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November 11, 2009 Sign up Forward Archive News updates for Greater Washington's business leaders   Top News    Board of Trade: Failure to get vaccine puts workforce at risk A poll conducted for the Greater Washington Board of Trade indicates that one-third of parents with children at home do not plan to get the H1N1 flu vaccine this year. Board of Trade CEO Jim Dinegar expressed concern about the apparent apathy among adults. "This poll shows that the workforce is at a higher risk of being infected by the swine flu," he said. American City Business Journals/Washington, D.C. (11/6) Job market is weak, but "improving slowly" Last week's jobs report indicated that job losses declined to 190,000 in October, which was better than the 219,000 in September but not as good as 154,000 in August. David Leonhardt writes that "the job market is still in terrible shape, but it seems still to be improving slowly." NYTimes.com/Economix blog (11/6)   Economic Stimulus and Financial Reform  Stimulus reporting requirements generate confusion Differences in reporting guidelines among federal agencies and states have stimulus-funding recipients confused and frustrated by the details, according to this article. "If you enter a phone number with dashes, your whole report could be rejected," said Beth Blauer, director of Maryland's StateStat office. American City Business Journals/Washington, D.C. (subscription required) (11/6) D.C. receives biggest per-capita chunk of stimulus funds The Wall Street Journal offers a graphic representation of how federal stimulus dollars were handed out state by state through Sept. 30. The District of Columbia received the biggest per-capita outlay, about $4,718; Maryland received about $564 per capita; and Virginia received about $443 per capita. The Wall Street Journal (tiered subscription model) (10/30)   Deals and Development  Business leaders look to McDonnell to ease traffic issues Members of the business community in Northern Virginia are hoping that the victory of Republican Bob McDonnell in the governor's race will ensure that attention is paid to transportation issues, according to this article. McDonnell has said he will not support new taxes, but many business leaders say they would leave higher taxes on the table as a possible way to pay for traffic improvements. American City Business Journals/Washington, D.C. (subscription required) (11/6) Metro power failure highlights need to replace power units The failure of a Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority power unit last week underscored the need to replace aging units at a cost of $14 million, according to this article. The shutdown affected the Metrorail system's public-address system, bus drivers' two-way radio communications and some buses' fare boxes. WTOP-FM (Washington, D.C.)/The Associated Press (11/5) Va. seeks to coax riders onto buses in Tysons Corner Virginia transportation officials are putting more buses on the road to encourage commuters in Tysons Corner to leave their cars at home while work continues on the Dulles airport rail extension along Va. Highway 7. Some of the fares are free to further encourage people to use mass transit. WTOP-FM (Washington, D.C.) (11/6)   Going Green  Giving customers an incentive to recycle Many businesses are struggling to identify what environmental practices make the most sense for them, according to this article. Larry Weinberg writes that businesses can step up their recycling initiatives by giving customers economic incentives to participate. American City Business Journals/Washington, D.C. (subscription required) (11/6)   Board of Trade Opportunities and Benefits  Upcoming Events and Programs Breakfast with the author of Silver Lining: An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times, Nov. 19 -- Don't miss Scott Anthony, author of The Silver Lining: An Innovation Playbook for Uncertain Times. The Silver Lining explains how to safeguard your company's profitability and pare costs to the bone while planting and nurturing seeds for tomorrow's growth. On Nov. 19, Anthony will discuss how to master this seemingly impossible challenge. Register Board of Trade Annual Meeting: The Look Ahead, Nov. 24 -- A yearly tradition since 1889, the Board of Trade's Annual Meeting gathers more than 500 business, civic and government leaders to celebrate the year's accomplishments and prepare for the year ahead. Register Board of Trade Holiday Party, Dec. 14 -- Join Greater Washington's business community as we celebrate the holiday season and kick off the new year. Enjoy festive drinks and appetizers at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which will be transformed into a winter wonderland. Bring a group of friends, staff or clients! See our group discounts. Register Advocacy Update The Greater Washington Board of Trade congratulates Bob McDonnell for winning the Virginia gubernatorial race. The Board of Trade leadership threw its endorsement behind McDonnell because of his demonstrated understanding of the major concerns facing businesses in this difficult economy and his willingness to include the business community in fashioning solutions to the most pressing issues facing the region. We look forward to working with Governor-elect McDonnell on improving this region's transportation crisis and helping to strengthen the entire Greater Washington region. The Board of Trade will release its next Consumer Confidence survey on Nov. 18. The survey measures regional consumer optimism and helps track the strength of our regional economy. Partner Events and Programs Business Steps Up: Hiring our Heroes, Nov. 12 -- Join the National Chamber Foundation for the second annual Business Steps Up event, which will focus on connecting service members with careers worthy of their training and experience. The Honorable Eric K. Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs, will keynote the event. Register. EagleBank Bowl Welcomes Greater Washington Board of Trade, Dec. 29 -- Kick off your new year's festivities with the second annual EagleBank Bowl, a nationally televised, NCAA-sanctioned college bowl game benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project and other local charities. Reserve your exclusive mezzanine ticket, which includes catering during the game, by e-mailing Seth at sfrankenthal@EagleBankBowl.org or calling (202) 785-BOWL. News  |  Events and Programs  |  Become a Member  |  About Us     Subscriber Tools       Print friendly format | Web version | Search past news | Archive | Privacy policy   Contact the Board of Trade info@bot.org   About the Board of Trade The Greater Washington Board of Trade is the leading regional business network. Founded in 1889, the Board of Trade enjoys a long history of helping its members' businesses grow by providing content-rich programs, connecting business leaders and marketing Greater Washington's economic opportunities. The Board of Trade also addresses business concerns, including transportation, emergency preparedness, green as a competitive advantage and workforce issues. Learn more at www.boardoftrade.org.     Recent Board of Trade SmartBrief Issues: Wednesday, November 04, 2009 Thursday, October 29, 2009 Wednesday, October 21, 2009 Wednesday, October 14, 2009 Wednesday, October 07, 2009     Lead Editor:  Devlyn Ray       Mailing Address: SmartBrief, Inc.®, 1100 H ST NW, Suite 1000, Washington, DC 20005     © 1999-2011 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information