(WisBusiness) WED News Summary — 26 Nov. 2008

From WisBusiness.com …

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Happy Thanksgiving.

— Brett Favre may be having another memorable season — this time
with the New York Jets — but since he’s shed the green-and-gold
jersey, No. 4’s popularity has plummeted in Wisconsin, a new
WisBusiness.com poll says.

Last December, scientific polling showed Favre with a 73 percent favorable rating — far ahead of any state politician.

But a poll earlier this month using the same methodology showed his
favorable rating had dived to 48 percent.

The telephone poll of 600 state residents was conducted Nov. 9-10, 2008
for WisBusiness.com by Diversified Research. It had a margin of error
of plus or minus 4 percentage points. The poll was done before the
Jets’ upset win over the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans and
before the Green Bay Packers’ bruising loss Monday night in New
Orleans. It showed a 48 percent favorable-24 percent unfavorable ratio for Favre.

A Dec. 2-3, 2007 poll found Favre, in the midst of a season in which he set NFL records and led the Packers to the NFC championship game against the New York Giants, with
a 73 percent favorable rating. Favre’s unfavorable rating was just 7
percent, according to the poll.

See more on the poll:

http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=142386

— Florida-based Bluegreen Corporation has filed notice with the state that it plans to close four Wisconsin locations in January, resulting in 153 permanent layoffs.

The closures include two locations in Wisconsin Dells and one each in Sun Prairie and Baraboo.

See the filing:

http://www.wisbusiness.com/1008/081125bluegreen.pdf

— A split appeals court has upheld a jury verdict rejecting Milwaukee’s effort to seek $52.6 million from a former lead paint manufacturer to cover costs for a program created to battle lead-paint poisoning problems for city children.

Milwaukee undertook a window abatement program in targeted areas of the city after determining the main source of lead paint dust and wood chips harming children came from lead-based paint on windows in older homes.

The city then sued NL Industries, which was founded in 1891 and was the dominant lead paint manufacturer for most of the 20th century, seeking damages to cover the $52.6 million spent on the program between 1992 and 2006. The city claimed NL Industries sold and marketed lead paint used in the older homes even though it knew of the dangers it posed.

A jury ruled NL Industries didn’t intentionally cause the public nuisance it found, and the city appealed alleging a series of errors during trial.

Read the ruling:

http://www.wicourts.gov/ca/opinion/DisplayDocument.html?content=html&seqNo=34709

— A national report on childrenÕs health insurance coverage released by Families USA lists Wisconsin among the nationÕs leaders for percentage of children who are insured.

According to the report, approximately 79,000 Wisconsin children didn’t have health insurance in 2007, ranking 30th nationally. That figure, however, translates to a percentage of 5.7 percent of Wisconsin children, good enough for fourth-best in the country.

Only Michigan (5.5 percent), Iowa (5.2 percent), and Massachusetts (4.6 percent) had lower rates of uninsured children than the Badger State. The report said Texas led the nation, with more than 20 percent of its children lacking health care coverage.

Nationally, more than 8.6 million children, or 11.1 percent, were listed as uninsured.

Read the report:

http://www.familiesusa.org/assets/pdfs/uninsured-kids-2008/national-report.pdf

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Press Releases
· Burger Boat Company: Announces the commencement of Hull 508
· Planet Propaganda: Aids “Go by Bike” effort
· Upper Peninsula Power Company: Make the Holidays Warm, Bright and Affordable
· Wisconsin Public Service Corp.: Holiday message

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


TOP STORIES
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Phoenix Fire Department orders nine Pierce trucks: Pierce Manufacturing Incighting equipment manufacturing division of Oshkosh Corp., said Tuesday that the Phoenix Fire Department has placed an order for nine Pierce Quantum pumpers. Delivery is scheduled for spring 2009, Appleton-based Pierce said. The value of the order was not disclosed.
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily27.html

State bank profits plummet: One of every six Wisconsin banks posted a loss in the third quarter, figures released Tuesday by regulators show. Although that’s better than banks nationally – nearly one in four in the U.S. didn’t make a profit in the quarter – it was another sign that state communities large and small are feeling the effects of the housing slump, financial crisis and slowing economy.
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35065359.html

Business community rallies to challenge sick leave mandate: The Lake Express ferry is thinking about moving its Milwaukee call center, with about 12 jobs, to Michigan because of Milwaukee’s new sick leave mandate, according to Rose Ulbrich, director of human resources for the ferry. “It’s a challenge,” she said of the sick leave ordinance that was approved by voters in a referendum on Nov. 4.
Ulbrich was just one of about 70 business executives and owners who filled a conference room this morning at the Metropolitan Milwaukee Association of Commerce (MMAC) office in downtown Milwaukee to learn more about how to comply with the new law and about the MMAC’s legal challenge of the law.
http://www.biztimes.com/daily/2008/11/25/#business-community-rallies-to-challenge-sick-leave-mandate

Spectrum stock falls to 8 cents a share : Spectrum Brands stock nose-dived to 8 cents a share Tuesday in what one UW-Madison professor said was likely a sign that investors think the company is bound for bankruptcy. “It looks like the market believes that almost surely, they’re going to file for Chapter 11,” said UW-Madison School of Business professor Mark Ready, faculty director of the Stephen L. Hawk Center for Applied Security Analysis.
http://www.madison.com/wsj/home/biz/316007

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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)
– Madison company tracks social networking sites for advertisers
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/316011

ECONOMY (back to top)
– Green Bay: Snapshots page keeps an eye on the local economy
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20081126/GPG0101/811260660/1207&located=RSS

– Business groups are booming
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35110434.html

MANUFACTURING (back to top)
– OEC Graphics renovates its Appleton location
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20081126/APC03/811260502/1028

– Pierce lands 9-truck order
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20081126/APC03/811260508/1028

– Miller parent annual meeting set for Dec. 8
http://www.postcrescent.com/article/20081126/APC03/811260510/1028

– Grants offered to manufacturers within Green Bay city limit
http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20081126/GPG03/811260675/1247

– Rhinelander paper mill spill turns river white
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/W/WI_MILL_SPILL_WIOL-?SITE=WIMAD&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

– Fiberglass specialist forms green strategy
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35110474.html

LABOR (back to top)
– Rapids area groups try to help workers
http://www.wausaudailyherald.com/article/20081126/WDH0101/811260731/1581&located=RSS

– Slowing economy puts employee bonuses in doubt
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35060974.html

– Flight attendants choose busiest travel day to picket
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35063294.html

– Former Jefferson Wells founder starts placement firm
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/story9.html?b=1227502800^1737424

REAL ESTATE (back to top)
– Edgewater expansion might face obstacles
http://www.madison.com/tct/business/316010

– State to sell excess Marquette Interchange land
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/story12.html?b=1227502800^1737462

– Marcus to open 12th UltraScreen Nov. 26
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily23.html

AGRIBUSINESS (back to top)
– FTD Manager on Keeping Show Permanent: ‘Never Say Never’
http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=1429&yr=2008

– Wage Rates for Agricultural Workers Increase in 2008
http://www.wisconsinagconnection.com/story-state.php?Id=1433&yr=2008

– Mach One raises funds, makes acquisition
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily18.html

RETAIL (back to top)
– Work Wear Depot to close
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily26.html

REGULATION (back to top)
– Feds won’t wait on Kenosha casino decision
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35069764.html

TOURISM (back to top)
– Area hotels got big boost from Harley’s 105th festivities
http://www.jsonline.com/business/35067454.html

HEALTH CARE (back to top)
– Report: Wisconsin has low rate of uninsured children
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily20.html

FINANCIAL SERVICES (back to top)
– Moody’s puview
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily19.html

– National City, PNC shareholder vote set for Dec. 23
http://www.bizjournals.com/milwaukee/stories/2008/11/24/daily24.html

Media Partners
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National Business Roundups ( back to top)
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–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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