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It’s a New Year and reason for economic optimism pervades—at least in southern Minnesota, where, for the most part, the farm economy and farmland prices have been going well. Thank goodness we have agriculture propping up our regional economy. Look for at least two or three Connect Business Magazine feature stories on agriculture-related businesses over the next several issues. That said, buckle your seat belts and away we go….
If you’re an oldies radio fan, you most certainly remember—and probably still hear occasionally—Petula Clark’s No. 1 1964 pop hit, “Downtown.” Clark’s lilting soprano praised a Manhattan neon nighttime arts and music scene that could ward off loneliness and boredom—a warm and friendly place where “everything’s waiting for you.”
We heartily thank our readers who nominated their colleagues or friends for our Tenth Annual Connect Business Magazine/KEYC-TV Business Person of the Year Awards.
Vroom. Vroom. Here we go years without featuring a stock car driver and this issue we have two. It was coincidental and completely fun, if for no other reasons for the latter than being able to experience with the drivers their circular tales of glory and vicariously feeling their bumps and bruises.
Often times, after considering a bill’s many pros and cons and neutrals, they end up voting for the lesser of two evils. It’s not an easy job to have. For illustrative purposes, let’s use marijuana—not literally, of course….
Over the years, I have read so many online news articles about government mismanagement of tax money that seeing new examples usually just causes shrugged shoulders and heavy sighs and nothing more. But on rare occasions I become a bit worked up and sometimes write about it here.
Some people crave limelight and neon; others prefer backlight or no light. Our cover story, 46-year-old Marcia Bahr, Mankato Clinic director of marketing and communications and Jersey Mike’s Subs co-owner, feels more comfortable with the latter.
Here, in this issue, I feature a slam-dunk of a column that examines the effect personal state income taxes could be having on—of all things—National Basketball Association team records and top-tier Minnesota corporations acquiring the best talent.
If officially asked to create a new adjective for Merriam Webster Dictionary, I probably would choose “Stevens-Vaughn,” which would be a contracted form of our cover story’s name, Stevens Vaughn.
