend any stock …
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