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HAWAII
Complaint hearings canceled
Next week's regulatory fairness enforcement hearings scheduled by the U.S. Small Business Administration for Oahu and Maui have been canceled, the agency said yesterday.The hearings were scrubbed because of a delay in Congress approving the federal budget, it said.
The hearings were meant to allow business owners to discuss concerns about federal regulatory compliance practices, in particular complaints about excessive enforcement of rules and regulations. SBA's Hawaii District office will accept written testimony from small businesses through Thursday. Testimony can be faxed to 541-2976 or mailed to the SBA, Prince Jonah Kuhio Federal Building, 300 Ala Moana Blvd., Suite 300, Honolulu, HI 96850.
MAINLAND
Conseco files Chapter 11 plan
INDIANAPOLIS >> Conseco Inc. yesterday filed a reorganization plan that spells out the insurance and finance company's plans to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy.Banks and bondholders are first in line to recover their investments in Conseco, which became the third-largest U.S. company to file bankruptcy when it sought Chapter 11 protection in December. Common shareholders are last in line, and expected to recover little, if any, of their investments.
The reorganization plan was filed shortly before a company-imposed midnight deadline in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Chicago. The plan followed a tentative pre-bankruptcy agreement the company reached with banks and bondholders to restructure $6.5 billion in debt, the legacy of soured 1990s acquisitions.
Blue Book users pointed to eBay
SAN JOSE, Calif. >> In moves intended to strengthen its appeal as a marketplace for cars, eBay Inc. said yesterday it has signed agreements with Kelley Blue Book to be the exclusive auction-style partner of its Web site, and to buy car-listing software from CARad.com.Under the agreement, users of the Kelley Blue Book Web site who search for content and pricing information will have direct access to listings on eBay Motors that match their search criteria. Users will also be able to link to eBay Motors to list a vehicle for sale.
The deal also will enable dealers who use Kelley Blue Book's inventory management software, KarPower, to list their inventory on eBay Motors.
Beef consumption trend is up
NASHVILLE, Tenn. >> Beef is still what's for dinner, despite a sluggish economy and high supplies, according to numbers released at the 2003 Cattle Industry Annual Convention and Trade Show this week.While Cattle-Fax reports show demand fell about 1.5 percent last year, the industry remains on pace to meet its four-year goal of increasing demand by 6 percent by the end of 2004.
