(WisBusiness) MON News Summary — 15 Sept. 2008

From WisBusiness.com …

— A bipartisan Wisconsin contingent of U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, Rep. Tammy Baldwin, Rep. Paul Ryan and Gov. Jim Doyle met with top executives of General Motors Corp. in Detroit Friday to ask them to reconsider their decision to close the company’s production plant in Janesville.

See more from the Small Business Times: http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2008/9/12/#wisconsin-politicos-ask-gm-to-reconsider-janesville

— A coalition of union, farm and environmental groups has lauded Alliant Energy’s proposed coal power plant in Cassville.

Supporters like the fact Alliant proposes to produce up to 20 percent of the plant’s power from wood and non-food crops such as switch grass and cornstalks.

Certainly, some foresight is being shown by using the alternative sources, and Alliant will create hundreds of construction jobs in building the plant and 40 fulltime jobs at it. All these things should indeed be lauded.

But, building another coal powered plant, along the Mississippi River, also does raise some questions — a few which are being raised rather loudly just up river at Dairyland Power Co-op’s Genoa plant.


Read more in Gregg Hoffmann’s new column: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=202

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WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com: “Diagnosing a Policy Fix to U.S. Health Care”

WisPolitics.com/WisBusiness.com is convening a half-day conference Friday, Sept. 19 at the Alliant Energy Center Exhibition Hall in Madison to bring together national, state and Canadian experts to discuss how health care providers, insurance companies and policy makers are addressing proposed health care changes this election year.

Highlighting the “Diagnosing a Policy Fix to U.S. Health Care” conference are: Dr. Ken Thorpe, executive director of the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease and the former Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Greg Scandlen, a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute with deep experience in the insurance industry; and Antonia Maioni, director of the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada who’s an expert on the U.S. and Canadian health care systems.

Other conference participants include: Dr. Doug Reding, vice president of the Marshfield Clinic and chair of the Clinic’s Government Relations Committee; Debra Whitman, staff director of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging; former State Department of Administration Secretary George Lightbourn, now with the Wisconsin Policy Research Institute; and state Sen. Jon Erpenbach, D-Middleton, author of the “Healthy Wisconsin” universal health care plan.

The event is open to the public. Individual tickets cost $60 each. Tables are available for purchase on a first-come, first-served basis at a cost of $450. Student discounts also are available. The ticket price includes two meals.

For ticket information, contact Jim Greer at 608-237-6296 and greer@wispolitics.com

Initial sponsors for this event include the Partnership to Fight Chronic Disease (PFCD), Marshfield Clinic/Security Health Plan, Dean/St. Mary’s and Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc. The government of Canada is an event partner.

See more: http://www.wispolitics.com/index.iml?Article=135065

 

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Press Releases
· Alliant Energy: To host economic development workshops
· Dept. of Revenue: Wisconsin economy more stable than region, nation
· Gov. Doyle: Statement on meeting with GM officials
· Top DDN execs play key roles at LogiPharma event
· Transportation Development Association: House and Senate pass legislation to transfer $8 billion to Highway Trust Fund
· UW-Whitewater: Business education professor receives Russell J. Hosler Award in Business
· UW-Whitewater: Wisconsin innovation leaders to be honored at Ideas to Profits conference
· Wisconsin Forward Award: Wisconsin state quality award 2009 applications now available
· Wisconsin Green Building Alliance: Healthcare is leading the way with promoting green building
· Xiocom Wireless acquires Mad City Broadband

For these and more releases visit http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82


TOP STORIES
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Changes rock Wall Street: The venerable Lehman Brothers investment bank said early Monday that it will file for bankruptcy, while Bank of America unveiled plans to buy Merrill Lynch — two pieces of news that profoundly alter the American financial landscape. The fast-paced changes capped a roller-coaster Wall Street weekend and threatened to stir up U.S. financial markets already reeling from woes at other major financial firms and mortgage financing titans Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/15/banks.bigchanges/index.html

Related:
– Lehman Brothers files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy
http://www.cnbc.com/id/26708143


State offers plan on GM plant: An “aggressive incentive plan” was presented Friday to General Motors leaders to help the automaker retool its Janesville plant and keep it open, members of Wisconsin’s congressional delegation said. Details about the offer were not released, but the goal was to keep open the plant scheduled to close by 2010. Gov. Jim Doyle, a Democrat, and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, a Republican from Janesville, led a meeting of Wisconsin officials with GM executives in Detroit.
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080913/APC03/809130599/1028

The downsizing of Midwest Air: It will become very hard to recognize Midwest Airlines over the next several weeks. On Jan. 1, Midwest Air Group Inc., which operates Midwest Airlines and regional carrier Midwest Connect, offered non-stop service to 47 cities, employed nearly 3,400 workers and had 58 aircraft. Blaming sky-high fuel costs, Midwest management has taken steps over the past several months to dramatically reduce the size of the airline, as jobs have been slashed, routes dropped and aircraft grounded or returned to the manufacturer.
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/15/story4.html?b=1221451200^1699372

Wisconsin foreclosures up just 1 percent from last year: Foreclosures in Wisconsin rose just 1.2 percent in August, compared with the same month last year, suggesting a slowdown in the rising rate of foreclosure filings. Wisconsin’s number of foreclosures dropped the state in the national rankings from to 30th from 29th in July, according to RealtyTrac, a national database of foreclosure and bank-owned properties.
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/08/daily43.html

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WISBUSINESS FEATURED COLUMNISTS

– GREGG HOFFMANN: Contributor, WisBusiness.com

– TOM STILL: President, Wisconsin Technology Council

– JENNIFER SERENO: Senior manager, Wood Communications Group

– STEVE JAGLER: Executive editor, Small Business Times

– TOM BURZINSKI: IT executive and consultant
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TECHNOLOGY (back to top)
– Patients receive care from afar via telemedicine
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/MNH0101/809150344/1732&located=RSS

– Online banking comes to Facebook
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=794176

BIOTECH (back to top)
– UnitedHealth ends $100M drug contract
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/08/daily49.html

ECONOMY (back to top)
– Valley firms make Inc. list of fast-growing companies
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080913/APC03/809130581/1028

– Appleton: Businesses near bridge see ups, downs
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/APC03/809140528/1028

– Milwaukee fares poorly on ‘best performing’ list
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/08/daily48.html

– Economists predict improvement in the next six months
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/304662

MANUFACTURING (back to top)
– Three-ply toilet paper developed in Neenah
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/APC0101/809150423/1004&located=RSS

– Brunswick Billiards pacts replace bankrupt distributor
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/08/daily44.html

– Milwaukee Wire gets a new name
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=794198

– Sargento moves past dairy aisle
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=794177

LABOR (back to top)
– Oshkosh Job Center doing more with less
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/OSH03/809140480/1167

SMALL BUSINESS (back to top)
– Computer pros expand services in Menasha
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/APC03/809140513/1028

– Friendly staff keeps cafe’s customers coming
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/GPG03/809150533/1247

– Series of career switches leads Brillion man to import business
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/GPG03/809150531/1247

– Linda latest Zoerb to lead 100-year-old La Crosse Floral
http://www.rivervalleynewspapers.com/articles/2008/09/15/business/02bizofweek.txt

– Milwaukee: Bartolotta helped change area’s restaurant scene
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/15/story7.html?b=1221451200^1699435

– Spotlight on a local success: Electronic Theatre Controls is expanding, even in the sluggish economy
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/304669

INVESTING (back to top)
– Confessions of a Money Manager: Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/304617

REAL ESTATE (back to top)
– Residents begin cashing in on unclaimed property
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/GPG0101/809150503/1207&located=RSS

AGRIBUSINESS (back to top)
– Floods, droughts lead to poor crop outlook
http://www.htrnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/MAN0101/809150479/1358&located=RSS

– Agricultural event may bring big windfall to Marathon Co.
http://www.stevenspointjournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/SPJ0101/809150375/1657&located=RSS

– Report: Milk industry needs growth
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080913/GPG03/809130538/1247

– Estimates lowered for corn, soybean harvests
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/304665

TRANSPORTATION (back to top)
– Town of Menasha officials give green light to electric vehicles
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/APC0101/809150401/1979/OSH03

– Republic Airlines is no stranger to General Mitchell Airport
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/15/story19.html?b=1221451200^1700032

– Frontier starts charging for first checked bag
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/08/daily45.html

RETAIL (back to top)
– La Crosse: Howes Diamond Jewelers opens in new location
http://www.rivervalleynewspapers.com/articles/2008/09/15/business/01cahalan.txt

– U.S. retail sales dropped in August
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/09/08/daily46.html

REGULATION (back to top)
– Congress to vote on energy legislation
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/GPG0101/809150510/1207&located=RSS

UTILITIES (back to top)
– Fox Cities utility workers aid in hurricane relief
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080915/OSH0101/80914057/1128&located=RSS

– Heating expected to cost more this winter
http://www.rivervalleynewspapers.com/articles/2008/09/15/business/00heating.txt

HEALTH CARE (back to top)
– Imaging industry thriving
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=794208

– Columbia St. Mary’s taking shape
http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=794252

MANAGEMENT (back to top)
– Manitowoc County business summit set
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/APC03/809140510/1028

– Business fraud seminar set at Fox Valley Tech
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/APC03/809140511/1028

– Who’s news: Stratagem names senior account executive
http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080914/APC03/809140505/1028

Media Partners
—Channel3000
—Small Business Times
—Madison Magazine
—BusinessWeek

National Business Roundups ( back to top)
–YAHOO FINANCE: http://finance.yahoo.com/
–CNBC BUSINESS NEWS: http://www.cnbc.com
–ABC BUSINESS NEWS: http://abcnews.go.com/sections/business/
–GOOGLE NEWS: http://news.google.com/news/en/us/business.html

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