BusinessReport.com

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Issue: May 05, 2009

Balancing act

Will the Capital Region fall in line with much of the rest of the country in the recession, or will it continue to sidestep the economic effects?

Supporters of school choice, educational accountability and higher standards for academic achievement must remain diligent. Other states are increasing what they expect from students and the good jobs of the future will require more, not less skills. Plus: why change reforms that work, Carter leads push for change and Jindal can't make critics happy.

Green and greener

Louisiana is millions of dollars poorer than it should be in Small Business Innovation Research grant money.

The curious case of William Cassidy

In his first few months in office, the freshman congressman has amassed a respectable campaign kitty and taken a firm stance against earmarks.

Facebook revisited

Last October, we explored the value of social-networking sites in promoting products and services and developing relationships.

Taking the bait

Tax credits, historic low interest rates and loans that are more easily obtainable are luring first-time homebuyers.

Too big to fail

Main Street bankers fear they will be punished for the poor fiscal policies of their Wall Street peers.

Crunched by credit

The card industry’s biggest issuers are aggressively reducing exposure based on credit scores and ZIP codes where housing values are decreasing.

Money management 101

Nonprofit and for-profit groups educate adults on the rules of finance in hopes of avoiding another economic meltdown.

10 Questions: Renee Baker

The director of the Louisiana chapter of the NFIB has the interests of the state’s small businesses at heart.

Hatching a business

New companies pursue their dream as part of the wave of startups that typically accompany a recession.

Give me credit

There are more than 925 federal, state and local credits available to businesses, but discovery is a slow, complex process, and the rules often change.

Government’s comfort food

During this budget crisis, Legislators are seeking the comfort of age old issues, such as property taxes and the homestead exemption. The problem is a great number of the bills would cause almost every homeowner to pay more in property taxes.

Tucker tests his leadership

House Speaker Jim Tucker's diplomacy will be tested in the current session. He's at odds with most Democrats and some Republicans because of his stance on how to best use one-time money.