— A Madison-based national media watchdog group is getting a boost out of this year’s long-running health care debate — a much higher national profile that saw a flurry of September scores. The Center for Media and Democracy(http://www.prwatch.org) has been getting unprecedented national exposure, thanks to an unlikely spokesman: a retired health insurance executive turned harsh critic of his former industry. Since early summer Wendell Potter, a former public relations executive for the health insurer CIGNA, has testified before Congress, given speeches and granted interviews aimed at boosting the cause of health care reform and especially a strong public alternative to private industry. He’s done it with the backing of CMD, a progressive-leaning watchdog that seeks to expose and counteract business and government PR campaigns See more soon in a new MediaWatch column at http://www.wisbusiness.com — With BadgerCare’s core program being capped at week’s end, Wisconsin officials are “feverishly” working on an alternative to handle an expected waiting list of 20,000, a top state health officer said at a Thursday forum. “The wait list is going to grow to the tens of thousands by spring. We’re getting about 500 applications a day. The governor has directed the department to develop another plan that will be more bare bones, but trying to provide for this group that was formerly nameless, now we have a group of about 20,000 we know want health insurance,” said Dr. Jonathan Jaffery, chief medical officer of Wisconsin Medicaid and BadgerCare. See more from the forum: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=172996 — A state manufacturer has decided to keep 115 jobs in Wisconsin after it had strongly considered a move to Illinois. ACCO Brands, which includes labels like Day-Timer, Swingline and Kensington, is getting a $750,000 loan from the state to help with a $2 million dollar project to consolidate operations near Kenosha. See details: http://www.wisbusiness.com/index.iml?Article=172953 TOP STORIES Proposed payday loans regulations hit bump: A plan to cap rates for payday lenders faces major setbacks in the Legislature as lawmakers look at other ways of regulating the industry that has lobbied and spent heavily to avoid regulation. Costume firm busting at seams: Talk about a Happy Halloween. Business is going so well for online costume and party accessories retailer BuySeasons that it is already looking at possible expansion of its distribution center in New Berlin, just two years after being spurned by the city of Milwaukee. ACCO Brands expanding in Pleasant Prairie : ACCO Brands Corp., a supplier of office products with headquarters in northern Illinois, on Thursday said it is moving some of its production and warehouse operations to Pleasant Prairie, saving 115 jobs in the southeastern Wisconsin village.
************************************************************ See commentary from around the state and columns from WisBusiness contributors Jennifer Sereno, Kevin McKinley, Tom Burzinski, Gregg Hoffmann, Tom Still and Steve Jagler: ************************************************************ TECHNOLOGY (back to top) – Minnesota nanotech firm moving to Wisconsin
ECONOMY (back to top) – State gives big bonuses to pension fund managers
MANUFACTURING (back to top)
LABOR (back to top) – Treasures Media announces expansion, new hires, in Racine
INVESTING (back to top)
REAL ESTATE (back to top) – Council members want referendum on library, Edgewater redevelopment – Condo default detailed in suit
AGRIBUSINESS (back to top) – Wisconsin Corn, Soybean Stocks Down from September 2008 – Cross Country: Where’s the beef? It also comes from dairy cows
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