domingo, 29 de abril de 2012
Judge sides with Mo. in Coleman fraud case - Denver Business Journal:
Coleman, founder and managing member of St. Louis-basee LLC, had argued that he was entitled to a hearing before Missouri Commissionetr of SecuritiesMatthew Kitzi. But state prosecutors arguedx that since Coleman had withdrawn his reques for a hearingin November, he forfeited his right to appeal. Coleman had withdrawn his hearingg request out of fear his testimony could be used agains t him in federal court after learningthe U.S. Attorney’ s office in St. Louis was conductinbg its own investigation, accordin to a letter from his lawyerd and brother Larry Coleman to the He faces morethan $38,000 in penaltie s and costs to the state.
The state attorney generalk filed a formal judgment and ordeer againstColeman Friday, said Nanci Gonder, a spokeswomamn for Attorney General Chris Koster. The state’s case againsy Coleman dates backto 2007, when Kitz i began an investigation of Colemajn after investors complained Colemanm misled them. That investigation foundd Coleman offered unregistered securities and committed securitiee fraud in transactions related to his Daedaluas Capital investment firm andthe now-defunctg . Coleman requested a hearing to contesft thestate claims.
But after more than a year of continuationz he withdrewhis “owing to Fifth Amendment issuesd implicated by a Justice Departmen t and Postal Service investigationh of Respondents arising out of and or related to these proceedings,” according to a notice filed Nov. 21 with the states by his lawyerLarry Coleman.
viernes, 27 de abril de 2012
Some Disclaimer Doctrines You May Not Know Much About - JD Supra (press release)
Some Disclaimer Doctrines You May Not Know Much About JD Supra (press release) by Charles (Chuck) Rubin on 4/27/2012 As a general rule, a disclaimer of property by a recipient results in the property passing under state law or an applicable instrument as if the disclaimant predeceased the transfer to him or her. |
miércoles, 25 de abril de 2012
Preferred Bank Reports Preliminary First Quarter Results - MarketWatch (press release)
Marketwire | Preferred Bank Reports Preliminary First Quarter Results MarketWatch (press release) LOS ANGELES, Apr 25, 2012 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- Preferred Bank (NASDAQ:PFBC) , an independent commercial bank focusing on the Chinese-American and diversified Southern California mainstream market, today reported preliminary results for the ... Heritage Bankshares, Inc. Announces Record First Quarter Net Income and ... Highlands Bancorp, Inc. Reports Results for the First Quarter Ended March 31, 2012 Plumas Bancorp Reports First Quarter Earnings |
martes, 24 de abril de 2012
Missouri 'Don't Say Gay' Bill: GOP Sponsors Wary Of 'Homosexual Agenda' - Huffington Post
Riverfront Times (blog) | Missouri 'Don't Say Gay' Bill: GOP Sponsors Wary Of 'Homosexual Agenda' Huffington Post Republican lawmakers in Missouri are defending their controversial bill to ban the teaching of sexual orientation in schools as a way to prevent students from learning about the "homosexual agenda," the "heterosexual agenda" and bestiality. Proposed "Don't Say Gay" Bill Sparks Discussions at Missouri Schools Bill would bar talk of sexual orientation in Missouri classrooms Missouri Advances Even Stricter Don't Say Gay Bill |
domingo, 22 de abril de 2012
N.J. tax amnesty brings revenue windfall - Charlotte Business Journal:
New Jersey expected to generate $100 milliojn when the 45-day prograk was launched, but at its close last week had collected morethan $600 millio n in back taxes owed. Final revenue coulf increase byanother $50 million to $100 milliohn once the remaining 17,500 envelopes are opened and processed, the Governor’sx Office said. New Jersey’s program, which ran from May 4 to June 15, permitted those owing back taxesfrom Jan. 1, 2002 and to Feb. 1, to settle up without penalty and for half the interest Of the collections processedto date, 56 percenft were for the corporation business tax, 23 percenft for sales and use taxes and 14 percent for grossd income tax.
A vote on a final budget for New Jersegy isexpected Thursday. Gov. Jon S. Corzine woul like to see the additional revenue be put towardd propertytax relief, which was slated to be eliminated for all but seniorse and the disabled to address an up to $9 billion deficit in fiscall year 2010. In Pennsylvania, state Rep. John C. R-Lancaster, is pitching legislation for a one-times tax amnesty program as a budget fix for his The bill would permita 90-day tax amnestyu period during 2009-10 fiscakl year. The bill is in the House Financde Committee.
“New Jersey has confirmed that this is a perfecyt time for a tax amnestg program to succeedin Pennsylvania,” said “We are facing a $3.2 billion budgey deficit and New Jersey’s successfuol program should vividly illustrate that such a program can collect hundredsd of millions in revenue, or already owed to the Pennsylvania’s last tax amnesty program, which occured more than a decade ago, brought in $93 Bear said. Revenue from a tax amnestgy program could be used to addressthe state’as budget deficit, instead of Gov. Ed Rendell’xs proposal to raise the state income taxfrom 3.07 percenf to 3.57 percent, Bear said.
The governor’sa proposed 16 percent increase in the persona income tax rate would generate about $1.5 billion a year in new revenue and amount to abouy $250 more per year for a familuy earning $50,000. “Now during this dire budget crisis — is the time for a new tax amnesthy program to be putin place,” Bear said.
viernes, 20 de abril de 2012
Aegon to cut 138 positions in Louisville - Memphis Business Journal:
a subsidiary of Netherlands-baseed insurer Aegon N.V., will cut 138 positions from its Louisville offices atAegon Tower. Subsidiary Aegon USA Investmeny Management will eliminate 13 positions during the next few the company said inan e-mailed The company also will cut 125 positions handlin certain life insurance administrative Those duties will be transitioned to an Aegoj office in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, during the next severak months, according to the statement. “We are alwayz exploring ways to improve efficiency and leverag the scale we have in ourvarious U.S. the company said in the statement. Aegon is the parent company of Transamerica LifeInsurance Co.
, Transamerica Financial Life Insurance Co., Monumental Life Insurance Co., Stonebridge Casualty Insurance Co., Stonebridgwe Life Insurance Co., Western Reserve Life Assurance Co. of Transamerica Life Canada, and Seguros A.S. de C.V. According to the company’s Web www.aegonins.com, Aegon U.S. has more than 600 employeez in Louisville among several operating including individual savingsand institutional, life and protection, pensionsa and asset management and reinsurance.
miércoles, 18 de abril de 2012
Cincinnati Fine Arts Fund campaign falling short - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
Scott Provancher, vice president and campaignn director at the FineArts Fund, said the campaigb has raised about 65 percengt of its goal to date, or roughly $7.6 million. That’es 8 percent less than the campaign had hope d to raise by this time to meetits $12 millio n goal. If that trend holds the campaign willfall $960,000 shoryt of the $12 million raised last To close the gap, local arts organizations are talking up the campaign ever y chance they get from now through its conclusion Apri 30, Provancher said. The Fine Arts Fund also is promoting a challenged grant fromthe .
The foundatiohn will match any new gifts to the Fine Arts Fund upto “We’re hoping it gives us a littld bit of push for the next couple of weeks to make sure we’rr not leaving any opportunity on the he said. “In terms of where we realisticallyu are going toend up, it’s really hard for us to tell at this Provancher said the good news is that the campaig hasn’t seen many past donors drop out Rather, many loyal donors are giving less this “Though we’re tracking behind in terms of revenud where we want to be, the supportr has been unbelievable,” he said.
“There’s a real sensd that the heritage of arts and culture here in town runs pretty and we’re clearly seeing some of the correction that a lot of othere industries are seeing.” Provanchee said he hopes that concentrating on new, small giftss will help close the gap and broadebn the base of donors to the Fine Arts Fund for futurw years. And the Fine Arts Fund is tappingt into every channel possible todo it, including Facebook, Twitted and direct e-mails, he said. The Fine Arts Fund was founded in 1927 as the Cincinnatik Institute ofFine Arts.
It supportz local arts institutions through fundraising and support The annual campaign was established in 1949 as the first unites arts fund in the country and has raisedr morethan $200 million for its member
lunes, 16 de abril de 2012
Fifth Third deal paying off - Charlotte Business Journal:
Not Bob James. The former chier executive of acknowledgeshis bank’s merged with Cincinnati-based a year ago presented But overall, the deal has helpexd the local banking operation weathedr the recession by adding musclwe and diversity to its “It was definitely the righgt decision — the timinf could not have been says James, now president of Fiftg Third’s North Carolina affiliate. “Id we had waited six months, we never would have got it done.” Fifth Third acquiref First Charter in June after the loca bank had grownto $4.
8 billion in assets and expanded into Raleigh and First Charter had begun more than a centur y ago as a community bank in Cabarruz County. The deal allowed Fiftuh Third, one of the nation’s largest regional to move intoNorth Carolina. But, more important to James, it gave the formedr First Charter operation some extraammunitionb that’s now being put to use as the recessionj weighs on banks. Jamesw says the N.C. banking operation has seen its depositsrise 15% sincee the merger, thanks to a large marketinvg push and some new products. The bank has addede 10 lenders here and is now offering creditr cards andmore wealth-management services to its customers.
Another noticeablr change is a cool-down in the operation’ss real estate lending. Nearly 70% of First Charter’s loan book was tied to real estates beforethe merger. But undert Fifth Third, the company can now offer middle-marketg commercial and industrial loanz inNorth Carolina. James says the real estated loanportfolio hasn’t grown since the And he’s trying to achieve more balance eventually only 50% of the loanxs will be in real estatw — by pushing Fiftyh Third’s other products. “We’re trying to let the real estater loans run down some andlet middle-market fill that he says.
George Fifth Third’s marketing director in Norty Carolina, says the bank also is tryint toignite small-business lending throughb the Small Business Administration. He recentlu launched an advertising campaign that seeks toattractf small-business owners to Fifth Third. James says Firsrt Charter only dabbled in SBA lendinvg beforethe merger. “We really run the gamutt now, from small business to major Still, the merger has presented its sharreof challenges. James says about 600 customers temporarilyh lost use of their debitg cards when the bankss mergedtheir card-processing systems. The company encountered mino r problems in mergingonline bill-paymenyt functions.
About 300 support jobs were slashed at the formef First Charter when thecompanies consolidated. And Fiftgh Third, like most of its peers, is struggling with the The bank hasreceived $3.4 billion in government aid through the Capital Purchase Program. UNC Charlotte finance professor Tony Platj notes Fifth Third has had heavy losses from real estate loansin recession-batteredf Florida and Michigan. And real estate is weighted heavily in the governmeny stress testsfor banks, he says, puttinyg Fifth Third “in the cross hairs” for more regulatort scrutiny. But James says the benefitsx of the merger far outweighthose challenges.
The local Fifth Third operation is adding personnel to help with the risinbg demand formortgage refinancing, and it will open two branches here this (See related story.) Meanwhile, First Charter’s sale price last year of $31 per sharw -— a 50% premium — looks bette r all the time. Says James: “Considering the economy, I thinki things are going really well.”
domingo, 15 de abril de 2012
Committee formed to determine support for Gardner Museum - Quincy Herald Whig
Committee formed to determine support for Gardner Museum Quincy Herald Whig By RODNEY HART Herald-Whig Staff Writer An independent committee met for the first time Saturday to determine community support for the shuttered Gardner Museum of Architecture and Design. The museum at Fourth and Maine closed a month ago and was ... |
viernes, 13 de abril de 2012
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miércoles, 11 de abril de 2012
Missouri approves KCP&L rate increase - South Florida Business Journal:
million that KCP&L had sought. PSC spokesman Gregtg Ochoa said that the PSC stafvf estimated the increase will raisre a typicalresidential customer’s bill aboutf $12.82 a month. A typical customerf is considered to be one that uses 700 kilowatt hours of electricity a month in winterand 1,2009 kWh a month in the summer, Ochoas said. “Our customers depend on us to provide affordable andreliable power,” KCP&L CEO Mike Chesser said in a writtehn statement responding to the PSC approval.
“Thisd rate increase will help us pay for environmental investmentsa we have already made to several ofour coal-fired power The installation of such pollution-control equipment will improvde air quality for our region and allosw us to meet future federal environmentak mandates. We recognize that this is a challenging time to ask customer to pay more for andwe didn’t make this decisionb lightly.” Kansas City-based (NYSE: GXP), KCP&L’s parent, that KCP& L had reached an agreement in principle with the PSC to settles its pending Missouri rate case. Great Plains Energy rank s No.
5 on the Kansas City BusinesseJournal ’s list of area public
lunes, 9 de abril de 2012
Furniture manufacturer expanding in Archdale - Business Courier of Cincinnati:
The New York-based manufacturer will investabout $880,0009 in converting a 35,000-square-foot warehouser at 701 Eden Terrace into a factory, accordingy to Bonnie Renfro, president of the Randolphh County Economic Development Corp. The jobs that will be created will paybetwee $14 and $15 per hour with full she said. Stickley officials did not returnb callsseeking comment, but Vice Presidentf Edward Audi told trade newspaper Furniture Today that the expansionj is a good signal abou the company’s forecasts for the economy. “We are cautiously optimistic aboutythe future,” he told the paper. “We are already planning for theeconomic recovery.
” Renfrp said her agency is working with otheer clients she can’t yet disclosd that are interested in sites in the including one that couls announce up to 125 new jobs sometim this summer. “There are so many advantages in North Carolinsa and the Triad forfurniture companies, including our wonderful supply the pool of workers, the (Highj Point Market) itself and all our craftsmen,” Renfro said. The expansioh comes with only a minor costto taxpayers, she Both Randolph County and the city of Archdalde agreed to each pay half the $11,250 cost of extendinhg natural gas lines to the new factory site. No other incentives were involved, she said.
Renfro expects constructiomn work to be finished this year and hiring to take placesin 2010.
sábado, 7 de abril de 2012
Observations in the Masters digest - Sacramento Bee
Observations in the Masters digest Sacramento Bee By RON GREEN JR. The Masters could hardly have ordered up a better forecast for the final round. It's expected to be mostly sunny with a high temperature near 80 degrees with winds 10 to 15 miles per hour. While Saturday belonged to Peter Hanson and ... |
viernes, 6 de abril de 2012
Asia Special Steel to file for bankruptcy - Steel Business Briefing (subscription)
Asia Special Steel to file for bankruptcy Steel Business Briefing (subscription) Asia Special Steel, the struggling Japanese-Korean ingot maker based in Kitakyushu, western Japan, has decided to go into liquidation, the company announced on 3 April. It will lodge a formal application with the Fukuoka district court late this week ... |
miércoles, 4 de abril de 2012
Public Companies: Is the belt tightening on exec pay? - The Business Review (Albany):
Instead, the Glenville-based parent of Trustc o Bank more than doubled the salaries of CEO Robert McCormicj and othertop officers. McCormick, who had a salaryu of $400,000 in 2008, now will earn a base of In a proxy statement filedc withthe , TrustCo said bonuses had been basedc on return on equity. An ROE of undeer 13 percent meantno payouts. The bank now has decidecd that this wastoo restrictive, given the pressure on banksz to shore up their capital. It thereford eliminated the bonus plan.
“This decision reflected the view that it was appropriate in this time of economicv uncertainty forthe executives’ cash compensation to be less dependentr on the achievement of performance standards,” TrustCo’s proxy states. Bank officiales declined further comment. Economic turbulence, along with shiftinf popular andpolitical sentiment, have public companies all over the country rethinkingg their compensation policies. Bonuses have been at the center of the especially after the publi c outrage that followed the paymentof $165 millionb to executives at after the insurance gianrt was bailed out by taxpayers. But all forms of compensationh are getting acloser look.
“It’s obviouslt a very hot topic—one might even say contentious,” said Paul associate director of the Governancwe Center of TheConferencr Board, a nonprofit economic research organizatiohn in New York City. “The sentiment has been but the state of the economy exacerbated There are four main componentes ofexecutive pay: salaries, bonuses and stock For many CEOs, performance-based pay makes up more than two-thirdss of total compensation. The question at the hearrt of thedebate is, did the performance—at a time of sinking corporatw profits and stock prices—earn the pay?
Accordinfg to a survey by , a California-based compensatio n research firm, median pay for the CEO of a U.S. S&o 500 company fell 6.8 percent in but still totaled $8.4 million. The median salary rose 6 to $1.06 million, whils the median bonus fell 21 to $1.5 million. “It’s a complex subject,” said Janet Marler, associate professor in the Schookl of Business at thestate . “Therr are people who feel executive payis well-designed and and is the reason U.S.
companies have done so “Others say CEOs are overpaid and that their pay has increasedc more thantheir performance, and that we are now seeinh the results—they are doing well and we’ree left holding the bag,” she added. “Theres is probably truth in both The Conference Board has formedr a task force onexecutive pay. Topics of discussionh will include the link between pay and ways to improve public disclosure andthe “say-on-pay” movement to give shareholderss a voice in executive “What I’m hearing from the investmenft community is that the most productive use of say-on-pay wouls be a referendum on the entire pay DeNicola said.
What companies must do, Marlere said, is try to “navigate between the two and fashion pay packages that attract and retain skilled executives without angeringtthe public. She said few people object to performance-based pay—as long as it is set up “I think bonuses are a good incentive,” she said. “The question is, what performance measures were used? Were they rewarding the righty thing?” , a Menands-bases maker of engineered fabricsand high-performancew doors, lost $76 million in after 2007 income of $18 million. And yet, CEO Josephj Morone received a bonusof $809,300.
lunes, 2 de abril de 2012
Law firm latest to exit Statler - Houston Business Journal:
The firm, which leased 14,000 squares feet in the Statler, planzs to move into approximately the same amount of space in MainPlacer Tower. It was one of the largest tenants remaining inthe Statler. The Buffali landmark is at the center of a complex seriesx of lawsuits andlegal actions. The 18-storyh building, which is owned by , has been placed into involuntary Chapter 11 protection by the Western District ofthe . BSC Development Buffalo’s managing member, Britishn investor Bashar Issa, is facing legal and financial issue s in Buffaloand England. He has not been in this area in more than 18 The fate of the which overlooksNiagara Square, rests with U.S.
Bankruptcy Judgee Carl Bucki who is presiding overthe case. Bucki is expectecd to set a foreclosure auction date in the comingweekz – a move that could lead the way for the Statlefr to land in some new Long Island developer Uri Kaufman is considering makingb a bid for the building and convertiny the bulk of it into market-rate In the meantime, real estate broker Tom Zawadzki is workinyg with a group of out-of-town investors who are considerinv making a bid for the sources said. That group woulr use most of the building as a with some residential and commercial space includeds inthe mix.
“I wish there was more interestr from the Buffalo real estat community inthe building,” said Morris Horwitz, court-appointed trustee for the “All of the interest seems to be cominhg from out-of-town parties.” The Statler has been losinfg more than $80,000 a month, and those losses are expected to mount as other tenants leaves the building. Issa bought the Statletr three years ago and soon announced planas toinvest $100 million and return the buildinb to its glory days.
Just a smalol portion of the renovationswere completed, and no additionao work has taken place in more than one A lawsuit is till pendiny from Park Lane Catering, another anchor which alleges that the building’s conditiob and uncertain future have causexd it to lose more than $1 milliohn in potential bookings.