Waging politics: Ballot initiatives to raise the minimum wage are shaping up as a political wedge issue in November here and throughout the Rocky Mountains, with similar initiatives proposed in Arizona, Nevada and Montana. If a pending Congressional proposal to raise the rate from $5.15 to $7.25 an hour by June 1, 2009, became law, many states would adopt it. However, Colorado’s initiative, if certified for the ballot and approved by voters, would raise the rate from $5.15 to $6.85 an hour, including an annual cost of living adjustment that would eventually supercede what the feds are considering. Stay tuned…
Oil money: Suncor Energy Inc. today reports net income of $1 billion for the second quarter, with sales rising 71 percent. Suncor, based in Alberta, produces oil from Canadian tar sands and supplies more than one-third of Colorado’s gasoline and diesel fuel through its Commerce City refinery.
Office moves: Marketing firm Kear Stevens has moved from Golden to Denver, reports dbusinessnews.com. Their new location is the memorable triangular-shaped building at 1224 Speer Blvd., which was the previous home of 5280 magazine. 5280 now resides, along with Linhart McClain Finlon advertising agency and Victory American Grill, at the historic three-story Baur’s building at 1512-14 Curtis St.
The kicker: David Phelps, president of Merlin International Inc. – a federal IT consulting firm based in Greenwood Village – keeps racking up the awards. He is the minority small business person of the year for this region, reports the U.S. Small Business Administration, and is among 10 honorees nationwide up for national Minority Small Business Person of the Year. In June, Phelps won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2006 Award Rocky Mountain region in technology.
