[chambernews] Fwd: The Morning Digest from the Minnesota Chamber of Commerce

Fri Jul 1 07:56:17 PDT 2011

Passing this on for your information...
Despite all of this, I hope that you all have a wonderfully fun - and 
safe - holiday weekend ~
Karen.

Minnesota Morning Digest 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeDgt2X8SgfBFT13CFkARnl_Tlt1jiRiitnJXNg0EG8Hh8D1PKfsyyFzjj3kVzTcuXgOGzOJtCBCdv8mhtOgj_3aDKWuEQnepp_T4w5Y11S2Qg==> 

July 1, 2011

*The Minnesota Morning Digest is underwritten by Granite Equity Partners:*
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeCYXgz5HjW8IBvJlLyrW3rzqXr7yvIPnJGZg-0xmvrxN3EQQ_k5RJAyv122FhbFVvhTSFM8ritRMVBlBp3l73EQOD2mQv8P2LoyYsUDwAQliGVnvuRrbLpw>

Today's Minnesota headlines...

*Broken deals, bitter words and a state shuts down*

/From the Minneapolis Star Tribune: / Talks imploded Thursday between 
DFL Gov. Mark Dayton and Republican legislative leaders in the final 
hours before a midnight deadline, and Minnesota began a historic 
government shutdown. "This is a night of deep sorrow for me," Dayton 
said in an address at 10 p.m. that was punctuated by jeers and hisses 
from Republicans, including some lawmakers. The governor said his last 
offer would have raised income taxes only on those earning more than $1 
million a year -- an estimated 7,700 Minnesotans, or 0.3 percent of all 
taxpayers, according to the Revenue Department.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/124824189.html 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeDTkSjMRNoPgJXynq7DbxbNZjjsSEoPB-pV4uVekmQ5nOFdymJ9t3THT9ak27S8WABJxM_RiVxhbWciDeDzrStIOGtZ7DHGL8r7xxIHKCmTSq8dL85tRAVI62s_gYJqZr7jdMFEYY97pURMEbpwdluQb5qzL4pv9HI=>

*Minnesota begins massive state shutdown; sides couldn't agree*

/From the St. Paul Pioneer Press: / Minnesota state government shut down 
at 12:01 a.m. today after a colossal failure by Gov. Mark Dayton and the 
Republican-controlled Legislature to reach agreement on a budget for the 
next two years.  The shutdown means more than 20,000 state employees 
have been laid off. State parks and highway rest stops are closed. 
Highway construction projects halted and thousands of workers are off 
the job.
http://www.twincities.com/politics/ci_18385195 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeCXi5x1Z632TQLm5jMk7FUjSh1I8e_tyIvVJjI-K0je0z8ig6Rcy8u1Jgph0waYwg05VybQ4gX8pDaVbyXqqEBc74DJHweqE6QzXebsYmBk7dDSdsUsX8ugikNNjs_ZbeGwtyrhBA2MbQ==>

*Lawmakers analyze standoff*

/From the Brainerd Dispatch: / As Minnesota's midnight deadline to avoid 
a government shutdown approached, area lawmakers offered different 
perspectives as to what might happen and who's to blame. Rep. John Ward, 
DFL-Brainerd, was in Brainerd late Thursday afternoon but said he was 
ready to drive to St. Paul if Gov. Mark Dayton called a special session 
Thursday. The sticking points of the negotiations between Dayton and 
Republican legislative leaders, in Ward's view, is the choice between 
what he termed an all-cuts or a balanced proposal.
http://brainerddispatch.com/news/2011-06-30/lawmakers-analyze-standoff 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeCnWi6aAhQ6Vy6iSMSGC82wOGQIaOyAXazpoY_9lCNnQLL_WZX3uSZrKuwE7FR1HF-ZecXDYvFaGgpo_h4rOg_rVchCK_lqfN9r7xIQVVLAvcbcxQAys1Bg_OFwhZ3XEHLeXpf329xqQrGotlautWwgrubKR4gtbeUaUT_xWd5-hg==>

*Loggers file suit for access to state forests during shutdown*

/From the Duluth News Tribune: / Three loggers, members of the Minnesota 
Timber Producers industry group, have filed suit against the Minnesota 
Department of Natural Resources to keep access open to state forests 
during the looming shutdown of state government. Keith Harsbargen, Kit 
Harsbargen and Dale Erickson, all of Birchdale, claim the lack of access 
to state land could cripple their logging operations. The suit was filed 
in Koochiching County District Court, with a hearing in International 
Falls late Thursday.
http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/203257/ 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeA0IQzACOIkdRHYY0ILAr5UE51b9KsqLm5MwsymfLyAgQpoFGu4ZzVEV5BR9zoQP3u_H4zoCEcV8n_bvO0XOAqDEkRxiZ5EJPBTH26sOTLfy2f0EKsVKQ-0a6ltIbExY9LFInswtvZyqT0OMItEPyIQCsvdARgJPg4=>

*Child care aid in jeopardy*

/From the Mankato Free Press: / Cassi Gerdes had a rude awakening this 
week when she saw the state government's paralysis in a whole new light. 
"I never thought it would jeopardize where my kids go to day care," she 
said. It hasn't, yet, but it might. The state shutdown, which took 
effect today, stopped funding for the state's child care assistance 
programs, though the federally funded programs remain.
http://mankatofreepress.com/latestnews/x925649803/Child-care-aid-in-jeopardy 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeAQxoQxLwa2_1xkKT9i6kJqJazSUtSYnt72gjAunV2WKNzFBf4u0HPLnAZo3quLN6DDUa8zlUck7KQbZgvgeXJcDXEErQAk3WG4QjAHzLZUWADomk9x1KWvnz1S8Rdyg1y3yUj2xQM_ux31ixMrgR8R86rtH8JHG2N-zYRx8LCNJoiNIcdoy6wr>

*LGA call a win for cities, counties*

/From the Marshall Independent: / Cities and counties across the state 
of Minnesota won a battle in the midst of an ugly war this week when 
Ramsey County District Court Judge Kathleen Gearin ordered that Local 
Government Aid must be paid regardless of a government shutdown. While 
Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton and top Republican lawmakers continued their 
clandestine-like negotiations Thursday to come to terms over the state's 
$5 billion deficit, cities and counties breathed a little sigh of relief 
over Gearin's decision. "We certainly welcome the court's decision," 
Marshall Mayor Bob Byrnes said. "Most people agree that it makes sense. 
The intent of Local Government Aid is to be sure that basic essential 
services are provided in communities."
http://www.marshallindependent.com/page/content.detail/id/528733/LGA-call-a-win-for-cities--counties.html?nav=5015 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeAZ16AiCPy-Y268YLyDnVFHIHNun7aBk_1YzxiURUZnv2rRPLWKb6IG96Skt53VX77SrFATf3HUGxkCLyjN5c76H4skd9k0mJKUKlYWEQywQcZ_9KHEhuWCAgeam2I5A2WoiVU1Dkptf7qEjYctnwkatyAj7KoS8AlIQbk4S3NVl92FUE3czrM9GKRbLRvsryVTf5TuL-qfO1mkoIfhMvm-MruF8c9_HwKtbkc0n2LZY8fvGsP2QGO_> 

Opinion and Editorial...
	*
*

*Editorial: Dayton, GOP should be able to compromise*

/From the Faribault Daily News:/  Cross your fingers that you won't need 
a rest stop on the highway any time in the near future.  Or finalize 
paperwork on a commercial loan. Or visit a state park. Or rely on work 
on a state construction project for a paycheck. By the time you read 
this, likely most of the state's government operations will have shut 
down over a budget dispute that has turned into a political game of 
chicken. Best case scenario: Gov. Mark Dayton will call a special 
session to pass a "status quo" budget so that talks can continue.
http://www.faribault.com/content/dayton-gop-should-be-able-compromise 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeD99Z0TzSkGO7K9ZDzFE-5_DPWW5sdkzykYeVcHNoNxbjsaSsdMssM9XPgfVwlziXe9E1CSgVQBa3ZK3QjKLPhvVPCy1C1pVJHMplEoODEsjw42DNYsySsezflpISyma5fbPr7xAFQa1RbGOw7eYwixnAtKequ9xFOZ32soYkylww==>

*Editorial: Threat and enormous opportunity in Minnesota*

/From the Grand Forks (N.D.) Herald: / If a grand bargain has averted a 
shutdown of Minnesota state government, then read no further. This 
editorial is entirely out of date - and what a great thing that would 
be. So, go about your business, savor your good fortune if your day 
calls for visiting a Minnesota state park, and enjoy your holiday 
weekend.  If a grand bargain has been struck, that is. If not ... If 
not, then don't despair, even though Minnesota has barricaded highway 
rest stops, stopped fixing roads and is implementing the biggest layoff 
in state history.
http://www.grandforksherald.com/event/article/id/208388/group/Opinion/ 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeCMM1OGMkBrhlapzBmqXs617BN2XZLDBznqD4XCngu6XZbPPpdTJ1xhnif2Gfka-a2ZHfznGnXmC2gPUQNUIX_kazSDAv9i2hlUk0iwgjAGVXN5Kieq6mo5Ej0RxX4w7oebEYDC9YdHEDICMMNMhW2TaswOFyZWXwAo-ZLAhHfq_3_MEuoSgL4_>

*Editorial: As taxpayers, we deserve better than this*

/From the Winona Daily News: / For more than a year now, we've heard 
lawmakers of every political hue talk about making government work more 
like business. But today marks the first day of a statewide Minnesota 
government shutdown. Things 'round here are kind of topsy-turvy. So in 
that spirit, we'd flip the question: What happens if business ran like 
our state government?
http://www.winonadailynews.com/news/opinion/editorial/article_e7a57900-a3e1-11e0-b59e-001cc4c002e0.html 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeDJxmj4C9BLfWdvKolarcybAK23LRAvSVILKBGhWn_Af7Rbb59xm_wfn35m-TcY1dxl4OoQ448HsvVbPGmA_MunLX91VOjbCNxQMRVR3Th3SxCvETnKalRoI6LcShZopSDdJW8fHvdI_9VW1MnB98EB_BaMikRf4sB88ADZm1YDIxS_MPUhJHpYpAJVk7TVZPTfUpStDop980rSAuJY9lZzbtGkYTrGpQc=> 

Around the nation...
	*
*

*Obama Pushes for a Deficit Deal by July 22*

/From the Wall Street Journal: / The Obama administration believes 
congressional leaders must agree to a deficit-reduction deal by July 22 
in order to raise the government's borrowing limit in time to avoid a 
default in early August, according to Democratic officials with 
knowledge of the negotiations.  The government needs a week or two to 
write and pass the necessary legislation and take the steps necessary to 
avoid missing a payment. "We're down to the wire," one official said.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303763404576418231837713932.html?mod=WSJ_WSJ_US_News_5 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeDX9WVrwnWXqZOpXHAPIAic5Tz9iMt-Nz-IHQ0xHE79M8Z7GHwvD6wgKMzwcHuEyZ5hBjivwXIjD0TyXBqtj4fc1tdAY60QSEUQgBajMUuWLVfdUaxrA5sfbKLfGjOJgx8Audk0uCr05bueetfufji11y2S9qHPHRR18C6jEQD4GQvzQVQ8zPxQV-b4DUgTnoeEfkr0N9oqKq5hDwPKU7w9>

*Geithner Staying (for Now)*

/From the New York Times:/  Normally, that would not qualify as news. 
But Mr. Geithner's comments came in a frenzied afternoon of speculation 
after news reports that he was considering leaving the Obama 
administration in the coming months, after a deal is reached with 
Congress to reduce the budget deficit.  Mr. Geithner's comments, made at 
a conference in Chicago organized by former President Bill Clinton, were 
clearly intended to douse that speculation, underscoring how worried the 
White House is about the potentially destabilizing effect of his 
departure as it struggles with a fragile recovery and holds tough 
negotiations with Congress to avert a debt crisis.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/business/01geithner.html?ref=business 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeBZGY-tpZgtCCCWP8d-v1_dOWpaqsYpMbTYuY7zXx6ylI2opB3Cj4jnTSFjrEFUjLII10X00k1gW01rPq-MKIO4ki0CzdbVlc9U1Hmt2XF4_CcCxPlnk0MI5h9czagGpYsDZPJgWXPP2JlFSZZgAbQ5fxlOhTMaY8OB21Fzd8ZAS1BKu7HWLHkZ> 

Around the world...
	*
*

*Global Manufacturing Slows, Posing Rates Dilemma*

/From Bloomberg: / Manufacturing growth is slowing from China to Europe, 
creating a dilemma for central bankers considering higher interest rates 
to combat inflation.  China's factory index fell to the lowest level 
since February 2009, while in the 17-nation euro area, a gauge slipped 
to an 18-month low. German manufacturing expanded at the weakest pace in 
17 months, while Italy, Ireland, Spain and Greece contracted. In the 
U.K. and India, output growth also slowed.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-07-01/china-manufacturing-growth-cools-as-wen-s-inflation-campaign-damps-growth.html 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeCA-Qq4X_JW7mklmeWJ4y5D4OAYpoY6J3xfHhR7AiKatTiz4t5Ol24hxTbyabRAthQTgPhtUvy7AqAU8kAIfHnCXSrXVYjE5QKMliTfO-GAHcO188ciKQ53DnmTKtOYto5WeXhdeWWU6aXA0dnPslOCyNzYTghM7S9RYSdL6v1lT6Z_4H1NiINs1rmeaWLttxugdlAcpEU3B5knflKmSw9HtjW8lliTQfdMl9boeqBtqw==>

*German Banks Agree to Roll Over Greek Debt*

/From the New York Times:/  The biggest financial institutions in 
Germany followed the lead of their French counterparts Thursday by 
agreeing to roll over some of their holdings of Greek debt - a crucial 
step toward obtaining international agreement on a second bailout for 
the crippled Greek economy.  The German finance minister, Wolfgang 
Schäuble, said in Berlin that banks and insurance companies were 
"prepared to participate in a second aid program for Greece" as part of 
a wider European deal.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/01/business/global/01iht-euro01.html?ref=business 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeAvLo7dE8mnnsNLdwHvmF3dB63t8wCv2uda2Ndk1Ju2uMooLAonxaktkIs4HiKg0q6plTc55JsbruBV-nEzkz_cTGhWTcla5Gkv_nv0G6by9todV9VCbklW6jmhG_DvQ9ZEVwY2jfImZ6W2znrW2UVojaRzo1tt7mgg7oylPQBUU_jTuxq2TfWffyyWC-AkrV2VH3QGwT1YmA==> 

The economy...
	*
*

*U.S. Businesses Grow, Consumer Confidence Gains in Sign Growth May Pick Up*

/From Bloomberg: / Businesses in the U.S. unexpectedly expanded at a 
faster pace in June and consumer confidence reached a 10-week high, 
signs that economic growth may pick up in the second half of the year.  
The Institute for Supply Management-Chicago Inc.'s business barometer 
climbed to 61.1, exceeding the highest forecast in a Bloomberg News 
survey, from 56.6 in May. Readings greater than 50 signal expansion. The 
Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index rose to minus 43.9 from minus 44.9.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-30/business-activity-in-u-s-expanded-in-june.html 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeDkjamQK5SF_5HaPrBJJhV_Jtg5vlExdaXU3ZCuztkQ2wKtEmLpOcUqxdAZPm2AEyJYLqJJf9MBX0wlDamA07IL0TU6UXmJ8_f4XXHq5Oc1b-kcPT0MG4-AcsGW2RSaEopmboqk_vuqUJIPdf3x-15bNR1jOa64knZN9dlmne-2G2R4i9GL5mjcPZttcyzdAbE=>

*Foreclosure backlogs taking longer to process*

/From the Washington Post: / On a recent morning at the county 
courthouse here, retired circuit court judge Wayne Cobb surveyed the 
hundreds of files stacked before him, each a foreclosure case waiting to 
be finalized, dismissed or delayed.  We're jammed up," he said.  That 
logjam won't fade soon. Funding for Florida's "rocket docket," which 
allowed the state's courts to hire additional staff and bring back 
retired judges to plow through its foreclosure backlog - but raised 
questions about fairness for homeowners - ended Thursday. That leaves 
fewer people and less money to tackle the state's 300,000 lingering 
foreclosure cases, with more on the way.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/economy/foreclosure-backlogs-taking-longer-to-process/2011/06/27/AGlYtksH_story.html 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeAYHKdk0GhvFPKTtUjRhKNRZpueyvLu4xDdKGkT010VB6yxwpRfDFKdpTX5j-1ZO95UpZnFNJ1rjMPs6qdffSskkLl60NtVSv4qDLJorilMKp7RrC9D1bmWEFPp7p3PvLL9Tokel6d28ji1fcvu0TOn_Vd_MmOoltW8ZSguzSt6UFcHB_bhXuzp6odMGMnxgkiLk3dCzdcTjwM3JQ3iP-nQFCoYziESXkm6xuZIVeuf-OEfjx5tVbZgylQc2O3eM9Y=> 

In Human Resources news...
	*
*

*Special Report on Social Media: You Can't Take Your Online Contacts 
With You ... or Can You?*

/From Workforce Management: / Recruiter Jackie Juge wasn't about to 
surrender her LinkedIn network of contacts once her work for Microsoft 
Corp. ended.  In comments to a blog posting last year, Juge described a 
dispute she had with the software giant-a conflict that raises tricky 
questions about social media that more and more companies and workers 
will inevitably face.  "Microsoft tried to get me to turn over my 
LinkedIn contacts to them after my contract ended. Those contacts were 
developed over five years of work with Google and MS, and the email 
default was my private email not corporate," Juge wrote at recruiting 
blogs.com. "I refused."  Juge, who now is a senior recruiter at Mountain 
View, California-based Google Inc., added that Microsoft eventually 
dropped the matter. She declined to comment further about the conflict, 
and Microsoft also declined to comment.
http://www.workforce.com/section/software-technology/feature/special-report-social-media-cant-take-your-online/index.html 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeBWmnexefADOR9ECP-yvBLGuFfyKs_BfcbTUH-dEeZfVSTF6TLrXUUzcHWMr23Z7xFwh2BI7IeQC3RwYJzeSGpMrOsrO69qGQuqvj375qfqCRVLDLQI1KNZlFr1ZdHhLE0CvfeGWuvGx8yXsKFiG7Jym4LsWfcsfiTHSFXHmk1Ew_vUZg3_zNIkkqDBkPOkpXyageFfyVZfawdQ2LFs3hst5pUn73wjR3FWSF73JConTEXnlVmleFde>

*Payroll Laws: Clear Policies Help Avoid Unpaid Overtime Claims*

/From HR.BLR.com:/  When it comes to avoiding problems due to overtime 
payments under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), attorney Paul Lopez 
Lopez says you should ask yourself the following questions.
http://hr.blr.com/HR-news/Compensation/Overtime/Payroll-Laws-Clear-Policies-Help-Avoid-Unpaid-Over-88535/ 
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=6g467ccab&et=1106339699162&s=20114&e=001XD1sWAMJoeBPGD8FrwSkOcI62yP1-LKYaoQadvEvJ-U1zb8erlUJ1NVEAWCSu57_K9h7rRgKCdfdahbnC_s80i2WGTjVAQ5F92OqCTnYGZgQEuPyZMA-ued5f_8Y2QiAYOo3lrzE_Ygq-wHEBp8cxN5l46BvQnECb7GK114B1ua3sss0n4BIPWAY4p2oGRpkH1tw1p4Zn70XbeovULMjV1W6_oww0jFLJRWNja5t9Ow=> 

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