Wake-Up Call: Business, not as usual

Barack Obama spilled way past 60 Minutes talking about the economy last night, and there's still plenty of talk to come.

Trump University is in session, offering four days of classes on how you can "make a fortune" in real estate; today's are at 1 and 6 p.m. at the Westin Westminster; tomorrow's at the Sheraton Denver Tech Center. For details, go to www.trumpuniversitydenver.com. But to save you time, read the small print: "Donald Trump will not appear at event."

You can bank on Don Childears, president and CEO of the Colorado Bankers Association, being at the City Club of Denver meeting at 11:45 a.m. Tuesday, March 24 at the Brown Palace Hotel; he'll be talking about the banking crisis. For info, go to www.cityclubofdenver.org.

At 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, March 25, the Colorado State University's Everitt Real Estate Center will present the results of its study comparing building-project permitting times in eighteen cities and counties along the Front Range. John Hickenlooper promised to streamline Denver's process when he was first elected mayor. How will Denver stack up? To find out, go to www.realestate.colostate.edu. The Rocky Mountain Minority Supplier Development Council also hosts its annual meeting, "Growth Through Partnership: Prospering in a New Economy," on March 25 at the Colorado Convention Center, with panels, workshops and a kick-off speech by state Senate President Peter Groff. Get the complete schedule at www.rmmsdc.org.

Ethics in business? Is that an oxymoron? Not according to turnaround artist Dick Evans, who'll deliver the keynote at the 2009 Colorado Ethics in Business Alliance awards luncheon at noon Thursday, March 26 at the Marriott Hotel-City Center. Find more info at www.cobusethics.org. And at 6 p.m. that evening, America's Future Foundation will host a free panel discussion on the topic "Is Capitalism Dead?" at the Denver Art Museum. Learn more here.

Finally, at 1 p.m. Friday, March 27, the Colorado Department of Transportation will kick off a series of four meetings around the state to discuss upcoming projects funded by the American Reinvestment & Recovery Act. The first is at CDOT headquarters at 4201 East Arkansas in Denver. For more information go to www.dot.state.co.us