By Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry Chairman Mark Dobbins I believe I have observed a new truth. That is, the 2012 US Presidential campaign seems only to mock economic reality. Reality for the vast majority of Americans is neither politically left or right. The people I know and those I meet in this great…
Read MoreFrom our friends at Greenberg Traurig: Effective January 1, 2012, Arizona’s minimum wage increased to $7.65 per hour, an increase of $0.30 per hour from the previous minimum wage. This increase applies to most Arizona employers. In 2006, Arizona voters approved Proposition 202, which set a state minimum wage that is tied to fluctuations in…
Read MoreThe Arizona Chamber of Commerce & Industry welcomed special guest and featured speaker Treasurer Doug Ducey on December 8th at the Eggs & Issues Breakfast at the downtown Phoenix Sheraton Hotel. Nearly 100 individuals attended the breakfast sponsored by Alliance Bank to hear from Arizona’s Treasurer who was elected to his first term on November…
Read MoreWritten by Katie Whitchurch, Director of Government Relations Over the course of the last month, Arizona has been home to a number of exciting events related to international diplomacy and trade: On Thursday, November 10th, the Arizona Council for International Visitors held the first annual “Celebration of Citizen Diplomacy” at the Musical Instrument Museum in…
Read MoreFrom Director of Government Relations, Katie Whitchurch: Last week I was fortunate to attend the US Chamber Regional Government Affairs Conference in Chicago. It was a fantastic conference filled with knowledgeable speakers and the latest information on a broad range of topics. Some of those included: Deficit Reduction and the Super Committee – The top…
Read MoreFormer United States Air Force F-16 instructor pilot and labor law attorney Steve Wheeless of Steptoe and Johnson LLP joined us at the Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry today to discuss recent regulatory and rule changes at the NLRB and DOL. A wide range of professionals attended the discussion, including attorneys, government affairs and…
Read MoreLast Thursday, we were very lucky to serve as one of the community partners for Hiring Our Heroes Phoenix. Staff on the ground reported that final numbers appeared to be roughly 800 – 1,000 job seekers – a great turnout! We are deeply appreciative to the US Chamber of Commerce, Department of Labor Veterans Employment and…
Read MoreArizona State University enjoys a special relationship with Sichuan University, a major university in what is considered western China. In fact, ASU President Michael Crow and his team have established deep and enduring relationships all across China, which I believe will pay dividends for generations to come. Our delegation participated in a roundtable discussion with…
Read MoreYou can eat off of the pavement in certain sections of Shanghai. I feel as if the part of the city where we are staying is almost too new. The best analogy I can think of are new white tennis sneakers – almost too bright and only look right when they get a few marks.…
Read MoreWe just finished a visit to Hareon Solar (www.hareonsolar.com) a Chinese solar company. Beginning at the end of 2010, ground was broken on a joint venture with Schott Solar in Taicang, a city of about one million, 40 or so kilometers from Shanghai. Taicang is a small town by Chinese standards, with about 800,000…
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