Reducing business taxes and personal-income taxes is the No. 1 way to stimulate the Pennsylvania economy, according to a recent poll of 700 registered voters in the state.

Minimum-wage increase to $7.15 vexes employers

Dear Mr. Berko: I own 140 shares of Dell Computer, which I bought in January of 2005 at $42, and the value of the shares has been straight downhill since. What's wrong with this company?

Last week's question:

Republican U.S. Reps. Joe Pitts and Todd Platts are among those pushing for a moratorium on earmarks — taxpayer funds set aside for projects in lawmakers' jurisdictions. Do you support their stance? Why or why not?

YES — 95 percent

NO — 5 percent

For months, there has been hope that the economy could skirt a recession. Even while the data deteriorated, it was believed that job and income gains would allow consumers to continue to hold up their end of the bargain. But then we got the killer: a second month of U.S. job losses.

REAL ESTATE NEWS: openings, contracts, transactions, relocations

Bankruptcies, disciplinary actions, mortgages, incorportations, liens

M&T Bank Corp. is one of three major banks dropping out of the federal student-loan program for the 2008-09 academic year, according to an article in today's Wall Street Journal.

Midstate banks have largely avoided the turmoil on Wall Street, local financial observers said, after a weekend that saw the near collapse of a major financial firm and unusual interventions by the Federal Reserve System.

Manufacturer BAE Systems, which posted a $1.8 billion profit in 2007, received $4.3 million from Pennsylvania to expand its York County operations. Should this state and other states offer these types of incentives to large corporations? Why or why not?

Click here to read what Commerce Bancorp's chief economist has to say about the Fed's recent actions.

Rite Aid Corp. today announced it will incur an income-tax expense that will result in a wider-than-expected net loss in the fourth quarter.

Breaking down the business benefits of the Economic Stimulus Act. Read the blog entry here.

New York-based insurance and financial-services company American International Group Inc. (AIG) will pay more than $9 million in penalties to the Pennsylvania Department of Insurance for filing false financial reports.

Central Pennsylvania is receiving about $2.1 million in upgrades to its communications infrastructure, including advance Internet services.