Palm Springs hopes to put the sizzle in same-sex marriage
From: www.latimes.com
"PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Between the economy, gas prices and the heat -- it was 108 degrees Tuesday -- it was shaping up as a bleak summer in the Coachella Valley. Until, that is, the state Supreme Court found it unconstitutional to exclude same-sex couples from the right to and the rites of marriage.
"
Democratic convention host lagging on funds
From: www.washingtonpost.com
"DENVER -- The committee that will host the Democratic National Convention announced this week that it is $10 million short of the $40.6 million it promised to raise by mid-June. "
Rell signs bill canceling gas tax hike
From: www.theday.com
"WATERBURY, Conn. - Gov. M. Jodi Rell appeared at a Waterbury gas station Tuesday to sign legislation repealing a planned July 1 gas tax increase."
Cash-for-gas bill now law
From: www.rep-am.com
"Gov. M. Jodi Rell on Tuesday signed a bill allowing franchisees of major oil companies to offer cash discounts to customers, even if their franchise agreements prohibit it."
Lawmakers reach deal on new tax package
From: www.delawareonline.com
"Legislative leaders reached a deal Tuesday night on a tax package to close the state's revenue gap -- but they have to sell it to their caucuses today before releasing the details."
Castor seeks checkups on college lenders
From: www.tampabay.com
"Two men with criminal convictions and records of financial mismanagement found a perch in the federal student loan industry, and there was no law on the books that could have stopped them. "
Governor backs Florida drilling
From: online.wsj.com
"President Bush, Florida's governor and Republican presidential candidate John McCain are calling to lift a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, showing how voter anger over soaring gasoline prices is pushing politicians to rethink U.S. energy policy."
Florida Republicans get behind McCain's offshore drilling proposal
From: www.tampabay.com
"WASHINGTON - Not in modern times has a candidate for president or even statewide office won Florida without promising to keep oil and gas rigs away from its coasts. But never before has someone run when gasoline cost $4 per gallon."
Speeders to pay extra for police fuel
From: www.usatoday.com
"HOLLY SPRINGS, Ga. - The surging price of gasoline has come to this: a "fuel surcharge" on your next speeding ticket."
Madigan - Watch out for 'storm chasers'
From: www.suntimes.com
"Recent Midwest flooding has brought out the best in some people, such as joining sandbagging efforts and assisting elderly neighbors. But others see opportunity in the disaster."
Daley defends Blagojevich
From: www.suntimes.com
"Mayor Daley and Gov. Blagojevich have spent the last six years clashing over everything from education and CTA funding to casino gambling and business taxes."
Ill. lawmakers take no action on huge pension debt
From: www.chicagotribune.com
"State lawmakers had the incentive and the opportunity to work on the nation's worst pension debt problem, but they left town last month without a new solution -- and with even more money problems because of their inaction. "
InBev takes Bud bid to Capitol
From: online.wsj.com
"InBev NV's chief executive met with U.S. lawmakers to allay concerns about the brewer's takeover bid for Anheuser-Busch Cos., as the St. Louis beer titan continued to plot its next move."
Floodwaters flow on, swelling the Mississippi
From: www.nytimes.com
"CLARKSVILLE, Mo. - Already, the new riverfront park was out of sight, under water. Disappearing slowly was the antique mall, the bank, the church, the American Legion hall, the oldest house in town. And the Mississippi River was only getting started."
Public servants flee tough Oregon ethics laws
From: www.npr.org
"Capitol Hill scandals involving lobbyist Jack Abramoff and former Rep. Randy "Duke" Cunningham prompted the state of Oregon to institute well-received ethics reform laws. "
As beaches creep in, ownership disputes erupt
From: www.npr.org
"Global warming is raising the ocean level and moving shorelines landward. With seaside communities at risk of inundation, some scientists say America needs to plan an orderly retreat from the coast. "
Midwest flood woes head south
From: www.latimes.com
"IOWA CITY, Iowa - With floodwaters receding in much of Iowa, the destruction moved downstream Tuesday as emergency crews and residents raced to bolster the levees that protect dozens of Mississippi River towns."
FEMA puts post-Katrina reforms to work in floods
From: www.npr.org
"As floods soak the Midwest states, the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it's trying to honor reforms put in place after Hurricane Katrina. These include coordinating more closely with state and local officials for a quicker response. "
Bush will seek to end offshore oil drilling ban
From: www.nytimes.com
"WASHINGTON - President Bush, reversing a longstanding position, will call on Congress on Wednesday to end a federal ban on offshore oil drilling, according to White House officials who say Mr. Bush now wants to work with states to determine where drilling should occur."
Mississippi River towns brace for the worst
From: www.washingtonpost.com
"GULFPORT, Ill. - Floodwaters that wreaked havoc along Illinois and Iowa rivers have poured into the Mississippi, creating a torrent of water that threatens to spread the misery to historic riverside towns on the way to St. Louis and beyond. "
California's same-sex marriage move worries Virginia
From: www.latimes.com
"FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - Donna Moore did not need to glance at the big-screen television in her Virginia living room to make up her mind about California's great leap forward to the legalization of gay marriages."
Voters may decide fate of payday loans
From: www.stateline.org
"In Ohio and Arizona, the payday loan industry is trying a different strategy in its battle to survive."
McCain, GOP govs split over disaster fund
From: www.stateline.org
"A congressional proposal to create a national “catastrophe fund” to help states recover from natural disasters has put Republican presidential hopeful John McCain at odds with a handful of GOP governors — including two state chief executives frequently mentioned as possible vice-presidential picks for the U.S. senator from Arizona."
Jobs are at risk if Congress doesn't fix the Highway Fund
From: www.stateline.org
"State budgets and nearly 400,000 jobs are at risk if Congress fails to replenish the Highway Trust Fund, John Horsley, executive director of the American Association of State Highway & Transportation Officials, writes in a commentary for Stateline.org."
Tax hikes rare among states — so far
From: www.stateline.org
"Most states are holding off raising taxes to patch holes in their 2009 budgets, but if you live in Maryland, Minnesota, Maine and New York, you’re out of luck."
Scalpers beware: States target ticket sellers
From: www.stateline.org
"The online hijacking of huge blocks of tickets for hot concerts and sporting events for resale at many times face value has raised the ire of consumers and caught the attention of several states that have taken steps to address the problem."
The economic downturn: an opportunity for governors?
From: www.stateline.org
"Most governors recognize that they have the best political job in America. Most also would concede that the job is more satisfying when the economy is strong and revenues are growing than during an economic downturn, when cutting budgets becomes the major task. But even a recession can present opportunities for governors to make improvements that yield lasting benefits for their states."
Visit the Stateline.org Economy & Business Page
From: www.stateline.org
"Most governors recognize that they have the best political job in America. Most also would concede that the job is more satisfying when the economy is strong and revenues are growing than during an economic downturn, when cutting budgets becomes the major task. But even a recession can present opportunities for governors to make improvements that yield lasting benefits for their states."
Proactive tax planning to take advantage of timely tax saving opportunities.
Comprehensive business services that integrate income tax compliance
and planning with investments and insurance choices.
Consulting services that review businesses to find hidden opportunities to
increase wealth accumulation and retention.
Foreign investor tax services.
Individualized accounting system setup for new businesses.
State of the art payroll tax services and sales tax preparation.
Preparation of business and individual tax returns and financial
statements.
Budgeting and projection preparation and monitoring, facilitating the
creation and tracking of events.
Assistance in selection and installation of computer hardware and
software, ongoing monitoring and updating of systems.
