Politics - Nov. 18, 2009
Clock is ticking for decision on Hoan Bridge
It's been a semi-charmed kind of life for the Hoan Bridge, the yellow-arched icon of Milwaukee's Lakefront. But time could be running out for the Hoan Bridge. Built in the early 1970s but not opened to traffic until 1977, the nearly two-mile span over the Milwaukee Harbor is in need of replacement or repair.
Tagged with: hoan bridge, interstate 794, lake parkway, bay view, lakefront, milwaukee harbor, jeff stone, WisDOT

Marketplace - Nov. 11, 2009
Doomsday takes a holiday in Wisconsin
Those who still think Wisconsin is a terrible place to do business should rethink their stance; while the state's high taxes are still problematic, and closure of powerful automotive plants in Kenosha and Janesville hurt, the state is actually beginning to retrain and attract new jobs and companies across its borders.
Tagged with: wisconsin business, dick leinenkugel, republic airways, midwest airlines, milwaukee 7

Politics - Nov. 9, 2009
Politicos react to passage of health care reform bill
The Democratic-controlled U.S. House of Representative approved a landmark health care reform bill Saturday night by a 220-215 vote. BizTimes Milwaukee collected reactions about the legislation from Wisconsin's Congressional delegation and others. Their comments follow.
Tagged with: health care bill, tammy baldwin, paul ryan, jim sensenbrenner, steve kagen, gwen moore, derrick plummer, tom petri, ron kind, bruce josten

Marketplace - Nov. 4, 2009
Can Wandell steer Harley back to hog heaven?
I have never played poker with Harley-Davidson CEO Keith Wandell. But if I did, and he went "all in" with his chips on a crucial hand, I'd look him in the eyes. And then I'd probably fold.
Tagged with: harley-davidson, hog, motorcycles, keith wandell

Marketplace - Oct. 28, 2009
Micromanaging employees to death
A natural reaction for many companies in the Great Recession has been to tighten managerial controls on everything from office supplies and cold-call sales schedules to travel expenses. The authors of a new book contend that "we are micromanaging our employees to death."
Tagged with: Quadracci, Quad/Graphics, QuadTech, Karl Fritchen, Harley-Davidson, Richard Teerlink, Brian Carney, Isaac Getz, Freedom, Inc.

Politics - Oct. 20, 2009
Barrett not likely to run for governor
Democratic insiders believe Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett will decide not to launch a campaign to be Wisconsin's next governor, and some say Gov. Jim Doyle is "shopping" for another candidate to challenge Barbara Lawton for the party's nomination.
Tagged with: governor race, tom barrett, milwaukee mayor, barbara lawton, wisconsin governor, jim doyle

Marketplace - Oct. 14, 2009
Turbulent times require bold leadership
In the best of times, effective leadership is critical to the success of most companies. Now, you toss in the worst recession since the Great Depression, and strong leadership becomes a do-or-die proposition for most organizations.
Tagged with: leadership, tempo waukesha, pulse luncheon

Living - Oct. 7, 2009
Twitter is no place for twits
When do your employees stop becoming representatives of your company and start becoming private citizens? When are they officially off the clock? When they walk out the door at the end of the work day, are they private citizens who are no longer held to the same standards of behavior? When they get home, are they no longer considered to be on the job?
Tagged with: twitter, tweets, social networking, nick barnett, green bay packers

Politics - Oct. 3, 2009
Chicago's Olympic loss leads to political pain
Chicago's failed bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics was a defeat for the city, the region, the country and President Obama. It also left some of Milwaukee's business and civic leaders wondering what might have been.
Tagged with: chicago, olympics, 2016, obama

Sports - Oct. 2, 2009
Milwaukee leaders react to Chicago's Olympic elimination
Chicago will not host the 2016 Olympic Games. The International Olympic Committee today eliminated Chicago in the first round of voting for the host site. Here's reaction from several Milwaukee leaders.
Tagged with: Chicago 2016, Olympics, IOC, Daley, Sheehy, regional development

Politics - Sept. 30, 2009
Chicago can't squander Olympic opportunity
Nearly as many Chicago residents oppose Mayor Richard Daley's Olympic plans (45 percent) as support them (47 percent), according to the latest poll by the Chicago Tribune.
Tagged with: olympics, olympic games, olympics 2016, chicago 2016, chicago

Living - Sept. 23, 2009
Empowerment is key to servant leadership
A few years ago, when I was first promoted into a management position -- without any prior training or experience in that field -- I asked my father for advice.
Tagged with: steve jagler, keith clark, leadership, the art of empowering

Politics - Sept. 16, 2009
Can private sector ideas fix MPS?
Should the mayor be allowed to take over MPS? If so, what would the impact be? How have mayoral takeovers of public schools worked in other cities? What kinds of new ideas from the private sector could be replicated to help MPS improve its results?
Tagged with: MPS, Milwaukee Public Schools, Tom Barrett, Milwaukee Press Club, Cory Nettles

Marketplace - Sept. 9, 2009
Corporate wellness has its own rewards
Most corporate leaders intuitively know that a healthy, physically fit workforce is a strategic asset that not only results in more efficiency and effectiveness on the job, but reduces medical expenses in the long run.
Tagged with: corporate wellness, johnsonville sausage, faith technologies, steve jagler

Marketplace - Sept. 4, 2009
Mercury Marine workers approve contract offer
Voting of the third time, members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local 1947 in Fond du Lac approved a "best and final" contract offer from Mercury Marine today.
Tagged with: Voting of the third time, members of International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) Local 1947, Fond du Lac, Stillwater, OK, Doyle

Politics - Sept. 2, 2009
Washington could use a dose of Wisconsin civility
A recent Milwaukee meeting with U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore and Paul Ryan, unlike many other town hall-like settings taking place across the country, was civil, polite and informative.
Tagged with: gwen moore, paul ryan, health care, newsmakers luncheon

Politics - Aug. 26, 2009
The real story behind Mercury Marine's labor collapse
The question is being asked at dinner tables and water coolers throughout Wisconsin: Why would those union workers at Mercury Marine's Fond du Lac plant vote against the company's last contract proposal?
Tagged with: mercury marine, labor, union workers

Politics - Aug. 20, 2009
Poll provides preview of intense GOP primary
The frenzied public response to this week's online BizTimes Poll provides a foretelling glimpse into the intense political ground game that is shaping Wisconsin's Republican primary gubernatorial race between Milwaukee County Executive Scott Walker and former U.S. Rep. Mark Neumann (R-Janesville).
Tagged with: wisconsin governor, jim doyle, scott walker, gop, mark neumann

Marketplace - Aug. 19, 2009
Baird still bullish about Harley-Davidson
Harley-Davidson Inc. is closing plants and laying off thousands of people, while sales of its motorcycles are falling, the company has excess capacity and its profits dropped 91 percent in the second quarter.
Tagged with: harley-davidson, harley, motorcycles, economy

Politics - Aug. 12, 2009
If I were in charge of health care, the first thing I would do is ...
Lost in the heated political rhetoric surrounding the debate over American health care reforms are some simply human dramas that can be framed in Constitutional and Judeo-Christian contexts.
Tagged with: health care, health care reform, health care debate