GBC Briefs Ways and Means Committee on Key Issues

8-4-04 – Members of the General Assembly’s House Ways and Means Committee visited the Greater Baltimore Committee today for an interim update on the GBC’s strategic priorities for the Baltimore region.

GBC President Donald C. Fry presented Chairman Sheila E. Hixson and 13 committee members with a brief summary of the GBC’s work to support the growth of the region’s biosciences industry, to push for the implementation of a comprehensive regional rail transit plan, and to strengthen the region’s minority business opportunities and resources.

The legislative committee’s briefing at the GBC was part of a day-long visit to Baltimore that also included a tour of Bank of America’s Centerpoint project and other redevelopment sites on the city’s west side and a tour of the area south of Camden Yards that is being proposed as a site for potential development of a gateway “super track” for thoroughbred racing.

Last month, the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee was also briefed by the GBC during a similar information-gathering visit to Baltimore.

Baltimore Mayor Martin O’Malley stopped by and spoke briefly to the legislators, stressing the importance of preserving and increasing the amount of state tax credits available for the commercial rehabilitation of historic buildings.

The GBC’s Fry offered lawmakers details of the new “Bridging the Gap” initiative developed by the GBC in partnership with the Presidents’ Round Table. Other partners include Congressman Elijah Cummings, the Governor’s Office on Minority Affairs, the Mayor’s Office for Minority Business Development, the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore and East Baltimore Development, Inc.

While, there are a number of government programs and mandates aimed at broadening opportunity for minority businesses and many area firms aggressively cultivating minority business partners and suppliers, the initiative’s goal is to focus the private sector on “making minority business inclusion and supplier diversity even stronger in our region,” said Fry.

To accomplish such a goal, “we have to create an environment that generates real wealth or legacy wealth in the minority business community,” he added.

Fry also announced that the first annual “Bridging the Gap” Business Achievement Awards event will be held on October 13 to honor the successful minority businesses in the region and others who have made strong commitments to broadening opportunities for minority-owned and women-owned businesses.

Meanwhile, Fry briefed committee members on the GBC’s long-standing position on gaming, advocating that if the state enacts slots legislation, it should incorporate key elements including:

• A fair distribution formula that has the highest return of gaming revenue to the state and local jurisdictions and that supports the racing industry;
  
• A competitive bidding process for selecting gaming locations and operators, with a minimum licensing fee required;
  
• Compatibility of a proposed gaming facility to the character of the existing neighborhood and community;
• A commission to review and award licenses based on an established set of criteria;
  
• Participation of minorities in the ownerships of licenses;
• Geographic balance in the location of selected gaming sites.
• Locations in first-class, high quality facilities that have the infrastructure and ancillary support services (restaurants, entertainment, etc.) to make the venues attractive enough to draw clients and keep them coming back.