Government, Politics and the Economy Work Visa Bill: A Threat to Outsourcers? There is a controversial "50/50" provision in the new Durbin-Grassley visa reform bill that could hurt Indian outsourcers but also save US jobs. BusinessWeek.com Bernanke: Long-Term Budget Deficits Threaten Financial Stability Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke warned that large US budget deficits are a threat to the nation's financial stability and that the government cannot continue to borrow at the current rate to finance the shortfall forever. Bloomberg.com Management, Taxe... [Read Full Article]

According to SBE Council President & CEO, Karen Kerrigan, "Few understand the costs of health care better than small business owners. In the face of significant costs, they struggle to remain competitive, provide health care coverage for themselves, their own families, employees and the families of workers. Unfortunately, many policies that have been put into effect have only increased health insurance costs. That is the case not just with federal policies, but state initiatives as well." The Index is a means of highlighting trouble spots as well as places where things are working and costs to business are low. The ranking of the states in the Healthcare Policy Cost Index is accomplished by measuring five policy items that impact the cost of healthcare. By doing this, the Index is able to show which states have a good climate for healthcare costs and which do not. These measures inc... [Read Full Article]

Government and Economy New SBA Chief Could Deliver Real Change Karen Mills, President Obama's choice to run the Small Business Administration, could transform the agency's approach to funding. Greenwashing in Washington With Democrats emphasizing the environment in their economic recovery plan, environmental groups are saying that greenwashing—the marketing of products as green even if they really aren’t—has moved from being an advertising ploy to a lobbying tool. [Read Full Article]

Politics and Government Business Braces for Washinton Changes Businesses across the U.S. are bracing for stricter financial regulations and more pro-labor policies. One such policy actively opposed by business interests allows unions to hold informal votes, without the use of traditional secret ballots. Economics and Labor Issues Cash Injections May Eclipse Fed's Benchmark Interest Rate The Federal Reserve's efforts to rescue the U.S. from financial collapse risks the eclipse of the central bank's benchmark interest rate as the most important signal of monetary policy. Consum... [Read Full Article]