Ask AP: Importance of housing starts, honeybees (AP)
<p><a href="http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/personalfinance/*http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081121/ap_on_bi_ge/ask_ap"><img src="http://d.yimg.com/us.yimg.com/p/ap/20081121/capt.a3a7aeb0b0884b8e97551f65f194e743.ask_ap_ask102.jpg?x=94&y=130&q=85&sig=b1guKaA_xZrRu2txvNYlhg--" align="left" height="130" width="94" alt="In this Thursday, Aug. 16, 2007 file photo, Professor Emeritus Robbin Thorp holds a specimen of a Franklin's bumblebee queen in his office at the University of California Davis bee biology department in Davis, Calif. A reader-submitted question about bees is being answered as part of an Associated Press Q&A column called 'Ask AP'. (AP Photo/Steve Yeater)" border="0" /></a>AP - American farmers have long worried about the declining population of honeybees, a key crop pollinator. But honeybees originally came from Europe, so can't U.S. farms get by without them — with a little help from good old American bugs whose ancestors were here before Columbus?</p><br clear="all"/>
FHA-Backed Loans: The New Subprime (BusinessWeek Online)
BusinessWeek Online - As if they haven't done enough damage. Thousands of subprime mortgage lenders and brokers -- many of them the very sorts of firms that helped create the current financial crisis -- are going strong. Their new strategy: taking advantage of a long-standing federal program designed to encourage homeownership by insuring mortgages for buyers of modest means.
'Help' Can Be Costly (BusinessWeek Online)
BusinessWeek Online - The implosion of the subprime mortgage market has been a boon to loan-modification consultants who promise to help borrowers refinance and get back on the road to financial stability.


a new facility, the states “come a runnin’” Why? Well, the states are looking for job creation. If they can get a large company to build a facility, jobs will be created. More jobs mean happy constituents. Happy constituents tend to re-elect politicians.

So, what do states have to offer the gigantic corporations? Nice views? Great weather? Nope. Taxes relief! The states essentially tell the corporation that they will waive certain taxes so long as the corporation agrees to build their facility within the state. It may sound sleazy, but it is an age old situation.

In the case of Google, North Carolina competed with other states to get the new facility. After all, a $600 million dollar facility is going to need a lot of employees, right? Well, Google apparently was unwilling to commit to any job creation numbers. North Carolina apparently decided it was worth the risk and took the plunge. It now appears the new facility will only result in the creation of a maximum of 200 jobs. Oops.

So, what did North Carolina give to Google to get the facility? The kitchen sink! The state has agreed to some massive tax benefits. It has waived all personal property taxes Google would have had to pay for 30 years. It also waived 80 percent of the real estate taxes the company would have to pay for 30 years. Now that is tax relief!

Should Google be blamed or condemned for running over the North Carolina politicians? No. Business is business. The next time you hear the “do no evil” slogan, just know it comes with a wink!

Article Source: http://www.Article-Warehouse.com

Richard A. Chapo is with BusinessTaxRecovery.com - providing information on taxes.

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