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Government Policy and Law

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Was Bernanke right?

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke’s focus on full employment and price stability is being validated as the U.S. expansion gains speed and his counterparts in Europe emulate his approach, Bloomberg said.

Bernanke pursued new stimulus …

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Gotcha! Traffic camera fines doubled in December

Gotcha! Traffic camera fines doubled in December  The City of Des Moines continued to lighten the wallets of speeders and red-light runners last month, collecting fines totaling $270,866 from more than 4,100 citations. According to…
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Reports this week should confirm economy gained ground last year

In a rear-view look at the economy, reports this week on inflation, housing and manufacturing are likely to show that the United States remained on a modest upward track at the end of 2011, MarketWatch …

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On the coasts, a push for a millionaire tax hike

Some states are turning to their wealthiest residents to bring in much-needed revenue.

The governors of the two largest Democrat-controlled states want rich folks to help close budget gaps. And Democratic lawmakers elsewhere are preparing …

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Businesses turn an interested eye to payroll tax debate

Diageo plc, the world’s biggest liquor company and the purveyor of Captain Morgan’s rum, is enjoying a $2.7 billion subsidy from the U.S. Virgin Islands, aided in part by a tax break rubber-stamped by Congress …

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Obama looks to reorganize agencies

President Barack Obama called on Congress to give him authority to streamline the executive branch and consolidate six agencies dealing with trade and commerce, Bloomberg reported.

The reorganization would affect the Office of the U.S. …

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4 issues to watch…


1. Commercial Property Taxes

The issue: Governor, lawmakers and businesses want a tax cut

Tom Sands, a community banker from Columbus Junction, cut directly to what he calls the “big, heavy” stuff when he called …

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Taxpayer advocate: IRS underfunded, overworked

Taxpayer advocate: IRS underfunded, overworked   An expanding workload and declining funding for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) will further erode the services it provides taxpayers, an official warned Congress today.  National Taxpayer Advocate Nina…
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Court: credit card claims must be arbitrated

Court: credit card claims must be arbitrated The U.S. Supreme Court ruled yesterday that credit card claims by consumers under a 1996 law must be handled in arbitration, not in court, Reuters reported. By an…
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Marshalltown attorney appointed to district court

Marshalltown attorney appointed to district court  Gov. Terry Branstad on Tuesday appointed James Ellefson, a Marshalltown attorney, as a district court judge for the 2B Judicial District. Ellefson, 60, an attorney with Moore, McKibben, Goodman,…