View the latest Arizona Chamber policy commentary from President & CEO Glenn Hamer. Click on the links below to view our collection of Bottom Line columns.
We are at that time of year to announce Arizona’s favorite year-end awards. It’s time for Arizona Chamber of Commerce and Industry President and CEO Glenn Hamer’s Hammer Awards. Admittedly, winners don’t get an actual award to put on the mantel or in the trophy case, but trust us: the worldwide acclaim they earn is…
Read MoreThe folks at the National Labor Relations Board aren’t slowing down for the holidays. With the term of one of its most reliable pro-union votes set to expire today, the NLRB is cramming through a few more anti-employer regulations in these waning hours. On a 3-2 vote, the NLRB last week voted to what it…
Read MoreYou’ve got to hand it to President Obama for his perseverance. Despite getting waxed at the polls last month, his administration keeps on rolling with an environmental regulatory agenda that is neither politically popular nor wise public policy. But the White House’s regulatory runaway train is running down job creators, stifling economic growth. The EPA’s…
Read MoreIf you need further evidence of the sometimes cartoonish level of ham-fisted management of environmental regulatory matters by the federal government, consider the proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency to change the definition of “navigable waters” under the Clean Water Act. A coalition of over 30 business organizations led by the Arizona Chamber of Commerce…
Read MoreWe are just a few days away from Election Day. Soon the TV ads will cease, the junk mail will stop coming and our street corners will look a lot less crowded. If you haven’t already marked your ballot, I encourage you to vote for candidates who will stand up for job creators and ensure…
Read MoreWhile all of us have no doubt been busy getting enlightened by the endless stream of political TV ads, there have been lots of exciting things happening to grow Arizona’s cross-border trade profile with our neighbor Mexico. Matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match: Dennis Smith and the team at the Maricopa Association of Governments deserve…
Read MoreTwo former Latin American presidents were in town this week; the National Association of Manufacturers came out with a report on Tuesday about the economic importance of infrastructure development; and another group called the effort to develop Interstate 11 between greater Phoenix and Las Vegas a “boondoggle.” All three events happened independently of one another,…
Read MorePresident Obama is telegraphing that his strategy to hold the Senate majority and win swing House seats this fall will be to play the economic populism card, pitting what he will portray as corporate tax dodgers against middle class families feeling anxious in a still-too-soft economy. Expect entrepreneurial job creators to be caricatured in campaigns…
Read MoreGlenn Hamer and Steve Chucri Need convincing that the National Labor Relations Board is an agency in desperate need of a management change? The NLRB, which ostensibly is charged with protecting workers’ rights and remedying unfair labor practices, has morphed into an arm of organized labor. Consider the board’s hit parade of the last few…
Read MoreGlenn Hamer The latest data on Arizona’s tourism industry says that business is on the upswing, which is good news for a state looking to put the Great Recession in its rearview mirror. According to the Arizona Office of Tourism, the number of people visiting Arizona has surged back to pre-recession levels, providing a much…
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