One day late last week the operating rooms at Wishard Memorial Hospital were shut down after a steam pipe burst. It was an accident that could happen anywhere, but does take place at the near downtown Indianapolis facility far too frequently due to crumbling infrastructure at its outdated facilities.

Indiana Chamber President Kevin Brinegar discusses the need for a new Wishard, why Marion County voters should support the project and the implications that extend out to the rest of the state:

Do you enjoy the awe-inspiring architecture and amenities of the West Baden Hotel in Southern Indiana? If so, you’re not alone. See how Conde Nast Traveler readers have honored the Indiana resort:

Condé Nast Traveler readers have chosen West Baden Springs Hotel for the magazine’s 22nd Annual Readers Choice Awards.

In the November 2009 issue, on newsstands now, the Southern Indiana destination is ranked 15th in the list of large U.S. (Mainland) resorts, an impressive six places higher than its 2008 ranking.

The atrium of the West Baden Springs Hotel With a score of 89.9 (only 2.9 points away from 2nd place), West Baden outranked 55 other well-known resorts when it was evaluated on activities/facilities, food/dining, location, overall design, rooms and service.

This year, 25,008 readers voted for more than 10,000 properties and destinations. "

The big news is that, undaunted by tough times, our readers are still out there, discovering the coolest experiences and reaffirming an enduring passion for travel," said Conde Nast Traveler Editor in Chief Klara Glowczewska. "It’s clear that our readers are as devoted to the worldwide diversity of travel as ever."

Originally built in 1902, West Baden Springs Hotel re-opened in May 2007, following a meticulous restoration. Nearly 100 million dollars was spent in a top-to-bottom restoration, which maintained the historic integrity of the building, but upgraded its amenities to that of a four star property. "

Last year we were thrilled to be included in the Reader’s Choice awards and on the magazine’s Gold List," said Mark Bommarito, vice president of sales and marketing. "To be back this year and with a higher ranking shows the resort’s commitment to offering a quality experience year after year."

West Baden is a part of the French Lick Resort, which as a whole has undergone a 500 million dollar restoration and development project. In what has been called one of the largest private restoration projects in the U.S., the Cook Group saved two turn-of-the-century grand hotels and brought resort life back to Indiana. No small feat, their work has been recognized by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

With the opening of the Pete Dye Course earlier this spring, French Lick Resort is quickly becoming America’s most talked about golf destinations. Located on a hilltop behind the historic French Lick Springs Hotel - one of the highest points in Indiana - Dye’s masterpiece offers stunning panoramic views of over 30 miles. The course will be the site of the 2010 PGA Professional National Championship.

‘Tis the season for scary movies — and, I suppose, scary concepts. We hear a lot about transparency here in the United States, and it certainly appeals to many voters in as much as we want to know what the government is doing. But Norway has taken the concept to an eerie new level, and it’s under that guise that they now reveal incomes of almost every taxpayer. Yeah, that’s right. You know that neighbor who always comes over and talks to you while you’re trying to do yard work? Well, he has a new topic: Your income.

Many media outlets use the tax records to produce their own searchable online databases. In the database of national broadcaster NRK, you can type a subject’s name, hit search and within moments get information on what that person made last year, what was paid in taxes and total wealth. It also compares those figures with Norway’s national averages for men and women, and that person’s city of residence.

Defenders of the system say it enhances transparency, deemed essential for an open democracy.

"Isn’t this how a social democracy ought to work, with openness, transparency and social equality as ideals?" columnist Jan Omdahl wrote in the tabloid Dagbladet. He acknowledged, however, that many treat the list like "tax porno" — furtively checking the income of neighbors or co-workers.

Critics say the list is actually a threat to society.

"What each Norwegian earns and what you have in wealth is a private matter between the taxpayer and the government," said Jon Stordrange, director of the Norwegian Taxpayer’s Association.

Besides providing criminals with a useful tool to find prime targets, he said the list generates playground taunts of my-dad-is-richer-than-your-dad.

"The children of people with low wages are being teased about it in the schools," Stordrange said Thursday. "People with low salaries are being met with comments at the grocery store, ‘How can you live on these low wages?’"

Sequels, in general, don’t work. There are many out there more qualified than I to debate the merits of various movies, but anything with a "2," "3" or more behind the title usually pales to the original. I’ll give you an exception with Rocky 2, but 3, 4, 5 and 27 didn’t quite measure up. There are many more examples out there.

The Capitol Steps are making their second appearance at the Indiana Chamber’s 20th Annual Awards Dinner on November 10, but it’s not really a sequel. The group makes fun of what’s going on in Washington and in political circles around the world. The cast of characters in 2002 was dramatically different than those who will be the targets of musical and comedy barbs in a few weeks.

They were downright funny the first time around. And after the past year or so, can’t we all use a few laughs? And don’t worry, the talented performers are equal opportunity — they will make fun of people no matter their political affiliation.

Learn more about The Captiol Steps in BizVoice magazine and order your tickets. About 1,000 other Hoosiers will be there to celebrate Indiana business — and be entertained. See you there!

With apologies to Kermit the Frog, I learned recently how to make my job easier by being green.

Each year, I produce the Chamber’s popular Legislative Directory by collecting, editing and assembling biographical information for all 150 state legislators. The collection process usually goes something like this:

1. Send form letters and questionnaires via snail mail to every legislator
2. Get 30% of the materials back from legislators before contacting their assistants to receive the remaining 70%
3. Spend a week deciphering handwriting and converting the paper questionnaires into the appropriate format for publication

Enter the digital world. Abandoning the formality of printed envelopes and 44-cent stamps, I e-mailed the necessary documents directly to those who can really get things done in Indiana politics – the legislative assistants. In two days’ time my response rate was through the roof and the savings in time, paper, printing and other costs is substantial. This experience has encouraged me to “green” the marketing approach for this publication as well – likely to result in even more savings.

I have always been more an advocate for “going efficient” than “going green,” but in sharing my example and hearing from others, I’ve learned that environmental friendliness and efficiency often go hand-in-hand.

What examples do you have of environmental responsibility saving you time and/or money in the workplace?

Like him or not, Frank Luntz is known nationally by many in the political arena as a top pollster. One of his most recent polls, however, focuses instead on the basketball arena, and shows very encouraging results for the Indiana Pacers. Luntz recently spoke to Gerry Dick of Inside INdiana Business about the rebuilding of the team’s image, stating that 90% of fans polled believe the team has kept its promise to "clean up its act." He also offered that he’d never seen a turnaround of that magnitude in professional sports before.

Watch the video here.

Everyone wants to make money, whether you’re a child with a lemonade stand or an adult at the helm of your own company. Cutting expenses is one way of getting there. And that’s exactly what many businesses are doing – all while boosting employee training and development – thanks to e-learning.

E-learning offers several benefits. Among them are convenience (participants can access training online or via software round-the-clock-from just about any location), cost savings (reduced travel expenses), a hands-on approach (often including quizzes and exercises) and higher retention rates (up to 50%). Plus, e-learning offers tremendous flexibility. Have to leave your desk in the middle of a session? No problem. Most training programs let you pick up right where you left off.

An upcoming one-day conference will focus on ways to simplify e-learning for busy training and development professionals. Presented by the Central Indiana chapter of the American Society for Training and Development on November 4, the event will feature three educational tracks (e-learning basics, e-learning applications and managing the e-learning function). Ready Indiana, a program that facilitates collaboration among Hoosier employers and training providers, is a platinum sponsor. Learn more and register online.

Look for Ready Indiana and the Chamber to unveil a new e-learning initiative soon that will benefit businesses across the state. And for those subjects (and there are many) that require face-to-face interaction with seminar presenters and colleagues, the Chamber continues to offer a full array of popular programs.