Local cities lose bond fees to the state (Inside Business)
It’s a classic standoff between the powers in Richmond and localities, which are struggling with budget cutbacks, unfunded pensions and slipping services. The issue: approving bonds and the administrative fees associated with the them
Bars, restaurants face new taxes with privatization (Times-Dispatch)
The money would come from a new 4 percent tax that would be imposed on drinks sold in restaurants or bars, according to sources familiar with the plan. The tax would be imposed on a business’s gross receipts for alcohol sales rather than the customer’s bill.
Port Warwick boutique closes after 25 years (Daily Press)
Ignatius Mascarenhas has been dressing ladies on the Peninsula for 25 years. His upscale women’s boutique, Ignatius, started out in the Kiln Creek Shopping Center on Route 17 in Yorktown in the 1980s and moved to Port Warwick in Newport News 5 years ago. Now, the fledgling economy has convinced him to close.
Landmark Hotel firm files for bankruptcy (Daily Progress)
Minor Family Hotels LLC, Halsey Minor’s company that owns the Landmark Hotel project, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, according to court records, noting in the filing that: “After 18 months and significant costs, the company is no closer to resolving the litigation surrounding this project,” Minor said in the release. “It is unfortunate that our lenders and the [Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.] have forced us to take this step.”
Corporate alliances help keep state parks afloat (USA Today)
A visitor has to look closely to find it, but here, in a remote mountain forest of Southern California, is a sign of what’s to come for state parks across the USA: Corporate logos. From California to New York, states are turning to corporations for financial backing as recession and budget woes prompt cuts in public dollars to maintain parks.
25 percent of employed were jobless during recession, study says (Washington Post)
Re-employed workers were more likely than others to see themselves as overqualified for their jobs, and six in 10 said they either changed careers or seriously considered doing so while they were out of work.
Freelance Nation (Entrepreneur)
Almost every company in America is outsourcing at least part of its work–but not always getting the results it needs. Here’s how to do it right.
Why I Stepped Down (Inc.)
Why the former CEO of Eco-Products, Steve Savage, thought the family business would be better off with a more experienced leader.
The weekly Wind-Down: A quick matchmaking questionnaire (New Yorker)
Very funny and safe to open and read at work. Are you interested in finding that special someone who’s just sort of O.K. in a dim light? Are you one of the millions of American singles who’ve decided to throw up their hands and admit that they’re fine with being almost alone? Then SettlingDownward.com is the Web site for you—finally, there’s a matchmaking service for people who’ll be happy with whomever. First, a few questions to help us in creating your personal lowered-expectations profile. Let’s get started.
