We've seen tremendous growth in hospitality. That's a reflection that people in this area like to eat out.

We have the slowest job growth among the states. People . . . are getting the wrong signal about the hospitality and the environment and the business climate of Illinois.

Downtown, and elsewhere, as well as annexation opportunities, especially along the I-85 corridor, that's been very powerful for the city's revenue base.

This is a direct reflection of the growth of the community, and the maturity of the people in the surrounding area.

The strong net sales increase in the first quarter is the continued reflection of our dynamic growth trend of the last year. These excellent figures will propel us towards reaching our set goals for 2006.

How many people make that? Not that many. People working in the hospitality industry and in our stores - they may make $9 or $10 an hour. Not that many of them make that kind of wage.