Events
May Mixer at Elements Therapeutic MassageThursday May 17, @5:30pm - @7:30pm |
Environmental CommitteeWednesday May 23, @8:30am - @9:30am |
Yellowfin Signature MixerThursday June 7, @5:30pm - @7:30pm |
Small Business Sounding Board (SB2)Tuesday June 12, @8:00am - @9:00am |
Multi-Chamber Breakfast at The Annapolis SheratonTuesday June 19, @7:30am - @9:30am |
News Digest
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May 14 2012
Feds approve more BWI upgrades
The Capital - As BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport officials prepare for a $100 million terminal expansion this year, they also have received federal approval for a massive airfield improvement project. Read more ...
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May 14 2012
O’Malley wants fast action from Md. gambling work group
Washington Post - In a bid to resolve some of the most difficult gambling issues left over from the last legislative session, Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) said Friday that he would assemble an 11-member work group on casinos to undertake “a fact-driven process, aided by expert analysis.” O’Malley said the group would be charged with making public recommendations by June 20, in preparation for a possible second special session in July devoted to gaming issues. Read more ...
Small Business Digest
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April 05 2012
GSA scandal sheds light on small business contracting fraud
Washington Post - Buried in the laundry list of misconduct claims against the General Services Administration is further evidence of what at least one federal official and one trade group call a critical problem for small employers: improper contracting that diverts government spending to large corporations instead of small businesses.
Recent analysis of government data that showed that 72 of the 100 companies receiving the highest amount of federal small business contracts in 2011 were firms that exceeded the Small Business Administration’s size standards for small companies. Read more ... -
April 05 2012
What you can learn from Southwest Airlines’ culture
Washington Post - A consciously developed customer-centered culture is a business advantage that will serve you for years — and inoculate you against competitive inroads. Consider for a minute Southwest Airlines and the lengthy list of would-be category killers that have tried to imitate it: United Airlines’ United Shuttle, Continental Airlines’ Continental Lite, Delta’s Delta Express and US Airways’ Metro-Jet.
What did these companies lack: Money? Name recognition? Hardly. They lacked Southwest’s relentless focus on culture, which none of its pop-up competitors was willing to slow down to emulate. And all are now bust. Read more ...
Legislative Digest
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May 14 2012
Maryland budget bills outline tax increases
The Capital - The budget package to be adopted during the legislature's special session that starts on Monday will increase the income taxes some residents pay, and will shift some of the cost of teachers' pensions from the states to the counties, according to draft bills the General Assembly posted online on Friday. Read more ...
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May 14 2012
Gov. O’Malley touts low taxes as he calls special session to raise them
Maryland Reporter - Maryland has some of the lowest taxes in the country, Gov. Martin O’Malley said Wednesday officially announcing plans to call a special session of the legislature to fix a budget impasse — partially by raising taxes. Read more ...
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May 14 2012
Group: Maryland too reliant on income taxes
The Capital - While Gov. Martin O’Malley has touted Maryland’s comparatively low tax burden on its high-income populace, some groups are concerned that the income tax hikes proposed for this week’s General Assembly special session will harm the state’s national rankings on taxes and business climate. Read more ...
Economic Digest
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May 14 2012
Anne Arundel economic leaders seeking funding boost
The Capital - County officials hope to devote an additional $1 million toward business recruitment and redevelopment in the upcoming year. Read more ...
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April 11 2012
Growth of U.S. labor force is slowing, reports show
Washington Post - The slower growth in the labor force arises from two factors, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. First, the U.S. population is growing more slowly. Second, the percentage of Americans working or seeking work will continue to decline as the population ages. Read more ...
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April 11 2012
D.C. region’s unemployment rate fell to 5.5 percent in Feb.
Washington Post - The Washington region’s unemployment rate fell to 5.5 percent in February from a seasonally adjusted 5.6 percent the month before, one of the lowest levels among the nation’s largest metropolitan areas and well below the national jobless rate, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. Read more ...
Legislative Positions
Chamber of Commerce positions on pending legislation before governing bodies are determined by the Legislative Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. Those positions reflect the Annual Legislative Agenda prepared by the committee and approved by the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Members of the 2012 Legislative Committee for the Chamber of Commerce
Chairperson: Linda Schuett, Linowes and Blocher
Andrew Bing, Kramer & Associates
Harry Blumenthal, Blumenthal, Delavan, & Williams
Walter Childs, Linowes and Blocher
Craig Distelhorst, National Institute for Conflict Resolution
Bradley Freedman, Freedman Capital Advisors
Brian Goff, Insurance Solutions
Bonnie Johansen, Constellation Energy
David Miles, The Drawing Board, Inc.
Geoff Mitchell, Geoffrey S. Mitchell, LLC
Hannah Powers, Alexander & Cleaver
Kevin Tracy, McNamee Hosea
Follow the links below to view Chamber of Commerce positions on legislation pending before the current session of the Maryland General Assembly, Anne Arundel County Council, and Annapolis City Council.
2012 Maryland General Assembly
Clicking on the link below will provide the viewer with the Chamber of Commerce positions on pending legislation in both the State Senate and the State House of Delegates during the 2012 Maryland General Assembly.
Chamber position on pending legislation
Below are links to pending legislation introduced or co-sponosred my members of the Anne Arundel County Delegation to the 2012 Maryland General Assembly.
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District 21 |
District 30 |
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District 31 |
District 32 |
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District 33 |
Anne Arundel County House Delegation Bills |
2012 Anne Arundel County Council
Follow the links below to view legislation pending before the Anne Arundel County Council, and legislation which the Chamber of Commerce has taken a position on.
Pending County Council Legislation
Chamber position on pending legislation
2012 Annapolis City Council
Follow the links below to view legislation pending before the Annapolis City Council, and legislation which the Chamber of Commerce has taken a position on.
Pending City Council Legislation
Chamber position on pending legislation
U.S. Congress & Federal Legislation
The Chamber of Commerce follows certain legislation pending before the United States Congress that may affect businesses in Maryland. Follow the link below to view federal legislation which the Chamber of Commerce is following and has taken a position on.
2012 Membership Directory
