2013 September Issue
Editorial Cartoon
Real Estate Round-Up
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Read MoreQ&A with Dave Miller ~ Manager St. Louis Regional Airport, East Alton
IBJ: Your annual Fly In and open house is scheduled for Sept. 28 and 29. How did it begin? Miller: It started 19 years ago, beginning with just a bunch of pilots informally getting together, roasting a couple of turkeys, talking about flying and telling war stories and other lies about their flying accomplishments. I…
Read MoreDouble-digit July home sale increases in Illinois, Madison County defy gloomy national slump
Although U.S. home sales plunged 13.4 percent in July, Illinois recorded double-digit gains. In Madison County, the news is also optimistic: home sales here, based upon closings reported in the multiple listing service, are up 15 percent for the first seven months of 2013 as compared to the same period in 2012. Illinois home…
Read MoreIn Southern Illinois, we can extract coal or produce food, but we can’t do both
Climate activist Bill McKibben said, “You can have a healthy fossil fuel industry or a healthy planet, but you can’t have both.” In Southern Illinois, “You can have a healthy coal industry, or you can have a healthy agricultural industry, but you can’t have both.” Illinois is first in soybeans, second in corn, fourth…
Read MoreChange in seasons brings launch of customized research firm by IBJ founder Kerry Smith
With September comes the passing of summer and the preparation for the next season. For many business people, September means the preparation and planning for the next fiscal year. More so than in past years, the coming planning season will result in changes for many businesses. Change is with us all, and change…
Read MoreIllinois Business Journal welcomes newspaper editor Dennis Grubaugh
One day in early 2000, Kerry Smith called me at my office at the Southwestern Illinois Development Authority. I had known Kerry as a reporter who worked briefly at The Telegraph in Alton, calling periodically for interviews on projects I was working on at SWIDA. But this day she had a very different…
Read MoreCOUNTERPOINT: SHOULD ILLINOIS ADOPT A GRADUATED INCOME TAX? Illinois Chamber opposes a graduated income tax
The Illinois Chamber of Commerce is of the opinion that Illinois’ fiscal policy and tax laws should actively promote economic growth in Illinois by encouraging increased capital investment, productivity and the creation of new job opportunities for the citizens of Illinois. A graduated income tax would undercut these fundamental tax policy goals and further…
Read MoreIRS’ new, simplified home office deduction alternative waiting to gain traction
The Internal Revenue Service recently announced a new, simplified “safe harbor” tax deduction for home office use, but two area accountants say it does not appear to be one that will gain widespread acceptance. The IRS estimates that its simplified option could potentially reduce the paperwork and recordkeeping burden on small businesses by an…
Read MoreSan Fran firm’s plan to woo cities into eminent domain will thwart housing recovery, experts say
Area mortgage bankers question the legitimacy of private players who are urging cities to use eminent domain law to rescue underwater homeowners. The Illinois Mortgage Bankers Association and 25 others are opposing an initiative by Mortgage Resolution Partners LLC. The San Francisco-based firm, which incorporated in January 2012, has been courting municipalities (largely in…
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