— Dissatisfied with Wisconsin’s shrinking tourism budget, industry leaders are seeking ways to raise millions of dollars to better promote the Badger State’s $13 billion travel industry. One way to do that, they say, might be to break the Department of Tourism off from state government and set up something modeled on the independent Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. This non-profit agency promotes the state’s dairy $21 billion industry and is funded by a so-called “check-off,” essentially a self- imposed tax, on dairy producers to advance Wisconsin cheese and milk products. Tom Diehl, president of Tommy Bartlett, Inc. and a major player in the Wisconsin Dells, said some members of the state’s Tourism Federation have held discussions and met with Tourism Department Secretary Kelli Trumble to “brainstorm” about what he calls the “resource problem.” Diehl said the department should “get out from under” general state revenue as a funding source. “Using the (General Purpose Revenue) is too unpredictable because the Legislature views us as an expense, but our industry views it as an investment.” In 2000, the Department of Tourism had a $16 million annual budget, with nearly $11.6 million going for promotion. This year, in the midst of a deep recession, those figures were trimmed to $13 million and $10 million respectively, according to Trumble. Trumble confirmed that “extensive research and discussion is taking place on how the department is funded and how different models would allow for increased funding to market effectively in a very competitive environment. “But there’s no plan on the table right now. The industry is just in the infancy stages of putting something together.” See more: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=180960 — A national finance magazine has ranked four Wisconsin campuses among the nation’s best values for higher education. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance ranks the Madison campus number 14 in its list of the nation’s best values in public colleges. Also making the top 100 in that list were UW-La Crosse at 43 and UW-Eau Claire at 67. And in the magazine’s list of the best values in private colleges, Beloit College ranked number 46. See details: http://www.kiplinger.com/reports/best-college-values TOP STORIES Koss fires accounting firm; losses could hit $31M: Koss Corp. said it has expanded its investigation of unauthorized financial transactions by former vice president of finance Sujata Sachdeva, that losses could now exceed $31 million and the company has fired Grant Thornton as its independent auditor. Rasmussen campus debuts with enrollment of 100: A new college campus slowly came to life Monday in Wausau. During the day, students and instructors trickled into the Rasmussen College Wausau campus building, which was nearly spotless and carried a new furniture smell throughout its 25,000-square-foot space. At 5:30 p.m., students filed in for the first night classes of the year. Patient sues over privacy: A Wisconsin health-care provider is being sued by several patients who claim the company violated their privacy when it disclosed their personal medical information in bankruptcy court. The class action lawsuits filed in federal and state court say Aurora Health Care Inc. included patients’ medical history when it routinely filed claims against debtors in bankruptcy court.
************************************************************ See commentary from around the state and columns from WisBusiness contributors Jennifer Sereno, Kevin McKinley, Tom Burzinski, Gregg Hoffmann, Tom Still and Steve Jagler: ************************************************************
ECONOMY (back to top) – Northeastern Wisconsin: Bankruptcy filings rise as job losses, debt, medical bills mount – W-2 benefits applications lag – Legislature has eye on economy in 2010 – ‘Cash for appliances’ begins
MANUFACTURING (back to top)
LABOR (back to top)
REAL ESTATE (back to top)
AGRIBUSINESS (back to top) – Ocean Spray Announces Ratings Upgrade by Standard & Poor’s – Resource center will help specialty meat producers
TRANSPORTATION (back to top)
RETAIL (back to top) – Roundy’s renews Plymouth, Shawano leases
TOURISM (back to top)
UTILITIES (back to top) – Weston, Rothschild do battle over revenues from power plant
FINANCIAL SERVICES (back to top) – First Service joins Marine Credit Union
MANAGEMENT (back to top) – Ball Corp. names metal packaging president – Saturn executive joins Bergstrom – ATC’s Delgado to retire in February PRESS RELEASES (back to top) For these and more releases visit http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Content=82 |
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