| Madigan: Illinois Needs Casino Regulation Overhaul
Riverboat gambling already is big business in Illinois, but soon could get much bigger -- a major expansion could put the state in the company of Nevada and New Jersey as the nation's major gambling destinations. Before that happens, though, House Speaker Michael Madigan says the obscure board that regulates the casino industry needs an overhaul. Madigan wants to revamp the Illinois Gaming Board with five new members vetted by a blue-ribbon panel, separate the board from the state agency that currently oversees it and hire a gaming enforcement director and inspector general to root out state gaming and ethics law violations. "There's nothing wrong with the current Gaming Board. They've done a good job," Madigan said at a recent news conference in Chicago announcing his proposal. "We have to change the Illinois gaming regulation.
£2.7million franchise group shut down
The investigation found that franchisees were misled by false and misleading statements about the level of training, support and potential earnings. Also that support under the Government's Small Firms Loan Guarantee Scheme of £150,000 to finance the development of a national 24 hour call centre was applied instead to a significant extent for the directors' own benefit. In ordering the companies into compulsory liquidation Registrar Christine Derrett said: "I am satisfied that it is appropriate in each of the three cases to make the usual compulsory order". -Ends- Notes for editors: 1. Key Edge Limited was incorporated on 31 August 1999. Its registered office is at 5 Theobald Court, Theobald Street, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 4RN, the address of accountants.
Wal-Mart enlists environmentalists in lobbying strategy
WASHINGTON -- When Conservation International wanted to educate the world about Brazil's indigenous Kayapo Indians, whose Amazon home is threatened by deforestation, it brought an unlikely advocate to Washington: S. Robson Walton, chairman of Wal-Mart Stores.A partnership between Wal-Mart, reviled by labor unions and their allies as the enemy of the little guy, and an environmental nonprofit group was unthinkable just a few years ago. Critics had long accused Wal-Mart of treating its workers badly and crushing independent businesses with its mammoth stores. Its relentless focus on low prices has been blamed for the outsourcing of manufacturing jobs and deadly pollution in underdeveloped countries. To some, Wal-Mart symbolized capitalism at its worst.For years, the company ignored the attacks, content to hunker down at its headquarters in remote Bentonville, Ark.
Patriot Express Loan program is off to a hot start, SBA says
Just five months after launching a loan program to benefit the military community and veterans, officials with the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) say the numbers look good. More than 500 small business loans have been awarded to date through the SBA's Patriot Express Loan Initiative nationwide. According to the San Antonio office of the SBA, 14 loans were awarded locally since the program's inception -- totaling $1.428 million. The average loan amount, according to Linda Olinick, spokeswoman with the local SBA office, was $102,050. Correction:An earlier version of this story contained incorrect information regarding the percentage rates on Patriot Express loans. .
Bulletin board: Nov. 23, 2007
Fair Shake Network, a grass-roots advocacy group for people with disabilities, will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the F. Ray Power Building at the Division of Rehabilitation Services in Institute. The meetings are open to the public. To be placed on the agenda, call 766-0061 or (800) 497-4746. Kanawha County Solid Waste Authority will have its regular business meeting at 10 a.m. Wednesday at 600 Slack St. The meeting is open to the public. For information, call 342-4477 or e-mail KCSWA@msn.com. .
US$ 15 million ADB grant to develop enterprises
26 November, 2007 - The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending two grants totaling USD 15 million to support the development of micro, small and medium-sized businesses in Bhutan, according to an ADB press release on November 21.
USD six million will go into establishing an integrated policy, strategy and institutional framework, which will be released in three equal tranches over a period of three years, and USD nine million will be used to extend credit to the small enterprises, supporting their development and facilitating programme implementation. �Like other developing countries, limited access to financing is a major constraint in doing business. It is more so in Bhutan, particularly for micro and small businesses,� said Chia-Hsin Hu, economist for the financial sector of ADB�s South Asia Department, adding that the constraint is mainly due to extremely high collateral requirements and low banking intermediation.
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