Economy

September 1, 2006 - City leaders in Houston threw their Stetsons in the air and squealed with glee this week when news came that Lockheed Martin had landed a major contra

August 22, 2006 - Here in East Tennessee, every time there's a new major revitalization plan for Knoxville there is mention of light rail. (Along with a "discovery" center, but I digress.) People nod and say "that's nice" and go look at the maps to see how many of their homes and natural areas will be replaced with condos and office/retail/strip-mall developments.

July 29, 2006 - Until 2004, North Carolina was considered a fairly stingy state when it came to "development subsidies" -- the over $50 billion a year in tax breaks and other give-aways that states and localities pay to attract business.

July 20, 2006 - Real estate investors looking to cash in on foreclosures note rising foreclosure rates around the South:

July 20, 2006 - At the request of Gov. Kathleen Blanco, the Louisiana Civil Service Commission has raised the minimum wage for all state workers to $6.15 per hour, one dollar more than the federal minimum wage. The new minimum wage will go into effect in August.

July 19, 2006 - Ralph Reed, the former darling of the Christian right movement, conceded defeat in his bid for the Republican nomination for Lt. Governor of Georgia at 10 pm last night.

July 18, 2006 - I'm back from a mostly-restful vacation. Many thanks to R. Neal for covering last week, including his excellent exclusive interview with former N.C. Sen. John Edwards about fighting poverty in America.

July 12, 2006 - In late 2001, Jordan Green of the Institute for Southern Studies broke the story about Halliburton (link is to Feb.

July 6, 2006 - According to this report, the State of Louisiana has experienced an unexpected increase in state and local tax revenues:

July 3, 2006 - Most people who work for a living in this country support the idea of having an organization that represents their interests.