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
-
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 ...
-
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
-
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
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
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
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
-
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 ...
Chamber Economic Development Initiatives
A balanced and equitable tax base is the hallmark of a resilient economy able to withstand fluctuations brought on by cyclical economic forces. It is also one of two primary goals of any well-planned and executed economic development effort. The second goal is to promote predictability and consistency in the relationship between business and government as each performs its responsibilities of meeting the needs and expectations of consumers and citizens. In order for businesses to succeed and prosper there must be a fair amount of predictability in the marketplace. Those in and out of government who pursue ideological crusades and impulsive agendas impacting the marketplace undermine that stability and predictability.
Issues of land-use, the environment, and government efficiency in areas where they interface with business have the potential of undermining marketplace stability and predictability if government chooses to act unilaterally without consulting those affected, and shows indifference to the economic impacts of its actions and decisions.
Our elected and appointed officials in government should take great care not to promote policies or legislation that will undermine the assessable tax base of our City, County, and State. Promoting legislation or policies that weaken or diminish the assessable tax base runs contrary to sound fiscal management.
The Chamber of Commerce counsels against regulations that exceed standards already set by a higher level of government and urges that economic impact analyses be performed before regulations are promulgated or legislation enacted. Where possible, regulatory processes should be streamlined so as to encourage new business development and promote the retention of current businesses that are planning for expansion.
Below are links to the Chamber's Economic Development Committee, Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corporation, and the Annapolis Economic Development Corporation:
Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Committee
Co-Chairmen: Rick Morgan, President/CEO of CommerceFirst Bank & Dick Franyo, Owner of Boatyard Bar & Grill
2012 Membership Directory
