Archive for August, 2011

The Chris O-pinion: In the spirit of yesterday’s earthquake, alert reader Eric Ward of Bignell Watkins Hasser Architects has some shake, rattle & roll to offer about the recent ABN story on how budget cuts alone won’t solve the state’s fiscal woes.  Eric is a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the Court-Appointed Special Advocates program that works to improve the lives of needy children.

“The [report] suggests that salaries paid find their way back into the economy.  Could logic be applied in asking my boss to double my salary because funds will find their way back into the economy?  Here are other ways:

• Cut salaries and keep everyone currently employed, just making less.  This way the same amount finds its way into the economy, but with more folks participating in the process
• Eliminate some holidays and reduce the number of days of leave.  This would increase the level of service
• Have companies do away with their 401(k) match, or introduce/increase co-pays on group insurance.  These are measures the private sector has implemented
• Modify the public assistance program so that people are not rewarded with what amounts to a pay raise for having more children.

Yes, additional revenue may be needed, but there is plenty to consider before this EASY answer is pursued.”

ALL OVER – Maryland added 6,261 new jobs and $1.6 billion in capital investment in the first six months of the year, says a new report by DBED.  The numbers were tallied from 207 announced projects of which 39 were businesses new to the state and 168 were expansions of existing businesses.    A couple of highlights:

• Howard County had the most at 31 new/expanding projects (29 for Baltimore City, 25 for  Baltimore County, 24 in Montgomery and 23 in Anne Arundel)
• AA led the state with 8 new projects totaling 171 jobs.

See full report.

ANNAPOLIS – Securities Based Funding has added two programs for alternative financing, the Securities-Based Line of Credit and the Capital Advancement-Project Funding.  Both will assist borrowers and developers obtain flexible, less restrictive terms.

See full release.

ANNAPOLIS – The new Metropolitan Kitchen & Lounge at 169 West Street will celebrate its return today four years after it closed its doors and the site operated under the names of other eateries.   Metropolitan specializes in farm-to-table cooking, striving to source ingredients from local farms and purveyors.

See site.

NORTH COUNTY – Anne Arundel Workforce Development Corporation has secured a grant from the Maryland Transit Administration to create in 2013 a shuttle service to link job seekers and major employment centers.  AAWDC and the BWI Business Partnership are partnering on the effort.

LAUREL – Tower Federal Credit Union drew a crowd of 800 at the grand opening for its newest branch in National Business Park in Annapolis Junction, Md.

See full release.

SOMEWHERE IN THE FIELDS – Gov. O’Malley announced record cover crop acreage this year as a way to control soil erosion on farms and reduce the amount of nutrients washing into the bay over the winter.  The Gov has approved 550,000 acres of winter grains to date in the Cover Crop Program.

See full release.

COLUMBIA – Intelligent Solutions for Information Systems is looking to hire 50 veterans and double its workforce to meet growth demands.  50% of the workforce at the defense contractor are veterans; the typical unemployment rate for this group is 12.4%.

See full release.

GREENBELT – Lead Storm Media has expanded its directory that provides access to national resources for access to attorneys and legal advice.

See full release.