Tax Receipts Rise, Skewed by Cash for Clunkers
Florida tax receipts topped expectations by $32.6 million last month – the fifth straight month of better-than-forecast cash flow, state economists reported Tuesday. But there’s a catch, warned Amy Baker, coordinator of the Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research. “Sales tax is up, but it’s helped by the cash-for-clunkers program, which is now ended,” [...]
Cabinet Delays Look at SBA Oversight
Gov. Charlie Crist and the Cabinet postponed action Tuesday on a recommendation to expand oversight of the state’s $110 billion pension fund and other investments but instead wants to hear more from the agency that now manages the nation’s fourth largest retirement account before taking action. Instead, the governor and Cabinet agreed to return in [...]
Kevin Warsh Is on the Money
Attendees of the G-20 meeting in Pittsburgh and members of the Federal Reserve Board in Washington should carefully read a Wall Street Journal op-ed by Fed Governor Kevin Warsh. In a piece titled “The Fed’s Job Is Only Half Over,” the former Wall Street investment banker sends a shot across the global economic bow. He [...]
Officials Seek to Vaccinate Illegals For Swine Flu
WASHINGTON – With swine flu vaccinations set to begin in October, public health officials are mobilizing to ensure that the nation’s estimated 11 million-plus illegal immigrants are vaccinated to protect themselves and the public. Unlike the debate over whether illegal immigrants should get federal health care, there is little dispute they should be included in [...]
Four Charged in Fatal Beating of Chicago Teen
CHICAGO – Darnell Myles didn’t have to see the video airing on TV of Derrion Albert’s slaying to find out that the neighborhood around Christian Fenger Academy High School is dangerous. Two of his children attend the school where Albert was an honor student, and they have long been “scared for their safety,” he said. [...]
Soup-Making Season
There comes a time every year when the urge to make soup grows stronger. Maybe it’s because children are back in school and nourishing family meals seem even more important. Maybe it’s that the days are noticeably growing shorter, and there’s an occasional hint of crispness in the air. Whatever the reason, now is the [...]
Our Review of ‘Halo 3: ODST’ for Xbox 360
What’s Hot: Firefight What’s Not: The Campaign Crispy Gamer Says: n/r Sometime between now and Sept. 25, 2007, the “Halo” nation moved on. It mothballed its Spartan Lasers and took up “Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare’s” M16A4. “Halo 3: ODST” is an effort to lure a legion of online gamers back to the fold. [...]
Airlines Have a Tough Call to Make
Roger Flessing was on an American Airlines flight to Seattle recently when he began speaking with his son on his iPhone. Unsure of how his action might be received by others, the Tacoma resident says he spoke discreetly. But soon, he says, flight attendants were leaning over, asking for a demonstration on how to make [...]
Anger at Overdraft Fees Gets Hotter, Louder
Controversial bank account fees, which have fattened banks’ bottom lines at the expense of vulnerable consumers, are rapidly becoming a black eye for the industry. Under siege are the fees charged to consumers who spend more than they have in their accounts, whether by check, debit card or at the ATM. Last week, four of [...]
RV Sales See an Upswing
A closely watched report today on consumer confidence is expected to show modest improvement, but some economists are heartened by a more obscure measure of buyer sentiment: recreational vehicle sales. RV wholesale shipments jumped 16% in August from July to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 209,800, the Recreation Vehicle Industry Association reports today. While [...]
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