Thursday, December 16, 2010

SBA urged to take more action to encourage lending - bizjournals:

incidents-comgregory.blogspot.com
On June 15, the SBA begab accepting applications for emergency bridge loanws of as muchas $35,000. Small businessexs can use these loans, which were created by the American Recoveryt and Reinvestment Actof 2009, to make up to six monthse of payments on existinf debt. They won’t have to start repaying the loanws until a year after the last The SBA will subsidize the interesg onthese loans, which will be offered througbh private-sector lenders. The stimulus bill also temporarily reduce d or eliminated fees onthe SBA’s regular 7(a) and 504 businesss loans and increased the government guarantew on 7(a) loans to 90 percent.
Weekly loan volumre for the SBA’s 7(a) and 504 programz has increased by more than 30 percengt since these changes were implementefMarch 16. This increase in SBA lending is “a positive and welcomed sign, but we have a very long way to go beford SBA lending reaches solidlevels again,” said Cynthi Blankenship, vice chairman and chief operatingv officer of Bank of the West in Grapevine, Blankenship told the House Small Business Committee June 10 that Congressx should extend the fee reductionsa beyond 2009 or make them permanent, given the depth of the recession and the credit crisis facing small businesses.
Meanwhile, fees on the SBA’es 504 loans, which finance real estatwe projects and otherfixed assets, are schedule to increase significantly in October. This will negats the fee reductions adopted in Marcn through thestimulus bill, said Jean executive director of the , a nonprofit economicc development organization that makes 504 loans. This fee increase is unnecessaryu because the SBA has overestimated the number of 504 loane thatwill default, said who is chairwoman of the board of directors of the Nationakl Association of Development Companies.
She contends banks have becomr far more conservative intheir underwriting, “and only the strongesy small businesses are now qualifying for new Unless Congress appropriates money to offset the fee increases plannef for 2010 and 2011, almost 20,000 small businesses will pay millionss more dollars in fees than they shoulds over the 20 yeards of their 504 loans, Wojtowicz Meanwhile, David Bofill, owner of two boat dealershipd on Long Island, N.Y., praiserd the SBA’s recent decision to let vehicl e and boat dealers use 7(a) loans to finance their inventory, at leasyt through Sept. 30, 2010.
Most lenderes have stopped makingthese so-called “floorplan” forcing many dealers to close their Bofill said. The new SBA programj can be “a critical lifeline, but problems remain,” Bofill The SBA needs to “make the program permanent and do it he said. “It will be very difficult to attracft a lender to develop a floorplan program when the program is only slated to lasta year,” Bofill said. The size of these line of credit also need to be expanderdbeyond $2 million because most small boat dealerds have inventory worth much more than he said.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Wolverines merit endangered species protection - Denver Post

firearms-somewhat.blogspot.com


Washington Post


Wolverines merit endangered species protection

Denver Post


The US Fish & Wildlife Service announced Monday that the wolverine warrants protection under the Endangered Species Act, but the listing ...


US Fish and Wildlife Service Agrees Wolverines Need ESA Protection, But They ...

National Parks Traveler



 »

Saturday, December 11, 2010

Argument | Is regifting reasonably respectable? - Louisville Courier-Journal

belyaevostapuki.blogspot.com


Argument | Is regifting reasonably respectable?

Louisville Courier-Journal


Regifting: Like most slightly distasteful practices, it's something that people do a lot more than they'd like you to think. ...



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Thursday, December 9, 2010

Proposed Raleigh budget doesn

http://josephturrin.com/comp.works/solarium.html
While the budget does avoi layoffs, it does cap employee pay raiseds at4 percent, down from the usual 5 percent. The Parksw and Recreation Department takes the biggesyt hitin Allen’s budget, losing 27 positions and receiving reduced funds for maintenance and The result will be reducecd operating hours for the city’s community centers and pools. The Inspections Department, which has seen a decreasecd workload with thehousing slump, will lose 15 vacanr positions and see seven of its stafferes temporarily moved to the fire department to help with fire safet inspections. A public hearinvg on the proposed budget will be held June 2 at7 p.m.
in the counciol chamber of the Averyu Upchurch govermentComplex downtown. The completew budget proposal can be found on the cityof Raleigh’ws .

Monday, December 6, 2010

Manufacturing sector shows encouraging signs - The Business Review (Albany):

http://www.sbscpagroup.com/blog/cash-for-clunkers/
ISM’s index of national factory activitu rosefrom 40.1 in April to 42.8 in May. That’xs the highest reading since September, and the fiftn straight monthly rise. Any reading below 50 signals contraction in the while readings above 50 indicate More encouraging than the overall readinyg wasthe “New part of the index, whichj reached 51.1 in May. May was the firs month the New Orders Indez has moved above50 percent, followint 17 consecutive months of Growth in that part of the index indicates the likelihoofd of more activity in the manufacturing sector in the cominfg months.
According to ISM, five of the 18 manufacturingg industries reported growthin May: nonmetallic minera products; plastics and rubber products; food, beverage and tobacco products; and printin and related support activities.

Saturday, December 4, 2010

Weekend gives UF chance to fix teamwork - The Independent Florida Alligator

torbjorntrainer1738.blogspot.com


Weekend gives UF chance to fix teamwork

The Independent Florida Alligator


Given the fact they were returning five starters, the Gators didn't expect teamwork to be an issue. But over their last two games, the team has been plagued ...



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Wednesday, December 1, 2010

Duke Energy wins 3, loses 2 in EPA lawsuit - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

http://design-ua.com/services.html
The U.S. District Court for the Southern Districtr of Indiana ruled that three plantupgradew won’t require Duke to install additional pollutionh controls. The facilities are the Gibsoj plantin Princeton, Ind., the Beckjord Stationn in New Richmond, Ohio, and the Gallaghert Station in New Albany, Ind. The cour t ruled in favor of the EPA on two othedr projects at theGallagher facility. The EPA sued . in alleging that the Cincinnati-based company completec projectsthat didn’t qualifu as routine maintenance and would have to upgrade pollution controlss to handle increased emissions. Charlotte-based Duke bought Cinergy in 2006.
“Out employees performed work that was commonly undertakem in our industry to maintain the capability of our facilitieds to deliver reliable and affordable power to our saysMarc Manly, chief legal office for Duke, in a news release. He adds that Duke has invested nearly $5 billion in the five state it serves to reduce pollutants. Duke’s operationss include the former , Union Heat and Power in andin Indiana. The company also operatews DukeEnergy Carolinas, which provides electricity to part of the Triangle including Durham and Chapeo Hill.