{"id":16312,"date":"2015-02-13T12:33:24","date_gmt":"2015-02-13T17:33:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2015\/02\/us-chamber-of-commerce-official-says-business-is-strong-but-work-to-be-done.html"},"modified":"2015-02-13T12:33:24","modified_gmt":"2015-02-13T17:33:24","slug":"us-chamber-of-commerce-official-says-business-is-strong-but-work-to-be-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2015\/02\/us-chamber-of-commerce-official-says-business-is-strong-but-work-to-be-done\/","title":{"rendered":"U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Official Says Business Is Strong, But ‘Work To Be Done’"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n\"arcc\n<\/div>\n
Peter Aust, left, ARCC president, with Geoffrey O’Hara of the U.S. Chamber\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

BY LISA BALSCHUNAT<\/p>\n

Geoffrey O’Hara, executive director, Eastern
\nRegion, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, discussed
\nan uptick in U.S. economic growth in our country,
\nwhile drawing attention to the issues that
\nmust be addressed in 2015 at the Adirondack
\nRegional Chamber of Commerce’s annual business
\nforecast luncheon recently.<\/p>\n

O’Hara spoke to some 150 people the event,
\nheld at Six Flags Great Escape Lodge in Lake
\nGeorge.<\/p>\n

“The state of American business is strong,”
\nO’Hara stated. “Six years after the end of the recession
\nthere is growth in investment, inflation
\nis low and there is no recession on the horizon.”
\nHe said while the European Union, Asia and
\nChina “are dealing with economic struggles,
\nand we are experiencing economic growth.”
\nBut with 17.7 million people unemployed or
\nunderemployed “there is work to be done” on
\nmany levels, he said.<\/p>\n

For the first time in U.S. Chamber of Commerce
\nhistory, the Chamber, was heavily
\nengaged in mid-term elections because the
\ngoverning bodies in Washington D.C. needed to
\nclearly hear the voice of commerce, O’Hara said.
\n“We were involved in primary elections in
\nthe south … We were heavily engaged in midterm
\nelections in several states and were also
\ninvolved in New York 21,” he said.<\/p>\n

O’Hara keyed in on four opportunities for
\ncredible commerce in the coming year: trade,
\nenergy, technology and infrastructure.
\nHe said “95 percent of consumers lives
\noutside the U.S.” and that President Obama
\nhas two important trade agreements before
\nhim–the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the
\nTrans-Atlantic Partnership–that also require
\na Congressional vote through the Trade Promotion
\nAuthority. He said “2.5 billion jobs in the
\nU.S. rely on exports. There is a huge growth
\nopportunity here. The House, the Senate and
\nthe U.S. Chamber businesses all want it.”<\/p>\n

Regarding energy, he said the U.S. has an
\nabundant amount that can contribute to economic
\ngrowth.
\n“Hydrolic fracturing (fracking) is underway
\nin Pennsylvania and West Virginia … It is the position
\nof the U.S. Chamber of Commerce that we
\nhave to capture new energy, make it affordable,
\nharness a safe supply, and we have to develop
\nopportunities to export it around the world.”<\/p>\n

Technology continues to be important to
\neconomic growth.
\n“New centers for technological innovation
\nwill help U.S. businesses sustain and surpass
\nstate-of-the-art levels of excellence,” he said,
\nadding that there are 2.7 billion people employed
\nin Information Technology positions,
\nwith 37 percent of them in New York state.
\nHe said it is the responsibility of the Global
\nIntellectual Property Center of Homeland Security
\nto strike a balance between security and
\ncommerce flow at both our geographic borders
\nand virtual ones.<\/p>\n

O’Hara discussed infrastructure and the
\nfederal Highway Trust Fund, set to expire in
\nMay. He said it is important “to move commerce
\nand people safely throughout our country,” and
\nroads and highways. “We are never pro-tax at
\nthe U.S. Chamber, but our roads, bridges and
\nhighways need attention. It requires investment
\nand it sustains jobs.”<\/p>\n

Taking questions from the audience, O’Hara
\nsaid that U.S. colleges and universities are lowering
\nthe incentives for international students
\nto stay in the country after they obtain degrees
\nin the U.S. because they have to wait to get a
\nVisa to stay in the country. As a result, many
\nhighly skilled college graduates are taking their
\nexpertise elsewhere. He said some sort of Visa
\nreform is important.<\/p>\n

He said conversely, “farmers in California
\nand New York can’t find U.S. workers who
\nwant to pick lettuce all summer, for example,
\nand those jobs are then backfilled with foreign
\nworkers.”<\/p>\n

O’Hara said he seeks to expand the Chamber’s
\nEastern Region operations and strengthen
\nrelationships with Chamber members businesses,
\nassociations, and chambers of commerce.
\nHe said partnerships, like the one the
\neastern regional office has with the ARCC and
\nother chambers in the region is critical.<\/p>\n

“Collectively we have a larger global reach.
\nWe can share our business with the world,”
\nhe said. “Our investments in the inventions
\nthat are surfacing in a garage, dorm room or
\nat kitchen table in our country can launch a
\nnew business expand exponentially. And with
\na larger global reach good things happen.
\nEmployment opportunities arise. Charitable
\ngiving increases. People feel good about their
\nemployment, and communities benefit overall.”<\/p>\n

O’Hara is responsible for legislative and
\npolitical grassroots strategy in 11 states in the
\neastern region including New York, New Jersey,
\nMaryland, Delaware, Virginia and the six New
\nEngland states.<\/p>\n

Photo by Lisa Balschunat<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Peter Aust, left, ARCC president, with Geoffrey O’Hara of the U.S. Chamber BY LISA BALSCHUNAT Geoffrey O’Hara, executive director, Eastern Region, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, discussed an uptick in U.S. economic growth in our country, while drawing attention to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[66],"yoast_head":"\r\nU.S. Chamber Of Commerce Official Says Business Is Strong, But 'Work To Be Done' - Glens Falls Business Journal<\/title>\r\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\r\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.glensfalls.com\/glensfallsbusinessjournal\/2015\/02\/us-chamber-of-commerce-official-says-business-is-strong-but-work-to-be-done\/\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\r\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"U.S. Chamber Of Commerce Official Says Business Is Strong, But 'Work To Be Done' - 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