Monday, November 29, 2010

Metro mountain mentioned in calendar - Times and Transcript

http://petselling.com/dogs-0/


Metro mountain mentioned in calendar

Times and Transcript


Warm temperatures causing problems for the ice at the Moncton Coliseum comprised one of three New Brunswick mentions this month in the Environment Canada ...



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Saturday, November 27, 2010

Eastside trying for first .500 season since 2007 - NorthJersey.com

http://www.hklgff.com/media.php


Eastside trying for first .500 season since 2007

NorthJersey.com


Johnson was a four-year starter for Bloomfield in the late 1980s and early 1990s, before embarking on a successful collegiate career at Montclair State and ...



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Wednesday, November 24, 2010

Fla., Orlando again tops in foreclosures - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

houghtalingbaemo1268.blogspot.com
The state posted 58,931 foreclosurwe filings — including defaulft notices, scheduled auctions and bank repossessions in May, down 8.8 percent from April’sa total, but still 50 perceny higher than May 2008, according to RealtyTrac’s monthlyg Foreclosure Market Report. Only California had a higher total, with 92,2499 properties with May 2009 foreclosure The Sunshine Statewas No. 3 in the nation in foreclosure with one in every 148 households receivingb a foreclosure filingin May. Nevada led the countrt with one in every 64 homes receiving a filing, while California was second highesr with one in every 144. The Orlando-Kissimmee market took the No.
8 spot amonf the nation’s top 10 metro areas with the highesforeclosure rates. The area recorded a rate of one foreclosure filintg for every101 homes. Florida had three cities amony the top 10metro areas, while Californi a had six cities among that mix. Las Vegas topped the list with a rate of one in everyh 54 households getting aforeclosure filing. 321,480 foreclosure filings were reportedcin May, which is 6 percent lower than Aprilp 2009, but about 18 percent higher than May 2008. One in everhy 398 U.S. homes received a foreclosures noticelast month. Vermont again recorded the lowest number of with six reportedin May, or one for everyt 51,906 households. The RealtyTrac U.S.
Foreclosurde Market Report provides the total number of propertieds with at least one foreclosurew filing reported during the Data is collected from morethan 2,200 countiexs that account for more than 90 percent of the nation’w population.

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Courts delay Chrysler bankruptcy - St. Louis Business Journal:

http://dekanat.biz/loreal.shtml
According to Bloomberg, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has put the bankruptcy court ruliny allowing the sale on hold untilfurthet notice, though a timelined and specific reason was not provided. The delay came afterd Indiana pension funds requested a stay from the courgt so it could hear their appealof Chrysler’s decisionm to sell to Fiat. Under Chrysler’sx Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization, Chrysler would sell its assetds to Italian carmaker Fiat. It also was announced last monthu789 U.S. dealerships will lose their franchises by June 9 as part ofthe deal.
Chrysle has listed two Triad dealerships that will losetheirt franchise: Stearns Chrysler Jeep in Grahamm and City Motors, which sells Jeep, in Mike Cranford, general manager of City Motors, said he does not know if they delau will mean anything significant for his but hopes that the courts will more closely review the decision to cut franchises. He says if nothing he’d hope Chrysler could help buy back inventoru and not simply take awaythe “If we can’t be Jeep dealer, we’dx at least like a chancde to sell the franchise,” he He said the company has managed to sell about 10 of its 16 new Jeep some at a loss, just to get them About five employees have been laid off, leavinfg about 20.
Another six to eight could be cut if thebankruptchy deal, as is, goes through.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Auburn Pointe lands largest tenant yet with upscale wine and cigar store - Wichita Business Journal:

http://articledirectorypro.net/instantly-increase-your-strength-on-every-back-exercise.html
Auburn Spirits has a tentative opening date ofMay 22. "We had about a thousand name we werethrowing around," General Manager Matt Jabara "But Auburn Spirits was the classiest. We're tryinvg to corner the market forwine (in west Wichita)." Certainly it has competitioh in the immediate area. Auburn Pointe is on southeastt corner of Maple Streeft and135th Street, and is across the street. "Competitioh is always good," says Maplewood owner Tom Smith, who was awarr of Auburn Spirits. "Other than that, I reallty don't have any comment.
" Jabara says Auburbn Spirits is trying to set itself apart with its which includea temperature-controlled wine custom-made wine racks that hold approximately 6,500 bottles, a beer cave with slidingy doors, 18 cooler doors and a cigard humidor. Auburn Spirits will even offer wine-tasting classesd and an interactive station toeducate customers, Jabars says. Making its debut in December, Auburn Pointe was a $6 milliobn project. According to , whic h developed the strip center, thers is an average household incomeof $106,000 withibn a mile of Auburn Pointe.
Its tenante include a sushi restaurant and aveterinary "Auburn Spirits will be catering to the area with an upscalwe wine selection and a fine complemenyt of cigars from across the board," Occidental CEO Michael Monteferrante says. "We're lookinh forward to having them as one of theanchotr tenants." Jabara, who ran at 13th Streert and Woodlawn for nearly a decade befores his family sold the store in says he isn't daunted by all the other liquor stores near Auburn Spirits. "Ours is definitelyg a lot larger," Jabara says, "and a lot more Auburn Spirits Location: Auburn Pointe retail stri center, 13303 W. Maple Street, Wichita, Kan., 67235.
Phon number: (316) 440-1100. Tentative opening date: May 22.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

LandMar files for bankruptcy - Business First of Louisville:

http://www.dawngrrl.com/?p=64
The Jacksonville-based residential development company was amonh 125 affiliates that filed alongf with itsparent company, Charlotte-based , in the Western District of Crescent’s estimated liabilities are more than $1 billion, accordinfg to the filing, and its largest debt, at $13. 6 million, is to Bank of America. The filing was according to a statementon Crescent’es Web site, for the company to reorganize its finances, reducd its debt level and improvs its capital structure.
Crescent intends to operats its continuing businesses without any significant interruption during the restructurinfg process because of a recentlyobtainer debtor-in-possession financing facility of $110 million from a group of its existin lenders, according to the Andrew Hede, Crescent’s chief restructuring has been named CEO while its former chierf executive, Arthur Fields, has retired and will work with Crescentr in an advisory “We have been in active discussions with our lendera and other stakeholders as we work towards an agreemengt that will bring our capital structurse in line with the currentr economic environment,” Hede said in a statementt on the company’s Web Charlotte-based Crescent has been pursuing alternatives to shorew up its balance sheet for months, including sellingf some of its assets.
The company is jointly ownedd by (NYSE: DUK) and Morgan Stanley and has 38 residentiak communities under development inthe Georgia, Texas, Arizona and Florida. Crescenf acquired a controlling interest in LandMadrin 1999, but left LandMar’s founder, Ed Burr, in control of the companyy until he resigned after a failed attempt to buy back the company in 2007. The Jacksonvilles Economic Development Commission authorized city lawyersz in May to start the foreclosure proceses onthe 41-acre parcepl that was to be the Plans for the Shipyards included 1 million squars feet of office space, 100,000 squares feet of commercial space, 662 residential units, 350 hotepl rooms and 150 marinqa slips.
LandMar has developed or had plans to develop dozens more properties in Florida and throughouthe Southeast.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Parsinen Law sold to Indianapolis firm - Pacific Business News (Honolulu):

http://pesantren-balekambang.org/index.php/foto-foto-pesantren?page=inline&id=28
Minneapolis-based Parsinen, founded in 1981, will officialluy become part of Indianapolis-based Barnes & Thornburg on July 1. The firm has 22 attorneys, includingv 14 partners. Parsinen’s practice areas include business commercialreal estate, corporate law, employment law, employee and executive personal legal planning and renewable energy. In a statement, Parsinen Managing Partner Howarsd Rubin said the firm remained but increasingly has had to turn away businessthat doesn’ft fall into its core practice Barnes & Thornburg will help fill gaps in areasx such as intellectual property, he “We were looking for more breadth to offer our and Barnes & Thornburbg provided an ideal fit for us as a Midwest-basedx firm with a nationalk presence,” Rubin said.
“Barnes & Thornbur g maintains quality practices at a price point consistenftwith ours, adding immediate value to our The Minneapolis office will be Barnex & Thornburg’s 10th office nationwide. The firm has roughlyt 540 attorneys and otherlegal professionals.

Big bang for the buck: Employers look for inexpensive benefits to boost morale - Kansas City Business Journal:

http://beaverpondmillworks.com/Free-Debit-Card/Delayed-Debit-Card/
And at MailSouth Inc. in Helena, employeese can watch a movie during lunch in a break room that includeda movie-style popcorn machine. “Anything you do that helps reduce stress and inconveniencein employees’ lives is a real winner,” said Douglaa Dean, the chief humaj resource officer at Children’s Health System. It usuallyg is easier to keep employees contentt when life away from the office isgoing well. But when gas pricesx soar and homevalues drop, any small benefits that companie s can offer their employees can go a long way towardd keeping workers happy and morale high.
And in this many companies are looking any inexpensivew perks or benefits that can makea “Employees are always looking to see what theif company is doing, even in the smalo things,” said Michael Wolfe, the directo of human resources at SourceMedical Inc. in “It reiterates that you care about them, especiallg when you’re going through a difficult time. Littls things add up.” After gas prices begabn barrelingtoward $4 a gallon last Wolfe said SourceMedical offered employees the option of working from home a few days each week wheneve possible, to eliminate the money-burningt commute.
And in the company started providing a servicew called Teladoc that allows employees to speaik with a doctor 24 hours a day without havinh to seetheir primary-care physicia or make a trip to the emergency “Things like that make it easier for our employeew and makes them feel Wolfe said. Maintaining a positive attitude in the workplaces can involve more than justpractica matters. It also can be important simply to make the office an enjoyable placeto be. For in addition to the movie room, MailSouth has several plasma televisiones scattered throughoutits offices. There is also a free on-sitre employee fitness center that includes occasionaolaerobics classes.
And since the company has approximately 30 graphicx artistson staff, employee artwork is displayed throughout the building. “We try to do littlde things to help keep things light inthe office,” said Dawn Hrdlica, the human resources manager at MailSouth. “We’re a deadline-driveh business, so the pace is very fast. These sorts of thingws where people can get away from thei desks and do some fun stuff reallyh does helpwith morale.
” The hectic pace of both work and personakl life is one of the reasons Children’s Health Systemxs began offering employees the chancd to purchase complete take-home “They are getting off a long they’re stressed and they have to pick the kids Dean said. “This is an optiohn to grab someprettty high-quality food to take home to thei family. We want it to be healthy, tast y food. If it’s no better than what you can get at the then I’m not sure you’re helping While budget cuts are sometimes necessaryt during economic downturns, Wolfe said it is importang not to slash or eliminate some of the regular perksx that can help perk up the office.
An employewe might be visually confronted with the declininv value ofa 401(k) only a few timesd a year. Take away free however, and that is noticed every singlde day. “When you startr nickel-and-diming employees and taking away little it makes them feel unappreciated and more like a numbee than avalued resource,” Wolfe said. “An d the cost of some of these things is so minimakthat you’re really not getting that much of a You want to continue to do the smalll things to make sure that your employeess feel valued.” Because when it comes to maintaining employee morale, the little things often do mean a lot.
“I life in general, it’s the small things that get us It’s the daily touches,” Hrdlica said. “Th e thing that keeps employees engaged is how you feel at the end of the day when youleavd work. You get a tremendouss return on investment by just letting peoplew know that youappreciatee them.”

Monday, November 15, 2010

From the Publisher - Birmingham Business Journal:

http://www.awakeningdesign.org/portfolio/vineyard-christian-retreat-center-website-design-internet-marketing/
These talented individuals are senior presidents and partners ofmajor companies, as well as CEOs and entrepreneurss who have built successful businessesw from the ground up. And they are all For the past19 years, our Top Birmingham Women special sectio n has honored 10 of the brightest businesswomen in the area, and this year we welcomes another standout class to share this prestigiou s honor. In this special section, you'lpl read about such women as Nan who holds in her hands the directionj and master plan of a majorehealth system.
You'll also read about entrepreneurs such as Nolandwa Bearden andShannon Riley, who have started theirf own unique businesses and are And, as always, we have selected one of our past winnersz to be named the 2007 Businesswoman of the Year. This year's honoree is Ann Huckstep, who was namee the first female chair of lawfirm 's executivw committee in late 2006. We couldn't have selected this year'z class of Top Birmingham Women without help from ourjudgees - Augusta Dowd of , Ann Floriee of , Janet Stewart of , Malenz Cunningham of and Mary Valenta of - who sifted througbh piles of nominations and helped our editorial panep select this year's class.
A specia luncheon will be heldon Thursday, Oct. 25 at the to hono r the Top Birmingham Womenof 2007. The Birminghamm Business Journal would like to extend a very special thanks toour , White Arnold Andrews & Dowd PC, and the Wynfret Hotel for making this year's Top Birmingham Women section Congratulations to all of this year's honorees.

Sunday, November 14, 2010

UW researcher wins $3M federal grant - The Business Journal of the Greater Triad Area:

zolinstanixes.blogspot.com
The grant from the U.S. Department of Education'ws Institute of Education Sciences will allow Heinrich to employ academic staff and at least four graduate students each year to work on expandinfg the project oother cities. Heinrich will continue an evaluation of the tutoringh programs MPS offers as part ofthe district's fulfillmenyt of the federal No Child Left Behind law. The law requiresx public schools that have not adequatelty increased student academic achievement for three years to offer childrein low-income families the opportunity to receivw extra academic assistance such as Heinrich's initial research found that Milwaukee's federalluy mandated and funded tutoring program is not necessarilyu reaching the people who need the most nor is it effective in increasingh student achievement.
"Our preliminary results suggest that the students in the tutorin g programs are not performing any betteeron Wisconsin's standardized tests than eligible students not involvec with the tutoring," Heinrich said. Heinrich and her co-workerz have been conducting the MPS studyt sinceApril 2006. The next phase will involvre five urban school districtes infour states: Milwaukee, Chicago, Dallas and Austin, Texas.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Six AutoNation dealers among GM closures - South Florida Business Journal:

http://excellaventures.com/getinvolved.html
The names and locations of the dealerships are not beinbgmade public, unless the individual dealer choose to disclose the information. GM (NYSE: GM) has aboug 75 South Florida dealerships. AutoNation said in a press releas e it would not disclose which of its locations are on the but issued a news release saying it supports theconsolidation plan. GM’s announcementf comes a day after said it would close 789dealershipxs nationwide, four of which are in South But, Chrysler’s closures are part of a bankruptcyt process, which means there are fewer opportunities to Unless GM files for bankruptcy as is expected by some – it could face lawsuits over its closuree plans.
A letter sent to the GM dealersa and obtained by the Business Journalsays “wew [GM] do not see that GM can have a productived business relationship with [dealer over the long term.” Dealership associations have decrierd the closings as unfair to dealers who thought they were investing in theif future. “We would like to see the marketplaced determinewho survives,” said Rick Baker, director of the . “Thiw guy invested millions of bucks, and now you’red closing him down.
” A spokesman for the Nationa l Auto Dealership Association noted that the cutsare "drasti c and far reaching" and will impacft more than 63,000 employees and thousandz of customers. "GM's decision comes through no fault of the who are, in many cases, family-runj businesses that have been loyaol partners with GM - through good times and bad - for multiples generations," the statement reads.
During a conferencer call, Mark LaNeve, GM North Americaz vice president forvehicle sales, service and acknowledged that some dealership might want to fight the He said the decision to closes dealerships was based on performance, and the closurs list is populated with poor Dealers, he said, will have to decide whethe r to accept GM’s wind-down supporf or to fight. “They may want to take legalp action, we’ll have to see," LaNeve "Without a [bankruptcy] filing, these may be hard to Franchise agreements are written understatse law, but a federal bankruptcy court ordef would trump state law.
Besides the 1,100 underperformers GM will cut, an additionao 500 dealerships will depart when GM sells the Saab andSaturn brands. GM also has 35 stand-alones Pontiac dealerships that will go away when it phasees out Pontiacby year-end 2010. GM expects to lose abou t 500 more dealerships through natural attritionhthis year. The company has said that througyh April, 275 dealerships will have closed as a combination of voluntarilu terminationand consolidations. Up to 600 other dealershipws will be closed through consolidationsand buy-selo negotiations. The moves to shrink deale r networks underscores the economic pain caused by the downward spiral of GM and now operatingunder U.S.
government GM filed a supplement with the relating to its exchange offersafor $27 billion of its unsecured public noteas and related consent solicitations that began on Aprill 27. The company said it is considerinhg bankruptcy in the event that it does not receivw enough tenders of notes to consummater the exchange offers beforeJune 1.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Ad agency moves into green offices - New Mexico Business Weekly:

http://scholarshiphunter.com/studentloansdirect.html
The design/build process for the 12,000-square-foot, two-stor headquarters started in November 2006. It houses a staff of 32, with space for 23 more. The at 1030 18th St. NW, is being touted by the ad firm as beintgenvironmentally friendly. It was designed by , which is known for its gree designs. The building has been submitted for approval tothe 's Leadership in Energyt and Environmental Design (LEED) certification Environmental Dynamics gave the building a curved structurapl contour, and employed triangular and rectangular shapes and circular There are open work spaces, an outdooe patio, balconies and wireless Internet accessw throughout the building.
The building's layout maximizexs the use ofnatural light. Materialsx were used that control heat loss and Low water-use features were used throughout. The of Albuquerque, recycled a portionn of its construction waste. The company's creative director, Bart describes the new officesas "a building that was designedx to reflect who we are and how we contemporary symbiosis." McKee Wallworkl Cleveland is a full-service advertising firm founded in 1997. Its clientas have included the , Cliff's Amusementt Park, , the New Mexico Department of and . Its Web site is .

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Fire Crews Suppress 17 Wildfires In Arkansas - KTBS

yqyqynesara.blogspot.com


Fire Crews Suppress 17 Wildfires In Arkansas

KTBS


The commission said Tuesday the fires have burned 566 acres since 3:30 pm Monday. Since Nov. 1, crews have put out 124 fires that have burned 2106 acres and ...



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Monday, November 8, 2010

Telcos target rural phone fee - Dallas Business Journal:

http://best-go.org/?f=4&n=8
billion , which helps pay for phon e servicefor poor, rural areas and schools and They are facing opposition from rural phonde companies over the question of how to move the which was formed in in the 1930s and expanded with the Telecommunicationds Act of 1996, into the Internert age. “It’s worked for voice telecom,” says Dan vice president of the legal and industr y division ofthe Arlington, Va.-based National Telecommunications Cooperative Association, a trads group representing rural telecommunications “It needs to be transitione to broadband and high-speed Internegt communications.
That’s the $64 milliojn question — how the ( ) will do that The fund is paid for by telecommunications companies throughn what amounts to a tax on their revenuee for internationaland long-distance calls. Not surprisingly, that tax is passede on to the customers. Consumers, for instance, typically pay $2 or $3 per monthb for the Universal Service Fund ontheir long-distance bill.

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Ski Resorts Hiring Hundreds of Seasonal Workers Christmas Sales - Good News for Everyone

http://thelondonbiker.com/blog/2010/02/i-cant-afford-to-be-green/


Ski Resorts Hiring Hundreds of Seasonal Workers Christmas Sales

Good News for Everyone


The biggest Christmas Sales sales are here! and this year you are in for a few sales that will make your head spin! You will see the majority of these ...



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Friday, November 5, 2010

Compass Airlines cuts ribbon on Louisville maintenance facility - Business Courier of Cincinnati:

http://www.hoidap.net/shape-shifter.html
The subsidiary opened the three-bay maintenancde facility in January but held off on the ribbomn cutting until key personnelwere hired, and they “gort a little airplane grease under theirr nails,” Compass president Tim Campbell said durinfg a news conference. Compass’ 70 employee maintain the airline’s fleet of 36 Embraerf 175 76-seat jets. Compass, which was foundesd in 2006 as a subsidiary of NorthwestAirliness Inc., was acquired by Delta as part of the Atlanta-bases carrier’s merger with Northwest in October 2008. The jets previouslyu had been serviced bya third-partyy aircraft maintenance company, Campbell said.
Compass’ Louisville Internationalo Airport facility, located at 5101 Crittendem Drive, consists of 42,720p square feet of aircrafr hangar space, 11,416 square feet of office, shop and storagw space, an 80,601-square-foot concrete apron and 33,480 square feet of parkingg and roadways. At the news conference, Chantilly, Va.-basefd Compass showed off its first jet painted in the Delta colors. The rest of its fleet will be converted from Northwesgt Airlines colors over thenext year, Campbello said. At the news Kentucky Gov.
Steve Beshear said the Compas s investment, including its $3 million annual payroll, “is a tremendou economic achievement in the midst of some prettgy tougheconomic times.” In August 2007, the board granted the airline preliminaryh approval for $2 million in states tax incentives for up to 10

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Housing slump trims Brooke Gordon

stelauguqdinec.blogspot.com
The former beauty queen and ex-wife of NASCARt driver Jeff Gordon recently soldher 12,000-square-foort house for $4.7 million. That’s milexs from the $6.25 milliobn she listed it for late last Butshe didn’t exactly crashj and burn on the sale. According to Mecklenburg County she bought the house and an adjoinintg lot in 2003for $3.9 million. At $6.25t million, the sale would have been one of the mostexpensiver private-home sales ever recordef in Mecklenburg County, according to Charlotter Business Journal records that go back to 2000. The seven and a half bathroom house, once ownefd by Rusty Wallace, was sold to locaol developer Fred Godley andhis Kathryn. Merger talk?
A TT tipsterr recently spotted two area communitt bank CEOs heading into a South Park office buildiny together for what appeared to be someseriouz business. CEO Randy Helton and CEO Kim Prices were the two execsspotted together. It coulr be nothing, but it’s wortgh remembering that American Community’s largest individuall shareholder, Marvin Braun, has been agitating for a sale ofthe $530 milliobn bank. He declared in May he was a “happyy shareholder,” declining to elaborate, after meeting with its managementin May.
Gastonia-basedf Citizens South has $812 million in assets and made a smalol acquisition in Union Countt a few years ago withTrinity Bank, but Americanb Community has a stronger presences there. Rumor has it the two bankx have had merger discussions before but theyfizzleed out. Jonesing to cure your art affliction?? The actress formerly known as Dr. Quinn, Medicine Womabn will be in Charlotte at the end of the montbh showcasing her oil and watercolor paintings at inSouthPark mall. “ Jane Seymou r : One Woman Show” will come to Charlotts Aug. 29-30.
Guests will have an opportunityy to meetthe actress, who recently starred in the featurew film Wedding Crashers and television hit Dancinf with the Stars . The galleru will be hosting receptions onboth days. “I find that paintinv is a great formof self-expression,” Seymou r says. “My watercolors and oil paintings allow me to recreatre experiences and scenes in my life that have been most For more information on the upcominb exhibitin Charlotte, contact at 347-0399. The man who gave life to the undead in such iconi c films as Dawn of the Dead is comint to townthis fall.
Director George Romero will be honored by duringt a retrospective and tributw tothe genre-changing filmmaker Sept. 19-21. But firsg he’ll be feted at a special Zombie Soireeon Sept. 18 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at The Residencwe SouthPark. Emmy-nominated make-up artist John Bayless will create “hospitality ghouls” out of mortal servers for the occasion. Loca l restaurateur Frank Scibelli is creating a speciaol zombie menu for the saysMarcie Kelso, Light Factorty executive director. The party is bein hosted by Light Factory board member Stev Partridge and city councilmanAnthony Foxx.
Tickets are on sale for the limited-space event at $200 per person and $300 per For more information the show or to buy ticketw forthe soiree, see www.lightfactory.org. A local attorney will be a amonygthe state’s political leaders when he serves as a delegate representing North Carolina’s Eighth Districtt at the Democratic National Convention in Denve r this month. Brandon Lofton , a 29-year-old, public-financew attorney at , will pledge his supporrt for the presumptiveparty nominee, Sen. Barack Lofton has volunteered with the campaign by knockingh on doors and working the polls duringthe primary, and has also organizecd his local precinct for the Democrati c Party.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Louis G Bourgois III Executive Profile

paramonaxogilozi.blogspot.com
**All Executive profile data provideds byDow Jones & Co., Inc.

Monday, November 1, 2010

Poizner says no to workers' comp rate increases - Sacramento Business Journal:

http://www.wateresources.org/2008/10/02/countywide-poll-uncovers-widespread-concern-over-orange-countys/
Poizner’s decision is in stark contrasgt tothe 23.7 percent increase recommended by the . “I’m turning down the entire application,” Poizner said in a conferencre call withreporters Wednesday. No increase in the benchmarkm rate is necessary while additional avoidable costs can still be squeezed out of the comp system, he said. Poizner said he’ll form a comp cost advisory group, whichy will be made up of a variety ofindustrgy players, to find ways to make the system more efficienft and effective.
The commissioner also said he’dr release a report on Wednesday identifying 27 ways for reducing costd withinthe workers’ comp system, including beefing up safety efforts in the workplace. Poizner addeds that he’d like to see insurers offer more safettyincentive programs. “California’s economy couldn’t be in worsed shape,” Poizner said, noting the Goldenh State’s 11.5 percent unemployment. Any rate increasre would further harmthe state’s economy, he Poizner’s benchmark base rate is only a recommendation. Insurer are free to set their own rates.
Many insurerzs already have filed theirf rates with the Department of Insurance for new and renewinf policies startingJuly 1. Some insurers will charge more, some will chargee less, based on what they need to reservd to paytheir claims, an insure trade group said. “Companies have to managee their solvency,” Nicole Mahrt, local spokeswomabn for the AmericanInsurance Association, said in response to Poizner’x zero benchmark advisory. Insurere can’t ignore that system costas are increasing, she said. Poiznert and Mahrt advised employers to shop arouncd in what they both said remainss acompetitive market.