Manufacturers banding together to end city’s use tax 

Next month, local manufacturers plan to ask the city to eliminate its 2.5 percent use-tax on equipment.

• Schur Auctions: Selling faster than a speeding bullet 
• Business owners should discern between myths, truth 
• A workout buddy for your business practices 
• Publicity turns toy-rental business marketing into child’s play 
• Businesses failing fast on downtown’s Bijou block 

Credit Union of Colorado starts a scholarship foundation

The Credit Union of Colorado has launched a foundation to raise grant money for human services and education. The Credit Union of Colorado, which was founded in 1934, has a membership that includes teachers, college and university employees and state employees, retirees and their family members. The foundation is a way to continue supporting philanthropic activities to [...]

• Ent Credit Union giving $10 million back to its members
• Lawmaker seeks to create financial institution for marijuana businesses
• Weak demand at auction of 30-year Treasury bonds
• Bumpy earnings season ahead for banks
• State sanctions publishing company and owner for securities violations

Bach weighs in on Memorial negotiations

Mayor Steve Bach sent the Colorado Springs City Council a letter this week, outlining his vision for the way the negotiations to lease Memorial Health System should proceed. Bach, first of all, wants to be more involved. He also wants to use outside legal counsel to help City Attorney Chris Melcher during the negotiations. The money [...]

• Health care exchanges challenged in Denver 
• Centura Health affiliates with two hospitals in the San Luis Valley
• State identifies ways to improve public health, environment
• Survey: Reform will challenge hospitals to adapt, compete
• Memorial’s future now up to negotiators

Greccio to buy 2 foreclosed apartment buildings

Greccio Housing is preparing to close on two apartment buildings that will increase their inventory of affordable housing by more than 30 percent. Lee Patke, Greccio executive director, said he couldn’t discuss specifics about the buildings or the bank that owns them until the closings on Feb. 6 and March 6. But the two buildings, which are [...]

• El Paso County’s most expensive foreclosures 
• Ivywild project closer to final approval
• $25B US mortgage deal goes to states
• Manitou event center shaping up
• Businesses failing fast on downtown’s Bijou block 

Money Museum receives coin worth $220,000

The Edward C. Rochette Money Museum collection in Colorado Springs now contains a 1792 half disme, a donation from a California coin dealer. The early American coin is valued at $220,000 and was donated by Steven Contusi, president of Rare Coin Wholeslers in Irvine, Calif. “The coin will be a fantastic, historically significant addition to the museum’s [...]

• Hill Climb tickets go on sale, organizers predicting record year
• Norris-Penrose GM seeks to corral events 
• Four finalists chosen to create city logo
• Travel industry added jobs in 2011, has good December
• 25 local designers want a shot at the city logo

Knapp named executive director of PTAC

Ken Knapp has been named the first executive director of the Colorado Procurement Technical Assistance Center. Knapp formerly was the deputy director of the PTAC, and will continue those responsibilities. However, he will also be in charge of fundraising for the organization. The PTAC must get part of its funding from private sources, while part of [...]

• Chiao joins Space Foundation
• AIA: Reform needed to maintain security, U.S. competitiveness
• Neil deGrasse Tyson to kickoff Space Symposium
• ISS receives government contracts worth $120 million
• Brightest minds discuss space possibilities at Symposium

A daunting task on the federal budget 

President Obama will release his proposed 2012-13 budget in early February. Over subsequent months, members of Congress will debate and attempt to score political points on the budget, especially in an election year, while special interests with their snouts stuck deep in the federal trough will seek to suck up even more taxpayer dollars. Make no [...]

• Slow it down 
• Bad economic lessons from New York and California 
• Mayor Bach is well-equipped, so let him lead 
• The Fed has added a little more clarity to its monetary policy 
• The 2012 economic forecast