CBIA in the News 2004 Archives
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Similar problems cited on economy
Good, bad debated for Fairfield County
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
12-3-04
STAMFORD - Fairfield County's economy doesn't march in lockstep with that
of the nation - doing better in some ways and lagging in many others -
but three major, interrelated challenges are the same, according to a
Federal Reserve executive.
The county is still lagging the nation in overall job creation, but sectors
like finance are doing better than in New York City, said Christine Cumming,
first vice president and chief operating officer of the Federal Reserve
Bank of New York. (more)
County firms face complex issues
By Julie Fishman-Lapin
The Advocate
12-3-04
The issues facing the area's business community go beyond transportation
woes, energy concerns and the rising cost of health care, said Peter Gioia,
economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association.
The over-arching problem, he said, is the lack of understanding about
the complexity of these problems by people who live outside of lower Fairfield
County. If not addressed, these issues will not only negatively impact
the competitiveness of this region, but also the state. (more)
Panel: Lawmakers need to make transport funding a priority
By Mark Ginocchio
The Advocate
12-3-04
STAMFORD -- The state will not be able to pursue the dramatic multi-billion
dollar changes needed for transportation until legislators get serious
about designing ways to generate more funding, a panel of business and
transportation officials said yesterday.
Interstate 95's effect on lower Fairfield County business was the topic
at a breakout session of the Connecticut Business & Industry Association's
all-day conference at the Westin Stamford hotel.
Panelists told about 30 business leaders that the state is aware of what
needs to be done to fix the congested highways and aging trains, but things
will remain at a standstill until more funding is found.
(more)
Some Businesses Able To Gain Competitive Edge As Dollar Falls
As exporter,Westerly company among many that are seeing benefits
By Anthony Cronin
The Day
11-24-04
Westerly — Production is humming at the Maxson Automatic Machinery
Co. on Airport Road as workers churn out huge machines used in the paper
and printing industries, many of which are destined for overseas.
Exports this year to places like Asia, Canada, Mexico and Europe are up
at the Westerly-based manufacturer thanks to a falling dollar. The business,
family-owned since 1912, predicts about a third of its overall sales this
year will be exports. (more)
Conference addresses state's energy problems
By David Krechevsky
Waterbury Republican-American
11-18-04
CROMWELL -- Utility and elected officials in Connecticut and New England
agree the state must increase its capacity for generating and transmitting
electric power. But how to do it -- and how to pay for it -- divides them.
That was evident Wednesday during "What's the Deal? V," a conference
on business energy issues sponsored by the Connecticut Power and Energy
Society and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association that attracted
more than 100 people to the Radisson Hotel. (more)
Market Rallies After Bush Win Is Official
Pfizer among the stocks showing a big gain as election uncertainty ends
By Anthony Cronin
The Day
11-4-04
The Dow Jones Industrial Average staged a strong post-election rally Wednesday,
fueled by pro-Bush sentiments that propelled numerous stocks of local
interest –– from Pfizer Inc. to General Dynamics ––
to significant gains during the day's heavy trading. (more)
Transport fix urged to spur growth
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
11-4-04
Both the newly elected and incumbents returning to Hartford and Washington
need to tackle Connecticut's transportation infrastructure problems if
the state's economy will have a chance at growth, one business executive
said Wednesday. (more)
Manufacturers’ optimism about economy on upswing
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
10-30-04
Nearly two-thirds of manufacturers in Connecticut expect profits in 2004,
and nearly three-quarters expect to add new products or services by June.
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association and Blum Shapiro 2004
Survey of Connecticut Businesses, released Friday, shows manufacturers
gaining optimism about the economy.(more)
Manufacturers see rosier days on the horizon
By Mark Silvestrini
Waterbury Republican-American
10/30/04
Connecticut manufacturers feel economic conditions are improving and are
optimistic about the future, even though concern about the cost of doing
business in the state lingers, a new survey shows.
Sixty-five percent of the manufacturers who responded to the survey said
they expect to turn a profit in 2004, a 35 percent increase from the 48
percent that actually reported a profit in 2003, according to the manufacturing
sector supplement to the annual Survey of Connecticut Businesses. The
survey was conducted by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
and West Hartford-based Blum Shapiro, the state's largest regional accounting
firm. (more)
Increased prices predicted in state for goods, services
By Marc Silvestrini
Waterbury Republican-American
10/19/04
Connecticut purchasing managers say economic conditions in the state remain
healthy, though economic growth has slowed since the second quarter.
The purchasers also expressed concern over the rising price of goods and
services, according to survey results released Monday by the Connecticut
Business and Industry Association and the Connecticut Association of Purchasing
Managers.
Those surveyed also feel the spiraling costs of fuel, health-care insurance
and key raw materials, such as steel, could further slow the state's economic
expansion, the results show. (more)
Slowdown seen in economic growth
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
10/19/04
ROCKY HILL — Purchasing managers in Connecticut expect economic
growth to decelerate this fall as oil, metal and insurance prices continue
their skyward trek.
The Connecticut Purchasing Management Association Survey for third quarter
2004, conducted jointly with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association,
shows more than 80 percent of purchasing managers report paying more for
supplies in the third quarter. Thirty percent said prices have climbed
5 percent or more.
"Companies have to eat some of these increases, which is not good
because they have to cut back on investing and hiring," said Pete
Gioia, director of research at the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.
(more)
Economy waits out rough spot
Energy prices, material costs hurting state
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
10-16-04
Rising energy and raw materials costs are threatening to derail economic
growth in the state just as Fairfield County's sluggish office rental
market showed signs of life.
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association released results of
its third-quarter purchasing managers survey Monday, the same day that
the Stamford office of Cushman & Wakefield released its quarterly
report on office vacancy rates. (more)
Head of state’s biggest business group to step down
By Steve Higgins
New Haven Register
9/24/04
HARTFORD — After a quarter of a century at the helm of Connecticut’s
largest business organization, Kenneth O. Decko announced Wednesday he
will retire in two years.
Decko is president and CEO of the Connecticut Business & Industry
Association, which has 10,000 members statewide.
"I will miss the daily operations, but the association is in good
hands and on the right track to continue the growth and prosperity we
need to keep Connecticut businesses competitive," said Decko, 60.
Decko’s retirement will take effect Oct. 31, 2006.
(more)
Education manufactures the seeds of Americans’ success
By Roger Joyce
Vice President Engineering
The Bilco Company
New Haven Register
Commentary
8-11-04
In 1926, when my grandfather George W. Lyons Sr. started The Bilco Co.,
mass production was in its ascendancy. Industrial leaders had shown that
heavy investment in fixed capital maximized output, decreased prices and
reduced dependence on expensive skilled craftsmen. By "de-skilling"
jobs, industrialists could employ abundant cheap labor: unskilled farm
laborers, immigrants, minorities and women. In the first half of the 20th
century, fewer than four of 10 jobs required so much as a high school
diploma. (more)
CBIA, others plan special book drive
The New Haven Register
8-5-04
NEW HAVEN — The Connecticut Business & Industry Association
and the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce, along with a number of
New Haven area businesses, are holding a book drive to help New Haven
students participating in the Connecticut State Scholars Program.
New or used books (for a list of suggested book donations, see cbia.com/ed)
can be dropped off in August at the chamber, 900 Chapel St., New Haven,
or the New Haven Public Schools, 444 Chapel St., New Haven.
The Connecticut State Scholars Program challenges all high school students
to take tougher classes that will prepare them for success.
Labor picture better, but still not robust
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
8/6/04
Thursday's report by the U.S. Department of Labor disclosing a decline
in first-time unemployment filings last week is a sign of some improvement
to the jobs picture, according to one Connecticut economist.
"But not mass improvement, said Peter M. Gioia, the economist for
the Connecticut Business and Industry Association. (more)
Rell creates search panel to find new DEP commissioner
By Scott Whipple
The Herald
8-5-04
BERLIN - Kensington resident John R. Rathgeber has been named
to Gov. M. Jodi Rell’s 13-member search committee for a new commissioner
of the Department of Environmental Protection.
The panel, led by the governor’s chief legal counsel, Kevin J.
Rasch, will recommend its top three to five candidates for DEP commissioner
by Sept. 17. The new DEP commissioner will succeed Arthur J. Rocque Jr.,
who is retiring from state service Oct. 1. The governor plans to interview
each of the final candidates personally.
(more)
Costs may dull recovery
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
8-5-04
The rising price of raw materials is undercutting a wave of optimism among
Connecticut companies, according to a Connecticut Business & Industry
Survey of purchasing trends released Wednesday.
A total of 190 companies participated in CBIA's survey of trends for the
second quarter survey.
Peter Gioia, a CBIA economist, said this is the best report in a long
time and it shows that the economy is recovering. But Gioia warned that
inflation, driven by higher prices for raw materials, may prevent the
state from fully realizing the benefits of a recovery. (more)
Outlook bleak for gas-oil cut
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
8-5-04
Oil prices slipped slightly on the New York Mercantile Exchange Wednesday
but experts say unless world peace breaks out or conservation comes into
vogue, we can expect to see $50-per-barrel prices this year and sky-high
gasoline prices.
The price for light sweet crude on the Nymex closed at $42.80 Wednesday,
a $1.35 drop from Tuesday's close of $44.15 - its highest level since
the market started trading oil in 1983. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department
of Energy reported Wednesday that gasoline supplies were at a historic
high. (more)
Tough Love With The Schools
Federal No Child left behind law has problems, but they can be fixed without
weakening
the law and providing the schools further room to fail.
The New London Day
8/1/04
Last month, the state Department of Education released the latest Connecticut
Mastery Test scores for the state's 4th-, 6th- and 8th-graders. The results
were six months late because of difficulties with the scoring. Testing
companies like McGraw-Hill are overwhelmed by the expansive standardized
test requirements of the new No Child Left Behind law. This meant trouble
for schools that failed to improve their CMT scores because they had less
time to figure out what went wrong and address the problems
before a new round of high-stakes testing in September.(more)
Externship Program Gives Teacher Hands-on Experience
Instructors Learn About Technology In The Business World
By Katie Aberbach
7/28/04
Summer means school is out, but some teachers just can't get enough. Alex
Pesarik, a bioscience environmental technology teacher at Ella Grasso
Vocational Technical School in Groton, for instance, is one of a handful
of Connecticut educators who are using the break from formal education
to do some hands-on learning.
(more)
Survey yields firms’ health coverage
The majority of small businesses in Connecticut — 61 percent —
offer health insurance to their employees.
By Maria Garriga
The New Haven Register
7-30-04
The 2004 Small Employer Survey released Thursday by the state Office
of Health Care Access included employers with two to 300 employees, but
the majority had fewer than 20 employees.
Of those companies that do not offer health insurance, the most often
cited reason given was "cost," cited by 34 percent, followed
by "employees don’t need it," 33 percent; seasonal/part-time
labor," 14 percent; "too few employees," 7 percent; and
"other," 12 percent.
"Our members say that health insurance is always one of their top
three cost concerns," said Peter Gioia, director of research for
the Connecticut Business and Industry Association, which has 10,000 members.
Gioia said the cost of health care insurance for employers is increasing
by 12 to 13 percent a year, forcing members to seek plans with less coverage
and higher deductibles, or shift more of the premium costs onto their
employees.(more)
Web site rates lawmakers’ votes on business issues
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
7-21-04
The state’s largest business organization launched a Web
site Tuesday that rates state legislators on their voting records.
At www.ctbizvotes.com, the Connecticut Business and Industry Association
will give voters detailed information about legislators and their voting
records, as well as demographic information about the voters in each district
and how they tend to vote. The site will rate how business friendly each
legislator and voting district tends to be. "It’s for a more
informed electorate," said CBIA spokeswoman Lisa McGuire. (more)
Report: Health care in crisis
Group: Reduce costs, improve coverage
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
7/21/04
More than 51 million Americans will go without health insurance by 2006
unless costs are controlled and better care is provided, according to
a report Tuesday blasting the nation's health care system.
The National Coalition on Health Care, a Washington, D.C.-based organization,
released "Our Ailing Health Care System: The urgent need for comprehensive
reform. The report called for Congress to begin working on systemwide
changes that would combat costs and provide universal health insurance
for all Americans within five years. (more)
Outsourcing fades as issue
Number of jobs sent overseas is tiny compared to jobs created here
Editorial
New Haven Register
6-25-04
If ever there was a case of lost perspective, it was the uproar over
U.S. companies sending jobs overseas. The anguish of unemployed workers
magnified a normal business activity into a national problem that verged
on a crisis.(more)
Transport indicating resurgence
New economic barometer tracking goods, people
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
7-7-04
Economic activity, as gauged by a U.S. Department of Transportation special
index, hit a 14-year high in April, largely because of a resurgence in
airline passenger and truck freight activity.
The DOT's Transportation Services Index, released Tuesday, measures the
movement of goods and people throughout the nation by rail, air, water
and road. The report fixed the overall index number at 124.4 in April,
compared to March's measure of 123.4. It is a fairly new index and the
department has only been releasing its findings in the last few months.
(more)
Teachers provide hands-on training
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
6-27-04
Dozens of Connecticut high school and community college educators will
spend part of the summer working at businesses across the state in order
to teach their students about the real-world careers available to them.
"Students learn best when there's an emotional connection It brings
it to life, said Shirley Zajdel, chair of the math and science department
at Housatonic Community College in Bridgeport.
The "externships are part of a three-year National Science Foundation
program administered by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association
and the Connecticut State Community College System. (more)
Education hopes riding on Rell
By Linda Conner Lambeck
The Connecticut Post
6-28-04
Those who know Lt. Gov. M. Jodi Rell from her support for educational
technology and preschool are looking forward to her becoming governor.
Others are reserving comment on the former PTO leader who has played second
fiddle for the past decade to Gov. John G. Rowland, a boss who supported
higher education and reading initiatives, but also private school vouchers.
(more)
Ample credit helping state's firms expand
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
6-15-04
Connecticut businesses had ample access to credit during the second quarter,
allowing them to expand, according to a joint report issued Monday by
Banknorth Group Inc. and a business association.
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association and the bank released
the Credit Availability Index and Survey for Connecticut, measuring businesses'
access to financing within the state. This was the first publication of
what the two organizations hope will be a quarterly report. (more)
Business loans are available, execs say
HARTFORD — Credit is readily available to Connecticut businesses,
according to a survey released Monday by Banknorth and the Connecticut
Business & Industry Association.
By Steve Higgins
New Haven Register
6-15-04
More than 50 percent of respondents rated the lending market as good
or excellent, while 33 percent rated it average or fair and 6 percent
rated it poor. More than 90 percent said they expect the lending climate
to remain the same or improve over the next six months, while 9 percent
expect it to worsen.
"This is a positive predictor of continued economic growth throughout
Connecticut," said CBIA economist Peter Gioia. "Financing will
be available to help fuel business needs and to bolster the economy during
its current turnaround." (more)
Wealthy concerned with taxes
Terror worry for wealthy
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
6-15-04
Terrorism and taxes are two of the biggest economic worries facing America's
wealthiest people, according to the U.S. Trust's annual survey of Affluent
Americans released Monday. (more)
Bridgeport firms relieved surcharge threat ended
Firms happier without 15% tax Surcharge's end may help growth Businesses
'relieved' surcharge not coming
By Frank Washkuch Jr.
The Connecticut Post
6-3-04
The city's business community breathed a sigh of relief this week when
Mayor John M. Fabrizi decided not to impose a 15 percent surcharge on
commercial property taxes. "Relieved is definitely the word,"
said Paul Timpanelli, president and chief executive officer of the Bridgeport
Regional Business Council. "Clearly, this has made it easier to get
new businesses to invest in Bridgeport."
(more)
Aging factory workers leave U.S. less competitive
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
6-3-04
The graying of America will take a huge toll on the ranks of well-trained
manufacturing workers, and that could threaten America’s competitiveness
in international markets.
That’s the message Roger Joyce brought to the House Small Business
Committee in Washington, D.C., Wednesday. The committee was holding a
hearing on small-business careers in the 21st century.
"Advancing technology is raising knowledge requirements and creating
serious skill gaps in the labor force. … As conditions improve,
more job opportunities requiring higher level skills will be created,"
he said. Joyce spoke on behalf of the National Manufacturers Association
and the Connecticut Business and Industry Association.(more)
Power companies backing higher fees to offset plant costs
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
5-27-04
ROCKY HILL — At an energy forum Wednesday, power-generating companies
in Connecticut said they have a serious problem: The electricity produced
by new power plants does not cover the debt incurred to build the facilities.
(more)
Executives upbeat about economy
Connecticut business executives expect the economy to stay strong through
the second quarter, according to a survey released Tuesday.
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
5-19-04
The Connecticut Business and Industry Association’s quarterly economic
survey shows executives have regained some of their bullish attitude toward
the economy.
"There are challenges that remain with the economy," said Pete
Gioia, CBIA economist, "but folks say that their company performances
will be better this year than the last three years."
The survey of 302 respondents has a margin of error under 6 percent.
(more)
Business surcharge fails to win approval
Mary E. O’Leary
New Haven Register
5-6-05
A bill that would allow towns to put a surcharge on businesses to shift
the property tax burden off residential homeowners failed to win approval
from the General Assembly late Wednesday.
It was opposed by the Connecticut Business and Industry Association,
as well as a number of Republicans who felt it would hurt manufacturing
and discourage investment in the state.
(more)
Can state participate in nation's recovery?
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
5-6-05
The country's economy may be heating up, but a Tuesday report has some
economists doubting that Connecticut will participate in any national
boom.
The departments of labor and economic and community development track
economic activity across the state and compare it to the nation and the
Northeast through The Connecticut Economic Digest.
Peter Gioia, an economist with the Connecticut Business & Industry
Association, said the national economy is improving, but the real question
is, "Will we or will we not fully participate in [the economic expansion.]
(more)
Transmission Line Project Survives
House Approves Compromise On Power Lines
The Hartford Courant
5-4-04
http://www.ctnow.com/news/local/hc-powerbill0504.artmay04,1,5563872.story?coll=hc-headlines-local
Economic Summit Is Planned At Foxwoods
Business, Economic Experts Will Discuss Economic, Political Trends Across
Region
By Anthony Cronin
The Day
5-4-04
Mashantucket — The state's leading business association will hold
a major southern New England economic summit featuring top business leaders
and economic experts later this month at the Foxwoods Resort Casino.
The Connecticut Business & Industry Association summit, “Cross-Border
Challenges Facing Southern New England,” will be held at Foxwoods
from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday, May 14.
(more)
State still wary about economy
By Steve Higgins
New Haven Register
5-4-04
Consumer confidence in Connecticut dropped 7 percent in the second
quarter, even though more residents believe the jobs picture is improving.
The Webster Consumer Confidence Index stands at 94, compared with 100.5
in January, according to the quarterly survey sponsored by Webster Bank
and released Monday by the Center for Economic Analysis at the University
of Connecticut. (more)
Reactions mixed for GDP gain
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
4-30-04
Two Connecticut economists had differing reactions to Thursday's report
of 4.2 percent quarterly growth in gross domestic product, but they agreed
that a Fed interest rate hike is unlikely to come next week.(more)
Work force ill prepared, says study
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
4/16/04
The Workforce Alliance reports that one out of five young adults
in South Central Connecticut is out of school and out of work.
In New Haven, one out of three youths ages 16 to 24 have dropped out
of high school. Hispanics were the most likely to drop out of high school,
whites the least likely.
The recently released State of the Workforce 2003 report, called "Workforce
in Peril," states that only one in three Hispanics ages 16 to 24
are enrolled in school.
The report suggests that this group will very likely end up poor and
on welfare. (more)
Surcharge may affect commerce
Businesses calling Fabrizi plan taxing
By Frank Washkuch Jr.
The Connecticut Post
4-8-04
City business leaders have mixed feelings about the prospect of a 15 percent
surcharge on property taxes for commercial enterprises.
(more)
Economic impact of I-95 disaster severe
By Linda Conner Lambeck
The Connecticut Post
3/27/04
The dollars and cents impact that a severed Interstate 95 corridor will
have on the region depends largely on how long it takes to fix it, area
economists and industry officials said Friday. (more)
Highway crash could have ripple effect on economy across nation
AP
New Haven Register
3-29-04
An accident that pinched off the major traffic artery linking
New York and Boston is having a ripple effect on the region’s economy,
delaying the delivery of goods and making it harder for tourists and commuters
to get to their destinations.
Most goods are moved into Connecticut and New England by trucks, which
were told to avoid Interstate 95 after a fiery crash Thursday night destroyed
part of an overpass in Bridgeport. The highway could be closed in the
area for two weeks or more, Gov. John G. Rowland said Friday.
That means truckers will have to travel substantially farther distances
along Interstate 84 or the Massachusetts Turnpike, trucking officials
said.(more)
Buying managers see rise in orders Buying managers see rise in
orders
Purchasing managers statewide are increasingly optimistic about economic
conditions in Connecticut, according to a quarterly survey released Tuesday.
By Steve Higgins
New Haven Register
3-24-04
The latest survey by the Connecticut Business & Industry Association
and the Connecticut
Association of Purchasing Management shows business continuing to improve
while job creation
remains slow. Most purchasing managers said new orders are up significantly
over last year’s levels.(more)
Except for hiring, state's economy strong, survey says
By David A. Smith
Waterbury Republican-American
3-24-04
Connecticut's economy shows strong growth, but hiring remains sluggish
as most firms haven't added to
payrolls, according to the latest survey of the state's purchasing managers.
Production levels, new orders and backlogs of new orders all rose from
a year ago, indicating the longawaited economic recovery is under way,
according to survey results released Tuesday by the
Connecticut Business & Industry Association and the Connecticut Association
of Purchasing Managers.(more)
State faces tough competition from across nation
Warmer weather, better incentives put other regions in good position
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
3-22-04
Talk to most businesspeople in Connecticut and the inevitable description
of the state that comes up is "business unfriendly. Not only do residents
pay income taxes, but businesses pay a corporate tax of 7.5 percent, plus
a surcharge imposed by the Legislature last year - expiring this year
- to bridge the budget deficit gap.
"In Connecticut, what we do is pass legislation that adds red tape
to any economic development initiative, said Peter M. Gioia, an economist
with the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. (more
Deadline: Patient Privacy
How new health-care privacy rules impact employers
By Karen Singer
Business New Haven
3-1-04
A deadline is looming for small employers to comply with federal regulations
regarding their employees' medical information.
Although the rules do not apply to all small employers, those concerned
have until
April 14 to develop programs to ensure the privacy of protected health
information
under the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA).
(more)
New job growth falls to snail's pace
Economists say hiring 80% short of expectations
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
3-8-04
Of more than 9.8 million people who wanted jobs in February, only 21,000
were hired, the U.S. Department of Labor reported Friday.
"There is no way you can put a happy face on this, said Peter Gioia,
economist for the Connecticut Business & Industry Association. He
added that this is especially true since the department lowered its estimates
on January job growth from 112,000 to 97,000. (more)
Data gets ho-hum response
Most economists waiting for jobless figures
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
3-5-04
A flurry of economic data - showing a slip in factory orders, a rise in
productivity, a drop in new jobless claims and an increase in debt levels
- emerged Thursday from several federal agencies. The storm of data, however,
wasn't greeted with much anticipation because most economists are waiting
for today's national report on February employment figures.
Peter Gioia, Connecticut Business & Industry Association economist,
said he expects the unemployment rate to range between 5.6 and 5.8 percent
for the nation. (more)
Lawmakers reminded that changes are needed
By Mary Ellen Godin
Meriden Record-Journal
3-4-04
HARTFORD — Members of the state's business community reminded lawmakers
Wednesday that changes in workers' compensation laws and an end to corporate
tax surcharges are necessary to improve the state's economy. Members of
various chambers of commerce — about 40 from Meriden and Wallingford
— descended upon the capitol Wednesday to hear what local lawmakers
are doing to improve the cost of doing business in the state.
In turn, the business community got a sense of the competing priorities
that legislators are trying to balance in this year's short legislative
session. The Connecticut Business and Industry Association co-hosted the
event with the Connecticut Association of Chambers of Commerce Executives.
(more)
Rowland favors malpractice limit
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
3-4-04
HARTFORD - Gov. John G. Rowland on Wednesday said he favors a revised,
limited $750,000
cap on medical malpractice awards.
Rowland; Senate President Pro Tempore Kevin B. Sullivan, D-West Hartford;
and Speaker of
the House Moira K. Lyons, D-Stamford, were featured speakers at the Connecticut
Business &
Industry Association's Capitol Business Day at the Legislative Office
Building. (more
Economic reports spur hope
But state manufacturing struggling
By Pam Dawkins
CT Post
3-2-04
Economic reports released Monday may indicate that the nation is in what
one economist
called a "strong recovery, but Connecticut's manufacturing industry
continues to struggle.(more)
Nasdaq well-prepared for disaster
Leader shares tips for emergencies
with CBIA forum
By Rob Varnon
The Connecticut Post
2-14-04
TRUMBULL - The location has armed security guards, a 300-foot vehicle
buffer zone, backup systems for backup systems and a secondary data center
located 300 miles away, but this isn't a secret government agency. It's
Nasdaq Stock Market Inc.
Steven J. Randich, Nasdaq's vice president and chief information officer,
described his company's security system and emergency plans at the Connecticut
Business & Industry Association's free Emergency Preparedness and
Response Planning Symposium on Friday at the Trumbull Marriott. (more)
Region 7 Teacher Selected for Technologies Program
By Melissa Jordan-Reilly Staff Reporter
The Lakeville Journal
02-07-2004
REGION 7 — A biology teacher at Northwestern Regional High School
has been selected to participate in a two-year "emerging technologies"
program sponsored by the National Science Foundation.
Ingrid Burke was one of 21 mathematics, science and technology teachers
chosen for the statewide program. Administered by the Connecticut Business
& Industry Association (CBIA) and the Connecticut State Community
College System, the program is designed to educate teachers about using
technology in the workplace.(more)
In U.S.-China trade, fairness will benefit both countries
By Barbara Hackman Franklin
12-10-2003
The Bristol Press
Amid growing concerns that unfair trade practices by China are costing
jobs in
Connecticut and elsewhere, Washington leaders have embarked on a strategy
to level the
playing field. Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit next week to the
US will provide yet
another opportunity to underscore this administration’s commitment
to that objective. (more)
Business leaders tout program for scholars
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
01/30/2004
NEW HAVEN — Local business leaders Thursday urged the business
community to support the new Connecticut State Scholars program.
The program encourages eighth- and ninth-graders to take tougher courses
in school, in order to create a better-educated work force. [more]
CBIA starts bid to woo scholars
Wins funds to push math, science
By Pam Dawkins
The Connecticut Post
1-30-04
NEW HAVEN - The Connecticut Business & Industry Association on Thursday
launched a pilot program that it hopes will encourage students to take
more rigorous math and science courses and solve the needs of state businesses.
[more]
Program helps kids ‘get’ business
By Maria Garriga
New Haven Register
01/24/2004
NEW HAVEN — To help prepare students for today’s tough job
market, the U.S. Department of Education is rolling out the State Scholars
Program here next week.
The program brings business professionals into middle-school classrooms
to help students understand the fiscal realities of the workplace. [more]
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