(WisBusiness) FRI News Summary — 14 Nov. 2008

From WisBusiness.com …

— A new statewide poll from the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute finds jobs and the economy are top concerns for Wisconsin residents.

WPRI’s press release says state views of the problem of jobs is the highest number seen in all the group’s published polling going back to Jan. 1988.

Approximately 48 percent of Wisconsin residents view jobs, unemployment and the economy as the most critical issues in the state at this time: 31 percent believe that unemployment is the single biggest problem in the state and an additional 17 percent of Wisconsin residents view economic issues as the largest problem facing the state.

The survey of 600 Wisconsin residents was conducted by the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute, Inc. and DiversifiedResearch from Nov. 9-10.

See more from the poll:

http://www.wisbusiness.com/1008/081114wpri.pdf

— Retail sales fell by a record 2.8 percent in October, worse than the 2 percent drop experts expected.

The 2.8 percent falloff reported by the Commerce Department is more than the 2.65 percent drop seen in November 2001 after that September’s terrorist attacks.

Read more from AP:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jsanM66tszKz1zFq0LOG4XvWS7zAD94EO45G6

— Despite a projected $5 billion state budget deficit, lower gas tax revenues and rising costs for labor and materials, a Wisconsin DOT official says the agency plans to continue major capital improvement projects.

“We are part of the solution for a stimulus to the economy — not only in the short-term, pumping capital into the economy, but also in the long-term part of the solution dealing with the global economy,” Casey Newman, director of the state DOT budget office, said Thursday during the Transportation Development Association’s “Our Future Rides On It” conference at Madison’s Monona Terrace.

Newman said the reintroduced oil company surcharge included in DOT’s budget request would be designated for transportation projects. But, Newman added, “it’s up to the governor to decide how to spend the funds based on what’s best for the state.”

Read more about DOT news from the conference:

http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=141539

— For most of its 150 years, the family-owned F. Dohmen Co. has operated pretty much under the radar, building its wholesale drug business from its headquarters in Wisconsin. In recent years, it switched to providing outsourced business services to the producers and payers of life science products.

Now, a century and a half after it was started by German pharmacist Frederich Dohmen, the company is seeking a higher profile by creating a foundation and donating $750,000 to three charities that provide health care service to the neediest parts of the world.

In addition, the fifth-generation Badger State firm’s F. Dohmen Foundation is spreading its largesse closer to home by giving $500,000 to the UW-Madison School of Pharmacy for scholarships and $250,000 to the Wisconsin Historical Society.

Cynthia LaConte, the company’s CEO and a fifth-generation member of the Dohmen family, says ina new WisBusiness.com interview that the gifts “remind us of an important legacy, one that was founded on caring and a commitment to making lives better.”

Read more from the new interview:

http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=141540

— Looking for something to do this weekend? WisconsinNative.com’s list of “eight greats from around the state” includes the Radio City Christmas Spectacular in Milwaukee and the Winterfest Carnival in Racine.

See the list of events from around the state:

http://www.wisconsinnative.com/article/20044-looking-something-do-nov-1316-here039s-eight-greats-around-state

*****************************************

NEXT CHECKPOINT SURVEY QUESTIONS DUE TODAY

Take advantage of an exclusive discount program for WisPolitics.com and WisBusiness.com Subscribers.

Individual questions are due by Friday. Contact Kennan Wood at Wood Communications Group. Call 608-259-0757 or e-mail kwood@wcgpr.com

*****************************************

Nov. 18 in Milwaukee: STATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN RECESSIONARY TIMES

**Register now for the Tues. Nov. 18 event at Discovery World in Milwaukee featuring past and present state Commerce secretaries.

See more: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=138124

****************************************
THANKS TO OUR WISBUSINESS SPONSORS

• University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• Madison Gas & Electric
• University Research Park
• Wisconsin Technology Council

****************************************